Some romance could but attach to the unswerving judicial attitude of a friar who had friends in high favor at the Court of Rome—­who had known a Bellarmino and a Navarro, and yet pursued, unchanging, the calm tenor of his critical way.  It was rumored that Sixtus V had been known to leave his coach to converse with him, and would have given him, at his mere request, a cardinal’s hat; that Urban VII, as cardinal and pope, had been his devoted friend; that Cardinal Borromeo—­the saintly San Carlo—­had wished to attach him to his cathedral; and many were the instances reported when marks of special appreciation had been granted him from Rome, in lieu of denunciations which those jealous of his rapid advance had sought to bring upon him.  Even the late Pope Clement had expressed admiration for his learning, while it was, nevertheless, well known that Fra Paolo’s counsels to the Senate, in certain troubles arising out of Clement’s attitude at Ferrara, had brought him the refusal of the bishoprics of Candia and Caorle; but, whatever the occasion, he was invariably discreet and fearless.

However pungent the tone, the words of this man could no more be attributed to personal bitterness than they might be influenced by personal interest; and although the opinion which they indicated was a surprise to some of the company, instinctively they felt the situation to be graver than they had feared, and the evening’s talk drifted as wholly into the current of Church and State as if this ridotto were a commission appointed by the Ten to prepare resolutions upon the situation.  And the list of grievances now reviewed, which had occupied the Senate during the closing years of Clement’s reign, was, in truth, long.  Vast differences of opinion concerning the Turks and the piratical tribes who infested the shores of Italy and the uses their villainy might be made to serve; troubles at Ferrara, teasing and undignified, temporarily brought to a close by the sending of the galleys of the Republic to prevent the seizure of their fishing-boats by agents of his Holiness; questions of boundaries and taxes; attempts to divert the trade of Venice, to arrest improvements redounding not only to the advantage of the Republic but to that of the neighboring country; to forbid, under pain of excommunication, all commerce with countries tainted with heresy.  These were matters meet for discussion by temporal sovereigns touching the balance of power—­so viewed and strenuously resisted by the clear-headed Venetians, with much deference of form, whenever practicable—­as became loyal sons of the Church; but occasionally, when nothing might be expected from temporizing, with a quiet disregard which proved their consciousness of strength.

From time to time, as the informal summary progressed, there was an outburst of indignation.

“Could an aggression be more palpable than that Index Expurgatorius demanded by Rome in 1596, when the ruling doctrine of exclusion involved no question of morality or irreligion, but solely concerned books upholding rights of consciences and rulers!”