Romance of Roman Villas (The Renaissance)

operty has the basilisk. A white spot or star she carrieth on her head and sett

erpent about its prey, with something more than human in the sudden deliverance w

all I have told, you will never guess in what mysterious guise, yet so subtly that it seemed a breath

uis XII. had sent to aid his ally in the conquest of Romagna. I would far liefer have gone with my brother knights deputed to sustain Louis's right to the Milanese, for it is one thing to fight honourably for France and another, as I soon discovered, to aid a villain in the massacre of his own countrymen, and all for a

Borgia

ssed its puny defiance. I stooped from my saddle, impaled it on my sword, and waved it writhing in the ai

re. The astrologer, Ormes, had predicted that he would meet his death neither from natura

reature may that be?"

he monster is gifted with the evil eye, killing whomsoever it looks upon. It bears a star-shaped spot

"but you need have no apprehe

repeated i

since been removed, for the flesh

d has let the serpent go free knowing that it is only by the eye of a living basilisk that t

wounded the creature. It

n that Cesare's inhuman cruelty and perfidy would cause me to thank God for his belief in the creature's malignancy and that

I for the business, since to my shame I was making war upon a woman. Imola which had already surrendered to us, was also her fief, but had she commanded its forces in person we would not have taken it so

people had refused to recognise his authority and had stabbed him to de

ked in pieces; and this was but one of many instances reported of her dauntless and vindictive character. She had remarried, but her second husban

those she already bore, for he recognised in this tigerish woman a fitting mate. He hated her indeed, but one does not hate

ely about the citadel that for weeks past not a mouse could escape, Cesare befor

n summoned to surrender on pain of having her children put to death before her walls, this unnatural mother had replied coldl

rine, of a puzzling tint varying from blue to green, lustrous and lapping the beholder with their gentle lambency, except when passion moved her, when I have seen them glow with a menacing light as though they might shoot forth green flames. But now she

in

nna

Forlì in

alme

her lips a little apart and her

from your commander?" she ask

a belted knight, companion of Bayard sans reproche; this your fufilment of your sworn devoir to women in distress? Then here is my answer,

of their purport. Believe also that though what I have hitherto heard has not prepossessed me in your favo

d to lovers' flatteries ere this," she ans

eed, but none of yours. It is because I love my

truth; but apparently my words alone convinced her, and, feeling the discourtesy of such an

your master that I shall defend my fortress to the last extremity. If I am so unfortunate as to b

, striving by destroying the homes of her own people to drive us from our shelter, and once in the dead of night she made sortie and strove to cut her way through only to be beaten back. She seemed more a deluding spirit of evil leading us on to our own destruction than an ordinary mortal, and when Cesare gave orders to bombard the castle it made our flesh creep to see her seated nonchalantly upon the ramparts scanning the artillerymen through her lorgnon,

that she was ready to surrender. Even then she demanded len

of Romagna, and she offered herself and her children as hostages for their loyalty, but not to Cesare. They would trust t

t statesman Machiavelli who counselled that when a city was captured every male heir to its former lord should be slain, to guard against uprisings in the future. I

questioningly, "From Cesare's so great personal solicitude I gather t

me when Cesare first laid claim to our estates. Tell him that I cannot take advantage of his kind offer for I sent my son before the siege to join his cousin and

e so wise," I replied, and even Cesa

e younger insisted on riding on horseback at my side. She was an ugly little hoyden of five years, this Giovanna, who, squat of stature and swarthy as a gypsy, bestrode her little pon

u should have seen the face of the messenger who told us that the town of Forlì had opened its gates to the besiegers. I am like my father in looks, but I have m

o rule, little pr

I am grown I will be a great co

girl a condottiere-who ev

sly. "I have a mind to tel

and pulled me close while she confided: "I am not Giovanna, I am not a girl at all. I am Giovanni de' Medici, Duke of Forlì

Bo

g by Dante Gab

en, Lucrezia plays the viol, Cesar beats time

of George

on had betrayed his disguise, and reproached her for bringing him into the