merely　as　a　pretext　for　giving　free　　play　to　his　own　poisonous　nature；　we　may　quote　one　author　as　typical　of　　the　restMasuccio；　in　the　first　ten　of　his　fifty　novels。　They　are　　written　in　a　tone　of　the　deepest　indignation；　and　with　the　purpose　to　　make　this　indignation　general；　and　are　dedicated　to　men　in　the　highest　　position；　such　as　King　Ferrante　and　Prince　Alfonso　of　Naples。　The　　stories　are　many　of　them　old；　and　some　of　them　familiar　to　readers　of　　Boccaccio。　But　others　reject；　with　a　frightful　realism；　the　actual　　state　of　things　at　Naples。　The　way　in　which　the　priests　befool　and　　plunder　the　people　by　means　of　spurious　miracles；　added　to　their　own　　scandalous　lives；　is　enough　to　drive　any　thoughtful　observer　to　　despair。　We　read　of　the　Minorite　friars　who　travelled　to　collect　alms：　　'They　cheat；　steal；　and　fornicate；　and　when　they　are　at　the　end　of　　their　resources；　they　set　up　as　saints　and　work　miracles；　one　　displaying　the　cloak　of　St。　Vincent；　another　the　handwriting　of　St。　　Bernardino；　a　third　the　bridle　of　Capistrano's　donkey。'　Others　'bring　　with　them　confederates　who　pretend　to　be　blind　or　afflicted　with　some　　mortal　disease；　and　after　touching　the　hem　of　the　monk's　cowl；　or　the　　relics　which　he　carries；　are　healed　before　the　eyes　of　the　multitude。　　All　then　shout　〃Misericordia；〃　the　bells　are　rung；　and　the　miracle　is　　recorded　in　a　solemn　protocol。'　Or　else　the　monk　in　the　pulpit　is　　denounced　as　a　liar　by　another　who　stands　below　among　the　audience；　the　　accuser　is　immediately　possessed　by　the　devil；　and　then　healed　by　the　　preacher。　The　whole　thing　was　a　prearranged　comedy；　in　which；　however；　　the　principal　with　his　assistant　made　so　much　money　that　he　was　able　to　　buy　a　bishopric　from　a　Cardinal；　on　which　the　two　confederates　lived　　comfortably　to　the　end　of　their　days。　Masuccio　makes　no　great　　distinction　between　Franciscans　and　Dominicans；　finding　the　one　worth　　as　much　as　the　other。　'And　yet　the　foolish　people　lets　itself　be　drawn　　into　their　hatreds　and　divisions；　and　quarrels　about　them　in　public　　places；　and　calls　itself　〃franceschino〃　or　〃domenichino。〃　'　The　nuns　　are　the　exclusive　property　of　the　monks。　Those　of　the　former　who　have　　anything　to　do　with　the　laity；　are　prosecuted　and　put　in　prison；　while　　others　are　wedded　in　due　form　to　the　monks；　with　the　accompaniments　of　　mass；　a　marriage…contract；　and　a　liberal　indulgence　in　food　and　wine。　　'I　myself；'　says　the　author；　'have　been　there　not　once；　but　several　　times；　and　seen　it　all　with　my　own　eyes。　The　nuns　afterwards　bring　　forth　pretty　little　monks　or　else　use　means　to　hinder　that　result。　And　　if　anyone　charges　me　with　falsehood；　let　him　search　the　nunneries　well；　　and　he　will　find　there　as　many　little　bores　as　in　Bethlehem　at　Herod's　　time。'　These　things；　and　the　like；　are　among　the　secrets　of　monastic　　life。　The　monks　are　by　no　means　too　strict　with　one　another　in　the　　confessional；　and　impose　a　Paternoster　in　cases　where　they　would　refuse　　all　absolution　to　a　layman　as　if　he　were　a　heretic。　'Therefore　may　the　　earth　open　and　swallow　up　the　wretches　alive；　with　those　who　protect　　them。'　In　another　place　Masuccio；　speaking　of　the　fact　that　the　　influence　of　the　monks　depends　chiefly　on　the　dread　of　another　world；　　utters　the　following　remarkable　wish：　'The　best　punishment　for　them　　would　be　for　God　to　abolish　Purgatory；　they　would　then　receive　no　more　　alms；　and　would　be　forced　to　go　back　to　their　spades。'
  If　men　were　free　to　write；　in　the　time　of　Ferrante；　and　to　him；　in　this　　strain；　the　reason　is　perhaps　to　be　found　in　the　fact　that　the　king　　himself　had　been　incensed　by　a　false　miracle　which　had　been　palmed　off　　on　him。　An　attempt　had　been　made　to　urge　him　to　a　persecution　of　the　　Jews；　like　that　carried　out　in　Spain　and　imitated　by　the　Popes；　by　　producing　a　tablet　with　an　inscription　bearing　the　name　of　St。　　Cataldus；　said　to　have　been　buried　at　Taranto；　and　afterwards　dug　up　　again。　When　he　discovered　the　fraud；　the　monks　defied　him。　He　had　also　　managed　to　detect　and　expose　a　pretended　instance　of　fasting；　as　his　　father；　Alfonso；　had　done　before　him。　The　Court；　certainly；　was　no　　accomplice　in　maintaining　these　blind　superstitions。
  We　have　been　quoting　from　an　author　who　wrote　in　earnest；　and　who　by　no　　means　stands　alone　in　his　judgement。　All　the　Italian　literature　of　that　　time　is　full　of　ridicule　and　invective　aimed　at　the　begging　friars。　It　　can　hardly　be　doubted　that　the　Renaissance　would　soon　have　destroyed　　these　two　Orders；　had　it　not　been　for　the　German　Reformation　and　the　　Counter…Reformation　which　intervened。　Their　saints　and　popular　　preachers　could　hardly　have　saved　them。　It　would　only　have　been　　necessary　to　come　to　an　understanding　at　a　favourable　moment　with　a　　Pope　like　Leo　X；　who　despised　the　Mendicant　Orders。　If　the　spirit　of　　the　age　found　them　ridiculous　or　repulsive？　they　could　no　longer　be　　anything　but　an　embarrassment　to　the　Church。　And　who　can　say　what　fate　　was　in　store　for　the　Papacy　itself；　if　the　Reformation　had　not　saved　　it？
  The　influence　which　the　Father　Inquisitor　of　a　Dominican　monastery　was　　able　habitually　to　exercise　in　the　city　where　it　was　situated；　was　in　　the　latter　part　of　the　fifteenth　century　just　considerable　enough　to　　hamper　and　irritate　cultivated　people；　but　not　strong　enough　to　extort　　any　lasting　fear　or　obedience。　It　was　no　longer　possible　to　punish　men　　for　their　thoughts；　as　it　once　was；　and　those　whose　tongues　wagged　most　　impudently　against　the　clergy　could　easily　keep　clear　of　heretical　　doctrine。　Except　when　some　powerful　party　had　an　end　to　serve；　as　in　　the　case　of　Savonarola；　or　when　there　was　a　question　of　the　use　of　　magical　arts；　as　was　often　the　case　in　the　cities　of　North　Italy；　we　　seldom　read　at　this　time　of　men　being　burnt　at　the　stake。　The　　Inquisitors　were　in　some　instances　satisfied　with　the　most　superficial　　retraction；　in　others　it　even　happened　that　the　victim　was　saved　out　of　　their　hands　on　the　way　to　the　place　of　execution。　In　Bologna　（1452）　the　　priest　Niccolo　da　Verona　had　been　publicly　degraded　on　a　wooden　　scaffold　in　front　of　San　Domenico　as　a　wizard　and　profaner　of　the　　sacraments；　and　was　about　to　be　led　away　to　the　stake；　when　he　was　set　　free　by　a　gang　of　armed　men；　sent　by　Achille　Malvezzi；　a　noted　friend　　of　heretics　and　violator　of　nuns。　The　legate；　Cardinal　Bessarion；　was　　only　able　to　catch　and　hang　one　of　the　party；　Malvezzi　lived　on　in　　peace。
  It　deserves　to　be　noticed　that　the　higher　monastic　orders　e。g。　　Benedictines；　with　their　many　brancheswere；　notwithstanding　their　　great　wealth　and　easy　lives；　far　less　disliked　than　the　mendicant　　friars。　For　ten　novels　which　treat　of　'frati'　hardly　one　can　be　found　　in　which　a　'monaco'　is　the　subject　and　the　victim。　It　was　no　small　　advantage　to　these　orders　that　they　were　founded　earlier；　and　not　as　an　　instrument　of　police；　and　that　they　did　not　interfere　with　private　　life。　They　contained　men　of　learning；　wit；　and　piety；　but　the　average　　has　been　described　by　a　member　of　it；　Firenzuola；　who　says：　'These　　well…fed　gentlemen　with　the　capacious　cowls　do　not　pass　their　time　in　　barefooted　journeys　and　in　sermons；　but　sit　in　elegant　slippers　with　　their　hands　crossed　over　their　paunches；　in　charming　cells　wainscoted　　with　cyprus…wood。　And　when　they　are　obliged　to　quit　the　house；　they　　ride　comfortably；　as　if　for　their　amusement；　on　mules　and　sleek；　quiet　　horses。　They　do　not　overstrain　their　minds　with　the　study　of　many　　books；　for　fear　lest　knowledge　might　put　the　pride　of　Lucifer　in　the　　place　of　monkish　simplicity。'
  Those　who　are　familiar　with　the　literature　of　the　time；　will　see　that　　we　have　only　brought　forward　what　is　absolutely　necessary　for　the　　understanding　of　the　subject。　That　the　reputation　attaching　to　the　　monks　and　the　secular　clergy　must　have　shattered　the　faith　of　　multitudes　in　all　that　is　sacred　is；　of　course；　obvious。
  And　some　of　the　judgements　which　we　read　are　terrible；　we　will　quote　　one　of　them　in　conclusion；　which　has　been　published　only　lately　and　is　　but　little　known。　The　historian　Guicciardini　who　was　for　many　years　in　　the　service　of　the　Medicean　Popes；　says　（1529）　in　his　'Aphorisms'：　'No　　man　is　more　disgusted　than　I　am　with　the　ambition；　the　avarice　and　the　　profligacy　of　the　priests；　not　only　because　each　of　these　vices　is　　hateful　in　itself；　but　because　each　and　all　of　them　are　most　unbecoming　　in　those　who　declare　themselves　to　be　men　in　special　relations　with　　God；　and　also　because　they　are　vices　so　opposed　to　one　another；　that　　they　can　only　co…exist　in　very　singular　natures。　Nevertheless；　my　　position　at　the　Court　of　several　Popes　forced　me　to　desire　their　　greatness　for　the　sake　of　my　own　interest。　But；　had　it　not　been　for　　this；　I　should　have　loved　Martin　Luther　as　myself；　not　in　order　to　free　　myself　from　the　laws　which　Christianity；　as　generally　understood　and　　explained；　lays　upon　us；　but　in　order　to　see　this　swarm　of　scoundrels　　（questa　caterva　di　scelerati）　put　back　into　their　proper　place；　so　that　　they　may　be　forced　to　live　either　without　vices　or　without　power。'
  The　same　Guicciardini　is　of　opinion　that　we　are　in　the　dark　as　to　all　　that　is　supernatural；　that　philosophers　and　theologians　have　nothing　　but　nonsense　to　tell　us　about　it；　that　miracles