The Borgias

Previously on The Borgias...

You are aware, Holy Father, of the plots against you?

Oh, what would Rome be without a good plot?

Simony!

I have evidence that will bring this house

crashing down around your ears.

- Evidence? - Of lechery!

All of Rome knows you're the mother to my children.

The Pope must be seen to be chaste.

God has chosen us to sweep the Vatican clean of corruption.

- What Rome needs now is... - You.

Don't you want them to hear that you have a new whore?

Whom can one trust, in this Rome of ours?

I believe trust needs to be earned, My Lord.

Somebody!

Perhaps it has been.

The vultures are circling our family.

Our Rome.

It seems Cardinal Della Rovere has fled.

Your Royal Highness.

What do you want?

I want Naples to join in alliance with me to rid the papacy...

Of the stench of Borgia.

Give me control of the papal armies and I will protect us all.

We will have one son in the cloth and one in armour.

You think it fits me, brother?

And Lucrezia must marry!

Bind our enemies to us! Make friends of them.

And if my husband proves ungallant?

I shall cut his heart out with a dinner knife.

Lucrezia!

Have you any friends you can confide in?

There is a groom, Paolo.

My lady.

Young love is always doomed.

Lucrezia!

I am with child.

Thank God, not my husband's.

Your Royal Highness, King Charles of France.

I want to restore the Universal Church

to her former dignity.

You will have your war!

But it will be fought the French way.

Holy Father, we should abandon Rome.

We will not tolerate this heresy!

The barbarians are approaching!

We shall outwit them.

I know little of the art of war.

Thank God, someone in this family does.

You are either with us

or against us.

Fire!

We could be said to have an understanding.

We could indeed.

The crown of Naples.

King Charles will not remain in Naples for long.

Plague.

Did the Borgia Pope know of this?

We should thank God

for all the blessings he has visited upon this, our family.

The congregation is poor, but devout.

We shall be honoured to celebrate the Eucharist among them.

Come.

The commune awaits.

Is it the heat, Father?

No, no, no.

It's something...

I ate!

You may leave us, Sisters.

But, Cardinal...

There is no need for last rites, but your prayers would be welcome.

Hush, Cardinal.

I will attend you.

Cardinal...

And you, Sisters, let us hear your prayers.

Don't worry,

if you're not dead by now, you will live.

Your tongue will be swollen for days.

No talking, I'm afraid.

All of your prayers must be silent ones.

Altar boys and cantarella.

Neither can be trusted.

But you must know by now, Cardinal,

there is no hiding place.

Even here,

in the depths of the Umbrian olive groves,

we will find you.

The French army is ensnared in Naples. The French King is ill

with the Neapolitan disease.

God is in His Heaven,

and the Pope on His seat in Rome.

And my plea to you, Cardinal, is still the same.

Work with us,

not against us.

The Cardinal will live then?

So it seems, yes.

But I did my duty, did I not?

I shall still receive payment?

Of course.

Go with God, Sister.

To Rome now.

Our work here, Your Eminence, is finished, yes?

For the moment.

Will we meet again, Holy Father?

Perhaps.

Am I to be your mistress then?

Alas, no.

That position is taken.

Will I receive your blessing at least, for this night we spent together?

You have already received my blessing many times.

And is that bliss to be repeated?

Giulia Farnese comes back from Umbria today.

She would not countenance this.

She is strict then?

Yes, and jealous.

Why?

She is a woman.

And, forgive me, Holy Father, she is here.

Uh... You must leave us!

Don't let her in!

No, no!

You have to leave us! Go!

But I was promised...

Oh! Oh! Oh!

Now please go!

Make her vanish if you would be so kind.

His Holiness is?

His Holiness bathes.

We asked for hot water! We lie in cold!

This is more to Your Holiness' liking?

Giulia Farnese.

We have missed you.

- (Humming) - (Baby wailing)

Isn't this bliss?

A crying child?

You must avail yourself of a wet nurse, my love.

Indeed, Father, why?

Oh!

Well, you are hardly a commoner,

and your figure should reflect that grace.

A-ha.

Because I am yet of marriageable age, am I not?

Nothing could have been further from our thoughts, Lucrezia.

This child, Holy Father, lacks a father.

Oh.

Or one appropriate to your station.

And for the moment, you have no need of a marital alliance.

But if the need arose, you would marry me to the moon.

What?

Does the sun threaten our papacy now? Hmm?

No, Father.

Mars is in a unique alignment with Saturn.

The heavens beam down upon us.

For the moment.

But the day might come.

Now let me hold him, come along. Come. That's right, that's right.

So. A wet nurse. We insist.

Come on. That's the way.

The French Ambassador awaits, Your Holiness.

Oh, God. Isn't he dead yet?

He's not even sick.

Come on. Let's go see the French Ambassador.

See what he's got to say.

- Ambassador. - Your Holiness.

Up the wooden hill. There we go.

Lovely.

There we go.

It's nice, isn't it?

So, how can we be of assistance?

- (Loudly) The whereabouts of... - (Shushing)

Alfonso of Naples is still at large.

We have reason to believe that he infected his own city

with the pestilence that plagues it.

Oh! How can that concern us?

We would have the Ambassador gently remind the King

that Naples has the habit of rejecting those who would conquer it.

The Moor, the Turk, the Norman.

- (Baby crying) - (Shushing)

Why should the French be any different?

But Your Holiness invested King Charles with the...

- (Baby crying) - (Shushing)

All right, darling. It's all right.

We granted the King his wish.

Naples.

He has Naples. He regrets that fact.

That is his tragedy and not ours.

It's not ours, is it?

And now you've woken the child.

Shame on you, Ambassador. (Shushing)

It's all right. It's just the nasty Ambassador.

Let's go and find your mama.

She'll give you something to eat and it'll be better.

So, Cardinal Della Rovere is still alive?