
ad 
St. Paul’s. The Rectory of St. Dunstan’s-in-the-East soon 
followed, and after his return to Rome he was created, in 1502, 
Bishop of Hereford, and 1504 Bishop of Bath and Wells, in 
which See he was represented by Polydore Vergil as well as in 
the collectorship. In 1503 he was created Cardinal Presbyter, 
under the title of San Chrysogonus. 
Adrian was called the rich cardinal, and one Catholic his- 
torian denounces his elevation as a simoniacal creation, but 
the Bull ‘“‘de Simoniaca Electione’”’ was not issued till 1505 
by Julius IT. 
In the 15th century the Pope was often regarded as a 
temporal sovereign rather than as the head of Christ’s Church 
on earth; his manners, his dress, his whole deportment 
savoured naught of the priesthood. The Cardinals were the 
highest degree of the peerage, and no doubt paid high fees on 
their appointment, but high fees are even now unfortunately 
charged upon appointment to offices in the Church of England, 
and conspicuous charity has been requited with a title even in 
modern times. 
The Renaissance was productive of its heroes, but while they 
shed a new light on learning and the arts, old habits of thought 
were thrown into confusion, and the intrigues and the 
national, civic, and personal jealousies which then rent the 
world asunder can scarcely be traced even by the most diligent 
student of the period. Alliances and combinations were 
broken up as soon as made, and the hired troops changed 
sides even on the eve of battle. 
The successors of St. Peter were at this time debasing 
themselves with abandoned pleasures and an affectation of 
religion. The Pope, Alexander VI., in Spanish boots, and a 
velvet cap, and clad in a black doublet edged with gold bro- 
cade, with a girdle round his waist of the Spanish fashion, 
in which was stuck a sword and dagger, went to meet his 
mistress, Donna Giulia (Farnese), upon her being restored 
to him by Charles VIII. Alexander was the nephew of the 
Borgian Pope Calixtus III., whose ambition it had been to so 
enrich the Cardinal that his power to purchase the Papacy. 
might be assured. 
Sixtus IV., Pope twelve years after the death of Calixtus, 
was a De la Rovere, and was noted for his avarice and ambi- 
tion. No age has exhibited such flagrant instances of the 
depravity of the Roman See as the close of the 15th century, 
when the profligacy of Sixtus IV. led the way, at a short 
