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 VIILeti, Gregorio
History
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
Leti, Gregorio
Nepotism; Papacy -- Early works to 1800; Papacy -- History
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_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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