BOOK own dominions; 12 and devoted himself with a persevering combination of prejudice and principle, to destroy all who did not think, we cannot say as he thought, for we know not his secret mind; but as he and the final decrees of Trent commanded that men should think, or should unvaryingly appear to think, on the doctrines and practice of the papal church.13 Five great objects occupied his strong and active mind:-to reform his corrupted court and city, his most laudable purpose; to repress and weaken the Turkish power, a patriotic project, because the aggressions of its arrogant fanaticism were perilous; to destroy the Huguenots in France, and Elizabeth in England; and to subvert the Protestant Reformation, and annihilate its adherents in every part of Europe. He succeeded to a great degree in all these schemes, but the two last. He sturdily enforced the long wanted and much resisted correction of the profligacy immediately around him;1 and he annihilated, thro don John of Austria, 12 One of these was the learned Aonius Palearius, for saying that the inquisition was a poignard which intimidated the enlightened. Fr. Celaria Carnesecchi, and Gui Zaneti, were among his other victims, altho the Venetian government endeavoured to save the latter. 13 It is gratifying to see an indication that a nobler spirit is actuating that throne which, at the darker period of our present volume, and even afterwards, allowed itself to be goaded by the papacy to actions which defamed its reputation, and injured its prosperity. In the French papers we read, to the true honor of CHARLES X. that, unlike his namesake CHARLES IX., when he reached Meux on 31st August 1828; To the harangue of M. Sabonadiere, minister of the Protestant faith, THE KING replied, 'I receive with great pleasure the expression of your sentiments. I rely on the fidelity and devotedness of my Protestant subjects; and THEY MAY RELY ON MY PROTECTION. Engl. Newsp. 6th Sept. 1828. The first pope that should utter such a sentence, would secure to himself immortality in this world; and might, perhaps, find it conducive to the grander extension of his expectant being in its next locality. He published a severe edict for expelling from the city and papal dominions all the loose women, whose number and petulantia had so increased, that they were occupying the fine houses and public roads XXVII. 1571. and the fleet which he at last got together under his CHAP. command, the Ottoman navy, in the celebrated battle in the bay of Lepanto.15 His exertions in France and England, his own letters 16 and panegyrical biographers sufficiently display. In the autumn of 1567, we find him urging the king of Spain to send his forces into France against the Huguenots," promising the French king to send him money and soldiers, tho he had no abundance at his disposal; and intreating the doge of Venice to add also his succors; because if the Protestants should conquer, their tenets would soon enter Italy." 18 19 of Rome.' The senate and triumvirs opposing him, he threatened to remove his court from the city if they persisted. He at last allowed them to be limited to an obscure corner of the city, and appointed two or three churches for their use. Illis, vero, duo vel tria templa, quo ad divinam et sacras conciones convenerent, designavit.' Gabutius, Vita, p. 631. A singular adaption of churches and sermons while the mode of life was continued. 15 When the Ottomans had begun to seek the command of the Mediterranean by their fleets, and bad been drawn into it by former papal and French governments, Pius V. counselled, urged, and by his own labors and supplies contributed to produce that union of the Venetian and Spanish squadrons with his own, which, on the 7th October 1571, crushed the Turkish navy in that battle in the bay of Lepanto, in which Cervantes gloried to have had a share. Two hundred Mahomedan gallies, and 30,000 Turks perished or were captured. This victory depressed the Mussulman navy for above two centuries. The Russian destruction of their fleet in the bay of Tchesme in 1781 suppressed its subsequent revival; and the late demolition of the Turkish and Egyptian ships in the bay of Navarino, on 20th October 1827, by sir Edward Codrington, in conjunction with the French and Russian admirals De Rigny and count Heiden, seems to preclude its future restoration, at least in the course of the present generation. The Lettere de Principi, vol. 3, contains a contemporary account of the Lepanto conflict. 16 The letters of Pius V. were collected at Rome, by F. Goubau, secretary of the ambassador of Philip IV., and published by him at Antwerp, in their Latin form, in 1640. De Potter printed a French translation of some of them, in an edition at Brussels, in 1827; and another edition at Paris. My quotations are from the Brussels edition. "Lett. of Pius, of 13 Oct. 1567. Potter, p. 1-3. 19 Lett. 16 Oct. Potter, p. 4-6. 19 Lett. 19 Oct.Au peril de la France est attaché le peril de l'Italie, car si les enemis de Charles étoient vainqueurs, cet incendie auroit bientot atteint les états Italiens.' ib. 8. II. BOOK On the same ground he solicited the duke of Savoy to employ his sword against these impious men, these rebels to God and their king,'" because his states lay the nearest to the contagion of their opinions;" and in the summer of 1568 he congratulated the duke of Alva, that he had obtained a victory in Belgium, for the Catholic faith, against the revolting heretics.22 He repeats, four months afterwards, his exulting compliments and excitations for his achievements in defence of the Holy See and the Catholic truth;23 and promises to remunerate him for his zealous efforts, by granting the pecuniary benefit he solicited, tho it was an unusual grace. He implores the cardinal of Bourbon, at the beginning of the new year, to enforce the measures most proper for THE DESTRUCTION' of these enemies;" and as eagerly intreats the cardinal of Lorraine to prepare, with extreme diligence, whatever is necessary for their attack and defeat.26 He is astonished 20 Lett. 18 Oct. p. 9. 24 25 21 Plus voisine du foyer de ce terrible incendie.' ib. On 16 Nov. he sends this prince 10,000 crowns of gold, in order that he may thereby be better enabled to assist Charles IX. ib. p. 11. He adds, We have exhorted the duke of Lorraine to hinder any succors entering France from the German heretics; and we have resolved to excite the princes of Italy to march to the French king all the auxiliary cavalry they can furnish.' p. 12. 22 Lett. to duc. d'Albe, of 26 Aug. 1568: Continue as you have begun. Omit nothing to re-establish the Catholic religion in your provinces.' ib. 14. 23 Lett. 12 Dec. 1568. ib. 15-18. 24 Ib. p. 17. He assures this commander after his own heart, 'There is nothing which can be expected from an affectionate father, as you will find us toward you, which we do not believe to be your due.' ib. p. 18. 25 This gives us the right to excite you to exert all your efforts and influence, that they embrace definitively le parti le plus propre a operer enfin la destruction des enemis implacables de Dieu et du roi.' Letter 17 Jan. 1569, p. 23. 26 Ib. p. 27. XXVII. that the nefarious prince of Orange should be re- СНАР. tained in the kingdom;" and expresses the pain he feels 28 that the king has not confiscated the property of the heretics, as that would retain the doubting in his faith, and deter others from joining their infamous society.20 He commends his own delegate for doing this at Avignon,30 and directs that the estates shall not, when thus forfeited, be given, or in any way come, to the relations of the heretic, even tho they should be good Catholics, that the intimidating lesson may be complete.31 6 In the spring of 1569, the pope sent his troops, under Sforza, into France, to punish, by every infliction of severity, the heretics and their leaders.32 That the prince of Condé, the chief of the heretical army,' had been killed at the battle of Jarnac, is the subject of his thanksgivings to heaven;33 and he exhorts Charles IX. to profit by his victory, so as utterly to root out the remains of these enemies ;34 27 6 p. 28. Nefarius ille vocatus Aurangiæ princeps.' Lett.17 Jan.1569, 28 Non sine dolore miramur factum adhuc non fuisse.' ib. 29 6 Quod valde utile fuisset ad dubios in fide retinendos; cæteros que omnes ab hujusmodi nefaria cum hæreticis societate conjunctione que deterrendos.' ib. 28. 30 Lett. to card. Armagnac. p. 19. 316 Ne bona hæc propinquis ipsorum aut affinibus, quantumvis bonis et Catholici, donentur, aut quavis ratione perveniant.' ib. p. 20. 32 Lett. 6 March 1569, to Charles IX. p. 33. 'He is ready to execute all your orders. We wish your majesty to employ him without any restriction. We will take care that they shall never want pay. It will be your business punire hæreticos, eorum que duces, omni severitatis animadversione adhibita; that they may suffer these punishments, quas pro sceleribus meriti sunt, by your executing upon them the justum Dei judicium.' ib. p. 34, 35. "Letter to Charles IX. of 28 March, p. 36. Raising the hands to heaven, we have been eager in the humility of our heart to thank the Almighty, who, by giving you this victory, has benignly shed on us such treasures of his mercy.' ib. Ib. 37. Ut omnes tanti tamque corroborati mali radices, atque radicum fibras funditus evellus.' ib. 11. 35 36 BOOK for unless they were radically extirpated, the evil would re-appear. He urges him to have no respect for any persons or things, to induce him to spare those whom he calls the adversaries of God." He tells the king, that he can appease heaven only by the severest punishment of such wretches; and that if he does not thus destroy them, he will perish by divine vengeance.38 The same topics, with the most unqualified and most unshrinking mercilessness, he urges to Catherine de Medicis, the king's mother. He insists upon her not sparing, for any reasons, these enemies of heaven. They must be massacred. They must be exterminated." He dares even to add, with all the insanity of his self-deluding bigotry, that he prays for it every day." 40 He repeats the same exhortations in his subsequent letters.43 He directs them to every accessible and powerful quarter; he desires the king's brother to interfere, to prevent the royal mercy from being 35 Lett. 28 March, p. 36. 36 Ib. Nullarum personarum rerumque humanarum respectus; ut Dei hostibus parcas.' ib. 38. 37 Non enim aliter Deum placare poteris, quam si Dei injurias sceleratissimorum debita pœna, severissime ulciscaris.' ib. 38 Ib. 39 Nullo modo, nullis que de causis hostibus Dei parcendum est.' ib. 42. Lett. 28 March. 40 AD INTERNECIONEM USQUE.' ib. p. 43. 42 Ib. 43 On 13 April 1569, Pius, in little accordance with his assumed official name, wrote to Catherine to treat the rebels with a just severity. By this you will give a memorable example to prevent others from defiling themselves with such an abominable iniquity. We have heard that some are laboring with your majesty, that ex eorum hereticorum qui capti sunt numero, some may be liberated, and go away unpunished. It is necessary [oportet] that you take care, omni studio atque industria, that this be not done; [quod ne fiat;] and that these wicked wretches suffer their just punishment; [atque homines sceleratissimi justis afficiantur suppliciis.]' ib. p. 46. That a POPE should thus insist on a WOMAN's being so mercilessly cruel, would have seemed to be a misconception of female nature, if he had not been writing to Catherine de Medicis. |