The holy state by Thomas Fuller ...

CHAP. 7. The life of CESAR BORGIA.

CEsar Borgia was base-son to Rhoderick Borgia, otherwise called Pope Alexander the sixth. This Alexander was the * 1.1 first of the Popes who openly owned his bastards; & whereas his Predecessours (count∣ing fig-leaves better then nothing to cover their na∣kednesse) disguised them under the names of Nephews and God-sonnes, he was such a savage in his lust as nakedly to acknowledge his base children, and especi∣ally this Cesar Borgia, being like his Father in the swarthinesse of the complexion of his soul.

His Father first made him a Cardinall, that thereby his shoulders might be enabled to bear as much Church-preferment as he could load upon him. But Borgia's active spirit disliked the profession, and was ashamed of the Gospel, which had more cause to be asha∣med of him; wherefore he quickly got a dispensation to uncardinall himself.

The next hindrance that troubled his high designes was, that his elder brother, the Duke of Candia, stood betwixt him and preferment. It is reported also that these two brothers justled together in their * 1.2 incest with their own sister Lucretia, one as famous for her whoredomes, as her namesake had * 1.3 formerly been for her chastity. The throne and the bed cannot severally abide partners, much lesse both meeting together as here they did. Wherefore Cesar Borgia took order that his brother was kill'd one night as he rode alone in the city of Rome, and his body cast into Tyber; and now he himself stood without competitour in his fathers and sisters affection.

His father was infinitely ambitious to advance him, as intending not onely to create him a Duke, but also to create a Dukedome for him, which seemed very difficult if not impossible; for he could neither lengthen the land, nor lessen the sea in Italie, and petty Princes therein were already crouded so thick, there was not any room for any more. However the Pope by fomenting the discords betwixt the French and Spanish about the kingdome of Naples, and by em∣broyling all the Italian States in civill dissensions, out of their breaches pick'd forth a large Principality for his sonne, managed in this manner.

There is a fair and fruitfull Province in Italie, called Romania, parcelled into severall States, all holding as feodaries from the Pope, but by small pensions, and those seldome paid. They were bound also not to serve in armes against the Church, which old tie they little regarded, and lesse observed, as conceiving time had fretted it asunder; souldiers generally more weighing his gold that entertaineth them, then the cause or enemy against whom they fight. Pope Alex∣ander set his sonne Borgia to reduce that countrey to the Churches jurisdiction, but indeed to subject it to his own absolute hereditary Dominion. This in short

time he * 1.4 effected, partly by the assistance of the French King, whose pensioner he was (and by a French title made Duke Ualentinois) and partly by the effectuall aid of the Ursines, a potent Family in Italie.

But afterward the Ursines too late were sensible of their errour herein, and grew suspicious of his great∣nesse. For they in helping him to conquer so many petty States, gathered the severall twigs, bound them into a rod, and put it into his hands to beat them there∣with. Whereupon they began by degrees to withdraw their help, which Borgia perceived, and having by flat∣tery and fair promises got the principall of their Family into his hands, he put them* 1.5 all to the sword. For he was perfect in the devilish art of dealing an ill turn, doing it so suddenly his enemies should not heare of him before, and so soundly, that he should never heare of them afterwards, either striking alwayes surely, or not at all.

And now he thought to cast away his crutches, and stand on his own legs, rendring himself absolute, with∣out being beholden to the French King or any other: Having wholly conquer'd Romania, he cast his eyes on Hetruria, and therein either wan to submission or compliance most of the cities, an earnest of his future finall conquest, had not the unexpected death of his father Pope Alexander prevented him.

This Alexander with his sonne Cesar Borgia intend∣ed to poyson some rich Cardinalls, to which purpose a flagon of poysoned wine was prepared: But through the * 1.6 errour of a servant, not privy to the project, the Pope himself and Borgia his sonne drank thereof, which cost the former his life, and the other a long lan∣guishing sicknesse.

This Cesar Borgia once bragg'd to Machiavill, that he had so cunningly contrived his plots, as to warrant himself against all events. If his father should die first, he had made himself master of such a way, that by the

strength of his party in the city of Rome, and conclave of Cardinalls, he could chuse what Pope he pleased, so from him to get assurance of this province of Ro∣mania to make it hereditary to himself. And if (which was improbable) Nature should crosse her hands, so that he should die before his father, yet even then he had chalked out such a course as would ensure his conquest to his posterity: so that with this politick dilemma he thought himself able to dispute against heaven it self.

But (what he afterwards complained of) he never expected that at the same time, wherein his father should die, he himself should also lie desperately sick, disenabled to prosecute his designes, till one unexpected counterblast of Fortune ruffled yea blew away all his projects so curiously plaited. Thus three aces chance of∣ten not to rub; and Politicians think themselves to have stopp'd every small cranny, when they have left a whole doore open for divine providence to undo all which they have done.

The Cardinalls proceed to the choice of a new Pope, whilest Borgia lay sick abed, much bemoaning himself; for all others (had they the command of all April showrs) could not bestow on drop of pity up∣on him. Pius the third was first chosen Pope, an∣swering his name, being a devout man (such black swans seldome swim in Tyber) but the chair of Pesti∣lence choked him within twenty six dayes, and in his room Julius was chosen, or rather his greatnesse chose himself, a sworn enemy to Cesar Borgia, who still lay under the Physicians hands, and had no power to op∣pose the election, or to strengthen his new-got Duke∣dome of Romania: the state of his body was to be preferred before the body of his state, and he lay stri∣ving to keep life, not to make a Pope. Yea the operati∣on of this poyson made him vomit up the Dukedome of Romania which he had swallowed before, and

whilest he lay sick the States and cities therein reco∣vered their own liberties formerly enjoyed.

Indeed this disease made Borgia lose his nails, that he could never after scratch to do any mischief; and being banished Italie, he fled into Navarre, where he was obscurely kill'd in a tumultuous insurrection.

He was a man master in the art of dissembling, ne∣ver looking the same way he rowed; extremely lust∣full, never sparing to tread hen and chickens. At the taking of Capua, where he assisted the French, he re∣served * 1.7 fourty of the fairest Ladies to be abused by his own wantonnesse. And the prodigality of his lust had long before his death made him bankrupt of all the moysture in his body, if his Physicians had not dayly repaired the decayes therein. He exactly knew the operations of all hot and cold poysons, which would surprise nature on a sudden, and which would weary it out with a long siege. He could contract a hundred toads into one drop, and cunningly infuse the same into any pleasant liquour, as the Italians have poyson∣ing at their fingers ends. By a fig (which restored Heze∣kiahs * 1.8 life) he took away the lives of many. In a word, if he was not a practicall Atheist, I know not who was.

If any desire to know more of his badnesse, let them reade Machiavills Prince, where Borgia is brought in as an * 1.9 instance of all vilany. And though he deserves to be hiss'd out of Christendome, who will open his mouth in the defence of Machiavills precepts, yet some have dared to defend his person; so that he in his Book shews not what Princes should be, but what then they were, intending that work, not for a glasse for future Kings to dresse themselves by, but onely therein to present the monstrous face of the Politicians of that Age. Sure he who is a devil in this book, is a Saint * 1.10 in all the rest; and those that knew him, * 1.11 wit∣nesse him to be of honest life and manners: so that

that which hath sharpned the pens of many against him, is his giving so many cleanly wipes to the foul noses of the Pope and Italian Prelacy.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Guicciard. History of Italy lib. 1. pag. 10.
• * 1.2

  Idem lib. 3. pag. 179.
• * 1.3

  Liv. lib. 1.
• * 1.4

  Guicciard. lib. 4. pag. 237.
• * 1.5

  Machiavill in his Prince, cap. 7.
• * 1.6

  Guicciard. l. 6. pag. 307.
• * 1.7

  Idem, lib. 5. pag. 260.
• * 1.8

  2. Kings 20.7.
• * 1.9

  Nunquam verebor in ex∣emplum Va∣lentinum sub∣jicere, Machi∣avel Prince, cap. 13. pag. 73.
• * 1.10

  His notes on Livy, but espe∣cially his Flo∣rentine History savours of Reli∣gion.
• * 1.11

  Boissardus part. 3. Iconum virorum illu∣strium.