oration　on　Pico　della　Mirandola；　he　deals　somewhat　harshly　with　his　　dead　friend。　Since　Pico；　notwithstanding　an　inner　voice　which　came　from　　God；　would　not　enter　the　Order；　he　had　himself　prayed　to　God　to　chasten　　him　for　his　disobedience。　He　certainly　had　not　desired　his　death；　and　　alms　and　prayers　had　obtained　the　favour　that　Pico's　soul　was　safe　in　　Purgatory。　With　regard　to　a　comforting　vision　which　Pico　had　upon　his　　sickbed；　in　which　the　Virgin　appeared　and　promised　him　that　he　should　　not　die；　Savonarola　confessed　that　he　had　long　regarded　it　as　a　deceit　　of　the　I）evil；　till　it　was　revealed　to　him　that　the　Madonna　meant　the　　second　and　eternal　death。　If　these　things　and　the　like　are　proofs　of　　presumption；　it　must　be　admitted　that　this　great　soul　at　all　events　　paid　a　bitter　penalty　for　his　fault。　In　his　last　days　Savonarola　seems　　to　have　recognized　the　vanity　of　his　visions　and　prophecies。　And　yet　　enough　inward　peace　was　left　to　him　to　enable　him　to　meet　death　like　a　　Christian。　His　partisans　held　to　his　doctrine　and　predictions　for　　thirty　years　longer。
  He　only　undertook　the　reorganization　of　the　State　for　the　reason　that　　otherwise　his　enemies　would　have　got　the　government　into　their　own　　hands。　It　is　unfair　to　judge　him　by　the　semi…democratic　constitution　of　　the　beginning　of　the　year　1495；　which　was　neither　better　nor　worse　than　　other　Florentine　constitutions。
  He　was　at　bottom　the　most　unsuitable　man　who　could　be　found　for　such　a　　work。　His　idea　was　a　theocracy；　in　which　all　men　were　to　bow　in　blessed　　humility　before　the　Unseen；　and　all　conflicts　of　passion　wert　not　even　　to　be　able　to　arise。　His　whole　mind　is　written　in　that　inscription　on　　the　Palazzo　della　Signoria；　the　substance　of　which　was　his　maxim　as　　early　as　1495；　and　which　was　solemnly　renewed　by　his　partisans　in　1527：　　'Jesus　Christus　Rex　populi　Florentini　S。P。Q。　decreto　creatus。'　He　stood　　in　no　more　relation　to　mundane　affairs　and　their　actual　conditions　than　　any　other　inhabitant　of　a　monastery。　Man；　according　to　him；　has　only　to　　attend　to　those　things　which　make　directly　for　his　salvation。
  This　temper　comes　out　clearly　in　his　opinions　on　ancient　literature：　　'The　only　good　thing　which　we　owe　to　Plato　and　Aristotle；　is　that　they　　brought　forward　many　arguments　which　we　can　use　against　the　heretics。　　Yet　they　and　other　philosophers　are　now　in　Hell。　An　old　woman　knows　　more　about　the　Faith　than　Plato。　It　would　be　good　for　religion　if　many　　books　that　seem　useful　were　destroyed。　When　there　were　not　so　many　　books　and　not　so　many　arguments　（〃ragioni　naturali〃）　and　disputes；　　religion　grew　more　quickly　than　it　has　done　since。'　He　wished　to　limit　　the　classical　instruction　of　the　schools　to　Homer；　Virgil　and　Cicero；　　and　to　supply　the　rest　from　Jerome　and　Augustine。　Not　only　Ovid　and　　Catullus；　but　Terence　and　Tibullus；　were　to　be　banished。　This　may　be　no　　more　than　the　expressions　of　a　nervous　morality；　but　elsewhere　in　a　　special　work　he　admits　that　science　as　a　whole　is　harmful。　He　holds　　that　only　a　few　people　should　have　to　do　with　it；　in　order　that　the　　tradition　of　human　knowledge　may　not　perish；　and　particularly　that　　there　may　be　no　want　of　intellectual　athletes　to　confute　the　sophisms　　of　the　heretics。　For　all　others；　grammar；　morals；　and　religious　　teaching　（'litterae　sacrae'）　suffice。　Culture　and　education　would　thus　　return　wholly　into　the　charge　of　the　monks；　and　as；　in　his　opinion；　the　　'most　learned　and　the　most　pious'　are　to　rule　over　the　States　and　　empires；　these　rulers　would　also　be　monks。　Whether　he　really　foresaw　　this　conclusion；　we　need　not　inquire。
  A　more　childish　method　of　reasoning　cannot　be　imagined。　The　simple　　reflection　that　the　newborn　antiquity　and　the　boundless　enlargement　of　　human　thought　and　knowledge　which　was　due　to　it；　might　give　splendid　　confirmation　to　a　religion　able　to　adapt　itself　thereto；　seems　never　　even　to　have　occurred　to　the　good　man。　He　wanted　to　forbid　what　he　　could　not　deal　with　by　any　other　means。　In　fact；　he　was　anything　but　　liberal；　and　was　ready；　for　example；　to　send　the　astrologers　to　the　　same　stake　at　which　he　afterwards　himself　died。
  How　mighty　must　have　been　the　soul　which　dwelt　side　by　side　with　this　　narrow　intellect！　And　what　a　flame　must　have　glowed　within　him　before　　he　could　constrain　the　Florentines；　possessed　as　they　were　by　the　　passion　for　knowledge　and　culture；　to　surrender　themselves　to　a　man　who　　could　thus　reason！
  How　much　of　their　heart　and　their　worldliness　they　were　ready　to　　sacrifice　for　his　sake　is　shown　by　those　famous　bonfires　by　the　side　of　　which　all　the　'talami'　of　Bernardino　da　Siena　and　others　were　certainly　　of　small　account。
  All　this　could　not；　however；　be　effected　without　the　agency　of　a　　tyrannical　police。　He　did　not　shrink　from　the　most　vexatious　　interferences　with　the　much…prized　freedom　of　Italian　private　life；　　using　the　espionage　of　servants　on　their　masters　as　a　means　of　carrying　　out　his　moral　reforms。　That　transformation　of　public　and　private　life　　which　the　Iron　Calvin　was　but　just　able　to　effect　at　Geneva　with　the　　aid　of　a　permanent　state　of　siege　necessarily　proved　impossible　at　　Florence；　and　the　attempt　only　served　to　drive　the　enemies　of　　Savonarola　into　a　more　implacable　hostility。　Among　his　most　unpopular　　measures　may　be　mentioned　those　organized　parties　of　boys；　who　forced　　their　way　into　the　houses　and　laid　violent　hands　on　any　objects　which　　seemed　suitable　for　the　bonfire。　As　it　happened　that　they　were　　sometimes　sent　away　with　a　beating；　they　were　afterwards　attended；　in　　order　to　keep　up　the　figment　of　a　pious　'rising　generation；'　by　a　　bodyguard　of　grown…up　persons。
  On　the　last　day　of　the　Carnival　in　the　year　1497；　and　on　the　same　day　　the　year　after；　the　great　'Auto　da　Fe'　took　place　on　the　Piazza　della　　Signoria。　In　the　center　of　it　rose　a　high　pyramid　of　several　tiers；　　like　the　'rogus'　on　which　the　Roman　Emperors　were　commonly　burned。　On　　the　lowest　tier　were　arranged　false　beards；　masks；　and　carnival　　disguises；　above　came　volumes　of　the　Latin　and　Italian　poets；　among　　others　Boccaccio；　the　'Morgante'　of　Pulci；　and　Petrarch；　partly　in　the　　form　of　valuable　printed　parchments　and　illuminated　manuscripts；　then　　women's　ornaments　and　toilet　articles；　scents；　mirrors；　veils　and　false　　hair；　higher　up；　lutes；　harps；　chessboards；　playing…cards；　and　finally；　　on　the　two　uppermost　tiers；　paintings　only；　especially　of　female　　beauties；　partly　fancy　pictures；　bearing　the　classical　names　of　　Lucretia；　Cleopatra；　or　Faustina；　partly　portraits　of　the　beautiful　　Bencina；　Lena　Morella；　Bina　and　Maria　de'　Lenzi。　On　the　first　occasion　　a　Venetian　merchant　who　happened　to　be　present　offered　the　Signoria　　22；000　gold　florins　for　the　objects　on　the　pyramid；　but　the　only　answer　　he　received　was　that　his　portrait；　too；　was　painted；　and　burned　along　　with　the　rest。　When　the　pile　was　lighted；　the　Signoria　appeared　on　the　　balcony；　and　the　air　echoed　with　song；　the　sound　of　trumpets；　and　the　　pealing　of　bells。　The　people　then　adjourned　to　the　Piazza　di　San　Marco；　　where　they　danced　round　in　three　concentric　circles。　The　innermost　was　　composed　of　monks　of　the　monastery；　alternating　with　boys；　dressed　as　　angels；　then　came　young　laymen　and　ecclesiastics；　and　on　the　outside；　　old　men；　citizens；　and　priests；　the　latter　crowned　with　wreaths　of　　olive。
  All　the　ridicule　of　his　victorious　enemies；　who　in　truth　bad　no　lack　of　　justification　or　of　talent　for　ridicule；　was　unable　to　discredit　the　　memory　of　Savonarola。　The　more　tragic　the　fortunes　of　Italy　became；　the　　brighter　grew　the　halo　which　in　the　recollection　of　the　survivors　　surrounded　the　figure　of　the　great　monk　and　prophet。　Though　his　　predictions　may　not　have　been　confirmed　in　detail；　the　great　and　　general　calamity　which　he　foretold　was　fulfilled　with　appalling　truth。
  Great；　however；　as　the　influence　of　all　these　preachers　may　have　been；　　and　brilliantly　as　Savonarola　justified　the　claim　of　the　monks　to　this　　office；　nevertheless　the　order　as　a　while　could　not　escape　the　contempt　　and　condemnation　of　the　people。　Italy^　showed　that　she　could　give　her　　enthusiasm　only　to　individuals。
  Strength　of　the　Old　Faith
  If；　apart　from　all　that　concerns　the　priests　and　the　monks；　we　　attempt　to　measure　the　strength　of　the　old　faith；　it　will　be　found　　great　or　small　according　to　the　light　in　which　it　is　considered。　We　　have　spoken　already　of　the　need　felt　for　the　Sacraments　as　something　　indispensable。　Let　us　now　glance　for　a　moment　at　the　position　of　faith　　and　worship　in　daily　life。　Both　were　determined　partly　by　the　habits　of　　the　people　and　partly　by　the　policy　and　example　of　the　rulers。
  All　that　has　to　do　with　penitence　and　the　attainment　of　salvation　by　　means　of　good　works　was　in　much　the　one　stage　of　development　or　　corruption　as　in　the　North　of　Europe；　both　among　the　peasantry　and　　among　the　poorer　inhabitants　of　the　cities。　The　instructed　classes　were　　sometimes　influenced　by　the　same　motives。　Those　sides　of　popular　　Catholicism　which　had　their　origin　in　the　old　pagan　ways　of　invoking；　　rewarding；　and　propitiating　the　gods　have　fixed　themselves　ineradicably　　in　the　consciousness　of　the　people。　The　eighth　eclogue　of　Battista　　Mantovano；　which　has　already　been　quoted　else