But now two difficulties arose.

The subjugation of Romagna had been effected by the help of the French and the Orsini.

Cesare as yet had formed no militia of his own, and his allies were becoming suspicious.

The Orsini had shown some slackness at Faenza; and when Cesare proceeded to make himself master of Urbino, and to place a foot in Tuscany by the capture of Piombino--which conquests he completed during 1500 and 1501--Louis began to be jealous of him.

The problem for the Duke was how to disembarrass himself of the two forces by which he had acquired a solid basis for his future principality.