The first measure resorted to by Alexander against
the ever-growing power of Savonarola was to pronounce
him a heretic, and, as such, to forbid him to preach ; but
Savonarola avoided the effect of this prohibition by set-
ting up his disciple and friend Domenico Bonvicini of
Pescia to preach in his stead. The result was simply
that the master's precepts issued from other lips — noth-
ing more — and the seed, although sown by a different
hand, fell none the less in soil that was of amazing fer-
tility and quick to give it fruition.
Furthermore Savonarola, establishing the precedent
which Luther followed so successfully twenty-two year3
later, when he burned at Wittemberg the bull of ex-
communication promulgated by Leo X., soon wearied of
keeping silent, and on the authority of Pope Pelagius
declared that an unjust excommunication was utterly
inefficacious, and that he against whom it was directed
need not even take the pains to be relieved from it. He
therefore announced, on Christmas Day, 1497, that the
Lord had commanded him to throw aside his allegiance,
in view of the corruption of the master, and began again
to preach at the Cathedral, with greater success than



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154 THE BORGIAS.
ever for the very reason that his sermons had been inter-
rupted, and with effects which were the more formidable
for being founded upon the sympathy which is always
inspired in the masses by unjust persecution.
