685 Memoirs of Leonardo Aretino. Field Southernwood, Artemisia Cam- of the public. 686 Hence arose great complaints, and open reproaches, all being indignant that men of their age, (they are both past seventy,) should, for the sake of occupying the pontifical chair for a few years, lay aside the fear of God, and disregard the censure of men. Such were the angry remarks of people in general. If you ask my opinion, I was persuaded that our Pontiff was deceived by those whom I have mentioned above, and that evil counsellors filled him with empty fears: for I had from the beginning witnessed his upright intentions, and I could not conceive that a good man could, without the mischievous interference of others, undergo so great a change. If I had imagined that he entertained any crooked MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE AND TIMES OF views, you should not have anticipated LEONARDO ARETINO (Continued from col. 630.) "The Antipope indeed entertained no honourable designs; but he concealed his evil intentions by a specious shew of integrity; and his cause was esteemed the better of the two. For he had both repaired to Savona on the appointed day, which our master had failed to do, and had afterwards, with a semblance of eagerness, come to the shore of Tuscany, whilst we were yet delaying. And having thus come, as I may say, to our territory, he seemed to be justified in declaring that he would not quit the sea side, lest he should be deprived of the protection of his fleet; but that he would meet our master in any place contiguous to the sea. Such were the proposals of Benedict. But our Pontiff, on the contrary, refused to come down to the shore; and proposed to hold the meeting in an inland town, and further stipulated that the town in question should be one which acknowledged his authority. Thus the one, like an aquatic animal, would not come upon the dry land; and the other, like a land animal, dreaded the sight of water. In these circumstances our grief was imbittered by our knowledge of the general persuasion, that for the two counter proposals neither the one nor the other incurred any hazard. It was, moreover, thought that both the parties were well aware of this, and that they purposely simulated fear, in order to frustrate the expectations and wishes my departure from his court. "Affairs being in this posture, there arose a new occasion of disturbance. His Holiness determined to proceed to an election of Cardinals. To this step he was incited by two causes: in the first place, he was desirous of making a requital to his partisans, who were very importunate with him for some remuneration for their services. In the second place, because he was in hopes that the introduction of some new members into the sacred college would mitigate the vehemence of the ancient cardinals. It was not to be doubted that the Fathers would object to this new intention of his Holiness; and custom will not allow any such proceeding to be adopted without their consent. Being determined, therefore, to make a strenuous effort, he summoned the Fathers to a council. They hastily assembled, each forming a different conjecture as to the occasion of their being summoned. The place of meeting had been privately fitted up for their reception. The Pontiff came from his chamber, and seated himself on his throne. The Fathers, in pursuance of orders to that purport, took their places. The assembly being constituted, his Holiness, contrary to the received custom, retained about his person two of his domestics, and excluded the rest of the multitude. Whether he did this, in order that upon occasion he might avail himself of assistance, or for some other cause, I know not. After waiting for a little while in silence, he looked upon the 687 Memoirs of Leonardo Aretino. 688 Cardinals with no pleasant counte- | Librafatta, in the neighbourhood of nance, and said, "I command that no which a skirmish took place, and one of you arise." This first speech some of the horsemen were wounded. of his struck the auditors with sudden When intelligence of this was brought astonishment; and whilst one was to Lucca, the Prince of that city, fearlooking indignantly one way and an- ing to provoke the anger of the Floother another, Henrico, the Cardinal rentines by this apparent violation of of Tusculum, said, "What is this, holy their territory, arrested the horsemen Father, and what is the meaning of who had done this mischief, immedithis command?" Since,' says the ately on their return. His Holiness Pontiff, 'I cannot carry on affairs pro- was also much hurt by the error of perly in association with you, I in- his soldiers, and was extremely contend to provide for the safety of the cerned at this infringement of the Church.' To this Henrico, with a rights and dignity of the Florentine countenance glowing with passion, re-republic. He, therefore, instantly plies, Nay, you intend to destroy the sent for Marcello Strozza, a man of Church. Here, when all were indig- considerable eminence, who then renant, but still kept their seats, Ray-sided at his court, and myself; and naldo, deacon of St. Vitus in Macello, assured us that what had taken place, a man, as I then thought, preeminent had happened in pursuance of no above the rest in courage, suddenly command of his, but merely through arose, and said, 'Let us rather die.' the rashness of his soldiers; and he He is, as you know, a man of tall ordered us to go to Florence, and stature. Most of the Cardinals, there- make the necessary explanations to fore, followed his example. that state. "In these new and unexpected circumstances, it was easy to determine upon the view, how much vigour of mind was possessed by each individual. Some were red, others pale; some scolded, others supplicated. I saw Cardinal Colonna at the feet of the Pontiff, entreating him to forego his resolution; the Cardinal of Lodi, on the contrary, I beheld in a menacing and angry attitude; whilst the Cardinal of Bourdeaux, acting the part of a mediator, now attempted to assuage the wrath of his angry brethren, and now addressed prayers to the Pontiff. Thus the council was dismissed without having transacted any business-but not before an edict was issued by the Pontiff, forbidding the Fathers to leave Lucca, or to meet without his authority. This edict was thought to indicate on the part of the Pontiff no small degree of asperity and suspicion. Greater commotions, therefore, immediately followed, which broke through all restraints; for after the publication of this edict, the Cardinal of Lodi put on a disguise, and effected his escape from Lucca. When this was known, some horsemen were sent to bring him back by force. These, following him with little attention, proceeded to the territory of Pisa, which is under the dominion of the Florentines. In the meantime, the Cardinal had escaped there by taking refuge in the town of "Whilst we were in his presence, receiving his instructions, some one suddenly entered, and announced the intelligence that all the Cardinals were gone away in a body. On the receipt of this news, the Pontiff immediately dismissed us, being obliged to turn his attention to other matters. For true indeed were the tidings of the departure of the Cardinals, who having, by the arrest of the horsemen, been rid of the fear which they had formerly entertained of them and of the Prince, had determined to make no secret of their secession. They were assisted in this enterprise by a citizen of Florence, who had arrived a few days ago at Lucca, and who loudly complained of the invasion of the territory of his country by the pontifical troops. Alarmed by his clamour, and dreading to be made responsible for this casual incursion, the Prince of Lucca suffered the Cardinals to take their departure for Pisa, where they arrived on the same day that they quitted his territories. The secession of the Fathers was, indeed, a lamentable spectacle; but in my opinion, the courtiers soon afterwards made a still more pitiful exhibition: for there was on their part great diversity of conduct, some accompanying the Cardinals, others remaining with the Pope, while many were uncertain and wavering. In these circumstances, complaints and LIFE OF MARTIN LUTHER. (Continued from col. 641.) 690 When Luther was still at school, he was accustomed, as soon as he had finished his scholastic exercises, to himself to music. He thus formed himself to a good musician, who not only could sing well, and play well upon several instruments, but was also able himself to compose. murmurs every where prevailed. In the course of a little time, the Pontiff created four new Cardinals. I could wish that this creation had been made under better auspices; for, if I am not mistaken, many and terrible calamities impend over us. As to my-tune, or to make verses, or to devote self, I do not desert the Pontiff, to whom I am bound by the ties of affection and duty,-duty from which I cannot recede without the loss of my reputation. At the same time I must be permitted to declare, that many transactions which take place here, by no means meet my approbation."* The laborious and learned editor of the letters of Leonardo Aretino, Lorenzo Mehus, a zealous Roman Catholic, is much scandalized by the freedom with which the learned Florentine animadverts, in the foregoing epistle, on the conduct of the sovereign Pontiff. In a cautionary note, he styles him rash and inconsiderate; and calls upon those who, with himself, regard the Fathers of the faithful with becoming veneration, to reprobate the exercise of such unwarrantable liberty in criticizing the proceedings of the head of the Church. But by Protestant readers, Leonardo will be esteemed as a man of upright feelings and of an independent mind, who could distinguish between obsequiousness and obedience, and who was well aware that the errors of the great are in general occasioned by the flattery of their attendants. His narrative, admitting us within the veil which is suspended before the chair of St. Peter, exhibits to us the Pontiff, urged by worldly ambition, descending to the meanness of prevarication, and attempting to support detestable fraud by open violence. The schism of the west was, indeed, a fatal shock to the pontifical authority. The mutual anathemas of the rival Popes shook the fidelity even of the credulous and of the superstitious. To judge of the contending claims of the adverse parties, reason was necessarily called into exercise; and when once reason is applied to a system which depends for its support on implicit faith, the doom of that system is sealed-its duration in the plenitude of its power cannot be of long continuance. (To be continued.) *Leonardi A retini Epistolæ, lib. ii. ep. 21. Even that great (artist) musician, the immortal Handel, confessed that he studied Luther's compositions, and had to thank him for much. No wonder then, that Luther entertained a good opinion of every judge and friend of music, and compared those who had no feeling for this noble art to stocks and stones. In his commendatory speech on music, he says, amongst other things, "As I from my heart would willingly laud and extol this beautiful and costly gift of God, this free science of music; so I find also it has great and many advantages, that I do not know where to commence or to end its praise. First, we find from the beginning of the world, it was given to each creature of God; for there is nothing in the world that cannot express a sound or a noise, but even the air, when it is moved or agitated, gives a music or sound. Secondly, in the beasts, and particularly birds, the music, sound, and song, are more wonderful. Ah! what an heavenly music is it which the Almighty Lord in heaven has conferred upon his songster, the lovely nightingale, with all her young scholars, and so many thousand birds in the air, as every species has its own manner and melody, its charming sweet voice and wonderful colouring, which no man upon earth can comprehend. How does king David, that precious musician, who himself says, On the same sit the birds of heaven, and sing among the branches;' what shall I say of the human voice then, in comparison of which, all other songs, tune, or sound, is not to be reckoned. For many learned people have endeavoured to investigate the human voice, and to comprehend how it arises, that the air, through a small and trivial movement of the tongue, and after that through a still less motion of the throat or neck, in many different ways and manners, after it is governed and ruled by the will 691 Life of Martin Luther. 692 express powerful and forcible words, | cation of the saints, of the mother of sound, song, and noise, that it may be heard and understood by every one far and wide, and all around by every person distinguishably. Therefore, I will recommend to every one this art, and particularly to young people, and herewith caution them, that they esteem and value this precious, useful, and joyful creature of God, by the acknowledgment of which, and industrious cultivation, they may at times drive away evil thoughts, and avoid bad company and vice, and thereafter accustom themselves to know, praise, and magnify God the Creator in this his creature. He, however, who has no love or desire for it, and not moved by such a lovely work of wonder, must truly be a gross block, who is not worthy to hear such delightful melody, but to listen to the asses' wild braying, or the music and song of dogs and swine." He followed also turning in the sequel, as a favourite amusement, as may be seen by a letter to his friend Linck, in the year 1525.- I, and my friend Wolf, have taken turnery in hand. We send you herewith a gold guilder, begging you to send us two or three hollow chisels and turning instruments, and also two or three screws. We have certainly some tools, but we want some of your neat Nuremberg ware. Do me this favour; what it costs more I will return with thanks. I know one can procure such things very cheap with you; therewith, in case the world will not give us a living on account of the word of God, we may hereafter get our bread by our own handy work. When he studied at Erfurth, he found in the library of the university, which he then visited the first time in his life, a Latin Bible, the book which in the sequel he placed in the hands of many millions. The subject is weighty enough, to hear his own words thereupon,--"When I was twenty years old, I had never seen a bible, and thought that the whole bible consisted in the gospels and epistles which were recited every Sunday in the church." It cannot appear to us strange, that in those times, when the scholars were forbidden to quote any thing from the bible, when the books of the heathen philosophers were explained in the pulpit, and they spoke only of invo God, of adoration of relics, of purga- Whilst Luther studied at Erfurth, but he says, Monks are a lazy people, on which account they can neither rule or keep house; they do nothing but prattle in the church, eat, drink, and sleep, and are like fed swine; they therefore become nothing but rude blockheads, and lazy rogues. And in another place he says, A monk is a lad, free from any cares of the church, town's service; or as the louse, a lazy gluttonous brother, eating the goods of other people, obtained by the sweat of their brow. Monks, however, do not permit themselves to be provoked without remark, and Luther must feel their displeasure in all its circumEference. They committed to him the most troublesome and dirty work, in order to keep him from his studies. For instance, he was obliged to wind up the clock, open and close the doors, beg daily for the abbey, and even clean the private places. The university of which Luther was a member and magister, reckoned this a disgrace put upon them, and applied on that account to Doctor Von Stampitz, first deacon of the theological faculty of Wittemberg. Through his mediation, Luther was freed from all his mean Occupations in the abbey, and on that account could apply with more zeal to his studies. Respecting his subsequent ordination as priest, he gives the following account. "My consecrating bishop, when he made me a priest, and gave me the cup into my hand, spoke no otherwise than thus: Take here the power to atone for the living and the dead. That the earth did not swallow us up, was wonderful, and therefore a proof of the great patience and forbearance of God." When Staxepitz had to undertake a journey in the country of the Elector of Saxony, he entrusted to Luther the direction of 40 Augustin convents, in Thuringia and Meissin, under his inspection. Luther met with the greatest abuses, and in some degree the most abominable excesses, and was more and more filled with horror, for a situation which fattened upon the spoil of pious simplicity; and, alas! too often contributed to the ruin of the remaining part of mankind. He did as much as was possible with his confined means; he undertook in the convents many new arrangements, recommended to the monks an assiduous reading of the holy scriptures, and a way of life consonant therewith. The improvement દસ 694 of schools was not less important with him, and he founded several new ones. Without schools (said he) men would become bears and wolves. It cannot remain as it is; therefore we will put a hand to the work, and provide schoolmasters. I know of no condition upon earth which I would prefer. We must, however, not view it as the world rewards and considers it, but as God esteems it. How much he valued the conscientious schoolman, and how much it pained his kind heart that man underrated that situation to which the state owes so much obligation, may be seen out of the following passage: “An industrious and pious schoolmaster or magister, who truly educates and teaches children, can never be sufficiently rewarded, nor be paid with any money; which even the heathen Aristotle affirms. With us, however, it is shamefully despised, as if it was nothing; and nevertheless we will be Christians. And when I could or must be dismissed from the preacher's office, I know of none I would so soon choose as that of a teacher of boys. For I am convinced, that this, next to the office of preacher, is the most useful, great, and best: for it is very difficult to tame old dogs, and make old sinners pious, at which the priest's office must work, and often much in vain; but the young and teachable one may better draw and turn, notwithstanding many may break in the operation." When Luther was examined before the papal legate and Cardinal Cagitan, a courtier tried to frighten him with this question; Where he would remain, in case he should lose the Elector's protection, who, on his sole account, would hardly go to war? Luther answered, smiling, Under the canopy of heaven. The courtier was silent. After the fruitless examination before the Cardinal Cagitan, the Pope sent his Chamberlain, Von Miltiz, to Germany, in order to settle the dispute with Luther.-Miltiz possessed far greater knowledge of mankind, and was better furnished with prudence and moderation, than Cagitan— in short, he was quite the man that the Pope should have chosen for this business; and he commenced the matter more in a friendly, than in a theological manner." My dear Martin," was his salutation, the first time he ad |