History of the Inquisition (Volume 1); From Its Establishment in the Twelfth Century to Its Extinction in the Nineteenth (Paperback)

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: 17 CHAPTER II. POPE INNOCENT III. This Innocent should have been canonised and declared patron saint of Inquisitors; and, if one who knew him gave a true description of his person and qualifications, the artist might take for his picture a comely model. " He was a man of clear understanding and retentive memory; he excelled in divine and human learning, spoke well in common Italian and in Latin, sang songs and psalms well, was of middle stature and commanding aspect. He preserved the mean between prodigality and avarice; but gave away alms and food liberally, although sparing in other respects, except in cases of necessity. Severe towards the rebellious and contumacious, but kind to the humble and devout; brave and constant, magnanimous and astute; a defender of the faith and assailant of heresy; in justice rigid, and in mercy pious; humble in prosperity, and patient in adversity; in temper somewhat irascible, yet easily forgiving." Passing from this very artificial eulogy to the writings of Innocent, I fail to discover any notable excellence in writing, either human or divine; and certainly his conduct betrays both irascibility and severity. Perhaps Matthew Paris, although moved to indignation by the conduct of this Pope towards England, told no more than the truth, when he described him as " beyond all olher men ambitious and proud, an insatiable thirster after money, and ready and apt to commit any sin for a reward, or the promise of it." t The records of his pontificate attest that he wasdiligent; but they show that in nothing was he so diligent as in persecuting heretics. His eye fixed its searching glance on them in the remotest hiding-places of Europe; and he never failed to use the full advantage of his position to repress the slightest movement of reason o...