The Borgias (73 page)

  
10.
“The triumph of France …”:
Alexander’s warning about the consequences of the French invasion are in Woodward,
Cesare Borgia
, p. 71.

  
11.
Also necessary, he noted … :
Cronin,
Florentine Renaissance
, p. 285.

  
12.
Charles, he says, is “young and …”:
Ferrara,
Borgia Pope
, p. 193.

Background: Florence: An Anti-Renaissance

  
1.
He gave early evidence … :
Savonarola’s words are in Cronin,
Florentine Renaissance
, p. 269.

Chapter 13: The French Depart

  
1.
In short order they formed … :
The terms of the Holy League are in Pastor,
History of Popes
, p. 5:467.

  
2.
When a new round of appeals … :
Ibid., p. 5:469.

  
3.
With him went also … :
The extreme estimates are by Gregorovius,
History of Rome
, p. 7:396, who says twenty thousand mules, and by Cronin,
Florentine Renaissance
, p. 287, who says five thousand.

  
4.
Something worse than wailing ladies …
Gregorovius,
History of Rome
, p. 472.

  
5.
The ensuing battle of Fornovo … :
A clear and detailed account of the battle is in Mallett,
Mercenaries
, p. 242.

  
6.
When it was over … :
Prescott,
Princes
, p. 25.

  
7.
The result, hastily arrived at … :
The Peace of Vercelli is in Norwich,
History of Venice
, p. 378.

Background: The Paternity Question: An “Apology”

  
1.
A rare exception is Michael Mallett … :
Mallett’s
Borgias
describes De Roo’s work as a “vast collection” (p. 325) and as a “vast apologist work” coated with “whitewash” (p. 329).

  
2.
He says forthrightly … :
De Roo,
Material
, p. 1: xi.

  
3.
The four young Borgias … :
Ibid., p. 1:132, and Ferrara,
Borgia Pope
, p. 168.

  
4.
Gregorovius, interestingly, says he … :
Gregorovius,
Lucretia Borgia
, p. 13.

  
5.
The author of the present work … :
Genealogical information about the Borgias of Spain is in Imhof,
Genealogie viginti
, pp. 19–28.

  
6.
Various documents supposedly … :
De Roo’s exploration of the forgery question is in
Material
, pp. 1:447–529, and is followed by eighty pages of documents and extracts from documents.

  
7.
De Roo devotes eighty-three pages … :
The statement about a bull of legitimization being the “fabrication of some criminal ignorant of the habits of the Roman Curia” is ibid., p. 1:417.

  
8.
Typical are a 1493 ambassador’s letter … :
De Roo’s extensive discussion of the use of such terms as “son” and “nephew,” “daughter” and “niece” begins ibid., p. 1:420.

  
9.
A Spanish royal brief … :
Ibid., p. 1:197.

Chapter 14: A Shattering Loss

  
1.
One of them would remember … :
Mallett,
Borgias
, p. 145.

  
2.
Ascanio Sforza for one … :
The Sforza cardinal’s clash with Juan Borgia is in Bellonci,
Lucrezia Borgia
, p. 93, and Pastor,
History of Popes
, p. 5:493.

  
3.
“The duke of Gandía is dead …”:
Woodward,
Cesare Borgia
, p. 113.

  
4.
Of the Orsini he said nothing … :
Reasons to suspect the Orsini are in Pastor,
History of Popes
, p. 5:506, and for not suspecting Cesare are in the same work, p. 511; Woodward,
Cesare Borgia
, p. 114; and Mallett,
Borgias
, p. 154.

  
5.
He announced that he was creating … :
The work of Alexander’s reform commission and the lack of result are in De Roo,
Material
, p. 3:171.

  
6.
This was made freshly apparent … :
The arrest of Alexander’s former secretary and confession to forging documents are in Gregorovius,
History of Rome
, p. 7:432.

  
7.
He was now fully formed … :
Paolo Capello’s words are in Bradford,
Lucrezia Borgia
, p. 18.

Background: The Young Ones

  
1.
Everything known about Cesare’s eldest brother … :
Extensive information about the first duke of Gandía is in Ferrara,
Borgia Pope
, p. 166.

  
2.
Cesare, financially independent … :
Cesare’s early life is in Woodward,
Cesare Borgia
, p. 24.

Chapter 15: Valentino

  
1.
For him to submit … :
The quote appears in the detailed account of Alexander’s handling of the Savonarola affair in Pastor,
History of Popes
, p. 6:7.

  
2.
“Oh prostitute Church …”:
Ibid., p. 6:17.

  
3.
On May 12, yielding to demands … :
Pastor,
History of Popes
, p. 6:19.

  
4.
But beyond that, he promised … :
Louis XII’s benefactions are in Woodward,
Cesare Borgia
, p. 132.

  
5.
“Are you aware, monsignor …”:
Pastor,
History of Popes
, p. 6:63.

PART FOUR
:
Cesare
Caesar or Nothing

It is evidence of the stagnation of Borgia scholarship that, a century after its publication, W. H. Woodward’s
Cesare Borgia
remains not only unsurpassed but unchallenged as a source of information on its subject. Yriarte,
Cesare Borgia
, is superior in its treatment of Cesare’s final career in Spain.

Chapter 16: The Landscape Changes

  
1.
“Should I have to perish …”:
Caterina’s words are in Breisach,
Caterina Sforza
, p. 207.

  
2.
Learning of this … :
Mallett,
Borgias
, p. 177.

Chapter 17: Conqueror

  
1.
At a point when … :
Castellini’s description of Lucrezia is in Bellonci,
Lucrezia Borgia
, p. 187.

  
2.
One historian has suggested … :
Whitfield, “New Views,” p. 79.

Chapter 18: “Longing for Greatness and Renown”

  
1.
Cesare is
loved by his soldiers …
:
This translation of Machiavelli’s famous and variously translated words is in Strathern,
Artist, Philosopher
, p. 105.

  
2.
Of the almost preternaturally … :
Gregorovius,
History of Rome
, p. 7:452.

  
3.
The historian Pandolfo Collenuccio … :
Sabatini,
Life of Cesare
, p. 241.

  
4.
In a flash of almost … :
Strathern,
Artist, Philosopher
, p. 90.

  
5.
The two talked all night … :
Bellonci,
Lucrezia Borgia
, p. 241.

  
6.
A retainer of Francesco Gonzaga … :
Strathern,
Artist, Philosopher
, p. 117.

  
7.
“I cannot conceal my fears …”:
Prescott,
Princes
, p. 175.

  
8.
On September 2, in bidding … :
Strathern,
Artist, Philosopher
, p. 119.

  
9.
He helped to hold her down … :
Gregorovius,
Lucretia Borgia
, p. 282.

Background: Superstitions: Another Side of the Renaissance

  
1.
We want to think of it … :
Purcell,
Great Captain
, p. 183.

  
2.
The Gian Galeazzo Visconti … :
The examples are all from Prescott’s
Lords
: Gian Galeazzo Visconti on p. 322, Ludovico Sforza on p. 146, and the complaint about the latter on p. 208.

Chapter 21: Alone

  
1.
As a priest at the Vatican … :
Bellonci,
Lucrezia Borgia
, p. 261.

  
2.
The Florentine authorities … :
Villari,
Machiavelli
, p. 357.

  
3.
“He spoke with words full of poison …”:
Strathern,
Artist, Philosopher
, p. 289.

  
4.
The duke had a plan … :
The size of Cesare’s remaining military forces is in Villari,
Machiavelli
, p. 361.