Before him, St. Antonine, archbishop of Florence, had observed that in the time of Boniface IX., who died in 1404, the Roman court was so infamously2 stained with simony, that benefices were conferred, not so much on merit, as on those who brought a deal of money. He adds, that this pope filled the world with plenary indulgences; so that the small churches, on their festival days, obtained them at a low price.
That pontiff’s secretary, Theodoric de Nieur, does indeed inform us, that Boniface sent questors into different kingdoms, to sell indulgences to such as should offer them as much money as it would have cost them to make a journey to Rome to fetch them; so that they remitted4 all sins, even without penance5, to such as confessed, and granted them, for money, dispensations for irregularities of every sort; saying, that they had in that respect all the power which Christ had granted to Peter, of binding6 and unbinding on earth.
And, what is still more singular, the price of every crime is fixed7 in a Latin work, printed at Rome by order of Leo X., and published on November 18, 1514, under the title of “Taxes of the Holy and Apostolic Chancery and Penitentiary9.”
Among many other editions of this book, published in different countries, the Paris edition — quarto 1520, Toussaint Denis, Rue10 St. Jacques, at the wooden cross, near St. Yves, with the king’s privilege, for three years — bears in the frontispiece the arms of France, and those of the house of Medici, to which Leo X. belonged. This must have deceived the author of the “Picture of the Popes” (Tableau de Papes), who attributes the establishment of these taxes to Leo X., although Polydore Virgil, and Cardinal11 d’Ossat agree in fixing the period of the invention of the chancery tax about the year 1320, and the commencement of the penitentiary tax about sixteen years later, in the time of Benedict XII.
To give some idea of these taxes, we will here copy a few articles from the chapter of absolutions: Absolution for one who has carnally known his mother, his sister, etc., costs five drachmas. Absolution for one who has deflowered a virgin12, six drachmas. Absolution for one who has revealed another’s confession13, seven drachmas. Absolution for one who has killed his father, his mother, etc., five drachmas. And so of other sins, as we shall shortly see; but, at the end of the book, the prices are estimated in ducats.
A sort of letters too are here spoken of, called confessional, by which, at the approach of death, the pope permits a confessor to be chosen, who gives full pardon for every sin; these letters are granted only to princes, and not to them without great difficulty. These particulars will be found in page 32 of the Paris edition.
The court of Rome was at length ashamed of this book, and suppressed it as far as it was able. It was even inserted in the expurgatory index of the Council of Trent, on the false supposition that heretics had corrupted14 it.
It is true that Antoine Du Pinet, a French gentleman of Franche-Comté, had an abstract of it printed at Lyons in 1564, under this title: “Casual Perquisites15 of the Pope’s Shop” (Taxes des Parties Casuelles de la Boutique du Pape), “taken from the Decrees, Councils, and Canons, ancient and modern, in order to verify the discipline formerly16 observed in the Church; by A. D. P.” But, although he does not inform us that his work is but an abridgment17 of the other, yet, far from corrupting18 his original, he on the contrary strikes out of it some odious19 passages, such as the following, beginning page 23, line 9 from the bottom, in the Paris edition: “And carefully observe, that these kinds of graces and dispensations are not granted to the poor, because, not having wherewith, they cannot be consoled.”
It is also true, that Du Pinet estimates these taxes in tournois, ducats, and carlins; but, as he observes (page 42) that the carlins and the drachmas are of the same value, the substituting for the tax of five, six, or seven drachmas in the original, the like number of carlins, is not falsifying it. We have a proof of this in the four articles already quoted from the original.
Absolution — says Du Pinet — for one who has a carnal knowledge of his mother, his sister, or any of his kindred by birth or affinity20, or his godmother, is taxed at five carlins. Absolution for one who deflowers a young woman, is taxed at six carlins. Absolution for one who reveals the confession of a penitent8, is taxed at seven carlins. Absolution for one who has killed his father, his mother, his brother, his sister, his wife, or any of his kindred — they being of the laity21 — is taxed at five carlins; for if the deceased was an ecclesiastic22, the homicide would be obliged to visit the sanctuary23. We will here repeat a few others.
Absolution — continues Du Pinet — for any act of fornication whatsoever24, committed by a clerk, whether with a nun25 in the cloister26 or out of the cloister, or with any of his kinswomen, or with his spiritual daughter, or with any other woman whatsoever, costs thirty-six tournois, three ducats. Absolution for a priest who keeps a concubine, twenty-one tournois, five ducats, six carlins. The absolution of a layman27 for all sorts of sins of the flesh, is given at the tribunal of conscience for six tournois, two ducats.
The absolution of a layman for the crime of adultery, given at the tribunal of conscience, costs four tournois; and if the adultery is accompanied by incest, six tournois must be paid per head. If, besides these crimes, is required the absolution of the sin against nature, or of bestiality, there must be paid ninety tournois, twelve ducats, six carlins; but if only the absolution of the crime against nature, or of bestiality, is required, it will cost only thirty-six tournois, nine ducats.
A woman who has taken a beverage28 to procure29 an abortion30, or the father who has caused her to take it, shall pay four tournois, one ducat, eight carlins; and if a stranger has given her the said beverage, he shall pay four tournois, one ducat, five carlins.
A father, a mother, or any other relative, who has smothered31 a child, shall pay four tournois, one ducat, eight carlins; and if it has been killed by the husband and wife together, they shall pay six tournois, two ducats.
The tax granted by the datary for the contracting of marriage out of the permitted seasons, is twenty carlins; and in the permitted periods, if the contracting parties are the second or third degree of kindred, it is commonly twenty-five ducats, and four for expediting the bulls; and in the fourth degree, seven tournois, one ducat, six carlins.
The dispensation of a layman from fasting on the days appointed by the Church, and the permission to eat cheese, are taxed at twenty carlins. The permission to eat meat and eggs on forbidden days is taxed at twelve carlins; and that to eat butter, cheese, etc., at six tournois for one person only; and at twelve tournois, three ducats, six carlins for a whole family, or for several relatives.
The absolution of an apostate32 and a vagabond, who wishes to return into the pale of the Church, costs twelve tournois, three ducats, six carlins. The absolution and reinstatement of one who is guilty of sacrilege, robbery, burning, rapine, perjury33, and the like, is taxed at thirty-six tournois, nine ducats.
Absolution for a servant who detains his deceased master’s property, for the payment of his wages, and after receiving notice does not restore it, provided the property so detained does not exceed the amount of his wages, is taxed in the tribunal of conscience at only six tournois, two ducats. For changing the clauses of a will, the ordinary tax is twelve tournois, three ducats, six carlins. The permission to change one’s proper name costs nine tournois, two ducats, nine carlins; and to change the surname and mode of signing, six tournois, two ducats. The permission to have a portable altar for one person only, is taxed at ten carlins: and to have a domestic chapel34 on account of the distance of the parish church, and furnish it with baptismal fonts and chaplains, thirty carlins.
Lastly, the permission to convey merchandise, one or more times, to the countries of the infidels, and in general to traffic and sell merchandise without being obliged to obtain permission from the temporal lords of the respected places, even though they be kings or emperors, with all the very ample derogatory clauses, is taxed at only twenty-four tournois, six ducats.
This permission, which supersedes35 that of the temporal lords, is a fresh evidence of the papal pretensions36, which we have already spoken of in the article on “Bull.” Besides, it is known that all rescripts, or expeditions for benefices, are still paid for at Rome according to the tax; and this charge always falls at last on the laity, by the impositions which the subordinate clergy37 exact from them. We shall here notice only the fees for marriages and burials.
A decree of the Parliament of Paris, of May 19, 1409, provides that every one shall be at liberty to sleep with his wife as soon as he pleases after the celebration of the marriage, without waiting for leave from the bishop1 of Amiens, and without paying the fee required by that prelate for taking off his prohibitions38 to consummate40 the marriage during the first three nights of the nuptials41. The monks43 of St. Stephen of Nevers were deprived of the same fee by another decree of September 27, 1591. Some theologians have asserted, that it took its origin from the fourth Council of Carthage, which had ordained44 it for the reverence45 of the matrimonial benediction46. But as that council did not order its prohibition39 to be evaded47 by paying, it is more likely that this tax was a consequence of the infamous3 custom which gave to certain lords the first nuptial42 night of the brides of their vassals48. Buchanan thinks that this usage began in Scotland under King Evan.
Be this as it may, the lords of Prellay and Persanny, in Piedmont, called this privilege “carrajio”; but having refused to commute49 it for a reasonable payment, the vassals revolted, and put themselves under Amadeus VI., fourteenth count of Savoy.
There is still preserved a procès-verbal, drawn50 up by M. Jean Fraguier, auditor51 in the Chambre des Comptes, at Paris, by virtue52 of a decree of the said chamber53 of April 7, 1507, for valuing the county of Eu, fallen into the king’s keeping by the minority of the children of the count of Nevers, and his wife Charlotte de Bourbon. In the chapter of the revenue of the barony of St. Martin-le-Gaillard, dependent on the county of Eu, it is said: “Item, the said lord, at the said place of St. Martin, has the right of ‘cuissage’ in case of marriage.”
The lords of Souloire had the like privilege, and having omitted it in the acknowledgment made by them to their sovereign, the lord of Montlevrier, the acknowledgement was disapproved54; but by deed of Dec. 15, 1607, the sieur de Montlevrier formally renounced55 it; and these shameful56 privileges have everywhere been converted into small payments, called “marchetta.”
Now, when our prelates had fiefs, they thought — as the judicious57 Fleury remarks — that they had as bishops58 what they possessed59 only as lords; and the curates, as their under-vassals, bethought themselves of blessing60 their nuptial bed, which brought them a small fee under the name of wedding-dishes — i. e., their dinner, in money or in kind. On one of these occasions the following quatrain was put by a country curate under the pillow of a very aged61 president, who married a young woman named La Montagne. He alludes62 to Moses’ horns, which are spoken o in Exodus63.
Le Président à barbe grise
Sur La Montagne va monter;
Mais certes il peut bien compter
D’en descendre comme Mo?se.
A word or two on the fees exacted by the clergy for the burial of the laity. Formerly, at the decease of each individual, the bishops had the contents of his will made known to them; and forbade those to receive the rights of sepulchre who had died “unconfessed,” i. e., left no legacy64 to the Church, unless the relatives went to the official, who commissioned a priest, or some other ecclesiastic, to repair the fault of the deceased, and make a legacy in his name. The curates also opposed the profession of such as wished to turn monks, until they had paid their burial-fees; saying that since they died to the world, it was but right that they should discharge what would have been due from them had they been interred65.
But the frequent disputes occasioned by these vexations obliged the magistrates66 to fix the rate of these singular fees. The following is extracted from a regulation on this subject, brought in by Francis de Harlai de Chamvallon, archbishop of Paris, on May 30, 1693, and passed in the court of parliament on the tenth of June following:
Liv. Sous.
Marriages.
For the publication of the bans 1 10
For the betrothing67 2 0
For celebrating the marriage 6 0
For the certificate of the publication of the bans, and the permission given to the future husband to go and be married in the parish of his future wife 5 0
For the wedding mass 1 10
For the vicar 1 10
For the clerk of the sacraments 1 0
For blessing the bed 1 10
Funeral Processions.
Of children under seven years old, when the clergy do not go in a body:
For the curate 1 10
For each priest 1 10
When the clergy go in a body:
For the curial fee 4 0
For the presence of the curate 2 0
For each priest 0 10
For the vicar 1 0
For each singing-boy, when they carry the body 8 0
And when they do not carry it 5 0
And so of young persons from seven to twelve years old.
Of persons above twelve years old:
For the curial fee 6 0
For the curate’s attendance 4 0
For the vicar 2 0
For each priest 1 0
For each singing-boy 0 10
Each of the priests that watch the body in the night, for drink, etc 3 0
And in the day, each 2 0
For the celebration of the mass 1 0
For the service extraordinary called the complete service; viz., the vigils and the two masses of the Holy Ghost and the Holy Virgin 4 10
For each of the priests that carry the body 1 0
For carrying the great cross 0 10
For the holy water-pot carrier 0 5
For carrying the little cross 0 5
For the clerk of the processions 0 1
For conveying bodies from one church to another there shall be paid, for each of the above fees, one-half more.
For the reception of bodies thus conveyed:
To the curate 6 10
To the vicar 1 10
To each priest 0 15
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1
bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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infamously
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| 不名誉地 | |
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infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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4
remitted
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| v.免除（债务），宽恕( remit的过去式和过去分词 )；使某事缓和；寄回，传送 | |
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5
penance
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| n.（赎罪的）惩罪 | |
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binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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8
penitent
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| adj.后悔的；n.后悔者；忏悔者 | |
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penitentiary
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| n.感化院；监狱 | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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13
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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14
corrupted
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| （使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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15
perquisites
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| n.（工资以外的）财务补贴( perquisite的名词复数 )；额外收入；（随职位而得到的）好处；利益 | |
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16
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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abridgment
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| n.删节，节本 | |
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corrupting
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| （使）败坏( corrupt的现在分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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19
odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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affinity
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| n.亲和力，密切关系 | |
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21
laity
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| n.俗人；门外汉 | |
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22
ecclesiastic
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| n.教士，基督教会；adj.神职者的，牧师的，教会的 | |
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sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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24
whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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25
nun
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| n.修女，尼姑 | |
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cloister
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| n.修道院；v.隐退，使与世隔绝 | |
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27
layman
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| n.俗人，门外汉，凡人 | |
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28
beverage
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| n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料 | |
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29
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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30
abortion
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| n.流产，堕胎 | |
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31
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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32
apostate
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| n.背叛者，变节者 | |
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33
perjury
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| n.伪证；伪证罪 | |
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34
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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35
supersedes
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| 取代，接替( supersede的第三人称单数 ) | |
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36
pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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37
clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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38
prohibitions
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| 禁令，禁律( prohibition的名词复数 )； 禁酒； 禁例 | |
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39
prohibition
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| n.禁止；禁令，禁律 | |
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40
consummate
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| adj.完美的；v.成婚；使完美 [反]baffle | |
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41
nuptials
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| n.婚礼；婚礼( nuptial的名词复数 ) | |
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42
nuptial
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| adj.婚姻的，婚礼的 | |
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43
monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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44
ordained
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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45
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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46
benediction
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| n.祝福；恩赐 | |
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47
evaded
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| 逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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48
vassals
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| n.奴仆( vassal的名词复数 )；（封建时代）诸侯；从属者；下属 | |
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49
commute
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| vi.乘车上下班；vt.减(刑)；折合；n.上下班交通 | |
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50
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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51
auditor
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| n.审计员，旁听着 | |
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52
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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53
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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54
disapproved
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| v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55
renounced
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| v.声明放弃( renounce的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃 | |
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56
shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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57
judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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58
bishops
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| （基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象 | |
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59
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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60
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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61
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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62
alludes
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| 提及，暗指( allude的第三人称单数 ) | |
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63
exodus
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| v.大批离去，成群外出 | |
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64
legacy
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| n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西 | |
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65
interred
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| v.埋，葬( inter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66
magistrates
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| 地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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67
betrothing
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| v.将某人许配给，订婚( betroth的现在分词 ) | |
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