21

V.

a new policy and much sagacious caution had become CHAP. necessary to uphold the falling authority to which he was elected; and, therefore, instead of selling the coveted dignity like his predecessor, he resolved to select some of the most distinguished persons in Christendom to be cardinals,20 that he might give his hierarchy the strength and credit of their talents and character. With this view, he fixed upon seven, whose names were likely to have the greatest effect on Europe. One of these was a layman of Venice, aged fifty-three, who was not dreaming either of the honor, or of the church as a profession," but who, having distinguished himself for his learning and virtues, had been twice successful with the emperor for his country's welfare as its ambassador; and was, at the time of his unexpected promotion to the highest dignity but one of the Catholic hierarchy, one of the most important lords of the Venetian senate.23 This was the signor Contarini, who on 21 May 1535 was created cardinal, with six others. On the courier's reaching Venice with the appointment, the unambitious senator

20 Godeau, 51. Beccat. p. 106.

a These were Fisher, the bishop of Rochester, then in prison; the archbishop of Capua, a German, who had been much practised in courts and business; Bellay, the bishop of Paris; Simonetta, bishop of Pesaro, the celebrated auditor of the Ruota; Ghinucci, auditor of the chamber; the Pronotario Carraciolo, much liked by the duke of Milan and Contarini. ib. 107.

22Puro laico.' Beccat. 107.

23 In 1521 he went on an embassy from Venice to Charles V. at Worms; passed with him into England in June 1522, and accompanied him thence in the following month to Spain, ib. 100. In 1527, he was sent ambassador from the Venetian state to Clement VII. at Viterbo, when that confederacy was formed between the Pope, Venice, Florence and France against the Emperor, which was broken up by the destruction of Lautrec's bellissimo esercito,' in the camp before Naples. ib. 105. See Hist. Henry VIII. vol. 2. p. 249.

II.

26

BOOK hesitated to accept it.24 His friends solicited his compliance, for the good of his country.25 He acquiesced in their wishes, received from a bishop then at Venice the first tonsure and the minor orders," visited the grand duke in form in his cardinal costume; and in September, in this transformation, going to Rome, was admitted into the consistory there," the great senate of the papal throne.

28

The integrity of Contarini's mind, and his knowlege of the criticisms of the observing world, soon led him to notice the abuses in the pontifical court and dignitaries which ought to be corrected. But his remarks were unpopular there, and only drew sneers upon himself,29 until Paul III. becoming sensible of the force of his counsels, resolved to make a reform of the most objectionable faults,30 and therefore desired Contarini to name the persons who would be the fittest to effectuate such a task. The upright cardinal recommended eight persons, whose principles on this point he knew to resemble his

24 He told me, he was at first in doubt whether he should accept it." Beccat. 108.

25 Pole's liberal remark on him was, 'That he had often read of honors having been given to virtue, but had never seen such a thing in reality till now, when the pope had, from the love of virtue alone, thus honored a gentleman with whom he had not been previously acquainted.' ib. 109.

Beccat. 108.

"The pontiff there, as he was not rich enough for the customary state of his new dignity, ordered him a provision of 200 scudi every month, which was always regularly paid him. Beccat. 110.

28 The court had run into many abuses (molti abusi), on which the cardinal oftentimes spoke with great ingenuousness; only to satisfy his duty, and not to offend.' Beccat. 110.

29 But the world, which is bad, moved certain persons who would not think of any reform, to say, that Contarini was come from the senate of Venice to reform the college of cardinals, without even knowing their names.' ib.

Che si facesse una reforma delle cose piu importanti.' ib.

31

own. The pope summoned these selected men to Rome, and ordered them to put down in writing all that they conscientiously thought ought to be reformed in the Catholic Church.32 They met every day on their commission, and gave their reports with great secrecy to the pope.33 It is a curious but unnoticed fact, that these papal commissioners anticipated, by their recommendations in 1537, what the National Assembly of France actually enforced in the year 1791. They advised the ABOLITION CONVENTUAL ORDERS. Their other

OF THE

34

31 These were, the four cardinals, Contarini, Theatino, Sadolet and Pole; the archbishops of Salerno and Brindisi; the bishop of Verona; the abbot of St. George, much respected for his literature and worth; and Th. Badia, the master of the sacred palace. Plat's Monum. Trid. v. 2. p. 605.

32 Becc. 111.

6

33 Con ogni secretezza,' ib. 112. It was afterwards printed at Antwerp, and is now in Le Plat's Mon. Trid. 2. p. 596. They state that they had been directed to signify those abuses under which the church, ac præsertim hæc Romana curia, was laboring; they ascribed them to former popes collecting round them magistros ad desideria sua, not to learn from them what they ought to do, but that by their studio et calliditate a reason might be found by which it might seem lawful to do what they should like (qua liceret, id quod liberet;) who taught that the pope was the master of all benefices, and might sell what was his own, without simony; and that his will, whatever it might be, should be the rule by which he should regulate his actions, and therefore that he might do what he pleased. From this fountain have rushed, O holy Father! so many abuses and diseases which cause infidels to deride Christianity.'

The first abuse is the ordination of the clergy, in which no care is shewn; but every where any the most unfit, the vilest in birth, of bad morals, and even youths, are admitted to sacred orders.'

"The next abuse is the conferring of benefices and bishoprics on persons who do not discharge their sacred duties. Another, the charging them with pensions, so that the giver (the pope) reserves the fruits to himself. Simoniacal contracts for the exchange of benefices; children of priests getting by dispensation their fathers' benefices, which had caused great invidiam clericis and seditions, et acuunt linguam contra hanc sedem; appointing to benefices before vacancy, creating a desire for another's death; conversion of church revenues to private purposes; pluralities, especially of bishoprics; making bishops cardinals, tho the officium of each was incompatible with the other." These are the first abuses they notice as particularly flowing from the popedom itself.

34 After stating that bishops were prevented from punishing delin

CHAP.

V.

BOOK

II.

counsels were strong and honest," altho Luther was violent against them.36 But this was all that was done on this emendatory system. The execution of their advice was postponed till after the assembling of some general council: an adjournment which Beccatelli unhesitatingly attributes to the enemy of both God and man-an emphatic expression of his conviction of the existence of the evils, of the necessity of their speedy cure, and of the wish of the upright papal churchmen to see it effected. All that the

pope

quents, by their resorting to Rome, and procuring impunity by money, they proceed to remark, that many of the religious orders were deformati, and thus advise their dissolution, by the gradual plan of admitting no more to them: Conventuales ordines abolendos esse putamus omnes, non tamen ut alicui fiat injuria, sed prohibendo ne novos possint admittere. So without the injury of any one they might be speedily destroyed (cito delerentur), and boni religiosi could be substituted for them. We now think it would be optimum, if all boys who have not professed were to be expelled from their monasteries. p. 601.

35 They notice the sacrilegious abuses that occurred among nuns who were under the care of the conventual friars, and the teaching impiety in the public academies, and advise the prohibition of the Colloquies of Erasmus. 602. They urged the abolition of the questuaries of St. Anthony and others, who went about begging money, and procuring it by deceiving the people with their superstitious practices. They complain of dispensations to marry, given to those who were in sacred orders; of dispensations to those who married within the prohibited degrees; of simony, a pestilens vitium which was then reigning in the church; of clergy getting licence to bequeath church property. They recommend that indulgences should be granted only once a year, and in the distinguished cities. They tell the pope, beatissime Pater' that foreigners were scandalized at seeing, even at St. Peter's, ignorant priests, and dressed in such filthy clothes as they could not wear even in filthy houses. They remark to him, that in Rome meretrices were parading thro the city on foot, or on mules, like respected matrons, whom even at noon day the clerici et familiares cardinalium affectantur; and who were inhabiting insignes ædes. They had seen this corruption in no other city. 604. Such is the substance of this document, which verifies the declamations of the middle age against the popedom and its hierarchy.

36 On hearing that they had censured the Colloquies, Luther exclaimed, Hath Erasmus also fallen under your correction? I wish he were alive; he would give you such an answer as such infamous wretches deserve, and expose your pious grimaces to some purpose.' Jortin, Eras. v. 2. p. 66. This was unjust language towards those who were pious and worthy men, tho differing in opinion from him.

V.

then chose or was able to do, was to make his CHAP. appointed reformers cardinals, that his hierarchy might be benefited by their public principles and individual practice.

37

After the emperor's unsuccessful invasion of France from Provence, Paul III. went in 1538 to Nice, to meet and reconcile him and Francis.38 A temporary amity, but with no cordial confidence, was effected ; and this unsatisfactory conciliation, together with the desire of Charles to direct his military activity against the endangering and arrogant Turks," preserved the German Protestants, at that time, from a destructive war to convert them by military violence.

When Paul III. succeeded to the tiara, it had become sufficiently obvious to a less sagacity than his own, that his antient edifice must decline, unless the chief monarchs of Europe could be induced to maintain it by their civil power, and a sufficient number of the most influential clergy be interested and united both to teach and to enforce it.

To bring down on the Protestants of Germany the arm of military power, it was indispensable that the

37 Contarini used often to tell him, that if he wished to give beauty to the church, he would not write any more laws, of which there were plenty, but make living books, that would cause those laws to speak and yield fruit; and this was to be done by raising such men to be cardinals and bishops who revered the Deity, and were learned. Becc. 112.

38 It was here that the enlightened queen of Navarre distinguished Contarini by her kindness. When he kneeled to kiss her hand, she drew back, and then saluted him herself on the face. Becc. 114. The emperor meeting him at Rome in 1536, on his return from the capture of Tunis, was so pleased with his manners and character, as to assign him an annual pension of 800 ducats of gold on the church of Pampeluna. ib. 113.

"The emperor accompanied the pontiff from Nice to Genoa, and there confidentially expressed to Contarini to communicate it to the Venetian state, l'animo che di far guerra al Turco havea.' Becc. 114.