His name was not once spoken, and neither on that day nor afterwards was there ever again any mention of the unhappy young man: it was as though he had never existed.
It was the fact that Caesar brought good news, King Frederic gave his consent to the proposed union; so the marriage of Sforza and Lucrezia was dissolved on a pretext of nullity.

Then Frederic authorised the exhumation of D'jem's body, which, it will be remembered, was worth 300,000 ducats.
After this, all came about as Caesar had desired; he became the man who was all-powerful after the pope; but when he was second in command it was soon evident to the Roman people that their city was making a new stride in the direction of ruin.

There was nothing but balls, fetes, masquerades; there were magnificent hunting parties, when Caesar--who had begun to cast off is cardinal's robe,--weary perhaps of the colour, appeared in a French dress, followed, like a king by cardinals, envoys and bodyguard.

The whole pontifical town, given up like a courtesan to orgies and debauchery, had never been more the home of sedition, luxury, and carnage, according to the Cardinal of Viterba, not even in the days of Nero and Heliogabalus.

Never had she fallen upon days more evil; never had more traitors done her dishonour or sbirri stained her streets with blood.