beacon lights of history-iii-2-第27章

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pleasures；　so　the　Florentines　remembered　the　sports　and　spectacles

and　fetes　of　the　old　Medicean　rule。　　Savonarola　had　arrayed　against

himself　the　enemies　of　popular　liberty；　the　patrons　of　demoralizing

excitements；　the　partisans　of　the　banished　Medici；　and　even　the

friends　and　counsellors　of　the　Pope。　　The　dreadful　denunciation　of

sin　in　high　places　was　as　offensive　to　the　Pope　as　the　exposure　of

a　tyrannical　usurpation　was　to　the　family　of　the　old　lords　of

Florence；　and　his　enemies　took　counsel　together；　and　schemed　for

his　overthrow。　　If　the　irritating　questions　and　mockeries　of

Socrates　could　not　be　endured　at　Athens；　how　could　the　bitter

invectives　and　denunciations　of　Savonarola　find　favor　at　Florence？

The　fate　of　prophets　is　to　be　stoned。　　Martyrdom　and　persecution；

in　some　form　or　other；　are　as　inevitable　to　the　man　who　sails

against　the　stream；　as　a　broken　constitution　and　a　diseased　body

are　to　a　sensualist；　a　glutton；　or　a　drunkard。　　Impatience　under

rebuke　is　as　certain　as　the　operation　of　natural　law。



The　bitterest　and　most　powerful　enemy　of　the　Prior　of　St。　Mark　was

the　Pope　himself；Alexander　VI。；　of　the　infamous　family　of　the

Borgias；since　his　private　vices　were　exposed；　and　by　one　whose

order　had　been　especially　devoted　to　the　papal　empire。　　In　the　eyes

of　the　wicked　Pope；　the　Florentine　reformer　was　a　traitor　and

conspirator；　disloyal　and　dangerous。　　At　first　he　wished　to　silence

him　by　soft　and　deceitful　letters　and　tempting　bribes；　offering　to

him　a　cardinal's　hat；　and　inviting　him　to　Rome。　　But　Savonarola

refused　alike　the　bribe　and　the　invitation。　　His　Lenten　sermons

became　more　violent　and　daring。　　〃If　I　have　preached　and　written

anything　heretical；〃　said　this　intrepid　monk；　〃I　am　willing　to　make

a　public　recantation。　　I　have　always　shown　obedience　to　my　church；

but　it　is　my　duty　to　obey　God　rather　than　man。〃　　This　sounds　like

Luther　at　the　Diet　of　Worms；　but　he　was　more　defenceless　than

Luther；　since　the　Saxon　reformer　was　protected　by　powerful　princes；

and　was　backed　by　the　enthusiasm　of　Northern　Germans。　　Yet　the

Florentine　preacher　boldly　continued　his　attacks　on　all

hypocritical　religion；　and　on　the　vices　of　Rome；　not　as　incidental

to　the　system；　but　extraneous；the　faults　of　a　man　or　age。　　The

Pope　became　furious；　to　be　thus　balked　by　a　Dominican　monk；　and　in

one　of　the　cities　of　Italy；a　city　that　had　not　rebelled　against

his　authority。　　He　complained　bitterly　to　the　Florentine

ambassador；　of　the　haughty　friar　who　rebuked　and　defied　him。　　He

summoned　a　consistory　of　fourteen　eminent　Dominican　theologians；　to

inquire　into　his　conduct　and　opinions；　and　issued　a　brief

forbidding　him　to　preach；　under　penalty　of　excommunication。　　Yet

Savonarola　continued　to　preach；　and　more　violently　than　ever。　　He

renewed　his　charges　against　Rome。　　He　even　called　her　a　harlot

Church；　against　whom　heaven　and　earth；　angels　and　devils；　equally

brought　charges。　　The　Pope　then　seized　the　old　thunderbolts　of　the

Gregories　and　the　Clements；　and　excommunicated　the　daring　monk　and

preacher；　and　threatened　the　like　punishment　on　all　who　should

befriend　him。　　And　yet　Savonarola　continued　to　preach。　　All　Rome

and　Italy　talked　of　the　audacity　of　the　man。　　And　it　was　not　until

Florence　itself　was　threatened　with　an　interdict　for　shielding　such

a　man；　that　the　magistrates　of　the　city　were　compelled　to　forbid

his　preaching。



The　great　orator　mounted　his　pulpit　March　18；　1498；　now　four

hundred　years　ago；　and　took　an　affectionate　farewell　of　the　people

whom　he　had　led；　and　appealed　to　Christ　himself　as　the　head　of　the

Church。　　It　was　not　till　the　preacher　was　silenced　by　the

magistrates　of　his　own　city；　that　he　seems　to　have　rebelled　against

the　papal　authority；　and　then　not　so　much　against　the　authority　of

Rome　as　against　the　wicked　shepherd　himself；　who　had　usurped　the

fold。　　He　now　writes　letters　to　all　the　prominent　kings　and　princes

of　Europe；　to　assemble　a　general　council；　for　the　general　council

of　Constance　had　passed　a　resolution　that　the　Pope　must　call　a

general　council　every　ten　years；　and　that；　should　he　neglect　to

assemble　it；　the　sovereign　powers　of　the　various　states　and　empires

were　themselves　empowered　to　collect　the　scattered　members　of　the

universal　Church；　to　deliberate　on　its　affairs。　　In　his　letters　to

the　kings　of　France；　England；　Spain；　and　Hungary；　and　the　Emperor

of　Germany；　he　denounced　the　Pope　as　simoniacal；　as　guilty　of　all

the　vices；　as　a　disgrace　to　the　station　which　he　held。　　These

letters　seem　to　have　been　directed　against　the　man；　not　against　the

system。　　He　aimed　at　the　Pope's　ejectment　from　office；　rather　than

at　the　subversion　of　the　office　itself；another　mark　of　the

difference　between　Savonarola　and　Luther；　since　the　latter　waged　an

uncompromising　war　against　Rome　herself；　against　the　whole　regime

and　government　and　institutions　and　dogmas　of　the　Catholic　Church；

and　that　is　the　reason　why　Catholics　hate　Luther　so　bitterly；　and

deny　to　him　either　virtues　or　graces；　and　represent　even　his

deathbed；　as　a　scene　of　torment　and　despair；an　instance　of　that

pursuing　hatred　which　goes　beyond　the　grave；　like　that　of　the

zealots　of　the　Revolution　in　France；　who　dug　up　the　bones　of　the

ancient　kings　from　those　vaults　where　they　had　reposed　for

centuries；　and　scattered　their　ashes　to　the　winds。



Savonarola　hoped　the　Christian　world　would　come　to　his　rescue；　but

his　letters　were　intercepted；　and　reached　the　eye　of　Alexander　VI。；

who　now　bent　the　whole　force　of　the　papal　empire　to　destroy　that

bold　reformer　who　had　assailed　his　throne。　　And　it　seems　that　a

change　took　place　in　Florence　itself　in　popular　sentiment。　　The

Medicean　party　obtained　the　ascendency　in　the　government。　　The

peoplethe　fickle　peoplebegan　to　desert　Savonarola；　and

especially　when　he　refused　to　undergo　the　ordeal　of　fire；one　of

the　relics　of　Mediaeval　superstition；the　people　felt　that　they

had　been　cheated　out　of　their　amusement；　for　they　had　waited

impatiently　the　whole　day　in　the　public　square　to　see　the

spectacle。　　He　finally　consented　to　undergo　the　ordeal；　provided　he

might　carry　the　crucifix。　　To　this　his　enemies　would　not　consent。

He　then　laid　aside　the　crucifix；　but　insisted　on　entering　the　fire

with　the　sacrament　in　his　hand。　　His　persecutors　would　not　allow

this　either；　and　the　ordeal　did　not　take　place。



At　last　his　martyrdom　approaches：　he　is　led　to　prison。　　The

magistrates　of　the　city　send　to　Rome　for　absolution　for　having

allowed　the　Prior　to　preach。　　His　enemies　busy　themselves　in

collecting　evidence　against　him；for　what　I　know　not；　except　that

he　had　denounced　corruption　and　sin；　and　had　predicted　woe。　　His

two　friends　are　imprisoned　and　interrogated　with　him；　Fra　Domenico

da　Pescia　and　Fra　Silvestro　Maruffi；　who　are　willing　to　die　for

him。　　He　and　they　are　now　subjected　to　most　cruel　tortures。　　As　the

result　of　bodily　agony　his　mind　begins　to　waver。　　His　answers　are

incoherent；　he　implores　his　tormentors　to　end　his　agonies；　he　cries

out；　with　a　voice　enough　to　melt　a　heart　of　stone；　〃Take；　oh；　take

my　life！〃　　Yet　he　confessed　nothing　to　criminate　himself。　　What

they　wished　him　especially　to　confess　was　that　he　had　pretended　to

be　a　prophet；　since　he　had　predicted　calamities。　　But　all　men　are

prophets；　in　one　sense；　when　they　declare　the　certain　penalties　of

sin；　from　which　no　one　can　escape；　though　he　take　the　wings　of　the

morning　and　fly　to　the　uttermost　parts　of　the　sea。



Savonarola　thus　far　had　remained　firm；　but　renewed　examinations　and

fresh　tortures　took　place。　　For　a　whole　month　his　torments　were

continuous。　　In　one　day　he　was　drawn　up　by　a　rope　fourteen　times；

and　then　suddenly　dropped；　until　all　his　muscles　quivered　with

anguish。　　Had　he　been　surrounded　by　loving　disciples；　like　Latimer

at　the　burning　pile；　he　might　have　summoned　more　strength；　but

alone；　in　a　dark　inquisitorial　prison；　subjected　to　increasing

torture　among　bitter　foes；　he　did　not