alone；　in　a　dark　inquisitorial　prison；　subjected　to　increasing
  torture　among　bitter　foes；　he　did　not　fully　defend　his　visions　and
  prophecies；　and　then　his　extorted　confessions　were　diabolically
  altered。　　But　that　was　all　they　could　get　out　of　him；that　he　had
  prophesied。　　In　all　matters　of　faith　he　was　sound。　　The　inquisitors
  were　obliged　to　bring　their　examination　to　an　end。　　They　could　find
  no　fault　with　him；　and　yet　they　were　determined　on　his　death。　　The
  Government　of　Florence　consented　to　it　and　hastened　it；　for　a
  Medici　again　held　the　highest　office　of　the　State。
  Nothing　remained　to　the　imprisoned　and　tortured　friar　but　to
  prepare　for　his　execution。　　In　his　supreme　trial　he　turned　to　the
  God　in　whom　he　believed。　　In　the　words　of　the　dying　Xavier；　on　the
  Island　of　Sancian；　he　exclaimed；　In　te　domine　speravi；　non
  confundar　in　eternum。　　〃O　Lord；〃　he　prays；　〃a　thousand　times　hast
  thou　wiped　out　my　iniquity。　　I　do　not　rely　on　my　own　justification；
  but　on　thy　mercy。〃　　His　few　remaining　days　in　prison　were　passed　in
  holy　meditation。
  At　last　the　officers　of　the　papal　commission　arrive。　　The　tortures
  are　renewed；　and　also　the　examinations；　with　the　same　result。　　No
  fault　could　be　found　with　his　doctrines。　　〃But　a　dead　enemy；〃　said
  they；　〃fights　no　more。〃　　He　is　condemned　to　execution。　　The
  messengers　of　death　arrive　at　his　cell；　and　find　him　on　his　knees。
  He　is　overpowered　by　his　sufferings　and　vigils；　and　can　with
  difficulty　be　kept　from　sleep。　　But　he　arouses　himself；　and　passes
  the　night　in　prayer；　and　administers　the　elements　of　redemption　to
  his　doomed　companions；　and　closes　with　this　prayer：　〃Lord；　I　know
  thou　art　that　perfect　Trinity；Father；　Son；　and　Holy　Ghost；　I　know
  that　thou　art　the　eternal　Word；　that　thou　didst　descend　from　heaven
  into　the　bosom　of　Mary；　that　thou　didst　ascend　upon　the　cross　to
  shed　thy　blood　for　our　sins。　　I　pray　thee　that　by　that　blood　I　may
  have　remission　for　my　sins。〃　　The　simple　faith　of　Paul；　of
  Augustine；　of　Pascal！　　He　then　partook　of　the　communion；　and
  descended　to　the　public　square；　while　the　crowd　gazed　silently　and
  with　trepidation；　and　was　led　with　his　companions　to　the　first
  tribunal；　where　he　was　disrobed　of　his　ecclesiastical　dress。　　Then
  they　were　led　to　another　tribunal；　and　delivered　to　the　secular
  arm；　then　to　another；　where　sentence　of　death　was　read；　and　then　to
  the　place　of　execution；not　a　burning　funeral　pyre；　but　a
  scaffold；　which　mounting；　composed；　calm；　absorbed；　Savonarola
  submitted　his　neck　to　the　hangman；　in　the　forty…fifth　year　of　his
  life：　a　martyr　to　the　cause　of　Christ；　not　for　an　attack　on　the
  Church；　or　its　doctrines；　or　its　institutions；　but　for　having
  denounced　the　corruption　and　vices　of　those　who　ruled　it；for
  having　preached　against　sin。
  Thus　died　one　of　the　greatest　and　best　men　of　his　age；　one　of　the
  truest　and　purest　whom　the　Catholic　Church　has　produced　in　any　age。
  He　was　stern；　uncompromising；　austere；　but　a　reformer　and　a　saint；
  a　man　who　was　merciful　and　generous　in　the　possession　of　power；　an
  enlightened　statesman；　a　sound　theologian；　and　a　fearless　preacher
  of　that　righteousness　which　exalteth　a　nation。　　He　had　no　vices；　no
  striking　defects。　　He　lived　according　to　the　rules　of　the　convent
  he　governed　with　the　same　wisdom　that　he　governed　a　city；　and　he
  died　in　the　faith　of　the　primitive　apostles。　　His　piety　was
  monastic；　but　his　spirit　was　progressive；　sympathizing　with
  liberty；　advocating　public　morality。　　He　was　unselfish；
  disinterested；　and　true　to　his　Church；　his　conscience；　and　his
  cause；a　noble　specimen　both　of　a　man　and　Christian；　whose　deeds
  and　example　form　part　of　the　inheritance　of　an　admiring　posterity。
  We　pity　his　closing　days；　after　such　a　career　of　power　and
  influence；　but　we　may　as　well　compassionate　Socrates　or　Paul。　　The
  greatest　lights　of　the　world　have　gone　out　in　martyrdom；　to　be
  extinguished；　however；　only　for　a　time；　and　then　to　loom　up　again
  in　another　age；　and　burn　with　inextinguishable　brightness　to
  remotest　generations；　as　examples　of　the　power　of　faith　and　truth
  in　this　wicked　and　rebellious　world；a　world　to　be　finally
  redeemed　by　the　labors　and　religion　of　just　such　men；　whose　days
  are　days　of　sadness；　protest；　and　suffering；　and　whose　hours　of
  triumph　and　exaltation　are　not　like　those　of　conquerors；　nor　like
  those　whose　eyes　stand　out　with　fatness；　but　few　and　far　between。
  〃I　have　loved　righteousness；　I　have　hated　iniquity；〃　said　the　great
  champion　of　the　Mediaeval　Church；　〃and　therefore　I　die　in　exile。〃
  In　ten　years　after　this　ignominious　execution；　Raphael　painted　the
  martyr　among　the　sainted　doctors　of　the　Church　in　the　halls　of　the
  Vatican；　and　future　popes　did　justice　to　his　memory；　for　he
  inaugurated　that　reform　movement　in　the　Catholic　Church　itself
  which　took　place　within　fifty　years　after　his　death。　　In　one　sense
  he　was　the　precursor　of　Loyola；　of　Xavier；　and　of　Aquaviva；those
  illustrious　men　who　headed　the　counter…reformation；　Jesuits　indeed；
  but　ardent　in　piety；　and　enlightened　by　the　spirit　of　a　progressive
  age。　　〃He　was　the　first；〃　says　Villari；　〃in　the　fifteenth　century；
  to　make　men　feel　that　a　new　light　had　awakened　the　human　race；　and
  thus　he　was　a　prophet　of　a　new　civilization；the　forerunner　of
  Luther；　of　Bacon；　of　Descartes。　　Hence　the　drama　of　his　life
  became；　after　his　death；　the　drama　of　Europe。　　In　the　course　of　a
  single　generation　after　Luther　had　declared　his　mission；　the　spirit
  of　the　Church　of　Rome　underwent　a　change。　　From　the　halls　of　the
  Vatican　to　the　secluded　hermitages　of　the　Apennines　this　revival
  was　felt。　　Instead　of　a　Borgia　there　reigned　a　Caraffa。〃　　And　it　is
  remarkable　that　from　the　day　that　the　counter…reformation　in　the
  Catholic　Church　was　headed　by　the　early　Jesuits；　Protestantism
  gained　no　new　victories；　and　in　two　centuries　so　far　declined　in
  piety　and　zeal　that　the　cities　which　witnessed　the　noblest　triumphs
  of　Luther　and　Calvin　were　disgraced　by　a　boasting　rationalism；　to
  be　succeeded　again　in　our　times　by　an　arrogance　of　scepticism　which
  has　had　no　parallel　since　the　days　of　Democritus　and　Lucretius。
  〃It　was　the　desire　of　Savonarola　that　reason；　religion；　and　liberty
  might　meet　in　harmonious　union；　but　he　did　not　think　a　new　system
  of　religious　doctrines　was　necessary。〃
  The　influence　of　such　a　man　cannot　pass　away；　and　has　not　passed
  away；　for　it　cannot　be　doubted　that　his　views　have　been　embraced　by
  enlightened　Catholics　from　his　day　to　ours；by　such　men　as　Pascal；
  Fenelon；　and　Lacordaire；　and　thousands　like　them；　who　prefer
  ritualism　and　auricular　confession；　and　penance；　monasticism；　and
  an　ecclesiastical　monarch；　and　all　the　machinery　of　a　complicated
  hierarchy；　with　all　the　evils　growing　out　of　papal　domination；　to
  rationalism；　sectarian　dissensions；　irreverence；　license；　want　of
  unity；　want　of　government；　and　even　dispensation　from　the　marriage
  vow。　　Which　is　worse；　the　physical　arm　of　the　beast；　or　the　maniac
  soul　of　a　lying　prophet？　　Which　is　worse；　the　superstition　and
  narrowness　which　darken　the　mind　and　the　spirit；　or　that　unbounded
  toleration　which　smiles　on　those　audacious　infidels　who　cloak　their
  cruel　attacks　on　the　faith　of　Christians　with　the　name　of　a
  progressive　civilization？and　so　far　advanced　that　one　of　these
  new　lights；　ignorant；　perhaps；　of　everything　except　of　the　fossils
  and　shells　and　bugs　and　gases　of　the　hole　he　has　bored　in；　assumes
  to　know　more　of　the　mysteries　of　creation　and　the　laws　of　the
  universe　than　Moses　and　David　and　Paul；　and　all　the　Bacons　and
  Newtons　that　ever　lived？　　Names　are　nothing；　it　is　the　spirit；　the
  animus；　which　is　everything。　　It　is　the　soul　which　permeates　a
  system；　that　I　look　at。　　It　is　the　Devil　from　which　I　would　flee；
  whatever　be　his　name；　and　though　he　assume　the　form　of　an　angel　of
  light；　or　cunningly　try　to　persuade　me；　and　ingeniously　argue；　that
  there　is　no　God。　　True　and　good　Catholics　and　true　and　good
  Protestants　have　ever　been　united　in　one　thing；IN　THIS　BELIEF；
  that　there　is　a　God　who　made　the　heaven　and　the　earth；　and　that
  there　is　a　Christ　who　made　atonement　for　the　sins　of　the　world。　　It
  is　good　morals；　faith；　and　love　to　which　both　Catholics　and
  Protestants　are　exhorted　by　the　Apostles。　　When　either　Catholics　or
  Protestants　accept　the　one　faith　and　the　one　Lord　which
  Christianity　alone　reveals；　then　they　equally　belong　to　the　grand
  army　of　spiritual　warriors　under　the　banner　of　the　Cross；　though
  they　may　march　under　different　generals　and　in　different　divisions
  and　they　will　receive　the　same　consolations　in　this　world；　and　the
  same　rewards　in　the　world　to　come。
  AUTHORITIES。
  Villari's　Life　of　Savonarola；　Biographie　Universelle；　Ranke's
  History　of　the　Popes。　　There　is　much　in　〃Romola；〃　by　George　Eliot。
  Life　of　Savonarola；　by　the　Prince　of　Mirandola。
  MICHAEL　ANGELO。
  A。D。　1475…1564。
  THE　REVIVAL　OF　ART。
  Michael　Angelo　Buonarrotione　of　the