whom we adore and by our holy Gospels, that they shall be faithfully kept from the first point unto the last.  And now for the final and complete assurance of your Highness, in order that no doubt may still remain in your heart, and that you may be once again and profoundly convinced of our good faith, we the aforesaid Sultan Bajazet do swear by the true God, who has created the heavens and the earth and all that therein is, that we will religiously observe all that has been above said and declared, and in the future will do nothing and undertake nothing that may be contrary to the interests of your Highness.

“Given at Constantinople, in our palace, on the 12th of September A.D. 1494.”

This letter was the cause of great joy to the Holy Father:  the aid of four or five thousand Turks would be insufficient under the present circumstances, and would only serve to compromise the head of Christendom, while the sum of 300,000 ducats—­that is, nearly a million francs—­was good to get in any sort of circumstances.  It is true that, so long as D’jem lived, Alexander was drawing an income of 180,000 livres, which as a life annuity represented a capital of nearly two millions; but when one needs ready mangy, one ought to be able to make a sacrifice in the way of discount.  All the same, Alexander formed no definite plan, resolved on acting as circumstances should indicate.

But it was a more pressing business to decide how he should behave to the King of France:  he had never anticipated the success of the French in Italy, and we have seen that he laid all the foundations of his family’s future grandeur upon his alliance with the house of Aragon.  But here was this house tattering, and a volcano more terrible than her own Vesuvius was threatening to swallow up Naples.  He must therefore change his policy, and attach himself to the victor,—­no easy matter, for Charles viii was bitterly annoyed with the pope for having refused him the investiture and given it to Aragon.

In consequence, he sent Cardinal Francesco Piccolomini as an envoy to the king.  This choice looked like a mistake at first, seeing that the ambassador was a nephew of Pius ii, who had vigorously opposed the house of Anjou; but Alexander in acting thus had a second design, which could not be discerned by those around him.  In fact, he had divined that Charles would not be quick to receive his envoy, and that, in the parleyings to which his unwillingness must give rise, Piccolomini would necessarily be brought into contact with the young king’s advisers.  Now, besides his ostensible mission to the king, Piccalamini had also secret instructions for the more influential among his counsellors.  These were Briconnet and Philippe de Luxembourg; and Piccolomini was authorised to promise a cardinal’s hat to each of them.  The result was just what Alexander had foreseen:  his envoy could not gain admission to Charles, and was obliged to confer with the people about him.  This was what the pope wished.  Piccolomini returned to Rome with the king’s refusal, but with a promise from Briconnet and Philippe de Luxembourg that they would use all their influence with Charles in favour of the Holy Father, and prepare him to receive a fresh embassy.