THE EVE OF THE WEDDING
Lucretia was impatient to leave Rome, which, she remarked to the
ambassador of Ferrara, seemed to her like a prison; the duke himself was
no less anxious to conclude the transaction. The preparation of the new
bull of investiture, however, was delayed, and the cession of Cento and
Pievi could not be effected without the consent of Cardinal Giuliano
della Rovere, Archbishop of Bologna, who was then living in France.
Ercole, therefore, postponed despatching the bridal escort, although the
approach of winter would make the journey, which was severe at any time,
all the more difficult. Whenever Lucretia saw the Ferrarese ambassadors
she asked them how soon the escort would come to fetch her. She herself
endeavored to remove all obstacles. Although the cardinals trembled
before the Pope and Cæsar, they were reluctant to sign a bull which
would lose Ferrara's tribute to the Church. They were bitterly opposed
to allowing the descendants of Alfonso and Lucretia, without limitation,
to profit by a remission of the annual payment; they would suffer this
privilege to be enjoyed for three generations at most. The duke
addressed urgent letters to the cardinal and to Lucretia, who finally,
in October, succeeded in arranging matters, thereby winning high praise
from her father-in-law. During the first half of October she and the
duke kept up a lively correspondence, which shows that their mutual
confidence was increasing. It was plain that Ercole was beginning to
look upon the unequal match with less displeasure, as he discovered that
his daughter-in-law possessed greater sense than he had supposed. Her
letters to him were filled with flattery, especially one she wrote when
she heard he was sick, and Ercole thanked her for having written it with
her own hand, which he regarded as special proof of her affection.[117]
The ambassadors reported to him as follows: "When we informed the
illustrious Duchess of your Excellency's illness, her Majesty displayed
the greatest concern. She turned pale and stood for a moment bowed in
thought. She regretted that she was not in Ferrara to take care of you
herself. When the walls of the Vatican salon tumbled in, she nursed his
Holiness for two weeks without resting, as the Pope would allow no one
else to do anything for him."[118]
Well might the illness of Lucretia's father-in-law frighten her. His
death would have delayed, if not absolutely prevented, her marriage with
Alfonso; for up to the present time she had no proof that her
prospective husband's opposition had been overcome.
There are no letters written by either to the other at this time--a
silence which is, to say the least, singular. Still more disturbing to
Lucretia must have been the thought that her father himself might die,
for his death would certainly set aside her betrothal to Alfonso.
Shortly after Ercole's illness Alexander fell sick. He had caught cold
and lost a tooth. To prevent exaggerated reports reaching Ferrara, he
had the duke's envoy summoned, and directed him to write his master that
his indisposition was insignificant. "If the duke were here," said the
Pope, "I would--even if my face is tied up--invite him to go and hunt
wild boars." The ambassador remarked in his despatch that the Pope, if
he valued his health, had better change his habits, and not leave the
palace before daybreak, and had better return before nightfall.[119]
Ercole and the Pope received congratulations from all sides. Cardinals
and ambassadors in their letters proclaimed Lucretia's beauty and
graciousness. The Spanish envoy in Rome praised her in extravagant
terms, and Ercole thanked him for his testimony regarding the virtues of
his daughter-in-law.[120]
Even the King of France displayed the liveliest pleasure at the event,
which, he now discovered, would redound greatly to Ferrara's advantage.
The Pope, beaming with joy, read the congratulations of the monarch and
his consort to the consistory. Louis XII even condescended to address a
letter to Madonna Lucretia, at the end of which were two words in his
own hand. Alexander was so delighted thereby that he sent a copy of it
to Ferrara. The court of Maximilian was the only one from which no
congratulations were received. The emperor exhibited such displeasure
that Ercole was worried, as the following letter to his
plenipotentiaries in Rome shows:
THE DUKE OF FERRARA, ETC.
OUR WELL-LOVED: We have given his Holiness, our Lord, no
further information regarding the attitude of the illustrious
Emperor of the Romans towards him since Messer Michele Remolines
departed from here, for we had nothing definite to communicate. We
have, however, been told by a trustworthy person with whom the king
conversed, that his Majesty was greatly displeased, and that he
criticised his Holiness in unmeasured terms on account of the
alliance which we have concluded with him, as he also did in
letters addressed to us before the betrothal, in which he advised
us not to enter into it, as you will learn from the copies of his
letters which we send you with this. They were shown and read to
his Holiness's ambassador here. Although, so far as we ourselves
are concerned, we did not attach much importance to his Majesty's
attitude, as we followed the dictates of reason, and are daily
becoming more convinced that it will prove advantageous for us; it
nevertheless appears proper, in view of our relations with his
Holiness, that he should be informed of our position.
You will, therefore, tell him everything, and also let him see the
copies, if you think best, but you must say to him in our name that
he is not to ascribe their authorship to us, and that we have not
sent you these copies because of any special importance that we
attached to them.
FERRARA, _October 3, 1501_.
The duke now allowed nothing to shake his resolution. Early in October
he selected the escort whose departure from Ferrara, he frankly stated,
would depend upon the progress of his negotiations with the Pope. The
constitution of the bridal trains, both Roman and Ferrarese, was an
important question, and is referred to in one of Gerardo's despatches.
ILLUSTRIOUS SIR, ETC.: To-day at six o'clock Hector and I
were alone with the Pope, having your letters of the twenty-sixth
ultimo and of the first of the present month, and also a list of
those who are to compose the escort. His Holiness was greatly
pleased, the various persons being people of wealth and standing,
as he could readily see, the rank and position of each being
clearly indicated. I have learned from the best of sources that
your Excellency has exceeded all the Pope's expectations. After we
had conversed a while with his Holiness, the illustrious Duke of
Romagna and Cardinal Orsini were summoned. There were also present
Monsignor Elna, Monsignor Troche, and Messer Adriano. The Pope had
the list read a second time, and again it was praised, especially
by the duke, who said he was acquainted with several of the persons
named. He kept the list, thanking me warmly when I gave it to him
again, for he had returned it to me.
We endeavored to get the list of those who are to come with the
illustrious Duchess, but it has not yet been prepared. His Holiness
said that there would not be many women among the number, as the
ladies of Rome were not skilful horsewomen.[121] Hitherto the
Duchess has had five or six young ladies at her court--four very
young girls and three married women--who will remain with her
Majesty. She has, however, been advised not to bring them, as many
of the great ladies in Ferrara will offer her their services. She
has also a certain Madonna Girolama, Cardinal Borgia's sister, who
is married to one of the Orsini. She and three of her women will
accompany her. These are the only ladies of honor she has hitherto
had. I have heard that she will endeavor to find others in Naples,
but it is believed that she will be able to secure only a few, and
that these will merely accompany her. The Duchess of Urbino has
announced that she expects to come with a mounted escort of fifty
persons. So far as the men are concerned, his Holiness said that
there would not be many, as there were no Roman noblemen except the
Orsini, and they generally were away from the city. Still, he hoped
to be able to find sufficient, provided the Duke of Romagna did not
take the field, there being a large number of nobles among his
followers. His Holiness said that he had plenty of priests and
scholars to send, but not such persons as were fit for a mission of
this sort. However, the retinue furnished by your Majesty will
serve for both, especially as--according to his Holiness--it is
better for the more numerous escort to be sent by the groom, and
for the bride to come accompanied by a smaller number. Still I do
not think her suite will number less than two hundred persons. The
Pope is in doubt what route her Majesty will travel. He thinks she
ought to go by way of Bologna, and he says that the Florentines
likewise have invited her. Although his Holiness has reached no
decision, the Duchess has informed us that she would journey
through the Marches, and the Pope has just concluded that she might
do so. Perhaps he desires her to pass through the estates of the
Duke of Romagna on her way to Bologna.
Regarding your Majesty's wish that a cardinal accompany the
Duchess, his Holiness said that it did not seem proper to him for a
cardinal to leave Rome with her; but that he had written the
Cardinal of Salerno, the Legate in the Marches, to go to the seat
of the Duke in Romagna and wait there, and accompany the Duchess to
Ferrara to read mass at the wedding. He thought that the cardinal
would do this, unless prevented by sickness, in which case his
Holiness would provide another.
When the Pope discovered, during this conversation, that we had so
far been unable to secure an audience with the illustrious Duke, he
showed great annoyance, declaring it was a mistake which could only
injure his Majesty, and he added that the ambassadors of Rimini had
been here two months without succeeding in speaking with him, as he
was in the habit of turning day into night and night into day. He
severely criticized his son's mode of living. On the other hand, he
commended the illustrious Duchess, saying that she was always
gracious, and granted audiences readily, and that whenever there
was need she knew how to cajole. He lauded her highly, and stated
that she had ruled Spoleto to the satisfaction of everybody, and he
also said that her Majesty always knew how to carry her point--even
with himself, the Pope. I think that his Holiness spoke in this way
more for the purpose of saying good of her (which according to my
opinion she deserved) than to avoid saying anything ill, even if
there were occasion for it. Your Majesty's Ever devoted.
ROME, _October 6th_.
The Pope seldom allowed an opportunity to pass for praising his
daughter's beauty and graciousness. He frequently compared her with the
most famous women of Italy--the Marchioness of Mantua and the Duchess of
Urbino. One day, while conversing with the ambassadors of Ferrara, he
mentioned her age, saying that in October (1502) she would complete her
twenty-second year, while Cæsar would be twenty-six the same month.[122]
The Pope was greatly pleased with the members of the bridal escort, for
they all were either princes of the house of Este or prominent persons
of Ferrara. He also approved the selection of Annibale Bentivoglio, son
of the Lord of Bologna, and said laughingly to the Ferrarese ambassadors
that, even if their master had chosen Turks to come to Rome for the
bride, they would have been welcome.
The Florentines, owing to their fear of Cæsar, sent ambassadors to
Lucretia to ask her to come by way of their city when she went to
Ferrara; the Pope, however, was determined that she should make the
journey through Romagna. According to an oppressive custom of the day,
the people through whose country persons of quality traveled were
required to provide for them, and, in order not to tax Romagna too
heavily, it was decided that the Ferrarese escort should come to Rome by
way of Tuscany. The Republic of Florence firmly refused to entertain the
escort all the time it was in its territory, although it was willing to
care for it while in the city or to make a handsome present.[123]
In the meantime preparations were under way in Ferrara for the wedding
festivities. The Duke invited all the princes who were friendly to him
to be present. He had even thought of the oration which was to be
delivered in Ferrara when Lucretia was given to her husband. During the
Renaissance these orations were regarded as of the greatest importance,
and he was anxious to secure a speaker who could be depended upon to
deliver a masterpiece. Ercole had instructed his ambassadors in Rome to
send him particulars regarding the house of Borgia for the orator to use
in preparing his speech.[124]
The ambassadors scrupulously carried out their instructions, and wrote
their sovereign as follows:
ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE AND MASTER: We have spared no efforts
to learn everything possible regarding the illustrious house of
Borgia, as your Excellency commanded. We made a thorough
investigation, and members of our suite here in Rome, not only the
scholars but also those who we knew were loyal to you, did the
same. Although we finally succeeded in ascertaining that the house
is one of the noblest and most ancient in Spain, we did not
discover that its founders ever did anything very remarkable,
perhaps because life in that country is quiet and uneventful--your
Excellency knows that such is the case in Spain, especially in
Valencia.
Whatever there is worthy of note dates from the time of Calixtus,
and, in fact, the deeds of Calixtus himself are those most worthy
of comment; Platina, however, has given an account of his life,
which, moreover, is well known to everybody. Whoever is to deliver
the oration has ample material, therefore, from which to choose.
We, illustrious Sir, have been able to learn nothing more regarding
this house than what you already know, and this concerns only the
members of the family who have been Popes, and is derived chiefly
from the audience speeches. In case we succeed in finding out
anything more, we shall inform your Excellency, to whom we commend
ourselves in all humility.
ROME, _October 18, 1501_.
When the descendant of the ancient house of Este read this terse
despatch he must have smiled; its candor was so undiplomatic that it
bordered on irony. The doughty ambassadors, however, apparently did not
go to the right sources, for if they had applied to the courtiers who
were intimate with the Borgia--for example, the Porcaro--they would have
obtained a genealogical tree showing a descent from the old kings of
Aragon, if not from Hercules himself.
In the meantime the impatience of the Pope and Lucretia was steadily
increasing, for the departure of the bridal escort was delayed, and the
enemies of the Borgia were already beginning to make merry. The duke
declared that he could not think of sending for Donna Lucretia until the
bull of investiture was in his hands. He complained at the Pope's delay
in fulfilling his promises. He also demanded that the part of the
marriage portion which was to be paid in coin through banking houses in
Venice, Bologna, and other cities be handed over on the bridal escort's
entry into Rome, and threatened in case it was not paid in full to have
his people return to Ferrara without the bride.[125] As it was
impossible for him to bring about the immediate cession of Cento and
Pievi, he asked from the Pope as a pledge that either the bishopric of
Bologna be given his son Ippolito, or that his Holiness furnish a bond.
He also demanded certain benefices for his natural son Don Giulio, and
for his ambassador Gianluca Pozzi. Lucretia succeeded in securing the
bishopric of Reggio for the latter and also a house in Rome for the
Ferrarese envoy.
Another important question was the dowry of jewels which Lucretia was to
receive. During the Renaissance the passion for jewels amounted to a
mania. Ercole sent word to his daughter-in-law that she must not dispose
of her jewels, but must bring them with her; he also said that he
would send her a handsome ornament by the bridal escort, gallantly
adding that, as she herself was a precious jewel, she deserved the most
beautiful gems--even more magnificent ones than he and his own consort
had possessed; it is true he was not so wealthy as the Duke of Savoy,
but, nevertheless, he was in a position to send her jewels no less
beautiful than those given her by the duke.[126]
The relations between Ercole and his daughter-in-law were as friendly as
could be desired, for Lucretia exerted herself to secure the Pope's
consent to his demands. His Holiness, however, was greatly annoyed by
the duke's conduct; he sent urgent requests to him to despatch the
escort to Rome, and assured him that the two castles in Romagna would be
delivered over to him before Lucretia reached Ferrara, but in case she
did arrive there first that everything she asked would be granted--his
love for her was such that he even thought of paying her a visit in
Ferrara in the spring.[127] The Pope suspected, however, that the delay
in sending the bridal escort was due to the machinations of Maximilian.
Even as late as November the emperor had despatched his secretary,
Agostino Semenza, to the duke to warn him not to send the escort to
Rome, adding that he would show his gratitude to Ercole. November 22d
the duke wrote the imperial plenipotentiary a letter in which he stated
that he had immediately sent a courier to his ambassador in Rome; it
would soon be winter, and the time would therefore be unfavorable for
bringing Lucretia; if the Pope was willing, he would postpone the
wedding, but he would not break off with him entirely. His Majesty
should remember that if he did this, the Pope would become his bitterest
enemy, and would persecute him, and might even make war on him. It was,
he stated, for the express purpose of avoiding this that he had
consented to enter into an alliance with his Holiness. He, therefore,
hoped that his Majesty would not expose him to this danger, but that,
with his usual justice, he would appreciate his excuses.[128]
At the same time he instructed his ambassadors in Rome to inform the
Pope of the emperor's threats, and to say to him that he was ready to
fulfil his own obligations and also to urge his Holiness to have the
bulls prepared at once, as further delay was dangerous.
Alexander thereupon fell into a rage; he overwhelmed the ambassadors
with reproaches, and called the duke a "tradesman." On December 1st
Ercole announced to the emperor's messenger that he was unable longer to
delay sending the bridal escort, for, if he did, it would mean a rupture
with the Pope. The same day he wrote to his ambassadors in Rome and
complained of the use of the epithet "tradesman," which the Pope had
applied to him.[129] He, however, reassured his Holiness by informing
him that he had decided to despatch the bridal escort from Ferrara the
ninth or tenth of December.[130]
[Illustration: ERCOLE D'ESTE, DUKE OF FERRARA.]
FOOTNOTES:
[117] Lucretia to Ercole, October 18th; Ercole to Lucretia, October 23d.
[118] Gerardo to Ercole, October 15, 1501.
[119] Ercole to Don Francesco de Roxas, October 24, 1501.
[120] Gerardo Saraceni to Ercole, Rome, October 26, 1501.
[121] Per essere queste romane salvatiche et male apte a cavallo.
[122] Gerardo to Ercole, October 26, 1501.
[123] The orator Manfredo Manfredi to Ercole, Florence, November 22 and
24, 1501.
[124] The duke to his ambassadors in Rome, October 7, 1501.
[125] Ercole to Gerardo Saraceni, November 24, 1501. Other letters of
like import were written by the duke to his plenipotentiaries.
[126] Ercole to Gerardo Saraceni in Rome, October 11, 1501.
[127] Despatch of the Ferrarese ambassadors to Ercole, Rome, October 31,
1501.
[128] Il quale mal effecto volendo nui fugire, seamo condescesi a
contrahere la affinita cum soa Santità. Responsum illmi Dni ducis
Ferrarie D. Augustino Semetie Ces Mtis secretario. Ferrara, November 22,
1501.
[129] Che il procedere del Duca era un procedere da mercatante. Ercole
to Gerardo Saraceni, December 1, 1501.
[130] Ercole to Alexander VI, December 1, 1501.