The Borgias | Page 7

Roman crown piece; but this crown unscrewed,
and in a cavity hollowed in its thickness enclosed a letter, which the
man to whom it was addressed began to read at the risk of being
recognised, so great was his haste to know what it contained.

We say at the risk of being recognised, for in his eagerness the recipient
of this nocturnal missive had thrown back the hood of his cloak; and as
his head was wholly within the luminous circle cast by the lamp, it was
easy to distinguish in the light the head of a handsome young man of
about five or six and twenty, dressed in a purple doublet slashed at the
shoulder and elbow to let the shirt come through, and wearing on his
head a cap of the same colour with a long black feather falling to his
shoulder. It is true that he did not stand there long; for scarcely had he
finished the letter, or rather the note, which he had just received in so
strange and mysterious a manner, when he replaced it in its silver
receptacle, and readjusting his cloak so as to hide all the lower part of
his face, resumed his walk with a rapid step, crossed Borgo San Spirito,
and took the street of the Longara, which he followed as far as the
church of Regina Coeli. When he arrived at this place, he gave three
rapid knocks on the door of a house of good appearance, which
immediately opened; then slowly mounting the stairs he entered a room
where two women were awaiting him with an impatience so
unconcealed that both as they saw him exclaimed together:
"Well, Francesco, what news?"
"Good news, my mother; good, my sister," replied the young man,
kissing the one and giving his hand to the other. "Our father has gained
three votes to-day, but he still needs six to have the majority."
"Then is there no means of buying them?" cried the elder of the two
women, while the younger, instead of speaking, asked him with a look.
"Certainly, my mother, certainly," replied the young man; "and it is just
about that that my father has been thinking. He is giving Cardinal
Orsini his palace at Rome and his two castles of Monticello and
Soriano; to Cardinal Colanna his abbey of Subiaca; he gives Cardinal
Sant' Angelo the bishopric of Porto, with the furniture and cellar; to the
Cardinal of Parma the town of Nepi; to the Cardinal of Genoa the
church of Santa Maria-in-Via-Lata; and lastly, to Cardinal Savelli the
church of Santa Maria Maggiore and the town of Civita Castellana; as
to Cardinal Ascanio-Sforza, he knows already that the day before
yesterday we sent to his house four mules laden with silver and plate,

and out of this treasure he has engaged to give five thousand ducats to
the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice."
"But how shall we get the others to know the intentions of Roderigo?"
asked the elder of the two women.
"My father has provided for everything, and proposes an easy method;
you know, my mother, with what sort of ceremonial the cardinals'
dinner is carried in."
"Yes, on a litter, in a large basket with the arms of the cardinal far
whom the meal is prepared."
"My father has bribed the bishop who examines it: to-morrow is a
feast-day; to the Cardinals Orsini, Colonna, Savelli, Sant' Angelo, and
the Cardinals of Parma and of Genoa, chickens will be sent for hot
meat, and each chicken will contain a deed of gift duly drawn up, made
by me in my father's name, of the houses, palaces, or churches which
are destined for each."
"Capital!" said the elder of the two women; "now, I am certain, all will
go well."
"And by the grace of God," added the younger, with a strangely
mocking smile, "our father will be pope."
"Oh, it will be a fine day for us!" cried Francesco.
"And for Christendom," replied his sister, with a still more ironical
expression.
"Lucrezia, Lucrezia," said the mother, "you do not deserve the
happiness which is coming to us."
"What does that matter, if it comes all the same? Besides, you know the
proverb; mother: 'Large families are blessed of the Lord'; and still more
so our family, which is so patriarchal."
At the same time she cast on her brother a look so wanton that the

young man blushed under it: but as at the moment he had to think of
other things than his illicit loves, he ordered that four servants should
be awakened; and while they were getting armed to accompany him, he
drew up and signed the six deeds of gift which were to be carried the
next day to the cardinals; for, not wishing to be seen