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the Greek Poet convey a terrible image of their natural

state.

*Ενεστι γάρ πως τοῦτο τῇ τυραννίδι
Νόσημα, τοῖς φίλοισι μὴ πεποιθέναι.

It is in vain that they would endeavour to think otherwise. Friendship requires equality, and how are kings to be on an equality with subjects? Religion offered them the means. The subjection of kings to a spiritual power in matters spiritual, which after all, are the source of all real distinctions, saved them from the deplorable condition to which the poet alludes; and whenever they are not blinded by ambition or evil counsellors, they will receive with tears of gratitude and with heartfelt joy, that easy yoke, in bearing which, they will find companions, and therefore friends, in the youngest and the lowest in the family of Christ.

Olivier de la Marche furnishes a curious instance of the humility which prompted men to refrain from criticising, and judging with over much zeal the character of ecclesiastical superiors. He says in his Memoirs, that he will leave to others to relate how the troubles began in Pope Eugene's time: “ Car à toucher à la fame et au renom de si sainte et haute personne en Chrestienté, comme nostre sainct Pere le Pape, l'entendement se doit arrester de frayeur, et la plume pleyer par doute dangereux et plain de peril d'encourir, ou d'encheoir au danger d'inobedience et de faute, à l'encontre des commandemens et ordonnances de nostre saincte et salutaire mere et ressource, l'Eglise triumphante, et supplie à celuy qui est garde de tous bons et Catholiques courages qu'il me deffende et garde en ceste partie de toucher ou mettre chose qui soit contre l'estat de ma conscience +." And so honest Raymon Muntaner contents himself with saying in his Chronicle that "the devil sowed a discord between the Pope and the emperor Frederic II.

This respect for the clergy was of course only evinced by the religious part of mankind, whether belonging to chivalry or to the lower ranks of life. By the immoral,

the worldly, and the profane, in every age, they have been hated and calumniated in fulfilment of our Saviour's prediction, “If the world hate you," &c. ‡. The spirit and

Esch. Prometh. Vinct. 224. + Chap. VI.

John xv. 18.

the laws of chivalry, however, required men to venerate their order. "A noble king and prince should honour the church and its ministers from a reverence for God. If he would honour our Lord, let him also honour the church and its ministers, to whose service they are set apart. Let him reverently say his hours, and cause them to be chaunted solemnly in his presence, let him visit the churches, and honour the reliques and sanctuaries of the saints, celebrating their festivals, and augmenting the service of God, building churches, chapels, and hospitals, and restoring those that fall to decay." This is what Gilles de Rome says in his Chivalrous Mirror. It is necessary to caution the moderns from supposing that this respect for the clergy was similar to that external and noisy admiration which the followers of public opinion, and the candidates for public fame receive from those whose applause they court. That darkly learned knight Cornelius. Agrippa, remarking that few good men have been eloquent, exemplifies his position by citing the eloquence of Luther*. The office of the clergy effectually secured them from this temptation, for it could seldom happen that the performance of their duties did not interfere with their producing this kind of effect. Men are seldom loud in applauding others unless they feel themselves flattered. Musonius the philosopher used to say that "if the hearers of a teacher applauded him, and were excited by his gestures, it was a sign that he spoke, and that they listened in vain; since all this admiration and applause were incompatible with the correction of their errors and vices. Silence was the best tribute he could receive:" and he gives an example from the wisest of poets, who makes the hearers of Ulysses utter no clamorous or exulting voice when he had ceased to recount his wanderings t. Nor on the other hand, is it to be imagined that it was a blind respect leading to a disregard of the personal character of the priest. Exceptions, undoubtedly may be found, but it is most certain that in promotion of spiritual persons, the recognized and only honourable course was to be guided by merit and not by family connection and private interests. It was looked upon as disgraceful and most horribly sinful to

*De Vanitate Scientiarum.

G

† Aul. Gell. V. 1.

promote improper persons in the church for secular ends. As the Persone says in Chaucer, "All the sinnes of the world, at regard of this sinne ben as thing of nought, for it is the gretest sinne that may be after the sinne of Lucifer and of Antichrist: for by this sinne God forleseth the chirch, and the soule which he bought with his precious blood, by him that geven chirches to him that ben not digne, for they put in theves, that stelen the soules of Jesus Crist, and destroyen his patrimonie. By swiche undigne preestes and curates, hav lewed men lesse reverence of the sacramentes of holy chirche: and swiche gevers of chirches put the children of Crist out, and put into chirches the divels owen sones: they scellen the soules that lambes should kepe to the wolf which strangleth hem, and therefore shall they never have part of the pastures of lambes, that is, in the blysse of heven." It has been written that the blessed Pope Leo, watched and prayed. for forty days at the tomb of St. Peter, begging to obtain of God the pardon of his sins. After this term, St. Peter, in a vision, said to him: Your sins are forgiven you by God, except those committed by you in conferring holy orders; of these you still remain charged to give a rigorous

account.

At the same time an old monkish historian has a consoling reflection respecting even these improper men who have been promoted in the church for secular ends “Often,” says the wise Orderic Vitalis," inconsiderate and ignorant men have been chosen from worldly motives to high places in the church, out of respect for nobility, or the desire of making friends; but merciful God spares men who are thus elevated he has pity upon them; he : pours his graces upon them, and employs them to enlighten his House by the light of heavenly wisdom, and by means of their zeal many men are saved *."

The practice of chivalry was, however, conformable to the injunctions of the church and the interests of religion. One of the few consolations which William the conqueror experienced on his death-bed, was the consideration that he had always procured ecclesiastical dignities for the most worthy. In fact he had obtained the deposition of his

* Lib. X.

uncle Manger, Archbishop of Rouen, for the immorality of his conduct, and the election of a most worthy monk, Maurile an Italian, to the vacant see. Baldwin, surnamed Bras de Fer, count of Flanders, is particularly mentioned in history as having been careful in the promotion of no clerks but such as were of good manners and learning. Hall says of our king Edward IV. "The spiritual promocions he gave ever to the most famous and excellent clerkes, and men of the best living. Others of mean qualities whom he much favoured, he did not preferre to great dignitie and high promocions, but with money rewarded them." One day King Pepin, who was going to hunt very early, entered his private chapel to pray; all the clerks in attendance were sleeping, after having sung the office of the night, excepting one, St. Sturme, who opened the door to the king, who was so pleased with this proof of his zeal, that he immediately forgave him some offence at which he had before been angry. The following history is recorded of William Rufus, who was famous for his avarice: A certain abbey became "voyde of an abbot, in the which were two monks, very covetous persons, who came to the court offering very largely to the king, each hoping to be made abbot. The king, perceiving their greedie desires, and casting his eies about the chamber, espied, by chance, another monk that came to bear them company, being a more sober man, and simple after his outward appearance, whom he called unto him, and asked what he would give him to be made abbot of the foresaid abbey? The monk, after a little pause, made answer, that he would give nothing at all for any such purpose, since he had entered into that profession of mere zeal, to despise riches and all worldly pomp, to the end he might the more quietly serve God in holyness and purity of conversation. Sayest thou so?' quoth the king; then art thou even he that art worthy to govern this house:' and straightway he bestowed the house upon him, justly repulsing the other two, and not without their open infamy and reproach *." This was after the spirit of our Henry V.

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"I know thee not, old man fall to thy prayers."

*Holinshed.

Charlemagne nominated a young man to a vacant bishopric. The day of his election they brought to him a poorlooking horse to mount, which made him very angry; and so to prove that he was not infirm and a bad horseman, as they seemed to suppose, he leaped on his back without using the stirrups, though, unfortunately, he fell over on the other side. Charlemagne observed this scene from a window, and he was disgusted at such an instance of levity; so he summoned the new bishop, and said to him, "Bone vir, celer es et agilis, pernix et præpes. You know that my empire is troubled with many wars. Idcirco opus habeo tali clerico in comitatu meo. Esto igitur in

terim socius laborum nostrorum dum tam celeriter ascendere potes caballum tuum *." There was a certain vain bishop, covetous of useless luxuries, which the emperor perceiving, ordered a Jew merchant who used to trade in rare and costly objects, to go to this bishop, with a common mouse, painted different colours, and to say that he brought that curious animal from Judæa to sell. The bishop, filled with joy at the sight of it, offered immediately three silver pounds; but the Jew said he would rather throw it into the sea than sell it for so little: he who was rich, and gave nothing to the poor, promised him ten pounds; but Father Abraham does not wish that his son should lose his labour and honest profit. Then the greedy bishop offered twenty pounds. The Jew, wrapping up the mouse in a precious silk, was going away without reply, when the bishop called him back, and offered a full bushel of silver. At length the Jew consents, the money is paid, and the Jew returns to the emperor with an account of his proceeding. Charlemagne convokes the bishops and priests of the province, and places before them the money which the bishop had paid to the Jew. Then he said, "Vos patres et provisores nostri episcopi, pauperibus, imo Christo in ipsis debuistis ministrare, non inanibus rebus inhiare:" and then he added, "Unus ex vobis tantum argenti pro uno mure domestico pigmentis contemperato cuidam dedit Judæo." The bishop fell at his feet, prayed for pardon, and was permitted to depart without punishment t. Yet it was not an in

Monachi S. Gall. lib. ii. de rebus bell. Caroli M. + Ibid.

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