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

96
HISTORY OF THE POPES.
other things, to the peculiar character of Rome itself, as an
international city, and one filled with foreigners.^
Knowing well that if any definite success was to be obtained
the rising generation would have to be trained on better
lines, Pius V. above all devoted himself to seeing that the
young received systematic and easily mastered instruction
in the truths of the Christian religion. In 1568 the parish
priests of Rome were instructed to make it known to the
faithful that they were bound, under grave penalties, to
send their children on Sunday afternoons to the church for
instruction in Christian doctrine, as had been laid down by
the Council of Trent. ^ Wlien, later on, special associations
were formed to assist the priests in this work, the Pope in
1571 formed them into a regular confraternity called " della
dottrina cristiana " enriched it with indulgences, and asked
the bishops to set up similar confraternities everywhere.^
In this way a real improvement in moral conditions was
bound gradually to be effected, and there is good evidence
to show that this took place even during the life of Pius V.^
^ P. Tiepolo brings out this aspect of Rome in the introduction
to his *report of 1569 ; see Cod. 6624, p. 317, Court Library,
Vienna.
^ See the *report of Arco of July 17, 1568, State Archives,
Vienna.
^ See Bull. Rom., VII., 945 seq.
* P. Tiepolo, who says : " gli uomini, se non sono, almeon
paiono migliori " (p. 172), also recognizes the change in Rome.
This was already clearly to be seen in 1566 (see Pfleger, Eisengrein,
50 seq. ; Braunsberger, Pius V., 108 seq.) *" Le teste "
reports an *Avviso di Roma of January 3, 1568, " si non passate
con prediche et altre divotioni, non s'e giocato in loco alcuno,
prohibite le mancie, Hvree et ogni altra vanita." Urb. 1040,
p. 446b. Ihid. December 4
: the greater part of the people
gained the Jubilee. Urb. 1041, p. i, January i, 1569 :
*" Bandi
sopra il gioco in queste feste assai ben osservati." In Urb. 1042,
p. 48 (April 14, 1 571) there is mention of the extraordinary zeal
with which the people frequented the churches in Holy Week
(Vatican Library). Giulio Gabrielli of Guboio (died March iz,