This novella, published in 1887, is considered one of the most significant literary achievements of the poet Conrad Ferdinand Meyer (1825-1898) and is set in Italy around 1525. The country is divided into various principalities and city-states that are waging war against each other. At the center of the story is the general Pescara, who has recently captured the French King Francis I in the Battle of Pavia while serving under Emperor Charles V. To withstand the emperor's overwhelming power, the league of the Papal States and other Italian states plans to use intrigue to persuade the general to switch sides.