ealth of his family had passed into a proverb, and I heard the phrase
very often, 'As rich as a Spada.' But he, like public rumor, lived on
this reputation for wealth; his palace was my paradise. I was tutor to
his nephews, who are dead; and when he was alone in the world, I tried
by absolute devotion to his will, to make up to him all he had done for
me during ten years of unremitting kindness. The cardinal's house had
no secrets for me. I had often seen my noble patron annotating ancient
volumes, and eagerly searching amongst dusty family manuscripts. One day
when I was reproaching him for his unavailing searches, and deploring
the prostration of mind that followed them, he looked at me, and,
smiling bitterly, opened a volume relating to the History of the City of
Rome. There, in the twentieth chapter of the Life of Pope Alexander VI.,
were the following lines, which I can never forget:--

"'The great wars of Romagna had ended; Caesar Borgia, who had completed
his conquest, had need of money to purchase all Italy. The pope had also
need of money to bring matters to an end with Louis XII. King of France,
who was formidable still in spite of his recent reverses; and it was
necessary, therefore, to have recourse to some profitable scheme,
which was a matter of great difficulty in the impoverished condition
of exhausted Italy. His holiness had an idea. He determined to make two
cardinals.'

"By choosing two of the greatest personages of Rome, especially rich
men--this was the return the holy father looked for. In the first place,
he could sell the great appointments and splendid offices which the
cardinals already held; and then he had the two hats to sell besides.
There was a third point in view, which will appear hereafter. The
pope and Caesar Borgia first found the two future cardinals; they were
Giovanni Rospigliosi, who held four of the highest dignities of the
Holy See, and Caesar Spada, one of the noblest and richest of the Roman
nobility; both felt the high honor of such a favor from the pope.
They were ambitious, and Caesar Borgia soon found purchasers for their
appointments. The result was, that Rospigliosi and Spada paid for being
cardinals, and eight other persons paid for the offices the cardinals
held before their elevation, and thus eight hundred thousand crowns
entered into the coffers of the speculators.

"It is time now to proceed to the last part of the speculation. The pope
heaped attentions upon Ros