me, and, smiling bitterly, opened a volume relating to the History
of the City of Rome. There, in the twentieth chapter of the Life of
Pope Alexander VI., were the following lines, which I can never
forget: —
"`The great wars of Romagna had ended; Caesar Borgia, who had
completed his conquest, had need of money to purchase all Italy.
The pope had also need of money to bring matters to an end with
Louis XII. King of France, who was formidable still in spite of his
recent reverses; and it was necessary, therefore, to have recourse
to some profitable scheme, which was a matter of great difficulty
in the impoverished condition of exhausted Italy. His holiness had
an idea. He determined to make two cardinals.'
"By choosing two of the greatest personages of Rome, especially
rich men — this was the return the holy father looked for. In the
first place, he could sell the great appointments and splendid
offices which the cardinals already held; and then he had the two
hats to sell besides. There was a third point in view, which will
appear hereafter. The pope and Caesar Borgia first found the two
future cardinals; they were Giovanni Rospigliosi, who held four of
the highest dignities of the Holy See, and Caesar Spada, one of the
noblest and richest of the Roman nobility; both felt the high honor
of such a favor from the pope. They were ambitious, and Caesar
Borgia soon found purchasers for their appointments. The result
was, that Rospigliosi and Spada paid for being cardinals, and eight
other persons paid for the offices the cardinals held before their
elevation, and thus eight hundred thousand crowns entered into the
coffers of the speculators.
"It is time now to proceed to the last part of the speculation.
The pope heaped attentions upon Rospigliosi and Spada, conferred
upon them the insignia of the cardinalate, and induced them to
arrange their affairs and take up their residence at Rome. Then the
pope and Caesar Borgia invited the two cardinals to dinner. Thispope and Caesar Borgia invited the two cardinals to dinner. This
was a matter of dispute between the holy father and his son. Caesar
thought they could make use of one of the means which he always had
ready for his friends, that is to say, in the first place, the
famous key which was given to certain persons with the request that
they go and open a designated cupboard. This key was furnished with
a small iron point, — a negligence on the part of the locksmith.
When this was pressed to effect the opening of the cupboard, of
which the lock was difficult, the person was pricked by this small
point, and died next day. Then there was the ring with the lion's
head, which Caesar wore when he wanted to greet his friends with a
clasp of the hand. The lion bit the hand thus favored, and at the
end of twenty-four hours, the bite was mortal. Caesar proposed to
his father, that they should either ask the cardinals to open the
cupboard, or shake hands with them; but Alexander VI., replied:
`Now as to the worthy cardinals, Spada and Rospigliosi, let us ask
both of them to dinner, something tells me that we shall get that
money back. Besides, you forget, Caesar, an indigestion declares
itself immediately, while a prick or a bite occasions a delay of a
day or two.' Caesar gave way before such cogent reasoning, and the
cardinals were consequently invited to dinner.
"The table was laid in a vineyard belonging to the pope, near
San Pierdarena, a charming retreat which the cardinals knew very
well by report. Rospigliosi, quite set up with his new dignities,
went with a good appetite and his most ingratiating manner. Spada,
a prudent man, and greatly attached to his only nephew, a young
captain of the highest promise, took paper and pen, and made his
will. He then sent word to his nephew to wait for him near the
vineyard; but it appeared the servant did not find him.
"Spada knew what these invitations meant; since Christianity, so
eminently civilizing, had made progress in Rome, it was no longer aeminently civilizing, had made progress in Rome, it was no longer a
centurion who came from the tyrant with a message, `Caesar wills
that you die.' but it was a legate a latere, who came with a smile
on his lips to say from the pope, `His holiness requests you to
dine with him.'
"Spada set out about two o'clock to San Pierdarena. The pope
awaited him. The first sight that attracted the eyes of Spada was
that of his nephew, in full costume, and Caesar Borgia paying him
most marked attentions. Spada turned pale, as Caesar looked at him
with an ironical air, which proved that he had anticipated all, and
that the snare was well spread. They began dinner and Spada was
only able to inquire of his nephew if he had received his message.
The nephew replied no; perfectly comprehending the meaning of the
question. It was too late, for he had already drunk a glass of
excellent wine, placed for him expressly by the pope's butler.
Spada at the same moment saw another bottle approach him, which he
was pressed to taste. An hour afterwards a physician declared they
were both poisoned through eating mushrooms. Spada died on the
threshold of the vineyard; the nephew expired at his own door,
making signs which his wife could not comprehend.
"Then Caesar and the pope hastened to lay hands on the heritage,
under presence of seeking for the papers of the dead man. But the
inheritance consisted in this only, a scrap of paper on which Spada
had written: — `I bequeath to my beloved nephew my coffers, my
books, and, amongst others, my breviary with the gold corners,
which I beg he will preserve in remembrance of his affectionate
uncle.'
"The heirs sought everywhere, admired the breviary, laid hands
on the furniture, and were greatly astonished that Spada, the rich
man, was really the most miserable of uncles — no treasures —
unless they were those of science, contained in the library and
laboratories. That was all. Caesar and his father searched,
examined, scrutinized, but found nothing, or at least very little;