to convey to you
an idea of my grief is for me to say that fate could cause me no
greater sorrow than by afflicting you. No other shot could so
deeply penetrate my soul as one accompanied by your tears.
Regarding condolence, I can only say to you, as you yourself must
have thought, that time soothes and lessens all our griefs. So high
is my opinion of your intelligence and so numerous the proofs of
your strength of character that I know that you will find
consolation, and will not grieve too long. For, although you have
now lost your father, who was so great that Fortune herself could
not have given you a greater one, this is not the first blow which
you have received from an evil and hostile destiny. You have
suffered so much before that your soul must now be inured to
misfortune. Present circumstances, moreover, require that you
should not give any one cause to think that you grieve less on
account of the shock than you do on account of any anxiety as to
your future position. It is foolish for me to write this to you,
therefore I will close, commending myself to you in all humility.
Farewell. In Ostellato.[185]

AUGUST 22, 1503.

FOOTNOTES:

[180] Maxime intendendo che continuano dormire insieme la nocte. Se ben
intende ch'el Sig. Don Alfonso el di va a piacere in diversi loci come
giovene; il quale, dice S. Sta. fa molto bene. Beltrando Costabili to
the duke, Rome, April 1, 1502.

[181] Silver carlins. Obverse: JOANNES. BOR. DVX. CAMERINI; the Borgia
arms surrounded with lilies and the crest of the Lenzuoli. Reverse: S.
VENANTIVS DE CAMERI. They are described in the Periodico di Numismatica
e Sfragistica per la Storia d'Italia diretto dal March. C. Strozzi,
Flor. 1870, A. III, Fascic. ii, 70-77, by G. Amati, and also in A. IV,
fasc. vi, 259-265, by M. Santoni. Both writers erroneously describe this
Giov. Borgia as the son of the Duke of Gandia, and Amati even confuses
Valence in Dauphine with Valencia in Spain.

[182] In the state archives of Modena there are several letters
regarding Lucretia's illness written by the Ferrarese physicians
Ludovicus Carrus and J. Castellus.

[183] The duke to Costabili, his ambassador in Rome, October 9-23, 1502.

[184] Despatch of Bartolomeo Cavalieri to Ercole, Macon, September 8,
1503.

[185] Bembo, Opp. iii, 309.

CHAPTER VI

EVENTS FOLLOWING THE POPE'S DEATH

Afte