Herard1

Jenny S. Herard
Professor William Pewitt
English 1143
13 June 2015
Essay 2: The Art of Rhetoric
Cesare Borgia to Rodrigo Borgia (before becoming Pope Alexander VI)
Father, your requests do not appear to be the appropriate manner to go about for the
following circumstances, particularly for a present-day cardinal who has the desire to receive the
entitlement of the Holy Father of all God's creatures.
Forgive me father, nonetheless as your firstborn child I can no longer follow your
demands and respond to your wishes, they have developed into an overreach of unconceivable
schemes, which even I cannot willingly go through without doubting my path of life according to
the lord.
However, you seem to give the impression of the unsighted to such apprehensions. The
only thing within your foresight is the remuneration of being the Holy Father. "But can your
family survive this prize?" Do you not see the impending danger of your demands? Do you not
ponder on the impression of what the forthcoming holds and what can come about if you convert
to be the first Spanish pope? Our ghastly reputation and attendance alone would not only further
damage our fragmented family but it would also flaw and botch the domains of Rome.
You command for hounding and bribery to acquire the increase of votes and allies, but
how would such arrangements and strategy stand in the eyes of the lord. Are you trying to
become the fellow with the blasphemous family? Do you know what the gossips would call you?
"The ape in the miter ". The individuals in Rome would certainly not respect you as pope.

Herard2
Father, you are Spanish!
Do you not apprehend the importance of this?
The pope of Rome is not intended to be Spanish. They would consider you as a fault of
the church. If such actions where made possible, half of Rome would be waiting to celebrate
your demise. Even if you were capable to charm the foolish as a snake charms a bird, you
cannot charm the great. The great know only one law: the outcome justifies the act. Have you the
stomach for greatness?
The way your mind and soul sit full to the brim of corrupt intentions, I do not think so.
But we can forget your hands have seen too much blood and sin to be placed in a position with
such grace.
But you do not see such possessions.
You do not even see grace, all you see power. You only see the benefits of your life. But
life is an ephemeral business, and you waste too much of it in judging where it would rank your
estate. Life has come to a point where it is better to accept, that we ourselves may come to be
accepted as just a cardinal, than to question and fight what is destined for us.
Do you not realize you are becoming a self-regarding leviathan obliterating any person
that repudiates to follow you? How can you gain a position of such power and responsibility
through hatred, cheating, and manipulation? With so much worldly goods to gain, it is almost
impossible.

Herard3
If you were meant to be pope, the lord himself would have granted you your wish,
without the doubt that lays like rocks in your heart. Or do your requests have a purpose that goes
beyond? Do not give all your trust to God? Do you have little regard for good faith?
Father this family with a stain. A mark. Like the mark of Cain, but is the mark of you
father, or of the family. The mark of Borgia. What do expect as pope father? What importance
does it bring to you that you must obtain it through sinful actions? You say god will forgive us
but a father may forget that one day his son will follow his example, not his advice.
But most importantly, as our father you may not have many enemies, but as pope it may
end your life.

I have tried to be other than I am. And I have failed.

And If I have failed you in the process, I am truly sorry.
But despite my failures, I must try again.
Of that I must plead ignorance.