the cenci-第1章

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The　Cenci



By　Alexander　Dumas；　pere









THE　CENCI



1598





Should　you　ever　go　to　Rome　and　visit　the　villa　Pamphili；　no　doubt；

after　having　sought　under　its　tall　pines　and　along　its　canals　the

shade　and　freshness　so　rare　in　the　capital　of　the　Christian　world；

you　will　descend　towards　the　Janiculum　Hill　by　a　charming　road；　in

the　middle　of　which　you　will　find　the　Pauline　fountain。　　Having

passed　this　monument；　and　having　lingered　a　moment　on　the　terrace　of

the　church　of　St。　Peter　Montorio；　which　commands　the　whole　of　Rome；

you　will　visit　the　cloister　of　Bramante；　in　the　middle　of　which；　sunk

a　few　feet　below　the　level；　is　built；　on　the　identical　place　where

St。　Peter　was　crucified；　a　little　temple；　half　Greek；　half　Christian；

you　will　thence　ascend　by　a　side　door　into　the　church　itself。　　There；

the　attentive　cicerone　will　show　you；　in　the　first　chapel　to　the

right；　the　Christ　Scourged；　by　Sebastian　del　Piombo；　and　in　the　third

chapel　to　the　left；　an　Entombment　by　Fiammingo；　having　examined　these

two　masterpieces　at　leisure；　he　will　take　you　to　each　end　of　the

transverse　cross；　and　will　show　youon　one　side　a　picture　by

Salviati；　on　slate；　and　on　the　other　a　work　by　Vasari；　then；　pointing

out　in　melancholy　tones　a　copy　of　Guido's　Martyrdom　of　St。　Peter　on

the　high　altar；　he　will　relate　to　you　how　for　three　centuries　the

divine　Raffaelle's　Transfiguration　was　worshipped　in　that　spot；　how

it　was　carried　away　by　the　French　in　1809；　and　restored　to　the　pope

by　the　Allies　in　1814。　　As　you　have　already　in　all　probability

admired　this　masterpiece　in　the　Vatican；　allow　him　to　expatiate；　and

search　at　the　foot　of　the　altar　for　a　mortuary　slab；　which　you　will

identify　by　a　cross　and　the　single　word；　Orate；　under　this　gravestone

is　buried　Beatrice　Cenci；　whose　tragical　story　cannot　but　impress　you

profoundly。



She　was　the　daughter　of　Francesco　Cenci。　　Whether　or　not　it　be　true

that　men　are　born　in　harmony　with　their　epoch；　and　that　some　embody

its　good　qualities　and　others　its　bad　ones；　it　may　nevertheless

interest　our　readers　to　cast　a　rapid　glance　over　the　period　which　had

just　passed　when　the　events　which　we　are　about　to　relate　took　place。

Francesco　Cenci　will　then　appear　to　them　as　the　diabolical

incarnation　of　his　time。



On　the　11th　of　August；　1492；　after　the　lingering　death…agony　of

Innocent　VIII；　during　which　two　hundred　and　twenty　murders　were

committed　in　the　streets　of　Rome；　Alexander　VI　ascended　the

pontifical　throne。　　Son　of　a　sister　of　Pope　Calixtus　III；　Roderigo

Lenzuoli　Borgia；　before　being　created　cardinal；　had　five　children　by

Rosa　Vanozza；　whom　he　afterwards　caused　to　be　married　to　a　rich

Roman。　　These　children　were：



Francis；　Duke　of　Gandia；



Caesar；　bishop　and　cardinal；　afterwards　Duke　of　Valentinois；



Lucrezia；　who　was　married　four　times：　her　first　husband　was　Giovanni

Sforza；　lord　of　Pesaro；　whom　she　left　owing　to　his　impotence；　the

second；　Alfonso；　Duke　of　Bisiglia；　whom　her　brother　Caesar　caused　to

be　assassinated；　the　third；　Alfonso　d'Este；　Duke　of　Ferrara；　from

whom　a　second　divorce　separated　her；　finally；　the　fourth；　Alfonso　of

Aragon；　who　was　stabbed　to　death　on　the　steps　of　the　basilica　of　St。

Peter；　and　afterwards；　three　weeks　later；　strangled；　because　he　did

not　die　soon　enough　from　his　wounds；　which　nevertheless　were　mortal；



Giofre；　Count　of　Squillace；　of　whom　little　is　known；



And；　finally；　a　youngest　son；　of　whom　nothing　at　all　is　known。



The　most　famous　of　these　three　brothers　was　Caesar　Borgia。　　He　had

made　every　arrangement　a　plotter　could　make　to　be　King　of　Italy　at

the　death　of　his　father　the　pope；　and　his　measures　were　so　carefully

taken　as　to　leave　no　doubt　in　his　own　mind　as　to　the　success　of　this

vast　project。　　Every　chance　was　provided　against；　except　one；　but

Satan　himself　could　hardly　have　foreseen　this　particular　one。　　The

reader　will　judge　for　himself。



The　pope　had　invited　Cardinal　Adrien　to　supper　in　his　vineyard　on　the

Belvidere；　Cardinal　Adrien　was　very　rich；　and　the　pope　wished　to

inherit　his　wealth；　as　he　already　had　acquired　that　of　the　Cardinals

of　Sant'　Angelo；　Capua；　and　Modena。　　To　effect　this；　Caesar　Borgia

sent　two　bottles　of　poisoned　wine　to　his　father's　cup…bearer；　without

taking　him　into　his　confidence；　he　only　instructed　him　not　to　serve

this　wine　till　he　himself　gave　orders　to　do　so；　unfortunately；　during

supper　the　cup…bearer　left　his　post　for　a　moment；　and　in　this

interval　a　careless　butler　served　the　poisoned　wine　to　the　pope；　to

Caesar　Borgia；　and　to　Cardinal　Corneto。



Alexander　VI　died　some　hours　afterwards；　Caesar　Borgia　was　confined

to　bed；　and　sloughed　off　his　skin；　while　Cardinal　Corneto　lost　his

sight　and　his　senses；　and　was　brought　to　death's　door。



Pius　III　succeeded　Alexander　VI；　and　reigned　twenty…five　days；　on　the

twenty…sixth　he　was　poisoned　also。



Caesar　Borgia　had　under　his　control　eighteen　Spanish　cardinals　who

owed　to　him　their　places　in　the　Sacred　College；　these　cardinals　were

entirely　his　creatures；　and　he　could　command　them　absolutely。　　As　he

was　in　a　moribund　condition　and　could　make　no　use　of　them　for

himself；　he　sold　them　to　Giuliano　della　Rovere；　and　Giuliano　della

Rovere　was　elected　pope；　under　the　name　of　Julius　II。　　To　the　Rome　of

Nero　succeeded　the　Athens　of　Pericles。



Leo　X　succeeded　Julius　II；　and　under　his　pontificate　Christianity

assumed　a　pagan　character；　which；　passing　from　art　into　manners；

gives　to　this　epoch　a　strange　complexion。　　Crimes　for　the　moment

disappeared；　to　give　place　to　vices；　but　to　charming　vices；　vices　in

good　taste；　such　as　those　indulged　in　by　Alcibiades　and　sung　by

Catullus。　　Leo　X　died　after　having　assembled　under　his　reign；　which

lasted　eight　years；　eight　months；　and　nineteen　days；　Michael　Angelo；

Raffaelle；　Leonardo　da　Vinci；　Correggio；　Titian；　Andrea　del　Sarto；

Fra　Bartolommeo；　Giulio　Romano；　Ariosto；　Guicciardini；　and

Macchiavelli。



Giulio　di　Medici　and　Pompeo　Colonna　had　equal　claims　to　succeed　him。

As　both　were　skilful　politicians；　experienced　courtiers；　and　moreover

of　real　and　almost　equal　merit；　neither　of　them　could　obtain　a

majority；　and　the　Conclave　was　prolonged　almost　indefinitely；　to　the

great　fatigue　of　the　cardinals。　　So　it　happened　one　day　that　a

cardinal；　more　tired　than　the　rest；　proposed　to　elect；　instead　of

either　Medici　or　Colonna；　the　son；　some　say　of　a　weaver；　others　of　a

brewer　of　Utrecht；　of　whom　no　one　had　ever　thought　till　then；　and　who

was　for　the　moment　acting　head　of　affairs　in　Spain；　in　the　absence　of

Charles　the　Fifth。　　The　jest　prospered　in　the　ears　of　those　who　heard

it；　all　the　cardinals　approved　their　colleague's　proposal；　and　Adrien

became　pope　by　a　mere　accident。



He　was　a　perfect　specimen　of　the　Flemish　type　a　regular　Dutchman；　and

could　not　speak　a　word　of　Italian。　　When　he　arrived　in　Rome；　and　saw

the　Greek　masterpieces　of　sculpture　collected　at　vast　cost　by　Leo　X；

he　wished　to　break　them　to　pieces；　exclaiming；　〃Suet　idola

anticorum。〃　　His　first　act　was　to　despatch　a　papal　nuncio；　Francesco

Cherigato；　to　the　Diet　of　Nuremberg；　convened　to　discuss　the　reforms

of　Luther；　with　instructions　which　give　a　vivid　notion　of　the　manners

of　the　time。



〃Candidly　confess；〃　said　he；　〃that　God　has　permitted　this　schism　and

this　persecution　on　account　of　the　sins　of　man；　and　especially　those

of　priests　and　prelates　of　the　Church；　for　we　know　that　many

abominable　things　have　taken　place　in　the　Holy　See。〃



Adrien　wished　to　bring　the　Romans　back　to　the　simple　and　austere

manners　of　the　early　Church；　and　with　this　object　pushed　reform　to

the　minutest　details。　　For　instance；　of　the　hundred　grooms　maintained

by　Leo　X；　he　retained　only　a　dozen；　in　order；　he　said；　to　have　two

more　than　the　cardinals。



A　pope　like　this　could　not　reign　long：　he　died　after　a　year's

pontificate。　　The　morning　after　his　death　his　physician's　door　was

found　decorated　with　garlands　of　flowers；　bearing　this　inscription：

〃To　the　liberator　of　his　country。〃



Giulio　di　Medici　and　Pompeo　Colonna　were　again　rival　candidates。

Intrigues　recommenced；　and　the　Conclave　was　once　more　so　divided　that

at　one　time　the　cardinals　thought　they　could　only　escape　the

difficulty　in　which　they　were　placed　by　doing　what　they　had　done

before；　and　electing　a　third　competitor；　they　were　even　talking　about

Cardinal　Orsini；　when　Giulio　di　Medici；　one　of　the　rival　candidates；

hit　upon　a　very　ingenious　expedient。　　He　wanted　only　five　votes；　five

of　his　partisans　each　offered　to　bet　five　of　Colonna's　a　hundred

thousand　ducats　to　ten　thousand　against　the　election　of　Giulio　di

Medici。　　At　the　very　first　ballot　after　the　wager；　Giulio　di　Medici

got　the　five　votes　he　wanted；　no　objection　could　be　made；　the

cardinals　had　not　been　bribed；　they　had　made　a　bet；　that　was　all。



Thus　it　happened；　on　the　18th　of　November；　1523；　Giulio　di　Medici　was

proclaimed　pope　under　the　name　of　Clement　VII。　　The　same　day；　he

generously　paid　the　five　hundred　thousand　ducats　which　his　five

partisans　had　lost。



It　was　under　this　pontificate；　and　during　the　seven　months　in　which

Rome；　conquered　by　the　Lutheran　soldiers　of　the　Constable　of　Bourbon；

saw　holy　things　subjected　to　the　most　frightful　profanations；　that

Francesco　Cenci　was　born。



He　was　the　son　of　Monsignor　Nicolo　Cenci；　afterwards　apostolic

treasurer　during　the　pontificate　of　Pius　V。　　Under　this　venerable

prelate；　who　occupied　himself　much　more　with　the　spiritual　than　the

temporal　administration　of　his　kingdom；　Nicolo　Cenci　took　advantage

of　his　spiritual　head's　abstraction　of　worldly　matters　to　amass　a　net

revenue　of　a　hundred　and　sixty　thousand　piastres；　about　f32；000　of

our　money。　　Francesco　Cenci；　who　was　his　only　son；　inherited　this

fortune。



His　youth　was　spent　under　popes　so　occupied　with　the　schism　of　Luther

that　they　had　no　time　to　think　of　anything　else。　　The　result　was；

that　Francesco　Cenci；　inheriting　vicious　instincts　and　master　of　an

immense　fortune　which　enabled　him　to　purchase　immunity；　abandoned

himself　to　all　the　evil　passions　of　his　fiery　and　passionate

temperament。　　Five　times　during　his　profligate　career　imprisoned　for

abominable　crimes；　he　only　succeeded　in　procuring　his　liberation　by

the　payment　of　two　hundred　thousand　piastres；　or　about　one　million

francs。　　It　should　be　explained　that　popes　at　this　time　were　in　great

need　of　money。



The　lawless　profligacy　of　Francesco　Cenci　first　began　seriously　to

attract　public　attention　under　the　pontificate　of　Gregory　XIII。　　This

reign　offered　marvellous　facilities　for　the　development　of　a

reputation　such　as　that　which　this　reckless　Italian　Don　Juan　seemed

bent　on　acquiring。　　Under　the　Bolognese　Buoncampagno；　a　free　hand　was

given　to　those　able　to　pay　both　assassins　and　judges。　　Rape　and

murder　were　so　common　that　public　justice　scarcely　troubled　itself

with　these　trif