e coming on the Church; on another, he saw, in the middle of the
sky, a hand bearing a sword, on which words of doom were written. He
described himself as one who looked into the invisible world.

The herald of Jesus possessed a marvellous eloquence, beneath which the
whole land was moved; and so it was with Savonarola. During the eight
years that he preached in the cathedral, it was thronged with vast
crowds; and as he pleaded for purity of life and simplicity of manners,
"women threw aside jewels and finery, libertines were transformed into
sober citizens, bankers and tradesmen restored their ill-gotten gains."
In Lent, 1497, took place what is known as the Burning of the Vanities.
Bands of children were sent forth to collect from all parts of the
city, indecent books and pictures, carnival masks and costumes, cards,
dice, and all such things. A pile was erected, sixty feet in height,
and fired amid the sound of trumpets and pealing bells.

What Herod was to John the Baptist, the Pope and the magnificent
Lorenzo di Medici were to Savonarola. The latter seems to have felt a
strange fascination towards the eloquent preacher, tried to attach him
to his court, was frequent in his attendance at San Marco, and gave
largely to his offertories. To use the words of the New Testament, he
feared him, "knowing that he was a righteous man, and a holy" (Mark vi.
20). But Savonarola took care to avoid any sign of compliance or
compromise; declined to pay homage to Lorenzo for promotion to high
ecclesiastical functions; returned his gold from the offertories; and
when they ran to tell him that Lorenzo was walking in the convent
garden, answered, "If he has not asked for me, do not disturb his
meditations or mine."

Like John, Savonarola was unceasing in his denunciation of the
hypocritical religion which satisfied itself with outward observances.
"I tell you," he said, "that the Lord willeth not that ye fast on such
a day or at such an hour; but willeth that ye avoid sin all the days of
your life. Observe how they go about--seeking indulgences and pardons,
ringing bells, decking altars, dressing churches. God heedeth not your
ceremonies."

John's exhortation to "Behold the Lamb of God" finds an echo in the
noble utterance of this illumined soul, who, be it remembered,
anticipated Luther's Reformation by a hundred years. "If all the
ecclesiastical hierarchy be corrupt, the believer must turn to Christ,
who is the primary