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

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420<br />

HISTORY OF THE POPES.<br />

cuperent, talem fidei confessionem exegit, quam si vere et<br />

ex animo facturi essent, fortasse ne nos quidem tantopere<br />

earn concessionem improbaremum. Quamobrem, etc."<br />

69. <strong>The</strong> Biographers <strong>of</strong> Pius V.<br />

<strong>The</strong> earliest " Vita di Pio V.," preserved in Varia polit. XVII.<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Papal Secret Archives, and composed immediately<br />

after <strong>the</strong> death <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Pope by Tommaso Porcacchi, remained<br />

for a very long time unpublished, and it was only in 1914<br />

that Van Ortroy published it in Anal. Bolland. XXXIII.,<br />

207-217. This life is a very reliable work ; it also provides<br />

fresh particulars, and has only <strong>the</strong> one defect <strong>of</strong> being too<br />

short.<br />

<strong>The</strong> first fuU biography <strong>of</strong> Pius V. which was printed was<br />

that published in Rome in <strong>the</strong> summer <strong>of</strong> 1586 ^ by Girolamo<br />

Catena.^ Catena, who came <strong>from</strong> Norcia, had known Pius<br />

V. personally. He had been in <strong>the</strong> first place in <strong>the</strong> household<br />

<strong>of</strong> Cardinal Dolera who died at <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> 1568, <strong>the</strong>n<br />

<strong>from</strong> 1568 to 1571 he was secretary to Cardinal Girolamo<br />

da Correggio,* and later on held <strong>the</strong> same post with Cardinal<br />

Bonelli.* Catena enjoyed a great reputation in <strong>the</strong> Curia;<br />

Sixtus V. was especially well disposed towards him, and called<br />

him his " Consuita." It was to this Pope who had a great<br />

admiration for Pius V., that Catena dedicated his work.'<br />

Sixtus V. acknowledged <strong>the</strong> tribute, ordered that it should be<br />

* See <strong>the</strong> *report <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Venetian ambassador <strong>of</strong> June 7, 1586 State Archives,<br />

VciiicG<br />

• Reprinted in Rome, 1587, 1647, and 1712 (c/. Arch. d. Soc. Rom., XXXIII.,<br />

291). According to an *Avviso di Roma, <strong>of</strong> Augi:st 5, 1584, <strong>the</strong> life by Catena<br />

was ah-eady prepared at tliat time, and was to be printed in a Spanish transla<br />

tion. Urb. 1052, p. 339b, Vatican Library.<br />

» Cf. Bioi, Vita del card. G. da Corregg-io, Milan, 1864.<br />

•<strong>The</strong> *Lettere di G. Catena, ecritte in nome del card, di Correggio 1568-<br />

1569 in <strong>the</strong> Cod. Barb., LXII., 57 ; Item 1569-1571, ibid., LXII., 25 ; Item<br />

scritte in nome del card. Alessandrino 1571-1572, ibid. LXII., 26, e scritte ia<br />

nome del card. Alessandrino 1575-1577, ibid., LXII., 56. From his printed<br />

correspondence it appears that at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> 1572 Catena became secretory<br />

to Bonelli : Delle lettere di G. Catena, Prin\o volume, Roma, 1589, 312. <strong>The</strong><br />

second volume <strong>of</strong> this collection does not follow. In 1577 <strong>the</strong>re appealed at<br />

Pavia n. Catenae Academici Affldati Latina Monumenta, containing letters<br />

and minor writings. <strong>The</strong> *Genealogia, della famiglia Bonelli Ghisliera by<br />

Catena is in Cod. Barber., LXII., 27, Vatican Lbrary. Catena also wrote :<br />

Delia beretta rossa da darsi a caidinali, Discorso, Roma, 1592, and De magno<br />

obelisco Circensi circoque maximo. Epist. et Carmen, Romae, 1587. Still<br />

unpublished is <strong>the</strong> *R,isposta alle ragioni allegate da gli aversarii contra la<br />

potestA et diretto dom.inio temporale universale del Papa a favore dell'lmperatore<br />

ct altri principi temporali, fa.tta dal Signor G. Catena, in Cod. D. 29,<br />

p. 287-369, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Librarv at Carlsruhe. Catena also tried his hand at poetry,<br />

though not verv successhilly ; see Ciaconius, III., 1000, 1002 : cf. Carmina<br />

iUustr. poet.. III., 316 seg.<br />

' See <strong>the</strong> dedication by Catena prefixed to <strong>the</strong> life. For <strong>the</strong> decision <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

municipal authorities in Rome concerning <strong>the</strong> printing <strong>of</strong> Catena's life <strong>of</strong> Pius V.<br />

see RoDOCANACHi, Capitole, 122,

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