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NOTES TO THE SECOND BOOK OF THE COURTIER of succour from Guidobaldo, who had taken refuge at Venice. Cian says that the place at last fell and was not again recovered by Guidobaldo until after the death of Alexander VI. On the other hand Dennistoun (ii, 13) asserts that by a reinforcement of twenty-five men the castle was enabled to hold out until Guidobaldo's restoration; he assigns the incident in the text to the first cap- ture (1502), gives the name of the castellan as Scarmiglione da Foglino, and affirms that the surrender was treacherous. Note 276, page 147. DUKE VALENTINO, i.e. Cesare Borgia, Duke of Valen- tinois, (born 1478; died 1507), was an openly acknowledged son of Cardinal Roderigo Borgia (afterwards Alexander VI) by Rosa Vanozza, who was the mother also of Cesare's sister Lucrezia. Created a cardinal on his father's accession, he procured the murder of his brother Giovanni in 1497, resigned his cardinalate the same year, was given the French duchy of Valentinois in 1498, and married Charlotte d'Albret, daughter of the King of Navarre, in 1499. Having been created Duke of Romagna by his father in 1501, he proceeded to reduce the various fiefs comprised within his intended domain, including the duchy of Urbino. After the death of Alexander VI, Cesare was held in cap- tivity by Julius II and by Ferdinand the Catholic, escaped to his father-in-law's court in 1506, and fell in battle the following year, the very day after the close of the Courtier dialogues. Handsome, accomplished and subtle, he was a patron of learning and an adept in the cruel and perfidious politics of his day. Upon his public career is founded the famous Principe of Machiavelli, who says: "If all the duke's achievements are considered, it will be found that he built up a great superstructure for his future power; nor do I know what pre- cepts I could furnish to a prince better than such as are to be derived from his example. Note 277, page 148. Literally: "It must be believed to have been in despair." Note 278, page 148. PuBLius Cornelius Scipio Nasica (Scipio with the pointed nose), was an eminent Roman jurist who was Consul in 191 B.C., and own cousin of Scipio Africanus the Elder. Note 279, page 148. Alonso Carillo is said by Cian to have been one of the many Spaniards who lived at Rome in the service of popes and cardinals belonging to that nation. The Spanish annotator Fabi6 identifies him as a son of Don Luis and Donna Costanza de Rivera. Note 280, page 148. My Lady BOADILLA. Cian's identification of this lady as Beatriz Fernandez de Bobadilla, Marchioness of Moya, is confirmed by the fact that Boscan's translation (1534) gives her name as the Marchioness of Moya instead of 'my lady Boadilla.' She and her husband are warmly men- tioned in a codicil to Isabella the Catholic's will, as being among that queen's most dear and faithful friends. Note 281, page 149. In this passage, Antonio Ciccarelli's expurgated edition 377