FATHER PAUL SARPI.

F

A THER PAUL, whofe name, before he entered into the monaftic life, was Peter Sarpi, was born at Venice, Auguft 14, 1552. His father followed merchandize, but with fo little fuccefs, that, at his death, he left his family very ill provided for, but under the care of a mother, whose piety was likely to bring the bleffing of Providence upon them, and whofe wife conduct fupplied the want of fortune by advantages of greater value.

Happily for young Sarpi, fhe had a brother, mafter of a celebrated fchool, under whofe direction he was placed by her. Here' he loft no time, but cultivated his abilities, naturally of the first rate, with unwearied application. He was born for study, having a natural averfion to pleasure and gaiety, and a memory fo tenacious, that he could repeat thirty verfes upon once hearing them. Proportionable literature: at thirteen, having made himself master of school-learning, he turned his ftudies to philofophy and the mathematicks, and entered upon logick under Capella of Cremona, who, though a celebrated mafter

to his capacity was his progrefs in

of that science, confeffed himfelf in a very little time unable to give his pupil farther instructions.

As Capella was of the order of the Servites, his fcholar was induced, by his acquaintance with him, to engage in the fame profeffion, though his uncle and his mother represented to him the hardships and aufterities of that kind of life, and advised him with great zeal against it. But he was fteady in his refolutions, and in 1566 took the habit of the order, being then only in his 14th year, a time of life in most perfons very improper for fuch engagements, but in him attended with fuch maturity of thought, and fuch a < fettled temper, that he never feemed to regret the choice he then made, and which he confirmed by a folemn public profeffion in 1572.

At a general chapter of the Servites, held at Mantua, Paul (for fo we shall now call him) being then only twenty years old, diftinguished himself fo much in a publick disputation by his genius and learning, that William duke of Mantua, a great patron of letters, folicited the confent of his fuperiors to retain him at his court, and not only made him publick profeffor of divinity in the cathedral, but honoured him with many proofs of his esteem.

But Father Paul, finding a court life not agree. able to his temper, quitted it two years afterwards, and retired to his beloved privacies, being then not < only acquainted with the Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Chaldee languages, but with philofophy, the mathematicks, canon and civil law, all parts of natural philofophy, and chemistry itself; for his application was unintermitted, his head clear, his apprehenfion quick, and his memory retentive.

Being made a priest at twenty-two, he was distinguished by the illuftrious cardinal Borromeo with his confidence, and employed by him on many occafions, not without the envy of persons of less merit, who were fo far exafperated as to lay a charge against him, before the inquifition, for denying that the Trinity could be proved from the first chapter of Genefis; but the accufation was too ridiculous to be taken notice of.

After this he passed fucceffively through the dignities of his order, and in the intervals of his employment applied himself to his studies with fo extenfive a capacity, as left no branch of knowledge untouched. By him Acquependente, the great anatomist, confeffes that he was informed how vifion is performed; and there are proofs that he was not a stranger to the circulation of the blood. He frequently converfed upon aftronomy with mathematicians, upon anatomy with furgeons, upon medicine with phyficians, and with chemifts upon the analysis of metals, not as a fuperficial enquirer, but as a complete master,

But the hours of repose, that he employed fo well, < were interrupted by a new information in the inquifition, where a former acquaintance produced a letter written by him in cyphers, in which he faid, "that ~. "he detefted the court of Rome, and that no pre"ferment was obtained there but by dishonest "means.' "" This accufation, however dangerous, / was paffed over on account of his great reputation, but made fuch impreffion on that court, that he was afterwards denied a bishoprick by Clement VIII. After thefe difficulties were furmounted, Father Paul again retired to his folitude, where he appears, by

fome writings drawn up by him at that time, to have turned his attention more to improvements in piety than learning. Such was the care with which he read the fcriptures, that, it being his cuftom to draw a line under any paffage which he intended more nicely to confider, there was not a fingle word in his New Teftament but was underlined; the fame markɛ of attention appeared in his Old Testament, Pfalter, and Breviary.

But the most active fcene of his life began about the year 1615, when Pope Paul Vth, exafperated by fome decrees of the fenate of Venice that interfered with the pretended rights of the church, laid the whole ftate under an interdict.

The fenate, filled with indignation at this treatment, forbade the bishops to receive or publish the Pope's bull; and convening the rectors of the churches, commanded them to celebrate divine fervice in the accustomed manner, with which most of them readily complied; but the Jefuits and fome others refufing, were by a folemn edict expelled the ftate.

Both parties, having proceeded to extremities, employed their ableft writers to defend their measures; on the Pope's fide, among others, Cardinal Bellarmine entered the lifts, and with his confederate authors defended the papal claims with great fcurrility of expreffion, and very fophiftical reasonings, which were confuted by the Venetian apologists in much more decent language, and with much greater folidity of argument.

On this occafion Father Paul was most eminently diftinguished, by his Defence of the Rights of the fupreme