For all this the Popes relations were fully perswaded, That the Pope must of necessity bestow the Title of Nephew upon some body; and seeing that among his kindred none would please him, they went insinuating sometimes one, sometimes another into the Popes affections. Innocent of his side was in perpetual conferences with Cardinal Pantiallo about the same business, so that every hour of the day they were examining the good qualities of one or other to choose the most deserving.
In this scarcity of subjects fit for the employment, the Prince Ludovisio thought, that the honour might fall upon the person of Cardinal Albergati, who went by the name of Ludovisio, but he soon found an exclusion in the Popes mind, as being ignorant and uncapable of such a place.
The Jesuite Fabio Albergati, brother to the said Cardinal, was the fitter man, as being endowed with learning, experience, and great wisdome in the managing of business; but the Pope declar’d, That he would not make two brothers of the same family Cardinals.
So that at last, of all those that had been brought upon the Stage, there remained none but he that Cardinal Panzirolo brought on, who was a prodigious off-spring of fortune, and the wonder of Christendome, which was astonish’d to see a Pope so averse from his relations as to declare a supposed Nephew for Cardinal, and Padrone: but before we engage in the particularities of this singular event, we will say something to instruct the Reader about it.
There never was acted upon the Theater of the Court of Rome so unexpected and strange a Scene, which therefore deserves to be reckoned amongst the prodigious effects of Fortune; for the Pope having no consanguinity with him, and he being without deserts, experience, or any remarkable quality that might make him conspicuous, nay, being scarce known, or at least not familiarly to the Pope; he was nevertheless of a sudden exalted and promoted to the degree of Cardinal, Nephew, and Padrone, as if he had been the head of the Pamphilian Family: And to deserve all this, there was no quality but that, being born of a Noble Family, which nevertheless at that time was so far indebted and decayed, that he was not to expect any assistance in his fortune from them.
His name, not to hold the Lector any longer in suspense, was Camillo Astalli, a young Gentleman of about seven and twenty years old, of a comely aspect, and a handsome winning carriage, though guilty sometimes of too many complements, and in a word accomplish’d, as they ordinarily are, whose highest ambition carries them no further in Rome then some Office or Prelature.
And that which most surprized the Court, was to see one exalted thus, under pretence of serving and helping the Pope in the administration of State Affairs; one who was an absolute novice to all negotiations and policy, by reason of the few occasions he had had to learn any thing of that nature.
But the occasion of his coming to court and making himself known, was, the alliance which the Marquess his brother had contracted with a Neece of Donna Olympia’s, for she being ambitious had alwayes embrac’d the occasions of marrying her relations into noble families, as having a design to honour, by such props, her own family of Maldachini, to whom that flower of nobility was denyed, which was an affliction to a Popes sister in Law, and a sister in Law that govern’d with an absolute authority.
As it fell out, it was very fortunate for the house of Astalli, that they were allyed with her; because that they wanted riches to maintain their gentility the more, since they had at the invitation of Donna Olympia bought the place of Clerk of the Apostolick chamber, which office had absorb’d the greatest part of their Patrimony; so that, if by chance the possessor of it did fail to make a fortune, or did dye suddenly, the whole family did run the hazard of being begger’d for ever.
But all fell out luckily; for Astalli, having by meanes of his office and alliance got an entrance into the Court, addicted himself particularly to worship and court Cardinal Panzirollo, the Secretary of State, who had a great Empire over the Pope; and that which was most fortunate, was, that this Cardinal answer’d the young mans affection with the like on his side, being gained by his obsequious carriage; at which all the Court was much surprized, considering that Cardinal Panzirollo had alwayes discovered an inveterate hatred against any one that was in favour with Innocent.