The Historical, Political

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1882 Excerpt: ... MISSION TO THE DUKE OF VALENTINOIS. Octorer 5, 1502. Cesare Borgia, second son of Pope Alexander VI., was originally intended for the Church, and had been made Cardinal of Valence by his father. But after the assassination of his elder brother, the Duke of Gandia, charged by all the writers of the day upon Cesare, he dofl'cd the cardinal's hat and eagerly seized the sword as more congenial to him. His father, the Pope, granted him a bull of secularization, and sent him with letters of credeuce and stroug recommendations to King Louis XII. of Fiance, as bearer of the Pope's bull dissolving the-marriage of the King with the Queen Jeanne, thus euabling Louis XII. to marry Anne of Brittany, widow of King Charles VIII., of whom he had been enamored whilst yet Duke of Orleans. At the same time Cesare Borgia was bearer of the cardinal's hat for Georges d'Amboise, Archbishop of Rouen and prime minister of Louis XII. In recognition of these sen-ices the king, who had already made Cesare Duke of Valentinois, gave him for wife Carlotta d'Albret, daughter of the Sieur d'Albret; and from Cardinal d'Amboise he obtained the promise of aid and support in the establishment of a state for himself in the Bomagna, which had beeu given him by his father, Pope Alcxauder VI., together with the command of the papal forces. The Bomagna, however, was at that time occupied by a number of petty lords and despots, some of whom were employed by the Duke of Valentinois as captains of his troops. These fearing lest the Duke would dispossess them, met in secret at Magione, in the Perugiau territory, to devise measures for thwarting the Duke's projects. Immediately after his return from France, however, the Duke pushed his military movements with extraordinary energy and skill, and very qu...