The evening times., 1896-09-01

described as learned, kindly. and exceed
! Ingiy earnest. and feeling in the highest
| degree the full responsibilities OF each
| place which he is called upon to fih-
| 1t is SAID that when his comrades went
| to inform him that he had been selected
| prior general OF his order, in the fall OF
, 1889 they found him ike one overburdened
/ with sorrow and in response to their con-
| gratulationS he returned but sad smile.
| lie has Just turned his forty eighth year.
| and speaks English W ell He is TIE ninety
| ninth prior general OF the Augustinians.
whose organization reaches back TO the
year 1854.
| The order ut one time was very strong in
| England. Its members were known as the
| Black Friars and the Austin Friars, and
| one branch of them, who had taken VOW
| 10 wear no shoes were called the Barefooted
| Friars.
Archbishop Martiueih belongs to the
| branch OF the order which covers its feet,
| and it is from that branch that the prior
general is always chosen. IL is not q
| strong order today. ard it's head was little
| known except in church circles outside OF
| Rome. and Archbishop Martinelli's appoint
ment to succeed Cardinal Satolli was sur
| prise to great many persons.
Archbishop Martinelh was born at Borgo
| st. Anna, near Lucca, Italy, on August 20,
| 1s4s. He is brother OF the late Cardinal
| Tommaso Maria Mar,inelli, who was also an
| Augustiri;.n, and was prominent enough in
| the church 10 have been looked upon as a
| possible candidate for the papacy during
| the sitting of the conclavc which finally
| elected Leo XIII.
| SPEAKS ENGLISH FLUENTLY.
| Sebastiano Martineli entered the Au-
| gustinian order when he was fifteen years
| old, on December 8. 1868, became a monk
| on january 6, 1865, aud was ordained to
| the priesthood on March 4, 1871. During
| his earlier years in the order he was a
| teacher at the convent ana college OF the
| Irish Augustinians, at their house OF Santa
| Maria Fosterua on the banks of the Tiber.
| at Rome.
1t was there that he learned 10 read and
| speak English. His brother, the cardinal.
| also lived at this house.
The, general officers OF the Augustinians
| are chosen by election at general chapters OF
| the order, which meet every sixth year.
| Archbishop MartineIli had been neither a
| prior nor a provincial of the order when, in
| 1889, he was elected to its highest office.
| His administration was satisfactory one,
| and in 1895 lie was reelected for another
| siix-year term. 1t was on June IA, 1894,
during hts first term as prior general, that
| he left Rome to visit this country. He spent
about three months here, visiting the houses
| of the order in tile United States.
1t is said that when the office Of apos-
| daIa,r,ta fret offe rp,l hin, 10 ,le-
| clined it, and that when it was offered a
| second time he still refused the honor. and
he did not accept the appointment Until the
| pope called upon him to exercise the virtue
! OF obedience and take the place as q duty
\ to the church.
HIS NATIVE PLACE.
| The place, Lucca. from wlicn Father Mar
| tneili takes his origin, is one OF the most
| interesting of the minor cities OF Italy.
| Like so many other towns of this historic
| land, its beginnings are lost in the mists Of
| antiquity As the local historian. Enrico
| Ridoifi, says OF it: I'VE ignore at what
| time and by whom it was founded
| 1t was an Etruscan city AMI it entersinto
| history about 515 years before Christ.
when it became Roman muEicipium under
| Domitius Caivinus.
| And SO it went through the usual vieis-
| STUDIES of the time. Julius Caesar being its
| governor for period.
Many re,nains OF the period OF the middle
| ages are to he met within It's walis. The
| strange tall TO wer OF the Guinigi family. who
| forsied IL over Lacca. where shrubs and trees
| grow on top. and where the dwerers Of
| the adjoining pa lace come forth iodine and
| xup in the cool OF the summer evenings. ssg