Description
Excerpt from A History of the Papacy During the Period of the Reformation, Vol. 4
It was hopeless for a Pope to undertake this task himself, if, indeed, Alexander VI. Had wished to do so. We need not analyse his motives, or determine how much was due to policy, how much to a desire to aggrandise his family. N epotism has a deservedly hateful name; but by no other means could a Pope accomplish his object. The Romagna must be won by one who had his heart in the work, and by one whom the Pope could entirely trust. Pius II. Had not done much with Antonio Piccolomini Sixtus IV. Had only raised Girolamo Riario to a small position; the Cibo family had been altogether without resources. Alexander VI. Felt that he and Cesare were made of other stuff, and that the times were in his favour. There was nothing exceptional in his undertaking; he only pursued his end more entirely, more resolutely, and more successfully than his predecessors. The end and the means alike had become a recognised part of the papal policy; only when, in the hands of Alexander VI. And Cesare Borgia they seemed likely to be accomplished, did they awaken universal terror. Italy quailed at the prospect of a powerful state in the centre which was backed by the far-reaching in?uence of the Papacy, and could thereby command foreign allies at any emergency. Churchmen were terrified at the danger of the Papacy being made dependent on a powerful Duke of the Romagna. The fruitful and sturdy stock of the Borgia swarmed in Rome, and the Papacy might become hereditary in the Borgian family. Few were far - sighted enough to see at first the full meaning of Alexander vi.''s policy; but all were made uneasy, and every step in the development of that policy revealed its hearing more clearly and produced deeper-seated alarm and hatred.
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This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
It was hopeless for a Pope to undertake this task himself, if, indeed, Alexander VI. Had wished to do so. We need not analyse his motives, or determine how much was due to policy, how much to a desire to aggrandise his family. N epotism has a deservedly hateful name; but by no other means could a Pope accomplish his object. The Romagna must be won by one who had his heart in the work, and by one whom the Pope could entirely trust. Pius II. Had not done much with Antonio Piccolomini Sixtus IV. Had only raised Girolamo Riario to a small position; the Cibo family had been altogether without resources. Alexander VI. Felt that he and Cesare were made of other stuff, and that the times were in his favour. There was nothing exceptional in his undertaking; he only pursued his end more entirely, more resolutely, and more successfully than his predecessors. The end and the means alike had become a recognised part of the papal policy; only when, in the hands of Alexander VI. And Cesare Borgia they seemed likely to be accomplished, did they awaken universal terror. Italy quailed at the prospect of a powerful state in the centre which was backed by the far-reaching in?uence of the Papacy, and could thereby command foreign allies at any emergency. Churchmen were terrified at the danger of the Papacy being made dependent on a powerful Duke of the Romagna. The fruitful and sturdy stock of the Borgia swarmed in Rome, and the Papacy might become hereditary in the Borgian family. Few were far - sighted enough to see at first the full meaning of Alexander vi.''s policy; but all were made uneasy, and every step in the development of that policy revealed its hearing more clearly and produced deeper-seated alarm and hatred.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Details
Publisher - Forgotten Books
Author(s) - Mandell Creighton
Hardback
Published Date -
ISBN - 9780331386974
Dimensions - 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.1 cm
Page Count - 326
Paperback
Published Date -
ISBN - 9781330617830
Dimensions -
Page Count -
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