Don Gregorio

“ He dislikes the idea of trusting his gold among them, and equally his girls, since no other ladies are likely to be going that way. He has full faith in the integrity of Captain Lantanas; knows the Chilian to be a man of gentle heart—in fact, a gentleman. Don Tomas has told him all this.
Under the circumstances, and with such a man, it will not do to drive too hard a bargain; and Don Gregorio, thus reflecting, at length confesses his freight to be gold bullion, and asks the skipper to name his terms. ”

“ Don Alvaro is come to take me with him to a dinner, given by a citizen to the Marquis de Zenette and Don Juan de Moncade, and you shall be of the party. And what is the citizen's name? said Don Matthias. Gregorio de Noriega, said Don Alvaro, and I will describe the young man in two words. His father, a rich jeweller, is gone abroad to attend the foreign markets, and left his son, at his departure, in the enjoyment of a large income. Gregorio is a blockhead, with a turn for every sort of extravagance, and an awkward hankering after the reputation of wit and fashion, in despite of nature. ”

“ You shall have seen her picture here in the casa. No? It have hang under the crucifix in the corner room, turn around to the wall—WHY, you shall comprehend when I have made finish thees story. Comes to them here one day Don Vincente, Don Gregorio's nephew, to lif when his father die. He was yong, a pollio—same as Rosita. They were mooch together; they have make lofe. What will you?—it ees always the same. The Don Gregorio have comprehend; the friends have all comprehend; in a year they will make marry. Dona Rosita she go to Monterey to see his family. ”

“ I knew at once that they were speaking of Don Gaspar Gregorio, whose comeliness surpasses the most highly vaunted beauty. I was troubled when I thought of the danger he was in, for among those barbarous Turks a fair youth is more esteemed than a woman, be she ever so beautiful. The king immediately ordered him to be brought before him that he might see him, and asked me if what they said about the youth was true. ”

“ Of the number of the Popes Relations. Of the Offices, charges and places that they possess, and by what means they grow rich. Of the jealousie that is between them. Of Don Agostino his marriage. Of the great affection the Pope bears him. And of some other particularities full of curiosity and policy.
All that we have hitherto related, is nothing but the Vigil or Eve of the Nipotismo; now begins the Festival day, in the time of Urban the eighth, of the Family of the Barbarini, who succeeded Gregory the fifteenth, contrary to every bodies expectation, in the year 1623. ”

“ These jealousies, however they may be prejudicial to the Popes Family, yet are they very advantagious to the Church; for if they were all agreed, woe would be to Rome, and the Church: such would be sucked by them all, like so many Bees; but being divided, they stand in fear of one another, and dare not do unbeseeming actions: for while Don Mario would have all to himself, and leave nothing for his Nephew, and that on the other side, the Nephew would have all for himself, and deprive his Uncle and Cozen of their share, they hinder one another, and Rome and the Church fare the better for it. ”

“ Besides, assuming to himself, in the Government of the Borgo, a greater Authority than does belong to him of right, he does, as it were eclipse and stifle the jurisdiction of the Governour of Rome; who often is forced to own those faults of which he is innocent, Don Mario laying upon him all the miscarriages, and taking to himself all the profit of both places. ”

“ This is the first harm that they have done the Church. I do not know what good they may do hereafter, but hitherto they have done so little that it is invisible; whereas the mischief they are Authors of, is obvious to all eyes. Don Mario, who is the Pope’s Brother, and the Head of the Nipotismo, does exercise his place of Governour of Rome with so much Tyranny, that the City it self is become odious to many Families of quality, who have left and removed to other Towns, that they might not be any longer subject to one who gives occasion of complaint to the People, the Gentry, and Strangers ”

“ 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 ”

“ The good opinion which the Pope hath of his integrity, is the poison which corrupts all the present Government; for being prepossess’d to his advantage, he lets him do any thing, so he do but maintain plenty of Corn and Meat in Rome, and keep the people from murmuring; but things do not go well, nor with any honour to the Pope, for if Don Mario was honest and sincere in Siena, he no sooner came to Rome, but he chang’d his nature, and made it his business to grow rich by any means whatsoever ”

“ The one who showed himself most moved was Don Pedro Gregorio, the rich young heir thou knowest of, and they say he was deep in love with her; and since she left he has not been seen in our village again, and we all suspect he has gone after her to steal her away, but so far nothing has been heard of it."
"I always had a suspicion that gentleman had a passion for my daughter," said Ricote ”

“ The second demonstration of singular affection, which the Pope bears to Don Agostino, is his Marriage: p. 146for as soon as he saw him, he liked him so well, that he resolv’d to match with the greatest fortune of Rome, which was then the Princess Borghese, daughter to the Princess of Rossano, very rich, and having but one sickly brother, and therefore looked upon as an heiress; but however, her portion was two hundred thousand crowns in mony, besides the hereditary estate, which was in her brothers hands. ”

“ But the Pope pretended, that he being a Bastard, was incapable of inheriting.
The Cardinal soon got together a great Army, and so frighted Don Cesar, that he was forced to fly to Modena, and leave Ferrara to the Pope; and the Cardinal Aldobrandino, after some Articles agreed on between his Uncle and Don Cesar, entred the place, and took possession of it in the name of the Church, with little joy to the Inhabitants, who lost a good Master to fall into the hands of Church-men, who change every day their Governours. ”

“ From hence sprung some dissention, which from day to day encreases between the family of Don Agostino, and that of Don Mario, to the Popes great discontent, who to sweeten a little the bitterness of this Pill, gave Don Mario leave to call his Daughters, and their husbands to Rome; where he desir’d they should be respected as his Relations, and he accorded to Don Agostino, that his brother Sigismond might also be sent for, to whom he gave good Church Revenues. ”

“ Therefore to avoid the match, he pretended, that indeed he did take it as a great honour to have his Neece so allyed to his Holiness, but did desire to see Don Agostino better provided for, and in possession of some eminent rank in the world, that his neece might still maintain the degree of Princess she had already. Upon this the Pope did every day straine himself to make his Nephew appear greater and greater, giving places of great profit and honour, and endeavouring to buy him a Principality, which at last he effected ”

“ Besides this, Don Mario, and his Lady, have without doubt, been liberal to them out of that heap of Treasure, which they so well know how to get together; so that these Ladies journey to Rome, hath been, no doubt, a golden journey for them, which we may conjecture, p. 155by the state they live in now at Siena, having bought divers Lands and Houses.
This is all that hitherto can be said of this Nipotismo: But besides these, the Pope hath another Nipotismo, of a remoter consanguinity; who are so many, that they are innumerable ”

“ The people is more oppressed than ever, the City is ill provided, and all things are dear and scarce; the Prelates are discontented, and the money it self is condemned to a perpetual confinement in Don Mario’s, and the Nipotismo’s Coffers.
It is a strange thing to see, that the Popes should have the power to perswade others to renounce their fortunes, to run into Monasteries, to embrace Pilgrimages, and Mortifications; and yet not be able to perswade a little moderation to their Nephews, and make them content themselves with that lawful encrease of their Fortunes, which every p. ”

“ I wept, but, as I wept, I said, ‘It is hell for Gregorio too.’ But when I looked from the window this afternoon I knew it was not hell for you. I knew you did not care what became of me. It was pleasant for you to send me away to make money while you drank and kissed at the Penny-farthing Shop. I came suddenly to know that the man had spoken truth.”
“What man?” asked Gregorio, huskily.
“The man! The man you bade me find. Because money is not gathered from the pavements. You know that, and you sent me out to get money. ”

“ And as Gregorio closed the lattice, shutting out the noise of song and laughter, the room echoed with the mighty sobbing of a woman who was betrayed, and who repeated hysterically, while kissing the face of her child, “To-morrow, to-morrow there will be food for you.”
And Gregorio slept peacefully, for the danger of starvation was over; he would yet live to see his son become rich. ”

“ He eyed greedily the passage of one from hand to hand; and when one man, after taking a long pull, laughed and held it upside down to show him it was empty, he burst into an uncontrollable fit of anger, and shook his fist impotently at the soldiers, who chaffed him good-naturedly. As he went along by the stables, a friendly lancer, pitying him, probably, too, wearying of his own lonely watch, called to him, and offered him a drink out of a stone bottle. Gregorio drank again feverishly, and handed the bottle back to its owner with a grin, and passed on without a word. ”

“ You will earn money through me, for it is my duty to my son, but you have earned something else.”
“Yes?” queried Gregorio.
“My hate. Surely you are not surprised? I have learned what love is these last few days, have learned what a real man is like. I know you to be what he called you, a cur and a coward. I should never have learned this but for you, and I am grateful, very grateful. It is useless to swear and to threaten me with your fists. ”

“ How all Christendom is scandalized by it. How the Monks exclaim against it, because it starves them. How often Princes withdraw from Rome discontented. Of the Popes that cannot reform the Abuses of the Church, except they begin with their Nephews. Of Alexander the Seventh, and his austere Life. How the good Example he gave in the beginning of his Pontificate, was of great profit to the Church. Of some Protestants that went to Rome on purpose, upon the noise of his exemplary Life. How he left off hating, and fell to loving his Kindred. Of Don Mario, the Head of this Nipotismo. ”

“ He had done nothing to relieve his wife, nothing to pay off Amos. Madam met him at the door, a flask of wine in her hand. Against his will Gregorio entered her cafe and smiled, but his smile was sour and malevolent.
“You want cheering, my friend,” said madam, laughing.
“I have found nothing to do,” said Gregorio.
“Ah! I told you it would be hard. There are no tourists in Alexandria now. And it is foolish of you to tramp the streets looking for work that you will never find, when you have everything you can want here.”
“Except money, and that’s everything,” put in Gregorio, bluntly. ”

“ Candidates for the Papacy.
"Cardinal Di Gregorio would be a suitable Pope. Although he ranks among the Zelanti, he is not without moderation; he thrusts back the Jesuits, who have as many adversaries and enemies here as in France. Neapolitan subject though he be, Cardinal Di Gregorio is rejected by Naples, and still more by Cardinal Albani [9] , the executor of the high decrees of Austria. The cardinal is Legate at Bologna, he is over eighty and he is ill; there is therefore some chance of his not coming to Rome. ”

“ We do not readily part from an old friend whom we rediscover in an unsuspected state of affluence. Espinosa must home with Gregorio. Gregorio’s wife would be charmed to renew his acquaintance, and to hear from his own lips of his improved and prosperous state. Gregorio would take no refusal, and in the end Espinosa, yielding to his insistence, went with him to the sordid quarter where Gregorio had his dwelling. ”

“ The power of Gregorio, unknown even to Juan, (for the connivance was concealed and unsuspected,) opened the doors of the convent, and the lovers fled, were united in marriage, and then parted for ever."
"United? married? Now by heavens, thou mockest me! Even this had been some mitigation of our shame. But it is not true. Why dost thou say it?"
"Thou wert deceived—all were deceived," said Camarga; "nay, even the scheming Gregorio was deceived ”

“ THE young girls of the village were returning from the fountain with their water-jars on their heads; they were returning with song and laughter, a merry confusion of sound comparable only to the gleeful twitter of a flock of swallows when, thick as hail, they circle around the weather-vane of a belfry.
Just in front of the church porch, seated at the foot of a juniper tree, was Uncle Gregorio. Uncle Gregorio was the patriarch of the village; he was nearly ninety years old, with white hair, smiling lips, roguish eyes and trembling hands. In childhood he had been a shepherd ”