Borgia--"Borgiae familiae spes et decus."

From Perugia he was moved in 1491 to the famous University of Pisa, a
college frequented by the best of Italy. For preceptor he had Giovanni
Vera of Arcilla, a Spanish gentleman who was later created a cardinal by
Cesare's father. There in Pisa Cesare maintained an establishment of a
magnificence in keeping with his father's rank and with the example set
him by that same father.

It was Cardinal Roderigo's wish that Cesare should follow an
ecclesiastical career; and the studies of canon law which he pursued
under Filippo Decis, the most rated lecturer on canon law of his day,
were such as peculiarly to fit him for that end and for the highest
honours the Church might have to bestow upon him later. At the age of
seventeen, while still at Pisa, he was appointed prothonotary of the
Church and preconized Bishop of Pampeluna.

Sixtus IV died, as we have seen, in August 1482. The death of a Pope
was almost invariably the signal for disturbances in Rome, and they
certainly were not wanting on this occasion. The Riario palaces were
stormed and looted, and Girolamo Riario--the Pope's "nepot"--threw
himself into the castle of Sant' Angelo with his forces.

The Orsini and Colonna were in arms, "so that in a few days
incendiarism, robbery, and murder raged in several parts of the city.
The cardinals besought the Count to surrender the castle to the Sacred
College, withdraw his troops, and deliver Rome from the fear of his
forces; and he, that he might win the favour of the future Pope, obeyed,
and withdrew to Imola."(1)

1 Macchiavelli, Istorie Fiorentine.

The cardinals, having thus contrived to restore some semblance of order,
proceeded to the creation of a new Pontiff, and a Genoese, Giovanni
Battista Cibo, Cardinal of Malfetta, was elected and took the name of
Innocent VIII.

Again, as in the case of Sixtus, there is no lack of those who charge
this Pontiff with having obtained his election by simony. The Cardinals
Giovanni d' Aragona (brother to the King of Naples) and Ascanio Sforza
(brother of Lodovico, Duke of Milan) are said to have disposed of their
votes in the most open and shameless manner, practically putting them
up for sale to the highest bidder. Italy rang with the scandal of it, we
are told.

Under Innocent's lethargic rule the Church again began to lose much of
the vigour with which Sixtus had inspired it. If the reign of Sixtus
had been scandalous, infi