To this, however, Louis XII would not
listen. The messenger met with a severe rebuff when he demanded in
Caesar's name the duchy of Valentinois and the revenue which he had
formerly enjoyed as a prince of the French house.[211]

Death soon put an end to the hopes of the famous adventurer. While in
the service of his brother-in-law, the King of Navarre, he conducted the
siege of the castle of Viana, which was defended by the king's vassal
Don Loys de Beamonte, Count of Lerin. There he fell, bravely fighting,
March 12, 1507. This place is situated in the diocese of Pamplona, and,
as Zurita remarks, Caesar's death by a curious coincidence occurred on
the anniversary of the day on which to him had been given the bishopric
of Pamplona. There he was interred with high honors. Like Nero he was
only thirty-one years of age at the time of his demise.

The fall of this terrible man, before whom all Italy had once trembled,
and whose name was celebrated far and wide, relieved Julius II of a
pretender who in time might have been a hindrance to him; for Caesar, as
an ally and a condottiere of Venice, would have spared no effort to
force him into a war with the Republic for the possession of Romagna, or
into a war with France on his withdrawal from the League of Cambray, and
the revengeful Louis XII would certainly have brought Caesar back to the
Romagna for the purpose of availing himself both of his former
connections in that country, and also of his great talents as a soldier.

The news of Caesar's death reached Ferrara while the duke was absent, in
April, 1507, by way of Rome and Naples. His counselor Magnanini and
Cardinal Ippolito withheld the news from the duchess, who was near her
confinement. She was merely told that her brother had been wounded in
battle. Greatly distressed, she betook herself to one of the convents in
the city, where she spent two days in prayer before returning to the
castle. As soon as the talk regarding Caesar's death reached her ears she
despatched her servant Tullio for Navarre, but on the way he received a
report of the burial and turned back to Ferrara. Grasica, one of
Cassar's equerries, also came to Ferrara and gave a full report of the
circumstances attending the death of his master, at whose interment in
Pamplona he had been present. The cardinal therefore decided to tell
Lucretia the truth, and gave her her husband's letter containing the
news of Caesar's death.[212]

The duchess displayed