A History Of The Papacy From The Great Schism To The Sack Of Rome (Volume 4)

Book Summary

The publisher of this book utilises modern printing technologies as well as photocopying processes for reprinting and preserving rare works of literature that are out-of-print or on the verge of becoming lost. This book is one such reprint. Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: made a monthly allowance of too gold florins to Cardinals whose yearly revenues were below 4000 florins, and he showed a like liberality to poor Bishops. All this was part of his policy to make his pontificate remarkable by personal splendour. If Nicolas V. aimed at making Rome the literary and artistic capital of Christendom, Paul II. aimed at making the grandeur of the papal court a model to the princes of Europe. He loved magnificence, and claimed it as a special prerogative of the Papacy. He delighted to walk in procession, where his tall figure overtopped all others ; his dignity and impressiveness in celebrating the mass enchanted even his assistants in the ceremony. His love of ornaments was shown by his revival of the use of the Regnum or triple crown, first worn by Urban V., but since abandoned ;l he had one made studded with jewels valued at 120,000 ducats. ' When he appeared in public it was,' says Platina, ' like another Aaron, with form more august than man.'2 Paul was a zealous collector of cameos and medals, Death an a 'u(-ky opportunity soon threw in his way a Cardinal means of acquiring a large collection. Cardinal March?11 ' Scarampo died in March, 1465, and by his will left '465' all his possessions to two nephews, who were by no means fit persons to enjoy the vast treasures which Scarampo had amassed at the expense of the Church. He was suspected of having appropriated the wealth of Eugenius IV., and when he carried his enmity against Paul so far as to make no restitution to the Church at his death, every one thought that the Pope was amply justified in setting aside his will, and seizing his goods. Men even wondered at Paul's clemency towards Scarampo's nephews ; when they attempted to flee with some of their uncle's treasures theyPAUL II. AND THE REFORM OF...

Book Details