Il nipotismo di Roma, or, The History of the Popes Nephews / from the time of Sixtus IV. to the death of the last Pope, Alexander VII

by Gregorio Leti

For the first, I hold him little better than a Beast, that has no tye of Consanguinity upon him, having many Relations that need his help; none but barbarous people are ignorant of those Laws of nature, and are not altogether deprived of the use of them neither.

This love to ones Relations encreases as the Relations themselves do multiply. And we may say, that love naturally descends; for in old people their love is greatest to their Grand-children, and the fifth generation still carry the old mans affections from the third and fourth. From hence proceeds, that the Popes, who ordinarily are old, are so passionate for the advancement of their Nephews, for whom often they hazard their reputations in this world, and their souls in the next.

With our Kindred there is no Medium to be observed; we must either love them tenderly, and do for them all that lies in our power: Or we must hate them perfectly, and become cruel. It is not possible to be indifferent, and do them neither good nor evil; that would be to be neither man nor beast, which is impossible.

There has been some Popes, who in the beginning of their Reign, out of Zeal and Piety, have shewed themselves averse from their Kindred; not only refusing to favour them, but seeking out all occasions of mortifying them. But what folly, what devillish policy, what false hypocrisie is this? For my part, I call such a disposition a vicious humour, which soon passes out of them, or destroys them, Nature it self being offended at this so unnatural a proceeding.

Adrian the sixth, Marcel the second, Urban the seventh, Leo the tenth, were all Popes very severe to their kindred, having all sworn solemnly at their Election never to admit their Kindred into Rome. And Adrian the sixth was so extravagant that he persecuted them: For he refused to give a recompense to one of his Relations who had done the Church very good service, only because he was his Relation.

But Divine Providence, which delights not to see Nature despis’d, reveng’d this indiscreet Zeal upon these Popes; for they all liv’d but a very little after their Creation. Adrian liv’d but one year: Marcello, Urban, and Leo liv’d all three together, not two Months compleat.

So Innocent the Eighth, Julius the Second, Pius the Fifth, and our Alexander that now reigns, were at first strangely averse from their Kindred, which was interpreted by the People for nothing but Hypocrisie and Policy, that they might acquire the Title of Saints and Holy Men; for, a little after they were setled in their Kingdom, and in the Opinion of the Vulgar, they all found out some excuse or another to authorize their change; and particularly our Alexander, who is now as kind as he was severe at first. And for my part I must confess, that I always laughed at Alexander, for his pretended zeale, in keeping his Relations at a distance; and I never began to have a true respect for him, and believe him really a Saint, till he had brought them to Rome.

And if Christ himself has left us written in the Gospel, That we ought not to despise our own Flesh, how can any Pope justifie an aversion to his Kindred?

Therefore I do not like that Answer of our Pope Alexander to the Cardinal Medicis, who did make it his business to oblige the Pope to call Don Mario to Rome; for he answered this Cardinal’s Prayers and Entreaties with these words of Christ, They are our Brothers and Sisters that do the Will of the Lord; as if his Brother had done the Will of the Devil. And in the Example of Christ he was mistaken; for he did not despise his Brothers, as having never had any; wherefore his Words were mystical, and contained some more secret sense. But we see that Christ himself did shew particular favour to his Relations, as to the two Johns, the Baptist, and the Apostle; declaring one to be the greatest of Prophets, and giving to the other the liberty of laying his head in his lap. But more than that, he recommended his proper Mother the Blessed Virgin, to the Apostle John; and all the Evangelists own, that he was Christ’s Favourite, and his Beloved.

After this Example, we need no other; and no body can be so bold as to pretend, That it is Piety not to own ones Relations, if Christ himself lov’d his so dearly.