BORGIA, CIESAR, one of the most consummate villains mentioned in modern history, was they second son of Cardinal Roderigo, (afterwards Pope Alexan der VI.) by his mistress Vanozza. The year of his birth is unknown ; but he was pursuing his studies at Pisa when Alexander ascended the papal throne, in 1492. He immediately hastened to Rome to con gratulate his father on his elevat.vn, impatient to reap those honours which he had it now in his ptiwer to bestow. Alexander, instead of welcoming him with the warmth and exultation which his recent prosperi ty might naturally have inspired, received him with cold formality, admonishing him to repress his rising ambition, and to strive to reach preferment only by the path of virtue. A reception so ill suited to the aspiring temper of Caesar, and so inconsistent with the known character of his father, at once mortified and surprised him. He retired in the utmost con fusion from the presence of his Holiness, and went to seek consolation and advice from his mother. Va nozza exhorted,him not to be discouraged, assuring him that she was well acquainted with his father's intentions, and that though he thought it. necessary at present assume an appearance of moderation and disinterestedness, he might confidently hope for .every advantage from his indulgence, and his ambition for the aggrandisement of his family. ,These assu rances were immediately confirmed by the promotion of Borgia, who was first made archbishop of Valen .za, and, in the following year, appointed cardinal of St Maria Nuova.
Ecclesiastical preferments, however, could not sa tiate the turbulent and aspiring soul of Borgia, who seemed to feel the clerical habit an irksome, though a very feeble restraint, on the excesses to which his natural depravity prompted him, and longed for some temporal dominion, which might enable him to pro secute more successfully his schemes of ambition, and. to yield with less disguise to the wildest impulses of his savage and impetuous temper.
When the army, which Charles the VIIIth of France led against Naples, had entered Rome, and compelled the Pope to a treaty, Borgia was forced to accompany the king as apostolical legate, or ra ther as hostage for the performance of the stipulated conditions. Finding an opportunity, however, to make
his escape, the treaty was broken, and the king ob liged to abandon Italy. Vanozza having been plun dered by the French army while it lay at Rome, ex cited both Alexander and Borgia to take a severe revenge for her wrongs. ThCy began by poisoning Genie, brother to Bajazet, who had fled from that sultap to Italy, as to a sanctuary, and had entered into a league with the French, who intended, after 1-educing Naples, to undertake an expedition against the Tut ks. They next proceeded, by means of as sassins, to destroy the French who remained at Rome.
While Alexander thus employed Cxsar•as the fit test instrument for the execution of his nefarious chemes, he, at the same time, sheaved a marked pre dilection for his eldest son Francis, on whom he con ferred all the secular dignities so much coveted by •zsar, and who, through his influence, had been in vested with the dukedom of Gandia, by Ferdinand king of Castile and Arragon. The hatred which 1,;xsar entertained against his brother, whom he re s.arded as the greatest obstacle in his career of ambi tion, was further inflamed by the suspicion, that lie rivalled in the affections of a particular lady. He resolved, therefore, at all hazards, to get rid of so troublesome a competitor ; and accordingly hired four assassins, the chief of whom was Michelotto, a Spaniard, the most barbarous ruffian of the age, to assassinate his brother, and throw his body into the 'Fiber. The time which he fixed for the perpetra tion of this atrocious murder, was the eve of his de parture for Naples, to assist at the coronation of King Frederic, in his capacity of apostolic legate. It is said, that when Alexander, overwhelmed with grief for the death of his favourite son, caused the most anxious inquiry to be made after his murderers, Vanozza went to him privately to ir•duce him to give up the search, threatening that if he persisted, lie himself should perish by the same hand which had destroyed his son.