leads the highest
men astray, and men, admirable in all other respects: these find a
salvo for simony; and, striking against this rock of corruption, they
do not shear but flay the flock; and, wherever they teem, plunder,
exhaust, raze, making shipwreck of their reputation, if not of their
souls also. Hence it appears that this malady did not flow from the
humblest to the highest classes, but _vice versa_, so that the maxim
is true although spoken in jest--"he bought first, therefore has the
best right to sell." For a Simoniac (that I may use the phraseology
of Leo) has not received a favour; since he has not received one he
does not possess one; and since he does not possess one he cannot
confer one. So far indeed are some of those who are placed at the
helm from promoting others, that they completely obstruct them, from
a consciousness of the means by which themselves obtained the honour.
For he who imagines that they emerged from their obscurity through
their learning, is deceived; indeed, whoever supposes promotion to be
the reward of genius, erudition, experience, probity, piety, and
poetry (which formerly was the case, but nowadays is only promised)
is evidently deranged. How or when this malady commenced, I shall not
further inquire; but from these beginnings, this accumulation of
vices, all her calamities and miseries have been brought upon the
Church; hence such frequent acts of simony, complaints, fraud,
impostures-- from this one fountain spring all its conspicuous
iniquities. I shall not press the question of ambition and courtly
flattery, lest they may be chagrined about luxury, base examples of
life, which offend the honest, wanton drinking parties, &c. Yet;
hence is that academic squalor, the muses now look sad, since every
low fellow ignorant of the arts, by those very arts rises, is
promoted, and grows rich, distinguished by ambitious titles, and
puffed up by his numerous honours; he just shows himself to the
vulgar, and by his stately carriage displays a species of majesty, a
remarkable solicitude, letting down a flowing beard, decked in a
brilliant toga resplendent with purple, and respected also on account
of the splendour of his household and number of his servants. There
are certain statues placed in