Borgia

An apartment of the Vatican: at the further end the door of the Treasury by which the Lord Cardinal Casanova is seated.

The Lord Alexander VI. and an Envoy from Naples.

The Pope is seated; from time to time he plunges his hands into a coffer of pearls, letting the pearls stream through his fingers.

[The treasurer unfolds the door and discovers Donna Giulia Farnese and Donna Lucrezia Borgia in Neapolitan dressing-gowns of white silk, their golden hair untressed, choosing jewels for their nets.

A Room in the Lord Cesare Borgia’s Palace of Borgo Sant’Angelo.

Messer Bernardino Betti (Pintoricchio) and Messer Ercole are waiting to deliver a ceremonial sword.

The Vatican: a room overlooking the Tiber. It is twilight.

Don Joffré Borgia and Donna Sancia d’Aragon, who is weeping, look out from a distant window; near at hand the Lord Cardinals Francesco Borgia and Bartolomeo of Segovia are also looking out.

The Lord Alexander VI. is pacing backward and forward.

[He begins to pace again, his arm in Cardinal Segovia’s.

[Adriana makes a gesture of appeal: Alexander waves his hand wrathfully. As the women go out, an usher meets them, closely followed by Madonna de’ Catanei.

[The usher speaks to Lucrezia. Lucrezia puts her arms round her mother’s neck.

[Vanozza, holding Lucrezia’s hand, is conducted to the Pope. She falls at his feet: he raises her.

[Poto supports the Pope to where the waterman Giorgio stands with an Inquisitor at the further end of the room.

A room in the Lord Cardinal Cesare Borgia’s Palace of Borgo Sant’ Angelo.

It is dead midnight: lights are burning. Lord Cardinal Cesare, in the black satin dress of a Spanish gentleman, with jewelled poignard, reclines on a couch. He appears to be sleeping, except that now and again he slowly rolls from hand to hand a gold ball of perfumes. His Spanish page Juanito Grasica is asleep. Behind the couch, across a table, the great ceremonial sword lies naked, and near it is a new purchase, the sleeping Cupid with broken foot of Messer Buonarotti.

Donna Lucrezia Borgia enters with Donna Adriana Orsini, whose hand she clasps: she looses it, and, after a moment’s pause, comes to her brother.

The Pope’s Bedroom in the Borgia Apartments at the Vatican.

The Lord Alexander VI. is extended asleep on the bed.

The Lord Cardinal Bartolomeo of Segovia and Monsignore Gaspare Poto.

The Vatican; Sala dei Pontifici.

The Lord Alexander VI. is enthroned. The Lord Cardinal Cesare Borgia stands before him, defiant.

Rome: the Piazza Navona.

In the centre an antique statue stands, half-excavated, dressed up and painted to represent Proteus as an old man, one of his arms being turned into a dragon, one into a bull. This is the statue called Pasquino, and it flutters with epigrams and satires. To the left the door and steps of the Church of San Giacomo. To the right some houses: behind Pasquino, the Orsini Palace.

It is early—the market-people are beginning to arrive.

The Lord Cardinal Cesare Borgia, in the caftan and turban of a Turk, comes out of one of the houses with the Turkish Prince Djem. He stands and looks round from the centre of the Piazza, near Pasquino, and close to the adjacent stone-seat belonging to the old Stadium of Domitian.

Enter the Lord Cardinal Ippolito d’Este and Princess Sancia of Squillace. Cesare lightly greets the Princess, but bows profoundly to the Cardinal.

[The Notary turns and reads to the people behind Pasquino. Laughter and murmurs. The market begins. Cesare and Sancia come out together from the church. Djem lingers in the porch, which gradually fills with people from inside the church.

[To Djem, pointing to the sellers of melons, peaches, grapes, and almonds, who clamour round.

[Donna Lucrezia Borgia d’Aragon, with Donna Vanozza de’ Catanei, comes up the church-steps from the back. They are in mourning. The Spanish Gentlemen of Cesare’s train approach. Instinctively Lucrezia lets her veil fall aside. Groups stand round her, admiringly.

[They bow. As Lucrezia turns from her mother the Spaniards engage her in talk. Cesare stands a little aloof, his eyes on his mother.

[They plunge down into the market-place; the people gather and follow them like a train.

A secret Consistory. The Lord Alexander VI. surrounded by his Cardinals in their purple. Don Garcilaso de la Vega, Spanish Ambassador, and other Ambassadors.

The Lord Cardinal Cesare Borgia is in the midst of an appeal to the Cardinals. The Pope is watching him, breathless.

[There is low discussion for a space. Don Garcilaso’s voice is heard—“Bought; I protest, I will protest till death.” Cardinal Segovia advances.

[The Cardinals and Ambassadors press round Cesare to congratulate; he smiles and bows. Then they break into groups and disperse.

[He turns towards the Pope, who, unnoticed, has remained sitting on his throne, his hands stretched on his knees. Cesare steals quietly to his father.

A room in the Palace of Santa Maria in Porticu belonging to Donna Lucrezia Borgia d’Aragon. Donna Lucrezia sits at the head of a couch; Duke Cesare de Valentinois lies along it. They are both dressed in white satin, embroidered with gold and pearls.

[Springing up, he lightly takes her hand, and, looking into each other’s eyes, they dance a slow measure.

The French Court at Chinon.

King Louis XII. and the Lord Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere (afterwards Pope Julius II.)

[Cesare kisses her hand and leads her to a couch, sitting by her.

[They withdraw, leaving Cesare and Charlotte d’Albret together. Cesare remains passive: he holds a golden ball of perfume, snuffs, and plays with it.

A Hall of the Vatican with a Loggia at the back overlooking the Via just opened to Sant’ Angelo, that is seen in the distance dressed with flags.

In the Loggia several Cardinals, the Lords Francesco Borgia, Bartolomeo of Segovia, Giovanni Michele, Gianstefano Ferreri and Giambattista Orsini.

In the Hall are Donna Adriana Orsini, Donna Lucrezia Borgia d’Aragon, Donna Sancia Borgia, Donna Giulia Farnese and Don Alfonso, Prince Duke of Bisceglia.

[The Lord Alexander VI. enters with Don Joffré Borgia. They rise and do him reverence. Lucrezia at once goes up to him.

[The Pope sinks down exhausted in his chair and closes his eyes.

[The door is thrown open, Duke Cesare de Valentinois stands gravely on the threshold and makes a deep reverence. He is presented by Monsignore Burchard and followed by Prince Don Joffré and Prince Don Alfonso, the Generals of his staff, and the accompanying Cardinals and Ambassadors.

[As Cesare bends to kiss the Pope’s foot, Alexander, with a passionate gesture, catches him in his arms.

[Prince Alfonso has come to her and holds her by the hand.

[She drops Alfonso’s hand and goes quickly up to Cesare.

[They rush out to the Guard—a cry down the galleries “The Pope is dead!”

Re-enter the Lord Cardinal Antoniotto Pallavicini and the Papal Guard. The vesper bell begins to ring.

[Cardinal Pallavicini goes out, as Cardinals and Physicians pass in.

The Vatican—a Loggia. Don Alfonso and Donna Lucrezia Borgia d’Aragon are seated together. There are peaches on a golden dish by them, a golden wine-jug and goblet. Two quails and a peacock sun themselves on the ground. A monkey plays with the ribbons of the Duchess’s dress; she wears white, with a green and gold veil twisted in her long hair.

An apartment next to the Borgia Tower, which is reached by a passage on which the door gives. Don Michelotto Corella stands in the centre, the door being open. Suddenly Duke Cesare de Valentinois della Romagna comes to him in a blaze of passion.

[Re-enter Michelotto. Cesare opens his hands for the dagger and cord.

[He thrusts the door wide open into the passage and hides behind it.

Duke Cesare re-enters, his right arm round Donna Lucrezia Borgia d’Aragon, while his left hand grips Donna Sancia Borgia, Princess of Squillace. The door is fastened behind them by Michelotto.

[Lucrezia, who has been looking up into Cesare’s face, falls into a swoon.

Donna Angela Borgia and Donna Catilena de Valence rush in, pressing the bolt aside: there is blood on the skirt of one of them. Awed by Cesare’s aspect, they remain without speaking. Sancia springs through the open door with a cry.

The Stanze, Duke Cesare de Valentinois della Romagna’s new apartments in the Vatican.

The Lord Alexander VI. has penetrated into them and looks round.

[Laughing as a two-year-old child crawls up to him from a tapestry.

[The Pope sits down and sighs twice or thrice heavily, drumming with his fingers on the table: then he catches sight of a design for Cesare’s new scutcheon. He speaks in gasps.

Enter Donna Fiammetta: she is a tall, perfectly fair young creature, of great dignity. She kneels.

[The Child cries. Fiammetta, looking for consent to the Pope, lifts the little Prince in her arms.

Cesare enters hurriedly and is already some distance in the room, when he sees the Pope, Fiammetta and the Child. He stops dead, and remains immovable. Under his eyes Fiammetta puts the Child down and goes out. The Child watches the Pope and Cesare round-eyed, then creeps to the curtains and plays with the heavy tassels. The Pope stands, with wrinkled forehead, uneasy.

[Cesare remains immovable, muttering oaths between his teeth.

[Alexander covers his face. A strange sound, half-moan, half-sob, breaks from him. There is long silence; then the Pope looks at Cesare with a pale, aged face.

[He catches up the child, tosses it, and tumbles it on a couch against a large piombo cat.

Suor Lucia in a cave beneath the heights of Nepi. She is dressed as a penitent: before her is a crucifix.

[Donna Lucrezia Borgia d’Aragon enters and bows low before her. She rises and makes salutation.

[As kneeling, Lucrezia rests her head against Suor Lucia, a profound peace settles on her, and she falls asleep.

A room in the Castle of Nepi.

In front is a fireplace, flanked by two chests bearing the monograms of Don Alfonso and Donna Lucrezia. To the right is a narrow window beaten with rain. To the left, in a dark corner of the apartment, Donna Lucrezia’s Secretary Messer Cristofero stands by his desk before a pile of papers and documents. Don Federico Altieri, a young Roman gentleman of the Princess’s escort, leans against the desk.

[Cristofero begins to write; Lucrezia looks from the window.

[Hieronyma is taking the sleepy child away; Lucrezia motions it is to remain.

[Cristofero goes out; Hieronyma draws back; Lucrezia lays Rodrigo to sleep on a cushion and remains by him.

Enter Duke Cesare de Valentinois della Romagna. He is dressed in black, rain-streaked velvet, and a coat of fine mail; his belt and sword are gold; from the black beretta in his hand a white, rain-drenched feather sweeps to the ground. He is followed by Don Michelotto Corella, Monsignore Gaspare Torella, Messer Agapito de Amalia and the Cavaliere Vincenzo Calmeta.

[Lucrezia lifts her eyes and salutes his Captains and trains.

[She shudders as Cesare kisses the child and gives it to her.