[The Life of Cesare Borgia by Raphael Sabatini]@TWC D-Link bookThe Life of Cesare Borgia CHAPTER IV 10/17
But what a scandal was there not, shortly afterwards, in connection with it, and how that scandal was heaped up later, by stories so revolting of the doings of that night that one is appalled at the minds that conceived them and the credulity that accepted them. Infessura writes of what he heard, and he writes venomously, as he betrays by the bitter sarcasm with which he refers to the fifty silver cups filled with sweetmeats which the Pope tossed into the laps of ladies present at the earlier part of the celebration.
"He did it," says Infessura, "to the greater honour and glory of Almighty God and the Church of Rome." Beyond that he ventures into no great detail, checking himself betimes, however, with a suggested motive for reticence a thousand times worse than any formal accusation.
Thus: "Much else is said, of which I do not write, because either it is not true, or, if true, incredible."(1) 1 "Et multa alia dicta sunt; que hic non scribo, que aut non sunt; vel si sunt, incredibilia" (Infessura, Diarium). It is amazing that the veil which Infessura drew with those words should have been pierced--not indeed by the cold light of fact, but by the hot eye of prurient imagination; amazing that he should be quoted at all--he who was not present--considering that we have the testimony of what did take place from the pen of an eye-witness, in a letter from Gianandrea Boccaccio, the ambassador of Ferrara, to his master. At the end of his letter, which describes the proceedings and the wedding-gifts and their presentation, he tells us how the night was spent.
"Afterwards the ladies danced, and, as an interlude, a worthy comedy was performed, with much music and singing, the Pope and all the rest of us being present throughout.
What else shall I add? It would make a long letter.
<<Back Index Next>> D-Link book Top TWC mobile books
|