The Borgias, Season One

Guiliano Della Rovere:
(dining in the House of Medici) The wealth of Florence astounds me, Don de Medici.

Piero de Medici:
Banking. The Medici family are bankers to the world- to the Vatican itself.

Niccolo Machiavelli:
Father Savanarola calls it "usury".

Piero de Medici:
And what do you call it?

Niccolo Machiavelli:
"Interest."

Guiliano Della Rovere:
He may be wrong about the Medici bank, but he's right about the Borgia Pope. Alexander's great game is the investiture of Naples. He knows France has claims upon it; he knows Spain has claims upon it. He will play them both against each other, like a spider with two flies-

Piero de Medici:
(impatiently) And you? What is your game?

Guiliano Della Rovere:
(smiles) I have no game- but, if I am forced to play... I will head to France, and ask the French King to invade our beautiful Italy. (Medici looks alarmed)

Niccolo Machiavelli:
(pretends to look bewildered) "Italy?" Is there such an entity?

Guiliano Della Rovere:
There is a land, Signor Machiavelli, made up of many principalities. The Duchy of Milan, the Republic of your wondrous Florence, the Dukedoms of the Romagna, the Papal States-

Niccolo Machiavelli:
And to their south, Naples.

Guiliano Della Rovere:
Borgia has betrothed his daughter to a Sforza. He will marry his son to a Spaniard or a Venetian, his younger son to a Florentine or a Neapolitan. (to Medici) He will weave a web around this Italy that may not exist- he will swallow your Florence, your Venice, your Milan- and Italy then will exist, my Liege. Under him.

Niccolo Machiavelli:
(sarcastically) Hmm- prophetic words. Are you... cousin to Savanarola?

Guiliano Della Rovere:
No. But, I would meet with him- I've seen him preach.

Piero de Medici:
Can you explain to me, Cardinal, why the King of France would muster an army and invade his neighbors?

Guiliano Della Rovere:
Because he wants Naples.

Niccolo Machiavelli:
So,you give France Naples, France gives you... Rome.

Guiliano Della Rovere:
(folds his hands together)... I don't want Rome. I want to restore the glory of her Holy Church.

Niccolo Machiavelli:
Mmm- as Pope.

Guiliano Della Rovere:
(smiles uneasily) As her humble servant.

Niccolo Machiavelli:
(smiles thinly) Indeed. And... what do you want of Florence?

Guiliano Della Rovere:
... Nothing.

Niccolo Machiavelli:
(chuckles) Well, then we will charge you nothing!

Guiliano Della Rovere:
You misunderstand. I ask that Florence do... nothing.

Niccolo Machiavelli:
... Ah. We, let those French... barbarians march through our Principality, and do...

Guiliano Della Rovere:
Nothing. (Medici glances between them)

Niccolo Machiavelli:
(coldly)... That's a different kind of nothing. That will cost you something.