The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-08


1t is never too late to ask for rehearing OF
a cause at the bar Of history. and the judg-
ments once recorded that have been set asi 10
since Niobuhrs time. ore beyond numbering
or course. however. an attempt to discredit
and reverse II current verdict OF the so-called
standard historians, must expect to BIO looked
upon at first as paradox. and only when sue
cessful can claim n place among orthodox
opinions. The views set forth By the Rev. Dr.
REUBEN PARSONS in little book entitled
Some Lies aud Errors in History New Era
Office. Notre Dame, Indiana) will seom
to many readers raradoxcal. although even
for them they will have tho charm OF
novelty. In this collection OF essays the nu-
thor. who has manifestly accepted no ass"r-
ton ut second hand. but has gone for himself
to the original authorities, has undertaken the
task Of defending Roderick Borgia. Pope Alex
ander VI. and OF euoCiZing Louis Nj. and
Louis XIII, and his researches have l"d him
to conclusions very different from those conf
monty adopted regarding Bruno and Campo
nella; tho character OF Rehclieu considered
as an ecclesiastic. and the part played in
his career nv Father Joseph. known as
the Grey Cardinal: concerning. also. the ma
ture OF Tasso's Imprisonment; tho pur-
pose OF tho massacre OF st. Bartholomew.
and the identity OF the man with the iron
mask. D.. Parsons also offers somo interest
ing remarks on tho alleged ante-mortem
funeral OF Charles ". on the alleged connec-
ton OF st. Cyril OF Alexandria with tho murder
OF Hypatia. on the divorce OF Napoleon and
Josephine. on the treatment OF Calico by the
Holy See. on tho pretended utterance OF Il
am the State by Louis XIV. and on the rea-
ton to- the Church Of Rome of the Orthodox
Russian and the schismatc Greek churches.
What are the grounds for believing that
Roderick Liancol. commonly known as Rod
erick Borga. who. in 1892. became Pope Alex
ander vi. was n monster OF wick edne That
Is the question which Dr. Parsons examines in
his first essay 1t is pointed out that the wit
nssses against tho Character Of this Pontif are
untrustworthy. They are Burkhard. master
OF ceremonies in the court OF Alexander VI:
GuicciardIni. the Florentine historian: Paul
Jovius. and Tomaso TomnsI. whose evidence
is supposed to lie corroborated by the So
called Relation. a narrative imputed to Paolo
Cnpelo. the Venetian Ambassador to Rome
from april. l4D9. to September. 1900. DR..
Parsons takes up these authorities in turn and
scrutinzes their claims to credit. lio denies
that master o. ceremonies. although posi-
bly, u great dignitary in the Dyes OF lackeys on
the staircase. or in the estimation OF dawdlsrs
in tho ante-ch m bcr. Is In n position to acquire
knowledge OF court secrets. BE that rs 1t may
the retensions OF DurAhard's diary toauthcn-
ITCHY arc very questionable. 1t was scarcely
heard OF until two centuries after tho date
when 1t purpor.s 10 have been composed, and
not only do the manuscripts differ from one
another. but one OF them tho fullest. ends r
year after the alleged authors DEATH As
for the statement mnde by Gregorovius. who
.nil cd th.A nj law pHnr In "A
book published as late rs 1876. that Burk-
hard novcr repeats mere rumors. DIR. Parsons
shows that this is quito unfounded. There is
scarcely n page OF the so.called diary on which
wo do not read. iii I remember Alright" or
III tho truth has been told me- or lit is
said" As for GuiccIardnl. We are reminded
that even the skepticnl Baylo said that he
mari.ed hatred because Of his partinIty. that
Votairo regarded him as mendacious. and
that his own conscience caused him. when
asked on his dcatnbed what dsposi-
ton should he made OF his history.
then still in manuscript, to reply. Burn
it." Capengue pronounces Guiccinrdini AN
imprisoned colorist who always brenthes
hatred Of tho Pope" AMI Canth said OF him:
" He regards the SUCCESS. not the justice OF II
cause He not only examines and Judges the
l'ontiffs us he does other rulers. hut he always
hnds thcm in the wrong The truth is that
this historian was devoted to the Colonna and
Orsini families md was also partisan OF
Savonarola. Naturally. therefore, he was . foe
TO the Eorgias The authority OF Paul Jovius
is Of less value than that OF Guicciardini.
ReproSnd ono day for having narrated
falsely. he reioined. mo matter. three hun
drcd years hence it will be true"
Canth calls Jovius the Lying gazetteer OF the
epoch" and Vossius said that "for money
Jovius would furnish posterity with good
for any child OF earth. but lie
would calumnlate all who did not pay for his
services" Az for Tomaso Tomasi, Il is deemed
enough to say that his IS Life OF CRsar BorGia"
was written with two objects: one was the ia
vor Of princess OF tine Rovere family. whose
good will the author thought to secure by de-
flaming the Pontiff whom her brother had
the other was to exhibit in Caesar
n typo Of monstroslty which would exceed the
efforts Of the most rampant imagination. We
come lastly to the so-called Relation" OF Paolo
Capelo which has been supposed to confirm
the Testimony against Alexander VI. collected
from other SOURCES But this narrative. as