sted by the Florentines,
who expressed doubts of the correctness of its Latin! Pico della
Mirandola, the brilliant young scholar, was attracted, however, by the
friar's eloquence. A close friendship was formed between these two
men, whose appearance was as much in contrast as their characters.

Savonarola was dark in complexion, with thick lips and an aquiline
nose--only the flashing grey eyes set under overhanging brows redeemed
his face from harshness. Mirandola, on the other hand, was gifted with
remarkable personal beauty. Long fair curls hung to his shoulders and
surrounded a face that was both gentle and gracious. He had an
extraordinary knowledge of languages and a wonderful memory.

{43}

Fastidious Florentines were converted to Mirandola's strange taste in
sermons, so that the convent garden with its rose-trees became the
haunt of an ever-increasing crowd, eager to hear doctrines which were
new enough to tickle their palates pleasantly. On the 1st of August
1489, the friar consented to preach in the Convent Church to the
Dominican brothers and the laymen who continued to assemble in the
cloisters. He took a passage of Revelations for his text. "Three
things he suggested to the people. That the Church of God required
renewal, and that immediately; second, that all Italy should be
chastised; third, that this should come to pass soon." This was the
first of Savonarola's prophecies, and caused great excitement among the
Florentines who heard it.

At Siena, the preacher pronounced sentence on the Church, which was now
under the rule of Innocent IV, a pope more openly depraved than any of
his predecessors. Through Lombardy the echo of that sermon sounded and
the name of Girolamo Savonarola. The monk was banished, and only
recalled to Florence by the favour of Lorenzo dei Medici, who was
undisturbed by a series of sermons against tyranny.

Savonarola was elected Prior of San Marco in July 1491, but he refused
to pay his respects to Lorenzo as the patron of the convent. "Who
elected me to be Prior--God or Lorenzo?" he asked sternly when the
elder Dominicans entreated him to perform this duty. "God," was the
answer they were compelled to make. They were sadly disappointed when
the new Prior decided, "Then I will thank my Lord God, not mortal man."

In the Lent season of this same year Savonarola preached for the first
time in the cathedral or Duomo {44} of Florence. "The people got up in
the middl