“MOST POWERFUL LADY,--Don Pedro de Mendoza, your corregidor for the four towns on the sea-coast, kisses your Majesty’s hand, being informed by a royal rescript that she requires me to explain how one of the alcaldes in my jurisdiction could have apprehended and then set at liberty the Duke of Valentino.... Your Majesty already knows everything connected with the arrest of the said Duke from a previous report of mine, and from the investigation conducted by the corregidor of the town of Bilboa and county of Biscay, regarding this subject. I send no further information, having given all the particulars furnished by trustworthy witnesses regarding the persons who conducted the Duke to the place of embarkation. Your Majesty may be sure that, if at the time I had the Duke in my power, I or any of my alcaldes, had known of his escape, even had he untold wealth to give us, it would never have entered my head to do anything contrary to faithful service to your Majesty, and least of all to set the Duke at liberty, knowing or even suspecting that it was he whom I had in my hands. At the time I had him in my power, I did not know he had escaped--in fine, I did not so much as remember that such a person existed. “DON PEDRO DE MENDOZA.” CHAPTER XII Caesar arrives at the Court of his brother-in-law, the King of Navarre--D’Albret’s danger--The Agramont and Beaumont factions-- Beaumont holds Viana--War is declared between D’Albret and Beaumont--Caesar is appointed commander of the troops of the King of Navarre--Viana--The chronicler Moret--Caesar is killed--The body is buried in Santa Maria de Viana--His epitaph--Removal of the body and destruction of the tomb--The news of Caesar’s death reaches Italy--The feeling in the peninsula--Caesar’s wife, Charlotte d’Albret, and their descendants--His illegitimate children--Death of Caesar’s mother Vannozza de’ Catanei-- Conclusion. The last of December, 1506, Caesar’s secretary, Don Federico, arrived in Italy with letters from his master announcing his escape. Of these letters, dated December 7, 1506, one was to the Marquis of Mantua, and another to the Cardinal of Este. The former, owing to political reasons, had always been friendly to Valentino; moreover, his wife Isabella was a sister of Alfonso d’Este, Caesar’s brother-in-law. The seal on the letters has the lilies of France and the Borgia arms, with the inscription, “Caesar Borgia de France, Duke of Romagna.”