The cardinal's house had no secrets for me.

I had often seen my noble patron annotating ancient volumes, and eagerly searching amongst dusty family manuscripts.

One day when I was reproaching him for his unavailing searches, and deploring the prostration of mind that followed them, he looked at me, and, smiling bitterly, opened a volume relating to the History of the City of Rome.

There, in the twentieth chapter of the Life of Pope Alexander VI., were the following lines, which I can never forget:-- "'The great wars of Romagna had ended; Caesar Borgia, who had completed his conquest, had need of money to purchase all Italy.

The pope had also need of money to bring matters to an end with Louis XII.