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But let us return whence we started. I say that the duke, finding

himself now sufficiently powerful and partly secured from

immediate dangers by having armed himself in his own way, and

having in a great measure crushed those forces in his vicinity

that could injure him if he wished to proceed with his conquest,

had next to consider France, for he knew that the king, who too

late was aware of his mistake, would not support him. And from

this time he began to seek new alliances and to temporize with

France in the expedition which she was making towards the kingdom

of Naples against the Spaniards who were besieging Gaeta. It was

his intention to secure himself against them, and this he would

have quickly accomplished had Alexander lived.