Men who had long
never been near the confessional, now acknowledged their sins. Ill-
gotten gains were restored, and insults which might have borne fruit in
blood retracted. Orators like Bernardino of Siena entered diligently
into all the details of the daily life of men, and the moral laws which
are involved in it. Few theologians nowadays would feel tempted to give
a morning sermon 'on contracts, restitutions, the public debt (monte),
and the portioning of daughters,' like that which he once delivered in
the Cathedral at Florence. Imprudent speakers easily fell into the
mistake of attacking particular classes, professions, or offices, with
such energy that the enraged hearers proceeded to violence against
those whom the preacher had denounced. A sermon which Bernardino once
preached in Rome (1424) had another consequence besides a bonfire of
vanities on the Capitol: 'After this,' we read, 'the witch Finicella
was burnt, because by her diabolical arts she had killed many children
and bewitched many other persons; and all Rome went to see the sight.'
But the most important aim of the preacher was, as has been already
said, to reconcile enemies and persuade them to give up thoughts of
vengeance. Probably this end was seldom attained till towards the close
of a 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.
Pages:
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535