The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-08
THE sum, SUNDAY. NAY g, 1892.

W. ~ = v - = y
DR.. Parsons shows, was writton not By Capelo,
but by the Venetian chroncler. Marino sanuto.
who. without knowing anything at FIRST hand
| OF what happened in Rome. undertook to I'LL
| the hiatuses in tho reports Of the Venetian
Ambassadors between 14DG and 1888 He was
an excessively credulous man. accepting. for
| instance. the fabulous story OF the HIDING oil
| the Pope-Ass in the Tiber. and his assertions
must therefore be received with caution.
| 1t is certainly difficult TO reconcile the pom
ular conception Of the character OF Roderick
Borgia with the undisputed facts OF his life.
These are set forth by Dr. Parsons. but ut the
outset it Is admitted that one fault Roderick
BorEia had n fault. that is to say. In Pope.
though it would not DO fault In layman.
He was nassionately fond OF tho children, four
| sons and daughter. who arc generally sup
posed t. huvo been born to him. but before lie
received holy orders. Neither is IL denied that
| to agGrnndiae his family he made too much
use OF his son Caesar. and thus In the eyes
Of posterity. exposcl himself to sharing
tho odium OF that sons crimes. The
| story current till recently with regard to
tho children was this: That Roderck.
while still following the profession OF
arms. fell In love with a girl who Is gener-
ally known as Nanozza Tomasi says that
Eoderick regarded her rs his legitimate wife.
but IL any marriage took place. which seems
probable froni the fact of her being identified
with u Princess Tnrnesc. one OF a family not
likely to brook ali insult. even from Borgia
1t was certainly kept secret Such was the
story that used to he believed. but In
1880 IN exhaustive work was published
ut Bologna. by Iconctti. which under
took to demonstrate that CTsar. Lucretia. and
tho other children were not tho offspring OF
Cardinal Roderck liorgia. but either OF some
Borca especially loved 10y him. or o! brother
who remained IN Srain. or Of II son OF his
brother who had held high Office IN Rome.
When their father had iel and Vanozza had
remarked. these children were cared for
by Rodcri"k. Lconrtti's book was highly
commended by Loo MIL. and his ar=u-
monts SOON 10 DR.. Parsons irre!ua-
bic. It Is pointed out that tho only
plausible contradiction o!fered-that nut
forward in tho Rer,te DIES Eiudes U,S1oriQues for
April 1891, was trumphantlY rebutted three
months later IN the Gn'res Much stress is
naturally laid upon the fact That no proof can
DO given that Nanozza ever appeared In Romo
during Rodcricks career there. whether us
Cardinal or rs Pope.
1t is equally hard to reconcile the ira
Nlliouhl Luch VI NlsNunueT VI. Will Way SheNCu
Of his liic traced by Dr. Parsons in conformity
with undispue, facts. Roylcrick Llancol was
born on JAN !. 1881. at Xativa, in the province
OF Valencia. in Spain. 1t was not until his
materna! uncle. Alfonso Borgia. was elevated
to the Paracy under the name OF Ca'iXtus III.
in 1850. that tho LlauGol family assumed the
name and arms Of the sorgias. By which they
are known in history. From his youth Roder-
lex was conspi uous for talent, and the first
profession chosen for him WIS that OF
the bar. but lie soon left 1t for tho
career of arms Called to Rome by his uncle.
and hnTing cvnccd great aptitude for tho
business OF n court. Roderick accepted offers
OF clerical preferment. and was made in rapid
succession Commendatory Archbishop Of Va
lencia. Cardinal Deacon. and Vice Chancellor
Of the Roman Church. As to his conduct at
this period. n contemporary testifes that his
fellow Cardinals were much pleased to have
anon: theri ono who surpassed all In an
abundance o. gifts and Duvolai. although a
writer most hostile to Alexander VI. admits
that during his long Cardinalate OF thirty-nve
years Roderick never caused any public scan
dal Tho manners of Roderick arc said to
have been strangely fascinating. and even
Guicciardini ascribcs TO him rare powers OF
penetration. great tact. and diplomatic talent
James OF Voltcrra and Potter Martyr Of
1IHkblctts Hi'IouSu euSJ WASSc nv pAoi vi
Roderck recognize in him capacious genius
and profundity of thought EGidius Of Viterbo
describes his cloQuence rs natural and ire
sistible. his activity as indcfntigable. and his
sobriety as exemplary. Tomasi. u hostile wit
ness. acknowledges that whoever observed
the Cardinal could see that his mind marked
him for empire.
It was not until 1916 that Roderlck having
been appointed Cardinal Bishop Of Albano re-
ceived holy orders. He had been Cardinal
nearly twenty years. but tho reader Is warned
by DIR. Parsons that i! he imnGines the chill
dren said to have been born to Roderck
before this date there was no child
born nftcc it, to have been necessarily
sacrilegious. he is deceived by tho title
Of Cardinal which tho Pope now con-
fers. in accordance with the present dis
ciplinc of the Church, only upon persons
in at least deacon's orders. In Roderick's
day. and for some time afterward. the ae-
QUESTION OF the red hat did not always
presupposo sacred orders: Mazarin and many
other Cardinals never received them. Neither
did the Archbishopric Of Valencia. conferred on
Roderic! in his youth entail upon him the
necessity Of takiu. orders His pre!acy was
merely "commenGatory." TINT is. he enjoyed
episcopal functions.
1t has been maintained that tho Conclavs OF
1902. which unanimously elected ltOGerick
BorGia Pope under the name Of Alexander VI.
was tainted with smony. Tho charge rests
on the rumors. insinuations. and hypothesis
recorded by Burkharl Infessura. and
Manircdo Manfredi. Tho ilye cardinals
who according to Burkhard denounced
the alleged simony. all voted for Borgia
lnfcssura reports that lit is said" that
in order to secure the votes OF Ascano
Storza and his friends. RodericS sent dur
ing tho Conclavo four mules laden with
treasure to Sforsn's palace. critic Of
this passage quoted b. Dr. Parsons. re-
marks that it is strange that the lndiscre-
ton which is said to have revealed this
transaction did not betrny It to tho brgands
who were lust then in possession Of the strcets