§ 54. POPE ALEXANDER VI — BORGIA. 1492-1603. 453
After spending a short time in a convent, the princess was married to Don Alfonso, duke of Besiglia, the bastard son of Alfonso II. of Naples. The Vatican again witnessed the nuptial ceremon}^ but the marriage was, before many months, to be brought to a close by the duke's murder.
In the meantime Donna Sancia, the wife of Joffre, had come to the city, May, 1496, and been received at the gates by cardinals, Lucretia and other important personages. The pope, surrounded by 11 cardinals, and with Lucretia on his right hand, welcomed his son and daughter-in-law in the Vatican. According to Burchard, the two princesses boldly occupied the priests' benches in St. Peter's. Later, it was said, Sancia's two brothers-in-law, the duke of Gandia and Csesar, quarrelled over her and possessed her in turn. Alexander sent her back to Naples, whether for this reason or not is not known. She was afterwards received again in Rome.
Csesar, in spite of his yearly revenues amounting to 35,000 ducats, had long since grown tired of an ecclesiastical career. Bishop and cardinal-deacon though he was, he deposed before his fellow-cardinals that from the first he had been averse to orders, and received them in obedience to his father's wish. These words Gregorovius has pronounced to be perhaps the only true words the prince ever spoke. Ccesar's request was granted by the unanimous voice of the sacred college. Alexander, whose policy it now was to form a lasting bond between France and the papacy, looked to Louis XII., successor of Charles VIII., for a proper introduction of his son upon a worldly career. ^ Louis was anxious to be divorced from his deformed and childless wife, Joanna of Valois, and to be united to Charles' young widow, Anne, who carried the dowry of Brittany with her. There were advantages to be gained on both sides. Dispensation was given to the king, and Csesar was made duke of Valentinois and promised a wife of royal line.
The arrangements for Csesar's departure from Rome were on a grand scale. The richest textures were added to gold and silver vessels and coin, so that, when the young man de-
1 Alexander had courteously attended a mass for the repose of the soul of his old enemy, Charles, in the Sistine chapel, Burchard, II. 461.
454 THE MIDDLE AGES. A.D. 1294-1517.
parted from the cit3% he was preceded by a line of mules carrying goods worth 200,000 ducats on their backs. The duke's horses were shod with silver. The contemporary writer gives a picture of Alexander standing at the window, watching the cortege, in which were four cardinals, as it passed towards the West. The party went by way of Avignon. After some disappointment in not securing the princess whom Ctesar had picked out, Charlotte d'Albret, then a young lady of sixteen, and a sister of the king of Navarre, was chosen. When the news of the marriage, which was celebrated in INIay, 1499, reached Rome, Alexander and the Spaniards illuminated their houses and the streets in honor of the proud event. The advancement of this abandoned man, from this time forth, engaged Alexander VI.'s supreme energies. The career of Ciesar Borgia passes, if possible, into stages of deeiDcr darkness, and the mind shrinks back from the awful sensuality, treachery and cruelty for which no crime was too revolting. Everything had to give way that stood in tlie hard path of his vulgar ambition and profligate greed. And at last his father, ready to sacrifice all that is sacred in religion and human life to secure his son's promotion, became his slave, and in fear dared not to offer resistance to his plans.
The duke was soon back in Italy, accompanying the French army led by Louis XII. The reduction of Milan and Naples followed. Tlie taking of Milan reduced Alexander's former ally and brought captivity to Ascanio Sforza, the cardinal, but it was welcome news in the Vatican. Alexander was bent, with the help of Louis, upon creating a great dukedom in central Italy for his son, with a kingly dominion over all the peninsula as the ultimate act of the drama. The fall of Naples was due in part to the pope's perfidy in making an alliance with Louis and deposing the Neapolitan king, Frederick.
Endowed by his father with the proud title of duke of the Romagnaand made captain-general of the church, Caesar, with the help of 8,000 mercenaries, made good his rights to Imola, Forli, Rimini and otlier towns, some of the victories being celebrated ])y services in St. Peter's. At the same time, Lucretia was made regent of Nej)! and Spoleto. As a part of