New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-13
PAOLO SARPI.
A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF THE VENETIAN
STATESMAN.

Men OF universal genius aio NJ '~'o~
found The field Of learning is too extensive io'
one man to reach its boundaries on every SUI
II ia enough to have explored some narrow region
and to have added trifllng discovery 10 'io'o
which other men have made. That man may
he an accomplished lingust and classical schoiai
with turn for ecclesiastical dispute in additioh
"a hs,ng q statesman, Mr.. Gladstone has shown
the present generation. But what OF a man VINO
ems foremost In Hebrew and Greek study III
Church history and law, in mathematics III
nhvsics in astronomy, indeed in all branches OF
LEARNING known TO his time, and besides was the
ohso,pte adviser Of an important state TOT nan
q Iifetime? That was Fra Paolo Sarpi. OF venice
lie was no amateur in science To him Iaiiieo
confessed a great debt in astronomy. In anatomy
u was he who discovered the valves In the VEINS
and q strong case has been made OUT lor HIN "'
the discoverer, before Harvey, OF the eircuia"oh
Of the blood. The author Of this hriet biography
translates a passage from letter OF oarpi III
which he speaks of what he had covered re-
specting 1.-The circulation Of the bloo III 'he oou9
of animals" Harveys book on the MOTION oI
the heart and Of the blood was not puois"e'
until five years after Sarpi's DEATH ana ne hau
in the meanwhile been a student at Pauua' "'
tending the lectures Of Acquapendente, TO whom
sarp confded his medical discoveries, not only
those concerning the blood. but also those relat-
inc N the eve and to vision. Sarpi was the nrst
observer to attempt map or the mooh' he
noted the Illuminated structure which produces inc
delicate iridescence Of old glass lie invented al
instrument for measuring the variation OF 'he
magnetic needle. He was a profound IL ho'
original mathematician. and in metaphysics was
claimed by Lord Macaulay as the predecessor Oh
Locke Mr.. Robertson goes further ana asserts
that Locke borrowed many ideas whlch ne eA
n.naed IN his system from Sarpi. The great
Venetian in all his researches leaned to the prac-
t,cs, aide Of things. 1t was hardly possible for
a man of his learning in his age to indulge 'he
insane hopes of the alchemists Of the TRANSMIT
tation OF metals and the discovery or the elixir
Of youth. But 1t shows the temper OF the man
that when a parsonage whose claims as trans
muter Of metals were sanctioned by princes ana
d,enitaries Of the Church came TO Venice. Fra
PaoIo treated him with contempt and so In
fuenced the city that the whole population COM
hjned 10 make the pretender ridiculous. 1t is not
certain that he was equally convinced OF the
uselessness Of astrology. The greatest men OF the
time had in the seventeenth century hardly
thrown off the old faith in the influence OF the
stars. 1t is said that the fears Of Pope PAU as
to his prospective death could only be ahayed by
the assertion that the stars had become pro-
ptious. But Fra Paolo comparatively early IN
his life had the opportunity 10 show practicai
disregard for the pretended science. He knew
how to cast nativity, and his rather eccentric
patron. Duke Gonzaga of Mantua, asked him TO
make a horoscope for a mule just foaled lie
entered into the joke, the horoscope was drawn
and copies OF 1t were sent to all the leading
astrologers of Italy. who predicted for the new
born child an eminent career, one wise man even
De- tUf
the fr,ar was not pleased at the publicity which
his horoscope attained. he must have deemed
the casting Of nativities far from serious busi-
ness.
Attenuated and fragile as he seemed. Sarpi
lived to be over seventy years of age The
minute attention which he paid to everything
physical as we'll as mental is shown by the re-
mark of one Of his biographers that his sense
of taste was so acute as to perceive instantly
every ingredient Of his food. To this acuteness
he perhaps owed his safety from efforts to de-
stroy him with poison. The picture drawn OF
him by those who knew him is that or a man
mentally alert throughout all the waking mo-
ments Of his life. From the cell OF monk he
watched not only every advance or KNOWLEDGE
but every movement in politics. In the meagre
quarters where he lived almost the lie Oh a
hermit he was able to form clear notions as 70
But his own political activity was confined to
Venice His rise as a statesman dates from the
time when the dispute between Venice and the
Papacy began to threaten lasting disagreement
not unlike that w,l.cH had already torn England
from the Church of Rome Varied details en-
tered into this quarrel. but the core OF all was
that the Pope asserted rights Of over-ordship
which the Venetian Senate would not concede
1t was near the time OF Sarpis coming INTO
prominence as a counsellor to the Senate that 1t
was found necessary TO forbid the patriarch
elect Of the churches in Venice to go to Rome
for the Pope's benediction since this had been
made the occasion Of claim on the part OF the
Curia to the direct appointment OF this Venetian
dignitary. 1t was because OF such questions
an controversy that in 1906 the Senate decided to
add TO the three permanent officials known as the
Law Counsellors Of the Republic fourth. to be
called the Theological Counsellor. sarp was
chosen for this position. He was well aware that
the ranal Court was unfriendly to him. Bishop
r,cs had been refused him rather petuanty
Whether before this time or later. he called the
rone and the fire Rome's most conclusive argu-
noents and he predicted the misfortunes 81
Gelileo when he learned that the latter had
agreed to explain in Rome his reasons Tor main
tanning the Coperncan system lie saw tha'
now his own position and that OF the Senate
would be strengthened by the Pope's consent
which could be legally obtained through the
General Of the Order to which Sarpi belonged
AS the Law Counsellors had never been promi'
nent in the control Of the Venetian State. II
possibly did not occur 10 the Pope that Sarp
could be more than a mere adviser There came
n time when this actual or vicarious consent OF
the Pope proved highly useful.
From the first Sarpi directed every act Of
Venice where the Pope was concerned. Naturally
there came time when his presence In Rome
VAS eagerly desired. But he responded TO thu
summons by showing how impossible 1t was fo'
him to neglect the duties of an office which he
held by Papal consent Then he offered hi!
S-.x~ d hts stead and as he expected these