mistress of the vatican.pdf - End Time Deception

Eleanor Herman
parentage. Olimpia might say that it was the illegitimate child of a farm
laborer and maidservant that the disgraced couple was trying to pawn
off on the Pamphili family to elicit sympathy.
The princess of Rossano also knew that even giving birth in Rome in
the presence of a midwife or doctor was not enough. Olimpia could still
claim the baby was not hers but had been smuggled into the room in a
warming pan or laundry basket, and the doctor and midwife had been
bribed to lie. To prevent a rumor that would haunt her child forever, the
princess arranged a public birth as if she were a queen. Putting aside
any shred of modesty—and we can assume she didn’t have many such
shreds—she invited numerous noble ladies of Rome and several ambassadors
to witness it when the time came. No one could accuse this
throng of accepting bribes.
Rome was abuzz with the exciting news of the princess’s flagrant
disobedience. Saint-Nicolas wrote Mazarin that Olimpia had a huge
fight with the pope because he did not want to throw the pregnant princess
out of Rome. Once again, she must have returned to her Piazza
Navona palace mystified at Innocent’s stubbornness.
The unexpected arrival of the princess and Camillo caused a vexing
problem for the cardinals and members of Rome’s diplomatic community
who twittered with unease about whether or not to call on the
couple. Would the pope punish them if they did? But if they didn’t visit,
and the pope reconciled with his nephew and made him powerful,
would Camillo wreak vengeance upon those who had not called on
him? They wrung their hands in frustration.
Only Cardinal Girolamo Grimaldi, who enjoyed insulting Olimpia
publicly, immediately called at the Palazzo Farnese in great state. Mulling
his options, Cardinal Panciroli went a bit later to pay his respects,
but the princess of Rossano gave him a very rude reception. When Cardinal
Panciroli next called on Olimpia, he informed her of the obnoxious
behavior of her daughter-in-law. Olimpia replied dryly that she
forgave him.
Olimpia did not forgive the princess, however, when she held dinner
parties with poetry contests, awarding prizes to those who could make
up the most scathing poems about her mother-in-law. In one poem she
[ 224 ]