Original subtitles

Open the gate.

Who is it?

Answer me, who's come?

How? When?

By who?

Baleone! You're ill.

It's nothing.

Get out, you rogue.

Nothing. The prince deceived, and the club wasn't worth it. You'll recover

If I can survive hot plasters of Arctic and rose water, yes.

Please get out, get a horse again before autumn.

You've come, Baleone.

You're with us.

I've come.

But how?

We tell you. Oh, old friend. No, no, no, no.

I'm unmanned, that's all.

But I should be best manned.

There's bread and wine over there.

Where is the duke?

Chesire has gone to Milan to face Louis of France alone.

The French will do the work for us. He could offer them help against Spain.

Without Cantopiere, without us, he had nothing to offer.

Michelotto is raising militia from the people of the Romani. A rebel.

Who believe he protects them from tyranny. Yes, as a wolf does the sheep

Thus he no longer trusts us. Too late. And with French help he... Too late!

Do you weaken?

And others.

Meet at La Magione to form a league.

Gian Battista Rossini will sit at our head.

A blind old man?

Yes, with left bone and muscle, and you'll find in an egg white.

But if he rallies what's left of honesty in the College of Cardinals, we may

justly remove that bastard.

And the father of bastards.

The Pope?

Cardinal de la Rovere would thank us for emptying a chair he hopes to fill.

And Cardinal de la Rovere is in Milan with the French.

Cesare will find them as close as picks in a harlot's hair.

Give me your hand.

Do you weaken?

I once loved Duke Cesare as a brother.

But his treachery, his infamy.

Please forgive me now. I wish him dead.

As God's my maker, Gianpaolo.

I swear we'll tear him from his high saddle and walk upon his plane.

Majesty.

Your Grace is an unexpected visitor.

No doubt Your Majesty has been too busy to read the letter which I sent in

advance.

And unnaturally dressed.

In order that I may travel quickly and un molested.

But no escort.

None but these gentlemen, Your Majesty.

And no baggage.

Required.

So I take you for a poor mendicant.

I have not come to beg.

You may regret you came at all. We have good reason to be displeased with you.

And I to reassure you if that is so.

When it was known you'd entered Milan, we were advised to relieve Italy of your

troublesome presence by carrying you back to France.

How could I resist the invitation?

Your Majesty's hospitality is justly renowned.

Cousin.

My dear cousin.

A chamber. Prepare a chamber next to my own.

And food.

Food for this weary traveler.

I expected your eminences before.

You knew we'd come. Of course I did.

But your own expectations have disappointed you, Reverend.

I did believe the king would receive you less warmly.

You hope to disarm me with candor.

It's sometimes more effective than duplicity. And sometimes

May we be seated?

Since your grace expected us, you no doubt know the reason for our visit. You

wish to hear what service you might do me.

The king's humor is subject to sudden change. His cordiality may not be

comfortable. I can understand you found that so.

In my case, he's always listened graciously to my counsel.

Which I would be wise to employ.

It could be an advantage to you.

How so?

Milan is full of your enemies.

Including your sorts of kinsmen.

who suffered greatly at your hands.

His eminence wishes to point out that my counsel could secure the king's

protection from their hostility.

In return for my gratitude alone.

How is his holiness?

In excellent health for a man of his years. I'm truly pleased to hear it.

But age and infirmity must eventually triumph.

Indeed.

I pray the Holy Chair will be as wisely filled when he departs.

May I leapfrog some of the way, Your Eminence?

When His Holiness is dead, I shall still be Prince of the Romagna.

And Captain General of the Church, I hope. Our interests need not conflict.

If the King is advised to banish my enemies from his court.

And if I am assured that the Holy Chair will be properly occupied.

To your satisfaction.

As you say.

The King's loving friend, Cardinal d 'Amboise, thinks himself qualified.

So I believe that His Majesty may be persuaded against it.

In favor of another?

If he were to be convinced that d 'Amboise would not be accepted by the

of Cardinals.

Whom I influentially instruct.

I'm pleased you're great for such understanding.

Your eminence may count upon it.

Then we'll not keep you any longer from your bed.

Eminences, pray for me.

Of course.

Who was that, cousin?

No one of consequence, Your Majesty.

Come, come, hurry.

But they are on the bed, on the bed.

Out you go, out, out.

From my own wardrobe.

Your Majesty is too generous.

I will not have you shambling about my court like a beggar.

A poor night of St. John.

Believe none of that.

No more than I, but it will trouble his sleep.

How did we discredit him?

Did you think that we could visit him without the king hearing of it? Well,

no, I had as much when he proposed the visit. Indeed, you said little else.

Yes.

Lies flourish best from half -truths.

Tomorrow morning, at the king's levee, we tell him that Cesare summoned us,

he spoke of a time when the pope must die, and that he promised me the votes

the college against Domweiss.

in return for our support of the Spanish cause in Naples.

Very good.

Do you have anything more to offer?

With a bargain.

Why else have you come?

To confirm what I've already written to your Majesty.

You have the Pope's word.

His offer of men and arms in your campaign against Spain.

Free passage through the Papal States to Naples.

My own sword as his Captain General, if you have need of it.

Cousin.

In return for what?

Your continuing love and protection.

From whom?

Are you afraid of your own condottieri?

Not while I have good friends like Your Majesty.

Is His Holiness in good health?

As his years permit.

But age and infirmity must eventually triumph.

Alas, and great men should think of his successor.

My good friend and wise consular, Cardinal d 'Amboise. An excellent

You'll agree?

Before all men, as I told the eminent Cardinal de la Rovere.

He was here.

I believe Your Majesty saw him leave with Cardinal Sforza. And then you

him.

I said, Your Majesty, they were of no consequence.

Why were they here?

To enlist my support and that of the Cardinal for Rovere against d 'Amboise.

They slander you and then betray me?

I'll banish them from Milan.

Cesare, when we meet in public council, it shouldn't seem we're already in

accord. Your Majesty may count upon my discretion.

You'll bargain hard?

That's a bit.

Sleep well, cousin.

Majesty.

The Duke of Ferrara sent word.

Your sister has been brought to bed of a stillborn child. Did you know?

No, Your Majesty.

She's rarely ill. Do you wish to go to her?

If Your Majesty permits.

No, not yet.

Your impudence deserves some punishment.

She has asked for you many times, my lord duke, these past ten days, whether

you'd yet come.

How is she?

Weak, my lord.

Very weak.

I've purged her with wild gourd for inward liveness and watercress to

the hair. Who's her husband?

No matter.

Do you know me?

You could.

My lord, she must be bled again.

Get on with it.

My lord, if you'd just... No. The lady's arm.

The

bow.

Beneath a foot you don't.

My lord, if you could hold the lady's leg.

All will be well if you forgive me, but you must live.

Live, sweet sister, live.

We are Borgia.

One blood, one heart, one spirit.

Gratia, do you hear me?

We're life triumphant.

Help

me.

Jesus.

Help me.

He's a man, like any here.

And carrots.

Die like any man.

Hear me!

Hear me! You old fool, you waste our time.

Away with your beads and leave this room.

Yes,

my lady Paolo.

Eminem.

Baglioni? Is it you?

Yes, sir. Please continue.

This isn't a defensive league.

It's not what you suggested in your letter, Baglioni. You are proposing a

We'll have a war.

Propose it or not.

Eminence, this matter is no longer secret.

Say it. The Pope intends to seize it all and charge us upon our lives for

treason.

How do you know this? We've seen the papal letter.

Show it to me.

I would see it. He would see it. You can't tell me. What? Oh,

squeak.

Eminence, we can no longer delay.

We have 10 ,000 foot, 1 ,000 horse. The pleasure is rabble of peasant. And we

can expect the aid of Venice and Florence.

No.

Trance holds them at least.

We have their words to help us. What value has that in this game of betrayal?

If that's what we play, why should we trust the Orsini?

The Orsini have suffered the Borgias beyond endurance.

You meet here in my house.

By that, we are committed to your enterprise.

Ilione, tell me again, what is proposed?

Cesare has called upon us for his campaign against Bologna.

But it's a ruse to tempt us.

A week from now, the people of Urbino rise for their duke against Michelotto's

garrison. We give them aid and defy... Enough!

We know all this.

Do a sign.

Give me the bond.

How low?

3 ,000 ducats will not buy a month's grain for 2 ,000 more. You call here as

it were a tavern stop.

Use my clerk like... Casualty, tell me you've committed me to the French court.

No reason for so much collar.

I want 10 ,000 ducats. For what?

Huh? You have no army.

You could appear here as a amateur.

Flotting against me. Against us.

With French horse coming from Lombardy, the forage master will require 10 ,000

ducks. I don't want the French here.

The world falls upon us.

Then you trap him, Bologna.

The threat was enough.

They've offered me horse and foot and a condotta for eight years.

How did I beget such a fool?

Your horse has explained that.

I'm the son of a whore.

Cesare, you've roused a nest of sleeping wasps.

Your sin is.

We shall see.

Paolo? Have they gone?

All gone?

We're alone, Evelyn.

Lead me to a chair.

Now, eminence.

The, um... The soldiers of your condotta.

Who has been their paymaster?

Duke Taylor.

And were they regularly paid?

Yes, Eminence.

Can we now rely on them to turn against him?

Eminence, we signed the bond.

It would have been foolish not to.

I heard Vitelli rattling his sword.

Even so, honour obliges us to keep our word. Honour does not make good sense

of bad judgment.

However, those noisy braggarts may truly bring Duke Chasery down.

As we desire.

Perhaps. But I've no wish to make a pope of Giuliana della Rovere. Would you

have Vitelli as his Captain General?

Eminence.

When I was a boy, so young a boy, I would wait until

others had shaken the olive tree before I gathered the fruit.

Eminence, do you have any water?

As written.

And to me.

Why, in the name of God? To assure the Ossinians we intend them no mischief.

truth behind a lie.

When a man with flux is eager to relieve his bowels, he'll leave by any door

that's open to him.

I told the Cardinal, Wasp, to bring his conscience to you.

Tether it.

You'd better think no word more.

No. Yes.

Her love and duty, I suppose.

But the Vestas are pleased with her.

They're thankful that her dead child is a girl and not a boy.

But her husband is kind to her.

He is. He spends most of his time in taverns.

Oh, Lucia.

May I now leave for Imola?

Imola?

Would be no easier revolt.

Are you afraid?

Michelotto will tread on Arbino.

Turn back, you scum!

Come on, turn!

Turn!

It was not to be expected that your excellent forces would be so easily

by a rude army of peasants and hillmen.

Excellency.

The constellations this month do seem favorable to rebels.

Your excellence's composure is admirable.

Maybe that I trust no astrology is outside the reach of my arm.

Or that the King of France has promised to send you 500 Gascons.

And 2 ,000 Swiss.

You've raised 800 foot soldiers from the Val di Lamone.

And 6 ,000 from the Romagna.

You return to Florence?

This day.

When you give your counsel so exact on account of my forces, tell it also to

heed the King of France, and mind its own affairs.

May I also inform it that you will now put those forces in the field?

What?

Against men who write to me of their friendship, to whom I respond as warmly.

I'm opposed by fools, Master Secretary.

Why is that, do you think?

Because they trust each other.

Then why do they write to me?

Because they have no trust.

Try again.

They would rather trust you than each other.

Travel safely, Master Niccolo.

We can no longer hope for success.

What?

The King of France has informed Venice and Florence that if they support our

enterprise, we'll treat them as enemies.

Then what has Rovery done for it in Milan? The King has banished him.

Say, sorry.

Eminence, you counsel delay.

No, caution.

Delay while you scribble letters.

You too have written to him, Valuni. Written?

To who?

As others here have done and received letters from him. From who?

What then may we learn from our lack of faith in each other?

Our want of resolution.

Does no man hear me?

We hear, Vitelli.

I know you've also had letters from Duke Chafery. I wiped my back.

side with them. Eminence. No, Baglioni. Hear me.

We stand alone without a friend.

Except perhaps the man we declared our enemy.

You treacherous priest.

Vitelli. You do understand me, Baglioni.

He's offered an end to all past grievances.

Remission for injuries done.

The defense of your interests in perpetual alliance.

Has he written so to others here?

Yes, he's written to me.

In return for your loyalty and service.

Is it not plain then that you have shaken your self -confidence?

May we not profit from that?

I'm among madmen.

I shall go to Rome.

We'll have the Pope's security for his son's word.

And who'll build the cat?

You, my lady Paolo?

Yes.

I'll ask Cesare to meet us.

Are you all agreed?

Agreed.

Can't give me a moment to see your faces.

Paolo?

Vitelli?

You'd abandon me?

If you have it so.

I'll meet him. Bring him within reach of my sword. Oh, Vitelli, ask his eminence

whether he's not thought of that too.

You're certain it's coming?

I'm less sure that you'll play your part as you should. Of no point, how nice it

is, I must return to Imola within the hour.

If Cardinal Ussini comes to Rome... He's coming.

I shall receive him.

As a brother, if you wish. Then hold him fast by the neck, like a serpent.

Cesare. Cesare.

When will you meet the others?

At the close of the year.

Your French horse returns to Lombardy before Christmas.

They'll not know that.

Take care, Cesare.

Send my brother Joffrey to me.

No. He means nothing to you.

It is all I have. He's diverted himself with boys long enough.

It's time he was a man.

Bolognese? Yes, sir.

Sad word.

You keep me in darkness.

Sad word.

My lord.

Honor was always a word that slipped easily from your lips, Paolo.

I endeavor to live by it, my lord.

Hive, below the armpit, bootle and arch.

And your companions?

You have their word also.

So I have.

Old friends who stabbed me in the back.

No!

Unstrap me.

You can try the demigrees now.

Such friends would heal my wounds with words.

They'd respond to your own offer of good faith.

Even Vitell would only work to make me king of Tuscany.

Paolo.

Paolo, I have no ill will towards you.

Nor against his eminence.

Holiness, you give a blind old man great joy.

You have been a good servant of the church, Giambattista.

So many years wasted in enmity between our families.

All past now.

And when Caesar returns, he will give you his hand on that.

He comes to Rome?

In February, for Carnival.

No one, Eminence, no one knows how to celebrate Carnival without him.

He'll devise a thousand follies, spend ten thousand ducats.

So prodigal is his generosity to his friends.

Help me retake Urbino.

If your grace honors the offers made in your letters to us.

Honor again, Paolo.

Will you meet us?

Take these away, too. They're too tight. They pinch the car.

My lord.

At Filigalia.

Where?

The last day of the year.

But mark this, Paolo.

You must come, all of you, with no more than an escort.

As I shall.

No bowmen on rooftops, no spearmen in ambush.

If I smell treachery, I turn about, summon my army, and destroy you.

Is it agreed?

It's agreed.

Upon your honor.

Upon my honor.

And go with God, my friend.

Sometimes I forget you're there, Ramiro.

You walk so much in my shadow.

I forget you're there.

Always, my lord.

No, I think not.

My lord?

My friend, the king of France, advises me to be rid of you.

Then he may blow into the wind.

Eh, my lord?

Do you plot against me, Romero?

Aye.

No, my lord.

Perhaps not.

Yet, when Vitelli came to my camp at Fermignano and threatened me, I remember

you and he were as thick as flies on carrion.

Vote for me.

Yes?

Who is it?

Hold it.

I cannot see!

You must name yourself!

Hold it!

Hold it!

A cold morning to

die. A warm welcome beyond, no doubt.

It was a good life.

A swift end to it. That is a mercy.

They will take Cesare Borgia!

As well he might.

Hasta siempre.

It's put about publicly that his eminence is confined by the plague. So

expect no treachery.

The man lies!

No.

His brother serves the Vatican.

Pay him well. That's all he came for.

God is good to us, my friends.

What? That old fool of a pope moved too soon.

Now we know what to expect from his bull calf.

Is it to be done my way?

There's no other way. choice.

Not in honor.

Gen Paolo.

Halt! Secure yourself!

Put up your lungs, you dolts!

It's done?

My thousands received themselves in Senegalia a week ago.

Your horse and foot await between the town and the telly's forces to the

He's come?

At dusk.

With Orsini and four others.

And twenty other riders, like yourself.

No more?

Fifty of my bowmen came in yesterday.

They're now on the rooftop.

It's not enough.

More at the gates And in houses about this

where they're not drunk dead others bound

You saw that signal when we arrived

My man, I know his cap and beard

Left him in the street, he'll be here shortly.

Am I your permission to eat now?

Flocks?

Well, he only has the flocks.

So he said when I met him on the road running away from Senegalia.

He begs your pardon for his absence.

Tortini or Vitelli from that window, and the street will fill with men.

This house is a trap.

To be well, Sopran.

Upon whom?

I'll go below and find Baraglione.

Vitelli!

You drive a hard bargain.

We're all done.

Paolo!

Your hand.

There's much we could debate, my lord.

Where else have I come?

We debate nothing!

A cold night can settle a heart on the bladder.

Before we talk, give me a leave for a moment.

And when that's done, attend to... Attend to our caged bird.

His holiness may not like it.

Did Ramiro make a good end?

He died well.

had to report of this, Master Nicolau?

That the Council of Florence must agree with the King of France.

Your beautiful deception was an act worthy of a Roman hero.

And perhaps add that your Excellency does not misuse compassion.

It's fear that imposes order and obedience.

If those who fear a prince do not also hate him.

Fear

and

hatred are surely indivisible.

With respect, Excellency, no.

Do we not fear?

Although men love and hate upon their own prompting, and none other, but

they can be made to fear those who wish to be feared.

Therefore,

a wise prince, if he cannot be loved, should

make himself feared without being hated, and may thus govern.

shortly.

Have you done this supper?

Oh, no.

You're a man and you waste good wine.

Throughout that year, until late summer, having, in his own words, relieved the

country of a swarm of troublesome infants,

the Duke enjoyed such power as no prince of Italy had known before.

Those lords of the Romagna whom he had not killed were silenced by fear.

His government was now so sound that he was able to treat with France and Spain

as an equal.

Truly he had become an example to all centuries, who in the future may seek

absolute power and unquestionable confidence.

And if men did not believe him when he said he merely held that power in the

name of the Church, if such men argued that he had made a servant of his

the Pope, none was bold enough to say so publicly, for the thought of his anger

It was now a terror to all.

You take no wine?

I've no stomach for it tonight.

You have the French disease again.

And what ails you?

I am old.

Augustine Rome is fatal.

Fat man.

Then leave it.

Or grow thin.

Young men think youth is eternal.

That's an old man's lie.

We know it's too brief.

I've only one enemy left now.

Time.

And no friends.

When have we needed them?

You'll need it.

When I'm dead.

I told you once.

When you're dead, I shall look into the face of the sun.

It's too late.

Now is darkness.

Oh, I'm... I will chisel it.

Five years ago, I set aside my cardinal's hat.

I can assume it again.

What? All things are possible.

You would be Pope?

When you were elected, you were asked what name you chose.

You said, I choose the name of Alexander the Invincible. I made that braggart

post a reality.

All things are possible.

Not that.

Ugh.

You question my skill?

Has he asked for any of his servants?

For no one. Not once in three days.

Master Burkhardt.

Your Holiness, it is Johann Burkhardt.

He asks again, has he been poisoned?

I want some mentholpulegium.

the Herb Penny Royal, well dried, to be burned as incense for the Puritan. Has

he been poisoned?

I have told him.

It is a fever, and the Duke is also afflicted.

Holiness.

Ches... Cesare.

Do not be afraid, my lord.

I have made him drink some himself.

Where is the Pope? In his bedchamber below, my lord.

Will he die?

My lord, my colleague is greatly skilled. We have no doubt his holiness

recover. Michelotto.

Who knows?

Of a sickness. No one outside the Vatican.

Kermit!

Kermit!

If he dies, I swear you'll shortly follow. The fever is too strong. It must

reduced. Then reduce it. And quickly.

It's my fault.

It's my fault.

It's my fault.