Jerome, a famous Italian monk, was born at Ferrara in 1452, and descended of a noble family. At the age of 22 he assumed the habit of a Dominican friar, without the knowledge of his parents, and distinguished himself in that order by his piety and ability as a preacher. Florence was the theatre where he chose to appear; there he preached, confessed, and wrote. He had address enough to place himself at the head of the faction which opposed the family of the Medici. He explained the Apocalypse, and there found a prophecy which foretold the destruction of his opponents. He predicted a renovation of the church, and declaimed with much severity against the clergy and the court of Rome. Alexander VI, excommunicated him, and prohibited him from preaching. He derided the anathemas of the pope; yet he forbore preaching for some time, and then resumed his employment with more applause than before. The pope and the Medici family then thought of attacking him with his own weapons. Savonarola having posted up a thesis as a subject of disputation, a Franciscan, by their instigation, offered to prove it heretical. The Franciscan was seconded by his brother friars, and Savonarola by his; and thus the two orders were at open war with each other. To settle the dispute, and to convince their antagonists of the superior sanctity of Savonarola, one of the Dominicans offered to walk through a fire; and in order to prove his wickedness, a Franciscan agreed to the same experiment. The multitude, eager to witness so extraordinary a spectacle, urged both parties to come to a decision; and the magistrates were constrained to give their consent. Accordingly, Saturday the 7th of April 1498 was fixed for the trial. On that day the champions appeared; but when they saw one another in cold blood, and beheld the wood in flames, they were seized with fear, and were very anxious to escape by any subterfuge the imminent Savoy.

gentleman into which they had rashly thrown themselves. The Dominican pretended he could not enter the flames without the hoist in his hand. This the magistrates obstinately refused to allow; and the Dominican's fortitude was not put to the test. The Franciscans incited the multitude against their opponents, who accordingly assaulted their monastery, broke open the gates which were shut against them, and entered by force. Upon this, the magistrates thought it necessary to bring Savonarola to trial as an impostor. He was put to the torture, and examined; and the answers which he gave fully evinced that he was both a cheat and a fanatic. He boasted of having frequent conversations with God, and found his brother friars credulous enough to believe him. One of the Dominicans, who had shared in his sufferings, affirmed, that he saw the Holy Ghost in the shape of a dove, with feathers of gold and silver, twice in one day alight on the shoulder of Savonarola and peck his ear; he pretended also that he had violent combats with demons. John Francis Picus earl of Mirandula, who wrote his life, affirms us, that the devils which infested the convent of the Dominicans trembled at the sight of Friar Jerome, and that out of vexation they always suppressed some letters of his name in pronouncing it. He expelled them from all the cells of the monastery. When he went round the convent sprinkling holy water to defend the friars from the insults of the demons, it is said the evil spirits spread thick clouds before him to prevent his passage.

At length, the pope Alexander VI. sent the chief of the Dominicans, with Bishop Romolino, to degrade him from holy orders, and to deliver him up to the secular judges with his two fanatical associates. They were condemned to be hanged and burned on the 23rd May 1498. Savonarola submitted to the execution of the sentence with great firmness and devotion, and without uttering a word respecting his innocence or his guilt. He was 46 years of age. Immediately after his death, his Confession was published in his name. It contained many extravagancies, but nothing to deserve so severe and infamous a punishment. His adherents did not fail to attribute to him the power of working miracles; and so strong a veneration had they for their chief, that they preferred with pious care any parts of his body which they could snatch from the flames. The earl of Mirandula, the author of his life, has described him as an eminent saint. He gravely informs us, that his heart was found in a river; and that he had a piece of it in his possession, which had been very useful in curing diseases, and ejecting demons. He remarks, that many of his persecutors came to a miserable end. Savonarola has also been defended by Father Quetif, Bzovius, Baron, and other religious Dominicans.

He wrote a prodigious number of books in favour of religion. He has left, 1. Sermons in Italian; 2. A Treatise entitled, Triumphus crucis; 3. Eruditorum Confessorum, and several others. His works have been published at Leyden in 6 vols 12mo.