First Published in 1999. 'Our subject is of blood and tragedy, Murther, foul incest and hypocrisy'. In the sensational history of Borgias, Barnabe Barnes found a theme tailor-made for the dark and lurid imaginings of the Jacobean stage. And then he spiced it up a little. This vigorous play was first performed by Shakespeare's company in 1607 and revived 390 years later in a semi-stage reading by Globe Education.