And when they are obliged to quit the house, they
ride comfortably, as if for their amusement, on mules and sleek, quiet
horses. They do not overstrain their minds with the study of many
books, for fear lest knowledge might put the pride of Lucifer in the
place of monkish simplicity.'
Those who are familiar with the literature of the time, will see that
we have only brought forward what is absolutely necessary for the
understanding of the subject. That the reputation attaching to the
monks and the secular clergy must have shattered the faith of
multitudes in all that is sacred is, of course, obvious.
And some of the judgements which we read are terrible; we will quote
one of them in conclusion, which has been published only lately and is
but little known. The historian Guicciardini who was for many years in
the service of the Medicean Popes, says (1529) in his 'Aphorisms': 'No
man is more disgusted than I am with the ambition, the avarice and the
profligacy of the priests, not only because each of these vices is
hateful in itself, but because each and all of them are most unbecoming
in those who declare themselves to be men in special relations with
God, and also because they are vices so opposed to one another, that
they can only co-exist in very singular natures. Nevertheless, my
position at the Court of several Popes forced me to desire their
greatness for the sake of my own interest.
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