As soon as these vassals of the Holy See felt themselves strong enough they refused all allegiance and declined to pay their annual tribute. Alexander VI. was thus afforded an excellent pretext for attempting to recover St. Peter’s domain--and this he set about doing, ostensibly for the Church, but in reality to build up a kingdom in central Italy for the benefit of his family. CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION The Renaissance--The Papacy in the fifteenth century--The Borgia 23 CHAPTER I Genealogy of the House of Borgia--Vannozza de’ Catanei--Birth of Caesar Borgia--His youth 68 CHAPTER II Charles VIII. invades Italy--Caesar a hostage--Caesar leaves the King’s camp--The League against France--Charles enters Rome--Caesar appointed Governor of Orvieto--The Pope conceives the idea of recovering Romagna--He declares the Romagnol barons rebels--The Pope summons his son, the Duke of Gandia, from Spain to command the papal troops-- Charles VIII. aids the Romagnol barons--Giuffre Borgia and his wife, Doña Sancia, of Naples, come to Rome--Caesar appointed Legate to crown the King of Naples 87 CHAPTER III The murder of the Duke of Gandia--Caesar departs to crown the King of Naples--He returns to Rome--The Pope’s projected matrimonial alliances for his children 107 CHAPTER IV Louis XII. succeeds to the throne of France--His bargain with the Pope--Caesar prepares to go to France--He renounces his cardinalate--He arrives in Avignon, where he meets Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere--Louis XII. and Caesar meet--Caesar’s entry into Chinon--Duke of Valentinois-- Caesar’s shrewdness--Charlotte D’Albret--Her marriage to Caesar--The projected conquest of Milan--Ludovico il Moro--The French army invades Italy--Caesar leaves France--He enters Milan with Louis XII. 122 CHAPTER V The first campaign in Romagna--Imola surrenders--Caterina Sforza, the type of the virago--Caesar enters Forli-- Death of Cardinal Giovanni Borgia--Return of Ludovico il Moro to Milan--Caesar goes to Rome--His entrance into the city--He is invested with the Vicariate of Romagna--Delegates from Imola and Forli request the Pope to appoint Caesar Governor--Caesar is made Gonfalonier of the Church--His oath--Caesar’s physical strength--His personal appearance 139 CHAPTER VI