“To-day the King’s lieutenants and several of the captains of the French army went to see the Pope in his palace in Rome, where a great many cardinals and nobles of the city were gathered. The Pope is a Spaniard and a poor Frenchman, but he concealed his real feelings and received the French officers with great cordiality and conversed with them good-naturedly. To Monsieur Berault Stuart, the King’s Lieutenant-General, he presented a grey charger, strong and swift, perfectly broken, and richly caparisoned. The rest of the day was spent in sports and various pastimes until evening, when the Cardinal of Sanseverino, Bishop of Maillezais and brother of the Count of Gayas, entertained the officers at a formal banquet at which the viands were _exquises et plaisants_. The banquet was given in Cardinal Ascanio’s garden amid the oranges, lemons, pomegranates, and other rare and esteemed fruits and fragrant flowers of various sorts, while singers and players, both tragic and comic, displayed their arts. The banquet over, the Frenchmen went and took leave of the Holy Father. This done they returned to their camp. It had been decided that the army should set forth the following morning, to go directly to Naples and continue the work begun.”[23] CHAPTER VII The expedition against Naples--The taking of Capua--Naples surrenders--Caesar returns to Rome--The orgy in his apartments in the Vatican--The Pope divides the conquered territory in Romagna among his family--Negotiations for the marriage of Lucretia Borgia and Alfonso d’Este--Caesar receives the Ferrarese envoys-- Lucretia’s marriage--Her character--The Pope and Caesar go to Piombino--They visit Elba--Caesar and Leonardo da Vinci. His Holiness took up his position at a window in the Castle of St. Angelo, June 28, 1501, and “with great joy” watched the armies of France file by and out of the city on their march to Naples to destroy the Aragonese dynasty. Burchard says that there were about 12,000 foot and 2,000 cavalry, 26 wagons, and 36 mortars. Jean d’Auton describes the departure of the French troops, the infantry and the cavalry leading, the file two miles long. The “men-at-arms in good order and fair array, encased in their armour and, with lances on thighs, wearing their casques ready for battle--thus they traversed Rome, the trumpets and clarions sounding, and the great Swiss drums thundering. On the low battlements of the Castle of St. Angelo stood the Pope, surrounded by bishops, archbishops, and cardinals. The illustrious Duke of Romagna and numerous other gentlemen of Rome were with him, and as the army marched by the Holy Father gave it the apostolic blessing; then the troops passed through the city gates and marched forth in the direction of the Kingdom of Naples and they moved rapidly and in perfect order.”