polite learning, as sufficiently appears from his epistles and dialogues. From Platina it appears, that he was accused of having destroyed the noble monuments of the ancient magnificence of the Romans, lest travellers and foreigners, who came to visit Rome on religious motives, by paying undue attention to them should neglect the holy places. But this accusation that author rejects as an unfounded calumny. It has also been related concerning him, that out of his hatred to profane literature, and with the view of bringing the sacred books into greater esteem, he reduced to ashes the Palatine library founded by Augustus, and committed to the flames all the copies which he could meet with of several classic authors, and particularly Livy, on account of his expatiating on the superstitious customs of the heathens. This relation cannot be said to be sufficiently authenticated to entitle it to unquestionable credit; but it is certain that the pope had a great aversion to all pagan books, and that he gave evidence of his detestation of profane learning, by very sharply reproving Didier archbishop of Vienne, a person eminent for his great erudition and virtue, on account of his employing a part of his time in teaching some of his friends grammar and polite literature, and in explaining the poets to them. We ought not to omit mentioning, that Gregory invented new offices for the service of the church, and the sacraments, in which he prescribed a vast number of rites and ceremonies that were unknown before his time; and that he took great pains in reforming the psalmody of the church, instituting an academy of choris ters, whom he himself taught to chant, and for whose use he composed that music which goes by his name. It is to him, likewise, that we owe the invention of expressing musical sounds by the seven first letters of the alphabet. He left more writings behind him than any other pope from the foundation of the see of Rome to the present times. They consist of twelve books of "Letters," amounting to eight hundred and forty in number; " A Comment on the Book of Job," in thirty-six books, commonly called "Gregory's Morals on Job," and consisting rather of a collection of moral principles, than an exposition of the text; "A Pastoral, or a Treatise on the Duties of a Pastor, which was held in such high esteem by the Gallican church, that all the bishops were obliged, by the canons of that church, to be thoroughly acquainted with it, and punctually to observe the rules it contained; "Twenty-two Homilies on the Prophet Ezekiel ;" "Forty Homilies on the Gospels;" and four books of " Dialogues."

The above are his only genuine productions, at least in the form in which they have reached modern times. As to his "Sacramentarium," " Antiphonarium," and "Benedictionarium," they have been so curtailed in some places, and interpolated in others, that it is impossible to ascertain what part of them was, and what part was not, written by this pope. With respect to the "Commentaries" on the first book of Kings, on the seven penitential Psalms, and on the Song of Solomon, which have been frequently ascribed to him, all the best critics concur in giving them to other authors. Numerous have been the impressions of Gregory's works, separately and collectively, at Lyons, Paris, Rouen, Basil, Antwerp, Venice, and Rome. The last and best edition was published at Paris in 1705, in four volumes folio, by father St. Marthe, general of the Benedictines of the congregation of St. Maur. Cave's Hist. Lit. vol. I. sub sæc. Eutych. Platina de vit. Pont. Dupin. Moreri. Bower. Nouv. Dict. Hist. Mosh. Hist. Eccl. sæc. vi.-M.

GREGORY II., pope, and also a saint in the Roman calendar, was a native of Rome, and educated from childhood in the Lateran palace, under pope Sergius, who appointed him his sub-deacon, almoner, and librarian. He was afterwards ordained deacon, and selected by pope Constantine as the most learned man of his church, to accompany him when he went to Constantinople in the year 710. In that city Gregory is said to have greatly distinguished himself by the erudition and abilities which he displayed in answering certain questions put to him by the emperor Justinian, and solving his doubts and difficulties, but on what topics we are not informed. Upon the death of Constantine in the year 715, he was advanced to the papal dignity; soon after which event the Lombards made an irruption into the imperial territories, and took by surprise the city of Cume. As the Roman church possessed a considerable patrimony in that city, and the capture of it exposed the territories of Rome to the inroads of the Lombards, Gregory endeavoured to prevail on them to restore it; at first by threatenings of the vengeance of Heaven if they should prove so wicked as to retain it, and afterwards by the offer of a large sum of money, and the protection of St. Peter, provided that they withdrew their troops and abstained from all farther hostilities. Finding, however, that they equally despised his menaces and his offers, he had recourse to the governor of Naples, who for a stipulated reward undertook to recover the place, and succeeded in his enterprise. In the year

717, the emperor Theodosius having resigned the imperial dignity and retired to a monastery, Leo, surnamed the Isaurian, was by the senate and army raised to the throne; on which occasion he wrote a letter to the pope, accompanied with his confession of faith, and his promises to maintain the catholic doctrine, as defined by the six general councils and the fathers. In return, the pope congratulated the emperor in warm expressions of respect and loyalty, upon his accession; and assured him, that he would not only receive him to his communion, and acknowledge him for his sovereign, but would use his influence to preserve peace and amity between him and all the christian princes in the West. From this time we learn nothing concerning Gregory worthy of notice before the year 721, when he held a council at Rome, in which several canons were enacted on the subject of unlawful marriages, and other points relating to ecclesiastical discipline, and the preservation of the estates of the church. While this council was sitting, Winfrid, afterwards archbishop of Mentz, and known by the name of Boniface, arrived on a pilgrimage at Rome, where he was received by the pope with extraordinary marks of kindness and esteem. Of his transactions with the pope, and subsequent missions, we have already given an account in our Life of this apostle of Germany. The next memorable circumstance in the pontificate of Gregory was the arrival at Rome of Ina king of the West Saxons, in 725, on a pilgrimage to the tomb of the apostles, after having resolved to renounce the world, and embrace the monastic life. During his stay at Rome he built a house, or college, for the education of the youth of his kingdom, and the reception of such of his subjects as should undertake pilgrimages; for the support of which he imposed a tax on every house or family in his dominions of a silver penny, known by the name of Rome-scot, or Peterpence. This tax, which about the middle of the ninth century was laid on the whole kingdom of England, was originally destined solely to the charitable uses above mentioned; but it was afterwards converted by the popes to their own use, and levied under the denomination of a tribute to St. Peter, till Henry VIII. eased the country of that burden.

In the year 726, the emperor Leo, scandalised at the superstitious veneration of images, which was now become a very serious and growing evil, resolved to put a stop to it, and to restore the christian worship to its primitive purity. With this design, after consulting with the senate and clergy, and finding several bishops

ready to concur with him in the execution of it, he issued his famous edict forbidding any kind of worship to be given to images, and caused it to be immediately promulgated throughout the whole empire. No sooner was this edict published, than the monks took the alarm, and with them the populace, so that the imperial city was at once filled with confusion. But we must refer to the ecclesiastical historian for the events which it produced in the empire at large, and relate only the circumstances in which pope Gregory was concerned. As soon as Leo had published his edict, he wrote to the pope to acquaint him with the resolution which he had taken of extirpating idolatry, and to exhort his holiness to concur with him in so commendable an undertaking. In his answer, the pope declared with great warmth for the worship of images; attempted to dissuade the emperor from persevering in his design; threatened him with the indignation of St. Peter; and openly declared, that he would oppose to the utmost of his power, what by a most gross perversion of language he called so impious an undertaking. The emperor, however, steady to his purpose, ordered his edict to be published in Italy. No sooner had the exarch obeyed his commands at Ravenna, than the superstitious multitude broke out into insurrections, which the soldiery were not able to suppress without much bloodshed. When Liutprand king of the Lombards was informed of these disturbances, he resolved immediately to take advantage of them; and appearing unexpectedly before Ravenna with a powerful army, laid close siege to it. Having gained the populace by circulating reports of his great zeal for the worship of images, the city was soon obliged to surrender at discretion; and he afterwards made a rapid conquest of the whole exarchate, being received every-where by the people as one sent from heaven to defend the catholic faith. But these events filled Gregory with the utmost alarm, as he knew that if the Lombards were not checked, he should soon feel the weight of their yoke. He, therefore, made his zeal for the catholic faith give way to his interest, and sent a pressing letter to Ursus, the duke or doge of Venice, urging him, from a regard to the common safety of that republic and the empire, to assist the exarch in recovering Ravenna from the power of the Lombards. In this application he was successful, and by well-concerted measures that city was restored to the imperial dominion. Presuming upon his service in promoting this change of affairs, Gregory wrote to the emperor, again endeavouring to dissuade him from

pursuing his design to abolish image worship, and declaring his unalterable determination to oppose it by every means within his power. Leo, exasperated at the pontiff's resistance to his edict, instructed the exarch to get possession of his person, and to send him to Constantinople, that he might be removed from a scene where his artifices could excite the people to sedition and rebellion. For this purpose the exarch drew together a considerable body of troops, with which he was marching to Rome, in order to seize the pope by force, when he found himself obliged to desist from his design, by receiving information that a superior army of Lombards was advancing to meet him, and to espouse the pope's cause. Leo determined, however, to persevere in putting his edict in force in all the cities of Italy subject to the empire, and sent orders to the exarch accordingly. Gregory, well knowing the temper of the people, and that they waited only for his signal to revolt, thundered out a sentence of excommunication against the exarch, for endeavouring to obey his master; when immediately the people of Rome took up arms, and, having overpowered the garrison, pulled down the statues of the emperor, broke them in pieces, and openly declared that they renounced their allegiance to him as their sovereign. With the view also of uniting the different states of Italy in a league against the emperor, as a common enemy, the pope sent letters to the Venetians, the Lombards, and the chief cities, exhorting them to continue stedfast in the catholic faith, and to oppose with all their might his impious edict. The Venetians and Lombards, from motives of policy, readily promised to support him; and at Ravenna, the populace, after a bloody struggle, massacred those who adhered to the emperor's cause, and among others the exarch himself. Not long afterwards a new exarch arrived at that city, with a considerable number of troops, and having obtained possession of it, prepared with great address to reduce to obedience the other revolted cities in Italy. One great object which he had in view was, to detach the king of Lombardy from his alliance with the pope, which a fortunate concurrence of circumstances enabled him to effectuate; and he even prevailed upon that prince to join his troops to the imperial army. This new coalition immediately advanced, and laid siege to Rome; when the pope, finding his cause hopeless, determined to deliver himself up into the hands of the king of the Lombards, hoping that, by an appeal to his known humanity and clemency, he might succeed in escaping the

vengeance with which he was threatened. Accordingly, attended by some of the clergy, and of the chief citizens of Rome, he unexpectedly presented himself at the king's quarters, and after representing in a pathetic speech his present distress, obtained a promise of the king's protection both for him and the Romans; but in order to fulfil his engagement with the exarch, he obliged them to submit to him, and to receive him into the city after he had promised a general indemnity.

While the exarch was still at Rome, where he had connived at the practice of image wor ship, one Petasius, who took the name of Tiberius, seduced several cities of Tuscany from their allegiance, and was by them proclaimed emperor. On this occasion the pope, in order to regain the favour of the emperor, and to incline him to listen to his remonstrances, prevailed on the people of Rome to join the imperial troops, by which means the exarch was enabled soon to crush this new rebellion. In the year 650 the emperor held a council of the senate, the great officers of state, and the bishops who were at Constantinople, in which it was determined, that as it was found by experience that images could not be suffered to remain in the churches, and idolatry prevented, they should be all pulled down and destroyed. A new edict for that purpose was consequently issued, which was put in execution all over the East, after much opposition from some of the higher clergy, but particularly the monks and deluded populace. The emperor having succeeded thus far, resolved that the same edict should be published and observed in the West. As he did not yet quite despair of prevailing on the pope to withdraw his resistance, he wrote to him with that view, at the same time that he sent his edict to the exarch. But the pontiff's answer breathed a determined spirit of hostility, and was written in a style of arrogance and abuse, which, considering the relative situation of the parties, was at that time unexampled. Still, however, the emperor condescended to reason with the pope, in different letters, but without producing any other effect than repetitions of his insolence. Gregory, not content with writing in this manner to the emperor, assembled a council at Rome in the same year, consisting of all the neighbouring bishops, which issued a decree, not only declarative of the law fulness of worshipping images, but commanding them to be worshipped; and condemning as heretics all who did not worship them, or taught they were not to be worshipped. According to the Greek historians of the time,

Gregory also pronounced in this council a sentence of excommunication against the emperor; but as the Latin historians, who then lived in Italy, have made no mention of such a transaction, it is most probable that the former are not accurate in their representation. No sooner was the emperor informed of what had taken place at Rome, than, highly provoked at the pope's arrogance and presumption, but still more at his establishing in a council the superstition which the imperial edicts were designed to abolish, he seized on the rich patrimonies of the Roman church in Sicily and Calabria; dismembered from the jurisdiction of the Roman see the provinces of East Illyrium; and subjected the whole to the patriarch of Constantinople. By thus curtailing the power of the pope, and lessening the revenues of his church, he wounded him in the most tender and sensible part; but before Gregory had time to ripen any schemes of revenge, he died, in the beginning of the year 731, after he had governed the Roman church between sixteen and seventeen years. We know nothing of his character, excepting from his actions, which prove, that a zeal for exalting the power and dignity of his see, arrogance, and superstition, were among his predominant qualities. Fifteen of his "Letters," and a "Memoir" transmitted to his legates in Bavaria, containing instructions for their guidance in managing the ecclesiastical affairs of that country, are inserted in the sixth volume of the "Collectio Conciliorum;" and his "Liturgy," with a Greek version by Gregory Codinus, was printed by Morel at Paris, in 1595, and is to be found in the second volume of Fronton du Duc's "Auctuarium." Cave's Hist. Lit. vol. I. sub sæc. Eicon. Platina. Dupin. Moreri. Bower.-M.

GREGORY III., pope, was a Syrian by birth, and became a presbyter of the Roman church. He is said to have been eminently learned for his time; skilful as an expositor of Scripture; and much admired as an eloquent and impressive preacher. Upon the death of Gregory II. he was unanimously chosen his successor by the Roman people and clergy, and was the last pontiff whose decree of election was confirmed by the exarch of Ravenna. He had no sooner taken possession of his see, than he declared himself a determined supporter of the worship of images, and he wrote a letter to the emperor Leo, and his son Constantine, whom he had taken as a partner in the empire, exhorting them to renounce their error, and, like dutiful children, to return into the bosom of their mother the catholic church. This

letter he sent to Constantinople by Gregory, a presbyter of the Roman church, on whose knowledge, firmness, and zeal, he thought that he might entirely depend. But when the presbyter arrived at Constantinople, finding that the emperors were unalterably determined to extirpate image worship, and to spare none who presumed to defend it, he thought it most prudent to return to Rome, without acquainting the emperors or their ministers with his arrival. When he unexpectedly presented himself before the pope, that pontiff was highly provoked at his pusillanimity, which he called desertion of the cause of God and his church, and summoned a council to determine on the exemplary punishment which he considered to be due to his crime. The pope was for deposing him; but moved by the intercessions of the members of the council in his favour, and the offers which he made to atone for his crime in what manner soever his holiness and the council should judge proper, it was agreed that he should return with the same letter to Constantinople, and deliver it into the emperor's own hands. In conformity to this resolution he set out a second time for the imperial city; but, having landed in Sicily, he was arrested by the imperial officers, the letter taken from him, and himself, by an order from court, sent into exile. In the mean time the pope received deputies from Boniface, giving an account of the extraordinary success of his mission, and requesting instructions on different points, some of which, from the pope's answers, appear to have been of a momentous nature truly! For his holiness gravely prohibited the eating of horse-flesh, and required Boniface to impose severe penalties upon all who should venture to taste it; and he also required him, as far as lay in his power, to prevent men from marrying more than twice. In the year 732 Gregory held a council at Rome, in which, by way of revenge upon the emperor for sending his legate into banishment, he procured a decree to be passed establishing the worship of images, and denounced a sentence of excommunication against all who should presume to pull down, destroy, profane, or blaspheme them. After the meeting of that council he attempted to send a second letter to the emperor, which, as well as the bearer, met with a similar treatment with the preceding. Gregory now, to signalise his zeal against the imperial edict, expended immense sums on the purchase of pictures and statues, with which he filled the churches at Rome, and encouraged the people in the daily worship of them; he also caused relics to be