THE LIVES OF THE POPES IN THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES.
The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages. By the Rev. Horace K. Mann. Vol. II. (Kegan Paul, Trench, and Co. 12s. net.)—" The Popes during the Carolingian Empire " are the subject of this volume. They are nine in number, and reigned altogether sixty-three years, of which period exactly one-third was occupied by the Pontificate of the first, Leo III. As seventeen years were occupied with the reign of Gregory IV., the other seven Popes have the very small average of about three years and a half. Breves, if not infausti, were these Populi Romani amores. The first of the nine was the Pontiff who crowned Charlemagne. It was a relation that turned out very much to his advantage. The early years of his reign were troubled ; indeed, in 799 he narrowly escaped assassination; the later period was prosperous, one of the results being the munificence with which he adorned the Roman churches. On pp. 62-69 we have an interesting episode of the " Filioque " controversy. Leo seems, while without any doubt as to the doctrine involved, to have disapproved of the addition. To show his love for the orthodox faith Leo caused two shields of silver to be cast. On these were inscribed the Creed, without the clause, in Greek and Latin. The Roman Church preserved the Creed as it had come down to her. To add to the clauses which are pro- tected by anathemas is, indeed, unjustifiable. It is noticeable how Pontifical elections differed in those days from the custom that has now been developed. Leo was elected on the day of his predecessor's burial. In after elections the nobles took a prominent, and even a leading, part.
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