Ferrara, and Mantua. Sixtus consequently broached the subject of the
suppression of the Medici to the King of Naples and to the Duke of
Urbino--the support of Siena was always assured in any attack on her
great rival.

The king had a personal quarrel with Lorenzo, because he had married
Clarice d'Orsini in preference to his daughter, whose hand he had, in a
way, offered to the young prince. He at once acceded to the Pope's
invitation, and, as good as his word, he despatched his son, the Duke of
Calabria, at the head of an armed force, professedly to demand prompt
payment by the Republic of arrears due to him for service rendered to
Florence.

At the solicitation of Sixtus these troops were retained in Tuscany on
the pretext that the Papal fief of Imola required protection. Of course
the real purpose was a menace to Lorenzo: the force being at hand to
strike a swift blow when necessary.

Duke Federigo of Urbino was made more or less conversant with the Papal
policy, and with the special question of Lorenzo's removal. He at once
rejected the proposition that resort should be had to violent or secret
measures, and in disgust at Sixtus's conduct, he threw up his
appointment as Commander of the Papal forces.

Whilst Sixtus was making all these military preparations for the
furtherance of his intentions, his co-conspirators removed the scene of
their activities to the neighbourhood of Florence, where the Pazzi and
Salviati were at one in their readiness to lay down their lives for the
undoing of the Medici. They first of all took into their confidence one
of the Papal Condottieri, a man of undoubted courage and