They even went so far--and most treacherously, considering the league--as to allow their famous captain, Bartolomeo d'Alviano, to reconduct Guidobaldo to Urbino, as we shall presently see.
Had the confederates but kept faith with one another Cesare's knell had soon been tolled.

But they were a weak-kneed pack of traitors, irresolute in their enmity as in their friendships.

The Orsini hung back.

They urged that they did not trust themselves to attack Cesare with men actually in his pay; whilst Bentivogli--treacherous by nature to the back-bone of him--actually went so far as to attempt to open secret negotiations with Cesare through Ercole d'Este of Ferrara..