XIM^NEZ
730
XIMJ^NEZ
Cardinal Ximenez de Cisneros
From a baarelief
and follow the religious life, only appearing at Court
when sent for. About the same time he was elected
provincial of his order in Castile, which office he
held for three years. In 1495 he was chosen to
succeed Mendoza as Arelibishop of Toledo, to which
post the chancellorship of Castile had been joined by
Ferdinand and Isabella. Ximenez refused the dignity
out of humility, and persisted in his refusal for six
months, only con-
senting at length
to accept the posi-
tion in obedience
to the express
command of the
j)Oi")e. As arch-
bishop he con-
tinued to hve as a
simple Francis-
can, devoting a
large portion of
his vast revenues
to the relief of the
poor and the ran-
sr)ni of captives.
This mode of life
was misunder-
stood by many,
and, in conse-
quence of reports
that reached Alex-
ander VI, that
pontiff r e p r i -
manded him for neglecting the external splendour
that belonged to his rank; but Ximdnez would
only consent to wear the episcopal dress in
such a way that his friar's habit underneath
might remain visible. His zeal found scope in
an endeavour to reform the Franciscans and canons
of Toledo. He obliged his own religious brethren
to observe the rule against the holding of property,
and many friars left Spain in consequence. As
chancellor he was obliged to take a prominent part
in the affairs of the State, where his prudence and
wisdom were of great value to his country.
He gained renowm also as a patron of learning, and about the year 1504 founded the University of Alcald, to fill the professorial chairs of which he procured some of the most distinguished scholars from Paris, Bologna, and Salamanca. Such was the esteem in which this new university was held that all the religious orders in Spain, except the Benedict- ines and HieronjTnites, established houses at Alcald in connexion with it. King Ferdinand visited the university in 1514 and highly approved of all that Ximenez had done. In l.'")02 the archbishop under- took the publication of the first Polyglot Bible, called the Complutensian, Complutum being the Latin name for Alcald. This Bible had a great influence on subsequent biblical study; it was dedicated to Leo X, and its compilation occupied Ximc^nez fifteen years, being completed in 1517, only four montlis before his death, and costing him about £25,000 ($125,000). The restoration of the ancient Mozara- bic Rite at Toledo was another of his projects. For its celebration he added, in 1500, a special chapel to his cathedral and established a college of priests to serve it. Later on similar institutions arose at Valladolid and Salamanca; at Toledo its use con- tinues to the present day.
In 1499 Ximenez accompanied Ferdinand and Isabella on their visit to the newly-conquered province of Granada, and his labours there for the conversion of the Moors met with considerable success. On the death of Isabella (1.504) lie was again drawn into I)()litics in connexion with the disputed succession to the throne of Castile. Phihp of Burgundy died in 1506, and, Ferdinand being absent in Italy, Xim6nez
was appointed viceroy of the kingdom and guardian
of Juana, Philip's widow, who had lost her reason.
In the following year Ferdinand became regent of
Castile, and one of his first acts was to procure
from Juhus II the cardinal's hat for Ximenez, who
was at the same time named Grand Inquisitor of
Castile and Leon. The estabUshment of the In-
quisition in Spain has been WTongly attributed to
him; it had been in existence fuUy ten years before
his first appearance at Court. As grand inquisitor he
initiated several reforms in its working and used
every endeavour to reduce the number of eases re-
served for its tribunal. He carefully watched the
various officers of the Inquisition, lest they should
abuse their power by undue violence or oppression,
and he rearranged and circumscribed the limits of
their jurisdiction. He protected scholars and pro-
fessors from the examination and supervision of the
Inquisitors, and issued beneficent regulations regard-
ing the instruction and conduct of new converts, so
as to guard them against superstition and blasphemy.
An examination of some of the various cases investi-
gated and adjudged by Ximenez shows the care and
diligence he exercised in discharging the duties of an
office which has been much calumniated and mis-
understood. Severe he certainly was, but always
straightforward and just in the wielding of his
authority as giand inquisitor.
In 1509, at his repeated request, Ferdinand fitted out an expedition against the Moors, and, accom- panied by two canons of his cathedral, Ximenez himself led the army. Inspired by his example and exhortations, the Spanish forces took the city of Oran by assault. In his untiring zeal for the propaga- tion of the Faith, Ximenez endeavoured to make the victory a religious one; numbers of Christian captives were liberated, and several mosques turned into Christian churches. On his return to Spain the cardinal was received as a conquering hero both at Alcald and Toledo. About this time a serious rupture occurred in the relations between France and the Holy See, owing to the growing power of Louis XII, which Julius II feared might endanger the authority of the Church. To counteract it, the pope took sides with the Venetian Republic against France, not- withstanding the fact that only a short time previ- ou.sly, when the Venetians had taken possession of part of the Papal States, it was by the help of Louis that they had been restored to the Church. For this ingratitude on the part of Juhus, Louis vowed vengeance and, if possible, the overthrow of the pope. He attacked the spiritualities of the Church with regard to benefices, and the French army took possession of Bologna, which belonged to the pope. At the same time Louis and the Emperor Maximilian, supported by seven cardinals, chiefly French, took upon themselves to convene a council at Pisa, sum- moning Julius to attend. They accused him of having disturbed the peace of Europe, of having ob- tained the papacy by means of simony, and of having failed to keep liis promise to convoke a general council of the Church. Julius determined to free Italv of the French and appealed to Ferdinand for help against Louis. By tlie aflvice of Ximenez Ferdinand agreed to susp(>nd operations in Africa and to send his forces to assist the pope, and by the end of 1512 the French had been driven out of Italy. The schismatical Synod of Pisa was opened on 1 Nov., 1511, seven cardinals and about twenty bishops being present. The clergy of Pisa refused to have anything to do with it, as Jidius had threatened them with ex- communication if they did. The a.ssembled prelates thereupon took fright and moved to Milan, so as to be under the protection of France. There (hey de- clared the pope deposed. Meanwhile, Julius, whose ill health had caused delay, smnnioned the Fifth General Council of the Lateran to meet at Easter,
