1807.] Account of the Life of Cardinal Stephen Borgia. 
palace, which he successively enriched by 
‘some of the greatest curiosities of anti- 
quuty. 
About the same time (1754), he lost 
one of his uncles, Fabricius Borgia, whose 
funeral oration he pronounced, and which 
was printed at Velletri, in 1754 
In 1755, Stephen Borgia was appointed 
secretary to the Society of Philology at 
Fermo; he extended and , consolidated 
the rights and privileges of this society; 
and during the time he was connected 
with it, read several dissertations, two of 
which have been printed. 
Such were the pursuits in which our 
young scholar was engaged, whilst under 
the more immediate care of his uncle. 
During the whole time he remained at 
Fermo, he constantly frequented the first 
literary circles in that city, and was a 
daily visitor at the house ot Clara Spinuc- 
cia, of whose genius and talents he was 
an enthusiastic admirer. Having fol- 
lowed into Germany Xavier Augustus, 
Prince of Saxony, whom she marsied, she 
returned in 1792 to Fermo, where Bor- 
gia, already nominated a cardinal, went 
to see her. She was the only woman, in 
whiose society he ever experienced any 
pleasure. 
In 1756, young Borgia left Fermo in 
order to finish his education at Rome, and 
with this view was placed in a seminary ap- 
propriated to the young nobility. He distin- 
guished himself by assiduous application, 
and by the production of several learned 
dissertations. In this way he conciliated 
the friendship of the rector D’Erba, and 
afterwards of Visconti, his successor, both 
of whem recommended him to the Pope. 
Their friendship thus proved the first 
cause of the elevation of the cardinal. 
Young Borgia formed an intimacy with 
the inost celebrated characters of his time, 
particularly with the MarquisSocatelli,and 
the Chevalier Jerome Vettori, ‘from whom 
he received much information on Greek 
and Roman archeology, which tended to 
perfect his knowlege on this science. By 
this acquaintance, as honourable as, use- 
ful, his mind and judgment acquired ma- 
turity; and aided by a natural’ sagacity, 
he soon was able to understand the 
greater part of the ancient monuments, 
to ascertain their age, and to explain 
them. His merit soon recommended 
him to the Academy of Palermo and the 
Literary. Society of Alessandria, who en- 
rolled his name among their members 
and associates. A short time after, in 
4751, he: had ihe degree of Doctor of 
the Canon Law cunterred on him, and 
461 
he engaged eagerly in the study of the 
privileges of the Pope aud the Romish 
church, of which he always proved himself 
a zealous defender. : 
In the same year, having heen appoint- 
ed to preach before Benedict SIV, this 
circumstance fortunately procured him 
the favour of that Pope, who, knowing 
how to appreciate merit, bestowed on 
him a testimony of his esteem by ad- 
mitting him the same year into the Col. 
lege of Prelates. 
After having passed about three years 
in this situation, he felt himself and was 
deemed by others capable of filling some 
public employment. His probity, the 
purity of his morals, the extreme mild- 
ness of his character, and the qualities 
he so eminently possessed of conciliating 
the good will of all who approached hin, | 
procured for him, towards the end of 
1759, the appointment of governor of the 
town and duchy of Benevento. 
Borgia exercised his new employ- 
ment with egual honour and ability. 
He principally endeavoured to increase 
useful knowledge, and to forward bene- 
ficial institutions, to administer justice 
personally, to ornament the city where 
he resided, and to maintain, as far as was 
in his power, peace and good order armong 
the people; always dithdent of his own 
abilities, but especially of the weakness 
of human nature, he held every day, ina 
country house, at a little distance from, 
his residence, a sort of privy council, 
where the most important questions were 
discussed, and where after the most ma- 
ture deliberations he drew up rules for 
their conduct. The magistrates of whom 
this council was composed, were few 1n 
number, but they were the most en- 
lightened men of the province. He 
occupied himself, with equal zeal, re- 
specting what concerned police and good 
order; and that he might tread securely im 
this doubiful and difficult path, he as- 
sociated with himself in this depart- 
inent of administration an upright man, 
of a strong and cultivated mind, and 
who was known in the literary warld 
by some small but useful treatises. By 
these and similar means, did this able 
goyernor repress vice, patronize virtue, 
and establish every where safety and tran- 
quijlity.. 
~ Convinced that agriculture constituted 
the principal wealth of the territory of 
Benevento, he amitted nothing to encou- 
rage and extend it; but le chiefly di- 
rected the views of the inhabitants to the 
culture of corn, endeavouring by every 
means 
