zza de
Cataneis," or "Your fortunate and unfortunate mother, Vannozza
Borgia,"--she used the family name in her private affairs, but not
officially.

Her last letter to Lucretia, written December 19, 1515, which refers to
her son Caesar's former secretary, Agapitus of Emelia, is as follows:

ILLUSTRIOUS LADY: My greeting and respects. Your
Excellency will certainly remember favorably the services of Messer
Agapitus of Emelia to his Excellency our duke, and the love which
he has always shown us. It is, therefore, meet that his kinsmen be
helped and advanced in every way possible. Shortly before his death
he relinquished all his benefices in favor of his nephew
Giambattista of Aquila; among them are some in the bishopric of
Capua which are worth very little. If your Excellency wishes to do
me a kindness I will ask you, for the reasons above mentioned, to
interest yourself in behalf of these nephews to whom I have
referred. Nicola, the bearer of this, who is himself a nephew of
Agapitus, will explain to your Excellency at length what should be
done. And now farewell to your Excellency, to whom I commend
myself.

ROME, _December 19, 1515_.

POSTSCRIPT: In this matter your Excellency will do as you
think best, as I have written the above from a sense of
obligation. Therefore you may do only what you know will please his
Worthiness and, so far as the present is concerned, you may answer
as you see fit.

VANNOZZA, who prays for you constantly.

Vannozza clearly was an honor to the Borgia school of diplomacy.

Agapitus dei Gerardi, who wrote so many of Caesar's letters and
documents, had remained true to the Borgias, as is shown by this letter,
until his death, which occurred in Rome, August 2, 1515. Vannozza, of a
truth, had seen many of the former friends, flatterers, and parasites of
her house desert it; but a number, among whom were several important
personages, remained true. She, as mother of the Duchess of Ferrara, was
still able to exert some influence; she was living a respectable life,
in comfortable circumstances, as a woman of position, and was described
as _la magnifica e nobile_ Madanna Vannozza. She also kept up her
relations with such of the cardinals as were Spaniards and relatives of
Alexander VI, or who were his creatures. She survived most of them. Of
the two cardinals Giovanni Borgia, one had passed a