Roderigo Lenzuolo Borgia, Archbishop of Valencia, Cardinal-Deacon of San
Nicolao-in-Carcere, Vice-Chancellor of the Church, has now been elected
Page, and has assumed the name of Alexander VI."

The news of this nomination was received with strange joy. Roderigo
Borgia had the reputation of a dissolute man, it is true, but libertinism
had mounted the throne with Sixtus IV and Innocent VIII, so that for the
Romans there was nothing new in the singular situation of a pope with a
mistress and five children. The great thing for the moment was that the
power fell into strong hands; and it was more important for the
tranquillity of Rome that the new pope inherited the sword of St. Paul
than that he inherited the keys of St. Peter.

And so, in the feasts that were given on this occasion, the dominant
character was much more warlike than religious, and would have appeared
rather to suit with the election of some young conqueror than the
exaltation of an old pontiff: there was no limit to the pleasantries and
prophetic epigrams on the name of Alexander, which for the second time
seemed to promise the Romans the empire of the world; and the same
evening, in the midst of brilliant illuminations and bonfires, which
seemed to turn the town into a lake of flame, the following epigram was
read, amid the acclamation of the people:

"Rome under Caesar's rule in ancient story
At home and o'er the world victorious trod;
But Alexander still extends his glory:
Caesar was man, but Alexander God."

As to the new pope, scarcely had he completed the formalities of
etiquette which his exaltation imposed upon him, and paid to each man the