beacon lights of history-iii-2-第20节

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all　shams；　an　uncompromising　enemy　to　the　blended　atheism　and

idolatry　of　his　ungodly　age。　　He　was　the　contemporary　of　political；

worldly；　warlike；　unscrupulous　popes；　disgraced　by　nepotism　and

personal　vices；men　who　aimed　to　extend　not　a　spiritual　but

temporal　dominion；　and　who　scandalized　the　highest　position　in　the

Christian　world；　as　attested　by　all　reliable　historians；　whether

Catholic　or　Protestant。　　However　infallible　the　Catholic　Church

claims　to　be；　it　has　never　been　denied　that　some　of　her　highest

dignitaries　have　been　subject　to　grave　reproaches；　both　in　their

character　and　their　influence。　Such　men　were　Sixtus　IV。；　Julius

II。；　and　Alexander　VI。；able；　probably；　for　it　is　very　seldom　that

the　popes　have　not　been　distinguished　for　something；　but　men；

nevertheless；　who　were　a　disgrace　to　the　superb　position　they　had

succeeded　in　reaching。



The　great　feature　of　that　age　was　the　revival　of　classical　learning

and　artistic　triumphs　in　sculpture；　painting；　and　architecture；

blended　with　infidel　levity　and　social　corruptions；　so　that　it　is

both　interesting　and　hideous。　　It　is　interesting　for　its　triumphs

of　genius；　its　dispersion　of　the　shadows　of　the　Middle　Ages；　the

commencement　of　great　enterprises　and　of　a　marked　refinement　of

manners　and　tastes；　it　is　hideous　for　its　venalities；　its　murders；

its　debaucheries；　its　unblushing　wickedness；　and　its　disgraceful

levities；　when　God　and　duty　and　self…restraint　were　alike　ignored。

Cruel　tyrants　reigned　in　cities；　and　rapacious　priests　fattened　on

the　credulity　of　the　people。　　Think　of　monks　itinerating　to　sell

perverted　〃indulgences〃；　of　monasteries　and　convents　filled；　not

with　sublime　enthusiasts　as　in　earlier　times；　but　with　gluttons　and

sensualists；　living　in　concubinage　and　greedy　of　the　very　things

which　primitive　monasticism　denounced　and　abhorred！　　Think　of　boys

elevated　to　episcopal　thrones；　and　the　sons　of　popes　made　cardinals

and　princes！　　Think　of　churches　desecrated　by　spectacles　which　were

demoralizing；　and　a　worship　of　saints　and　images　which　had　become

idolatrous；a　degrading　superstition　among　the　people；　an　infidel

apathy　among　the　higher　classes：　not　infidel　speculations；　for

these　were　reserved　for　more　enlightened　times；　but　an　indifference

to　what　is　ennobling；　to　all　vital　religion；　worthy　of　the　Sophists

in　the　time　of　Socrates！



It　was　in　this　age　of　religious　apathy　and　scandalous　vices；　yet　of

awakening　intelligence　and　artistic　glories；　when　the　greatest

enthusiasm　was　manifested　for　the　revived　literature　and　sculptured

marbles　of　classic　Greece　and　Rome；　that　Savonarola　appeared　in

Florence　as　a　reformer　and　preacher　and　statesman；　near　the　close

of　the　fifteenth　century；　when　Columbus　was　seeking　a　western

passage　to　India；　when　Michael　Angelo　was　moulding　the　〃Battle　of

Hercules　with　the　Centaurs；〃　when　Ficino　was　teaching　the

philosophy　of　Plato；　when　Alexander　VI。　was　making　princes　of　his

natural　children；　when　Bramante　was　making　plans　for　a　new　St。

Peter's；　when　Cardinal　Bembo　was　writing　Latin　essays；　when　Lorenzo

de'　Medici　was　the　flattered　patron　of　both　scholars　and　artists；

and　the　city　over　which　he　ruled　with　so　much　magnificence　was　the

most　attractive　place　in　Europe；　next　to　that　other　city　on　the

banks　of　the　Tiber；　whose　wonders　and　glories　have　never　been

exhausted；　and　will　probably　survive　the　revolutions　of　unknown

empires。



But　Savonarola　was　not　a　native　of　Florence。　　He　was　born　in　the

year　1452　at　Ferrara；　belonged　to　a　good　family；　and　received　an

expensive　education；　being　destined　to　the　profession　of　medicine。

He　was　a　sad；　solitary；　pensive；　but　precocious　young　man；　whose

youth　was　marked　by　an　unfortunate　attachment　to　a　haughty

Florentine　girl。　　He　did　not　cherish　her　memory　and　dedicate　to　her

a　life…labor；　like　Dante；　but　became　very　dejected　and　very　pious。

His　piety　assumed；　of　course；　the　ascetic　type；　for　there　was

scarcely　any　other　in　that　age；　and　he　entered　a　Dominican　convent；

as　Luther；　a　few　years　later；　entered　an　Augustinian。　　But　he　was

not　an　original　genius；　or　a　bold　and　independent　thinker　like

Luther；　so　he　was　not　emancipated　from　the　ideas　of　his　age。　　How

few　men　can　go　counter　to　prevailing　ideas！　　It　takes　a　prodigious

genius；　and　a　fearless；　inquiring　mind；　to　break　away　from　their

bondage。　　Abraham　could　renounce　the　idolatries　which　surrounded

him；　when　called　by　a　supernatural　voice；　Paul　could　give　up　the

Phariseeism　which　reigned　in　the　Jewish　schools　and　synagogues；

when　stricken　blind　by　the　hand　of　God；　Luther　could　break　away

from　monastic　rules　and　papal　denunciation；　when　taught　by　the

Bible　the　true　ground　of　justification；but　Savonarola　could　not。

He　pursued　the　path　to　heaven　in　the　beaten　track；　after　the

fashion　of　Jerome　and　Bernard　and　Thomas　Aquinas；　after　the　style

of　the　Middle　Ages；　and　was　sincere；　devout；　and　lofty；　like　the

saints　of　the　fifth　century；　and　read　his　Bible　as　they　did；　and

essayed　a　high　religious　life；　but　he　was　stern；　gloomy；　and

austere；　emaciated　by　fasts　and　self…denial。　　He　had；　however；

those　passive　virtues　which　Mediaeval　piety　ever　enjoined；yea；

which　Christ　himself　preached　upon　the　Mount；　and　which

Protestantism；　in　the　arrogance　of　reason；　is　in　danger　of　losing

sight　of；humility；　submission；　and　contempt　of　material　gains。

He　won　the　admiration　of　his　superiors　for　his　attainments　and　his

piety；　being　equally　versed　in　Aristotle　and　the　Holy　Scriptures。

He　delighted　most　in　the　Old　Testament　heroes　and　prophets；　and

caught　their　sternness　and　invective。



He　was　not　so　much　interested　in　dogmas　as　he　was　in　morals。　　He

had　not；　indeed；　a　turn　of　mind　for　theology；　like　Anselm　and

Calvin；　but　he　took　a　practical　view　of　the　evils　of　society。　　At

thirty　years　of　age　he　began　to　preach　in　Ferrara　and　Florence；　but

was　not　very　successful。　　His　sermons　at　first　created　but　little

interest；　and　he　sometimes　preached　to　as　few　as　twenty…five

people。　　Probably　he　was　too　rough　and　vehement　to　suit　the

fastidious　ears　of　the　most　refined　city　in　Italy。　　People　will　not

ordinarily　bear　uncouthness　from　preachers；　however　gifted；　until

they　have　earned　a　reputation；　they　prefer　pretty　and　polished

young　men　with　nothing　but　platitudes　or　extravagances　to　utter。

Savonarola　seems　to　have　been　discouraged　and　humiliated　at　his

failure；　and　was　sent　to　preach　to　the　rustic　villagers；　amid　the

mountains　near　Sienna。　　Among　these　people　he　probably　felt　more　at

home；　and　he　gave　vent　to　the　fire　within　him　and　electrified　all

who　heard　him；　winning　even　the　admiration　of　the　celebrated　Prince

of　Mirandola。　　From　this　time　his　fame　spread　rapidly；　he　was

recalled　to　Florence；　1490；　and　his　great　career　commenced。　　In　the

following　year　such　crowds　pressed　to　hear　him　that　the　church　of

St。　Mark；　connected　with　the　Dominican　convent　to　which　he　was

attached；　could　not　contain　the　people；　and　he　repaired　to　the

cathedral。　　And　even　that　spacious　church　was　filled　with　eager

listeners；more　moved　than　delighted。　　So　great　was　his

popularity；　that　his　influence　correspondingly　increased　and　he　was

chosen　prior　of　his　famous　convent。



He　now　wielded　power　as　well　as　influence；　and　became　the　most

marked　man　of　the　city。　　He　was　not　only　the　most　eloquent　preacher

in　Italy；　probably　in　the　world；　but　his　eloquence　was　marked　by

boldness；　earnestness；　almost　fierceness。　　Like　an　ancient　prophet；

he　was　terrible　in　his　denunciation　of　vices。　　He　spared　no　one；

and　he　feared　no　one。　　He　resembled　Chrysostom　at　Constantinople；

when　he　denounced　the　vanity　of　Eudoxia　and　the　venality　of

Eutropius。　　Lorenzo　de'　Medici；　the　absolute　lord　of　Florence；　sent

for　him；　and　expostulated　and　remonstrated　with　the　unsparing

preacher；all　to　no　effect。　　And　when　the　usurper　of　his　country's

liberties　was　dying；　the　preacher　was　again　sent　for；　this　time　to

grant　an　absolution。　　But　Savonarola　would　grant　no　absolution

unless　Lorenzo　would　restore　the　liberties　which　he　and　his　family

had　taken　away。　　The　dying　tyrant　was　not　prepared　to　accede　to　so

haughty　a　demand；　and；　collecting　his　strength；　rolled　over　on　his

bed　without　saying　a　word；　and　the　austere　monk　wended　his　way　back

to　his　convent；　unmolested　and　determined。



The　premature　death　of　this　magnificent　prince　made　a　great

sensation　throughout　Italy；　and　produced　a　change　in　the　politics

of　Florence；　for　the　people　began　to　see　their　political

degradation。　　The　popular　discontents　were　increased　when　his

successor；　Pietro；　proved　himself　incapable　and　tyrannical；

abandoned　himself　to　orgies；　and　insulted　the　leading　citizens　by

an　overwhelming　pride。　　Savonarola　took　the　side　of　the　people；　and

fanned　the　discontents。　　He　became　the　recognized　leader　of

opposition　to　the　Medici；　and　virtually　ruled　the　city。



The　Prior　of　St。　Mark　now　appeared　in　a　double　light；as　a

political　leader　and　as　a　p