A New and General Biographical Dictionary (Volume 14); Containing an Historical and Critical Account of the Lives and Writings of the Most - Paperback

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: part he was of no manner of confequence; that, as he had never been in the conclave before, he was afraid of making fome falfe ftep, and fhould leave the affair to be conduced wholly by people of greater knowledge and experience." The election being determined in favour of cardinal Buon Compagnon, who almmed the name of Gregory XIII. Montalto did not neglect to afTure him, " that he had never wifhed for any thing fo much in his life, and that he fhould always remember his podneis, and the favours he received from him in Spain." The new pope, however, not only fhewed very little regard to his compliment, but during his pontificate, treated him with the utmoft contempt, and deprived him of the peniion which had been granted to him by Pius V. Nor was he held in greater efteem by the generality of the cardinals, who confidered him as a poor, old, doting fellow, incapable of doing either good or harm; and who, by way of ridicule, they were ufed frequently to ftyle, " the afs of La Marca." He feldom interfered in, or was prefent at any public tranfactions; the chief part of his time was employed in works of piety' and devotion; and his benevolence to the indigent was fo remarkable, that, when a terrible famine prevailed at Rome, the poor faid openly of him, " that cardinal Montalto, who lived upon charity him- felf, gave with one hand what he received with the other; while the reft of the cardinals, who wallowed in abundance, contented themfelves with mewing them the way to the hof- pital." Notwithftanding this affected indifference to what pafted in the world, he was never without able fpies, who informed him from time to time of every the moil minute particular. He had affumed groat appearance of imbecillity and all the infirmities of old age, for fome years before the death of G...