The Winslow mail., 1900-06-14
copyright, 1895, by D Appleton & Co.
All rights reserVed.l
CHAPTER XVII
CONCERNING MANY THINGS.

we were too strong, and although they in
ficted severe loss on us, killing Bande Mere
amongst others, they were cut down, all
but one, who led them This man, seeing all
was lost, and determined not to be taken
himself, galloped to the quay and striking
his spurs home, leaped his horse far into the
river, and made for the vessel. The stream
was running fast and strong, but the good
beast, despite his burden, struggled bravely
against the flood. To relieve the horse, the
cavalier, having torn off his morton, slipped
from the saddle, and with his hand on the
pommel, attempted manfully to swim be-
side the animal. The weight of his cuirass,
however, bore him down. Twice his head
sank below the water, twice he rose again
and battled with the food. Those on the
ship made no effort to save him, and we on
shore could do nothing. He had now, fight
ing every inch of his way, drifted astern of
the vessel, and some one flung a rope at him.
His hand reached out to clasp it, but missed,
and then the under-current caught man and
horse and dragged them down. He rose yet
once again, his white despairing face
turned towards us, and with supreme ef-
fort of hate, shook his cenched hand at me,
and was gone.
So died Crepn D'Entrangues, the death of
brave man, unyieldng and fighting to the
last. The yellow Tiber hissed in white foam
over the spot where he sank. Perchance
the mad currents dragged his body down to
the slime of the river-bed, picked it up again
in their swirl, tossed it in sport from one to
another, and finally flung it to rot on some
lonely bank, where the gulls screamed above
it, and the foxes of the Maremma gnawed
at the rusty armor. and snapped and
snarled over the white bones in the moon
light.
Everyone knows the history Of the times,
and it is not my intention to dilate on this,
but merely to set down, without comment,
those matters of state in which Fortune al
lowed me to play part. When Cesare sur
rendered at Ostia the Borgia were broken
for ever, and Valentnois allowed, after a
short confinement, to escape to Spain, where
he died like a soldier. Now that the game
was in their hands, the allies began to quar-
rel amongst themselves, the French king to
drivel away his opportunities in gayety, and
the Venctans to step in, in their Most Sc
rene way, and claim a share of the spolls for
the Lion of St. Mark Events moved quick
ly, the genius of the Great Captain won vic
tory after victory for Spain, the death of
Francis Piccolomini paved the way for the
accession of Rouvere to the papacy as Julius
H., and the Holy League was formed, by
means of which the French were finally
driven from Italy. Thus, in few years, the
work of D'Amboise was scattered to the
winds, but long before that time | had
sheathed my sword, and concerned myself
no more with war.
But on the day that | surrendered my
prisoner TO D'Amboise and Orsini, the for
mer already in thought sat in st. Peters
chair, and the latter, at the very least, i'm
agined himself the Lord of the Romagna. |
sent forward couriers, with the news of my
success, 10 the cardinal, and ere we reached
Malafede met with return messenger from
D'Ambose, bearing a brief note of con-
graduation, and adding that Colonna had
made terms to evacuate the portions of the
city he held. The messenger informed me
that the Bailly of Caen had already entered
Rome by the Porta Pia, and that, finding
himself between two fires, old Fabrlzi Colon
ma had made a virtue of necessity, and by
yielding now reserved himself for another
day. This enabled me to go lack by an
easier route than we had come, and as we
rode through the Ostian gate, | could not
help contrasting my present entry to the
day when Jacopo and | had rened in our
weary steeds to let the Borgia pass and give
L
Angelo, surrendered my prisoner to Orsini
in person, and truly thought he would have
but few hours more to live, for Gentip Vir
ginio had long score to settle with the
Borgia, and longer memory for a wrong.
The blood, too, of Paolo, whom Cesare
strangled at Sinigaglia, and that of the Car
dinal Orsini, whom he brutally murdered in
Rome, called aloud for vengeance. Cesare
L;o>oolf coo,nod to ko oU,oro Of +bic for
whereas up to now he had remained in
sulen silence, he found tongue to mplore
me, in the most servile manner, not to de-
liver him to Orsni, and when told him l
had no option, he tried to creep out of his
litter, and lay his cap at the feet of his
enemy. Orsini spoke nothing, merely or
dcring him to be borne to S. Angelo; but
as the Borgia shrank back into his litter, he
said with a grim smile that he trusted the
duke would find his entertainment 10 his
liking. How it happened that Cesare came
off with a whole skin never knew, but he
did, as | have mentioned above, and it sur
passes belief. He turned cur at the last, and
the low blood showed in him; but he was
one of those men who knew how to be thor
oughly bad. Orsini took back his lances,
saying he had need of them, so that it was
with my cwn few men that reached the
Palazzo Corneto. ! must except Bande Mere
from this number, and was truly sorry for
his death, tor his was an honest sword. The
cardinal received me in the little chamber
where we had supped with Machiaveli. lie
had thrown aside his clerical habit and was
in mail, but wore his barettina on his head.
He was more than kind, congratulating me
heartily on my success, going so far as to
say that by capturing Cesare | had given
kingdom to France. | then left him with
further assurances Of his good will towards
me- and saw him no more for the day.
Towards the small hours of the next morn
ing | was aroused from deep sleep by Jaco-
po. Starting up, inquired what was astir,
and was told that Defaure, the page, was
waiting to see me. gave orders for his in
slant admission, and, on coming in, he in
formed me that his eminence desired my i'm
mediate attendance. Telling Jacopo to have
Castor saddled, for | smelt work afoot,
flung myself into my clothes and FASTENED
to D'Amboise.
He had evidently not slept all night, and
was pacing the room in agitation.
"St. Dennis!" he burst out, as entered,
"do you know what they have done? The
king holds tourney at Arezzo instead of
marching on at once. What is worse, he has
granted an extension of the truce to Spain,
and Tremouille and the rest of them are off
to the junkets. They are making May day
with those ducats you captured. BY G.!
they would dance away a kingdom"
"Your eminence has no doubt sent news
of the capture of Cesare?"
THAT was only yesterday, man." he
snapped, "and De Briconnet is riding for
his life to the king. But it is about this |