the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第22章

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e。

Lorenzo　the　Magnificent；　on　his　part；　was　anxious　that　the　House　of　　Medici　should　not　be　sent　away　with　empty　hands。　He　married　his　　daughter　Maddalena　to　the　son　of　the　new　Pope　the　first　who　publicly　　acknowledged　his　children　Franceschetto　Cibo；　and　expected　not　only　　favours　of　all　kinds　for　his　own　son；　Cardinal　Giovanni；　afterwards　Leo　　X；　but　also　the　rapid　promotion　of　his　son…in…law。　But　with　respect　to　　the　latter；　he　demanded　impossibilities。　Under　Innocent　VIII　there　was　　no　opportunity　for　the　audacious　nepotism　by　which　States　had　been　　founded；　since　Franceschetto　himself　was　a　poor　creature　who；　like　his　　father　the　Pope；　sought　power　only　for　the　lowest　purpose　of　allthe　　acquisition　and　accumulation　of　money。　The　manner；　however；　in　which　　father　and　son　practiced　this　occupation　must　have　led　sooner　or　later　　to　a　final　catastrophethe　dissolution　of　the　State。　If　Sixtus　had　　filled　his　treasury　by　the　sale　of　spiritual　dignities　and　favours；　　Innocent　and　his　son；　for　their　part；　established　an　office　for　the　　sale　of　secular　favours；　in　which　pardons　for　murder　and　manslaughter　　were　sold　for　large　sums　of　money。　Out　of　every　fine　150　ducats　were　　paid　into　the　papal　exchequer；　and　what　was　over　to　Franceschetto。　　Rome；　during　the　latter　part　of　this　pontificate；　swarmed　with　licensed　　and　unlicensed　assassins；　the　factions；　which　Sixtus　had　begun　to　put　　down；　were　again　as　active　as　ever；　the　Pope；　well　guarded　in　the　　Vatican；　was　satisfied　with　now　and　then　laying　a　trap；　in　which　a　　wealthy　misdoer　was　occasionally　caught。　For　Franceschetto　the　chief　　point　was　to　know　by　what　means；　when　the　Pope　died；　he　could　escape　　with　well…filled　coffers。　He　betrayed　himself　at　last；　on　the　occasion　　of　a　false　report　（1490）　of　his　father's　death；　he　endeavored　to　carry　　off　all　the　money　in　the　papal　treasury；　and　when　this　proved　　impossible；　insisted　that；　at　all　events；　the　Turkish　prince；　Djem；　　should　go　with　him；　and　serve　as　a　living　capital；　to　be　advantageously　　disposed　of；　perhaps　to　Ferrante　of　Naples。　It　is　hard　to　estimate　the　　political　possibilities　of　remote　periods；　but　we　cannot　help　asking　　ourselves　the　question　if　Rome　could　have　survived　two　or　three　　pontificates　of　this　kind。　Also　with　reference　to　the　believing　　countries　of　Europe；　it　was　imprudent　to　let　matters　go　so　far　that　not　　only　travellers　and　pilgrims；　but　a　whole　embassy　of　Maximilian；　King　　of　the　Romans；　were　stripped　to　their　shirts　in　the　neighbourhood　of　　Rome；　and　that　envoys　had　constantly　to　turn　back　without　setting　foot　　within　the　city。

Such　a　condition　of　things　was　incompatible　with　the　conception　of　　power　and　its　pleasures　which　inspired　the　gifted　Alexander　VI　（1492…　1503）；　and　the　first　event　that　happened　was　the　restoration；　at　least　　provisionally；　of　public　order；　and　the　punctual　payment　of　every　　salary。

Strictly　speaking；　as　we　are　now　discussing　phases　of　Italian　　civilization；　this　pontificate　might　be　passed　over；　since　the　Borgias　　are　no　more　Italian　than　the　House　of　Naples。　Alexander　spoke　Spanish　　in　public　with　Cesare；　Lucrezia；　at　her　entrance　to　Ferrara；　where　she　　wore　a　Spanish　costume；　was　sung　to　by　Spanish　buffoons；　their　　confidential　servants　consisted　of　Spaniards；　as　did　also　the　most　ill…　famed　company　of　the　troops　of　Cesare　in　the　war　of　1500；　and　even　his　　hangman；　Don　Micheletto；　and　his　poisoner；　Sebastiano　Pinzon　Cremonese；　　seem　to　have　been　of　the　same　nation。　Among　his　other　achievements；　　Cesare；　in　true　Spanish　fashion；　killed；　according　to　the　rules　of　the　　craft；　six　wild　bulls　in　an　enclosed　court。　But　the　Roman　corruption；　　which　seemed　to　culminate　in　this　family；　was　already　far　advanced　when　　they　came　to　the　city。

What　they　were　and　what　they　did　has　been　often　and　fully　described。　　Their　immediate　purpose；　which；　in　fact；　they　attained；　was　the　　complete　subjugation　of　the　pontifical　State。　All　the　petty　despots；　　who　were　mostly　more　or　less　refractory　vassals　of　the　Church；　were　　expelled　or　destroyed；　and　in　Rome　itself　the　two　great　factions　were　　annihilated；　the　so…called　Guelph　Orsini　as　well　as　the　so…called　　Ghibelline　Colonna。　But　the　means　employed　were　of　so　frightful　a　　character　that　they　must　certainly　have　ended　in　the　ruin　of　the　　Papacy；　had　not　the　contemporaneous　death　of　both　father　and　son　by　　poison　suddenly　intervened　to　alter　the　whole　aspect　of　the　situation。　　The　moral　indignation　of　Christendom　was　certainly　no　great　source　of　　danger　to　Alexander；　at　home　he　was　strong　enough　to　extort　terror　and　　obedience；　foreign　rulers　were　won　over　to　his　side；　and　Louis　XII　even　　aided　him　to　the　utmost　of　his　power。　The　mass　of　the　people　throughout　　Europe　had　hardly　a　conception　of　what　was　passing　in　Central　Italy。　　The　only　moment　which　was　really　fraught　with　dangerwhen　Charles　VIII　　was　in　Italywent　by　with　unexpected　fortune；　and　even　then　it　was　not　　the　Papacy　as　such　that　was　in　peril；　but　Alexander；　who　risked　being　　supplanted　by　a　more　respectable　Pope。　The　great；　permanent；　and　　increasing　danger　for　the　Papacy　lay　in　Alexander　himself；　and；　above　　all；　in　his　son　Cesare　Borgia。

In　the　nature　of　the　father；　ambition；　avarice；　and　sensuality　were　　combined　with　strong　and　brilliant　qualities。　All　the　pleasures　of　　power　and　luxury　he　granted　himself　from　the　first　day　of　his　　pontificate　in　the　fullest　measure。　In　the　choice　of　means　to　this　end　　he　was　wholly　without　scruple；　it　was　known　at　once　that　he　would　more　　than　compensate　himself　for　the　sacrifices　which　his　election　had　　involved；　and　that　the　seller　would　far　exceed　the　simony　of　the　buyer。　　It　must　be　remembered　that　the　vice…chancellorship　and　other　offices　　which　Alexander　had　formerly　held　had　taught　him　to　know　better　and　　turn　to　more　practical　account　the　various　sources　of　revenue　than　any　　other　member　of　the　Curia。　As　early　as　1494；　a　Carmelite；　Adam　of　　Genoa；　who　had　preached　at　Rome　against　simony；　was　found　murdered　in　　his　bed　with　twenty　wounds。　Hardly　a　single　cardinal　was　appointed　　without　the　payment　of　enormous　sums　of　money。

But　when　the　Pope　in　course　of　time　fell　under　the　influence　of　his　son　　Cesare　Borgia；　his　violent　measures　assumed　that　character　of　devilish　　wickedness　which　necessarily　reacts　upon　the　ends　pursued。　What　was　　done　in　the　struggle　with　the　Roman　nobles　and　with　the　tyrants　of　　Romagna　exceeded　in　faithlessness　and　barbarity　even　that　measure　to　　which　the　Aragonese　rulers　of　Naples　had　already　accustomed　the　world；　　and　the　genius　for　deception　was　also　greater。　The　manner　in　which　　Cesare　isolated　his　father；　murdering　brother；　brother…in…law；　and　　other　relations　or　courtiers；　whenever　their　favour　with　the　Pope　or　　their　position　in　any　other　respect　became　inconvenient　to　him；　is　　literally　appalling。　Alexander　was　forced　to　acquiesce　in　the　murder　of　　his　best…loved　son；　the　Duke　of　Gandia；　since　he　himself　lived　in　　hourly　dread　of　Cesare。

What　were　the　final　aims　of　the　latter？　Even　in　the　last　months　of　his　　tyranny；　when　he　had　murdered　the　Condottieri　at　Sinigaglia；　and　was　to　　all　intents　and　purposes　master　of　the　ecclesiastical　State　（1503）；　　those　who　stood　near　him　gave　the　modest　reply　that　the　Duke　merely　　wished　to　put　down　the　factions　and　the　despots；　and　all　for　the　good　　of　the　Church　only；　that　for　himself　he　desired　nothing　more　than　the　　lordship　of　the　Romagna；　and　that　he　had　earned　the　gratitude　of　all　　the　following　Popes　by　ridding　them　of　the　Orsini　and　Colonna。　But　no　　one　will　accept　this　as　his　ultimate　design。　The　Pope　Alexander　　himself；　in　his　discussions　with　the　Venetian　ambassador；　went　further　　than　this；　when　committing　his　son　to　the　protection　of　Venice：　'I　will　　see　to　it；'　he　said；　that　one　day　the　Papacy　shall　belong　either　to　him　　or　to　you。'　Cesare　indeed　added　that　no　one　could　become　Pope　without　　the　consent　of　Venice；　and　for　this　end　the　Venetian　cardinals　had　only　　to　keep　well　together。　Whether　he　referred　to　himself　or　not　we　are　　unable　to　say；　at　all　events；　the　declaration　of　his　father　is　　sufficient　to　prove　his　designs　on　the　pontifical　throne。　We　further　　obtain　from　Lucrezia　Borgia　a　certain　amount　of　indirect　evidence；　in　　so　far　as　certa