Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

1

Admit this honeft paper; and allow

It fuch an audience as yourself would afk ;
What you would fay at Venice, this fays now,
And has for nature what you have for task.

To fwear much love; nor to be chang'd before
Honour alone will to your fortune fit;
Nor fhall I then honour your fortune more,
Than I have done your honour-wanting-wit.

But 'tis an easier load (though both opprefs)
To want, than govern greatnefs; for we are
In that, our own and only business;

In this, we muft for others' vices care.

'Tis therefore well your spirits now are plac'd
In their laft furnace, in activity,

Which fits them: fchools, and courts, and wars o'er-paft
To touch and tafte in any beft degree.

For me! (if there be fuch a thing as I)
Fortune (if there be fuch a thing as the)
Finds that I bear fo well her tyranny,

That she thinks nothing else fo fit for me.

But though the parts us, to hear my oft prayers
For your increase, God is as near me here:
And, to fend you what I fhall beg, his ftairs
In length and ease are alike every where.

J. DONNE.

Sir Henry Wotton was received by the State of Venice with much honour and gladnefs, both for that he delivered his Ambafsage moft elegantly in the Italian language, and came alfo in fuch a juncture of time, as his mafter's friendship seemed useful for that republic. The time of his coming thither was about the year 1604. Leonardo Donato being then Duke, a wife and refolved man, and to all purposes fuch (Sir Henry Wotton would often fay it) as the State of Venice could not then have wanted, there having been formerly in the time of Pope Clement VIII. fome contefts about the privileges of churchmen, and the power of the civil magiftrate; of which, for the information of common readers, I fhall fay a little, because it may give light to fome pafsages that follow.

About the year 1603, the Republic of Venice made feveral injunctions against lay perfons giving lands or goods to the

a The author of thefe lines was then firuggling with poverty and domeftic difireis.

church, without licence from the civil magiftrate"; and in that inhibition, they exprefsed their reafons to be, " For that when "any goods or land once came into the hands of the ecclefiafties, "it was not fubject to alienation, by reafon whereof (the lay "people being at their death charitable even to excess

the

clergy grew every day more numerous, and pretended an ex"emption from all public service and taxes, and from all fecular "judgment; fo that the burden grew thereby too heavy to be "borne by the laity."

Another occafion of difference was, that about this time complaints were juftly made by the Venetians against two clergymen, the Abbot of Nervefa, and a Canon of Vicenza, for committing fuch fins, as I think not fit to name: Nor are these mentioned with an intent to fix a fcandal upon any calling. For holiness is not tied to ecclefiaftical orders, and Italy is obferved to breed the most virtuous and most vicious men of any nation.-Thefe two having been long complained of at Rome, in the name of the State of Venice, and no fatisfaction being given to the Venetians, they feized the perfons of this abbot and canon, and committed them to prifon.

The juftice or injuftice of fuch, or the like power then used by the Venetians, had formerly had fome calm debates betwixt the former Pope Clement VIII. and that Republic : I fay calm, for he did not excommunicate them; confidering, as I conceive, that in the late Council of Trent it was at laft (after many politic disturbances and delays, and endeavours to preferve the Pope's prefent power) in order to a general reformation of those many errors, which were in time crept into the church, declared by the Council," That though difcipline, and efpecial excommu"nication, be one of the chief finews of church-government,

[ocr errors]

"

[ocr errors]

They alfo made injunctions "Against the unnecessary increase of new churches, convents, and other religious buildings within their "dominions." C CLEMENT VIII. the admirer of Mr. Richard Hooker's vaft erudition, was a munificent patron of learning, having promoted to the purple, Bellarmine, Baronius, and many other eminent fcholars. Sir Henry Wotton in a letter to Lord Zouch, from Florence, July 27, 1592, gives us the following anecdote of this Pope. "The Pope (Clement VIII.) "in this last general examination of the clergy in St. John Lateran hath depofed four canonifts of that church, the one for having Plutarch's "Lives' found on his table, the reft for failing in declining of nouns and "verbs." He has drawn his character in another letter to the fame nobleman, May 8, 1592; and in a letter from Florence, July 31, 1592, he declares, that Clement had "la fantita di Pio quarto, la prudentia "di Gregorii XIII. et la feverita di Sifto V."Leo XI. the immediate fuccefsor of Clement VIII. died on the 29th day of his pontificate. Upon his death, Paul V. was advanced to the Papal dignity, in preference to two learned antagonists, Bellarmine and Baronius-a pontiff of a haughty, vindictive, and violent fpirit, who, as hath already been obferved, difgraced his character by an exprefs approbation of the doctrine of SUAREZ the Jefuit, in defence of "The Murder of Kings."

"and intended to keep men in obedience to it; for which end "it was declared to be very profitable: Yet it was alfo declared, " and advised to be used with great fobriety and care; because "experience had informed them, that when it was pronounced "unadvisedly or rafhly, it became more contemned than feared.” And, though this was the advice of that Council at the conclufion of it, which was not many years before this quarrel with the Venetians, yet this prudent patient Pope Clement dying, Pope Paul V. who fucceeded him (though not immediately, yet in the fame year), being a man of a much hotter temper, brought this difference with the Venetians to a much higher contention; objecting those late acts of that State, to be a diminution of his juft power, and limited a time of twenty-four days for their revocation; threatening, if it were not obeyed, to proceed to the excommunication of the Republic, who ftill offered to fhew both reafon and ancient custom to warrant their actions. But this Pope, contrary to his predecessor's moderation, required abfolute obedience without difputes.

Thus it continued for about a year: the Pope still threatening excommunication, and the Venetians ftill anfwering him with fair speeches, and no compliance; till at laft the Pope's zeal to the Apoftolic fee did make him to excommunicate the Duke, the whole Senate, and all their dominions; and, that done, to fhut up all their churches: charging the whole clergy to forbear all facred offices to the Venetians, till their obedience fhould render them capable of abfolution.

But this act of the Pope's did but the more confirm the Venetians in their refolution not to obey him. And to that end, upon the hearing of the Pope's interdict, they presently publifhed, by found of trumpet, a proclamation to this effect :

"That whofoever hath received from Rome any copy of a "papal interdict, published there, as well againft the law of "God as against the honour of this nation, fhall prefently ren"der it to the Council of Ten upon pain of death. And "made it lofs of estate and nobility but to fpeak in behalf of "the Jefuits."

[ocr errors]

Then was Duado, their ambaffador, called home from Rome, and the Inquifition prefently fufpended by order of the ftate: And the floodgates being thus fet open, any man that had a pleasant or fcoffing wit might fafely vent it againft the Pope, either by free fpeaking or by libels in print; and both became very pleasant to the people.

d" When it is denounced rafhly for a fmall cause." (History of the Council of Trent, translated by Sir Nathaniel Brent, p. 754.) But fee Father Courayer's remark on this passage in his elegant French version.

e The Venetians had at this time banished the Jesuits from their ter ritories, because they had rendered themfelves peculiarly obnoxious by their implicit adherence to the papal power.

Matters thus heightened, the ftate advised with father Paul, a holy and learned friar, the author of "The Hiftory of the Council of Trent," whofe advice was, "Neither to provoke the Pope, nor lofe their own right;" he declaring publicly in print, in the name of the ftate, "That the Pope was trusted to "keep two keys, one of prudence and the other of power; and "that if they were not both used together, power alone is not

"effectual in an excommunication."

And thus these discontents and oppofitions continued, till a report was blown abroad that the Venetians were all turned Proteftants; which was believed by many: for that it was observed that the English ambassador was fo often in conference with the fenate; and his chaplain, Mr. Bedel, more often with Father Paul, whom the people did not take to be his friend: And alfo, for that the Republic of Venice was known to give commiffion to Gregory Juftiniano, then their ambassador in England, to make all these proceedings known to the King of England, and to crave a promife of his affiftance, if need fhould require; and in the mean time they required the King's advice and judgment; which was the fame that he gave to Pope Clement, at his first coming to the crown of England-(that Pope then moving him to an union with the Roman church);-namely, "To endea66 vour the calling of a free Council for the fettlement of peace "in Chriftendom; and that he doubted not but that the French "King, and divers other Princes, would join to affift in fo good << a work; and in the mean time the fin of this breach, both "with his and the Venetian dominions, muft of neceffity lie "at the Pope's door."

In this contention, which lasted almost two years, the Pope grew ftill higher, and the Venetians more and more refolved and carelefs, ftill acquainting King James with their proceedings, which was done by the help of Sir Henry Wotton,

f We have already had occafion to name this venerable ecclefiaftic. The Hiftory of the Council of Trent was published as the work of Pietro Soave Polano, the anagram of his name. His principal adverfaries in the Venetian caufe were Bellarmine and Baronius, the two great champlons of their church. It was faid of Father Paul, that "He not only "knew more than other men, but that he knew better;" and that "he "feemed to have wifdom by habit." Attempts have been recently made by fome modern writers among the high Catholics, as they are denominated, to depreciate the fame and invalidate the authority of this great man. Thele attempts are vain. His works will be held in veneration when the names of his adverfaries are funk into oblivion.

Afterward Bishop of Kilmore, in Ireland. During his refidence at Venice for eight years, he contracted an intimate acquaintance with Father Paul, who taught him the Italian language, and who was much afflicted when Mr. Bedel returned to England, to whom at his departure he prefented his picture, the MSS. of his Hiftory of the Council of Trent, his Hiftory of the Interdict and Inquifition, with other literary donations.

Mr. Bedel, and Padre Paulo, whom the Venetians did then call to be one of their confulters of state, and with his pen to defend their just caufe: Which was by him fo performed, that the Pope faw plainly he had weakened his power by exceeding it, and offered the Venetians abfolution upon very eafy terms; which the Venetians ftill flighting, did at laft obtain by that which was scarce fo much as a fhow of acknowledging it. For they made an order, that in that day in which they were abfolved, there fhould be no public rejoicing, nor any bonfires that night, left the common people might judge that they defired an abfolution, or were abfolved for committing a fault".

These contests were the occafion of Padre Paulo's knowledge and interest with King James; for whofe fake principally Padre Paulo compiled that eminent hiftory of the remarkable Council of Trent; which history was, as faft as it was written, fent in feveral fheets in letters by Sir Henry Wotton, Mr. Bedel, and others, unto King James and the then Bishop of Canterbury, into England; and there firft made public both in English and in the universal language.

For eight years after Sir Henry Wotton's going into Italy, he ftood fair and highly valued in the King's opinion, but at laft became much clouded by an accident which I shall proceed

to relate.

At his firft going ambassador into Italy, as he passed through Germany, he stayed fome days at Augufta, where having been, in his former travels, well known by many of the best note for learning and ingenioufnefs (thofe that are efteemed the virtuofi of that nation) with whom he, paffing an evening in merriments, was requested by Chriftopher Flecamore to write fome fentence in his Albo (a book of white paper which the German gentry ufually carry about them for that purpofe); and Sir Henry Wotton confenting to the motion, took an occafion, from fome accidental difcourfe of the prefent company, to

King James had written "A Premonition to all Chriftian Princes and States," in the Latin language. Sir Henry Wotton is much cenfured for having delayed to prefent it to the Senate of Venice, as there was no doubt but that it would have tended much to feparate them entirely from the papal power. It was his intention to have produced it on St. James's day. Before that day came, the difference between the Pope and the Republic was made up: fo that when he had his audience, all the anfwer he got was, "That they thanked the King of England for "his good will, but that they were now reconciled to the Pope, and "that therefore they were refolved not to admit any change in their religion, according to their agreement with the court of Rome."(Burnet's Life of Bedel, p. 13, 14.)-It must be remembered that the above account is exprefsly contradicted by Dr. Hickes, who afserts, that the King's book, of which Bishop Burnet speaks, was not then extant. "The Pope and the Venetians were reconciled in April 1607, and the "King's Premonition came not out till 1609,"

[ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »