Part 17 (1/2)
When the Pope discovered, during this conversation, that we had so far been unable to secure an audience with the ill.u.s.trious Duke, he showed great annoyance, declaring it was a mistake which could only injure his Majesty, and he added that the amba.s.sadors of Rimini had been here two months without succeeding in speaking with him, as he was in the habit of turning day into night and night into day. He severely criticized his son's mode of living. On the other hand, he commended the ill.u.s.trious d.u.c.h.ess, saying that she was always gracious, and granted audiences readily, and that whenever there was need she knew how to cajole. He lauded her highly, and stated that she had ruled Spoleto to the satisfaction of everybody, and he also said that her Majesty always knew how to carry her point--even with himself, the Pope. I think that his Holiness spoke in this way more for the purpose of saying good of her (which according to my opinion she deserved) than to avoid saying anything ill, even if there were occasion for it. Your Majesty's Ever devoted.
ROME, _October 6th_.
The Pope seldom allowed an opportunity to pa.s.s for praising his daughter's beauty and graciousness. He frequently compared her with the most famous women of Italy--the Marchioness of Mantua and the d.u.c.h.ess of Urbino. One day, while conversing with the amba.s.sadors of Ferrara, he mentioned her age, saying that in October (1502) she would complete her twenty-second year, while Caesar would be twenty-six the same month.[122]
The Pope was greatly pleased with the members of the bridal escort, for they all were either princes of the house of Este or prominent persons of Ferrara. He also approved the selection of Annibale Bentivoglio, son of the Lord of Bologna, and said laughingly to the Ferrarese amba.s.sadors that, even if their master had chosen Turks to come to Rome for the bride, they would have been welcome.
The Florentines, owing to their fear of Caesar, sent amba.s.sadors to Lucretia to ask her to come by way of their city when she went to Ferrara; the Pope, however, was determined that she should make the journey through Romagna. According to an oppressive custom of the day, the people through whose country persons of quality traveled were required to provide for them, and, in order not to tax Romagna too heavily, it was decided that the Ferrarese escort should come to Rome by way of Tuscany. The Republic of Florence firmly refused to entertain the escort all the time it was in its territory, although it was willing to care for it while in the city or to make a handsome present.[123]
In the meantime preparations were under way in Ferrara for the wedding festivities. The Duke invited all the princes who were friendly to him to be present. He had even thought of the oration which was to be delivered in Ferrara when Lucretia was given to her husband. During the Renaissance these orations were regarded as of the greatest importance, and he was anxious to secure a speaker who could be depended upon to deliver a masterpiece. Ercole had instructed his amba.s.sadors in Rome to send him particulars regarding the house of Borgia for the orator to use in preparing his speech.[124]
The amba.s.sadors scrupulously carried out their instructions, and wrote their sovereign as follows:
ILl.u.s.tRIOUS PRINCE AND MASTER: We have spared no efforts to learn everything possible regarding the ill.u.s.trious house of Borgia, as your Excellency commanded. We made a thorough investigation, and members of our suite here in Rome, not only the scholars but also those who we knew were loyal to you, did the same. Although we finally succeeded in ascertaining that the house is one of the n.o.blest and most ancient in Spain, we did not discover that its founders ever did anything very remarkable, perhaps because life in that country is quiet and uneventful--your Excellency knows that such is the case in Spain, especially in Valencia.
Whatever there is worthy of note dates from the time of Calixtus, and, in fact, the deeds of Calixtus himself are those most worthy of comment; Platina, however, has given an account of his life, which, moreover, is well known to everybody. Whoever is to deliver the oration has ample material, therefore, from which to choose.
We, ill.u.s.trious Sir, have been able to learn nothing more regarding this house than what you already know, and this concerns only the members of the family who have been Popes, and is derived chiefly from the audience speeches. In case we succeed in finding out anything more, we shall inform your Excellency, to whom we commend ourselves in all humility.
ROME, _October 18, 1501_.
When the descendant of the ancient house of Este read this terse despatch he must have smiled; its candor was so undiplomatic that it bordered on irony. The doughty amba.s.sadors, however, apparently did not go to the right sources, for if they had applied to the courtiers who were intimate with the Borgia--for example, the Porcaro--they would have obtained a genealogical tree showing a descent from the old kings of Aragon, if not from Hercules himself.
In the meantime the impatience of the Pope and Lucretia was steadily increasing, for the departure of the bridal escort was delayed, and the enemies of the Borgia were already beginning to make merry. The duke declared that he could not think of sending for Donna Lucretia until the bull of invest.i.ture was in his hands. He complained at the Pope's delay in fulfilling his promises. He also demanded that the part of the marriage portion which was to be paid in coin through banking houses in Venice, Bologna, and other cities be handed over on the bridal escort's entry into Rome, and threatened in case it was not paid in full to have his people return to Ferrara without the bride.[125] As it was impossible for him to bring about the immediate cession of Cento and Pievi, he asked from the Pope as a pledge that either the bishopric of Bologna be given his son Ippolito, or that his Holiness furnish a bond.
He also demanded certain benefices for his natural son Don Giulio, and for his amba.s.sador Gianluca Pozzi. Lucretia succeeded in securing the bishopric of Reggio for the latter and also a house in Rome for the Ferrarese envoy.
Another important question was the dowry of jewels which Lucretia was to receive. During the Renaissance the pa.s.sion for jewels amounted to a mania. Ercole sent word to his daughter-in-law that she must not dispose of her jewels, but must bring them with her; he also said that he would send her a handsome ornament by the bridal escort, gallantly adding that, as she herself was a precious jewel, she deserved the most beautiful gems--even more magnificent ones than he and his own consort had possessed; it is true he was not so wealthy as the Duke of Savoy, but, nevertheless, he was in a position to send her jewels no less beautiful than those given her by the duke.[126]
The relations between Ercole and his daughter-in-law were as friendly as could be desired, for Lucretia exerted herself to secure the Pope's consent to his demands. His Holiness, however, was greatly annoyed by the duke's conduct; he sent urgent requests to him to despatch the escort to Rome, and a.s.sured him that the two castles in Romagna would be delivered over to him before Lucretia reached Ferrara, but in case she did arrive there first that everything she asked would be granted--his love for her was such that he even thought of paying her a visit in Ferrara in the spring.[127] The Pope suspected, however, that the delay in sending the bridal escort was due to the machinations of Maximilian.
Even as late as November the emperor had despatched his secretary, Agostino s.e.m.e.nza, to the duke to warn him not to send the escort to Rome, adding that he would show his grat.i.tude to Ercole. November 22d the duke wrote the imperial plenipotentiary a letter in which he stated that he had immediately sent a courier to his amba.s.sador in Rome; it would soon be winter, and the time would therefore be unfavorable for bringing Lucretia; if the Pope was willing, he would postpone the wedding, but he would not break off with him entirely. His Majesty should remember that if he did this, the Pope would become his bitterest enemy, and would persecute him, and might even make war on him. It was, he stated, for the express purpose of avoiding this that he had consented to enter into an alliance with his Holiness. He, therefore, hoped that his Majesty would not expose him to this danger, but that, with his usual justice, he would appreciate his excuses.[128]
At the same time he instructed his amba.s.sadors in Rome to inform the Pope of the emperor's threats, and to say to him that he was ready to fulfil his own obligations and also to urge his Holiness to have the bulls prepared at once, as further delay was dangerous.
Alexander thereupon fell into a rage; he overwhelmed the amba.s.sadors with reproaches, and called the duke a ”tradesman.” On December 1st Ercole announced to the emperor's messenger that he was unable longer to delay sending the bridal escort, for, if he did, it would mean a rupture with the Pope. The same day he wrote to his amba.s.sadors in Rome and complained of the use of the epithet ”tradesman,” which the Pope had applied to him.[129] He, however, rea.s.sured his Holiness by informing him that he had decided to despatch the bridal escort from Ferrara the ninth or tenth of December.[130]
[Ill.u.s.tration: ERCOLE D'ESTE, DUKE OF FERRARA.]
FOOTNOTES:
[117] Lucretia to Ercole, October 18th; Ercole to Lucretia, October 23d.
[118] Gerardo to Ercole, October 15, 1501.
[119] Ercole to Don Francesco de Roxas, October 24, 1501.
[120] Gerardo Saraceni to Ercole, Rome, October 26, 1501.
[121] Per essere queste romane salvatiche et male apte a cavallo.
[122] Gerardo to Ercole, October 26, 1501.