beacon lights of history-iii-2-第28章

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alone；　in　a　dark　inquisitorial　prison；　subjected　to　increasing

torture　among　bitter　foes；　he　did　not　fully　defend　his　visions　and

prophecies；　and　then　his　extorted　confessions　were　diabolically

altered。　　But　that　was　all　they　could　get　out　of　him；that　he　had

prophesied。　　In　all　matters　of　faith　he　was　sound。　　The　inquisitors

were　obliged　to　bring　their　examination　to　an　end。　　They　could　find

no　fault　with　him；　and　yet　they　were　determined　on　his　death。　　The

Government　of　Florence　consented　to　it　and　hastened　it；　for　a

Medici　again　held　the　highest　office　of　the　State。



Nothing　remained　to　the　imprisoned　and　tortured　friar　but　to

prepare　for　his　execution。　　In　his　supreme　trial　he　turned　to　the

God　in　whom　he　believed。　　In　the　words　of　the　dying　Xavier；　on　the

Island　of　Sancian；　he　exclaimed；　In　te　domine　speravi；　non

confundar　in　eternum。　　〃O　Lord；〃　he　prays；　〃a　thousand　times　hast

thou　wiped　out　my　iniquity。　　I　do　not　rely　on　my　own　justification；

but　on　thy　mercy。〃　　His　few　remaining　days　in　prison　were　passed　in

holy　meditation。



At　last　the　officers　of　the　papal　commission　arrive。　　The　tortures

are　renewed；　and　also　the　examinations；　with　the　same　result。　　No

fault　could　be　found　with　his　doctrines。　　〃But　a　dead　enemy；〃　said

they；　〃fights　no　more。〃　　He　is　condemned　to　execution。　　The

messengers　of　death　arrive　at　his　cell；　and　find　him　on　his　knees。

He　is　overpowered　by　his　sufferings　and　vigils；　and　can　with

difficulty　be　kept　from　sleep。　　But　he　arouses　himself；　and　passes

the　night　in　prayer；　and　administers　the　elements　of　redemption　to

his　doomed　companions；　and　closes　with　this　prayer：　〃Lord；　I　know

thou　art　that　perfect　Trinity；Father；　Son；　and　Holy　Ghost；　I　know

that　thou　art　the　eternal　Word；　that　thou　didst　descend　from　heaven

into　the　bosom　of　Mary；　that　thou　didst　ascend　upon　the　cross　to

shed　thy　blood　for　our　sins。　　I　pray　thee　that　by　that　blood　I　may

have　remission　for　my　sins。〃　　The　simple　faith　of　Paul；　of

Augustine；　of　Pascal！　　He　then　partook　of　the　communion；　and

descended　to　the　public　square；　while　the　crowd　gazed　silently　and

with　trepidation；　and　was　led　with　his　companions　to　the　first

tribunal；　where　he　was　disrobed　of　his　ecclesiastical　dress。　　Then

they　were　led　to　another　tribunal；　and　delivered　to　the　secular

arm；　then　to　another；　where　sentence　of　death　was　read；　and　then　to

the　place　of　execution；not　a　burning　funeral　pyre；　but　a

scaffold；　which　mounting；　composed；　calm；　absorbed；　Savonarola

submitted　his　neck　to　the　hangman；　in　the　forty…fifth　year　of　his

life：　a　martyr　to　the　cause　of　Christ；　not　for　an　attack　on　the

Church；　or　its　doctrines；　or　its　institutions；　but　for　having

denounced　the　corruption　and　vices　of　those　who　ruled　it；for

having　preached　against　sin。





Thus　died　one　of　the　greatest　and　best　men　of　his　age；　one　of　the

truest　and　purest　whom　the　Catholic　Church　has　produced　in　any　age。

He　was　stern；　uncompromising；　austere；　but　a　reformer　and　a　saint；

a　man　who　was　merciful　and　generous　in　the　possession　of　power；　an

enlightened　statesman；　a　sound　theologian；　and　a　fearless　preacher

of　that　righteousness　which　exalteth　a　nation。　　He　had　no　vices；　no

striking　defects。　　He　lived　according　to　the　rules　of　the　convent

he　governed　with　the　same　wisdom　that　he　governed　a　city；　and　he

died　in　the　faith　of　the　primitive　apostles。　　His　piety　was

monastic；　but　his　spirit　was　progressive；　sympathizing　with

liberty；　advocating　public　morality。　　He　was　unselfish；

disinterested；　and　true　to　his　Church；　his　conscience；　and　his

cause；a　noble　specimen　both　of　a　man　and　Christian；　whose　deeds

and　example　form　part　of　the　inheritance　of　an　admiring　posterity。

We　pity　his　closing　days；　after　such　a　career　of　power　and

influence；　but　we　may　as　well　compassionate　Socrates　or　Paul。　　The

greatest　lights　of　the　world　have　gone　out　in　martyrdom；　to　be

extinguished；　however；　only　for　a　time；　and　then　to　loom　up　again

in　another　age；　and　burn　with　inextinguishable　brightness　to

remotest　generations；　as　examples　of　the　power　of　faith　and　truth

in　this　wicked　and　rebellious　world；a　world　to　be　finally

redeemed　by　the　labors　and　religion　of　just　such　men；　whose　days

are　days　of　sadness；　protest；　and　suffering；　and　whose　hours　of

triumph　and　exaltation　are　not　like　those　of　conquerors；　nor　like

those　whose　eyes　stand　out　with　fatness；　but　few　and　far　between。

〃I　have　loved　righteousness；　I　have　hated　iniquity；〃　said　the　great

champion　of　the　Mediaeval　Church；　〃and　therefore　I　die　in　exile。〃



In　ten　years　after　this　ignominious　execution；　Raphael　painted　the

martyr　among　the　sainted　doctors　of　the　Church　in　the　halls　of　the

Vatican；　and　future　popes　did　justice　to　his　memory；　for　he

inaugurated　that　reform　movement　in　the　Catholic　Church　itself

which　took　place　within　fifty　years　after　his　death。　　In　one　sense

he　was　the　precursor　of　Loyola；　of　Xavier；　and　of　Aquaviva；those

illustrious　men　who　headed　the　counter…reformation；　Jesuits　indeed；

but　ardent　in　piety；　and　enlightened　by　the　spirit　of　a　progressive

age。　　〃He　was　the　first；〃　says　Villari；　〃in　the　fifteenth　century；

to　make　men　feel　that　a　new　light　had　awakened　the　human　race；　and

thus　he　was　a　prophet　of　a　new　civilization；the　forerunner　of

Luther；　of　Bacon；　of　Descartes。　　Hence　the　drama　of　his　life

became；　after　his　death；　the　drama　of　Europe。　　In　the　course　of　a

single　generation　after　Luther　had　declared　his　mission；　the　spirit

of　the　Church　of　Rome　underwent　a　change。　　From　the　halls　of　the

Vatican　to　the　secluded　hermitages　of　the　Apennines　this　revival

was　felt。　　Instead　of　a　Borgia　there　reigned　a　Caraffa。〃　　And　it　is

remarkable　that　from　the　day　that　the　counter…reformation　in　the

Catholic　Church　was　headed　by　the　early　Jesuits；　Protestantism

gained　no　new　victories；　and　in　two　centuries　so　far　declined　in

piety　and　zeal　that　the　cities　which　witnessed　the　noblest　triumphs

of　Luther　and　Calvin　were　disgraced　by　a　boasting　rationalism；　to

be　succeeded　again　in　our　times　by　an　arrogance　of　scepticism　which

has　had　no　parallel　since　the　days　of　Democritus　and　Lucretius。

〃It　was　the　desire　of　Savonarola　that　reason；　religion；　and　liberty

might　meet　in　harmonious　union；　but　he　did　not　think　a　new　system

of　religious　doctrines　was　necessary。〃



The　influence　of　such　a　man　cannot　pass　away；　and　has　not　passed

away；　for　it　cannot　be　doubted　that　his　views　have　been　embraced　by

enlightened　Catholics　from　his　day　to　ours；by　such　men　as　Pascal；

Fenelon；　and　Lacordaire；　and　thousands　like　them；　who　prefer

ritualism　and　auricular　confession；　and　penance；　monasticism；　and

an　ecclesiastical　monarch；　and　all　the　machinery　of　a　complicated

hierarchy；　with　all　the　evils　growing　out　of　papal　domination；　to

rationalism；　sectarian　dissensions；　irreverence；　license；　want　of

unity；　want　of　government；　and　even　dispensation　from　the　marriage

vow。　　Which　is　worse；　the　physical　arm　of　the　beast；　or　the　maniac

soul　of　a　lying　prophet？　　Which　is　worse；　the　superstition　and

narrowness　which　darken　the　mind　and　the　spirit；　or　that　unbounded

toleration　which　smiles　on　those　audacious　infidels　who　cloak　their

cruel　attacks　on　the　faith　of　Christians　with　the　name　of　a

progressive　civilization？and　so　far　advanced　that　one　of　these

new　lights；　ignorant；　perhaps；　of　everything　except　of　the　fossils

and　shells　and　bugs　and　gases　of　the　hole　he　has　bored　in；　assumes

to　know　more　of　the　mysteries　of　creation　and　the　laws　of　the

universe　than　Moses　and　David　and　Paul；　and　all　the　Bacons　and

Newtons　that　ever　lived？　　Names　are　nothing；　it　is　the　spirit；　the

animus；　which　is　everything。　　It　is　the　soul　which　permeates　a

system；　that　I　look　at。　　It　is　the　Devil　from　which　I　would　flee；

whatever　be　his　name；　and　though　he　assume　the　form　of　an　angel　of

light；　or　cunningly　try　to　persuade　me；　and　ingeniously　argue；　that

there　is　no　God。　　True　and　good　Catholics　and　true　and　good

Protestants　have　ever　been　unit