LUCREZIA BORGIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LI, Issue 5586, 20 January 1879, Page 7

LUCREZIA BORGIA.

(from the Pall Mall Oaeette.) Lucrezia Borgia has during the last few years found two literary white-washers, when save for Victor Hugo not one would have been required. Victor Hugo’s eighteenthcentury legend of a woman who was born towards the end of the fifteenth, however, found favour in the sight of an Italian composer; and the “Lucrezia Borgia” of Donizetti gradually became known throughout Italy, where the true history of Lucrezia Borgia was apparently not known. Herr Gregorovius has lately published a life of Lucrezia Borgia, based en “ original documents and contemporary correspondence,” wherein he seeks to prove, and succeeds more or less perfectly in proving, that Lucrezia Borgia never bad a passionate youth, and that if now and then one of her near relations died of poison it was not she who gave it or caused it to be given ; though, knowing it to be the fashion of the time, she thought it useless to protest against such practices. In England we know Lucrezia Borgia less through Victor Hugo’s play than through Donizetti’s opera, in which many persons misinterpret altogether the relations supposed-to exist between Lucrezia and her son Oennaro. In connection with the musical drama—especially when sung in an unknown tongue—such mistakes are possible enough. But Lucrezia’s relations with the imaginary Gennaro are as pure as those she has been accused of holding with Alexander VI. were the. contrary. The sole redeeming quality possessed by the Lucrezia Borgia of Victor Hugo is maternal affection, and through this sentiment, the one vulnerable point in her moral nature, she is destined to receiv'd* a mortal wound. The Lucrezia Borgia of Victor Hugo’s, drama it jjuvosfc ■ entirely the creation of the poet’s fancy. Lucrezia was neyer a giver of “ orgies,” though she had no objection nowand-then to appear at one; and it is obvious that tho insult supposed to hare been offered tb her through the removal of' the first letter, of her surname from the inscription over the gate of her palace could never have taken that particular form, since she had long ceased to bear the name of Borgia, which she bad changed first for that of Sforza, secondly for that of Aragon, and thirdly for that of D’Sste. But she at least led an extremely abandoned life, it will be said. She certainly did nothing of the kind, Herr Gregorovius answers. Neither was she a woman of strong impulses, of determined character; while what can be proved more clearly than anything else in regard to her is that, far from presenting such an exterior as the impersonations of Madame Qrisi and Mdlle Titiens have made familiar, she had the appearance of a fair-haired, blue-eyed, slender-waisted, possibly sentimental, but certainly not passionate, English girL Of this incontestable evidence is furnished by a medallion portrait of the period, the accuracy of which is confirmed by authentic descriptions. She became the object of many damaging accusations, the worst of which can be neither E roved nor disproved in any positive manner, ut which can all be traced to her first husband, John Sforza, whom she repudiated. The Borgia family, as a family, had the worst possible morals, or rather were without morals; and it is certain that Lucrezia associated freely with the recognised mistresses, and even with the passing favourites of her father, Pope Alexander VI. Herr Gregorovius defends Lucrezia against a worse charge than any that Victor Hugo in his fantastic drama has brought against her, on the grounds that no proofs exist. He protests, moreover, against the accusation in the name of general morality. All, however, that can be clearly established on the subject is that the story was first circulated by Sforza, who was mortified and enraged at his marriage with Lucrezia having been annulled for political purposes through the action of her father. Nor will Herr Gregorovius allow that Lucrezia took part in the celebrated “ orgio ” at Sienna. A French critic, M. Baudry, Writing in the Journal des Dibats, points out that Bluebeard, the master of the ceremonies at the palace, must have known whether Lucrezia was present or not, and he states positively that she was. It is agreed, however, on all hands that though she may have witnessed the scandalous entertainment she took no part in it. She was either conducted there by her father, or went of her own accord, attracted by an unhealthy curiosity. She attended, in any case, merely as a spectator. As for crimes, she committed none, but she saw a good many committed without raising any violent objections. Her brother and one of her three husbands, Alfonso of Aragon, were assassinated almost before her eyes; and for a time she regretted these relatives, but without showing herself in the slightest degree inconsolable. She breathed, in short, a vicious atmosphere, and was the passive accomplice of much wickedness; but she was not wicked herself in any active or aggressive sense. She neither stabbed nor poisoned, nor presided at orgies, like the Lucrezia Borgia of Victor Hugo and of Donizetti. Described in official documents as the Pope’s niece, Lucrezia was spoken of publicly by everyone, including Alexander VI. himself, as his daughter; and far from being ashamed of the relationship, she regarded it only in connexion with the brilliant position which it secured for her. Alexander treated her with extreme kindness, yet never hesitated to employ her as an instrument of his policy. She was betrothed at the age of eleven, but the betrothal was immediately afterwards set aside. In the interest of her brother Ciesar, she was married to John Sforza Lord of Pesa-ro. But when the alliance of the Sforzas was no longer wanted, the Pope, on a pretext, which was perhaps valid, dissolved the marriage, and, as the husband objected to the dissolution, would have assassinated him had not Lucrezia warned him of his danger and helped him to escape. Alexander now united his daughter to Alfonso of Aragon, a member of the reigning family of Naples. He was a handsome ana agreeable man, and Lucrezia is said to have regretted him sincerely when he was put to death by assassins in the pay of her brother Caesar. There was no time, however, for lamentation. It was thought necessary, for the sake of Ciesar, to establish an alliance with the French party ; and Lucrezia was next married to Alfonso d’Este, heir presumptive to the Duchy of Ferrara. This Duke of Ferrara is known to everyone, like Lucrezia herself, by Donizetti’s celebrated work. We have learned all from the trio ut the beginning of the second act on what terms the Lucrezia of the opera lived with her husband the Duke; how sty) picked up in the street sous whom the Duke of Ferrara mistook far lovers ; how tfco Iddkb offered these supposed ' lovers cups of poisoned wine,-and how Lucrezia, like the accomplished toxicologist Victor Hugo supposes her to have been, was at once ready with an appropriate antidote. As a matter of fact, whatever scenes she may have boeif compelled to go through, whatever society may have been forced upon her in the days of her youth, Lucrezia as Duchess of Ferrara led an examplary life. The marriage luvd not on either side been one of affection. But when, after the death of Alexander VI., it. was suggested to the Duke of Ferrara bv Louis XII. that the union might bo declared illegal. Alfonso declined to move in the matter. Lucrezia had given proofs of a charming disposition, and her husband was delighted with her.

Lucrezia Borgia was now charitable, devout, nn intelligent patroness of art ami literature, and at,the samo time a careful housewife, keeping her accounts of domestic expenditure, and even making out her own washing bills. Sho took Borneo, Ariosto, and other poets under her particular protection, who, according to the custom in such cases, celebrated her virtues in return. Sho was a good mother, and when in loll), she found herself dving from the effects of childbirth she wrote a calm courageous letter to ( Pope [Leo X., asking for his blessing.

This does not prove that her life had been without reproach, but it shows that her conscience did not trouble her. Here the question arises whether Lucrezia had much conscience. Herr Gregorovius thinks shewas naturally good, but that at critical moments—ns when her marriages were dissolved, and her husbands assassinated or threatened with assassination—she suppressed and stifled her excellent sentiments. MV Baudry prefers to think, in the interest of the truth and of Lucrezia herself, that she possessed only a little conscience, but that she was an amiable and easy-going lady wl o suited herself to the situation in which she happened to be placed. Thua she fell in facilely with the ways of the Vatican under Alexander VI., and afterwards showed herself perfectly suited to the entirely different life which awaited her at Ferrara. It should be remembered, however, in justice to Lucrezia, that in Eome she led a purely passive existence. Her active life began at fierrara, where she distinguished herself by a number of qualities which, not too carefully analysed, may pass for virtues.