From The Lives of the Popes from the Time of our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII. Written Originally in Latin by B. Platina, Native of Cremona, and translated into English (from an anonymous translation, first printed in 1685 by Sir Paul Rycaut), Edited by William Benham, Volume I, London: Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, [1888, undated in text]; pp. 239.
The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina
Volume I.
ROMANUS.
A.D. 897-898.
ROMANUS, a Roman, as soon as he was got into the pontificate, disavowed and rescinded all the acts and decrees of Stephen. And indeed these popelings1 studied nothing else but to extinguish the memory and honour of their predecessors, than which nothing is more mischievous or a more certain sign of a narrow soul; for they that trust to such tricks as these are only such as, wanting all manner of virtue, endeavour to rob the well-deserving of that fame which themselves can never attain to. Indeed, you shall never find any man envying the good name of anther, but one that, being obnoxious to all manner of reproach, is hopeless of rendering his own name honourable to posterity. Such men as these maliciously, falsely, and craftily backbite, slander, and find fault with those that have deserved well of mankind, like useless and cowardly dogs that dare not seize a wild beast, but will venture to snap at them when they are fast chained. I was obliged, however, at least to mention this Pope Romanus, because he obtained St Peter’s chair after the ordinary manner, in which, after he had sat three months, he died.
FOOTNOTE
1 “Pontificuli.” Ed. 1551.
Previous Pope: 116. Stephen VII. 117. Romanus Next Pope: 118. Theodorus II.