opinions of his own
when he writes "in that he caused the death of the Cardinal of Modena,"
etc.; he is simply--and obviously--recording the finding of the Tribunal
of the Ruota, without comment of his own. Lastly, it is as well to
observe that in that verdict against Pinzone--of doubtful justice as it
is--there is no mention made of the Borgias.

The proceedings instituted against Sebastiano Pinzone were of a piece
with those instituted against Asquino de Colloredo and others yet to
be considered; they were set on foot by Giuliano della Rovere--that
implacable enemy of the House of Borgia--when he became Pope, for the
purpose of heaping ignominy upon the family of his predecessor. But that
shall be further dealt with presently.

Another instance of the unceasing growth of Borgia history is afforded
in connection with this Sebastiano Pinzone by Dr. Jacob Burckhardt (in
Der Cultur der Renaissance in Italien) who, in the course of the usual
sweeping diatribe against Cesare, mentions "Michele da Corella, his
strangler, and Sebastiano Pinzone, his poisoner." It is an amazing
statement; for, whilst obviously leaning upon Giustiniani's dispatch
for the presumption that Pinzone was a poisoner at all, he ignores the
statement contained in it that Pinzone was the secretary and favourite
of Cardinal Ferrari, nor troubles to ascertain that the man was never in
Cesare Borgia's service at all, nor is ever once mentioned anywhere as
connected in any capacity whatever with the duke. Dr. Burckhardt felt,
no doubt, the necessity of linking Pinzone to the Borgias, that the
alleged guilt of the former may recoil upon the latter, and so he
accomplished it in this facile and irresponsible manner.

Now, notwithstanding the full and circumstantial evidence afforded by
Burchard's Diarium of the Cardinal of Modena's death of a tertian
fever, the German scholar Gregorovius does not hesitate to write of this
cardinal's death: "It is certain that it was due to their [the Borgias']
infallible white powders."

Oh the art of writing history in sweeping statements to support a
preconceived point of view! Oh that white powder of the Borgias!

Giovio tells us all about it. Cantarella, he calls it--Cantharides. Why
Cantarella? Possibly because it is a pleasing, mellifluous word that
will help a sentence hang together smoothly; possibly because the
notorious aphrodisiac properties of that drug suggested it to Giovio as
just the poison to be kept hand