Gregorio Leti

“ It is not possible to be indifferent, and do them neither good nor evil; that would be to be neither man nor beast, which is impossible.
There has been some Popes, who in the beginning of their Reign, out of Zeal and Piety, have shewed themselves averse from their Kindred; not only refusing to favour them, but seeking out all occasions of mortifying them. But what folly, what devillish policy, what false hypocrisie is this? For my part, I call such a disposition a vicious humour, which soon passes out of them, or destroys them, Nature it self being offended at this so unnatural a proceeding. ”

“ So Rome, or rather the Church-men in Rome, cover every thing with the gold of their inventions and slights, giving thus to Princes and Nations most bitter medicines covered with the zeal of Religion, which they have no sooner swallowed, but they find that there was nothing but an appearance of good in it.
In the Court of Rome it often falls out, that he that makes as if he knew all mens intrigues is altogether ignorant, and he that feigns to know nothing, knowes all. ”

“ But the Popes are not so much to blame, as those that blame the Popes for their affections to their Kindred: For, alas! the Popes are Men, as we are; and, as such, ought to be allowed something of our fragility. But in what a Labyrinth are they engaged? For if they are really averse and cruel to their own Blood, then Nature, Heaven, the Example of Christ, and all the Reason of the World, does condemn them for inhumane, ungrateful, and barbarous. ”

“ And yet for all this the Romans observe, that the more the Decrees of Reformation are, the more are the Vices multiplied; the disease being so stabborn and inveterate, that it grows worse when the Physician goes about to apply remedies to it.
The Pope’s subjects curse the Nipotismo for their Tyranny and Extortions. Christendom is scandalized to see that they little believe that Religion of which they make so great Profession. The Church weeps and sheds tears to see its bowels gnawn and torn by the Nipotismo. ”

“ Who will take a greater care of their preservation, than they who hope for Riches and Honour to their Family? And who will take the pains to contribute to the lasting of any Empire, but he that has the greatest share in the enjoyments of it?
Those Popes who at first seemed averse from their Relations, having in a small time come to know the difficulty of their own preservation in the hands of Strangers, have immediately called them to Rome, and thrown themselves into their Arms, as a place of Refuge against so many who had an interest to destroy them ”

“ If the Popes would have been content to have been the heads of the Church in holiness and good life, and not in majesty and grandeur, the world would never have conceived so many sinister thoughts of their actions; therefore if there be murmurs in Rome, and the rest of Christendome, the Popes may thank themselves, for the fault is not in those that murmur, but in those that furnish them with a lawful subject for their complaints. ”

“ The greatest part of the Cardinals are either of the French or Spanish Faction, and each of them makes it his greatest glory to defend the Pretensions of the Crown he protects, whether just or unjust; so that often between them they neglect and ruine the Interests of the Church and Pope. How were it possible then for the Pope either to preserve himself or the Church in its Prerogatives, if he would take and follow the counsel of those whose interest makes them the Enemies to both; though they pretend, that what they do is only out of a tender consideration of the publick good. ”

“ Why are the Jesuites so in vogue in the World, and desired in Courts, as if Princes could not be without them. The Vulgar adore them, Noblemen respect them, and Magistrates grant them protection and priviledges. Is it that they serve the Church better than other Church-men? No certainly: For the Orders of Saint Francis and Saint Dominick have spent more bloud in the profession of the Christian Faith in a Day, than the Jesuites in an Age; neither do they live a more exemplary or a stricter life than others. ”

“ The Pope’s Nephews know not how to keep their Riches, because they touch them with their hands, but do not see them with their eyes, their greediness of heaping up on a sudden blinding them, and not suffering them to know the true worth of them: by which means they dwindle insensibly, and they themselves are not able to perceive it.
That which is gotten without pains, is in a short time lost without knowing the price of it: The greatest part of these Gamesters are either such as are loose and licentious young men, or else such as have had some good provision from fortune. ”

“ But how can the Popes reform the abuses of the Church, if they do not begin with their Nephews? For it would also else be a very preposterous Reformation that should begin with the Effect, and leave the Cause untouched. Some say, that the Popes are holy in the Reformations of the Breviary, and the chastizing of the Romans for their faults: But they are devils in leaving the crimes of their Nephews unpunished; for they trusting to their Uncles Indulgence, do slack the Reins, which should curb the natural inclination which we all have to do ill. ”

“ From hence it may be argu’d, That they who bear a secret hatred and detestation of the Nephews, retain it even in the Church, and the place where they ought to pardon all, and are still contriving revenge; and because they find there is no sure way of freeing themselves from their tyranny in this World, they send up their Prayers privately to Heaven: As if they were afraid of the correction of their Popes, who would by no means suffer the Faithful to appeal against their enormity to the Divine Tribunal, but for all that they do not desist. ”

“ Particularly, the House of Colonna (which is at present one of the most considerable, not of Rome only, but of all Italy) hath so little valu’d the Papal Grandeur in its lot, that they have often persecuted it, only to let the World see that the Colonneses pretended not to glory in the Treasures of the Church, but in the merit of the persons, exemplified in the valour of so many illustrious men, who have spent much of their bloud for the service of the Popes themselves. ”

“ To the ambition or desire of honour is alwayes added an avidity or desire of riches in Courtiers: these two monsters being the natural production of Courts.
The Court is to the World, as a furnace to Gold, to purifie, and refine mens wits. Whensoever any bodies ingenuity is under a cloud, and not known, let him come to Court, for there without doubt he will be prest to an exact trial of his skill ”

“ Whereas Donna Olympia was called to the Vatican, not to serve Innocentius, but to command him, which she did with so much authority, that she seemed to be the Pope, and he to be neither a man, nor a Pope.
If ever the Church was shamefully set out, and satyrically painted by the Hereticks, it was in this time; for there was not any place where the publick discourse was not about this extravagant fancy of the Popes to renounce his own Nephew, and give himself and the Popedome, into the hands of a Woman, heretofore—and now grown ambitious and covetous. ”

“ But what a strange Sacrilegious opinion is that which is maintained by the Divines of the Church of Rome? viz. That one who has got his riches by Extortions, and oppressing of the poor, and any wicked way, is not obliged to a restitution to the poor: But it is enough if when he dies he leaves his Estate to some Church, founds a Monastery, or an Hospital; as if it were lawful to transgress the Law of God, and bring ones self into a state of damnation to satisfie that covetous and insatiable humour of the Church-men. ”

“ Most Agents lose their time in learning the nature of those that bear sway at Rome, who are indeed unknown to all. They study in what manner to treat with such Persons. They strive to gain the affection of those Governours, who are without any, unless we will say, That they have given up all their affection to heap up Money. They labour to ingratiate with those Nephews who possess all the Grace of the Pope: And in a word, Night and day they contrive to know and be known to the Nephews at Rome, in order to their better success there. ”

“ Nothing is done in Rome without the zeal of Religion; and yet the zeale of Religion is that which prevailes least in all things. For they make a great distinction between those things that they desire, and those that they ought to do. They employ all their resolution and their prudence towards the compassing of the first, but they seldome performe the last, as not being inclin’d to make their wills stoop to their duty.
These maximes, or the like, are common in all the Princes Courts, both within and without Italy; but Rome is the Seminary of these Arts, in which the Church-men are masters. ”

“ Three Reasons do particularly move the Popes to call their Relations to them: First, The affection which naturally we bear to our bloud and kindred, The conservation of their Persons, and the Policy of their Government.
For the first, I hold him little better than a Beast, that has no tye of Consanguinity upon him, having many Relations that need his help; none but barbarous people are ignorant of those Laws of nature, and are not altogether deprived of the use of them neither. ”

“ All the disorders and scandals of the Church, State, and Church-men, take their rise from their Riches. When the Church was poor, Church-men were holy, having nothing to employ their minds about, but the Rules of a Good Life: but since once Riches came amongst them, farewell Holiness of Life; they have not the leisure; they are too much taken up with telling their Money, buying and selling Estates and Princedoms; they forget those spiritual Riches of the Soul, and mind only those that relate to the Pleasures of the Body. ”

“ Then I say, let any body judge what riches the Family of the Barbarines are in possession of. They that for the space of three and twenty year have had the whole Popedome at their disposition; and who in all that time never spent for the Church, or in publick Edifices, above four Millions of Crowns in Gold; and yet the people was never more oppressed: therefore we must conclude, That their riches are immense; and if we may calculate them by comparison of what the other Popes Nephews have got, they must have above thirty Millions of Crowns; and they that judge well, will not think it too much. ”

“ As one of my friends, who lives well, and is one of the best Church-men in the Court of Rome, is used to say, that when once he had put on the habit of a Priest, he could hardly discern his own nature, nor know himself with comparison to what he was before. Which shewes evidently, that Church-men have certain close wayes of treating, particular to themselves, that must make those that have to do with them, stand upon their guard, and use all their policy. ”

“ Where are those Primitive times, when the lives of the Ecclesiasticks were solely dedicated to the publick good, and they possess’d nothing as their own; but whatever was surplus to what was necessary to sustain Nature, was all disposed of to the poor, with so holy and overflowing Zeal from the true fountain of perfect Charity that it refresh’d even the very sight of the beholders? ”

“ Moreover, if the State were governed by different Persons under the Reign of one Pope, it would be a very hard matter to find out the Author of the Peoples miseries, every one having his Predecessors actions for an excuse; so that men would also lose that poor consolation of being able to show their Tormenters: But it is not so when a Nipotismo governs, for then as they have the Honour, and Riches; so must they endure the Reproaches, and Complaints made against their Government, which the Romans do without mercy, making the air sound and repeat their murmurs with a thousand Echoes. ”

“ Pius the Fifth, who was very lean, was used to say, That it was impossible that the Popes should ever grow fat, for that Nature in them was never supplied but in fear. And yet this Pope was one of the holiest and best; though it is true, That Holiness is subject to Envy, and therefore obliged to preserve it self against the malignity of its Enemies. ”

“ But if Don Mario has been useless, or rather prejudicial to the Church, certainly Don Agostino, his Nephew, has been little better: He is one that would seem to be born to an Empire; and were it Alexander’s or Cæsar’s he did enjoy, he would not show a more lofty carriage, nor affect a greater insolence.
When he goes through the City, he does so little regard any body, that he is scarce induced to salute those Gentlemen that civilly do prevent him by pulling off their hats first: but he never begins to any body, no not to a Prince ”

“ And this is the state of the Borghesi at present, who in the time of Paul the fifth, had above a dozen males of that name, of which there were not above six married; which was very considerable. But I return to speak how squares go in the world.
The Families of the Ludovisi, Barbarini, Panfili, and Chigi, who yielded the four last Popes, I shall speak nothing of; because they have not enjoy’d the Benefits of the Papacy full out thirty years: so as it behoving us to let them rest in peace, I shall leave the observations of their Catastrophe to them which come after us. ”