The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-20 00:00:00

MORNING EDITION-.

JOHN OF VICEIZA.
In the early part of the 13th century, the ItA:ion re-
publics were involved in a series of civil ware, the im-
mediate *cause of which is now lest in obscurity. So•
frequent, indeed, had been these appeals to arm 3, and
so familiarised were men to violence and bloodshed,
that contemporary historians did not deem it necessary
to do more than indicate their occurrence, without as-
signing their motives or informing us of their remits.
The animosity of the two great parties which had for :len-
tunics divided the Italian states into Guelfs and Ghibel-
lines, was at that period at. its height. Two contending
claimants of the imperial throne bad recently made
that unhappy country the seat of war, while the ambi-
tious priests who filled successively for short periods the
pontifical chair, unmindful of the paternal character
which they had assumed, incited to new contests a
people addicted to strife and ungovernable in their re-
sentment. Added to these prevailing causes was the
jealousy which existed between the nobles and citizens',
producing in many instances bloody cominotionl,
which, whether resulting in the exclusion of the nobles
from participation in the government, or in their 1.15 UN
potion of supreme authority, left the seeds of suspicion
and hatred to engender new discussions, violent and in-
terminable.

In Lombardy, all these causes existed in their most
aggravated form, and operated, perhaps, with nut the
less effect that the famous Lombardy League, formed
at a juncture when they were menaced by the imperial
arms, had restrained for a time the violence of passions
which it could not suppress. At this period a number
of Dominican monks, whose unhappy office it had been
to arouse the populace to the pers,ention of the unfor-
tunate Albigenses, bethought themselves of an employ-
ment more worthy of their religion, and commenced
those exercises which were long known in Italy as " the
preaching of the peace." Severe in their morals, and
practised in austerities, they had acquired a reputation
for sanctity well fitted to promote their laudable designs.
Among those engaged in this noble undertaking no
one was more distinguished than John of Vicenza. He
commenced his preaching at Bologna in 1233, with emi-
nent success. The citizens, the neighbouring peasants,
and especially the soldiers, attracted by bis eloquence,
assembled in crowds around hint, and, displaying
their crosses and their banners, seemed equally pre-
pared to receive the precepts and obey the orders
of the preacher. Among this multitude moved
by his discourse, all those in Bologna who had en-
tertained any enini(ies were seen coining to lay them a:
his feet, and swear perpetual peace with their former-
foes. The 111,gistrates themselves, actuated by the
same impulse, submitted their laws to his revisal, en-
treating that those statutes might be annulled, which
could give rise to furture dissensions. .Proceeding ter
Padua, the municipal authorities came out to meet bins
at many league; distance, and conducted him in tri-
umph into tl:e city, sewed on the sacred car. The as-
sembled populace heard with transport the " preaching
of the peace," and applauded those reconciliations which
effaced for the instant the animosities of year:.
Thus he visited, with uniform success, the prin-
cipal cities of Lombardy, everywhere reconciling ene-
mies, and everywhere haled as the"healer of breaches."
Nur was it in the republican towns only that he was
received in this character. The nobles submitted their
differences with equal confidence to his arbitration, mid
the whole population of Lombardy prepared to assist at
a solemn assembly which he had convoked in the plain
of Paquarra, on the banks of the Adige. Never
had a nobler enterprise been undertAken (as re-
marked by M. Sismundi, whose relation of this ex-
traordinary passage we follow) than that of recon-
ciling twenty inimical States by the mere inspiration of
religious sentiments—by the simple influence of Chris •
tianity—by the unaided power of language. Never
bad a grander spectacle been presented to the eyes of
men. The ent're population of Verona and Mantua,
of Brescia and Padua, and of eight of the priocioal
cities of Lombardy, surrounded by their respect4e3
magistrates, assembled under their national standarose
while a numerous company of bishops and nobles
anpeareil at the head of their vassals. From a lofty scat
elevated in the midst of the plain the voice of the preacher
was distinctly beard by every individual of that vast
assemblage, and might well seem to their heated
imaginations to descend from heaven. His text was
the affecting bequest—" My peace I give unto you—
my peace I leave with you." With an eloquence tile
then unknown, he drew a frightful picture of the mise-
ries of war ; he described the spirit of Christianity as a
spirit of peace ; and in the name of God and of the
Church, he commanded the Lombards to renounce
their enmities. He then dictated to them a treaty of
universal pacification, which was to be cemented by the
union of families once inimical, and devoted to ever-
lasting malediction those who should violate this ami•
cable adjustment of differences.
Such was the success which attended the preaching
of this apostle of peace, that for a time a universal
cessation of war rewarded his labours ; and one of the
treaties formed under his auspices, still extant, and
which contains scarcely any othe r condition than that
of mutual forgiveness of injuries, has handed down to
posterity the name of John of Vicenza with an edit', as
singular as it is enviable.