the cenci-第2章

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pontificate。　　The　morning　after　his　death　his　physician's　door　was

found　decorated　with　garlands　of　flowers；　bearing　this　inscription：

〃To　the　liberator　of　his　country。〃



Giulio　di　Medici　and　Pompeo　Colonna　were　again　rival　candidates。

Intrigues　recommenced；　and　the　Conclave　was　once　more　so　divided　that

at　one　time　the　cardinals　thought　they　could　only　escape　the

difficulty　in　which　they　were　placed　by　doing　what　they　had　done

before；　and　electing　a　third　competitor；　they　were　even　talking　about

Cardinal　Orsini；　when　Giulio　di　Medici；　one　of　the　rival　candidates；

hit　upon　a　very　ingenious　expedient。　　He　wanted　only　five　votes；　five

of　his　partisans　each　offered　to　bet　five　of　Colonna's　a　hundred

thousand　ducats　to　ten　thousand　against　the　election　of　Giulio　di

Medici。　　At　the　very　first　ballot　after　the　wager；　Giulio　di　Medici

got　the　five　votes　he　wanted；　no　objection　could　be　made；　the

cardinals　had　not　been　bribed；　they　had　made　a　bet；　that　was　all。



Thus　it　happened；　on　the　18th　of　November；　1523；　Giulio　di　Medici　was

proclaimed　pope　under　the　name　of　Clement　VII。　　The　same　day；　he

generously　paid　the　five　hundred　thousand　ducats　which　his　five

partisans　had　lost。



It　was　under　this　pontificate；　and　during　the　seven　months　in　which

Rome；　conquered　by　the　Lutheran　soldiers　of　the　Constable　of　Bourbon；

saw　holy　things　subjected　to　the　most　frightful　profanations；　that

Francesco　Cenci　was　born。



He　was　the　son　of　Monsignor　Nicolo　Cenci；　afterwards　apostolic

treasurer　during　the　pontificate　of　Pius　V。　　Under　this　venerable

prelate；　who　occupied　himself　much　more　with　the　spiritual　than　the

temporal　administration　of　his　kingdom；　Nicolo　Cenci　took　advantage

of　his　spiritual　head's　abstraction　of　worldly　matters　to　amass　a　net

revenue　of　a　hundred　and　sixty　thousand　piastres；　about　f32；000　of

our　money。　　Francesco　Cenci；　who　was　his　only　son；　inherited　this

fortune。



His　youth　was　spent　under　popes　so　occupied　with　the　schism　of　Luther

that　they　had　no　time　to　think　of　anything　else。　　The　result　was；

that　Francesco　Cenci；　inheriting　vicious　instincts　and　master　of　an

immense　fortune　which　enabled　him　to　purchase　immunity；　abandoned

himself　to　all　the　evil　passions　of　his　fiery　and　passionate

temperament。　　Five　times　during　his　profligate　career　imprisoned　for

abominable　crimes；　he　only　succeeded　in　procuring　his　liberation　by

the　payment　of　two　hundred　thousand　piastres；　or　about　one　million

francs。　　It　should　be　explained　that　popes　at　this　time　were　in　great

need　of　money。



The　lawless　profligacy　of　Francesco　Cenci　first　began　seriously　to

attract　public　attention　under　the　pontificate　of　Gregory　XIII。　　This

reign　offered　marvellous　facilities　for　the　development　of　a

reputation　such　as　that　which　this　reckless　Italian　Don　Juan　seemed

bent　on　acquiring。　　Under　the　Bolognese　Buoncampagno；　a　free　hand　was

given　to　those　able　to　pay　both　assassins　and　judges。　　Rape　and

murder　were　so　common　that　public　justice　scarcely　troubled　itself

with　these　trifling　things；　if　nobody　appeared　to　prosecute　the

guilty　parties。　　The　good　Gregory　had　his　reward　for　his　easygoing

indulgence；　he　was　spared　to　rejoice　over　the　Massacre　of　St。

Bartholomew。



Francesco　Cenci　was　at　the　time　of　which　we　are　speaking　a　man　of

forty…four　or　forty…five　years　of　age；　about　five　feet　four　inches　in

height；　symmetrically　proportioned；　and　very　strong；　although　rather

thin；　his　hair　was　streaked　with　grey；　his　eyes　were　large　and

expressive；　although　the　upper　eyelids　drooped　somewhat；　his　nose　was

long；　his　lips　were　thin；　and　wore　habitually　a　pleasant　smile；

except　when　his　eye　perceived　an　enemy；　at　this　moment　his　features

assumed　a　terrible　expression；　on　such　occasions；　and　whenever　moved

or　even　slightly　irritated；　he　was　seized　with　a　fit　of　nervous

trembling；　which　lasted　long　after　the　cause　which　provoked　it　had

passed。　　An　adept　in　all　manly　exercises　and　especially　in

horsemanship；　he　sometimes　used　to　ride　without　stopping　from　Rome　to

Naples；　a　distance　of　forty…one　leagues；　passing　through　the　forest

of　San　Germano　and　the　Pontine　marshes　heedless　of　brigands；　although

he　might　be　alone　and　unarmed　save　for　his　sword　and　dagger。　　When

his　horse　fell　from　fatigue；　he　bought　another；　were　the　owner

unwilling　to　sell　he　took　it　by　force；　if　resistance　were　made；　he

struck；　and　always　with　the　point；　never　the　hilt。　　In　most　cases；

being　well　known　throughout　the　Papal　States　as　a　free…handed　person；

nobody　tried　to　thwart　him；　some　yielding　through　fear；　others　from

motives　of　interest。　　Impious；　sacrilegious；　and　atheistical；　he

never　entered　a　church　except　to　profane　its　sanctity。　　It　was　said

of　him　that　he　had　a　morbid　appetite　for　novelties　in　crime；　and　that

there　was　no　outrage　he　would　not　commit　if　he　hoped　by　so　doing　to

enjoy　a　new　sensation。



At　the　age　of　about　forty…five　he　had　married　a　very　rich　woman；

whose　name　is　not　mentioned　by　any　chronicler。　　She　died；　leaving　him

seven　childrenfive　boys　and　two　girls。　　He　then　married　Lucrezia

Petroni；　a　perfect　beauty　of　the　Roman　type；　except　for　the　ivory

pallor　of　her　complexion。　　By　this　second　marriage　he　had　no

children。



As　if　Francesco　Cenci　were　void　of　all　natural　affection；　he　hated

his　children；　and　was　at　no　pains　to　conceal　his　feelings　towards

them：　on　one　occasion；　when　he　was　building；　in　the　courtyard　of　his

magnificent　palace；　near　the　Tiber；　a　chapel　dedicated　to　St。

Thomas；　he　remarked　to　the　architect；　when　instructing　him　to　design

a　family　vault；　〃That　is　where　I　hope　to　bury　them　all。〃　The

architect　often　subsequently　admitted　that　he　was　so　terrified　by　the

fiendish　laugh　which　accompanied　these　words；　that　had　not　Francesco

Cenci's　work　been　extremely　profitable；　he　would　have　refused　to　go

on　with　it。



As　soon　as　his　three　eldest　boys；　Giacomo；　Cristoforo；　and　Rocco；

were　out　of　their　tutors'　hands；　in　order　to　get　rid　of　them　he　sent

them　to　the　University　of　Salamanca；　where；　out　of　sight；　they　were

out　of　mind；　for　he　thought　no　more　about　them；　and　did　not　even　send

them　the　means　of　subsistence。　　In　these　straits；　after　struggling

for　some　months　against　their　wretched　plight；　the　lads　were　obliged

to　leave　Salamanca；　and　beg　their　way　home；　tramping　barefoot　through

France　and　Italy；　till　they　made　their　way　back　to　Rome；　where　they

found　their　father　harsher　and　more　unkind　than　ever。



This　happened　in　the　early　part　of　the　reign　of　Clement　VIII；　famed

for　his　justice。　　The　three　youths　resolved　to　apply　to　him；　to　grant

them　an　allowance　out　of　their　father's　immense　income。　They

consequently　repaired　to　Frascati；　where　the　pope　was　building　the

beautiful　Aldobrandini　Villa；　and　stated　their　case。　　The　pope

admitted　the　justice　of　their　claims；　and　ordered　Francesco；　to　allow

each　of　them　two　thousand　crowns　a　year。　　He　endeavoured　by　every

possible　means　to　evade　this　decree；　but　the　pope's　orders　were　too

stringent　to　be　disobeyed。



About　this　period　he　was　for　the　third　time　imprisoned　for　infamous

crimes。　　His　three　sons　them　again　petitioned　the　pope；　alleging　that

their　father　dishonoured　the　family　name；　and　praying　that　the

extreme　rigour　of　the　law；　a　capital　sentence；　should　be　enforced　in

his　case。　　The　pope　pronounced　this　conduct　unnatural　and　odious；　and

drove　them　with　ignominy　from　his　presence。　　As　for　Francesco；　he

escaped；　as　on　the　two　previous　occasions；　by　the　payment　of　a　large

sum　of　money。



It　will　be　readily　understood　that　his　sons'　conduct　on　this　occasion

did　not　improve　their　father's　disposition　towards　them；　but　as　their

independent　pensions　enabled　them　to　keep　out　of　his　way；　his　rage

fell　with　all　the　greater　intensity　on　his　two　unhappy　daughters。

Their　situation　soon　became　so　intolerable；　that　the　elder；

contriving　to　elude　the　close　supervision　under　which　she　was　kept；

forwarded　to　the　pope　a　petition；　relating