ary Orsino, Jacopo Santa Croce, and Rinaldo Orsino,
who were all prisoners like himself; at the same time the governor
received orders to seize the castle of Monte Giardino, which belonged
to the Orsini, and take away all the jewels, all the hangings, all the
furniture, and all the silver that he might find.

The governor carried out his orders conscientiously, and brought to the
Vatican everything he seized, down to the cardinal's account-book. On
consulting this book, the pope found out two things: first, that a
sum of 2000 ducats was due to the cardinal, no debtor's name being
mentioned; secondly, that the cardinal had bought three months before,
for 1500 Roman crowns, a magnificent pearl which could not be found
among the objects belonging to him: on which Alexander ordered that from
that very moment until the negligence in the cardinal's accounts was
repaired, the men who were in the habit of bringing him food twice a
day on behalf of his mother should not be admitted into the Castle
Sant' Angelo. The same day, the cardinal's mother sent the pope the 2000
ducats, and the next day his mistress, in man's attire, came in person
to bring the missing pearl. His Holiness, however, was so struck with
her beauty in this costume, that, we are told, he let her keep the pearl
for the same price she had paid for it.

Then the pope allowed the cardinal to have his food brought as before,
and he died of poison on the 22nd of February--that is, two days after
his accounts had been set right.

That same night the Prince of Squillace set off to take possession, in
the pope's name, of the lands of the deceased.

CHAPTER XIV

The Duke of Valentinois had continued, his road towards Citta di
Castello and Perugia, and had seized these two towns without striking a
blow; for the Vitelli had fled from the former, and the latter had been
abandoned by Gian Paolo Baglione with no attempt whatever at resistance.
There still remained Siena, where Pandolfo Petrucci was shut up, the
only man remaining of all who had joined the league against Caesar.

But Siena was under the protection of the French. Besides, Siena was
not one of the States of the Church, and Caesar had no rights there.
Therefore he was content with insisting upon Pandolfo Petrucci's leaving
the town and retiring to Lucca, which he accordingly did.

Then all on this side being peaceful and the whole of Romagna in
subjection, Caesar resolved to return to Rome and help