The record-union., 1897-07-31

the Empire seem to have returned, even
to the amusements of the Amphithea-
ter, where Caesar, whose tastes are
those of a Spaniard, despatched six
bulls successfully, Severing the head Of
one from his shoulders at stroke. The
Pope looks on hopelessly at this Frank
enstein of his own creation. He loves
and hugely fears his SON." And the
Venetian adds that Caesar had pur-
suded his fathers favorite secretary to
his arms, and there butchered him, the
Pope's robes being saturated with the
gushing blood.
"On the morning of August u. 1903,
Pope Alexander fell i'll. So did Caesar
Borgia. Every one knows the story Of
the supper given to the ten Cardinals
in the villa and the fatal change of the
poisoned cups. This picturesque tale
is almost certainly a fiction. An at
tempt to destroy ten Cardinals at once
is incOnceivable. 1t would be easier
to believe Cardinal Castellesi's asser-
tion that he was to have been the vic
tim, as his sickness at the time is con-
firmed from an Independent source. But
his character does not stand high, and
the symptoms of his disorder as de-
scribed by himself differ totally from
Alexanders, which Were those of an
ordinary Roman fever.
THE progress of the Pope's malady
may be minutely traced in Burchard's
diary and the dispatches of the Fer
rarese envoy. He expired on the even
ing of August IL, 1903, duly provided
with all the needful sacramentS of the
Church. Ere the corpse was cold the
pontifical apartments were pillaged by
the satellites of Caesar Borgia. At
the funeral brawl between priests and
soldiers left the body exposed in the
center of the church, and when it was
placed upon the altar its shocking de-
composition confirmed the surmise OF
poison. Finally, stripped of its cere-
ments and wrapped in an old carpet,
it was forced with blows into mar
row coffin and flung into an obscure
vault The body was subsequently
transferred to the Spanish Church Of
St. Mary of Montserrat, where it re-
poses at this day"
Another account of AleXander'S death
bears quoting. The death scene, as
stated by Tommasi, is in substance as
follows: After the marriage of his
daughter Lucretia, the Pope requested
Cardinal Corneto to lend him his palace
for a great feast, to which all the Car
dinals and nobility were to be invited,
and at which time some of them We're to
be poisoned. By mistake the poisoned
wine was handed to the Pope and his
son, Caesar. Both were soon taken i'll.
Caesar recovered, but the Pope died the
same night-August is, 1oO3.
Nearly everything actually criminal in
Alexander's pontificate is subsequent to
the preponderance of Caesar. Though
a profiigate in public and private life, he
was no malignant tyrant-affable, IA
miliar, easy, he justly took credit for his
moderation toward notorious malcon-
tents and his Indifference to personal
injuries. These virtues, however, as
we'll as his family affection, were merely
constitutional with him, as the many
beneficial acts of his administration
were rather prompted by a sense of pol
icy than a sense of duty. His ability as
a ruler is evinced by the tranquility he
maintained in Rome, his effectual pro-
vision against dearth, the regular dis
charge of financial obligation and the
energetic prosecution of useful public
works.
AS a statesman he ranks high in the
second class. He was too destitute of
morality to have any insight into the
tendencies Of his times, but from the
point of view of political expediency his
policy was eminently sagacious and
adroit. He cannot be accused of pre-
pairing the misfortunes of Italy, but he
did not disdain to prifit by them His
RIGHTEOUSNESS and contempt of ecclesi-
astical decorum are partly palliated by
the circumstances of his initiation into
the church. He was unframed to the
ecclesiastical profession, never felt him
self a priest, and was wholly regardless
OF the church's interest as such. In this
respect he is almost unique among the
successors of st. Peter. Were contro-
versies regulated by reason rather than
by convenience, the parties to this would
change sides. AleXander's accusers
would become his advocates and his ad
vocates his accusers. The church in her
secret heart must rate him the lowest
of her chiefs: the world must feel that
he deserves much better of it than many
much better Pooes
A FAMOUS GROUP OF PAINTERS.
Pinturicchio, whose full name was
Bernadlino di Betti, the son of a citizen
of Perugia, Benedetto or Betto di Bia-
gio, was one of a very important group
of painters who inherited the artistic
traditions and developed the style of the
older Perugian painters, such as Bonfigli
and FiorenZo di Lorenzo. According to
Vasari, he was a pupil Of Perugino, and
SO, in one sense, no doubt he was, but
rather as a paid assistant than as an
apprentice.-NeW York Herald
A GREAT DISCOVERY.