course　of　sermons；　when　the　tide　of　penitence　flooded　the　city；　　and　when　the　air　resounded　with　the　cry　of　the　whole　people：　　'Misericordia！　'　Then　followed　those　solemn　embracings　and　treaties　of　　peace；　which　even　previous　bloodshed　on　both　sides　could　not　hinder。　　Banished　men　were　recalled　to　the　city　to　take　part　in　these　sacred　　transactions。　It　appears　that　these　'Paci'　were　on　the　whole　faithfully　　observed；　even　after　the　mood　which　prompted　them　was　over；　and　then　　the　memory　of　the　monk　was　blessed　from　generation　to　generation。　But　　there　were　sometimes　terrible　crises　like　those　in　the　families　Della　　Valle　and　Croce　in　Rome　（1482）　where　even　the　great　Roberto　da　Lecce　　raised　his　voice　in　vain。　Shortly　before　Holy　Week　he　had　preached　to　　immense　crowds　in　the　square　before　the　Minerva。　But　on　the　night　　before　Maundy　Thursday　a　terrible　combat　took　place　in　front　of　the　　Palazzo　della　Valle；　near　the　Ghetto。　In　the　morning　Pope　Sixtus　gave　　orders　for　its　destruction；　and　then　performed　the　customary　ceremonies　　of　the　day。　On　Good　Friday　Roberto　preached　again　with　a　crucifix　in　　his　hand；　but　he　and　his　hearers　could　do　nothing　but　weep。
  Violent　natures；　which　had　fallen　into　contradictions　with　themselves；　　often　resolved　to　enter　a　convent；　under　the　impression　made　by　these　　men。　Among　such　were　not　only　brigands　and　criminals　of　every　sort；　but　　soldiers　without　employment。　This　resolve　was　stimulated　by　their　　admiration　of　the　holy　man；　and　by　the　desire　to　copy　at　least　his　　outward　position。
  The　concluding　sermon　is　a　general　benediction；　summed　up　in　the　words：　　'la　pace　sia　con　voi！'　Throngs　of　hearers　accompany　the　preacher　to　the　　next　city；　and　there　listen　for　a　second　time　to　the　whole　course　of　　sermons。
  The　enormous　influence　exercised　by　these　preachers　made　it　important；　　both　for　the　clergy　and　for　the　government；　at　least　not　to　have　them　　as　opponents；　one　means　to　this　end　was　to　permit　only　monks　or　priests　　who　had　received　at　all　events　the　lesser　consecration；　to　enter　the　　pulpit；　so　that　the　Order　or　Corporation　to　which　they　belonged　was；　to　　some　extent；　responsible　for　them。　But　it　was　not　easy　to　make　the　rule　　absolute；　since　the　Church　and　pulpit　had　long　been　used　as　a　means　of　　publicity　in　many　ways；　judicial；　educational；　and　others；　and　since　　even　sermons　were　sometimes　delivered　by　humanists　and　other　laymen。　　There　existed；　too；　in　Italy；　a　dubious　class　of　persons　who　were　　neither　monks　nor　priests；　and　who　yet　had　renounced　the　worldthat　is　　to　say；　the　numerous　class　of　hermits　who　appeared　from　time　to　time　in　　the　pulpit　on　their　own　authority；　and　often　carried　the　people　with　　them。　A　case　of　this　kind　occurred　at　Milan　in　1516　after　the　second　　French　conquest；　certainly　at　a　time　when　public　order　was　much　　disturbed。　A　Tuscan　hermit；　Hieronymus　of　Siena；　possibly　an　adherent　　of　Savonarola；　maintained　his　place　for　months　together　in　the　pulpit　　of　the　Cathedral；　denounced　the　hierarchy　with　great　violence；　caused　a　　new　chandelier　and　a　new　altar　to　be　set　up　in　the　church；　worked　　miracles；　and　only　abandoned　the　field　after　a　long　and　desperate　　struggle。　During　the　decades　in　which　the　fate　of　Italy　was　decided；　　the　spirit　of　prophecy　was　unusually　active；　and　nowhere　where　it　　displayed　itself　was　it　confined　to　any　one　particular　class。　We　know　　with　what　a　tone　of　true　prophetic　defiance　the　hermits　came　forward　　before　the　sack　of　Rome。　In　default　of　any　eloquence　of　their　own；　　these　men　made　use　of　messengers　with　symbols　of　one　kind　or　another；　　like　the　ascetic　near　Siena　（1496）　who　sent　a　'little　hermit；'　that　is　　a　pupil；　into　the　terrified　city　with　a　skull　upon　a　pole　to　which　was　　attached　a　paper　with　a　threatening　text　from　the　Bible。
  Nor　did　the　monks　themselves　scruple　to　attack　princes；　governments；　　the　clergy；　or　even　their　own　order。　A　direct　exhortation　to　overthrow　　a　despotic　house；　like　that　uttered　by　Jacopo　Bussolaro　at　Pavia　in　the　　fourteenth　century；　hardly　occurs　again　in　the　following　period：　but　　there　is　no　want　of　courageous　reproofs；　addressed　even　to　the　Pope　in　　his　own　chapel；　and　of　naive　political　advice　given　in　the　presence　of　　rulers　who　by　no　means　held　themselves　in　need　of　it。　In　the　Piazza　del　　Castello　at　Milan；　a　blind　preacher　from　the　Incoronataconsequently　　an　Augustinianventured　in　1494　to　exhort　Lodovico　il　Moro　from　the　　pulpit：　'My　lord；　beware　of　showing　the　French　the　way；　else　you　will　　repent　it。'　There　were　further　prophetic　monks　who；　without　exactly　　preaching　political　sermons；　drew　such　appalling　pictures　of　the　future　　that　the　hearers　almost　lost　their　senses。　After　the　election　of　Leo　X；　　in　the　year　1513　a　whole　association　of　these　men；　twelve　Franciscan　　monks　in　all；　journeyed　through　the　various　districts　of　Italy；　of　　which　one　or　other　was　assigned　to　each　preacher。　The　one　who　appeared　　in　Florence；　fra　Francesco　da　Montepulcian；　struck　terror　into　the　　whole　people。　The　alarm　was　not　diminished　by　the　exaggerated　reports　　of　his　prophecies　which　reached　those　who　were　too　far　off　to　hear　him。　　After　one　of　his　sermons　he　suddenly　died　'of　pain　in　the　chest。'　The　　people　thronged　in　such　numbers　to　kiss　the　feet　of　the　corpse　that　it　　had　to　be　secretly　buried　in　the　night。　But　the　newly　awakened　spirit　　of　prophecy；　which　seized　upon　even　women　and　peasants；　could　not　be　　controlled　without　great　difficulty。　'In　order　to　restore　to　the　people　　their　cheerful　humour；　the　MediciGiuliano；　Leo's　brother；　and　　Lorenzogave　on　St。　John's　Day；　1514；　those　splendid　festivals；　　tournaments；　processions；　and　hunting…parties；　which　were　attended　by　　many　distinguished　persons　from　Rome；　and　among　them；　though　disguised；　　no　less　than　six　cardinals。'
  But　the　greatest　of　the　prophets　and　apostles　had　already　been　burnt　in　　Florence　in　the　year　1498Fra　Girolamo　Savonarola　of　Ferrara。　We　must　　content　ourselves　with　saying　a　few　words　respecting　him。
  The　instrument　by　means　of　which　he　transformed　and　ruled　the　city　of　　Florence　（1494…8）　was　his　eloquence。　Of　this　the　meagre　reports　that　　are　left　to　us；　which　were　taken　down　mostly　on　the　spot；　give　us　　evidently　a　very　imperfect　notion。　It　was　not　that　he　possessed　any　　striking　outward　advantages；　for　voice；　accent；　and　rhetorical　skill　　constituted　precisely　his　weakest　side；　and　those　who　required　the　　preacher　to　be　a　stylist；　went　to　his　rival　Fra　Mariano　da　Genazzano。　　The　eloquence　of　Savonarola　was　the　expression　of　a　lofty　and　　commanding　personality；　the　like　of　which　was　not　seen　again　till　the　　time　of　Luther。　He　himself　held　his　own　influence　to　be　the　result　of　a　　divine　illumination；　and　could　therefore；　without　presumption；　assign　a　　very　high　place　to　the　office　of　the　preacher；　who；　in　the　great　　hierarchy　of　spirits；　occupies；　according　to　him；　the　next　place　below　　the　angels。
  This　man；　whose　nature　seemed　made　of　fire；　worked　another　and　greater　　miracle　than　any　of　his　oratorical　triumphs。　His　own　Dominican　　monastery　of　San　Marco；　and　then　all　the　Dominican　monasteries　of　　Tuscany；　became　like…minded　with　himself；　and　undertook　voluntarily　the　　work　of　inward　reform。　When　we　reflect　what　the　monasteries　then　were；　　and　what　measureless　difficulty　attends　the　least　change　where　monks　　are　concerned；　we　are　doubly　astonished　at　so　complete　a　revolution。　　While　the　reform　was　still　in　progress　large　numbers　of　Savonarola's　　followers　entered　the　Order；　and　thereby　greatly　facilitated　his　plans。　　Sons　of　the　first　houses　in　Florence　entered　San　Marco　as　novices。
  This　reform　of　the　Order　in　a　particular　province　was　the　first　step　to　　a　national　Church；　in　which；　had　the　reformer　himself　lived　longer；　it　　must　infallibly　have　ended。　Savonarola；　indeed；　desired　the　　regeneration　of　the　whole　Church）　and　near　the　end　of　his　career　sent　　pressing　exhortations　to　the　great　potentates　urging　them　to　call　　together　a　Council。　But　in　Tuscany　his　Order　and　party　were　the　only　　organs　of　his　spiritthe　salt　of　the　earthwhile　the　neighbouring　　provinces　remained　in　their　old　condition。　Fancy　and　asceticism　tended　　more　and　more　to　produce　in　him　a　state　of　mind　to　which　Florence　　appeared　as　the　scene　of　the　kingdom　of　God　upon　earth。
  The　prophecies；　whose　partial　fulfilment　conferred　on　Savonarola　a　　supernatural　credit；　were　the　means　by　which　the　ever　active　Italian　　imagination　seized　control　of　the　soundest　and　most　cautious　natures。　　At　first　the　Franciscans　of　the　Osservanza；　trusting　in　the　reputation　　which　had　been　bequeathed　to　them　by　St。　Bernardino　of　Siena；　fancied　　that　they　could　compete　with　the　great　Dominican。　They　put　one　of　their　　own　men　into　the　Cathedral　pulpit；　and　outbid　the　Jeremiads　of　　Savonarola　by　still　more　terrible　warnings；　till　Piero　de'　Medici；　who　　then　still　ruled　over　Florence；　forced　them　both　to　be　silent。　Soon　　after；　when　Charles　XII　came　to　Italy　and　the　Medici　were　expelled；　as　　Savonarola　had　clearly　foretold；　he　alone　was　believed　in。
  It　must　be　frankly　confessed　that　he　never　judged　his　own　premonitions　　and　visions　critically；　as　he　did　those　of　others。　In　the　funeral　　oration　on　Pico　della　Mirandola；　he　deals　somewhat　harshly　with　his　　dead　friend。　Since　Pico；　notw