The sun., 1900-07-22

i4a7 uAder the name OF Nicholas v. was the
son Of surgeon he was born on Nov Is, 1897
| Early deprived OF his father, he guided IN
| Lucca and Bologna and subsequently acted
as tutor IN the families Of the Strozzi ana Al
bzzi nt Florence; returning to Bologna, he ac-
qured the favor Of Nicholas Abergau then
Bishop and afterward Cardinal whom he served
as majordomo for twenty years and accom-
panied 70 Florence when the Curia had its seat
| there Hs formed ties Of close Intimacy with
the literary circles Of that city. the Mecenas
Of which. at that time, was Cosimo di Medici
without possessing genius. Parentucelh was
distinguished for readiness Of Intellect, great
command Of language and memory SO re-
tentivo that hs knew by heart entire works OF
poets, scholars and philosophers. Asneas Syi-
vius Pccolomn the conspicuous humanlst
who became Pope Plus H., said OF Nicholas "
that what was unknown to Parentucelli lay
outside the sphere Of human learning there
seems to be no doubt that the knowledge OF this.
the greatest bookman Of the age. embraced al
! most the entire compass Of the culture OF his
time Supported by Cosimo. for whom he ar
ranged the library in ~. Marco, he collected
| and copied MSS and books. In i4+s, on the
death Of his patron Albergat. he entered the
service Of Iandriani. This Cardinal also soon
died and Parentuceli now rose In the Church.
Pope Eugenius ". made him successfully
yice-C Chambcrlain. Bishop Of Bologna and
Cardinal The extraordinary eloquenCe which
he dsplayeI In tho funera, Grafton delivered by
him over Eigenius ". Is said 10 have caused
the Conclave 10 elect him to the Papacy.
If. In earlier times. the Papal elections had
been the outcome OF ecclesiastical currents
or political influences. II was apparently learn
ing that now gave a PontiT to the world. In
Nicholas e. humanism assembled tho Chair OF
Peter. and contemporaries hailed new
era In which virtue and wisdom rose
70 power. The elevation Of an unpre-
tending scholar TO the Papacy was, un-
doubtedy an event. Nicholas himself
said TO his friend vespasiano, the Florentine
bookseller: 1T will disturb the pride OF many
that a priest who was only good for ringing
bells has been made Pore. and could the Flor
rntna. have believed it, The study Of books
and documents had made him pale and deli
cato. but not mpros' lie was fun o. Attic
wit HIS unm2os,n, figure had nothing OF
his predec c,sSors dignity; tortured by g1nt.
ha was easily irrtated. but easily soothed.
lie was an enemy to all ceremonial, accessible
to every one. incapable OF dssimuation.
During his reign. which lasted hut eight
years. occurred the fall of Constantinople
Had hc lived longer, 1t Is possible that rcso-
lutte attempt might have been made 10 recover
that city by the Christian powers When he
died In 1855, ne could comfort himself with the
thought that he had dono little evil and much
good. The wealth which he had accumulated
had neither been devoted TO war nor squan-
dered on nephews. A. Pope he had led the
simple life Of a scholar and was so lar removed
4. al. -
mortal bearings. he always made use Of the
Keys of Potter. His ambition was directed TO
a single object that of glorifying the Papacy
by splendid monuments. and OF eyal'lng lis
authority in tho domain OF intellect by making
Rome the centre OF learning. Thus. In his
forecast. the Papacy, while its religious nImbis
faded. was to prove itself the intellectual power
Of the age,
Everything undertaken by Nicholas '. was
calculated 10 cxalt the prestige OF the Sacred
Chair. In the eyes Of the Apostles this aim
would not have been accepted as the Christian
ideal. and they would doubtless have explained
TO the excellent Pope that he confused the
affairs Of the Roman ecclesiastical state with
those OF the Christian republic Il have" said
Nicholas v. in the speech which he addressed
on his dying bed to the Cardinals. $40 reformed
which found ruin ID BY wars and oppressed
with debts that her Schism has been brought
to an end. and her cities and castles are re-
covered ] have built magnificent fortresses
for her defence. have adorned her with splen-
did structures and have literally endowed
her with beautiful works. with pearls and Jew
els Of the rarest workmanship. with books
and draperies. with gold and silver vessels
nd xxifh
these treasures I have collected. not through
avarice or by smony. or in cupldity, bur, on
the contrary. | have praoti ed lberaty in
every way: In architecture. In the purchase
OF books. In the transcription Of Latin and
Greek manuscripts and in paying for the ser
vices OF learned men" At later epoch. "a.
for instance, in the time OF julius H.. and Leo
Y the slpposltion that Pope should have
found it necessary to justify his love Of splendor
would have excited laughter. Nicholas ".
however, found II necessary to defend It In
the eyes OF contemporaries Of the reforming
Council. His farewell is. consequently, his
apology. a vndoation Of his life against the
reproaches Of those meh who adhered to an
cient beliefs. Surveyed from the highest
Christian viewpoint. 1t shows that the ideals
OF the Pope we're entirely bounded by the 's-
thetio horizon. Under Nicholas v. the Papacy
began to display splendid ceremonial. II this
splendor would have failed TO command the
approval OF st. jerome or st. Bernard. mag
niicence In the outer forms OF religion seemed
needful to tho men OF this age In order that
the mind might be elevated by the contem-
plation Of statellness and beauty. According
TO this Pope's ideas the Church had closed her
period Of struggle and entered on that OF her
triumph. Encouraged by the spirit Of antlq-
uity. shs wrapped herself In mantle Of GER
emonial magnifcence; sympathy with classic
forms developed with increasing strength,
and assumed an entirely Pagan coloring Tho
sumptuous secularizaton OF the Papacy, in
fact. began under Nicholas v. although this
man. essentially noble. was unable TO foresee
its consequences. 1t reached its zenith under
Leo X. But the Popes Of the MRcenas-like
House Of Medci. more voluptuous in their
feeling for the beautiful. and with finer
sense for intellectual lux ury. possessed neither
the scholarly enthusiasm nor the grandeur
OF aims exhibited by Parentucelli. the poor
proteg6 Of Cosimo.
III.
Nicholas " was succeeded by Q veteran Of
| n. Alfonso Borgia. a Valencan, who became
Pope under the name Of Caixtus III. His short
reign Of three years was devoid OF importance.
Tho Vatican resembled an infirmary where the
gouty Pope spent the greater part of his time
by candle-light In bed. surrounded by nephews