But the Popes affection to his kindred was not buryed in his grave; for he made his Brother Jerome succeed in his favour and fortune, which he rather increased then diminished; for he made him Lord and Soveraign of Inola and Forli; and gave him the government of all the state of the Church, besides other important Offices.
This Jerome was a quite contrary disposition to his Brother; being naturally severe in words and deeds, and averse from all pleasures but hunting. He married Catharina, natural daughter to Galeazzo, Duke of Milan; and Sixtus made Ascanius, the son of the said Duke, Cardinal into the bargain, contrary to the young mans inclination, which was rather to marriage, then to a single life.
But the inordinate passion of this Pope did not rest in all this; for his ambition of having kindred to advance was such, that not being content with that great number of true Nephews that he had, he substituted and adopted some, that were no relation to him at all; to whom he gave an infinity of places and commands.
He gave to Leonard, his brothers son, a natural daughter of King Ferdinand in marriage, and made him Prefect of Rome: And he being dead, he immediately transferred that honour and place to another Nephew, called John de la Rovere, brother to the Cardinal Julian; giving him besides, the Propriety of the States of Sora and Sinigaglia.
This John had by Giovanna, daughter to Frederick, Duke of Urbin, a son, who was Francesco Maria della Rovere, who after the death of Guido Ubaldo, his Uncle, who dyed without male issue, succeeded by adoption, and in the right of his Wife, to the Dukedom of Urbin.
Besides these, Sixtus made Cardinals the two brothers, Christopher, and Dominic, de la Rovere, who lived in Turin, under the protection of the Duke of Savoy, though they were Soveraigns of Vico Nuovo, and other Estates in Italy.
Besides, he made Jerome Batto, his sisters Son, Cardinal, as likewise Raphael Samson, son to a sister of Pictro Riario, whom he promoted to that dignity, when he was but seventeen years old, upon condition, that he should change his name, and take that of the Popes Family.
This Pope had so much kindred, and was so inclined to advance them, that he often granted the same thing to two different persons, having forgot that he had granted it to the first.
But amongst all his inventions to enrich them, this was one of the best: In the beginning of his Pontificat, he made, as if he had a design to pay the debts, left upon the Church by the precedent Popes, Eugenius, Nicolas, Calistus, Pius, and Paul; but pretending want of money to do it, he compassed his design by this means.
Paul the second, his predecessour, had alwayes had a great inclination for the publick pomp and state of the Popedom, and therefore strove to make the Ornaments of the Popes person and head the richest that was possible for him; to which end, in the Miter, which serves at their Coronation, and other publick ceremonies, he had caused above the worth of a million in precious stones to be set, having bought up (all the world over) the best Diamonds, Saphires, Rubyes, Emeraulds, Chrysolites, &c. that could be had for money; so that afterwards, when he came out in publick, he looked like another Aaron, with a Majesty more divine then humane, being himself very tall, and of a comely port and presence.