Caesar remained in Rome until July 9, 1501, when he left for Naples, but Burchard adds that he believed he returned to the city again the same evening. In a secret consistory, June 25th, Frederic of Aragon had been declared deprived of the Kingdom of Naples, and the King of France invested with it. The 29th the league between the Pope and Louis XII. was solemnly proclaimed in St. Peter’s, the _Te Deum_ was sung, and his Holiness repeated the Lord’s Prayer and gave his benediction. On the way to Naples the French destroyed Marino and Cavi, while San Germano opened its gates to the invaders. Fabrizio and Prospero Colonna, who had abandoned their domain to the Pope, were Frederic’s only allies, but in his employ he had the famous condottiere Rinuccio da Marciano, who with Fabrizio Colonna had command of the forces in Capua. On the approach of the French Frederic promptly retired to Naples, where he was pursued by D’Aubigny, while Valentino and Sanseverino laid vigorous siege to Capua. The siege lasted for eight days, at the end of which time Fabrizio Colonna, seeing that further resistance was useless, endeavoured to arrange a meeting to agree upon the terms of surrender, but in the meantime a traitor had opened the gates and the French army rushed into the town. “After the wall was destroyed and a breach effected large enough to permit of the assault, the King’s lieutenants had the trumpets and clarions sound the charge, and the drums beaten to arouse the army; the men-at-arms were given all the wine they wanted--to lend them courage--that the valour of France might humble the pride of Italy--and Messire Berault Stuart, Lieutenant-General of the King, addressed the men; on the conclusion of his speech the French were fired with courage and resolved to stand firm in the midst of the terrible adventures of war--and there, whether they lived or died, to maintain the justice of their King’s quarrel. And the assault was given about eleven o’clock on the morning of July 25th and was begun by the infantry, and a hand-to-hand fight ensued and the air was filled with spears and arrows and flashing swords--and beyond was the fire and smoke of the artillery--in the streets of the town pikes and halberds clashed--rude was the attack--but so bravely met that in less than half an hour more than two hundred French and Germans were killed in the breach--and the men of Don Frederic--of a truth they received their share of the blows and many were slain--and the troopers had no rest and it would have gone ill with the French if their men-at-arms had not come to their aid--and the shedding of human blood was each man’s care--and the Neapolitans and the Colonna maintained their quarrel with the sweat of their brow and the blood of their bodies--but the French continued to attack so furiously that the enemy knew not how to save themselves, except by flight--so they fell back and the French gained the breach--and they carried the town by assault and entered--and