SAVONAROLA
491
SAVONAROLA
always shown themselves generous patrons of the
monastery. Lorenzo took no notice of this but con-
tinued his benefits, without however changing the
opinion of the new prior. Savonarola began at once
with the inner reform of the monastery itself. San
Marco and other monasteries of Tuscany were sepa-
rated from the Lombard Congregation of the Domini-
can Order and were formed in 1493 with papal ap-
proval into an independent congregation. Monastic
hfe was reformed in this new congregation by rigid
observance of the original Rule. Savonarola, who
was the vicar-general of the new congregation, set the
example of a strict life of self-mortification; his cell
was small and poor, his clothing coarse, his food sim-
ple and scanty. The lay brothers were obliged to
learn a trade and the clerics were kept constantly at
their studies. Many new brethren entered the mon-
astery; from 50 the number of the monks of San
Marco rose to 238, among them being members of the
first families of the city.
Meanwhile Savonarola preached with burning zeal and rapidly won great influence. He was looked upon and venerated by his followers as a prophet. His sermons, however, were not free from extrava- gance and vagaries. Without r(>gard to consequences he lashed the immoral, vain-glorious, pleasure-seeking life of the Florentines, so that a very large part of the inhabitants became temporarily contrite and returned to the exercise of Christian virtue. Both his sermons and his whole personality made a deep impression. He bitterly attacked Lorenzo the Alagnificpnt as the promoter of paganized art, of frivolous living, and as the tyrant of Florence. Nevertheless, when on his death bed, Lorenzo summoned the stern preacher of morals to administer spiritual consolation to him. It is said that Savonarola demanded as a condition of absolution that Lorenzo restore its liberties to Flor- ence; which, however, the latter refused to do. This however cannot be proved with ab.solute historical certainty. From 1493 Savonarola spoke with in- creasing violence against the abuses in ecclesiastical life, against the immorality of a large part of the clergy, above all against the immoral life of many members of the Roman Curia, even of the wearer of the tiara, Alexander VI, and again.st the wickedness of princes and courtiers. In prophetic terms he an- nounced the approaching judgment of God and the avenger from whom ho lK)p<nl the reform of Church life. By the avenger he meant Charles VIII, King of France, who had entered Italy, and was advancing against Florence. Savonarola's denunciation of the Medici now produced its results. Lorenzo's son Pietro de Medici, who was hated both for his tyranny and his immoral life, was driven out of the city with his family.
The French king, whom Savonarola at the head of an embassy of Florentines had visited at Pisa, now entered the city. After the king's departure a new and peculiar constitution, a kind of theocratic democ- racy, was established at Florence, based on the politi- cal and social doctrines the Dominican monk had pro- claimed. Christ was considered the King of Florence and protector of its liberties. A great council, as the representative of all the citizens, became the govern- ing body of the republic and the law of Christ was to be the basis of political and social life. Savonarola did not interfere directly in politics and affairs of State, but his teachings and his ideas were authorita- tive. The moral life of the citizens was regenerated. Many persons brought articles of luxury, playing- cards, ornaments, pictures of beautiful women, the writings of pagan and immoral poets, etc., to the mon- astery of San Marco; these articles were then publicly burned. A brotherhood founded by Savonarola for yoimg people encouraged a pious. Christian life among its members. Sundays some of this brotherhood went about from house to house and along the streets to
take away dice and cards from the citizens, to exhort
luxuriously dressed married and single women to lay
aside frivolous ornament. Thus there arose an actual
pohce for regulating mdrahty, which also carried on its
work by the objectionable methods of spying and de-
nunciation. The principles of the severe judge of
morals were carried out in practical life in too extreme
a manner. Success made Savonarola, whose speech
in his sermons was often recklessly passionate, more
and more daring. Florence was to be the starting
point of the regeneration of Italy and the Church.
In this respect he was constantly looking for the inter-
position of Charles VIII for the inner reform of the
Church, although the loose life and vague extrava-
gant ideas of this monarch in no way fitted him to un-
dertake such a task.
These efforts of Savonarola brought him into con- flict with Alexander VI. The pope, Uke all Itahan princes and cities, with the exception of Florence, was an opponent of the French policy. Moreover, Charles VIII had often threatened him with the calling of a reform council in opposition to him. This led Alex- ander VI to regard all the more dubiously the support that Florence under the influence of Savonarola gave the French king. Furthermore the Dominican preach- er spoke with increasing violence against the pope and the Curia. On 25 July, 1495, a papal Brief com- manded Savonarola in virtue of holy obedience to come to Rome and defend himself on the score of the prophecies attributed to him. Savonarola excused himself on the plea of impaired health and of the dan- gers threatening him. By a further Brief of 8 Sep- tember the Dominican was forbidden to preach, and the monastery of San Marco was restored to the Lombard Congregati(m. In his reply of 29 Septem- ber, Savonarola sought to justify himself, and de- clared that, as regards his teaching, he had always submitted to the judgment of the Church. In a new pai)al Brief of IG Oc^tober written with great modera- tion the union of the monastery of San Marco with the Lombard Congregation was withdrawn, Savonarola's conduct was judged mildly, but the prohibition to preach, until his vindication at Rome, was main- tained.
In the meantime Savonarola had again entered the pulpit on 1 1 October in order to rouse the Florentines against Pietro de Medici, and on 11 February the Signoria of Florence actually commanded the Domin- ican to preach again. Savonarola now resumed his sermons on 17 February and was thus unjustifiably disobedient to ecclesiastical authority. In these Len- ten sermons he violently lashed the crimes of Rome thereby increasing the passionate excitement at Flor- ence. A schism threatened and the pope was again forced to interpose. On 7 November, 1496, the Do- minican monasteries of Rome and Tuscany were formed into a new congregation, the first vicar of which was Cardinal Caraffa. Even then Savonarola refused obedience and again during the Lenten season of 1497 preached with uncontrolled violence against the Church in Rome. On 12 May, 1497, he was ex- communicated. Under the date of 19 June he pub- hshed a letter "against the excommunication" as be- ing fraudulently obtained and sought to show that the judgment against him was null and void. The Flor- entine ambassadors at Rome probably hoped to pre- vent any further measures on the part of the pope, but their hopes were unfounded, especially as Savonarola became more defiant. Notwithstanding his excom- munication he celebrated Mass on Christmas Day and distributed Holy Communion. Moreover, disre- garding an archiepiscopal edict, he began again on 11 February, 1498, to preach at the Cathedral and to demonstrate that the sentences against him were void. Even at this juncture the pope desired to act with gen- tleness, if the obstinate monk would submit, but the latter remained defiant and with his adherents set
