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orders to search every wandering friar or other suspicious person
who might； by any possibility； bring in a forbidden missive； a
special patrol was kept； night and day； to prevent any posting of
the forbidden notices on walls or houses； any person receiving or
finding one was to take it immediately to the authorities； under
the severest penalties； and any person found concealing such
documents was to be punished by death。
At first some of the clergy were refractory。 The head of the
whole church establishment of Venice； the Patriarch himself； gave
signs of resistance； but the Senate at once silenced him。 Sundry
other bishops and high ecclesiastics made a show of opposition；
and they were placed in confinement。 One of them seeming
reluctant to conduct the usual church service； the Senate sent an
executioner to erect a gibbet before his door。 Another； having
asked that he be allowed to await some intimation from the Holy
Spirit； received answer that the Senate had already received
directions from the Holy Spirit to hang any person resisting
their decree。 The three religious orders which had showed most
oppositionJesuits； Theatins； and Capuchinswere in a
semi…polite manner virtually expelled from the Republic。＇2＇
＇2＇ For interesting details regarding the departure of the
Jesuits； see Cornet； Paolo V。 e la Republica Veneta； pp。 277…279。
Not the least curious among the results of this state of things
was the war of pamphlets。 From Rome； Bologna； and other centres
of thought； even from Paris and Frankfort； polemic tractates
rained upon the Republic。 The vast majority of their authors were
on the side of the Vatican； and of this majority the leaders were
the two cardinals so eminent in learning and logic； Bellarmine
and Baronius； but； single…handed； Sarpi was； by general consent；
a match for the whole opposing force。＇3＇
＇3＇ In the library of Cornell University are no less than nine
quartos filled with selected examples of these polemics on both
sides。
Of all the weapons then used； the most effective throughout
Europe was the solemn protest drawn by Sarpi and issued by the
Doge。 It was addressed nominally to the Venetian ecclesiastics；
but really to Christendom； and both as to matter and manner it
was Father Paul at his best。 It was weighty； lucid； pungent； and
deeply in earnest；in every part asserting fidelity to the
Church and loyalty to the papacy； but setting completely at
naught the main claim of Pope Paul： the Doge solemnly declaring
himself 〃a prince who； in temporal matters； recognizes no
superior save the Divine Majesty。〃
The victory of the friar soon began to be recognized far and
near。 Men called him by the name afterward so generally given
him；the 〃terribile frate。〃 The Vatican seemed paralyzed。 None
of its measures availed； and it was hurt； rather than helped； by
its efforts to pester and annoy Venice at various capitals。 At
Rome； it burned Father Paul's books and declared him
excommunicated； it even sought to punish his printer by putting
into the Index not only all works that he had ever printed； but
all that he might ever print。 At Vienna； the papal Nuncio thought
to score a point by declaring that he would not attend a certain
religious function in case the Venetian Ambassador should appear；
whereupon the Venetian announced that he had taken physic and
regretted that he could not be present；whereat all Europe
laughed。
Judicious friends in various European cabinets now urged both
parties to recede or to compromise。 France and Spain both
proffered their good offices。 The offer of France was finally
accepted； and the French Ambassador was kept running between the
Ducal Palace and the Vatican until people began laughing at him
also。 The emissaries of His Holiness begged hard that； at least；
appearances might be saved； that the Republic would undo some of
its measures before the interdict was removed； or at least would
seem to do so； and especially that it would withdraw its refusals
before the Pope withdrew his penalties。 All in vain。 The
Venetians insisted that they had committed no crime and had
nothing to retract。 The Vatican then urged that the Senate should
consent to receive absolution for its resistance to the Pope's
authority。 This the Senate steadily refused； it insisted； 〃Let
His Holiness put things as before； and we will put things as
before； as to his absolution； we do not need it or want it； to
receive it would be to acknowledge that we have been in the
wrong。〃 Even the last poor sop of all was refused： the Senate
would have no great 〃function〃 to celebrate the termination of
the interdict； they would not even go to the mass which Cardinal
Joyeuse celebrated on that occasion。 The only appearance of
concession which the Republic made was to give up the two
ecclesiastics to the French Ambassador as a matter of courtesy to
the French king； and when this was done； the Ambassador delivered
them to the Pope； but Venice especially reserved all the rights
she had exercised。 All the essential demands of the papacy were
refused； and thus was forever ended the papal power of laying an
interdict upon a city or a people。 From that incubus；
Christendom； thanks to Father Paul and to Venice； was at last and
forever free。
The Vatican did； indeed； try hard to keep its old claim in being。
A few years after its defeat by Fra Paolo； it endeavored to
reassert in Spain the same authority which had been so humbly
acknowledged there a few years before。 It was doubtless felt that
this most pious of all countries； which had previously been so
docile； and which had stood steadily by the Vatican against
Venice in the recent struggle； would again set an example of
submission。 Never was there a greater mistake： the Vatican
received from Spanish piety a humiliating refusal。
Next it tried the old weapons against the little government at
Turin。 For many generations the House of Savoy had been dutifully
submissive to religious control； nowhere out of Spain had heresy
been treated more cruelly； yet here； too； the Vatican claim was
spurned。 But the final humiliation took place some years later
under Urban VIII。；the same pontiff who wrecked papal
infallibility on Galileo's telescope。 He tried to enforce his
will on the state of Lucca； which； in the days of Pope Paul； had
submitted to the Vatican decrees abjectly； but that little
republic now seized the weapons which Sarpi had devised； and
drove the papal forces out of the field： the papal
excommunication was； even by this petty government； annulled in
Venetian fashion and even less respectfully。＇1＇
＇1＇ The proofsand from Catholic sourcesthat it was the Pope
who condemned Galileo's doctrine of the earth's movement about
the sun； and not merely the Congregation of the Index； the
present writer has given in his History of the Warfare of Science
with Theology； vol。 i。 chap。 iii。
Thus the world learned how weak the Vatican hold had become。 Even
Pope Paul learned it； and； from being the most strenuous of
modern pontiffs； he became one of the most moderate in everything
save in the enrichment of his family。 Thus ended the last serious
effort to coerce a people by an interdict； and so； one might
suppose； would end the work of Father Paul。 Not so。 There was to
come a second chapter in his biography； more instructive；
perhaps； than the first；a chapter which has lasted until our
own day。 A。 D。 White。
｛February； 1904； number DLVI。｝ II。
The Venetian Republic showed itself duly grateful to Sarpi。 The
Senate offered him splendid presents and entitled him 〃Theologian
of Venice。〃 The presents he refused； but the title with its duty；
which was mainly to guard the Republic against the encroachments
of the Vatican； he accepted； and his life in the monastery of
Santa Fosca went on quietly； simply； laboriously； as before。 The
hatred now felt for him at Rome was unbounded。 It corresponded to
the gratitude at Venice。 Every one saw his danger； and he well
knew it。 Potentates were then wont to send assassins on long
errands； and the arm of the Vatican was especially far…reaching
and merciless。 It was the period when Pius V； the Pope whom the
Church afterwards proclaimed a saint； commissioned an assassin to