(St Charles), cardinal, and archbishop of Milan; a personage of great note in the Roman calendar, and whose sincere piety, simplicity of manners, and zeal for reformation, render him indeed a character equally interesting and instructive to the members of any church. He was the son of Gilbert Borromeus Count of Arona and of Mary of Medicis, and was born at the castle of Arona upon Lake Maggiore in Milanese in October 1538. When he was about 12 years old, Julius Cæsar Borromeus resigned an abbacy to him of a considerable revenue, which was considered as an hereditary inheritance of the family; which Charles accepted, but applied the revenue wholly in charity to the poor. Having acquired a sufficient knowledge of the languages at Milan, he studied the civil and canon law at Pavia, where he lived like another Lot in Sodom, preserving his innocence among a thousand snares by which it was endangered. He received great advantage from the company and conversation of Francis Alciat, one of the most learned men of the age, for whom he afterwards procured the purple. He would accept no new benefice but upon condition that he should be at liberty to apply the revenue to public uses. In the year 1554, Charles being then 16 years old, his father died, an event which brought him back to the castle of Arona; where, though he had an elder brother, Connt Frederic, he was requested by the family to take upon him the management of the domestic affairs, to which at length he consented. After some time he returned again to his studies, which, in the year 1559, being then just 21, he finished by a solemn act, and took his doctor's degree. The promotion of his uncle to the pontificate, by the name of Pius IV., which happened the year following, seemed to have very little effect upon him; but he was very soon made protonotary, and intrusted both with the public and privy seal of the ecclesiastical state; he was also, at the same time, created cardinal deacon, and soon after archbishop of Milan. In obedience to the will of his uncle the pope, he lived in great splendor, having a brilliant retinue and a great number of domestics; yet his own temperance and humility were never brought into question. In order to render even his amusements useful, he established an academy of select and learned persons, as well ecclesiastics as laics, from among his household and dependants, who were employed in some exercise which tended to inspire a love of virtue, and to form a just taste. Each of them was to write upon some chosen subject, either in verse or in prose, and to communicate to each other in frequent conferences the fruits of their studies. The works produced by this society have been published in many volumes, under the title of Noctes Vaticanae, because these useful assemblies were held at the Vatican, and at night, after the business of the day was over. About this time Charles also formed a design of founding a college at Pavia, which should at the same time be a school of science and an asylum from the vices and vanities of the world. In prosecution of this design, he raised a large edifice upon the foundations of several houses which belonged to the family of Borromeus in that city; he obtained from the pope several benefices, which he attached to his building; he provided it with all things necessary for the young scholars out of his own revenue; and he dedicated his college to St. Justina virgin and martyr.

Upon the death of his only brother Frederick, his relations, his friends, and even the pope himself, advised him to change his state, to quit the church, and marry, that his family might not become extinct. Charles, however, contrary to this advice and the expectations of the world, received the priesthood, and addressed the pope in these terms: "Do not complain of me, Holy Father, for I have taken a spouse whom I love and on whom my wishes have been long fixed." From this time he became more fervent in exercises of piety and ecclesiastical knowledge: He perceived that some literati who had departed from the faith had also corrupted the writings of some holy doctors of the church, and he thought he should render religion good service if he could restore the genuine reading: He therefore employed Achilles Statius, a Portuguese of great learning, in this work, whom for that purpose he retained at Rome. To his zeal and attention also is owing the congregation of eight cardinals, still subsisting, to resolve doubts and obviate difficulties which should arise in explanations of the council of Trent.

There was a very intimate friendship between Borromeus and Don Bartholomew des Martyrs archbishop of Prague, and author of a work intitled Stimulus Pastorum. This work falling into Borromeus's hands gave him an earnest desire to become a preacher, as he was now convinced that preaching was one of the principal duties of a prelate. An almost inconceivable multiplicity of business, ill health, a feeble voice, and Borromeus's difficult pronunciation, were no inconsiderable obstacles to his design, yet he surmounted them all; and though his beginnings were weak, yet perseverance crowned them with success.

Having obtained permission to visit his church, which the pope had hitherto refused as he found his presence necessary at Rome, he prepared to set out for Milan. He had before sent thither his grand vicar Ormanetus, whose labours at first had not been unfruitful, but who soon found oppositions so pertinacious and obstinate as put an end to his hopes: Borromeus therefore saw the necessity of going in person, and he was received with the most distinguished honours. He was, however, soon recalled to Rome, where many things made his presence necessary: the pope was gradually dying; and Charles arrived just time enough to administer to him the last sacraments.

Pius IV. died on the 7th of January 1566, and 28 days afterwards Cardinal Alexandrine mounted the papal chair, and assumed the name of Pius V. the skill and diligence of Borromeus having contributed not a little to prevent the cabals of the conclave.

As soon as this event had taken place, and all was quiet at Rome, Borromeus gave himself wholly up to the reformation of his diocese, where the most flagitious irregularities were openly practised, having first made another reform in his own family. He began by making pastoral visits in his metropolis, where the canons were not distinguished for the purity of their manners. He soon restored proper decency and dignity to divine service, by a variety of wise and necessary regulations: In conformity to the decrees of the council of Trent, he cleared the cathedral of many pompous tombs, rich ornaments, banners, arms, and in general of all the trophies with which the vanity of man had disfigured the house of God; and in order to give a sanction to his zeal by his example, he spared not the monuments of his nearest relations. Nor did his zeal stop here: he divided the nave of the church through its whole length into two parts, by strong thick planks, that the two sexes, being separated, might perform their devotions without any attention to each other, and with a modesty and recollection more suitable to the place.

This pastoral care extended from the cathedral to the collegiate churches, and even to the fraternities or societies of penitents, particularly that of St John the Baptist. The duty of this society was to attend criminals to the place of punishment, to assist, comfort, and prepare them for death; but the spirit of the institution was now forgotten, and the wretches who were condemned to death were commonly dragged to execution like beasts, without any spiritual affluence or consolation. But the archbishop revived the original fervor of this order, in the exercise of their peculiar duty, and persuaded many of the nobility and principal persons of the city to become members of a society appropriated to so eminent a branch of Christian charity. The reformation of the monasteries followed that of the churches, and the vigilance of the pastor soon extended itself from the city to the country round it, which abounded with irregularities that required his correction. The great abuses and irregularities which had over-run the church at this time arose prin- Borromeus, especially from the gross ignorance of the clergy; in order therefore to attack these evils at their root, Charles established seminaries, colleges, and communities, for the education of young persons intended for holy orders. He met with many difficulties, and much opposition in his endeavours to bring about a reformation of manners; but he prevailed against every obstacle by an inflexible constancy, tempered with great sweetness of manners.

The governor of the province, and many of the senators, were apprehensive that the cardinal's ordinances and proceedings would encroach upon the civil jurisdiction, and become inconsistent with the rights of his catholic majesty, to whom the duchy of Milan was then in subjection. And this was a fruitful source of remonstrances, representations, and complaints, which long troubled the courts of Rome and Madrid, and which the king of Spain, Philip II., referred entirely to the decision of the pope. But Borromeus had a more formidable opposition to struggle with, that of several religious orders, particularly the Brothers of Humility. Three provolets of this society entered into a conspiracy to cut him off; and one of their confederates, called Jerom Donati, whose surname was Farina, took upon him to carry the design into execution. For this purpose he mixed with the crowd that went into the archiepiscopal chapel, where the cardinal spent an hour every evening in prayer with his domestics and other pious persons; and having watched his opportunity, he fired a harquebus at him, which was loaded with a ball fitted to the bore of the piece, and with a considerable charge of leaden shot. It is said that the ball struck him on the spinal bone, but fell down at his feet without doing any other damage than foiling his rochet, and that one of the shot penetrated his clothes to the skin, and there stopped, without imprinting any wound, which was considered as a miracle, especially as the other shot tore away part of a wall, and went quite through a table.

In the year 1576, the city and diocese of Milan were visited by the plague, which swept away incredible numbers; and the behaviour of Borromeus, on this occasion, was truly christian and heroic: He not only continued on the spot, but he went about giving directions for accommodating the sick, and burying the dead, with a zeal and attention that were at once ardent and deliberate, minute and comprehensive; and his example stimulated others to join in the good work. He avoided no danger, and he spared no expense; nor did he content himself with establishing proper regulations in the city, but went out into all the neighbouring parishes where the contagion raged, distributing money to the poor, ordering proper accommodations for the sick, and punishing those, especially the clergy, who were remiss in the duties of their calling. Charles, notwithstanding the fatigue and perplexity which he suffered by executing his pastoral charge, abated nothing of the usual austerity of his life, nor omitted any of his stated devotions; for, whatever approached to luxury or magnificence, he considered as incompatible with the propriety of his character. It happened, that being once on a visit to the archbishop of Sienna at his palace, a very sumptuous entertainment was provided for him. Borromeus, though he had been used to content himself with bread and water, yet sat down at the table, where however he ate but little, and gave sufficient intimation that he was much displeased with such ostentatious prodigality; but what was his surprize when he saw the table again covered with a desert, consisting of whatever was most rare, exquisite, and costly? He immediately rose hastily from his seat, as if he had suddenly recollected some pressing business, and gave orders for his departure, notwithstanding the rain, and the most earnest entreaties of the archbishop. "My Lord," said the cardinal, "if I should tarry here to-night, you would give me another such treat as that I have just seen, and the poor will then suffer another loss, great numbers of whom might have been fed with the superfluities that have been now set before us."

The continual labours and sufferings of Borromeus naturally shortened his life; he went to Vercal to put an end, if possible, to the divisions which threatened the most fatal consequences; and, when he was there, he received a message from the Duke of Savoy, requesting his presence at Turin. From Turin he retired to a place called the Sepulchre, on the mountain Varais, where he was seized with an intermittent fever, which scarce permitted him to return alive to Milan, where he arrived on the 3rd of November 1584, and died the next day. He was lamented by the city and the whole province with such marks of sincere sorrow as are rarely seen; and he was immediately worshipped as a saint without waiting for the pope's approbation. The pope, however, when he was told of it by Cardinal Baronius, gave directions that the devotion of the people should not be restrained, though Borromeus was not canonized till the 11th of November 1610, in the pontificate of Leon XI. Since that time many churches and chapels have been erected in honour of this saint, and many religious societies instituted and put under his protection.

The foregoing particulars are extracted from an account of the life of Borromeus, written some years ago by Father Anthony Touron. Upon a comparison of this life with that written by Ribadeneira a Spanish Jesuit above a century ago, it appears that the improvement of knowledge has made a very striking difference in this kind of biography. Ribadeneira, who lived in the midst of ignorance and superstition, did not suspect that the time was at hand when the incredible and ridiculous fables he recites could not be believed: his life of this saint therefore abounds with particulars which Touron has justly omitted. We are told that a miraculous light was seen over the chamber of Borromeus's mother when she was in labour: That Borromeus, seeing two persons carried violently down a rapid river on their horses, and just ready to perish, caused their horses suddenly to leap with them out of the water, by giving them his benediction: That Oclavian Varefe, a gentleman of Milan, who was confined to his bed by sickness, when Borromeus died became instantly well, by recommending himself to the Saint's intercession: That a daughter of Julius Bonacina was instantly cured of a disorder in her eye, which had taken away the sight of it, by performing an act of devotion in honour of this Saint: That a count of Ferrara was instantly seized with a violent disease upon speaking irreverently of Borromeus's picture, but was cured upon confessing his fault. It would certainly be BORROWING and Hiring, in law, are contracts by which a qualified property may be transferred to the hirer or borrower; in which there is only this difference, that hiring is always for a price or stipend, or additional recompense; borrowing is merely gratuitous. But the law in both cases is the same. They are both contracts, whereby the possession and transient property is transferred for a particular time or use, on condition and agreement to restore the goods so hired or borrowed, as soon as the time is expired, or the use performed, together with the price or stipend (in case of hiring) either expressly agreed upon by the parties, or left to be implied by law, according to the value of the service. By this mutual contract, the hirer or borrower gains a temporary property in the thing hired, accompanied with an implied condition to use it with moderation, and not to abuse it; and the owner or lender retains a reverification interest in the same, and acquires a new property in the price or reward. Thus, if a man hires or borrows a horse for a month, he has the possession and a qualified property therein during that period; on the expiration of which his qualified property determines, and the owner becomes (in case of hiring) intitled also to the premium or price for which the horse was hired.

There is one species of this price or reward the most usual of any, but concerning which many good and learned men have in former times very much perplexed themselves and other people, by raising doubts about its legality in foro conscientiae. That is, when money is lent on a contract to receive not only the principal sum again, but also an increase by way of compensation for the use, which is generally called interest by those who think it lawful, and usury by those who do not so. But as to this, see the article Interest.