by Anne Manning
CHAPTER XIII.
THE CARDINAL TEMPTED.
How fared it with Cardinal Ippolito, after he left Fondi? In a generalway we may be pretty sure that he fared sumptuously every day, clothedin purple and fine linen; that he entertained a constant succession ofnoble, learned, witty, and intellectual guests; that a certain portionof broken victuals from his table was daily given to beggars full ofsores at his gate; that he read the Greek and Latin poets a good dealmore than the Old and New Testament; that he bought whatever pleased himin the way of intaglios, cameos, mosaics, ivory carvings, raremanuscripts, and paintings,--out of the revenues of the Church; that henow and then gave a ring, chain, or purse of gold to some poor author orartist,--out of the revenues of the Church; that he took part in highsolemnities, and looked and acted his part well when relics were to beexhibited, or pontifical mass performed, or martyrs to be canonised.
Did he believe in them, think you? Did he believe in "the most holycross," "the most holy visage," the "sacred spear"? I very much doubtthe poor Cardinal's faith in much holier things than these. He wouldhave been very glad to possess the faith of that barefooted littlecontadina with the silver dagger in her hair, whom he saw pressing herlips so undoubtingly and affectionately to a dirty little box held by astill dirtier friar. To him it was all an extremely well got-up scene;interesting in an artistic point of view; painfully unreal whenever hecame to think of it. He liked the thrilling music, the air heavy withincense, the various costumes and draperies, the heaps of church plate,the shrines encrusted with gems, the portraits of famous beauties withhaloes and palms; but oh! they did not even touch his feelings; and asfor his thoughts, his thoughts!--
It seemed to him quite as hard to believe that the bread and wine on thealtar were what they purported to be, as that the imprint of theRedeemer's face was stamped on the kerchief of St. Veronica. Sometimeshe was ready to persuade himself he blindly believed all; at othertimes, he was too sadly sure he believed in nothing. Nothing butdeath!--and it was almost death to think of it. "Let us eat and drink,for to-morrow we die!"
Well, but there was his old uncle, the Pope, who had a good deal more onhis conscience than he had, and must be a good deal nearer thatcatastrophe than he was, he was so much older!--and how comfortably hetook it all!--washing the pilgrims' feet, blessing the horses, bornealoft in that tottering seat between the two great fans of ostrichfeathers, stretching out his fingers in continual benediction--theking--the vice-God of the hour--forgiving the sins of all theworld--_he_ seemed to get through it all very well--
But, just as the Cardinal had reached this point, Pope Clement_died_--and how did the people show their sense of his holiness? He diedon the 26th of September, 1534; just two months after the sack of Fondi;and during the period between his decease and the election of asuccessor, the contempt and hatred of the Romans showed themselves bythe most outrageous insults to his memory. Night after night, his bierwas broken and defaced. On one occasion his body was actually torn fromits grave-clothes, and found in the morning transfixed with a sword. Andthere were those who scrupled not to say it would have been draggedthrough the streets with a hook, but for respect for Cardinal Ippolito.
All this was very terrible for Ippolito. Death, in all its grislyhorrors, and without any of its holy and softening associations, wasbrought before him whether he would or no; with no sacrament of tearsand blessings, no cherished memories of the last look, the last sigh; nodeath-bed sanctities.
And then the new Pope, Paul the Third, was a Farnese. The Medici partyhad gone out, the Farnese party had come in; and Ippolito was looked onas an enviable pluralist, whose benefices the new Pope's friends wouldgladly share. Ippolito knew it was so, because it must be so: it wouldnot be Roman human nature if it had been otherwise. And in the night, hewould lie awake and think, "What a juggle, and a struggle, and a farceit all is!--What a seeming, and a sham!--Why did I ever accept thisdetestable hat? Why should I have been put off with it? Why should not Ihave been Grand Duke of Florence instead of Alessandro? I am of theelder branch, and any way I would have played my part better. O, Giulia,why would not you have me? It would have been better for both of us!"And he got into the way of fancying that all his faults were _her_fault.
He was just in that state that he lay open to any temptation. Andtemptation is never long coming, when we are in that case. He was readyfor anything that seemed to promise to put him in Alessandro's place;and there was a large body of banished Florentines, or _fuorusciti_ asthey were commonly called, who burned to dethrone the tyrant and abolishtyranny. Their views were larger and more patriotic than Ippolito's, forhe only wished to transfer his cousin's power to himself: however,Felippo Strozzi, the richest and most crafty citizen in Florence, knewenough of both parties to think he could make them serve his ownpurposes.
Felippo Strozzi therefore opened his mind to Ippolito on the subject ofgetting rid of Alessandro, and found it easier to do than it might havebeen, because Ippolito was already a guilty man concerning hiscousin--he had already been trying to induce the Archbishop ofMarseilles to assassinate him. What churchmen!--That scheme had notanswered, but his part was taken now; with a colour of patriotism in it;for he must keep his selfish views out of sight of the _fuorusciti_, orthey would have nothing to say to him.
The simplest way appeared to be to get Charles the Fifth to change thegovernment of Florence by an act of his sovereign will; and then, noassassination need be in question.
This appeared so bright an idea to the Cardinal, that, without troublinghimself to take counsel with his confederates, he sent a trustymessenger on his own account to the Emperor, to lay such a statementbefore him as would, he hoped, convince him of the justice andexpediency of subverting Alessandro's government. But alas, themessenger brought back word that the Emperor would have nothing to sayto it; the Cardinal had nothing to expect from him.
On this, Ippolito had recourse to his bad adviser, Strozzi, and put itto him--
"What say you? Shall I, under these circumstances, please the Emperor bymaking up matters with Alessandro, and accept the ecclesiasticalpreferments which have, in that case, been offered me?"
"Please yourself," says Felippo, with his cynical smile. "I wouldn't, ifI were you, but that's not my affair. Such a peace-making woulddoubtless be very acceptable to the Duke, as relieving him of adangerous enemy; but it would be both injurious and disgraceful toyourself. At least, that's the way _I_ take it."
"Here am I all at sea again, then," said the Cardinal.
"You talk of a reconciliation as if it could really be made," pursuedStrozzi; "whereas it would assuredly come to nothing: because suchmatters have already passed between you as that Alessandro would neverreally trust you; and this feeling on his part would make you, or oughtto make you, equally distrustful of him. So that you never could livesafely in Florence as long as he was in power there. And as to theappanages he has promised you, depend upon it, that as soon as hisalliance with the Emperor was secured he would snap his fingers at you,and you might go whistle for them!"
"If you think _that_--" said Ippolito.
"I do think that, I promise you," said Felippo Strozzi. "I don't want tomake differences between relations, not I; but if you ask me for myplain opinion, there you have it. He would take care to gain the ear ofthe Emperor so as that you should never have one of those benefices, forhis cue will be to keep you down as much as he can."
"Nay then--" said the Cardinal.
"Besides," continued Strozzi, "such a reconciliation would make youdespicable in the sight of all the world; for every one knows youropinion of Alessandro, and would be quite aware that nothing but merehope of profit could have brought you to make it up with him--they wouldnever believe in any more honourable motive."
"Then again--" resumed he, seeing that Ippolito was in a painful stateof vacillation, "by adopting a more spirited line of action, and unitingyourself with the _fuorusciti_, you would gain immortal honour and gloryas the deliverer and true father of your country
, _and would see yourarms put up all over the city_!"
This last bait was too much for Ippolito to resist. His eye kindled, andhe half started from his seat.
"And this would even be your wisest course of action," pursued hiscunning tempter, "should you feel inclined to make yourself absolutemaster of the state instead of liberating it, inasmuch as it wouldobtain such popularity for you in the first instance. All the oldfriends of your house are so disgusted and alienated by the conduct ofAlessandro, that they would gladly transfer their allegiance to you. And_I_ will undertake, if you will only be prudent, to make the_fuorusciti_ espouse your cause. With the French money and favour whichmy influence can secure to you, you may be certain of success!"
Ippolito's breast heaved. It seemed "a good plot--an excellentplot"--though a voice in his heart made its stifled accents heardagainst it. And so, in evil hour, the decision was made; and he becamethe tool of this wicked man, who designed, through him, to wreak his ownvengeance on Alessandro.
But a bird of the air carried the matter to the Grand Duke; else howshould he have heard of it? He, ready enough to fight conspirators withtheir own weapons, communicated secretly with Ippolito's steward, GiovanAndrea di Borgho San Sepolcro, and covenanted with him to do a certaindeed for a certain sum of money.
Meantime, Strozzi negotiated with the leaders of the _fuorusciti_, who,knowing his character for craft and treachery, were not at all ready tomeet him half way, and sometimes drove him to such desperation withtheir answers to his advances that he was almost minded to throw upconspiracy altogether, and retire upon his enormous fortune to Venice,and live quietly like an honest man. Well if he had!
The Cardinal, meantime, hearing that the Emperor was fitting out anexpedition to Tunis, resolved to follow him thither, accompanied bycertain of the _fuorusciti_, and lay his complaints before him inperson.
No sooner had he decided on this step than he hastened his preparationsfor departure. He loved action and the bruit of arms: he would have madea pretty good soldier: probably a noted commander. To supply himselfwith the necessary funds, he broke up and sold all his plate, andborrowed ten thousand ducats of Felippo Strozzi. Having hired twentyhorses for his personal attendants and four Florentines who were toaccompany him, he started from Rome at the latter end of July, 1535, _enroute_ for the little town of Itri, near Fondi, where he purposedawaiting the vessel in which he was to embark at Gaeta.
The reason he meant to wait at Itri rather than Gaeta was that hebelieved Giulia to be at Fondi--in which he was mistaken.
As he was in the act of mounting his beautiful mare, she fell beneathhim, without any apparent reason; which was afterwards looked back on asan evil omen.
