Leo was generous, or rather prodigal; he was fond of splendour, luxury, and magnificence, and therefore often in want of money, which he was obliged to raise by means not always creditable. He had a discerning taste—was a ready patron of real merit—was fond of wit and humour, not always refined, and which at times degenerated into buffoonery : this was indeed one of his principal faults. Ilia state racy was like that of his contemporaries in general, and not so bad as that of some of them. Ile contrived however to keep Rome and the Papal territory, as well as Florence, in profound peace during his nine years' pontificate—no trifling boon, whilst all the north of Italy was ravaged by French mid Germane and Spaniards. who committed all kinds of atrocities. He wee by no means neglectful of ilia temporal duties, although he was fond of conviviality and ease, and even his enemies have not snbetantiated any charge against his morals. Ile did not, and perhaps could not, enforce a strict discipline among the clergy or the people of Rome, where profligacy and licen tiousness had reigned almost uncontrolled ever since the pontificate of Alexander VI.
The services which Leo rendered to literature are many. He ens' uraged the study of Greek, founded a Greek college at Rome, established a Creek press, and gave the direction of it to John Lascaris; he restored the Roman University, and filled its numerous chairs with professors; ho directed the collecting of manuscripts of the classics, and also of Oriental writers, as well as the searching after antiquities; and by his example encouraged others, and among them the wealthy merchant Chigi, to do the same. He patronised men of talent, of
whom a galaxy gathered round him at Rome. He employed Michel Angelo at Florence and Raffaelle at Rome in the Vatican. He corre sponded with Erasmus, Machiavelli, Arioato, end other great men of his time. Ile restored the celebrated library of his family, which on the expulsion of the Medici had been plundered and dispersed, and which is now known by the name of the Biblioteca Laurenziana at Florence. In short, Leo X, if not the most exemplary among popes, was certainly one of the moat illustrious and meritorious of the Italian princes.
(Guicciardini, Stories ; Roscoe, Life and Pontificate of Leo I ; the same in Italian, translated by Boss!, with numerous and valuable notes and additions. For the bulls and speeches of Pope Leo X. Site Fabricius, Bibliotheca Latina Media at Infirtism Atatis.)