贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > beacon lights of history-iii-2 >

第23章

beacon lights of history-iii-2-第23章

小说: beacon lights of history-iii-2 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




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 popular preacher。  Let us first consider

him in his secular aspect; as a revolutionist and statesman;for

the admirable constitution he had a principal hand in framing

entitles him to the dignity of statesman rather than politician。

If his cause had not been good; and if he had not appealed to both

enlightened and patriotic sentiments; he would have been a

demagogue; for a demagogue and a mere politician are synonymous;

and a clerical demagogue is hideous。



Savonarola began his political career with terrible denunciations;

from his cathedral pulpit; of the political evils of his day; not

merely in Florence but throughout Italy。  He detested tyrants and

usurpers; and sought to conserve such liberties as the Florentines

had once enjoyed。  He was not only the preacher; he was also the

patriot。  Things temporal were mixed up with things spiritual in

his discourses。  In his detestation of the tyranny of the Medici;

and his zeal to recover for the Florentines their lost liberties;

he even hailed the French armies of Charles VIII。 as deliverers;

although they had crossed the Alps to invade and conquer Italy。  If

the gates of Florence were open to them; they would expel the

Medici。  So he stimulated the people to league with foreign enemies

in order to recover their liberties。  This would have been high

treason in Richelieu's time;as when the Huguenots encouraged the

invasion of the English on the soil of France。  Savonarola was a

zealot; and carried the same spirit into politics that he did into

religion;such as when he made a bonfire of what he called

vanities。  He had an end to carry: he would use any means。  There

is apt to be a spirit of expediency in men consumed with zeal;

determined on success。  To the eye of the Florentine reformer; the

expulsion of the Medici seemed the supremest necessity; and if it

could be done in no other way than by opening the gates of his city

to the French invaders; he would open the gates。  Whatever he

commanded from the pulpit was done by the people; for he seemed to

have supreme control over them; gained by his eloquence as a

preacher。  But he did not abuse his power。  When the Medici were

expelled; he prevented violence; blood did not flow in the streets;

order and law were preserved。  The people looked up to him as their

leader; temporal as well as spiritual。  So he assembled them in the

great hall of the city; where they formally held a parlemento; and

reinstated the ancient magistrates。  But these were men without

experience。  They had no capacity to govern; and they were selected

without wisdom on the part of the people。  The people; in fact; had

not the ability to select their best and wisest men for rulers。

That is an evil inherent in all popular governments。  Does San

Francisco or New York send its greatest men to Congress?  Do not

our cities elect such rulers as the demagogues point out?  Do not

the few rule; even in a Congregational church?  If some commanding

genius; unscrupulous or wise or eloquent or full of tricks;

controls elections with us; much more easily could such a man as

Savonarola rule in Florence; where there were no political

organizations; no caucuses; no wirepullers; no other man of

commanding ability。  The only opinion…maker was this preacher; who

indicated the general policy to be pursued。  He left elections to

the people; and when these proved a failure; a new constitution

became a necessity。  But where were the men capable of framing a

constitution for the republic?  Two generations of political

slavery had destroyed political experience。  The citizens were as

incapable of framing a new constitution as the legislators of

France after they had decimated the nobility; confiscated the

Church lands; and cut off the head of the king。  The lawyers

disputed in the town hall; but accomplished nothing。



Their science amounted only to an analysis of human passion。  All

wanted a government entirely free from tyranny; all expected

impossibilities。  S

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的