The sheets were printed, and the book was coming out, when the Pope went to receive his kindred at Castle Gandolfe, and had brought them to Rome: This cast the Father into a strange perplexity; and the rather, because that the Pope, before he undertook his journey, had asked him his advice about the business as being his Confessour; seeing himself in a strange Labyrinth, he was mightily confounded; for if he councelled him to receive them, that was to give his book the lye; and if he exhorted him to continue in his first resolution, that was the way to offend the Pope and his Kindred, and lose all his own fortune.
Which he did, by counselling the Pope to receive his kindred, and by printing over again those sheets which made mention of the Popes alienation from all humane affections. But the Printer refused to do it at his expences; so that the good Father was fain to have recourse to some of his devout Children, who out of charity payed for the reprinting of about twenty sheets.
No sooner had this new Nipotismo taken possession of the Vatican, but the people began to murmur against the Pope, making Pasquins, and setting them up in every street. Thus he, who before was a Saint and an Angel, was now become an Hypocrite and a Devil; and the belief of the Romans, concerning the Popes infallibility, was much changed, from that which they had receiv’d before from the Divines; for now they believ’d at least, that if the Pope could not erre by himself, yet his Nephews could make him erre: The Pope, who was before ador’d by the common people, became now contemptible, insomuch, that going one day to consecrate the Church of the Peace, which had been rebuilt by him he receiv’d a vile affront; for the Curate of that Church, having rais’d a triumphal Arch before it, over which was the Popes Picture, with this Inscription, Orietur in diebus nistris justitia & abundantia pacis, some bold persons had the conscience to put an M before orietur, and change the C of pacis into an N; so that then there was, Monrictur in diebus nostris justitia & abundantia ranis. In the Academy of the Wits, they did recite and show Epigrams, which were very offensive to the Popes and his Families reputation, though all were allegorically veil’d over: In a word, they were counted the most ingenious, who could invent the sharpest sayings upon the introduction of the Nipotismo.
But before we go any further, it will not be amiss, to see in what persons, and how qualified, the Nipotismo did consist: And I consider it in two wayes, that which is nearest in consanguinity, and another, which is related at a greater distance, and we will omit the women, that we may not be mistaken by so great a number as there would be with them.
Six Males from that Nipotismo, which is of a very near consanguinity to the Pope, that is, speaking of those that have at this present part in the government of Rome, and omitting the little children.
These are then first, Don Mario, the Popes eldest brother; the Cardinal Flavio Chigi, who is, Don Mario’s Son; Don Agostino, and Don Sigismond, who are Brothers, and Sons of another of the Popes Brothers, who dyed before Alexander’s exaltation to the Popedom; and two other Brothers, who are Sons to one of the Popes Sisters that was married in the family of the Bichi; so that in all, there are one Brother, and five Nephews, which make a pretty compleat Nipotismo.
Don Mario is five years older then the Pope, and though by consequence he be threescore and ten, yet he is strong and lusty. The Pope and he are very different in their constitution, humour, and actions; for the first is tall, the other low; the Pope is inclin’d to learning, Don Mario is strangely ignorant; the Pope is lean, and Don Mario is fat; the Pope is noble and generous, and Don Mario is covetous and miserable, thinking of nothing, but of gathering and heaping together of money, little troubling himself at the peoples murmurings; and yet they cry out more against him, then ever they did against Don Tadeo, nay, more then they did against Donna Olympia her self; he hath invented so many new subtleties to get money out of those Offices which are ordinarily bestowed upon the Popes nearest Relations, that the Barbarines, who thought themselves masters in that Craft, do remain astonish’d to see themselves outdone by a new beginner.
The Pope shewes him the respect due to an elder Brother, and that is all; ’tis true, that of late he hath afforded him more liberty, and a greater share in the Government then he was wont to have, and he uses it to his advantage, missing no occasion to improve his fortune; nay, he is so passionately bent to getting, that he ordinarily uses to say of a thing he does not like, There is nothing to be got there.
The good opinion which the Pope hath of his integrity, is the poison which corrupts all the present Government; for being prepossess’d to his advantage, he lets him do any thing, so he do but maintain plenty of Corn and Meat in Rome, and keep the people from murmuring; but things do not go well, nor with any honour to the Pope, for if Don Mario was honest and sincere in Siena, he no sooner came to Rome, but he chang’d his nature, and made it his business to grow rich by any means whatsoever; though the people send their cryes up to Heaven against him, they come not to the Popes eares, who all this while thinks, that Don Mario of Rome is Don Mario of Siena, and there’s the mischeif.