The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT. 6l
own hands. ^ No Pope had ever been known to make so
wearisome a pilgrimage during the whole period of the Renais-
sance, and it was therefore looked upon as something quite
new. 2 But, as was the case with other things, Pius V. soon
found imitators in this, and at Easter, 1571, it is reported
that the Cardinals and almost all the prelates of the court
made the visit of the seven basihcas.^
Pius V. always showed a great devotion to the Blessed
Sacrament ;
this was especially evident at the feast of Corpus
Domini. In the first year of his reign he was one of the first
to arrive for the function, and so early that they had to light
lamps in order to see. First of all the Pope said a low mass,
preceded and followed by long prayers and meditation. At
the procession previous Popes had made use of a litter, and
had worn a precious tiara, but he went on foot, carrying the
eucharistic Saviour with bare head and the greatest devotion.
With eyes fixed on the Blessed Sacrament, and with unceasing
prayer, Pius V., in spite of the great heat, made the whole
procession, which passed through the Borgo, which was all
decorated for the feast ; men noticed his compunction, as
well as the fact that he frequently burst into tears.'* In the
years that followed the ambassadors could never say enough
of the Pope's deep recollection, especially at the feast of
Corpus Domini.^ It can clearly be .'^een from their letters
^ See the *Avviso di Roma of April 13, 1566, in App. n. g ;
Tiepolo in Mutinelli, I., 40 ; *report of Cusano of April 13,
1566, State Archives, Vienna ; *letter of C. Luzzara of
November 19, 1566, Gonzaga Archives, Mantua.
^ See the *report of Arco of April 13, 1566, State Archives,
Vienna.
' See the *Avviso di Roma of April 14, 1571, Urb. 1042, p. 46,
Vatican Library.
* See the report of Tiepolo of June 15, 1566, in Mutinelli
I., 47 seq. and Polanci Epist. in Anal. Bolland, VII., 63.
^ Cj. the *report of B. Pia of May 31, 1567, Gonzaga Archives,
Mantua ; *Avviso di Roma of June 19, 1568 : *" And6 in
processione con il Corpus Domini in mano et testa tutta scoperta
con gl'occhi sempre affissi nel santissimo sacramento con molta