But the Popes are not so much to blame, as those that blame the Popes for their affections to their Kindred: For, alas! the Popes are Men, as we are; and, as such, ought to be allowed something of our fragility. But in what a Labyrinth are they engaged? For if they are really averse and cruel to their own Blood, then Nature, Heaven, the Example of Christ, and all the Reason of the World, does condemn them for inhumane, ungrateful, and barbarous.
And if they are kind, and do receive them into Rome, advance them, give them Places and Honours, then Pasquins, Murmurs, Raileries, Affronts, and a thousand Tales of them, are the recompense they are to expect from the Vulgar, who send their Cries to Heaven, and their Complaints about the World against them.
Those Popes that first invented the Title of Cardinal Padrone, had it may be a mind to imitate our Saviour, who declared John the Evangelist his Cosin, to be his Favorite and beloved Disciple: For Gregory the Fifteenth was wont to call his Nephew Ludovisio, his beloved John, though his Name was Lewis; and he did so to shew, That since Christ declared in favour of his Cosin, the Popes might also declare in favour of their Nephews.
For my part, I am of opinion, that let them do what they will, it is not in their power not to love their Relations, and to abstain from doing of them all the good imaginable. And we have seen the experience of this in Alexander the Seventh, who made as if he had had no affection for them; but Nature soon made him lay aside this Mask, and profess himself a Man, as the rest.
This is then one of the Reasons that move the Popes to be so tender of their Kindreds Advantages: But there is a second, which is not any ways inferiour to this, which is the preservation of their proper Person.
One of the greatest misfortunes of a Princely Life, is the perpetual care and sollicitude they are in, of preserving themselves. Their Goodness is often the subject of their Neighbours Envy. If they be wicked, they are hated by their own Subjects. So that often they are in doubt which they shall chuse to be, Good or Bad.
Was there a greater Prince than Henry the Third of France? Was there ever any thing more magnanimous and good, than Henry the Fourth his Successor? And yet their Greatness, their Bounty, and their Generosity, could not preserve their Persons, but saw their blood shed most miserably by the hands of barbarous Murderers.
But was there ever a better Prince in the World than the late King of England, Charles the First, who had no fault but that he was too good? And yet such Royal Goodness could not preserve him (I tremble to speak of it) from the barbarous hands of his own Subjects; and upon an ignominious Scaffold, was forced to lose his Life by a fatal Ax.
What are Kingdoms and States, to any body, if they must be perpetually from morning to night busied about their own preservation? And what a misfortune to a Man is a Kingdom, if to preserve himself from his own Subjects, he must be fain to raise Cittadels and build Castles in all the places where he goes, that he can never sleep, if Guards and Sentinels do not watch for him? Certainly a Subject’s condition, that takes his rest without fear, is much more to be valued, than the perpetual perplexity of a fearful Prince.
The Popes nevertheless are these unfortunate Men, and are more exposed to the danger of being made away, than all the Princes of Christendom. For if any body be so bold and wicked as to wish and desire the death of a Prince whose Crown is Hereditary; yet he stops in his Enterprise, and considers, That he must fear the Sons Vengeance. Those Men who consented to the death, or, to say better, pronounced Sentence upon the late King of England, wheresoever they are now, they do without doubt repent their Action; and if they had ever thought of the happy Restauration of Charles the Second, they had dealt otherwise with his Father. So that I must say, by the leave of those Cromwellian Politicians, That they were but pittiful ones that could not foresee that. Wo be to those that offend a Prince, in hopes that his Heir will forget the offence.