itriol and set down what he desired the world to believe
rather than what contemporary documents would have revealed to him,
we can prove here and now from that one statement of his which we have
quoted.

Who were the men who were filled with dismay, horror, or dread at
Roderigo's election?

The Milanese? No. For we know that Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, the Duke
of Milan's brother, was the most active worker in favour of Roderigo's
election, and that this same election was received and celebrated in
Milan with public rejoicings.

The Florentines? No. For the Medici were friendly to the House of
Borgia, and we know that they welcomed the election, and that from
Florence Manfredi--the Ferrarese ambassador--wrote home: "It is said he
will be a glorious Pontiff" ("Dicesi che sara glorioso Pontefice").

Were Venice, Genoa, Mantua, Siena, or Lucca dismayed by this election?
Surely not, if the superlatively laudatory congratulations of their
various ambassadors are of any account.

Venice confessed that "a better pastor could not have been found for the
Church," since he had proved himself "a chief full of experience and an
excellent cardinal."

Genoa said that "his merit lay not in having been elected, but in having
been desired."

Mantua declared that it "had long awaited the pontificate of one who,
during forty years, had rendered himself, by his wisdom and justice,
capable of any office."

Siena expressed its joy at seeing the summit of eminence attained by
a Pope solely upon his merits--"Pervenuto alla dignita pontificale
meramente per meriti proprii."

Lucca praised the excellent choice made, and extolled the
accomplishments, the wisdom, and experience of the Pontiff.

Not dismay, then, but actual rejoicing must have been almost universal
in Italy on the election of Pope Alexander VI. And very properly--always
considering the Pontificate as the temporal State it was then being
accounted; for Roderigo's influence was vast, his intelligence was
renowned, and had again and again been proved, and his administrative
talents and capacity for affairs were known to all. He was well-born,
cultured, of a fine and noble presence, and his wealth was colossal,
comprising the archbishoprics of Valencia and Porto, the bishoprics of
Majorca, Carthage, Agria, the abbeys of Subiaco, the Monastery of Our
Lady of Bellefontaine, the deaconry of Sancta Maria in Via Lata, and his
offices of Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Holy Church.