Lucretia Borgia

“ We view their acts through a medium which is permeated with religious [Pg xviii] ideas. Without this, and placed on a purely secular stage, the Borgias would have fallen into a position much less conspicuous than that of many other men, and would soon have ceased to be anything more than representatives of a large species.
We possess the history of Alexander VI and Cæsar, but of Lucretia Borgia we have little more than a legend, according to which she is a fury, the poison in one hand, the poignard in the other; and yet this baneful personality possessed all the charms and graces. ”

“ ROME ! A pleasant moonlight evening. The hour nine. The scene a splendidly-furnished apartment, in the palace of the Borgias. The only occupant of the room was an almost gloriously beautiful maiden, of seventeen summers, with hair as dark as night, and eyes as bright as the peerless diadems of her own native clime ! And she she was Lucretia Borgia ! ”

“ It is of the size of life, and represents Lucretia Borgia, her unbound hair waving darkly over her white shoulders, and half bared bosom, her eyes shooting their maddening glance, from the shadow of the long eyelashes, her form clad in a white garment, edged with scarlet,—a garment which, light and airy, floats like a misty vail about her beautiful shape. Coming from the darkness into this scene, the masked Lucretia, as we have said, could not repress an ejaculation, half astonishment, half fear—
"Never fear," cries Roderick gayly, as he flung his plumed cap on the table. ”

“ The tyrant of Bologna, who owed his escape from Cæsar wholly to the protection of the French, spared nothing to honor his enemy's sister. Accompanied by several hundred riders, he led her in triumph through the city, where the arms of the Borgias, of Cæsar, the Pope, and Lucretia, and those of France, and of the Este met her eye on every side. The proud matron Ginevra, surrounded by a large number of noble ladies, received Lucretia at the portals of her magnificent palace. How this famous [Pg 236] woman, the aunt of Giovanni Sforza of Pesaro, must in her soul have hated this Borgia! ”

“ If it were possible to conceive that a young woman could have the strength—a strength beyond that of the most depraved and hardened man—to hide behind a joyous exterior the moral perturbation which the most loathsome crime in the world would certainly cause the subject, we should be forced to admit that Lucretia Borgia possessed a power of dissimulation which passed all human bounds. ”

“ Never, even in the later years of her life, does she appear as a woman of unusual genius; she had none of the characteristics of the viragos Catarina Sforza and Ginevra Bentivoglio; nor did she possess the deceitful soul of an Isotta da Rimini, or the spirituelle genius of Isabella Gonzaga. If she had not been the daughter of Alexander VI and the sister of Cæsar Borgia, she would have been unnoticed by the historians of her age or, at most, would have been mentioned only as one of the many charming women who constituted the society of Rome. ”

“ Your heart is fresh, your intellect clear and vivid: I shall often seek your counsel in affairs of state, for I have learned, that in nine cases out of ten, it is better to rely upon the intuitions of woman, than upon the careful logic of the shrewdest man. In a word, dear child, you will be my companion,—my divinity"—
"Divinity?"
"Yes,—divinity! Tradition says that Lucretia Borgia was the most wondrously beautiful woman of all her age; and if yonder canvas does not flatter her, tradition does not lie. Now, you are living and more beautiful than Lucretia Borgia, without her crimes. ”

“ We have only a few letters written by her during her residence in Rome, and there is not a single poem dedicated to her or which mentions her; therefore it is due to the malicious epigrams of Sannazzaro and Pontanus that she has been branded as the most depraved of courtesans. If there ever was a young woman, however, likely to excite the imagination of the poet, Lucretia Borgia in the bloom of her youth and beauty was that woman. Her connection with the Vatican, the mystery which surrounded her, and the fate [Pg 126] she suffered, make her one of the most fascinating women of her age. ”

“ The fabrication of that bauble, the discovery of Borgia's device, was the masterpiece in the science of Dalibard,—a curious and philosophical triumph of research, hitherto unused by its inventor and his heirs; for that casket is rich in the choice of more gentle materials: but the use yet may come. As she gazed on the ring, there was a complacent and proud expression on Lucretia's face.
"Dumb token of Caesar Borgia," she murmured,—"him of the wisest head and the boldest hand that ever grasped at empire, whom Machiavel, the virtuous, rightly praised as the model of accomplished ambition! ”

“ She who was once the most execrated woman of her age had won a place of the highest honor. Caviceo even ventured, when he wished to praise the famous Isabella Gonzaga, to say that she approached the perfection of Lucretia. Her past, apparently, was so completely forgotten that even her name, Borgia, was always mentioned with respect.
About this time Lucretia was reminded of her life in Rome by a member of her family who was very near to her, Giovanni Borgia, the mysterious Infante of Rome, formerly Duke of Nepi and Camerino, and companion in destiny of the little Rodrigo who died in Bari. ”

“ The reflection that men like Copernicus, Michael Angelo, and Bramante, Alexander VI and Cæsar [Pg 136] Borgia could live in Rome at one and the same time is well nigh overpowering.
Did Lucretia ever see the youthful artist, subsequently the friend of the noble lady, Vittoria Colonna, whose portrait he painted? We know not; but there is no reason to doubt that she did. The curiosity of the artist and of the man would have induced Michael Angelo to endeavor to gain a glimpse of the most charming woman in Rome. Although only a beginner, he was already recognized as an artist of great talent. ”

“ Probably the best way--apart from the actual facts in the lives of women already cited--to show the absolute untruth of this very prevalent impression is to take the life of Lucretia Borgia herself, for it makes clear not only how absolutely lacking in historical confirmation are the ordinary traditions with regard to her, but on the contrary how well she deserves to be classed among the great good women of the Renaissance, all the scurrilous abuse of her that has accumulated to the contrary notwithstanding. ”

“ Lucretia herself had a retinue of a hundred and eighty [Pg 223] people. In the list—which is still preserved—are the names of many of her maids of honor; her first lady-in-waiting was Angela Borgia, una damigella elegantisima, as one of the chroniclers of Ferrara describes her, who is said to have been a very beautiful woman, and who was the subject of some verses by the Roman poet Diomede Guidalotto. She was also accompanied by her sister Donna Girolama, consort of the youthful Don Fabio Orsini. ”

“ Ask the Tiber, or the mask of St. Peter's ; both can give ye a true account of it," was the reply. " 0, Donna Lucretia, I would that I had died ere this misery was meted out to you ! Ere these tears of pity "
" Hush ! do not speak of pity to me," and there was a ghastly smile of desperation upon the woman's features, and her eyes glittered fearfully as she spoke. " Ha, ha ! Who shall dare to speak of pity to Lucretia Borgia ? List you, mad Seta, and judge if I am not a fiend in the shape of a woman, and one already damned ! ”

“ When Lucretia saw how small and unimportant was her little kingdom, she must have felt that she did not rank with the women of Urbino, Ferrara, and Mantua, or with those of Milan and Bologna; but she, by the authority of the Pope, her own father, had become an independent princess, and, although her territory embraced only a few square miles, to Italy it was a costly bit of ground.
Pesaro lies free and exposed in a wide valley. A chain of green hills sweeps half around it like the seats in a theater, and the sea forms the stage. ”

“ In Rome, Lucretia had an opportunity to enjoy, if she were so disposed, the society of many brilliant men, for even during the sovereignty of the Borgias the Muses were banished neither from the Vatican nor from Rome. It can not be denied, however, that the daughters of princely houses were allowed to devote themselves to the cultivation of the intellect more freely at the secular courts of Italy than they were at the papal court. Not until Lucretia went to Ferrara to live was she able to endeavor to emulate the example of the princesses of Mantua and Urbino. ”

“ Mankind is ever ready to discover the personification of human virtues and human vices in certain typical characters found in history and fable.
The Borgias will never cease to fascinate the historian and the psychologist. An intelligent friend of mine once asked me why it was that everything about Alexander VI, Cæsar, and Lucretia Borgia, every little fact regarding their lives, every newly discovered letter of any of them, aroused our interest much more than did anything similar concerning other and vastly more important historic characters. ”

“ ALEXANDER BORGIA. 49
" She never injured you ; or, if she did, the wrong was unintentionally given."
" 'T is false ! " cried Borgia, passionately. " Did she not scorn me, despise my love, and drive me from her presence ? But I had a glorious revenge. Ha ! ha ! They who brave the vengeance of Alexander Borgia should have a myriad of lives ! "
" And my mother she, too, was fearfully wronged by this demon," said Lucretia, musingly, as her hand in- voluntarily sought the hilt of a dagger. ”

“ Plac- ing an unsheathed dagger in her bosom, she murmured,
"Now for a deed that 'shall free Mercado, and convince even Alexander Borgia that man's power for wrong is not always equal to his will."
As she was passing from the hall, a servant placed him- self on her path. " Well, sirrah, what do you want ? " demanded Lucretia, angrily.
" Excuse me ; but it is the Pope's order that you do not leave the palace. I dare not permit you to pass."
" Nor need you permit me," said Donna Lucretia, scorn- fully, " for I shall go and come without your permission, or that of your most worthy master ! " ”

“ This much is certain: her life in Ferrara was regarded as a model of feminine virtue.
There was a young woman in her household who charmed all who came in contact with her until she became the cause of a tragedy at the court. This was the Angela Borgia whom Lucretia had brought with her from Rome, and who had been affianced to Francesco Maria Rovere. It is not known when the betrothal was set aside, although it may have been shortly after Alexander's death. The heir of Urbino married, as has been stated, Eleonora Gonzaga. ”

“ ALEXANDER BORGIA. 57
" Give me the key to Mercado's cell, and allow me to pass, or else lead the way yourself," commanded Donna Lucretia. " You can divine my purpose from my dress, and have no authority to prevent one of the ' Holy Fathers ' from seeing a prisoner ; therefore lead on."
" No, no, Donna Lucretia. Ha ! you start at the name. I thought I was right in my conjectures. You are the daughter of the Pope ! "
The fair Italian turned her face away, and a look of unutterable anguish appeared on her features, while she trembled from head to foot.
" Must I kill this man ? " she murmured. ”

“ Most women who have lived much and loved much finally become fanatics; bigotry is often only the last form which feminine vanity assumes. The recollection of a world of vice, and of crimes committed by her nearest kinsmen, and also of her own sins, must have constantly disturbed Lucretia's conscience. Other women who, like her, were among the chief characters in the history of the Borgias developed precisely the same frame of mind and experienced a similar need of religious consolation. Cæsar's widow ended her life in a convent; Gandia's did the same; Alexander's mistress became a fanatic ”

“ Signor Mercado," he said, " I come from Alexander Borgia. One of the chief elements of my business is briefness ; so I shall not trouble you long. My master has learned that you are in love with his daughter which he dislikes. You are condemned to death, and only one course can save you. If you will leave Home forever, and within the hour, and swear never to have any further acquaintance with Donna Lucretia, either by word or deed, you will be set at liberty. ”

“ Lucretia Borgia, in black velvet, avenging an insult according to the rules of high art and to the music of Donizetti is very charming, no doubt; but we don't want our wives and daughters to learn how they may poison us without fear of detection. ”

“ A servant entered at the secret door, and stole cautiously up behind the woman, unseen by her or Borgia.
" Poor Lucretia ! " added the Pope, after remaining silent a moment. " Little is she aware that I was the cause of her lover's death ; that I have drawn her into a cunningly-woven web ; that I have ruined, polluted her, with the intention of casting her off "
The sentence was unfinished. There was a shout, a hasty noise behind him, a terrible cry, and the Pope started to his feet and turned. Donna Lucretia had aimed a blow at his heart, but her hand had been stayed ”

“ 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 [Pg 203] speaker who could be depended upon to deliver a masterpiece. Ercole had instructed his ambassadors in Rome to send him particulars regarding the house of Borgia for the orator to use in preparing his speech. ”