all　shams；　an　uncompromising　enemy　to　the　blended　atheism　and
  idolatry　of　his　ungodly　age。　　He　was　the　contemporary　of　political；
  worldly；　warlike；　unscrupulous　popes；　disgraced　by　nepotism　and
  personal　vices；men　who　aimed　to　extend　not　a　spiritual　but
  temporal　dominion；　and　who　scandalized　the　highest　position　in　the
  Christian　world；　as　attested　by　all　reliable　historians；　whether
  Catholic　or　Protestant。　　However　infallible　the　Catholic　Church
  claims　to　be；　it　has　never　been　denied　that　some　of　her　highest
  dignitaries　have　been　subject　to　grave　reproaches；　both　in　their
  character　and　their　influence。　Such　men　were　Sixtus　IV。；　Julius
  II。；　and　Alexander　VI。；able；　probably；　for　it　is　very　seldom　that
  the　popes　have　not　been　distinguished　for　something；　but　men；
  nevertheless；　who　were　a　disgrace　to　the　superb　position　they　had
  succeeded　in　reaching。
  The　great　feature　of　that　age　was　the　revival　of　classical　learning
  and　artistic　triumphs　in　sculpture；　painting；　and　architecture；
  blended　with　infidel　levity　and　social　corruptions；　so　that　it　is
  both　interesting　and　hideous。　　It　is　interesting　for　its　triumphs
  of　genius；　its　dispersion　of　the　shadows　of　the　Middle　Ages；　the
  commencement　of　great　enterprises　and　of　a　marked　refinement　of
  manners　and　tastes；　it　is　hideous　for　its　venalities；　its　murders；
  its　debaucheries；　its　unblushing　wickedness；　and　its　disgraceful
  levities；　when　God　and　duty　and　self…restraint　were　alike　ignored。
  Cruel　tyrants　reigned　in　cities；　and　rapacious　priests　fattened　on
  the　credulity　of　the　people。　　Think　of　monks　itinerating　to　sell
  perverted　〃indulgences〃；　of　monasteries　and　convents　filled；　not
  with　sublime　enthusiasts　as　in　earlier　times；　but　with　gluttons　and
  sensualists；　living　in　concubinage　and　greedy　of　the　very　things
  which　primitive　monasticism　denounced　and　abhorred！　　Think　of　boys
  elevated　to　episcopal　thrones；　and　the　sons　of　popes　made　cardinals
  and　princes！　　Think　of　churches　desecrated　by　spectacles　which　were
  demoralizing；　and　a　worship　of　saints　and　images　which　had　become
  idolatrous；a　degrading　superstition　among　the　people；　an　infidel
  apathy　among　the　higher　classes：　not　infidel　speculations；　for
  these　were　reserved　for　more　enlightened　times；　but　an　indifference
  to　what　is　ennobling；　to　all　vital　religion；　worthy　of　the　Sophists
  in　the　time　of　Socrates！
  It　was　in　this　age　of　religious　apathy　and　scandalous　vices；　yet　of
  awakening　intelligence　and　artistic　glories；　when　the　greatest
  enthusiasm　was　manifested　for　the　revived　literature　and　sculptured
  marbles　of　classic　Greece　and　Rome；　that　Savonarola　appeared　in
  Florence　as　a　reformer　and　preacher　and　statesman；　near　the　close
  of　the　fifteenth　century；　when　Columbus　was　seeking　a　western
  passage　to　India；　when　Michael　Angelo　was　moulding　the　〃Battle　of
  Hercules　with　the　Centaurs；〃　when　Ficino　was　teaching　the
  philosophy　of　Plato；　when　Alexander　VI。　was　making　princes　of　his
  natural　children；　when　Bramante　was　making　plans　for　a　new　St。
  Peter's；　when　Cardinal　Bembo　was　writing　Latin　essays；　when　Lorenzo
  de'　Medici　was　the　flattered　patron　of　both　scholars　and　artists；
  and　the　city　over　which　he　ruled　with　so　much　magnificence　was　the
  most　attractive　place　in　Europe；　next　to　that　other　city　on　the
  banks　of　the　Tiber；　whose　wonders　and　glories　have　never　been
  exhausted；　and　will　probably　survive　the　revolutions　of　unknown
  empires。
  But　Savonarola　was　not　a　native　of　Florence。　　He　was　born　in　the
  year　1452　at　Ferrara；　belonged　to　a　good　family；　and　received　an
  expensive　education；　being　destined　to　the　profession　of　medicine。
  He　was　a　sad；　solitary；　pensive；　but　precocious　young　man；　whose
  youth　was　marked　by　an　unfortunate　attachment　to　a　haughty
  Florentine　girl。　　He　did　not　cherish　her　memory　and　dedicate　to　her
  a　life…labor；　like　Dante；　but　became　very　dejected　and　very　pious。
  His　piety　assumed；　of　course；　the　ascetic　type；　for　there　was
  scarcely　any　other　in　that　age；　and　he　entered　a　Dominican　convent；
  as　Luther；　a　few　years　later；　entered　an　Augustinian。　　But　he　was
  not　an　original　genius；　or　a　bold　and　independent　thinker　like
  Luther；　so　he　was　not　emancipated　from　the　ideas　of　his　age。　　How
  few　men　can　go　counter　to　prevailing　ideas！　　It　takes　a　prodigious
  genius；　and　a　fearless；　inquiring　mind；　to　break　away　from　their
  bondage。　　Abraham　could　renounce　the　idolatries　which　surrounded
  him；　when　called　by　a　supernatural　voice；　Paul　could　give　up　the
  Phariseeism　which　reigned　in　the　Jewish　schools　and　synagogues；
  when　stricken　blind　by　the　hand　of　God；　Luther　could　break　away
  from　monastic　rules　and　papal　denunciation；　when　taught　by　the
  Bible　the　true　ground　of　justification；but　Savonarola　could　not。
  He　pursued　the　path　to　heaven　in　the　beaten　track；　after　the
  fashion　of　Jerome　and　Bernard　and　Thomas　Aquinas；　after　the　style
  of　the　Middle　Ages；　and　was　sincere；　devout；　and　lofty；　like　the
  saints　of　the　fifth　century；　and　read　his　Bible　as　they　did；　and
  essayed　a　high　religious　life；　but　he　was　stern；　gloomy；　and
  austere；　emaciated　by　fasts　and　self…denial。　　He　had；　however；
  those　passive　virtues　which　Mediaeval　piety　ever　enjoined；yea；
  which　Christ　himself　preached　upon　the　Mount；　and　which
  Protestantism；　in　the　arrogance　of　reason；　is　in　danger　of　losing
  sight　of；humility；　submission；　and　contempt　of　material　gains。
  He　won　the　admiration　of　his　superiors　for　his　attainments　and　his
  piety；　being　equally　versed　in　Aristotle　and　the　Holy　Scriptures。
  He　delighted　most　in　the　Old　Testament　heroes　and　prophets；　and
  caught　their　sternness　and　invective。
  He　was　not　so　much　interested　in　dogmas　as　he　was　in　morals。　　He
  had　not；　indeed；　a　turn　of　mind　for　theology；　like　Anselm　and
  Calvin；　but　he　took　a　practical　view　of　the　evils　of　society。　　At
  thirty　years　of　age　he　began　to　preach　in　Ferrara　and　Florence；　but
  was　not　very　successful。　　His　sermons　at　first　created　but　little
  interest；　and　he　sometimes　preached　to　as　few　as　twenty…five
  people。　　Probably　he　was　too　rough　and　vehement　to　suit　the
  fastidious　ears　of　the　most　refined　city　in　Italy。　　People　will　not
  ordinarily　bear　uncouthness　from　preachers；　however　gifted；　until
  they　have　earned　a　reputation；　they　prefer　pretty　and　polished
  young　men　with　nothing　but　platitudes　or　extravagances　to　utter。
  Savonarola　seems　to　have　been　discouraged　and　humiliated　at　his
  failure；　and　was　sent　to　preach　to　the　rustic　villagers；　amid　the
  mountains　near　Sienna。　　Among　these　people　he　probably　felt　more　at
  home；　and　he　gave　vent　to　the　fire　within　him　and　electrified　all
  who　heard　him；　winning　even　the　admiration　of　the　celebrated　Prince
  of　Mirandola。　　From　this　time　his　fame　spread　rapidly；　he　was
  recalled　to　Florence；　1490；　and　his　great　career　commenced。　　In　the
  following　year　such　crowds　pressed　to　hear　him　that　the　church　of
  St。　Mark；　connected　with　the　Dominican　convent　to　which　he　was
  attached；　could　not　contain　the　people；　and　he　repaired　to　the
  cathedral。　　And　even　that　spacious　church　was　filled　with　eager
  listeners；more　moved　than　delighted。　　So　great　was　his
  popularity；　that　his　influence　correspondingly　increased　and　he　was
  chosen　prior　of　his　famous　convent。
  He　now　wielded　power　as　well　as　influence；　and　became　the　most
  marked　man　of　the　city。　　He　was　not　only　the　most　eloquent　preacher
  in　Italy；　probably　in　the　world；　but　his　eloquence　was　marked　by
  boldness；　earnestness；　almost　fierceness。　　Like　an　ancient　prophet；
  he　was　terrible　in　his　denunciation　of　vices。　　He　spared　no　one；
  and　he　feared　no　one。　　He　resembled　Chrysostom　at　Constantinople；
  when　he　denounced　the　vanity　of　Eudoxia　and　the　venality　of
  Eutropius。　　Lorenzo　de'　Medici；　the　absolute　lord　of　Florence；　sent
  for　him；　and　expostulated　and　remonstrated　with　the　unsparing
  preacher；all　to　no　effect。　　And　when　the　usurper　of　his　country's
  liberties　was　dying；　the　preacher　was　again　sent　for；　this　time　to
  grant　an　absolution。　　But　Savonarola　would　grant　no　absolution
  unless　Lorenzo　would　restore　the　liberties　which　he　and　his　family
  had　taken　away。　　The　dying　tyrant　was　not　prepared　to　accede　to　so
  haughty　a　demand；　and；　collecting　his　strength；　rolled　over　on　his
  bed　without　saying　a　word；　and　the　austere　monk　wended　his　way　back
  to　his　convent；　unmolested　and　determined。
  The　premature　death　of　this　magnificent　prince　made　a　great
  sensation　throughout　Italy；　and　produced　a　change　in　the　politics
  of　Florence；　for　the　people　began　to　see　their　political
  degradation。　　The　popular　discontents　were　increased　when　his
  successor；　Pietro；　proved　himself　incapable　and　tyrannical；
  abandoned　himself　to　orgies；　and　insulted　the　leading　citizens　by
  an　overwhelming　pride。　　Savonarola　took　the　side　of　the　people；　and
  fanned　the　discontents。　　He　became　the　recognized　leader　of
  opposition　to　the　Medici；　and　virtually　ruled　the　city。
  The　Prior　of　St。　Mark　now　appeared　in　a　double　light；as　a
  political　leader　and　as　a　p