Faustus Part 12

_Pope_. Thou wretch!

_Vanosa_. Am I? If I be, I have become so in thy school. It was right that the timorous and gentle Francisco should give place to the fiery, the enterprising Caesar, in order that the glittering hopes may be fulfilled which thou didst confide to me upon thy elevation to the papal chair. Francisco was intended by nature to be a monk; my Caesar to be a conqueror--and I call him so already in prophetic spirit. He alone has power to annihilate the great and petty tyrants of Italy, and to win himself a crown. Appoint him standard-bearer to the papal see, and he will make the Borgias kings of the Italian realms. Is not this thy most ardent wish? All thy poisonings and murders will have been to no more purpose if Caesar remains a cardinal, than they would have been if yon feeble driveller had lived. Only from Caesar can I expect protection when thou art no more. He loves his mother; but the other boy neglected me, and only flattered thee, from whom he expected his greatness. Caesar feels that a woman like me, who could bring forth a hero, can likewise point out to him the way to immortal deeds. Brighten up, Rodrigo, and be wise; for know that the hand which dispatched thy favourite was directed by a daring spirit, who would not hesitate to take thy own life wert thou to remove the veil which has been flung over this deed of necessity.

_Pope_. The solidity of thy arguments restores me to myself, and thy eloquence exalts my soul, although it makes me shudder. Francisco is dead; Caesar lives: let him live, and take his brother's place, since fate will have it so.

He rang the bell, caused refreshments to be brought, and was in excellent spirits.

Francisco was forgotten, and the Pope thought of nothing else than to open to the daring Caesar a wider field in which he might exercise his dangerous talents. The latter, in the mean time, crowned the King of Naples, with hands yet reeking with fraternal blood. He returned to Rome; and Faustus saw, with a malicious laugh, the cardinals and the amba.s.sadors of Spain and Venice receive the fratricide, whom they knew for such, at the city-gate, and then conduct him in triumph to the Pope, who embraced him with great tenderness. Vanosa laid aside her mourning, and celebrated the day of his return by a festival, at which appeared all the grandees of Rome. Caesar shortly afterwards changed his cardinal's hat for a helmet, and was with much pomp and magnificence consecrated Gonfalonier, or Standard-bearer of the Holy See.

The Devil saw, with much pleasure, Faustus endeavouring, by the wildest excesses, to escape the pangs by which his heart was now torn. He remarked how every new scene of horror he was doomed to witness galled his soul, and that he was becoming more and more convinced that all he saw or heard had its origin in the nature of man. The Devil supported him in this idea by sophisms, which later philosophers have worked up into systems. He ransacked the earth of its treasures, and showered gold and precious gems upon his victim; and Faustus, dishonouring the wives and daughters of Rome, believed that he could not sufficiently corrupt the human family, which, in his opinion, was doomed to misfortune and destruction. The lessons he had learnt from Lucretia had long since poisoned his senses. All the sweet ties of humanity, which had so long fettered his heart, were now totally destroyed. He represented the world to himself as a stormy sea, on which the human race is cast, and is tossed here and there by the wind, which drives this man upon a rock, where he is dashed to pieces, and blows the other happily to his haven.

But what seemed to Faustus most incomprehensible was, that the shipwrecked mariner should be punished in an after-state for not having guided his vessel better; when the rudder which had been given him to shape his course by was so weak that any extraordinary billow could not fail to shatter it.

A new scene now presented itself. Alexander had determined on taking the amus.e.m.e.nts of the chase at Ostia. He was accompanied thither by a vast throng of cardinals, bishops, ladies, and nuns; the latter being summoned from their cloisters, and, by their beauty, rendering the cavalcade a glorious spectacle. The Devil was constantly by the side of the Pope, and Faustus and Lucretia were inseparable. Every one abandoned himself at Ostia to pleasure, and in the course of a few days excesses were committed there from which even Tiberius and Nero might have learnt something. Faustus had now an excellent opportunity of examining man in his nakedness, as the Devil had expressively termed it; but what were all these scenes of wickedness when compared with the plans which the Pope formed with his b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, by way of relaxation, in the presence of Faustus and the Devil? It was here determined that Alphonso of Arragon, the husband of Lucretia, should be a.s.sa.s.sinated, in order that they might give the King of France a proof that they were willing to break entirely with the King of Naples, and to a.s.sist the former in his usurpation of the crown of Sicily. Louis the Twelfth had already, with the approbation of Alexander, invaded Italy, and the Borgias thereby saw all their projects ripening. Lucretia intrusted this b.l.o.o.d.y deed to the management of her brother, and already considered herself as a widow. The plan of the ensuing campaign was then adjusted in a very expeditious manner; for it was merely to take possession of all the towns, castles, and domains of the n.o.blemen of Italy, who were one and all of them to be murdered, together with their offspring and relations, in order that not a soul might remain alive who had the slightest claim upon the property, and who might therefore trouble the a.s.sa.s.sins with future conspiracies. To support the army in the interim, the Pope and Caesar dictated to Lucretia a list of rich cardinals and prelates, who were to be poisoned successively, and their goods to be taken possession of by the right of inheritance vested in the papal chair.

When this secret council was broken up, the members of it repaired to the grand hall, where supper awaited them. The Pope was so contented with his schemes, and the certainty of their accomplishment, that he committed, in his joy, the most shameful extravagances, and by his example incited his guests to actions similar to what we have read of in the pages of Petronius Arbiter, and other writers of the same character.

He, nevertheless, did not entirely forget the cares of the state; for he suddenly asked those present how the revenues of the papal see might be increased, so as to support its numerous army during the approaching campaign. After various projects, Ferrara of Modena, Bishop of Patria, Alexander's worthy minister, by whom he caused the benefices of the Church to be disposed of to the highest bidder, proposed that indulgences should be sold through Europe, under the pretence of an approaching war with the Turks; adding, like a true papal financier, "that the foolish idea which men entertained, of being able to wash away their sins by means of gold, was the surest source from which the income of a pope arose."

Lucretia, who lay on the lap of her father, and played with Faustus's yellow looks, incidentally remarked, with a smile,

"The present list of indulgences contains such insipid, antiquated, and absurd crimes, that it is impossible to turn it to much account. It was composed in stupid and barbarous times; and it is now highly necessary to make a new tariff of sin, for which Rome herself can furnish the most important articles."

The company, hot with wine, and reeking from their abominations, eagerly caught up this sally of female wantonness; and the Pope commanded each one present to propose some particular sin, and to tax it; recommending them, above all, to choose those which were most in vogue, and which would consequently bring in the most wealth.

_Borgia_. Holy father, leave this to the cardinals and prelates; they are better versed in crime than any other people.

Ferrara of Modena sat down to fulfil the office of secretary.

_A Cardinal_. Absolution to each and every priest who commits fornication, let it be with whom it may; with permission to perform all the duties of the Church, and to receive and hold new benefices, provided he pay into the papal treasury nine gold ducats.

_Pope_. Write down nine gold ducats, Bishop; and then let us drink absolution to those priests who shall pay the sum.

Each guest filled his gla.s.s, and exclaimed in chorus, "Absolutio!

dispensatio!"

_A Nun_. Ha; what means all this? Will no one think of us? Holy father, have we alone no claim to your paternal favour? I entreat you to let us be taxed also, in order that we may sin in peace.

_Pope_. Right, my daughter; and you shall not be dealt with more hardly than the priests. Bishop, write down: Absolution for each nun who shall commit carnal sin, be it with whom it may, within or out of the circle of the cloister; with fall capacity of a.s.suming any conventual dignity when called upon so to do: nine ducats.

_Chorus_. Absolutio! dispensatio!

_A Bishop_. Absolution and dispensation to each priest who publicly keeps a mistress: five ducats.

Lucretia then interposed: "Absolution for carnal knowledge, the enormity of which is indicated by fifteen ducats."

Faustus, whom this scene had horribly mortified, on account of the triumph which it afforded the Devil over him, but who, nevertheless, wished to have a hit at Borgia, exclaimed, with a voice of thunder,

"Absolution to any parricide, matricide, or fratricide, for three ducats."

_Pope_. Ho, ho, friend; what are you aiming at now? Will you tax murder lower than fornication?

_Caesar Borgia_. Holy father, he does not wish, by too high a penalty, to deter men from the commission of the crime.

_Devil_. You are well aware, gentlemen, that the poor are incapable of receiving benefit from any of the above-named absolutions and dispensations.

_Chorus_ (_amidst shouts of laughter_). d.a.m.nation to him who has no money!

_Caesar Borgia_. Whoever commits theft, be it sacrilege or not, shall have his soul secured from d.a.m.nation, upon depositing in the papal treasury three parts of what he has stolen.

_Chorus_. Absolution to all thieves, sacrilegious or not, provided they share their booty with the Pope.

_Pope_. Thou hast opened a rich mine, Caesar. Write that down, Bishop.

_Faustus_. Absolution to any one who shall practise magic, or enter into an alliance with the Devil. How high shall I tax that, father?

_Pope_. My son, you will not, by this last article, enrich the papal treasury. The fiend does not understand his own advantage; we call upon him in vain.

_Faustus_. But provided that should so happen, how high, I repeat?

_Pope_. For rarity's sake, one hundred ducats.

_Faustus_. Here they are; and now write me out an absolution, that I may be able to shake it in the face of the Devil, provided I ever sell myself to him.

_Chorus_. Absolution to him who shall sell himself to the fiend.

_A Nun_. Most reverend Bishop, since you are writing out the absolution for the magician, be so good as to furnish me with a paper likewise,--you know for what. Here is my rosary; it is worth fifteen ducats; I shall have, therefore, something in bank until another absolution becomes necessary.

Ferrara wrote, and the Pope signed his name beneath.

_Devil_. Does your holiness imagine that Satan will pay any regard to these sc.r.a.ps of paper?

The grand inquisitor s.n.a.t.c.hed his hand out of the bosom of an abbess, and screamed, with stammering tongue:

"I smell heresy! Who is the atheist? who has uttered that blasphemy?"

The Pope pressed his forefinger softly upon the mouth of the Devil, and said, "Cavalier, these are state secrets: handle them not; for if you do, I myself, with all my authority, shall not be able to protect you."

Every male in the a.s.sembly now opened his purse, either from a wish to pay his court to the Pope, or to quiet his conscience. The Bishop had so many applications, that he was soon obliged to call in other secretaries, to a.s.sist him in expediting absolutions. Each applicant took away his particular license, and each sought and found an opportunity of using it during the remainder of the night. Never were sins committed with more quiet minds.

Ferrara of Modena, the next day, caused this tariff to be fairly copied; he then sent it to the press, {249} and caused it to be secretly circulated throughout Christendom.

Caesar Borgia did not forget the promise which he had made to his sister.

Alphonso of Arragon was dispatched on the steps of the Gonfalonier's palace, at the moment he was about to enter, in order to be present at a play to which all the n.o.bility of Rome had been invited, and which represented the victories of the great Caesar, whom Borgia intended henceforward to imitate, if not excel. This latter personage shortly after marched out of Rome with his army; and, within the s.p.a.ce of a few months, the Devil purloined from the Pope's pocket the following letter, which he gave Faustus to read:

"REVEREND FATHER,--

"I kiss the feet of your holiness. Victory and fortune have followed my steps, and I drag them behind my car like slaves. I hope now that Caesar is worthy of his name; for I also can say, _Veni_, _vidi_, _vici_. The Duke of Urbino has fallen into the snare which I laid for him. By virtue of your holiness' letter, I asked him for his artillery to fight your enemies with. Dazzled by the marks of friendship and affection which I showed him, and which flattered his self-love, he sent to me a gentleman with his consent in writing.