the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第23章

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。　We　further　　obtain　from　Lucrezia　Borgia　a　certain　amount　of　indirect　evidence；　in　　so　far　as　certain　passages　in　the　poems　of　Ercole　Strozza　may　be　the　　echo　of　expressions　which　she　as　Duchess　of　Ferrara　may　easily　have　　permitted　herself　to　use。　Here；　too；　Cesare's　hopes　of　the　Papacy　are　　chiefly　spoken　of；　but　now　and　then　a　supremacy　over　all　Italy　is　　hinted　at；　and　finally　we　are　given　to　understand　that　as　temporal　　ruler　Cesare's　projects　were　of　the　greatest；　and　that　for　their　sake　　he　had　formerly　surrendered　his　cardinalate。　In　fact；　there　can　be　no　　doubt　whatever　that　Cesare；　whether　chosen　Pope　or　not　after　the　death　　of　Alexander；　meant　to　keep　possession　of　the　pontifical　State　at　any　　cost；　and　that　this；　after　all　the　enormities　he　had　committed；　he　　could　not　as　Pope　have　succeeded　in　doing　permanently。　He；　if　anybody；　　could　have　secularized　the　States　of　the　Church；　and　he　would　have　been　　forced　to　do　so　in　order　to　keep　them。　Unless　we　are　much　deceived；　　this　is　the　real　reason　of　the　secret　sympathy　with　which　Machiavelli　　treats　the　great　criminal；　from　Cesare；　or　from　nobody；　could　it　be　　hoped　that　he　'would　draw　the　steel　from　the　wound；'　in　other　words；　　annihilate　the　Papacythe　source　of　all　foreign　intervention　and　of　　all　the　divisions　of　Italy。　The　intriguers　who　thought　to　divine　　Cesare's　aims；　when　holding　out　to　him　hopes　of　the　Kingdom　of　Tuscany；　　seem　to　have　been　dismissed　with　contempt。

But　all　logical　conclusions　from　his　premises　are　idle；　not　because　of　　the　unaccountable　genius；　which　in　fact　characterized　him　as　little　as　　it　did　Wallenstein；　but　because　the　means　which　he　employed　were　not　　compatible　with　any　large　and　consistent　course　of　action。　Perhaps；　　indeed；　in　the　very　excess　of　his　wickedness　some　prospect　of　salvation　　for　the　Papacy　may　have　existed　even　without　the　accident　which　put　an　　end　to　his　rule。

Even　if　we　assume　that　the　destruction　of　the　petty　despots　in　the　　pontifical　State　had　gained　for　him　nothing　but　sympathy；　even　if　we　　take　as　proof　of　his　great　projects　the　army　composed　of　the　best　　soldiers　and　officers　in　Italy；　with　Leonardo　da　Vinci　as　chief　　engineer；　which　followed　his　fortunes　in　1502；　other　facts　nevertheless　　bear　such　a　character　of　unreason　that　our　judgement；　like　that　of　　contemporary　observers；　is　wholly　at　a　loss　to　explain　them。　One　fact　　of　this　kind　is　the　devastation　and　maltreatment　of　the　newly…won　　State；　which　Cesare　still　intended　to　keep　and　to　rule　over。　Another　is　　the　condition　of　Rome　and　of　the　Curia　in　the　last　decades　of　the　　pontificate。　Whether　it　were　that　father　and　son　had　drawn　up　a　formal　　list　of　proscribed　persons；　or　that　the　murders　were　resolved　upon　one　　by　one；　in　either　case　the　Borgias　were　bent　on　the　secret　destruction　　of　all　who　stood　in　their　way　or　whose　inheritance　they　coveted。　Of　　this；　money　and　movable　goods　formed　the　smallest　part；　it　was　a　much　　greater　source　of　profit　for　the　Pope　that　the　incomes　of　the　clerical　　dignitaries　in　question　were　suspended　by　their　death；　and　that　he　　received　the　revenues　of　their　offices　while　vacant；　and　the　price　of　　these　offices　when　they　were　filled　by　the　successors　of　the　murdered　　men。　The　Venetian　ambassador　Paolo　Capello　reported　in　the　year　1500：　　'Every　night　four　or　five　murdered　men　are　discoveredbishops；　　prelates　and　othersso　that　all　Rome　is　trembling　for　fear　of　being　　destroyed　by　the　Duke　（Cesare）。'　He　himself　used　to　wander　about　Rome　　in　the　night…time　with　his　guards；　and　there　is　every　reason　to　believe　　that　he　did　so　not　only　because；　like　Tiberius；　he　shrank　from　showing　　his　now　repulsive　features　by　daylight；　but　also　to　gratify　his　insane　　thirst　for　blood；　perhaps　even　on　persons　unknown　to　him。

As　early　as　the　year　1499　the　despair　was　so　great　and　so　general　that　　many　of　the　Papal　guards　were　waylaid　and　put　to　death…　But　those　whom　　the　Borgias　could　not　assail　with　open　violence　fell　victims　to　their　　poison。　For　the　cases　in　which　a　certain　amount　of　discretion　seemed　　requisite；　a　white　powder　of　an　agreeable　taste　was　made　use　of；　which　　did　not　work　on　the　spot；　but　slowly　and　gradually；　and　which　could　be　　mixed　without　notice　in　any　dish　or　goblet。　Prince　Djem　had　taken　some　　of　it　in　a　sweet　draught；　before　Alexander　surrendered　him　to　Charles　　VIII　（1495）；　and　at　the　end　of　their　career　father　and　son　poisoned　　themselves　with　the　same　powder　by　accidentally　tasting　a　sweetmeat　　intended　for　a　wealthy　cardinal。　The　official　epitomizer　of　the　history　　of　the　Popes；　Onofrio　Panvinio；　mentions　three　cardinals；　Orsini；　　Ferrerio　and　Michiel；　whom　Alexander　caused　to　be　poisoned；　and　hints　　at　a　fourth；　Giovanni　Borgia；　whom　Cesare　took　into　his　own　charge　though　probably　wealthy　prelates　seldom　died　in　Rome　at　that　time　　without　giving　rise　to　suspicions　of　this　sort。　Even　tranquil　scholars　　who　had　withdrawn　to　some　provincial　town　were　not　out　of　reach　of　the　　merciless　poison。　A　secret　horror　seemed　to　hang　about　the　Pope；　storms　　and　thunderbolts；　crushing　in　walls　and　chambers；　had　in　earlier　times　　often　visited　and　alarmed　him；　in　the　year　I　500；　when　these　phenomena　　were　repeated；　they　were　held　to　be　'cosa　diabolica。'　The　report　of　　these　events　seems　at　last；　through　the　well…attended　jubilee　of　1500；　　to　have　been　carried　far　and　wide　throughout　the　countries　of　Europe；　　and　the　infamous　traffic　in　indulgences　did　what　else　was　needed　to　　draw　all　eyes　upon　Rome。　Besides　the　returning　pilgrims；　strange　white…　robed　penitents　came　from　Italy　to　the　North；　among　them　disguised　　fugitives　from　the　Papal　State；　who　are　not　likely　to　have　been　silent。　　Yet　none　can　calculate　how　far　the　scandal　and　indignation　of　　Christendom　might　have　gone；　before　they　became　a　source　of　pressing　　danger　to　Alexander。　'He　would；'　says　Panvinio　elsewhere；　'have　put　all　　the　other　rich　cardinals　and　prelates　out　of　the　way；　to　get　their　　property；　had　he　not；　in　the　midst　of　his　great　plans　for　his　son；　been　　struck　down　by　death。'　And　what　might　not　Cesare　have　achieved　if；　at　　the　moment　when　his　father　died；　he　had　not　himself　been　laid　upon　a　　sickbed！　What　a　conclave　would　that　have　been；　in　which；　armed　with　all　　his　weapons；　he　had　extorted　his　election　from　a　college　whose　numbers　　he　had　judiciously　reduced　by　poisonand　this　at　a　time　when　there　was　　no　French　army　at　hand！　In　pursuing　such　a　hypothesis　the　imagination　　loses　itself　in　an　abyss。

Instead　of　this　followed　the　conclave　in　which　Pius　III　was　elected；　　and；　after　his　speedy　death；　that　which　chose　Julius　II　both　　elections　the　fruits　of　a　general　reaction。

Whatever　may　have　been　the　private　morals　of　Julius　II；　in　all　　essential　respects　he　was　the　savior　of　the　Papacy。　His　familiarity　　with　the　course　of　events　since　the　pontificate　of　his　uncle　Sixtus　had　　given　him　a　profound　insight　into　the　grounds　and　conditions　of　the　　Papal　authority。　On　these　he　founded　his　own　policy；　and　devoted　to　it　　the　whole　force　and　passion　of　his　unshaken　soul。　He　ascended　the　steps　　of　St。　Peter's　chair　without　simony　and　amid　general　applause；　and　with　　him　ceased；　at　all　events；　the　undisguised　traffic　in　the　highest　　offices　of　the　Church。　Julius　had　favorites；　and　among　them　were　some　　the　reverse　of　worthy；　but　a　special　fortune　put　him　above　the　　temptation　to　nepotism。　His　brother；　Giovanni　della　Rovere；　was　the　　husband　of　the　heiress　of　Urbino；　sister　of　the　last　Montefeltro；　　Guidobaldo；　and　from　this　marriage　was　born；　in　1491；　a　son；　Francesco　　Maria　della　Rovere；　who　was　at　the　same　time　Papal　'nipote'　and　lawful　　heir　to　the　duchy　of　Urbino。　What　Julius　elsewhere　acquired；　either　on　　the　field　of　battle　or　by　diplomatic　means；　he　proudly　bestowed　on　the　　Church；　not　on　his　family；　the　ecclesiastical　territory；　which　he　found　　in　a　state　of　dissolution；　he　bequeathed　to　his　successor　completely　　subdued；　and　increased　by　Parma　and　Piacenza。　It　was　not　his　fault　that　　Ferrara　too　was　not　added　the　Church。　The　700；000　ducats　which　were　　stored　up　in　the　Castel　Sant'　Angelo　were　to　be　delivered　by　the　　governor　to　none　but　the　future　Pope。　He　made　himself　heir　of　the　　cardinals；　and；　indeed；　of　all　the　clergy　who　died　in　Rome；　and　this　by　　the