New-York tribune., 1875-03-10
Of the creations vrrvur-s
THE DRAMA.
RIsToRI AS LUCREztA BoPcciA

that artnors ara hound 10 respect Shall women IA
nous for beauty aud virtue be handed down to pos
eerty as criminals merely because drsmasts wish pegs
, on which to bang their genusi l ask these
ouesons Mr. lor, because Luerezia Borgia has been
several hundred years and consequently cannot
defend herself Never woman vllfed as she has
by Victor Hugo in the drama well known In
English, and tonight produced by Risori for the first
time in the United States. Victor Hugo calls Lucrezia
Borga q" aend in angels form !" he makes declare
OF herself that her very excites wherever
heard; she has many lovers. Is "cursed OF and
spurned by heaven" " she stabs, sranges, pOisons be-
heads at will, and murders her third husbandl sho
golden ducat with the effgy OF Satan !" She exacts
from her husband promise TO kill the who has in
suited the OF BOrga and altogether is the most
horrible specimen OF womanhoOd that existed out
OF poets imagination. But, Mr.. Editor.
80 powerful is tho effect Of repetition that having seen
Lucrezia Borga aud poison the stage, having
heard prime doune in Donzet's popular opera taunt
the richly clad baritone don Alfonso. mio quarto
rnaritO' don Alfonso, my fourth husbandl though
there would be fifth euro sposo next day for dinner
people actually believe that the Lucrcza Borgia OF the
theaer the Lucrezla Borga OF history MI Editor,
rise to explain.
II Victor Hugo were not poet. he might be called
liar Being a poet, his Tyre is spelled differently Lu
erezia Boreia was an honor her in when
ucentousness universal and the code OF morals su
hciently lax to crafty the most vicious Before arriv
ing at maturity, Lucrezia was betrothed to Spanish
father, then Alexander vi, dissolved the en-
gagement and married her 20 Giovanni Sforza
whom she lived unhapplly for four years. and then
left him. year later l4ss Pope Alexander united Lu
.creza Alfonso, Duke of Bisagia. natural son OF
Alfonso H. OF Naples. Lucreza's second husband
was assassinatcd the Of st. Peters Church by
unknown Overcome with grief, the young widow
retired 10 Nopi for time, but such faith had
Alexander vi. in her ability that, according to
Burchard. the Grevie Of those days. whenever the
Pope absent from Rome he Intrused her with the
management OF public afJirs. Ia December 15Cl,
Luerezia married for the third and last time Be
coming wife of Alfonso Of Este, OF ErcOe Duke
Of Ferrara, she made a splendid entry into
Ferrars in February. 1902. and was the center
or family distinguished for high culture
and higher virtue. Her court became famous for its
brilancy aud her patonc friendship for Petro Benz
DO IS historic Bembo speaks of her princess who
was more desirous Of ornamenting her mind with ex-
.eeDt eDdOwments than her person with the decora-
lions applying all her leisure hours to reading
DR. cornposition, TO the that she might snrpass
sther women as much In the charms
Of her understanding as she already dd
in those Of external beauty and that she might DO better
sa fed with her applause than with that however
infinite the Of the world Lbanori pr0nounced
her most beautiful princess endowed with every
estimable quality OF mind and with the highest
-polish of understanding She esteemed as
the delight the time and the treasure
of the age" In 1893, Cavceo dedi-
Gated Il PcreerIno 90 Lucrezl, homage to her ex-
ceence Aroso declared that she rivaed in the deco
rum OF her manners well the beauty of her per-
son. all that former could boast and In the forty
second look or his great poem be asserts that Rome
ought prefer the modern Lucreta u the Lucretia of
antquiiy as well in mOdesty as in beauty
Loving letters, Lncrezia Borga offered not only to
assist but to defray the expenses OF publishing the
works OF Tito and Egcoe suazZO when the celebrated
printer. Aldo Manuzio, brought them out In the
prefix this edition, Manuzo addresses his generous
patron thus: "Your chief desire you have your
self so nobIy asserted is stand approved Of God
and 20 be useful not only 10 the present
age to future times; so that when
Won quit this life, you may leave behind you monu-
nent that you lived van" Such is the Ian
cuage OF those best knew Lucreza The mother on
three sons uueTnended their education, and her
husband reposcd much cOphience in her that when
I'm the field he gave her the rens OF government For
twenty years Lucreza the life OF FeTrAa' her Ia't
years being rigdly devoted 10 charity.
And this IL tie woman Victor Hugo has made infa-
mousl He alone however Is not blame H. is indebted
10 Gucciardini for his Inspiration Itw was rumored
wrote Guiccardin that not only the two brothers but
even the father the love Of Lncrezia"
And whence this rumor From The Writings Oh
Neapolitau poets VINO exasperated against Alex
ander VI taking active part In the expulsion OF
the House OF Aragonl Fine authority surely to con-
front with the record OF Lucrezi4s twenty years OF
happy married life. with the printed verdcts OF the
first poets md literary men Of the day! Don Alfonso
- mot likely TO have married q woman who would have
brought dishonor on bis unsullied name There were
Borgias and Borgas and it is time Mr E E1itor, that
the public distinguished between the vice Of Cesar and
the virtue VI his clever, beautiful sister
Dsikng character OF Lucrezia b0rga a. depicted
bv Victor Hugo Madame Rstor for years persstently
refused 10 portray it; as however constant dripping
wears away a stone, constant appeal will overcome
the most determined and when not many rcntns ago,
Paoo Ferrar distinguished Professor OF the UnVer'
slty OF Pagia. insisted upon translatlng Hugo's
drama into Italian Rstor yielded for after all Lucreza
Borga IN spite horror and its Inconsistency, is
immeoseiy effective. And she did well TO yield, for
tonight we have the great Italian IN purely
Italian character which gives US new phases OF her
,en,us Making passionate maternal love the pivot
upon which 10 revolve Rlstori is intensely mother
IN the first act She her son, GennarO,
and longs TO redeem the past. 1.-TWO angels
strurgle for supremacy within good the other
evil. but I believe that finally the good will conquer"
The appesl TO her sweetly tender, and the read
ing OF the which he hands her as coming from his
unknown mother is exqusitely shaded Rstorrs voice
sounds the entire gamut OF her love. Five minutes
later. surrounded by Gcnnaros friends, who.
having identified her, taunt her with past
crimes, Rsions agonizing pantomime Is fully
equal 70 her best moments in roles already
known To be degraded before her son IS more than
she can bear and her efforts TO silence her enemies
rushing the other with the frenzy OF des-
perate animal only sink at last beneath the weight
OF universal anathema are points Of marvellous excel
Ience. Thrice RstOr called before the curtain.
the second part OF Act First Rstor has nothing TO
forth her but Act Second she is every inch
her self Her at having been publicly insnlted
Is colossal and her demand for satisfaction from the
Duke, her husband, is worthy OF Borgia. But what
transition upon discovering cuprt Is Gennaro,
who stands before her! "LG! luiw' He!