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mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

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Mistress <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Vatican<br />

tried hard to remember <strong>the</strong> polite compliments Aunt Olimpia had<br />

taught him to say. He ended up stiffly repeating <strong>the</strong> same words again<br />

and again, “like a song that he had learned by heart. Moreover, he was<br />

not capable <strong>of</strong> producing anything more than abrupt changes <strong>of</strong> subject<br />

and ridiculous discourse.” 8<br />

The Giustinianis and Ludovisis were furious that <strong>the</strong> selection<br />

had not fallen on a worthier candidate from one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir families. They<br />

stormed into <strong>the</strong> Vatican and let <strong>the</strong> pope know what a ridiculous<br />

choice he had made.<br />

Unfortunately, <strong>the</strong> uproar over <strong>the</strong> boy’s promotion was not limited<br />

to <strong>the</strong> pope’s family. The people <strong>of</strong> Rome, who eagerly fell in love with<br />

a good-looking face and an impressive figure, could not pardon Cardinal<br />

Maidalchini’s unpalatable appearance. The new cardinal nephew, it<br />

was said, bore an uncanny resemblance to Pasquino, that battered statue<br />

with no nose. The day <strong>of</strong> Cardinal Maidalchini’s creation ceremony,<br />

someone hung a sign on Pasquino’s friend Marforio that read,<br />

don’t cry pasquino,<br />

as a companion you will have maldachino. 9<br />

Leti grumbled, “And in fact this cardinal will forever be <strong>the</strong> laughingstock<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sacred College, <strong>the</strong> scandal <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> church, and <strong>the</strong> disgrace <strong>of</strong><br />

all <strong>the</strong> Roman court. The instructions given him by his aunt, who did<br />

everything to persuade him to always keep beside him learned men,<br />

didn’t help much as he didn’t have <strong>the</strong> mind to reap any advantage.” 10<br />

Olimpia knew she could not let this boy loose in <strong>the</strong> Vatican. Camillo,<br />

while forced to live with his mo<strong>the</strong>r, had still worked in <strong>the</strong> Vatican<br />

<strong>of</strong>fices. But Cardinal Maidalchini would not only live with Olimpia,<br />

he would also hold court <strong>the</strong>re. In his impressive <strong>of</strong>fice in <strong>the</strong> front<br />

rooms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Piazza Navona palace, Cardinal Maidalchini held his meetings<br />

with Olimpia sitting next to him, elbowing him to blurt out <strong>the</strong><br />

answers she had taught him.<br />

Giacinto Gigli wrote, “She didn’t want him to stay in <strong>the</strong> palace next<br />

to <strong>the</strong> pope, but to live in her house so she would not lose dominion.<br />

And she did not want <strong>the</strong> prelates and <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> court, who without<br />

doubt would have gone to <strong>the</strong> antechamber <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cardinal, to<br />

[ 215 ]

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