Ascanio Sforza quotes from The Borgias

(to the Cardinals, as he is dying) You are afraid to enter, but you must. (they enter) I am about to meet my maker, and I have confessed. And, I confess... I am very afraid. (acknowledges several of them, and they bow) Corlona. Sforza. Orsini. Borgia.

Rodrigo Borgia

(bows) Your Holiness.

...Della Rovere. (Della Rovere bows) You will fight, like dogs... over this corpse I leave...for this throne, of St. Peter's. (Della Rovere crosses himself) But, it was pure, once. We have all sullied it, with our greed and... lechery. (Borgia and Della Rovere meet each other's eyes) Which of you... will wash it clean?! (Della Rovere seems about to speak, but Borgia speaks first)

Rodrigo Borgia

It shall be cleansed, Your Holiness- with the tears we shed for you. I swear, before the living God.

(sneering) You swear thus- a Spanish burano, a white Moor?!

Rodrigo Borgia

(firmly) As Vice-Chancellor, I swear, before the living God. (kisses the Pope's hand)

Ascanio Sforza

And so do I, Your Holiness.

And I, Your Holiness. (the Cardinals all gather around the bed, voicing their assurances)

Guiliano Della Rovere

Rest assured, Your Holiness, the glory of our Holy Mother Church will be restored- in my lifetime. (kisses the Pope's hand as Borgia watches him)

(to his doctor) Go away! (to Cardinal Sforza) Do nightmares ever plague the Vice-Chancellor?

Ascanio Sforza

The very office is a nightmare, Your Holiness. Plots, petty intrigues and petitions... which I do my utmost to keep from your presence.

(nods slowly) I need your assurance... of the welfare of my daughter- in the castle of your cousin, Giovanni Sforza.

Ascanio Sforza

You suspect she's ill-used?

(sighs worriedly) Our nightmares tell us so.

Ascanio Sforza

He will be... putty in her soft hands, Your Holiness. Yes, he inherited the Sforza name, the Sforza wealth- but none of its' vigor.

And the Sforza appetite for intrigue?

Ascanio Sforza

(shrugs) Yes, well...yes, that he did inherit. But... intrigue is no match for Borgia intelligence, as all Rome has discovered.

So... I need your further assurance that... he, and another cousin, the Duke of Milan, will be constant in their support... for our Papacy. (Cardinal Sforza looks away) We have merged our fortunes with the Sforza name- the consequence of that trust being betrayed... would be most severe.

Ascanio Sforza

(pause) Do you speak to me as Vice-Chancellor, Your Holiness?

We will excommunicate Florence, if the French armies are admitted! (several of the Cardinals voice their approval)

Ascanio Sforza

(skeptically) Excommunicate the entire city, Your Holiness?

The Medicis, the Paccis, Machiavelli- the whole signoria! (the Cardinals repeat their approval) And we will have that Savanarola burnt! We will bear no more opposition to our work!

Then you must excommunicate half of Christendom- because half the world is against us!

(stands up, furious) We will not tolerate this heresy- this apostacy! (gestures behind him) This is the chair of Saint Peter's; we are the voice of the living God! We will occupy this chair until death, and the fires of Hell shall rain down on those who would oppose us! (the Cardinals look unimpressed by this outburst, Cesare watches his father as he walks down the hall and turns) We are, all of us, about to be... sorely tested. And you... are either with us... or against us. (walks back) We hereby impose an excommunication... upon that heretic apostate, Cardinal Guiliano Della Rovere. We ask for your support in this most solemn declaration. (pause) We demand your compliance, so... (gestures to them) A show of hands, Your Eminences (silence) If you please! (none of the Cardinals, even Cesare, raises their hands; Alexander drops his in frustration. After a moment, Cardinal Sforza lifts his hand)

Ascanio Sforza

(wearily) Your Holiness, may the Vice-Chancellor speak?

... Yes, Cardinal Sforza, he may. (sits)

Ascanio Sforza

It would be... unwise (stands) to use the Church's most solemn sanction... to so little effect.

What does the Vice-Chancellor mean?

Ascanio Sforza

Excommunication or not, this invasion will proceed. We may all have to adjust ourselves to new realities.

(finds Vittoria back in her disguise, restoring the ancient Roman art works) Do you never rest? (Vittoria smiles) Where do you sleep?

(grins) Under silk covers, last night.

(chuckles, shakes his head) On a normal night.

On a straw bed, on a studio floor.

(crouches next to her) So, you know the streets of Rome- the slums, the tennants- you live among the common people.

I am one of them, Your Holiness.

(strokes her ear) Hmm- not for long, I would hazard, knowing your talents.

... Does the Pope of Rome not know his flock?

(sighs and looks around)... You see the gilded cage we live in. We meet with princes and pergunters and prelates, and... very few of the common people. (pause, kisses her head) We might... need your assistance. (Cardinal Sforza appears behind them and clears his throat, the Pope stands up) Ah, Cardinal Sforza! Come to view our... Roman treasures? (gestures around them)

Ascanio Sforza

Etruscan, I would wager.

(surprised) Ah- the Cardinal is an expert in such matters?

Ascanio Sforza

The Cardinal has seen Donatello's David, and marveled at the source of its' eros. Now, he knows.

And, the Cardinal thinks there may be scandal, perhaps?...

Ascanio Sforza

(stiffly) The Cardinal does not care. What the Cardinal does care about are the Vatican finances.

Ah- yes. (to Vittoria) You will excuse us, young maestro.

We live in a fortress, now. Barricaded against the sea of zealots in the streets outside.

Hmm- "zealots".

Their fervor for the Friar's visions increases daily. They would ban all art and ornament, and they have set their sights on the coin of the Realm itself!

Money? Dear God...

They see gold and silver coin as part of the fallen world. They would reduce all exchange to a state of barter only possible in the Garden of Eden!

(pretending to examine a sculpture) Hmmm- and what of banking?

(scoffs, imitates Savanarola) "Did Adam need gold coin?! Did Eve need a bank?! Did Cain charge interest to Abel?!" (Machiavelli smiles briefly, Cardinal Sforza and Medici chuckle)

Ascanio Sforza

And what of the Church's deposits in your banks?

They would scatter them like chaff. (he starts to sit. Machiavelli clears his throat, and Medici hastily stands up again) And, if they knew, Holy Father, of your personal accounts, they would burn the bank to the ground.

Well, then- perhaps we had better have our wealth brought back to Rome. (Machiavelli frowns)

How? The Friar has his spies everywhere.

(shrugs) Well, perhaps the good Friar could be bought.

With money?

No- a Bishopric. Generalship of the Dominican Order. (sits)

(also sits) The Dominican Order already does his bidding.

Niccolo Machiavelli

And, how can you buy one who would outlaw trade itself?

You offer him something that money cannot buy. Heaven itself.

Ascanio Sforza

From our Holy Father. (Savanarola rises and turns around) Christ's vicar on Earth, the Bishop of Rome and the heir to St. Peter: a greeting and apostolic benediction to his most beloved son... Girolamo Savanarola. I am Cardinal Ascanio Sforza.

Girolamo Savanarola

The Vice-Chancellor.

Ascanio Sforza

Indeed.

Girolamo Savanarola

Then, you know all there is to know about corruption.

Ascanio Sforza

... His Holiness hears you are a zealous worker in God's service, at which he rejoices (Savanarola looks away in disgust)... and is intrigued to hear that you proclaim that your prophecies proceed directly from God. (Savanarola looks back at him) Is this so?

Girolamo Savanarola

God speaks through me. I hear his voice. Of this, there is no doubt.

Ascanio Sforza

As befits your vows of obedience, His Holiness would have you journey to Rome to discourse further with him on this matter-

Girolamo Savanarola

Has the Good Lord's lightning not yet silenced this...Borgia Pope? But, tell him my work is here, ridding Florence of its' sodomites and blasphemers. And, my work only will be ended... when the last sodomite is burning in Hell. (smiles coldly)

Ascanio Sforza

Perhaps a different destiny awaits you in Rome.

Girolamo Savanarola

In the Castell St. Angelo?

Ascanio Sforza

(chuckles and withdraws a Cardinal's hat from his cloak, offering it to Savanarola) No- in the Vatican.

Girolamo Savanarola

Oh- as Cardinal?

Ascanio Sforza

A seat in Consistory. (Savanarola takes the hat and walks back over the pulpit, looking at it thoughtfully)

Girolamo Savanarola

(turns back to Cardinal Sforza) No man can put a price on salvation. (throws the hat back at him, hitting him on the shoulder)

Cesare Borgia

... Father?

(to Antonello) Bring us some wine. (Cesare drinks, Antonello brings over the wine-pitcher, pours some into a cup, and drains it)

(pause)... It is good, Holiness. (Rodrigo nods and gestures for him to pour; Antonello fills his goblet, then takes the tray across the room)

Cesare Borgia

(staring at the earth coating Rodrigo's hands and robes) What's happened to your hands, Father?

(glances at his filthy hands)... We have buried our son. (Cesare stares at him in disbelief) And, we realize now... that, we have brought this... upon ourselves. (takes a drink)

Cesare Borgia

Father...

(shrugs) You, are our own doing. What you've done, is our doing also. We brought you to this. (Cesare looks away angrily) You say, we granted every favor to him... but, our favors fell on him so easily. Of their own accord! (sees Cesare is still resentful and sighs sadly, smiling) You are too much like me. A man feels less favor, for his own image, reflected.

Cesare Borgia

(long pause, trying to form the words) If I cannot have your affection... can you at least grant me, your forgiveness?

(conflicted expression) I...

Cesare Borgia

Father? (Rodrigo staggers towards him) Father! No- Father! (Rodrigo begins to convulse and bleed from the mouth as he grabs Cesare's arm) HELP! (He cradles Rodrigo as the Pope collapses)

Lucrezia Borgia

(runs into the room with Vanozza, Julia and several others) Father!

Ascanio Sforza

Guards!

Holy Father-

Vanozza

Rodrigo!