His very vices spurred the spirit of humanity to freedom.

Before a saintly Pontiff the new age might still have trembled in superstitious reverence.

The Borgia to all logical intellects rendered the pretensions of a Pope to sway the souls of men ridiculous.

This is an excuse for dwelling so long upon the spectacle of his enormities.

Better than any other series of facts, they illustrate, not only the corruption of society, and the separation between morality and religion in Italy, but also the absurdity of that Church policy which in the age of the Renaissance confined the action of the head of Christendom to the narrow interests of a brood of parvenus and bastards.
[1] Cesare, it must be remembered, had ostensibly reduced the cities of Lombardy, Romagna, and the March, as Gonfalonier of the Church.
Of Pius III., who reigned for a few days after Alexander, no account need be taken.