the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第92章

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！


and　the　moral　laws　which　　are　involved　in　it。　Few　theologians　nowadays　would　feel　tempted　to　give　　a　morning　sermon　'on　contracts；　restitutions；　the　public　debt　（monte）；　　and　the　portioning　of　daughters；'　like　that　which　he　once　delivered　in　　the　Cathedral　at　Florence。　Imprudent　speakers　easily　fell　into　the　　mistake　of　attacking　particular　classes；　professions；　or　offices；　with　　such　energy　that　the　enraged　hearers　proceeded　to　violence　against　　those　whom　the　preacher　had　denounced。　A　sermon　which　Bernardino　once　　preached　in　Rome　（1424）　had　another　consequence　besides　a　bonfire　of　　vanities　on　the　Capitol：　'After　this；'　we　read；　'the　witch　Finicella　　was　burnt；　because　by　her　diabolical　arts　she　had　killed　many　children　　and　bewitched　many　other　persons；　and　all　Rome　went　to　see　the　sight。'

But　the　most　important　aim　of　the　preacher　was；　as　has　been　already　　said；　to　reconcile　enemies　and　persuade　them　to　give　up　thoughts　of　　vengeance。　Probably　this　end　was　seldom　attained　till　towards　the　close　　of　a　course　of　sermons；　when　the　tide　of　penitence　flooded　the　city；　　and　when　the　air　resounded　with　the　cry　of　the　whole　people：　　'Misericordia！　'　Then　followed　those　solemn　embracings　and　treaties　of　　peace；　which　even　previous　bloodshed　on　both　sides　could　not　hinder。　　Banished　men　were　recalled　to　the　city　to　take　part　in　these　sacred　　transactions。　It　appears　that　these　'Paci'　were　on　the　whole　faithfully　　observed；　even　after　the　mood　which　prompted　them　was　over；　and　then　　the　memory　of　the　monk　was　blessed　from　generation　to　generation。　But　　there　were　sometimes　terrible　crises　like　those　in　the　families　Della　　Valle　and　Croce　in　Rome　（1482）　where　even　the　great　Roberto　da　Lecce　　raised　his　voice　in　vain。　Shortly　before　Holy　Week　he　had　preached　to　　immense　crowds　in　the　square　before　the　Minerva。　But　on　the　night　　before　Maundy　Thursday　a　terrible　combat　took　place　in　front　of　the　　Palazzo　della　Valle；　near　the　Ghetto。　In　the　morning　Pope　Sixtus　gave　　orders　for　its　destruction；　and　then　performed　the　customary　ceremonies　　of　the　day。　On　Good　Friday　Roberto　preached　again　with　a　crucifix　in　　his　hand；　but　he　and　his　hearers　could　do　nothing　but　weep。

Violent　natures；　which　had　fallen　into　contradictions　with　themselves；　　often　resolved　to　enter　a　convent；　under　the　impression　made　by　these　　men。　Among　such　were　not　only　brigands　and　criminals　of　every　sort；　but　　soldiers　without　employment。　This　resolve　was　stimulated　by　their　　admiration　of　the　holy　man；　and　by　the　desire　to　copy　at　least　his　　outward　position。

The　concluding　sermon　is　a　general　benediction；　summed　up　in　the　words：　　'la　pace　sia　con　voi！'　Throngs　of　hearers　accompany　the　preacher　to　the　　next　city；　and　there　listen　for　a　second　time　to　the　whole　course　of　　sermons。

The　enormous　influence　exercised　by　these　preachers　made　it　important；　　both　for　the　clergy　and　for　the　government；　at　least　not　to　have　them　　as　opponents；　one　means　to　this　end　was　to　permit　only　monks　or　priests　　who　had　received　at　all　events　the　lesser　consecration；　to　enter　the　　pulpit；　so　that　the　Order　or　Corporation　to　which　they　belonged　was；　to　　some　extent；　responsible　for　them。　But　it　was　not　easy　to　make　the　rule　　absolute；　since　the　Church　and　pulpit　had　long　been　used　as　a　means　of　　publicity　in　many　ways；　judicial；　educational；　and　others；　and　since　　even　sermons　were　sometimes　delivered　by　humanists　and　other　laymen。　　There　existed；　too；　in　Italy；　a　dubious　class　of　persons　who　were　　neither　monks　nor　priests；　and　who　yet　had　renounced　the　worldthat　is　　to　say；　the　numerous　class　of　hermits　who　appeared　from　time　to　time　in　　the　pulpit　on　their　own　authority；　and　often　carried　the　people　with　　them。　A　case　of　this　kind　occurred　at　Milan　in　1516　after　the　second　　French　conquest；　certainly　at　a　time　when　public　order　was　much　　disturbed。　A　Tuscan　hermit；　Hieronymus　of　Siena；　possibly　an　adherent　　of　Savonarola；　maintained　his　place　for　months　together　in　the　pulpit　　of　the　Cathedral；　denounced　the　hierarchy　with　great　violence；　caused　a　　new　chandelier　and　a　new　altar　to　be　set　up　in　the　church；　worked　　miracles；　and　only　abandoned　the　field　after　a　long　and　desperate　　struggle。　During　the　decades　in　which　the　fate　of　Italy　was　decided；　　the　spirit　of　prophecy　was　unusually　active；　and　nowhere　where　it　　displayed　itself　was　it　confined　to　any　one　particular　class。　We　know　　with　what　a　tone　of　true　prophetic　defiance　the　hermits　came　forward　　before　the　sack　of　Rome。　In　default　of　any　eloquence　of　their　own；　　these　men　made　use　of　messengers　with　symbols　of　one　kind　or　another；　　like　the　ascetic　near　Siena　（1496）　who　sent　a　'little　hermit；'　that　is　　a　pupil；　into　the　terrified　city　with　a　skull　upon　a　pole　to　which　was　　attached　a　paper　with　a　threatening　text　from　the　Bible。

Nor　did　the　monks　themselves　scruple　to　attack　princes；　governments；　　the　clergy；　or　even　their　own　order。　A　direct　exhortation　to　overthrow　　a　despotic　house；　like　that　uttered　by　Jacopo　Bussolaro　at　Pavia　in　the　　fourteenth　century；　hardly　occurs　again　in　the　following　period：　but　　there　is　no　want　of　courageous　reproofs；　addressed　even　to　the　Pope　in　　his　own　chapel；　and　of　naive　political　advice　given　in　the　presence　of　　rulers　who　by　no　means　held　themselves　in　need　of　it。　In　the　Piazza　del　　Castello　at　Milan；　a　blind　preacher　from　the　Incoronataconsequently　　an　Augustinianventured　in　1494　to　exhort　Lodovico　il　Moro　from　the　　pulpit：　'My　lord；　beware　of　showing　the　French　the　way；　else　you　will　　repent　it。'　There　were　further　prophetic　monks　who；　without　exactly　　preaching　political　sermons；　drew　such　appalling　pictures　of　the　future　　that　the　hearers　almost　lost　their　senses。　After　the　election　of　Leo　X；　　in　the　year　1513　a　whole　association　of　these　men；　twelve　Franciscan　　monks　in　all；　journeyed　through　the　various　districts　of　Italy；　of　　which　one　or　other　was　assigned　to　each　preacher。　The　one　who　appeared　　in　Florence；　fra　Francesco　da　Montepulcian；　struck　terror　into　the　　whole　people。　The　alarm　was　not　diminished　by　the　exaggerated　reports　　of　his　prophecies　which　reached　those　who　were　too　far　off　to　hear　him。　　After　one　of　his　sermons　he　suddenly　died　'of　pain　in　the　chest。'　The　　people　thronged　in　such　numbers　to　kiss　the　feet　of　the　corpse　that　it　　had　to　be　secretly　buried　in　the　night。　But　the　newly　awakened　spirit　　of　prophecy；　which　seized　upon　even　women　and　peasants；　could　not　be　　controlled　without　great　difficulty。　'In　order　to　restore　to　the　people　　their　cheerful　humour；　the　MediciGiuliano；　Leo's　brother；　and　　Lorenzogave　on　St。　John's　Day；　1514；　those　splendid　festivals；　　tournaments；　processions；　and　hunting…parties；　which　were　attended　by　　many　distinguished　persons　from　Rome；　and　among　them；　though　disguised；　　no　less　than　six　cardinals。'

But　the　greatest　of　the　prophets　and　apostles　had　already　been　burnt　in　　Florence　in　the　year　1498Fra　Girolamo　Savonarola　of　Ferrara。　We　must　　content　ourselves　with　saying　a　few　words　respecting　him。

The　instrument　by　means　of　which　he　transformed　and　ruled　the　city　of　　Florence　（1494…8）　was　his　eloquence。　Of　this　the　meagre　reports　that　　are　left　to　us；　which　were　taken　down　mostly　on　the　spot；　give　us　　evidently　a　very　imperfect　notion。　It　was　not　that　he　possessed　any　　striking　outward　advantages；　for　voice；　accent；　and　rhetorical　skill　　constituted　precisely　his　weakest　side；　and　those　who　required　the　　preacher　to　be　a　stylist；　went　to　his　rival　Fra　Mariano　da　Genazzano。　　The　eloquence　of　Savonarola　was　the　expression　of　a　lofty　and　　commanding　personality；　the　like　of　which　was　not　seen　again　till　the　　time　of　Luther。　He　himself　held　his　own　influence　to　be　the　result　of　a　　divine　illumination；　and　could　therefore；　without　presumption；　assign　a　　very　high　place　to　the　office　of　the　preacher；　who；　in　the　great　　hierarchy　of　spirits；　occupies；　according　to　him；　the　next　place　below　　the　angels。

This　man；　whose　nature　seemed　made　of　fire；　worked　another　and　greater　　miracle　than　any　of　his　oratorical　triumphs。　His　own　Dominican　　monastery　of　San　Marco；　and　then　all　the　Dominican　monasteries　of　　Tuscany；　became　like…minded　with　himself；　and　undertook　voluntarily　the　　work　of　inward　reform。　When　we　reflect　what　the　monaste