- [first lines]
- Soldier: Fire!
- [loud cannon causes Lucrezia's horse to throw her off]
- Alfonso d'Este: Lucrezia!
- Lucrezia Borgia: [picks herself up and approaches the throne] Pardon me your grace. My poor horse is tired, the journey has been long.
- Ercole d'Este: Impressive. You've just handle yourself exactly as a d'Este would.
- Rodrigo Borgia: When we heard the pure and right sounds of the Angelus Bells, we felt as if God had summoned us here. Perhaps our Lord is suggesting that we should exchange jobs.
- Fra Celio: I would make a *terrible* Pope.
- Rodrigo Borgia: And I a terrible bell ringer.
- Fra Celio: We will both end our days where God has placed us.
- Rodrigo Borgia: We are not ready to end our days. No, *I* am not read. Because the moment "we" die, we are "me" again.
- Fra Celio: Death is part of God's design.
- Rodrigo Borgia: Then God's design is flawed.
- Giulia Farnese: [bursting in on Rodrigo] You deny me saying our love is a sin, and then you bring *that* woman into our bed? Now you have sinned against me. God forgives, I do not!
- Lucrezia Borgia: I have heard you are called the cleverest brother.
- Giulio d'Este: Many have called me the most handsome, too.
- Lucrezia Borgia: Oh, who exactly has called you that?
- Giulio d'Este: Mainly me.
- Lucrezia Borgia: You must admire these nun's unwavering faith.
- Giulio d'Este: If faith brought them here. Some are sent by their fathers to avoid paying a dowry. Or they are the elicit sport of some priest or prince.
- Lucrezia Borgia: The girls win too. They avoid being stuck in loveless marriages.
- Giulio d'Este: Is that what you have with Alfonso?
- Lucrezia Borgia: No, our love bloomed before our betrothal. But I cannot deny that our wedding pillow is filled with a down of politics.
- [last lines]
- Rodrigo Borgia: [narrating] The ancient Egyptians had a god named Apis. He was the god of strength, of fertility. He also protected the deceased in death. The head of the god Apis was that of a bull.