* and approaching the fountain of truth and goodness CHAP. I. 'we shall drink in a wise and blessed life." A.D. 1496. Thus was the head of the Platonic Academy at Florence turning a critical eye upon Christianity, viewing it very possibly too much in the light of the lamp kept continually burning before the bust of Plato, but still, I think, honestly endeavouring, upon its own intrinsic evidence and by inductive methods, to establish a reasonable belief in its divine character in minds sceptical of ecclesiastical authority, and over whom the dogmatic methods of the Schoolmen had lost their power. Nevertheless Ficino, as yet, was probably more of an intellectual than of a practical Christian, and Christianity was not likely to take hold of the mind of Italy-of re-awakening Europe-through any merely philosophical disquisitions. The lamp of Plato might throw light on Christianity, but it would not light up Christian fire in other souls. For Christianity Chrisis a thing of the heart, not only of the head. Soul is thing of kindled only by soul, says Carlyle; and to teach religion the heart. the one thing needful is to find a man who has religion.3 Should such a man arise, a man himself on fire with Christian love and zeal, his torch might light up other torches, and the fire be spread from torch to torch. But, until such a man should arise, the lamp of philosophy must burn alone in Florence. Men might come from far and near to listen to Marsilio Ficino-to share the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici, to study Plato and 1 Chap. xxxvii. chapter on Ficino is valuable in 3 Chartism.' Chap. x. 'Impos 2 Villari, in his 'Life and Times ' of Savonarola,' book i. chap. iv., does not seem to me to give, by any means, a fair abstract of the 'Desible.' 'Religione Christiana,' though his tianity a し CHAP. I. Plotinus,-to learn how to harmonise Plato and ArisA.D. 1496. totle, to master the Greek language and philosophies, -to drink in the spirit of reviving learning-but, of true Christian religion, the lamp had not yet been lit at Florence, or if lit it was under a bushel. Oxford students in Italy. Colet's return Already Oxford students had been to Italy, and returned full of the new learning. Grocyn, one of them, had for some time been publicly teaching Greek at Oxford, not altogether to the satisfaction of the old divines, for the Latin of the Vulgate was, in their eye, the orthodox language, and Greek a Pagan and heretical tongue. Linacre, too, had been to Italy and returned, after sharing with the children of Lorenzo de' Medici the tuition of Politian and Chalcondyles.1 These men had been to Italy and had returned, to all appearances, mere humanists. Now five years later Colet had been to Italy and had returned, not a mere humanist, but an earnest Christian reformer, bent upon giving lectures, not upon Plato or Plotinus, but upon St. Paul's Epistles. What had happened during these four years to account for the change? III. COLET'S PREVIOUS HISTORY (1496). John Colet was the eldest2 son of Sir Henry Colet, a from Italy. wealthy merchant, who had been more than once Lord Mayor of London,3 and was in favour at the court of 1 Pauli Jovii Elogia Doctorum Virorum: Basilea, 1556, p. 145. The period of the stay of Grocyn and Linacre in Italy was probably between 1485 and 1491. They therefore probably returned to England before the notorious Alexander VI. succeeded, in 1492, to Innocent VIII. See Johnson's Life of Linacre, pp. 103-150. And Wood's Athen. Oxon. vol. i. p. 30. Also Hist. et Antiq. Univ. Oxon. ii. 134. 2 Eras. Op. iii. p. 455, F. 3 Erasmus Jodoco Jona: Op. iii. p. 455, F. Also Sir Henry Colet's Epitaph, quoted in Knight's Life of Colet, p. 7. Henry VII. His father's position held out to him the prospect of a brilliant career. He had early been sent to Oxford, and there, having passed through the regular course of study in all branches of scholastic philosophy, he had taken his degree of Master of Arts. CHAP. I. A.D. 1496. On the return of Grocyn and Linacre from Italy full of the new learning, Colet had apparently caught the contagion. For we are told he eagerly devoured His studies • Cicero, and carefully examined the works of Plato and Plotinus.'1 When the time had come for him to choose a profession, instead of deciding to follow up the chances of commercial life, or of royal favour, he had resolved to take Orders. at Oxford. The death of twenty-one2 brothers and sisters, leaving him the sole survivor of so large a family, may well have given a serious turn to his thoughts. But inasmuch as family influence was ready to procure him immediate preferment, the path he had chosen need not be construed into one of great self-denial. It was Sets out not until long after he had been presented to a living travels. in Suffolk and a prebend in Yorkshire, that he left Oxford, probably in about 1494, for some years of foreign travel.3 The little information which remains to us of what Colet did on his continental journey, is very soon told. He went first into France and then into Italy. On 'filias . . sed ex omnibus ille 3 See list of Colet's preferments 4 Adiit Galliam, mox Italiam.' on his Colet studies the in Italy. CHAP. I. his way there, or on his return journey he met with A.D. 1496. some German monks, of whose primitive piety and purity he retained a vivid recollection. In Italy he ardently pursued his studies. But he no longer devoted himself to the works of Plato and Plotinus. In Italy, the hotbed of the Neo-Platonists, he gave himself up' Scriptures (we are told) to the study of the Holy Scriptures,' after having, however, first made himself acquainted with the works of the Fathers, including amongst them the mystic writings then attributed to Dionysius the Areopagite. He acquired a decided preference for the works of Dionysius, Origen, Ambrose, Cyprian, and Jerome over those of Augustine. Scotus, Aquinas, and other Schoolmen had each shared his attention in due course. He is said also to have diligently studied during this period Civil and Canon Law, and especially what Chronicles and English classics he could lay his hands on; and his reason for doing so is remarkable— that he might, by familiarity with them, polish his style, and so prepare himself for the great work of preaching the Gospel in England.2 What it was that had turned his thoughts in this direction no record remains to tell. Yet the knowledge 1 Eras. Op. iii. p. 459, A. quando locus postulabat. In utri 2 Ibid. p. 456, B. The words usque juris libris erat non indiliof Erasmus are the following:- 'Ibi 'genter versatus. Denique nullus se totum evolvendis sacris aucto-erat liber historiam aut constitu'ribus dedit, sed prius per omnium tiones continens majorum, quem 'literarum genera magno studio ille non evolverat. Habet gens 'peregrinatus, priscis illis potissi- 'Britannica qui hoc præstiterunt 'mum delectabatur Dionysio, Ori- ' apud suos, quod Dantes ac Petrargene, Cypriano, Ambrosio, Hierony-'cha apud Italos. Et horum evol'mo. Atque inter veteres nulli erat 'vendis scriptis linguam expolivit, 'iniquior quam Augustino. Neque 'jam tum se præparans ad præco'tamen non legit Scotum, ac 'nium sermonis Evangelici.' 'Thomam aliosque hujus fariuæ, si 6 A.D. 1496. of what was passing in Italy, while Colet was there, CHAP. I. surely may give a clue, not likely to mislead, to the explanation of what otherwise might remain wholly unexplained. To have been in Italy when Grocyn and Linacre were in Italy-between the years 1485 and 1491-was, as we have said, to have drunk at the fountain-head of reviving learning, and to have fallen under the fascinating influence of Lorenzo de' Medici and the Platonic Academy-an influence more likely to foster the selfish coldness of a semi-pagan philosophy than to inspire such feelings as those with which Colet seems to have returned from his visit to Italy.1 But in the meantime Lorenzo had died, the tiara had changed hands, and events were occurring during Colet's stay in Italy-probably in 1495-which may well have stirred in his breast the earnest resolution to devote his life to the work of religious and political reform. siastical For to have been in Italy while Colet was in Italy Ecclewas to have come face to face with Rome at the time scandals. when the scandals of Alexander VI. and Cæsar Borgia were in everyone's mouth; to have been brought into contact with the very worst scandals which had ever blackened the ecclesiastical system of Europe, at the very moment when they reached their culminating point. On the other hand, to have been in Italy when Colet was in Italy, was to have come into contact with the first rising efforts at Reform. narola. If Colet visited Florence as Grocyn and Linacre had Savodone before him, he must have come into direct contact with Savonarola while as yet his fire was holy and 1 Savonarola's first sermon in the Duomo at Florence was preached in 1491.-Villari, i. p. 122. C |