1bility of the
high minded and ancient Roman, with an enlightenment which must ever
reflect honor on his country.
high minded and ancient Roman, with an enlightenment which must ever
reflect honor on his country.
Sarpi - 1868 - Life of Fra Paolo Sarpi
handle.
net/2027/uc1.
31158010289923 Public Domain, Google-digitized / http://www.
hathitrust.
org/access_use#pd-google
? FRA PAOLO SARPI 13
gave them the privileges of the begging Orders, and in the year 1484,
they were called Friars. Clement VI was the first Pope who approved
of their constitutions, Innocent VIII confirmed their former privileges
and bestowed greater upon them, and like all the other mendicant
Orders, the Servi were entitled to assist at the funerals of Cardinals.
Falconnieri, having attained the age of 110, expired in the year 1310,
and shortly after this event the Order was extended to Venice.
As in after years Fra Paolo was a friar of the principal Convent of
the Servites there, that body here claims our attention.
In the year 1314, several of the Servi, men of known piety, were
sent to Venice by Fra Pietro da Todi, eighth General of the Order,
and were well received by Giovanni Avanzo, who proposed to
found a Convent for them at his own expense. The Bishop was
absentl, but the Servi having procured a site, the Vicar General
allowed them to found an Oratory. The Bishop approved, pro-
mised the erection of a Church, and deputed the Bishop of Scar-
ponto to lay the first stone, and to consecrate the cemetery. The
Servi being held in great repute on account of their zeal, the of-
ferings were so large as to enable them to build a Convent: and
Avanzo having left a considerable revenue to the friars, they undertook
the building of their Church.
Its foundations were laid on those of the former, but it did not
reach the height of its magnificence till the close of the fifteenth cen-
tury. ' In raising this structure, the Friars had spent even the money al-
lotted for their food, in consequence of which the Cardinal Legate
enriched the Convent by the gift of S. Caterina d'Isola and its re-
venues, and his uncle Pope Sixtus granted plenary indulgence to all
who brought alms or offerings to the Church, ' by this means the
stately edifice was completed. This Church and the great Convent of
1 De Monasteris S. M. Ordinis Servorum, ccc. Ecclesia Venetze, 2, 6. F.
Gornelis.
2 " This manner of gaining money was put in practice after the ydare ? _
1100, for Pope Urbane II, having granted a plenary-Indulgence and remission
of all sins to whpever made warre in the Holy Land, to rcgaine and set at
liberty the sepulchre of Christ out of the hands of the Mahometans, was imi-
tated by his successors for many hundred of years, some of which, ( as always
new inventions are enlarged) granted it to thmho maintained a souldier in
case they could not or would not go to warre themselves in person. And in.
progresse of time, the same indulg-ehce and pardons were given for the taking
of arm_? _ against those that obeyed not _the Church of Rome, although they
Were Christians, and for the most part exactions Were made. Vnder these pre-
tences, all which, or the greater part, were applied to other uses. " -- Tran-
slation by Brent, and MS. His. of the Council of Trent. Marciana, Sarpi.
/. /Z {(12
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? 14 THE LIFE OF
the Servi once occupied a large area of ground on the north of the
city of Venice, and stood near the bridge of Santa Fosca, and in the
street S. Hieronomo. The Convent filled more than two sides of the
area, and the Church of the Servi was thus described by Sansovini.
" It is built in the form of a square, and is rich in sculpture,
paintings and many noble chapels dedicated to illustrious men. Here
are the B. Virgin and Saint Augustine by Paul Veronese, the As-
sumpti'on which adorns the altar by Salviati, and the Palla, the-Man-
_ ger and the three Magi by Giovanni di Perugia. There are also five
beautiful sculptures on the altar of Gabriel di Gazoni, a knight of
Malta. The Church is likewise famous on account of two princes who
lie buried here, the Doge Vedramino in a marble tomb of great
beauty, and the Doge Francesco Donato. Here also is the altar of the
Magdalene, at whose feet in mezzo relievo lies Verda daughter of
Martina della Scala, Lord of Verona, and wife of N. d'Este, Duke of
Ferrara. Near the Sacristy is the marble statue of Giovanni Emo which
surmounts his richly gilded tomb. On the other side of the window
without, is the Oratory of the Volto Santo of Lucca, built by the
Lucchese who came to Venice A. D. 1309, and the story of the Volto
Santo was painted on their Fraternity by Semitecollo. The altar table
in the Sacristy was the work of Benedetto Diana.
On the two small pannels above an altar in the Church, the Saviour
is represented in the midst of his Apostles. It seems as it Philip were
asking him, "Lord show us the Father and it sufficeth us," and that
Christ was answering, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Fa-
ther; I and my Father are one. " These words are written at the feet
of the finely executed figures by Bonifacio the Venetian. Tintoretto
painted the Annunciation on the organ, S. Paul and S. Augustine-,
and underneath a fresco, Cain killing Abel, and another Annunciation
above the Altar of the Crucifixion. The altar with S. Onofrius and
S. James was the admirable work of Corona. Peranda painted the
altar cloth, S. Philip Benizzi is the subject. In the refectory is
the large painting on canvas of Christ as the guest of Simon the
leper with the Magdalen Weeping for her past sins, and washing his
feet with her hair. In the back ground two angels in admirable pers-
pective are pourtrayed flying in the midst bearing a scroll, and on the
scroll these words, " There is joy in heaven over one sinner that re-
penteth. " Judas in an angry attitude is in the act of reproving the penitent.
Among the persons seated at the table are the portraits of certain of
the Fathers of the Convent, all the Work of the great Paolo Caliari Vero-
nese. " Fra Antonio Gradenigo built an altar of great splendor in the Church
of the Servi for the reception of relics, and by permission of Pope
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? FRA PAOLO SARPI 15
John XXIII, many were removed thither. In those days of darkness,
Rome taxed the credulity of her subjects in a manner which at a
later period lessened the ties which once bound them to her rule.
But we must not omit to notice that regular discipline having declin-
ed amongst the Friars of the Servi, the Doge Vendramino requested
Sixtus IV to confer the Convent of the Servi at Venice on the regu-
lar Order of the Servi of Monte Sanario. This petition was granted,
and the Convent was made subject to the Patriarch of Venice, but
only till A. D. 1513, when Leo X declared it to be under the im-
mediate rule of the Prior General, on condition of its being main-
tained in the regular observance of established discipline.
Thirty two Generals presided successively over the Order which
had now risen to great popularity, many of its members being men of
learning and distinction. Gerardo, Bartholomeo and Calbo had many
worthy successors, but after naming the nobles Piccolomini, Stuffa, du
Bourg, du Saint Sepulchre, Adifnare? the Cardinals Laurerio and Be-
nutio, Helyot adds, " there were several writers amongst them, the
most famous of whom was Paul Sarpi, better known as Fra Paolo,
Theologian and Counsellor of the Republic of Venice, deeply versed
in the Latin Greek and Hebrew tongues, as well as in Mathematics. "
And now, having brought this account down to the time when Fra
Paolo became one of the Order of the Servi, it only remains to say
a few words respecting its government. This has been called a demo-
cracy although such were its restrictions that it was in reality almost
an aristocracy. Those who conducted its affairs were, a Protector, a
Vice' Protector, a Provincial General and subject to them were Priors,
Procurators, Definitors and Syndics, whose respective duties will be
noticed in another place, but it may be observed here, that the Ge-
neral resided at Home, that the Prior General ruled the provinces, that
the Prior was Head of his own Convent and could enforce obedience
to his commands, the Procurator and Syndic took account of the tem-
poral affairs of the Convent, the Sacristan had charge of all that be-
longed to the service of the Church, another member of the house-
hold- goods, the Custode of the bread and wine, as well as of all the
food or meat eaten with bread. The Hospitaller undertook the care of
the hospitals, and the porters, who were laics, of the doors of the
infirmary. 1 '
The Servi took the three vows common to all the religious Orders,
and continued to follow the rule called the Rule of Saint Augustine,
of which the following is a summary.
1 Giovini.
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? 16 THE LIFE OF
C
I. Union as becoming those who dwell in the same house, of
one heart and mind in God and the possessio? all things in common.
II. Prayer and fasting. A
III. Deportment and clothing.
IV. To show great charity to all especially to the weak.
V. Brotherly love. I
VI. Obedience to Prelates.
VII. Observance of the whole rule. '
1 Regula Beati Patris A-gostini et conditiones Fratrum Servorum.
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? _ F_. __---.
- |. . '
CHAPTER; III.
A. D. 1565 -- A. D. 1578.
Dooas or Vernon. G. Priuli. 1567. Pietro Loredano.
1570. Luigi Mocenigo. ; W ,/%L/'@/_,
1571. Sebastiano Veniero. '-w M
1578. Nicolo da Ponte.
SovnuErons or GERMANY. Maxfl II. Rodolph II.
ENGLAND. Elizabeth.
SCOLLAND. Mary.
FRANCE. Charles IX. 15f7l/Henry III.
SPAIN. Philip II.
TURKEY. Selim II. Amurath II.
Porrzs. Pius IV. 1566. Pius V. 1572. Gregory XIII.
AI-. A,v/{V-4-? -. /,\,
Fra Paolo Studies. -- Zacheria. - Disputation. - Famine. - Fire. - Divisions. - F.
Paolo solicited to go to Mantua. - Olivo Oamillo. - F. Paolo on astrology. -
Leaves Mantua. - Life at Venice. - He goes to Milan. - The plague. - MSS. -
Fra Paolo takes a degree at Padua. - Priest's Orders. - Provincial. -- Sent to
Rome. - Reform of the Constitutions. - Worship of the Virgin.
Fra Paolo continued to pursue his studies in the quietude of his Convent
during his novitiate; at the age of fifteen he professed; and thus by solemn
promise to observe the Rule, he united himself to the Order of the Servi for
life. Fortunately for him, Zaccheria 1 was General, and his wise govern-
ment was a salutary boon after the disorder which prevailed during the
Generalship of his predecessor. Zaccheria was the friend of the noble Brac-
cio Ricasoli, ' and Fra Paolo had thus early examples of piety and
worth in men who filled high positions with zeal and integrity. In his
seclusion Fra Paolo had not forgotten his schoolfellows, nor had they for-
1 It was usual for a General to choose his motto, Zaccheria's was, " Dc-
minus suscepit me. "
2 This great man was the ancestor of the illustrious Baron Ricasoli of the
present age, the patriot who has dared to show his reverence of religion in
the highest assembly of Italy, a noble who possesses all the infl?
1bility of the
high minded and ancient Roman, with an enlightenment which must ever
reflect honor on his country.
a
2
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? 18 THE LIFE OF [A. D. 1568-1570.
gotten him. They often left their palaces to visit him in his cell, and
throughout life always welcomed him with that urbanity for which the
Venetians are so distinguished.
In the month of October, he received a command to dispute in public
at Mantua, on the power of the Popes and of the Councils, and the new
opinions of the Innovators. Fra Paolo had early held the opinions of many
of his countrymen, especially of some within the Senate, who were ini-
mical to the Papal power; and if he advanced any such on this occa-
sion they would not have been unpopular with men, who, like himself,
rejoiced in the rejection of the Bull In Game Domini, which Pius V, as
well as his successors, endeavored to enforce. The Republic had also re-
sisted the Inquisition as elsewhere established; three of her Senators
were present during enquiries before that tribunal. In several instances
they had been forced to succumb to the Popes, and by their command se-
veral persons who professed the opinions of the Reformers had been given
up to death besides Algieri; but to the bigotry and superstition of the
times in their fullest extent Venice rose superior. It may have served po-
litical purposes, but assuredly it has not served the cause of just criticism
or of truth, to represent the Republic either so cruel or so persecuting as
other nations of Europe. While Philip, King of Spain, induced revolt
in the Netherlands by persecution on account of religion, While " many
also were at this time burned in France, not without the indignation
of honest men who knew that the diligence used against those poor
people was not for pietie or religion, but to satiate the covetousness of
Diana Valentina, to whom, " the King " had given all the confiscations
of goods madein the kingdom for cause of heresie; " ' while England
had witnessed deeds too direful to relate, Venice had struggled to act in-
dependently of the Pope, and sought to defeat the ambitious views of
the King of Spain, who had fixed his iron grasp upon Italy with a power
which took ages to unloose.
The year 1568 was one of distress. Fra Paolo returned from Mantua to
his Convent, but to compassionate the privations of the poor. The harvest
had failed throughout Venetia, and famine was the sad result. Bright
eyes had grown dim, countenances once radiant with health had become
wan and pallid, robust forms attenuated by want were to be seen on every
side, the voice of mirth was exchanged for the heavy plaints of the sick
and the dying. Whatever may have been the munificence of the rich in
such a calamity (and the Italians are charitable to a proverb), human aid
was inefficient, and in the lone, narrow, secluded streets of the vast and
populous city of Venice, who can tell how many suffered, drooped, and
1 Sapri.
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? M'. 16-18. ] FRA PAOLO SARPI 19
died, who would not, or could not, crave aid at the beautiful gate of the
Convent of the Servi?
But famine was not the only misfortune which befell Venetia. On the
fourteenth of September AD. 1569, at the hour of midnight, the arsenal of
Venice was in flames. The strong hold of her strength and prowess seemed
about to be swept to destruction, and the noise of an explosion, as tre-
mendous as cver fell on human ear, told the sad tidings to the city and to
all within a circuit of thirty miles. Fire had been communicated to the
powder magazine and the arsenal; its towers, roofs and massive walls
had been blown to pieces. No less than four churches, and a considerable
number of buildings, were thrown down or absolutely destroyed. Even in
the most distant part, the shock was felt as if Venice had been visited by
an earthquake. It was severely felt in the Convent of Fra Paolo, where
' his midnight prayers were changed to grateful praise at early morn, that
the whole city, together with his Convent, had not been destroyed: its
. preservation was owing to a great quantity of gunpowder having been
previously removed from the arsenal. Four galleys only were lost; Ve-
nice had still two hundred vessels of war. Her navy was yet her own.
It would have been a noble deed to have spared a neighbouring kingdom,
so lately emancipated from the straits of famine and of fire, but Kuolles,
the great historian of the-Ottoman Empire, chronicles that the Sovereign
of Turkey had no such magnanimity, he continued to breathe out bloodshed
and desolation. '
Meantime, Fra Paolo endeavored to tread the path of tranquillity
and peace; but this was no easy task, for discord prevailed between the
two parties into which the Order of the Servi had divided themselves;
those who wished to retain their old constitutions were distinguished by
the name of " the Conventuali, " and those who advocated a reformation
of them by that of the " Congregazione de'Servi. " Fra Paolo belonged to
the latter body, of which there were about seventy Convents, but the two
bodies were reunited in the year 1570, and shortly after Paolo was called
upon to defend publicly three hundred and eighteen of the most difficult
propositions in Divinity and Natural Philosophy; ' on which occasion his
replies were so felicitous, and the proofs of his abilities so extraordinary,
that he not only pleased and surprised his hearers, but was rewarded by
an annual grant of seven scudi from his Convent for the purchase. of books.
More than this, his fame reached the ear of Guglielmo Gonzago, Duke of
Mantua, a munificent patron of learning and learned men who, as one of
the early and influential friends of Fra Paolo, mayhere claim attention.
1 " Con difendere 318 delle pix). difficili proposizioni della Sacra Teologia e
della Fiiosofia Naturale. " MS.
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? 20 THE LIFE OF [A. D. 1570-1572.
He was fond of listening to disputationsflnd had been present at the
Council of Trent, in the hope of seeing the introduction of liberality of
sentiment, but he was disappointed. He disliked the horrors of the Inqui-
sition, he was no abettor of the severe and cruel measures of the reigning
Pope, and when he refused to send some persons suspected of heresy to
Rome, Pius V immediately threatened him with excommunication and
war, which were only prevented by the intercession of the Princes of
Italy. At a later period, when he sought the freedom of one of his relations
who had been incarcerated by thelawless Inquisition for heresy, his de-
mand was sternly repelled by the Inquisitor, who said, although he ackow-
ledged the Duke as his temporal Prince, he obeyed the commands of the
Pope, whose power was superior to that of any secular; and on the Duke
again pressing his request, the Inquisitor exhibited the tantalizing sight
of the keys of the dungeon where his victim was immured, but dared the
Ducal envoy to unlock the door at his peril. '
That the Duke had protected those accused of " heresy " could not be
unknown to Fra Paolo, but this did not hinder his compliance with the
Duke's invitation, who commanded the Superior of S. Barnaba to receive
him into the Convent at Mantua; accordingly he went thither, and was
immediately appointed Theologian to the Duke.
The stigma of heresy was, at this period of the history of Europe, chiefly
applied to the opinions of those who favored reform either within or
without the Church of Rome. There were many who clung to that Church
in which they had been baptized and nurtured, but whose learning, re-
search , intelligence and observation convinced them that, in place of
ancient truths bequeathed to the Church by the Great Head thereof, many
of the dogmas and rites of the Church of Rome had been superadded by
the Pontiffs, although opposed by many of the Clergy and Laity, as well
before and at, as after the Council of Trent.
As Chaplain and guest of the Duke, Fra Paolo had frequent opportu-
nities of conversation with him, and the Duke took delight, as also his
learned friends, in drawing out the talents of the young Friar by proposing to
him difficult questions on every variety of subject; for the court of this "good
Maecenas " was a centre of attraction to the lovers of the arts as well as of
the sciences. '
Mantua itself is classic ground, and as such it was regarded with in-
terest by Fra Paolo. The birthplace of the illustrious poet Virgil in its
neighbourhood recalled to his mind the noble lines which he had used to
commit to memory at the school of Morelli, when he little dreamed of
1 De Po1'ta,Tom. rr, p. 486. Epist. Tob. Egliui ad Bullingerum. 2 Mart.
1568.
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? zar. 18-20. ] FRA PAOLO SARPI 21
being favored by the Ducal house of Mantova la Gloriosa. The reader
may now accompany him in his rambles within and without this ancient
city, crossing the waters of the gentle--flowing Mincio, looking on the
regular tetragon of the citadel, studying the gothic- pile reared by Bjo-
nacolsi, then remodelled by Giulio Romano, and thus cultivating his
genius for military fortification, of which he left proofs in the Schedce
Sarpianae. When he traversed the halls and galleries of the palace, the
" Sala di Troja " could not fail to remind him of the pages of Homer.
Throughout the five hundred apartments filled with every object that
luxury could suggest, or riches could command, magnificence reigned
supreme, as in all that the Duke of Mantua possessed. The " Sala di
-Marmo " was conspicuous to one whose practical eye was sensible of the
antique statues that it contained. But these sculptures, once sentries
between ancient and modern times, keep watch there no longer, they are
gone, and the faded gold and azure of the " Sala de' Mori " now alone
tell of departed grandeur. In the time of Fra Paolo the audience chamber
was thronged, now the beautiful consoles look down but on stillness,
the house of the Gonzagas of Mantua is no more! Nothing is left but
their fading portraits on the walls of their deserted palaces! The piety
and beauty of J ulia di Gonzaga is storied in every heart to which
goodness is dear, as well as the lettered pages of Lucretia di Gonzaga,
but with these exceptions, all are well nigh forgotten, save the Duke
Guglielmo, the friend of Fra Paolo Sarpi.
The Bishop of Mantua, Boldrino appreciated the piety and talents of
Paolo, and appointed him " Reader of Theology and also of the Sacred
Canons, " he therefore officiated at the Cathedral, and beneath its roof
taught the people for more than three years.
He solemnly renewed his vows at the age of twenty. He had many
friends in Mantua; one deserving special mention was Camillo Olivo,
Secretary of Gonzaga, Cardinal of Mantua and Papal Legate to the
Council of Trent; but whose piety and learning did not shield him
from persecution; of this affair the Friar thus writes.
"The Cardinal had given offence to Pius IV, who pronounced him
' unworthy of the Cap, 'and sent the Bishop of Ventimiglia to be his
secret minister in the Council, charged him to observe the Cardinal of
Mantua above all the Legates, and also gave order that the dispatches
to Trent, formerly addressed to him as prime Legate, should afterward be
addressed to Simoneta.
" He rempved from the congregation of Cardinals, who were to consult
of the affaires of Trent, the Cardinal Gonzaga, and caused_Fi Borromeo
to tell him that the Cardinalf his Uncle, did think to mine the Aposto-
like Sea, but should effect nothing but the ruine of himselfe and of his
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? 21 THE LIFE OF [A. D. 1573.
house. He related to the Cardinall S. Angelo, who was a great friend
to Mantua, whatsoeyer had happened and shewed himself most choleri-
que against him and as much against Camillus Olivus, the Cardinal's
secretary, as not having performed the promise he made unto him when
he was sent to Rome, Which cost the poore man very deare, for
howsoever the Pope and Cardinal! were reconciled, yet after his death, re-
turning to Mantua with the corps of his master, he was imprisoned by the
Inquisition upon dijers pretences, and troubled a long time, whom after
his persecutions were ended, I knew myself to be a person very vertuous,
and that he had not deserfied such misfortunes. " '
" The chief reason that Fra Paolo took pleasure in the society of
Olivo was, that he found him a man of singular moderation and learning.
Having been with the Cardinal of Mantua at the Council of Trent, he
had management of its affairs, knew all the particulars of its most secret
negotiations, and had many memorials of them, to understand which gave
Fra Paolo great satisfaction, because the Council had then but lately
terminated, Which had held Christendom in the highest state of expectation
for a long series of years, especially men of judgment and rare intellect
who were curious to know what had passed there. " '
Doubtless the society of Fra Paolo beguiled the lonely hours of the
wronged but not friendless Olivo, and justice, though tardy, was to be
done to the honorable secretary by the pen of the illustrious Servite. Olivo
could, and did, conduct Fra Paolo through many of the hidden labyrinths
of the Council, which would have otherwise remained unexplored, and
it is probable that Olivo was the first who implanted in Sarpi's mind
the idea of writing an authentic chronicle of that Council, and that Olivo
fixed on his retentive memory' the knowledge of facts, the relation of which
has conferred signal service on the world.
These particulars are given here, as they afford evidence that the ma-
terials for his History of the Council of Trent were really acquired by Fra
Paolo at this early period of his life; while they refute the notions of
some writers, who allege that it was written at a late period, and expressly
for James I, King of Great Britain, and of others, who assert that Snrpi
penned his work in revenge because he had not received preferment from
the court of Rome.
Besides Olivo, Fra Paolo associated with Correggio, afterwards the
Cardinal d'Aseoli, who as well as other men of letters, found him, not
only learned, but equally skilled in all the sciences, as if he had made
each of them alone his peculiar study. " Nature,Z" writes his untiring eulo-
1 His. of the Council of Trent.
3 MS.
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? arr. 21. ] FRA PAOLO SARPI 23
gist, "produces occasionally men of great genius in one particular science.
There have been many such in past times; in our own, Vieta in algebra,
and Gilbert in his speculations on the properties of the magnet. But Fra
Paolo excelled them all. " He had also examined astrology, and became
convinced of its inutility, because " one can neither know nor shun the
future. " At a later period he refers to this subject in writing to M.
Groslot. '
" But as for judicial astrology, one should speak of it with some Ro-
man, as it is more in vogue in that court than in this city, where, al-
though every other abuse is to be met with, this is not, because persons
rise here by ordinary means. No man has expectations above his condition,'
or when he is of too great an age. In Rome, where one sees one attain the
highest position who yesterday was as nothing, the art of divination is
in great credit. But how miserable it is that a man should be desirous
to know the future. For what end? To escape evil? Is it not labour in
vain ?
" When I was about twenty years of age, I took great pains' in this
foolish study, which, if there were any truth in it, ought to be studied in
preference to all else. It is full of false and foolish principles, and so it is
no wonder if the conclusions from such are the same; and he that would
discourse of it theologically, I believe will find it condemned in the Holy
Scriptures, Isaiah c. 7. And the reasons of St. Augustine against it are
very good in his book De Civitate Dei, lib. 5, cap. 1, 3, and 4; Confes-
sion, cap. 3, 5; and 2 Super Genesi, were cap. 16 and 17. . . . There are few
things I believe so firmly, as that I would not change my opinion on good
grounds; but if there is anything I hold for certain, this is one, that judi-
cial astrology is but mere vanity. "
He would sometimes turn it into ridicule, and in this he was cordially
seconded by the Duke, whose love of the burlesque suggested the following
incident.
Although deformed in person, the Duke inherited the taste of his an-
cestors for horses, of which he had preserved a celebrated breed, on one of
which Francis I, King of France, was mounted at the battle of Pavia, and
as war horses they were also greatly esteemed by the Emperor Charles V.
In the Castle of Ombria, there is an equestrian statue of Francis I, in
full armour on one of these celebrated horses, as the monarch went out to
the battle of Pavia. The fortunes of war were adverse; and when the
King, no longer mounted on his splendid charger, entered the convent of
the Certosa, by the breach made by the cannon into its church, the royal
9 July 2, 1609.
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? 24 THE LIFE OF [s. D. 1574.
prisoner took up the words of the choir which had just been chanted
Ps. oxrx, 70, and, kneeling before the great altar, ejaculated aloud,
" Lord, it is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I might learn thy statutes. "
It happened that a mule of one of this celebrated race of horses was
about to be foaled, and the Duke requested Fra Paolo to observe the
heavens during a whole night, especially at the moment of the birth of
the foal. He did so, and having reduced his observations to writing, copies
were sent to the most famous astrologers of Europe, with this notice,
" That at such a time there' was an illegitimite birth in the house of the
Duke of Mantua, " and it long afforded amusement to this Prince to
peruse the various answers which were returned to him; as some predicted
that what in reality was a foal, would be a cardinal, or a military com-
mander; would attain to a mitre, or even to the Popedom!
But there was no truth in the reports then prevalent, that Fra Paolo
left the Court of Mantua because of this story of the foal; or that he
feared banishment because a youth, who had been instigated by Codogno
a Servite, had been justly imprisoned by that prince. Both of these re-
ports were contradicted by Fra Paolo. The true cause of his leaving
Mantua was, that a life at the Court of any Prince was totally at va-
riance with his habits and tastes, and his friends were too importunate . in
their demands upon his time. The death of the good Bishop Boldrino
also might have rendered his stay in Mantua undesirable, but Boldrino
was taken to endless rest from a scene of disquiet, as every year added
'greater difficulties to those eager to tread the path of reform within the
Church of Rome.
Fra Paolo looked down with a calm and settled philosophy on
prejudice and all that opposed truth; he extracted useful knowledge from
all phases of the human race with whom he was conversant, men of every
grade and of divers climes. Moderation in all things was his scrupulous
study; he did not believe in his own infallibility, or in the infallibility of
another, but he learned as well as taught with great modesty, and loved
to applaud rather than to detract. He knew by his own observation, as
well as from his associates at Mantua, by what means the-court of Rome
had supported and continued to support its supremacy, and from this
early period of his life down to the hour of his death, although a faithful
member of the Church of Rome in its ancient usage, he was ever opposed
to the high pretensions of its Court, and on various occasions at Milan, at
Venice and at Rome, he resisted its dictates, when he conceived them to
be contrary to the Holy Scriptures, to the Fathers, or to the Civil or the
Canon law. It seemed strange to those who only sought . th'ei1'f,own'_ ag-
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? FRA PAOLO SARPI 13
gave them the privileges of the begging Orders, and in the year 1484,
they were called Friars. Clement VI was the first Pope who approved
of their constitutions, Innocent VIII confirmed their former privileges
and bestowed greater upon them, and like all the other mendicant
Orders, the Servi were entitled to assist at the funerals of Cardinals.
Falconnieri, having attained the age of 110, expired in the year 1310,
and shortly after this event the Order was extended to Venice.
As in after years Fra Paolo was a friar of the principal Convent of
the Servites there, that body here claims our attention.
In the year 1314, several of the Servi, men of known piety, were
sent to Venice by Fra Pietro da Todi, eighth General of the Order,
and were well received by Giovanni Avanzo, who proposed to
found a Convent for them at his own expense. The Bishop was
absentl, but the Servi having procured a site, the Vicar General
allowed them to found an Oratory. The Bishop approved, pro-
mised the erection of a Church, and deputed the Bishop of Scar-
ponto to lay the first stone, and to consecrate the cemetery. The
Servi being held in great repute on account of their zeal, the of-
ferings were so large as to enable them to build a Convent: and
Avanzo having left a considerable revenue to the friars, they undertook
the building of their Church.
Its foundations were laid on those of the former, but it did not
reach the height of its magnificence till the close of the fifteenth cen-
tury. ' In raising this structure, the Friars had spent even the money al-
lotted for their food, in consequence of which the Cardinal Legate
enriched the Convent by the gift of S. Caterina d'Isola and its re-
venues, and his uncle Pope Sixtus granted plenary indulgence to all
who brought alms or offerings to the Church, ' by this means the
stately edifice was completed. This Church and the great Convent of
1 De Monasteris S. M. Ordinis Servorum, ccc. Ecclesia Venetze, 2, 6. F.
Gornelis.
2 " This manner of gaining money was put in practice after the ydare ? _
1100, for Pope Urbane II, having granted a plenary-Indulgence and remission
of all sins to whpever made warre in the Holy Land, to rcgaine and set at
liberty the sepulchre of Christ out of the hands of the Mahometans, was imi-
tated by his successors for many hundred of years, some of which, ( as always
new inventions are enlarged) granted it to thmho maintained a souldier in
case they could not or would not go to warre themselves in person. And in.
progresse of time, the same indulg-ehce and pardons were given for the taking
of arm_? _ against those that obeyed not _the Church of Rome, although they
Were Christians, and for the most part exactions Were made. Vnder these pre-
tences, all which, or the greater part, were applied to other uses. " -- Tran-
slation by Brent, and MS. His. of the Council of Trent. Marciana, Sarpi.
/. /Z {(12
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? 14 THE LIFE OF
the Servi once occupied a large area of ground on the north of the
city of Venice, and stood near the bridge of Santa Fosca, and in the
street S. Hieronomo. The Convent filled more than two sides of the
area, and the Church of the Servi was thus described by Sansovini.
" It is built in the form of a square, and is rich in sculpture,
paintings and many noble chapels dedicated to illustrious men. Here
are the B. Virgin and Saint Augustine by Paul Veronese, the As-
sumpti'on which adorns the altar by Salviati, and the Palla, the-Man-
_ ger and the three Magi by Giovanni di Perugia. There are also five
beautiful sculptures on the altar of Gabriel di Gazoni, a knight of
Malta. The Church is likewise famous on account of two princes who
lie buried here, the Doge Vedramino in a marble tomb of great
beauty, and the Doge Francesco Donato. Here also is the altar of the
Magdalene, at whose feet in mezzo relievo lies Verda daughter of
Martina della Scala, Lord of Verona, and wife of N. d'Este, Duke of
Ferrara. Near the Sacristy is the marble statue of Giovanni Emo which
surmounts his richly gilded tomb. On the other side of the window
without, is the Oratory of the Volto Santo of Lucca, built by the
Lucchese who came to Venice A. D. 1309, and the story of the Volto
Santo was painted on their Fraternity by Semitecollo. The altar table
in the Sacristy was the work of Benedetto Diana.
On the two small pannels above an altar in the Church, the Saviour
is represented in the midst of his Apostles. It seems as it Philip were
asking him, "Lord show us the Father and it sufficeth us," and that
Christ was answering, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Fa-
ther; I and my Father are one. " These words are written at the feet
of the finely executed figures by Bonifacio the Venetian. Tintoretto
painted the Annunciation on the organ, S. Paul and S. Augustine-,
and underneath a fresco, Cain killing Abel, and another Annunciation
above the Altar of the Crucifixion. The altar with S. Onofrius and
S. James was the admirable work of Corona. Peranda painted the
altar cloth, S. Philip Benizzi is the subject. In the refectory is
the large painting on canvas of Christ as the guest of Simon the
leper with the Magdalen Weeping for her past sins, and washing his
feet with her hair. In the back ground two angels in admirable pers-
pective are pourtrayed flying in the midst bearing a scroll, and on the
scroll these words, " There is joy in heaven over one sinner that re-
penteth. " Judas in an angry attitude is in the act of reproving the penitent.
Among the persons seated at the table are the portraits of certain of
the Fathers of the Convent, all the Work of the great Paolo Caliari Vero-
nese. " Fra Antonio Gradenigo built an altar of great splendor in the Church
of the Servi for the reception of relics, and by permission of Pope
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? FRA PAOLO SARPI 15
John XXIII, many were removed thither. In those days of darkness,
Rome taxed the credulity of her subjects in a manner which at a
later period lessened the ties which once bound them to her rule.
But we must not omit to notice that regular discipline having declin-
ed amongst the Friars of the Servi, the Doge Vendramino requested
Sixtus IV to confer the Convent of the Servi at Venice on the regu-
lar Order of the Servi of Monte Sanario. This petition was granted,
and the Convent was made subject to the Patriarch of Venice, but
only till A. D. 1513, when Leo X declared it to be under the im-
mediate rule of the Prior General, on condition of its being main-
tained in the regular observance of established discipline.
Thirty two Generals presided successively over the Order which
had now risen to great popularity, many of its members being men of
learning and distinction. Gerardo, Bartholomeo and Calbo had many
worthy successors, but after naming the nobles Piccolomini, Stuffa, du
Bourg, du Saint Sepulchre, Adifnare? the Cardinals Laurerio and Be-
nutio, Helyot adds, " there were several writers amongst them, the
most famous of whom was Paul Sarpi, better known as Fra Paolo,
Theologian and Counsellor of the Republic of Venice, deeply versed
in the Latin Greek and Hebrew tongues, as well as in Mathematics. "
And now, having brought this account down to the time when Fra
Paolo became one of the Order of the Servi, it only remains to say
a few words respecting its government. This has been called a demo-
cracy although such were its restrictions that it was in reality almost
an aristocracy. Those who conducted its affairs were, a Protector, a
Vice' Protector, a Provincial General and subject to them were Priors,
Procurators, Definitors and Syndics, whose respective duties will be
noticed in another place, but it may be observed here, that the Ge-
neral resided at Home, that the Prior General ruled the provinces, that
the Prior was Head of his own Convent and could enforce obedience
to his commands, the Procurator and Syndic took account of the tem-
poral affairs of the Convent, the Sacristan had charge of all that be-
longed to the service of the Church, another member of the house-
hold- goods, the Custode of the bread and wine, as well as of all the
food or meat eaten with bread. The Hospitaller undertook the care of
the hospitals, and the porters, who were laics, of the doors of the
infirmary. 1 '
The Servi took the three vows common to all the religious Orders,
and continued to follow the rule called the Rule of Saint Augustine,
of which the following is a summary.
1 Giovini.
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? 16 THE LIFE OF
C
I. Union as becoming those who dwell in the same house, of
one heart and mind in God and the possessio? all things in common.
II. Prayer and fasting. A
III. Deportment and clothing.
IV. To show great charity to all especially to the weak.
V. Brotherly love. I
VI. Obedience to Prelates.
VII. Observance of the whole rule. '
1 Regula Beati Patris A-gostini et conditiones Fratrum Servorum.
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? _ F_. __---.
- |. . '
CHAPTER; III.
A. D. 1565 -- A. D. 1578.
Dooas or Vernon. G. Priuli. 1567. Pietro Loredano.
1570. Luigi Mocenigo. ; W ,/%L/'@/_,
1571. Sebastiano Veniero. '-w M
1578. Nicolo da Ponte.
SovnuErons or GERMANY. Maxfl II. Rodolph II.
ENGLAND. Elizabeth.
SCOLLAND. Mary.
FRANCE. Charles IX. 15f7l/Henry III.
SPAIN. Philip II.
TURKEY. Selim II. Amurath II.
Porrzs. Pius IV. 1566. Pius V. 1572. Gregory XIII.
AI-. A,v/{V-4-? -. /,\,
Fra Paolo Studies. -- Zacheria. - Disputation. - Famine. - Fire. - Divisions. - F.
Paolo solicited to go to Mantua. - Olivo Oamillo. - F. Paolo on astrology. -
Leaves Mantua. - Life at Venice. - He goes to Milan. - The plague. - MSS. -
Fra Paolo takes a degree at Padua. - Priest's Orders. - Provincial. -- Sent to
Rome. - Reform of the Constitutions. - Worship of the Virgin.
Fra Paolo continued to pursue his studies in the quietude of his Convent
during his novitiate; at the age of fifteen he professed; and thus by solemn
promise to observe the Rule, he united himself to the Order of the Servi for
life. Fortunately for him, Zaccheria 1 was General, and his wise govern-
ment was a salutary boon after the disorder which prevailed during the
Generalship of his predecessor. Zaccheria was the friend of the noble Brac-
cio Ricasoli, ' and Fra Paolo had thus early examples of piety and
worth in men who filled high positions with zeal and integrity. In his
seclusion Fra Paolo had not forgotten his schoolfellows, nor had they for-
1 It was usual for a General to choose his motto, Zaccheria's was, " Dc-
minus suscepit me. "
2 This great man was the ancestor of the illustrious Baron Ricasoli of the
present age, the patriot who has dared to show his reverence of religion in
the highest assembly of Italy, a noble who possesses all the infl?
1bility of the
high minded and ancient Roman, with an enlightenment which must ever
reflect honor on his country.
a
2
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? 18 THE LIFE OF [A. D. 1568-1570.
gotten him. They often left their palaces to visit him in his cell, and
throughout life always welcomed him with that urbanity for which the
Venetians are so distinguished.
In the month of October, he received a command to dispute in public
at Mantua, on the power of the Popes and of the Councils, and the new
opinions of the Innovators. Fra Paolo had early held the opinions of many
of his countrymen, especially of some within the Senate, who were ini-
mical to the Papal power; and if he advanced any such on this occa-
sion they would not have been unpopular with men, who, like himself,
rejoiced in the rejection of the Bull In Game Domini, which Pius V, as
well as his successors, endeavored to enforce. The Republic had also re-
sisted the Inquisition as elsewhere established; three of her Senators
were present during enquiries before that tribunal. In several instances
they had been forced to succumb to the Popes, and by their command se-
veral persons who professed the opinions of the Reformers had been given
up to death besides Algieri; but to the bigotry and superstition of the
times in their fullest extent Venice rose superior. It may have served po-
litical purposes, but assuredly it has not served the cause of just criticism
or of truth, to represent the Republic either so cruel or so persecuting as
other nations of Europe. While Philip, King of Spain, induced revolt
in the Netherlands by persecution on account of religion, While " many
also were at this time burned in France, not without the indignation
of honest men who knew that the diligence used against those poor
people was not for pietie or religion, but to satiate the covetousness of
Diana Valentina, to whom, " the King " had given all the confiscations
of goods madein the kingdom for cause of heresie; " ' while England
had witnessed deeds too direful to relate, Venice had struggled to act in-
dependently of the Pope, and sought to defeat the ambitious views of
the King of Spain, who had fixed his iron grasp upon Italy with a power
which took ages to unloose.
The year 1568 was one of distress. Fra Paolo returned from Mantua to
his Convent, but to compassionate the privations of the poor. The harvest
had failed throughout Venetia, and famine was the sad result. Bright
eyes had grown dim, countenances once radiant with health had become
wan and pallid, robust forms attenuated by want were to be seen on every
side, the voice of mirth was exchanged for the heavy plaints of the sick
and the dying. Whatever may have been the munificence of the rich in
such a calamity (and the Italians are charitable to a proverb), human aid
was inefficient, and in the lone, narrow, secluded streets of the vast and
populous city of Venice, who can tell how many suffered, drooped, and
1 Sapri.
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? M'. 16-18. ] FRA PAOLO SARPI 19
died, who would not, or could not, crave aid at the beautiful gate of the
Convent of the Servi?
But famine was not the only misfortune which befell Venetia. On the
fourteenth of September AD. 1569, at the hour of midnight, the arsenal of
Venice was in flames. The strong hold of her strength and prowess seemed
about to be swept to destruction, and the noise of an explosion, as tre-
mendous as cver fell on human ear, told the sad tidings to the city and to
all within a circuit of thirty miles. Fire had been communicated to the
powder magazine and the arsenal; its towers, roofs and massive walls
had been blown to pieces. No less than four churches, and a considerable
number of buildings, were thrown down or absolutely destroyed. Even in
the most distant part, the shock was felt as if Venice had been visited by
an earthquake. It was severely felt in the Convent of Fra Paolo, where
' his midnight prayers were changed to grateful praise at early morn, that
the whole city, together with his Convent, had not been destroyed: its
. preservation was owing to a great quantity of gunpowder having been
previously removed from the arsenal. Four galleys only were lost; Ve-
nice had still two hundred vessels of war. Her navy was yet her own.
It would have been a noble deed to have spared a neighbouring kingdom,
so lately emancipated from the straits of famine and of fire, but Kuolles,
the great historian of the-Ottoman Empire, chronicles that the Sovereign
of Turkey had no such magnanimity, he continued to breathe out bloodshed
and desolation. '
Meantime, Fra Paolo endeavored to tread the path of tranquillity
and peace; but this was no easy task, for discord prevailed between the
two parties into which the Order of the Servi had divided themselves;
those who wished to retain their old constitutions were distinguished by
the name of " the Conventuali, " and those who advocated a reformation
of them by that of the " Congregazione de'Servi. " Fra Paolo belonged to
the latter body, of which there were about seventy Convents, but the two
bodies were reunited in the year 1570, and shortly after Paolo was called
upon to defend publicly three hundred and eighteen of the most difficult
propositions in Divinity and Natural Philosophy; ' on which occasion his
replies were so felicitous, and the proofs of his abilities so extraordinary,
that he not only pleased and surprised his hearers, but was rewarded by
an annual grant of seven scudi from his Convent for the purchase. of books.
More than this, his fame reached the ear of Guglielmo Gonzago, Duke of
Mantua, a munificent patron of learning and learned men who, as one of
the early and influential friends of Fra Paolo, mayhere claim attention.
1 " Con difendere 318 delle pix). difficili proposizioni della Sacra Teologia e
della Fiiosofia Naturale. " MS.
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? 20 THE LIFE OF [A. D. 1570-1572.
He was fond of listening to disputationsflnd had been present at the
Council of Trent, in the hope of seeing the introduction of liberality of
sentiment, but he was disappointed. He disliked the horrors of the Inqui-
sition, he was no abettor of the severe and cruel measures of the reigning
Pope, and when he refused to send some persons suspected of heresy to
Rome, Pius V immediately threatened him with excommunication and
war, which were only prevented by the intercession of the Princes of
Italy. At a later period, when he sought the freedom of one of his relations
who had been incarcerated by thelawless Inquisition for heresy, his de-
mand was sternly repelled by the Inquisitor, who said, although he ackow-
ledged the Duke as his temporal Prince, he obeyed the commands of the
Pope, whose power was superior to that of any secular; and on the Duke
again pressing his request, the Inquisitor exhibited the tantalizing sight
of the keys of the dungeon where his victim was immured, but dared the
Ducal envoy to unlock the door at his peril. '
That the Duke had protected those accused of " heresy " could not be
unknown to Fra Paolo, but this did not hinder his compliance with the
Duke's invitation, who commanded the Superior of S. Barnaba to receive
him into the Convent at Mantua; accordingly he went thither, and was
immediately appointed Theologian to the Duke.
The stigma of heresy was, at this period of the history of Europe, chiefly
applied to the opinions of those who favored reform either within or
without the Church of Rome. There were many who clung to that Church
in which they had been baptized and nurtured, but whose learning, re-
search , intelligence and observation convinced them that, in place of
ancient truths bequeathed to the Church by the Great Head thereof, many
of the dogmas and rites of the Church of Rome had been superadded by
the Pontiffs, although opposed by many of the Clergy and Laity, as well
before and at, as after the Council of Trent.
As Chaplain and guest of the Duke, Fra Paolo had frequent opportu-
nities of conversation with him, and the Duke took delight, as also his
learned friends, in drawing out the talents of the young Friar by proposing to
him difficult questions on every variety of subject; for the court of this "good
Maecenas " was a centre of attraction to the lovers of the arts as well as of
the sciences. '
Mantua itself is classic ground, and as such it was regarded with in-
terest by Fra Paolo. The birthplace of the illustrious poet Virgil in its
neighbourhood recalled to his mind the noble lines which he had used to
commit to memory at the school of Morelli, when he little dreamed of
1 De Po1'ta,Tom. rr, p. 486. Epist. Tob. Egliui ad Bullingerum. 2 Mart.
1568.
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? zar. 18-20. ] FRA PAOLO SARPI 21
being favored by the Ducal house of Mantova la Gloriosa. The reader
may now accompany him in his rambles within and without this ancient
city, crossing the waters of the gentle--flowing Mincio, looking on the
regular tetragon of the citadel, studying the gothic- pile reared by Bjo-
nacolsi, then remodelled by Giulio Romano, and thus cultivating his
genius for military fortification, of which he left proofs in the Schedce
Sarpianae. When he traversed the halls and galleries of the palace, the
" Sala di Troja " could not fail to remind him of the pages of Homer.
Throughout the five hundred apartments filled with every object that
luxury could suggest, or riches could command, magnificence reigned
supreme, as in all that the Duke of Mantua possessed. The " Sala di
-Marmo " was conspicuous to one whose practical eye was sensible of the
antique statues that it contained. But these sculptures, once sentries
between ancient and modern times, keep watch there no longer, they are
gone, and the faded gold and azure of the " Sala de' Mori " now alone
tell of departed grandeur. In the time of Fra Paolo the audience chamber
was thronged, now the beautiful consoles look down but on stillness,
the house of the Gonzagas of Mantua is no more! Nothing is left but
their fading portraits on the walls of their deserted palaces! The piety
and beauty of J ulia di Gonzaga is storied in every heart to which
goodness is dear, as well as the lettered pages of Lucretia di Gonzaga,
but with these exceptions, all are well nigh forgotten, save the Duke
Guglielmo, the friend of Fra Paolo Sarpi.
The Bishop of Mantua, Boldrino appreciated the piety and talents of
Paolo, and appointed him " Reader of Theology and also of the Sacred
Canons, " he therefore officiated at the Cathedral, and beneath its roof
taught the people for more than three years.
He solemnly renewed his vows at the age of twenty. He had many
friends in Mantua; one deserving special mention was Camillo Olivo,
Secretary of Gonzaga, Cardinal of Mantua and Papal Legate to the
Council of Trent; but whose piety and learning did not shield him
from persecution; of this affair the Friar thus writes.
"The Cardinal had given offence to Pius IV, who pronounced him
' unworthy of the Cap, 'and sent the Bishop of Ventimiglia to be his
secret minister in the Council, charged him to observe the Cardinal of
Mantua above all the Legates, and also gave order that the dispatches
to Trent, formerly addressed to him as prime Legate, should afterward be
addressed to Simoneta.
" He rempved from the congregation of Cardinals, who were to consult
of the affaires of Trent, the Cardinal Gonzaga, and caused_Fi Borromeo
to tell him that the Cardinalf his Uncle, did think to mine the Aposto-
like Sea, but should effect nothing but the ruine of himselfe and of his
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? 21 THE LIFE OF [A. D. 1573.
house. He related to the Cardinall S. Angelo, who was a great friend
to Mantua, whatsoeyer had happened and shewed himself most choleri-
que against him and as much against Camillus Olivus, the Cardinal's
secretary, as not having performed the promise he made unto him when
he was sent to Rome, Which cost the poore man very deare, for
howsoever the Pope and Cardinal! were reconciled, yet after his death, re-
turning to Mantua with the corps of his master, he was imprisoned by the
Inquisition upon dijers pretences, and troubled a long time, whom after
his persecutions were ended, I knew myself to be a person very vertuous,
and that he had not deserfied such misfortunes. " '
" The chief reason that Fra Paolo took pleasure in the society of
Olivo was, that he found him a man of singular moderation and learning.
Having been with the Cardinal of Mantua at the Council of Trent, he
had management of its affairs, knew all the particulars of its most secret
negotiations, and had many memorials of them, to understand which gave
Fra Paolo great satisfaction, because the Council had then but lately
terminated, Which had held Christendom in the highest state of expectation
for a long series of years, especially men of judgment and rare intellect
who were curious to know what had passed there. " '
Doubtless the society of Fra Paolo beguiled the lonely hours of the
wronged but not friendless Olivo, and justice, though tardy, was to be
done to the honorable secretary by the pen of the illustrious Servite. Olivo
could, and did, conduct Fra Paolo through many of the hidden labyrinths
of the Council, which would have otherwise remained unexplored, and
it is probable that Olivo was the first who implanted in Sarpi's mind
the idea of writing an authentic chronicle of that Council, and that Olivo
fixed on his retentive memory' the knowledge of facts, the relation of which
has conferred signal service on the world.
These particulars are given here, as they afford evidence that the ma-
terials for his History of the Council of Trent were really acquired by Fra
Paolo at this early period of his life; while they refute the notions of
some writers, who allege that it was written at a late period, and expressly
for James I, King of Great Britain, and of others, who assert that Snrpi
penned his work in revenge because he had not received preferment from
the court of Rome.
Besides Olivo, Fra Paolo associated with Correggio, afterwards the
Cardinal d'Aseoli, who as well as other men of letters, found him, not
only learned, but equally skilled in all the sciences, as if he had made
each of them alone his peculiar study. " Nature,Z" writes his untiring eulo-
1 His. of the Council of Trent.
3 MS.
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? arr. 21. ] FRA PAOLO SARPI 23
gist, "produces occasionally men of great genius in one particular science.
There have been many such in past times; in our own, Vieta in algebra,
and Gilbert in his speculations on the properties of the magnet. But Fra
Paolo excelled them all. " He had also examined astrology, and became
convinced of its inutility, because " one can neither know nor shun the
future. " At a later period he refers to this subject in writing to M.
Groslot. '
" But as for judicial astrology, one should speak of it with some Ro-
man, as it is more in vogue in that court than in this city, where, al-
though every other abuse is to be met with, this is not, because persons
rise here by ordinary means. No man has expectations above his condition,'
or when he is of too great an age. In Rome, where one sees one attain the
highest position who yesterday was as nothing, the art of divination is
in great credit. But how miserable it is that a man should be desirous
to know the future. For what end? To escape evil? Is it not labour in
vain ?
" When I was about twenty years of age, I took great pains' in this
foolish study, which, if there were any truth in it, ought to be studied in
preference to all else. It is full of false and foolish principles, and so it is
no wonder if the conclusions from such are the same; and he that would
discourse of it theologically, I believe will find it condemned in the Holy
Scriptures, Isaiah c. 7. And the reasons of St. Augustine against it are
very good in his book De Civitate Dei, lib. 5, cap. 1, 3, and 4; Confes-
sion, cap. 3, 5; and 2 Super Genesi, were cap. 16 and 17. . . . There are few
things I believe so firmly, as that I would not change my opinion on good
grounds; but if there is anything I hold for certain, this is one, that judi-
cial astrology is but mere vanity. "
He would sometimes turn it into ridicule, and in this he was cordially
seconded by the Duke, whose love of the burlesque suggested the following
incident.
Although deformed in person, the Duke inherited the taste of his an-
cestors for horses, of which he had preserved a celebrated breed, on one of
which Francis I, King of France, was mounted at the battle of Pavia, and
as war horses they were also greatly esteemed by the Emperor Charles V.
In the Castle of Ombria, there is an equestrian statue of Francis I, in
full armour on one of these celebrated horses, as the monarch went out to
the battle of Pavia. The fortunes of war were adverse; and when the
King, no longer mounted on his splendid charger, entered the convent of
the Certosa, by the breach made by the cannon into its church, the royal
9 July 2, 1609.
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? 24 THE LIFE OF [s. D. 1574.
prisoner took up the words of the choir which had just been chanted
Ps. oxrx, 70, and, kneeling before the great altar, ejaculated aloud,
" Lord, it is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I might learn thy statutes. "
It happened that a mule of one of this celebrated race of horses was
about to be foaled, and the Duke requested Fra Paolo to observe the
heavens during a whole night, especially at the moment of the birth of
the foal. He did so, and having reduced his observations to writing, copies
were sent to the most famous astrologers of Europe, with this notice,
" That at such a time there' was an illegitimite birth in the house of the
Duke of Mantua, " and it long afforded amusement to this Prince to
peruse the various answers which were returned to him; as some predicted
that what in reality was a foal, would be a cardinal, or a military com-
mander; would attain to a mitre, or even to the Popedom!
But there was no truth in the reports then prevalent, that Fra Paolo
left the Court of Mantua because of this story of the foal; or that he
feared banishment because a youth, who had been instigated by Codogno
a Servite, had been justly imprisoned by that prince. Both of these re-
ports were contradicted by Fra Paolo. The true cause of his leaving
Mantua was, that a life at the Court of any Prince was totally at va-
riance with his habits and tastes, and his friends were too importunate . in
their demands upon his time. The death of the good Bishop Boldrino
also might have rendered his stay in Mantua undesirable, but Boldrino
was taken to endless rest from a scene of disquiet, as every year added
'greater difficulties to those eager to tread the path of reform within the
Church of Rome.
Fra Paolo looked down with a calm and settled philosophy on
prejudice and all that opposed truth; he extracted useful knowledge from
all phases of the human race with whom he was conversant, men of every
grade and of divers climes. Moderation in all things was his scrupulous
study; he did not believe in his own infallibility, or in the infallibility of
another, but he learned as well as taught with great modesty, and loved
to applaud rather than to detract. He knew by his own observation, as
well as from his associates at Mantua, by what means the-court of Rome
had supported and continued to support its supremacy, and from this
early period of his life down to the hour of his death, although a faithful
member of the Church of Rome in its ancient usage, he was ever opposed
to the high pretensions of its Court, and on various occasions at Milan, at
Venice and at Rome, he resisted its dictates, when he conceived them to
be contrary to the Holy Scriptures, to the Fathers, or to the Civil or the
Canon law. It seemed strange to those who only sought . th'ei1'f,own'_ ag-
? ? Generated for (University of Chicago) on 2014-06-11 22:53 GMT / http://hdl. handle. net/2027/uc1. 31158010289923 Public Domain, Google-digitized / http://www. hathitrust.
