the type of his
class.

The mighty of this world shall never want for detractors. The mean and
insignificant, writhing under the consciousness of his shortcomings,
ministers to his self-love by vilifying the great that he may lessen
the gap between himself and them. To achieve greatness is to achieve
enemies. It is to excite envy; and as envy no seed can raise up such a
crop of hatred.

Does this need labouring? Have we not abundant instances about us of the
vulgar tittle-tattle and scandalous unfounded gossip which, born Heaven
alone knows on what back-stairs or in what servants' hall, circulates
currently to the detriment of the distinguished in every walk of
life? And the more conspicuously great the individual, the greater
the incentive to slander him, for the interest of the slander is
commensurate with the eminence of the personage assailed.

Such to a great extent is the case of Alexander VI. He was too powerful
for the stomachs of many of his contemporaries, and he and his son
Cesare had a way of achieving their ends. Since that could not be
denied, it remained to inveigh loudly against the means adopted; and
with pious uplifting of hands and eyes, to cry, "Shame!" and "Horror!"
and "The like has never been heard of!" in wilful blindness to what had
been happening at the Vatican for generations.

Later writers take up the tale of it. It is a fine subject about
which to make phrases, and the passion for phrase-making will at times
outweigh the respect for truth. Thus Villari with his "the worst Pontiff
that ever filled St. Peter's Chair," and again, elsewhere, echoing what
many a writer has said before him from Guicciardini downwards, in
utter and diametric opposition to the true facts of the case: "The
announcement of his election was received throughout Italy with
universal dismay." To this he adds the ubiquitous story of King
Ferrante's bursting into tears at the news--"though never before known
to weep for the death of his own children."

Let us pause a moment to contemplate the grief the Neapolitan King. What
picture is evoked in your minds by that statement of his bursting into
tears at Alexander's election? We see--do we not?--a pious, noble soul,
horror-stricken at the sight of the Papacy's corruption; a truly sublime
figure, whose tears will surely stand to his credit in heaven; a great
heart breaking; a venerable head bowed down with lofty, righteous grief,
weeping over the grave of Christian hope