The duke mortified at his failure and particularly that two gentlemen who had risked their lives for him should remain in the hands of the Corsairs, was forced to offer as a ransom two thousand gold crowns of the sun. The pirate required that, besides the payment of this sum, the Duchess of Savoy should visit him and permit him to do homage by kissing her hand. “This,” said he, “will render me famous throughout Europe.” Strange union of African barbarity with the chivalry of the middle ages! The Count of Savoy was not willing that the duchess should humble herself in the presence of this renegade stained with the most horrid crimes; but the prince felt deeply the misfortune of his faithful courtiers and resorted to an artifice which secured their liberation without humiliating the princess. A woman having the general appearance of the duchess was clothed in her robes, taken on board the moorish galley and with great pomp presented to the pirate, who fell on his knees, kissed her hand with knightly grace, released the captives and sailed back to Africa the happiest rover of the main. While Charles was struggling with adverse fortune in Germany and the Turkish fleets were desolating the coasts of Italy, Ferrante Sanseverino, Prince of Salerno, formed a league with the Duke of Somma and endeavoured to deliver Naples from the Spanish yoke. A conference was held with the legates of France at Chioggia in which all those who hated the Aragonese power participated. There were the Cardinals of Ferrara and Tornone, Termes, Selves, the Count of Mirandola, Cornelio Bentivoglio, Giulio Veri, and in fine nearly all the exiles. The Cardinal of Tornone and Termes discouraged the Neapolitan revolution, and the confederates turned their attention to Siena. Venice, as in most occasions stood neutral. But Siena, irritated by recent wrongs inflicted by imperial ministers, took part in the conference and Count Pitigliano abandoned the standards of Cæsar and promised to carry the city over to the side of France. As we have said France was to most Italians the symbol of our independence, and whether or not she wished us well she made copious promises, “according,” writes Macchiavelli, “to the habit of that nation.” Siena expelled Don Diego Urtado di Mendozza with his Spanish garrison and established a free government; but the emperor at once despatched the Marquis of Marignano to punish the rebellion, and France sent Pietro Strozzi to make a diversion in favour of the city. On the 16th of June, 1554, the Duke of Florence wrote to the government of Genoa:--