SIXTUS. 



talto. Hi* fathfr, whofe name was Peretti, was a vine- 

 drerter, who not being able to maintain his fon, placed him, 

 when he was only nine years old, in the fervice of a fanner, 

 by whom he was, at firft, chiefly employed in attending to 

 his fwine. While he was occupied in this low office, a 

 Francifcan friar pafTmg that way, took the lad for his guide 

 on a journey to Afcoli. Pleafed with the boy's vivacity, he 

 caufcd him to accompany him to his convent, and intro- 

 duced him to his father guardian, who admitted him into 

 the convent m the quality of a lay brother. He foon mani- 

 fefted a great inclination for learning, and was taught the 

 elements of the Latin language. He was foon admitted 

 into the order, went through the ufual courfes of philofo- 

 pby and theology, was ordained priell in 1545, and Ihortly 

 afterwards, being made a doftor in theology, he was ap- 

 pointed to a profeflbrfhip at Sienna, under the name of Mon- 

 talto. He acquired a high reputation as a preacher in feve- 

 ral Italian cities, and was in a very Ihort time nominated 

 commi(ran,--gcneral at Bologna, and inquifitor at Venice. 

 In the cxerciie of the latter office he quarrelled with the k- 

 iiate, always jealous of ecclefiaftical authority, and thought 

 proper to make his efcape from Venice by night. Going to 

 Rome, he became one of the council of the congregation, 

 and afterwards procurator-general of his order. He ac- 

 companied cardinal Buoncompagno to Spain, in quahty of 

 theologian to the fenate, and counfellor of the holy-office. 

 Thus elevated, he fuddenly changed his demeanour, which 

 had been harih and petulant, and put on an appearance of 

 extraordinary gentlencfs and humility. Cardinal Alexan- 

 drini, formerly his pupil, being raifed to the papal dignity 

 by the name of Pius V., fent hira the brief of general of 

 his order, and foon after honoured him with the purple, 

 ' when he took the name of cardinal Montalto. The fuc- 

 cefTor of Pius was Gregory XIII., formerly cardinal 

 Buoncompagno. 



Montalto, without influence or connetlions to pufh him 

 forward at the next vacancy, determined to appear entirely 

 void of ■iviflies and cxpe£lation of farther elevation, in order 

 that he might not become an objeft of jealoufy to any party. 

 He accordingly withdrew from all public affairs, fliut liim- 

 felf up like one entirely devoted to lludy and religious re- 

 tirement, and ever complained of the infirmities of age 

 hanging heavily upon him. Gregory died in ij8j, and the 

 cardinals fplit into faftions. Montalto appeared, but in 

 the charafter of one bending under the weight of years, and 

 as if ready to expire. In the courfe of the contells, which 

 were long and feverc, he was inlormed that the choice would 

 probably fall on him ; to which he replied by averring his 

 own unfitnefs for the office ; that his life would fcarcely 

 outlive the conclave ; and that if he were eleftcd, he fhould 

 only be pope in name, while all the authorities mull devolve 

 upon others. This fort of argument, which he threw out 

 as a bait to his ambitious brethren, was readily feized upon 

 by them all, as well with the hope of a (hort pontificate, as 

 with the expeftation that they ftiould all Itrengthen them- 

 felvcs againft a new eleftion. Montalto was chofen on the 

 24tli of April, 158J. Scarcely, however, had the tiara 

 been placed on his head, wiicn be threw away his crutches, 

 which had enabled him to affumc his former charafter, 

 walked pcrfciSly cre£l, and chanted Te Deum with a voice 

 fo Itroiig, tliat the roof of the chapel in which the cere- 

 mony was performed re-eciiocd the found. He alfo gave 

 his benediftion to the people witli fuch an air of vigour, 

 that they could fcarcely believe him to be the decrepid 

 cardinal Montalto. It was now that he affnmed tlie name 

 of Sixtus v., and he foon ihewed then) that his mind 



was as vigorous as his body. The territory of the clmrch 

 was at this time overrun with banditti, who plundered and 

 even murdered the people with impunity ; and in the me- 

 tropolitan city itfelf, a relaxed police had eiicouraged all 

 kinds of diforders. The fird objeft of Sixtus was to ex- 

 terminate thefe evils, and no fovereign ever employed the 

 correftive powers with which he was invelted with more 

 vigour and cfl'ed. It had been ufual, for the fake of ac- 

 quiring popularity, on the eleftion of a new pope, to fet the 

 imprifoned criminals at liberty ; but the firlt aft of Sixtus 

 was to order four perfons to be hanged, on whom were 

 found, a few days before, prohibited weapons. This fyftem 

 of rigour he purfued with the moft inexorable fcverity, never, 

 in a fingle inflance, pardoning a criminal. There is no 

 doubt that fignal feverity was neccflary to ftop the pub- 

 lic diforders, and in that view of the fubjeft, Sixtus was 

 certainly a benefaftor to the itate ; but unfortunately for 

 his charafter as a jull magiltrate, in whom compaffion 

 (hould be found tempering the rigour of the law, inllanccs 

 are recorded on the page of hiftory which go to prove tliat 

 he took a real pleafure in aft.s of punifhment, and that his 

 foul was infenfible to all the emotions of tendernefs and pity ; 

 which, fays a good writer and diligent obferver of human 

 nature, " is not an unufual effeft of a monadic education." 

 A Spanifli gentleman having been ftruck by a Swifs 

 guard with his halberd in a church, retahated by a blow 

 which proved fatal to the foldier. Sixtus, having examined 

 into the affair, gave an order to the governor of Rome to 

 have the offender executed before he fliould fit down to 

 table. The Spanifli ambaffador, with four cardinals, waited 

 upon his holiiiefs, not to plead for the criminal's life, but 

 to entreat upon their knees, that, as he was a gentleman by 

 birth, the punifhment might be commuted to that of de- 

 capitation : this fmall favour he abfolutely refufed, and 

 faid in a tone of anger, bordering on frantic rage, " he 

 fhall be hanged ; but to alleviate the difgrace incurred b) 

 his family, I will do him the honour to affill at his execu- 

 tion." He accordingly ordered the gallows to be erefted 

 before his own houfe, and was witncfs to the deed of horror. 

 When the fentence was executed, he turned with the iitmoil 

 coolnefs to his domeftics, and faid, " Bring me my dinner j 

 this aft of juflice has given me an additional appetite." 

 He caufed the heads of all thofe who had fuffercd the 

 penalty of death for crimes committed againft the Hate, 

 to be placed on the city gates, and on each fide of the 

 bridge of St. Angelo, and fometimes went on .purpofe to 

 view them ; and a requefl being made by the confervators 

 of the iiealth of the city for their removal, when they, by 

 their numbers and decay, became ofTenCve, he replied, 

 " You are too delicate; the heads of thofe that rob the 

 public are flill more offenfivc." 



Another anecdote is told of him, to (hew that he was 

 not more rigorous to his own fubjefts, than ilrenuous in 

 maintaining the rights and authority of the holy fee, with 

 refpeft to foreign powers. When the ambaffador of the 

 king of Spain prefented him with a beautiful genet and a 

 purfe of ducats, as a homage due for the kingdom of 

 Naples, and complimented him in his mafler'g name, Sixtus, 

 in a tone of raillery, faid, tliat the compliment was very 

 fine, but that it would require a deal of eloquence to per- 

 fuade him to take a horfe in exchange for the revenues of a 

 kingdom. At the time of his accoflion, France was in con- 

 fufion on account of the raaLhinations of the Catholic 

 league to exclude from the crown Henry, king of Navarre, 

 its prcfumptivc heir. Though Sixtus did not approve ihe 

 attempts of the Guifes, at the bead of the league, to ob> 

 M 2 "ai'.i 



