Gregorio

“ We do not readily part from an old friend whom we rediscover in an unsuspected state of affluence. Espinosa must home with Gregorio. Gregorio’s wife would be charmed to renew his acquaintance, and to hear from his own lips of his improved and prosperous state. Gregorio would take no refusal, and in the end Espinosa, yielding to his insistence, went with him to the sordid quarter where Gregorio had his dwelling. ”

“ Candidates for the Papacy.
"Cardinal Di Gregorio would be a suitable Pope. Although he ranks among the Zelanti, he is not without moderation; he thrusts back the Jesuits, who have as many adversaries and enemies here as in France. Neapolitan subject though he be, Cardinal Di Gregorio is rejected by Naples, and still more by Cardinal Albani [9] , the executor of the high decrees of Austria. The cardinal is Legate at Bologna, he is over eighty and he is ill; there is therefore some chance of his not coming to Rome. ”

“ The Grand Penitentiary, Cardinal Gregorio, again took his seat in the chair of the Great Confessional. All those who have been absolved after confession by their priest, and who present themselves before him, are touched with his golden wand, in token of confirmation of the absolution, and here again that quality which I have so often remarked as one of the peculiar characteristics of the Catholic religion is very striking. Men and women, beggars and princesses, present themselves indiscriminately; they all kneel in a row, and he touches them in succession. ”

“ When the meal was ended Gregorio took the boy in his arms and sang to him softly till at last the infant slept. Then he placed him gently on the floor, having first made of his coat a bed, and went to the window and flung back the shutters. He smoked quietly as the minutes went by, waiting impatiently for his wife to return. It seemed to him monstrous that the boy who was to inherit a fortune should be sleeping on the dirty floor wrapped in an old coat; that an Arab, a mere fellah, should amuse his son and play with him, when Greek nurses were to be hired in Alexandria had one only the money. ”

“ An incident at Malsesine.
"Of Frankfort-on-the-Main!" cried a pretty young woman, "then, Mr. Podestà, you can at once see all about the foreigner, whom I look upon as an honest man. Let Gregorio be called; he has resided there a long time, and will be the best judge of the matter."
The kindly faces had already increased around me, the first adversary had vanished, and when Gregorio came to the spot, the whole affair took a decided turn in my favor. He was a man upwards of fifty, with one of those well-known Italian faces. ”

“ Andrea Adami, in a work of his, mentions that "after several vain attempts, by preceding composers, for more than a hundred years, to set the same words to the satisfaction of the heads of the church, Gregorio Allegri succeeded so well as to merit eternal praise; for with few notes, well modulated, and well understood, he composed such as "Miserere as will be continued to be sung on the same days, every year, for ages yet to come ; and one that is conceived in such just proportions as will astonish future times, and ravish, as at present, the soul of every hearer." ”

“ But, Gregorion, which shall we say are the better, those who without lust govern concupiscence, or those who under the assaults of concupiscence continue pure?
Gregorion. For my part, I think those who are free from lust, for they have their mind undefiled, and are altogether uncorrupted, sinning in no respect.
Euboulios. Well, I swear by chastity, and wisely, O Gregorion. But lest in any wise I hinder you, if I gainsay your words, it is that I may the better learn, and that no one hereafter may refute me. ”

“ Hiding its legs when it moves is not enough. Gregorio knew he was attempting the impossible and did his best to save the figure from being worse than it might have been, but the result was rather as though it were all the time apologising for having undertaken the part. He made it move very little and very slowly, so slowly that the action of the drama was interrupted. ”

“ Allowed at last to follow his inclination, he applied himself to the study of the classics under Gregorio da Spoleto. But after a short time, during which he read the best Latin authors, he was deprived of his teacher by Gregorio’s removal to France as tutor of Francesco Sforza. ”

“ Gregorion. You are always skilful in discussions, and excessively powerful in argument—thoroughly confuting all your adversaries.
Euboulios. It is not worth while, Gregorion, to contend about these things at present; but do oblige us by simply telling us what happened from the beginning.
Gregorion. Well, I will try. But first answer me this: You know, I presume, Arete, [4] the daughter of Philosophia? ”

“ Gregorion. “We went by invitation to a garden of hers with an eastern aspect, to enjoy the fruits of the season, myself, and Procilla, and Tusiane.” I am repeating the words of Theopatra, for it was of her I obtained the information. “We went, Gregorion, by a very rough, steep, and arduous path: when we drew near to the place,” said Theopatra, “we were met by a tall and beautiful woman walking along quietly and gracefully, clothed in a shining robe as white as snow. Her beauty was something altogether inconceivable and divine. Modesty, blended with majesty, bloomed on her countenance. ”

“ Gregorion. I do.
Euboulios. But the one who has never at any time practised, nor ever had the sick in his hands, is he not still in all respects the inferior?
Gregorion. Yes.
Euboulios. Then we may certainly say that a soul which is contained by a concupiscent body, and which appeases with the medicaments of temperance the disorders arising from the heat of lusts, carries off the palm for healing, over one to whose lot it has fallen to govern aright a body which is free from lust. [4]
Gregorion. It must be allowed. ”

“ But his Holiness wanted not Pretexts to fence with, and in a manner made sport with those Spanish Cardinals, who importun’d him either to unite with the Ligue, or send considerable Assistance to it.
Gregory the Thirteenth had Nephews, who did not degenerate from the Name of Buoncompagno; that is to say, they little car’d to do good, and less to do evil. ”

“ Of the number of the Popes Relations. Of the Offices, charges and places that they possess, and by what means they grow rich. Of the jealousie that is between them. Of Don Agostino his marriage. Of the great affection the Pope bears him. And of some other particularities full of curiosity and policy.
All that we have hitherto related, is nothing but the Vigil or Eve of the Nipotismo; now begins the Festival day, in the time of Urban the eighth, of the Family of the Barbarini, who succeeded Gregory the fifteenth, contrary to every bodies expectation, in the year 1623. ”

“ But if Nephewship ever did good in Rome, ’twas in the time of Pius the Fifth, when all the Proceedings of the Nephews were directed to Good, in regard they wanted Spirit to gainsay the good intention of this Pope; who could not endure to see them in Rome, out of a jealousie, that being fatned with the Treasure of the Church, they might fall into the same wicked Road, which had been trodden out by so many others. ”

“ It has been observed, that in the Popes Families there has been Saints, even amongst their inferiour rank of their Servants; and yet there never was any of their Nephews Saints. I have turned over great Volumes of the Church-History, a purpose to see if amongst that great number of men, who are said to has performed Miracles, there were any one of a Nipotismo to be found amongst them: But truly I lost my pains; for the Popes, who have filled up the Roman Kalendar with thousands of Saints, have not yet been able to place one of their Nephews there. ”

“ But that which Urban could not compass in thirteen dayes, Gregory the fourteenth his Successor did in ten months. This Pope was of the family Sfondrata of Milan, and very desirous of adding to the greatness of his family. And because that Paulo Emilio Sfondrato was at the time of his p. 73creation in Milan, the Pope refus’d to dispatch any business before his coming to Rome, where presently he was made Cardinal, and had twelve thousand Crowns a year assigned him the same day, besides a great number of Abbies and Offices which his Uncle gave him a little after. ”

“ While the Popes lived in this retired manner, devested of all earthly affections to their kindred, and inclin’d only to recompence deserts and goodness, Rome was happy and holy; but as soon as Christian modesty began to be banish’d by worldly pomps, that favour took place of merit, that ambition overpowered humility, and covetousness laughed at charity, the Popes began to lose their credit, Rome its goodness, the Church its Saints, and there started up another Church, another Rome, and other Popes. ”

“ If the Popes would have been content to have been the heads of the Church in holiness and good life, and not in majesty and grandeur, the world would never have conceived so many sinister thoughts of their actions; therefore if there be murmurs in Rome, and the rest of Christendome, the Popes may thank themselves, for the fault is not in those that murmur, but in those that furnish them with a lawful subject for their complaints. ”

“ Paul the fourth, standing one day in a great musing in the presence of Cardinal Campeggio, was ask’d by him, Why he stood so pensive? The Pope answer’d, I am thinking whether you (who perhaps may be my Successour) are likely to be richer than my self.
Sixtus Quintus, who was one of the greatest Popes that the Vatican ever saw, had no other fault, but that he spent most hours of the day in devising what might be done to bring money into his Chests. ”

“ Now as for the murmurs that the Gentiles, the Hereticks, and the Catholicks have against Rome, there is this difference between them. The Heathens murmure upon what they hear; the Hereticks against those things that they do not believe; and the Catholicks against those things they see ”

“ Most Agents lose their time in learning the nature of those that bear sway at Rome, who are indeed unknown to all. They study in what manner to treat with such Persons. They strive to gain the affection of those Governours, who are without any, unless we will say, That they have given up all their affection to heap up Money. They labour to ingratiate with those Nephews who possess all the Grace of the Pope: And in a word, Night and day they contrive to know and be known to the Nephews at Rome, in order to their better success there. ”

“ A German Prelate, who now lives, and has some Opinions very different from the profession he makes of a Church-man; That is, Who is more Heretick than Catholick, does upon all occasions, and whensoever he happens into any company, where there is a liberty of talking, profess his mind in few words, and without any ambiguity, by saying, That the Popes Kindred acquire this world by their Uncles Indulgence; and that the Uncle loses the other world by his Nephews Vices. ”

“ And this is the state of the Borghesi at present, who in the time of Paul the fifth, had above a dozen males of that name, of which there were not above six married; which was very considerable. But I return to speak how squares go in the world.
The Families of the Ludovisi, Barbarini, Panfili, and Chigi, who yielded the four last Popes, I shall speak nothing of; because they have not enjoy’d the Benefits of the Papacy full out thirty years: so as it behoving us to let them rest in peace, I shall leave the observations of their Catastrophe to them which come after us. ”

“ This Pope was continually blaming the Prodigality of those who had bestowed such great riches upon the Church. In the year that this Pope liv’d, Rome was so afflicted and visited with Warre, Famine, and Plague, that it cannot be remembred without tears, and the people very unjustly laid all the fault upon the Pope, all mouths being open to clamour against him, and sing the Latin Verse:
Semper de Sextis diruta Roma fuit. ”

“ Riches are that Primum Movens which set the Sphere of the Nipotismo a going; and we may say, That in this Heaven of theirs, they are no less devout than poor simple Women are, to purchase that which is promised them by the Church of Rome: For as the one falls down before a Crucifix, and adores the Altar, to gain Indulgences; so do the Pope’s Nephews prostrate themselves before their Treasures, and believe that they obtain the pardon of all their faults, in worshipping the Coffers in which they have buried the Churches Riches. ”

“ Better perhaps ’twould be for the Church, and the State too, if all Popes would do the like; for to lay the weight of great affairs upon such weak shoulders, is to confound their understandings, and put them in danger of shaming themselves by discovering their addle brains in business: As a good Nephew did in discourse with the French Embassadour about the number of Protestants in France; for meaning to say, How many Hereticks are there in France? ”

“ But before I prove this, it is necessary to give notice that I make a distinction betwixt Hereticks and Protestants, though the Church of Rome does confound both these denominations; for they are Hereticks who deny the true Religion for a false one, which they set up without any foundation of reason, thinking that their own opinion is enough. ”

“ There is no body but wonders to behold how the Families of Popes daily decline, there being scarce two found that have continued one intire Age, or which remain in the same splendour wherein they were seen to shine, not only during the Reign of the Popes their Kinsmen, but for some lustres after ”

“ The Indignities which Princes receive often from the Court of Rome, proceed not immediately from an evil intention in the Popes towards them, but from the too good inclination of Princes towards the Popes; there being some so tender-conscienc’d, that they fear the loss of their Souls in disgusting a rascallion Court-fly that bears the Cassock of a Priest, and serves to sweep the Antichamber of his Holiness or the Cardinal-Nephew. ”