Richard & Alexander

I recently reread THE DAUGHTER OF TIME, and one piece of Tey's presentation,
as it always does, stuck in my mind; the complete lack of conteporary
condemnation of Richard. His evil reputation depends solely on post-humous
sources.

This week I've been rereading Barbara Tuchman's THE MARCH OF FOLLY. In her
discussion of how the foolishness of the Renaissance popes forced the
Protestant Succession & thus the Reformation, she has this to say of Pope
Alexander VI...

"Certain revisionists have taken a fancy to the Borgia pope and worked
hard to rehabilitate him by intricate arguments
that dispose of the charges against him as either exaggeration or forgeries
or gossip or unexplained malice until all are made to vanish in a cloud of
invention. The revision fails to account for one thing: the hatred, disgust
and fear that Alexander had engendered by the time he died."

Rather unlike our favorite Plantagenet, n'est pas? Until I see valid
contemporary accounts that are not favorable towards Richard, I will remain
in the camp of those who see him as the victim of the most heinous slander
in history.

Mark

Mark Orr07/07/2002 18:49otrfan@...

> Until I see valid
> contemporary accounts that are not favorable towards Richard, I will remain
> in the camp of those who see him as the victim of the most heinous slander
> in history.
I'd put Robespierre up there with our Richard in the heinous slander group.
But that, as they say, is for another list, one I just so happen to co-own
should anybody be interested.
recent events make me think often of bringing the guillotine back out of
storage, although in certain cases it would dole out punishment far too
quickly (VBG)
Paul

ps. I meant to add what a great quote that is about Alexander Borgia.
Paul

note the VBG on my last post in case anyone missed it!!!