The letter from Messer Agapito announced the approaching siege of Faenza, and demanded the immediate presence of the new engineer and architect in Cæsar Borgia's camp.
Two days later Leonardo left Florence for Romagna.
BOOK XII
'Aut Cæsar aut Nihil.'
Cæsar Borgia.
1500-1503
'A prince must be a beast as well as a man.'
Niccolò Machiavelli.—Il Principe.
I
'We, Cæsar Borgia of France, by the Grace of God, Duke of Romagna, Lord of Piombino, Gonfaloniere of the Holy Roman Church, and Captain-General;
'To all our lieutenants, castellans, captains, condottieri, officers, and subjects;
'We commend unto you the most famous and well-beloved Leonardo Vinci, our architect and chief war-engineer, and command that ye give him everywhere unhindered passage, permitting him to examine, measure, and judge of everything he may desire to see in our fortresses, and affording him all co-operation, and as many men as he may need to help him. And we bid our other contractors to enter into accord in all matters with the will of the above-mentioned Leonardo, to whom we entrust the oversight of all the fortresses and castles in our dominions.