LEO 



709 



LEO 



L*> X. Reformation under I.utlier. The boundless profusion 

 <*ape. of the Pope having completely exhausted his treasury, 

 "V"*' he resolved to replenish his coffers by the profits arising 

 from the sale of indulgences. The efficacy of these 

 wares was extolled in such scandalous and extravagant 

 terms, as could hardly fail of giving offence to pious 

 and thinking men. Luther warmly protested against 

 this abuse, calling in question the authority of the pope 

 to remit sin, and making some severe strictures on this 

 method of raising money. Leo seems to have treated 

 the matter at first very lightly ; and when hi.s interfe- 

 rence became necessary, he shewed a disposition to 

 adopt lenient measures. All attempts, however, to ef- 

 fect a reconciliation proved fruitless ; the breach be- 

 came daily wider; and in the month of November, 

 1518, Leo published a bull, asserting the pope's autho- 

 rity to grant indulgences, which will avail both the liv. 

 ing and the dead in purgatory. The works of Luther 

 were burnt in different places by Leo's command ; anil 

 Luther, upon hi* part, made a solemn and public con- 

 dagration of the papal decrees and constitutions, and 

 ren of the bull itself. But the circumstances connect- 

 ed with the riae and progress of the Reformation, will 

 be more properly related in another place. It was 

 tlii* pontiff who rewarded the controversial talents of 

 Henry VIII. of England, by conferring upon him the 

 title of Defender of the Faith. 



The state of tranquillity which Italy enjoyed, at this 

 period, permitted the I'ope to indulge hi* taste for mag- 

 nificence in shows and spectacles, and in the employ- 

 ment of those great artists who have reflected so much 

 luitre on his reign. His private hours were chiefly de- 

 voted to indolence, or to amusements, some of which 

 are said to have been of a trivial nature, and little suit- 

 ed to the dignity of his station. He was not, however, 

 to much engrossed by these pleasures, as to neglect any 

 opportunity of aggrandizing his family or his gee. By 

 the death of his nephew, Lorenzo, the duchy of I'rlii- 

 no, with its dependencies, became annexed to the Ro- 

 man see ; and other acquisitions were made by less 

 justifiable means. Baglioni, chief of Perugia, wa c de- 

 coyed into the power of the Pope, tortured, an:l put to 

 death ; and his territories incorporated with the papal 

 dominions. The city of Fermo was seized by a body 

 of papal troops, and Frederic, the commander of the 

 town, killed by them in attempting to make his escape. 

 Leo even made an attempt to get possession of the city 

 and territory of Ferrara, which, however, proved un- 

 tucm*ful. In the year 1521, he entered into a treaty 

 with the emperor, for the establishment of the family 

 of Sforza, in the duchy of Milan. For this purpose, 

 he hired a large body of Swiss troops, which were suf- 

 fered to march through the Milanese into Ilomngna. 

 This army, in conjunction with the Spanish and Ger- 

 man auxiliaries, took possession of Parma, which, to- 

 ' . irnuin, was to be united to the domain 

 of the church. The allies then crossed the Adda, and 

 were received, without opposition, into Milan ; the 

 * in the service of 'France having been prevailed 

 upon to desert. They next entered the territory of the 

 iluke of Ferrara, against whom the Pope had already 

 launched the thunders of the church. Several of his 

 strong place* were taken, and the siege of his capital 

 was impending, when Leo, who had repaired to Home, 

 to be present at the public rejoicings for these suc- 

 cenes, was attacked by an indisposition, apparently 

 trivial, hut to-r.ipid in its pro^rc-i. that alter a week's 

 illne**, he expired, on the 1st of December, 1521, in 

 the forty-sixth year of his age, and the ninth of his 

 3 



pontificate. His death was by some ascribed to poi- Leeminster. 

 son, but of this there is no evidence. '^"Y"*' 



Different opinions have been entertained with regard 

 to the character of this celebrated pontiff, which, how- 

 ever, will be best estimated from the narrative we have 

 given of the principal transactions of his life. Without 

 giving credit to many of those enormities with which 

 he has been charged upon insufficient evidence, it will 

 appear that Leo was far from exhibiting a pattern of in- 

 tegrity in his moral and political conduct. Self-interest 

 seems to have been his ruling motive of action ; and he 

 shewed himself by no means scrupulous with regard to 

 the means he employed for attaining his ends. His 

 patronage of literature and the fine arts has been held 

 out as the finest trait in his character, and as a sufficient 

 atonement for all his faults. The age of Leo X. indeed, 

 is generally referred to, as one of the most flourishing 

 periods of art and literature in the annals of mankind. 

 But, without derogating from that just share of merit 

 which may be allowed to belong to Leo on this account, 

 we may be permitted to observe, that many of the sub- 

 jects of this celebrated age must be sought for beyond 

 the sphere of his protection and influence ; and that the 

 patronage he bestowed may be ascribed, perhaps, more 

 to his vanity, than to any real love of what is valuable 

 in literature, or any genuine admiration of what is ex- 

 cellent in the arts. See Roscoe's Lite and Pontificate of 

 Leo X. (z) 



LEOMINSTER, or LEMSTKR, is a burgh and mar- 

 ket town of England, in the county of Hereford. It 

 is situated in a rich and fertile vale, abounding with 

 orchards, hop-yards, fine meadows, and arable lands. 

 The river Lugg runs on the north and east sides of the 

 town. Two smaller streams flow through the town, 

 and other three considerable rivulets pass within half a 

 mile of it. Leominster is about a mile long from north 

 to south, and about half a mile from east to west. 

 There are many good modern houses built of brick ; 

 but, in general, the houses consist of timber and plas- 

 ter, painted white and black, and adorned with curi- 

 ous grotesque carvings. The streets in the centre of 

 the town are narrow, and the suburbs ill built. The 

 church of Leominster is a large building, and irregular 

 both in its form and architecture. The interior length 

 is 125 feet, and its width 124. The church of Leo- 

 minster was partly destroyed by fire on the 18th March, 

 1700, and was rebuilt at the expence of nearly 18,000. 

 Besides the church, there are four places of worship, 

 viz. for the Baptists, Presbyterians, Moravians, and 

 Quakers. The meeting-house of the Baptists is a neat 

 building. The town-hall, or butter close, is a singu- 

 lar building of timber and plaster, erected in 1633. It 

 stands on lii oaken pillars. A new gaol was built here 

 in 1750; and in 1803, a neat market-house was erect- 

 ed by the corporation for the sale of grain. It is a small 

 building of the Tuscan order, with pediments and a ca- 

 pital. 



The town is governed by a bailiff, chief steward, 

 recorder, '2 capital burgesses, a chamberlain, two ser- 

 geants at mace, and some inferior officers. It sends 

 two members to parliament, and the number of voters 

 is about 500. 



Cloth is the principal article of manufacture at Leo- 

 minster. The manufacture of hats and gloves, and the 

 tanning and dressing of leather, are carried on to a 

 great extent. From the fertility of the surrounding 

 country, Leominster has always been considered as one 

 of the best markets for wool, wheat, and cyder. There 

 is a free school here, two charity schools, an alms- 



