Standing by himself, and compared with the age in which he lived, Dante was a gigantic Reformer, of whom Rome was justly afraid. But Protestantism having since carried Reform to a far greater length, Rome has been glad to claim him as a supporter of those superstitions he was not prepared to cast off. And hence the anomalous claims of Catholic and Protestant. But the Reformer of the Middle Ages must not be contrasted with the Reformers of three centuries later.-Dante was not preceded by that daring spirit of enquiry and philosophical investigation, which distinguished after times; neither was he urged on by others, as Luther was, to a far more comprehensive assault upon Rome than he originally contemplated. We must therefore the more admire that genius which, alone and unassisted, struck light into the universal darkness by which he was surrounded. Morally impossible, it appears to have been, that Dante should at once have cast off the habits and prejudices of centuries, and set himself in battle against the whole superstructure which Rome had built upon the Catholic Church. And thus he denounced those abuses only which appeared to him the most flagrant.

At the time Dante wrote (near three hundred years before Luther), he indulged a hope of restoring the ancient discipline of the Church; and accordingly was satisfied to show how greatly it had degenerated, and to expose to the world the iniquity of several Pontiffs, whom he designates as Wolves,* Usurpers,+ Idolaters, Modern Pharisees, and followers of Simon Magus. For the spiritual office of the Pope, he shows the utmost respect;¶ but at the same time entirely denies his

*Far. ix, 132. xxvii. 55. Inf. xxvii. 85.

Inf. xix. 113. ¶ Inf. xix. 100. Purg. xix.

? Inf. xix. 1 to 6.

127. Ib. xx. 85, &c.

age in which

om Rome was rried Reform laim him as a red to cast off. nd Protestant. be contrasted ante was not philosophical either was he e comprehenmplated. We ch, alone and ess by which ears to have e habits and - against the the Catholic only which

years before nt discipline show how e world the as Wolves,* Followers of pe, he shows

denies his

Iuf. xix. 113.
. Purg. xix.

right to exercise any kind of temporal power, either at h abroad, or to abuse his ecclesiastical power by the rantable imposition of Interdicts+-the granting of gences and even of Absolution, unaccompanied pentance. Whether, if he had lived in the time of he would have proceeded to attack the Papacy itself, be determined; but he strongly indicates his sentiments he declares that, in the eyes of God, the Papal chair one time actually vacant, through the enormities of its sor, Pope Boniface.§

The nature of the Reforms he advocated having bee cisely stated, it is better to let Dante speak for himself.

He tells us plainly that at Rome Christ was daily boug sold. He avows his detestation of the Romish Canor contained in the Decretals, constituting the discipline Church, or the rules of its ecclesiastical and civil gover -declares that the Popes and Cardinals devote themse these, for covetous purposes, to the neglect of the Gosp the Fathers; and never bestow a thought upon Ch The people, he says, are like sheep gone astray fro right path, since the Pope, through love of money has b a very wolf.++ And, as for the Clergy generally, he tell they are lost in specious learning, or real ignora the Scriptures.-You are fond, he says, not only of in philosphy, and outward show; but such vanities, disgust they are to God, are exceeded by your neglect and perver

* Purg. vi. 91 ; xvi. 106–114; 127-132.
40 to 57.)
Purg. iii, 133, &c.
Par. xii. 91; xxix. 118, &c.

? Par. xxvii. 24.

(See Par. xxi. 127; xxvii. Par. xviii. 127, &c.; xxvii.

¶ Par. xvii. 51.
++Ib. ix. 132.

Inf. xxvii 100-123. ** Ib. ix. 133

the Bible. You consider not what your Redemption cost, and how pleasing to God are those who approach him with humility. The Preachers, he adds, are striving for fame and show, and have recourse to all kind of subtleties and inventions, while the Word of God is passed over in silence. Thus the flock is amused with the fables that are told them from the pulpits, and return home without deriving any benefit from their teachers. But very different was the injunction of Christ :Christ said not to his earliest congregation,

"Go, and with lies the people lead astray,"

But, "testify the truth to every nation.*"

With regard to the Church-he bitterly laments its first accession to temporal power, to which he attributes its degeneracy. By confounding civil and ecclesiastical government, Rome, he says, has fallen into the mire, and sullied herself, with all her charge;-a fact, he adds, which forcibly illustrates the exclusion of the tribe of Levi from the inheritance. The property of the Church, he says, all belongs to the poor, and ought to be given to indigent Christians, as was the case before they were deprived of it,—not through the fault of the Church, but of Him who presides over the Church, and has appropriated the money for the benefit of relations, or for worse purposes.+

"The Church," he makes St. Peter declare, "was not nourished on the blood of the Papal martyrs, in order to teach the practice of acquiring wealth. We intended not that Christians should be excommunicated, and placed, part on the right hand and part on the left, for political offences. We intended not that the keys entrusted to my care should be made a signal of war against Christians; nor that I should give a sanction by means * Par. xxix. + Inf. xix. 115. Purg. xvi. 97-132. Par. xii. 88-93; xxii. 83.

of my seal, to Bulls, Indulgences, and such like lying pri -Rapacious Wolves in sheep's clothing are rife thro the Sees. Oh! Judgment of God, why delay the ser Foreigners are now drinking our blood. But the Prov of God will soon, I imagine, devise a remedy."*

For audacities like these, and above all, for placing Popes in Hell, notwithstanding their supposed infall Dante was considered so far from being a Papist, t was not even deemed an orthodox Romanist. And proved by the fact that the Cardinal Bernardo di Poget sent by John XXII. to Ravenna, to endeavour to obt bones, that they might be scattered to the winds, and th ceive the indignities due to a Heretic. Yet so important authority of Dante, that the Romish Priesthood area very day striving to claim him as exclusively their own, as unwilling as ever to conform to the precepts he advoc

The ardour, however, with which Dante is now soug] consulted, is favourable to truth; and a general desire has up to comprehend that universal system which his cap mind conceived and shadowed out;-viz. of governi world on Christian principles, not by confounding the and the crozier,-not by rendering the Clergy independ the laity; but by restoring the Church to its original pur as to unite all Christians in one common brotherhoo give Religion an universal and paramount influence.

2ndly. As to the reasons why Dante is less known and ap ated in this country than on the continent, much might with regard to various prevailing errors and prejudices. sufficient, however, to observe that Dante has usually

* Par. xxvii. 40-63.

judged of by the Inferno only, and that the public are unacquainted with that exquisite melody which runs throughout the Purgatorio and Paradiso.

3dly. It has lately been attempted to prove, that several works, both prior and subsequent to the age of Dante, were entirely allegorical, and composed in a secret cipher, to avoid disclosures of the principles entertained in opposition to the Court of Rome. Such a view of the Divina Commedia is not only an unwarrantable degradation of the Poet, but is wholly irreconcilable with the openness and boldness with which he has expressed himself against the Popes, and the abuses they had introduced. Were it however possible that he could have written a poem, abounding in sublime descriptions, and in passages of exquisite pathos, under the weight of such oppressive trammels—still, posterity will worship only the exalted Muse, which made him the instrument for rousing the noblest and most amiable sympathies of the human heart. Speculation on the various allusions embraced in so comprehensive a work may furnish an interesting employment to the curiosity of learned men; but we should never forget those sublimer qualities, which render the poet a fit companion for his immortal guide, and place the name of Dante in harmonious fellowship with that of Homer, of Shakspeare, and of Milton.