RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Xavier Ximenes
the latter pretended to accept Christianity at the direction of Allah, and a mass of new conversions resulted. He collected large numbers of Arabic works and had them burned in a city square. Finally, choice was offered the Moors either to accept Christianity or to submit to banishment. In sheer love of home many received baptism.
As chancellor of Castile, his activity was characterized by philanthropy. Oppression of the poor and malfeasance in office he attempted to eradicate, and created a new era in that province. Though by the death of the queen in 1504 he lost his supreme protector, yet the veneration in which the people held him helped him to limit the power to harm which resided in his foes; indeed, he was able to create in Ferdinand a new protector. After Isabella’s death Ferdinand sought to have his daughter Johanna recognized as queen of Castile. Political complications arose, and in these Ximenes stood as mediator, winning Ferdinand’s favor so that the latter secured for the archbishop the cardinal’s hat and made him inquisitorgeneral of Spain. The next project which occupied Ximenes was the new University of Alaca de Henares (the old Complutum). He had already chosen the site and laid the foundation stone (1498, 1500), and by 1508 the structures, including a hospital, were completed. There were forty-two chairs: six for theology proper, six for ecclesiastical law, four for medicine, one for anatomy, one for surgery, eight for philosophy, one for moral philosophy, one for mathematics, four for Greek and Hebrew, four for rhetoric, and six for “‘ grammar.”’ Rich scholarships were provided, especially in theology. Soon there were 7,000 students. Related to this was Ximenes’ plan for the Complutensian Polyglot (see BrBLEs, Potyauot, I.), and he parceled the work among scholars, including a Greek and a Jew among the workers. The work was completed in 1517. [It was not published till 1520.] The greater praise is due the cardinal for this accomplishment as he was himself not distinguished for scholarship, yet saw the worth of such a piece of work.
Among the projects which Ximenes had at heart was the renewal of the crusades in service for the Church and the kingdom. But he turned this desire in a practical direction, against the Moors of Africa who by piratical raids on the southern coast of
Spain were making reprisals for their
As Soldier experiences in Spain. Since Ferdinand and had not funds available, Ximenes Inquisitor. equipped from his own income a force and personally led it to the conquest
of Oran, thus breaking up the nest of pirates. Another of the noted activities of this prelate-statesman was as grand inquisitor of Castile. But he is not to be held responsible for the introduction of the office into Spain, since he came to court twelve years after this took place. When he assumed the office, he provided for instruction of the converts, Jews and Moors, so that they might avoid falling under suspicion of apostasy; he also limited the powers of the lower officials of the inquisition in order to prevent persecution, and dismissed -unworthy occupants of office. He took under his pro-
As Chancellor and Patron of Learning.
tection some who under the rules of the inquisition would have been prosecuted, though unjustly, as in the case of Elio Antonio de Nebrija (cf. H. C. Lea, Inquisition of Spain, iv. 529, New York, 1907). On the other hand, he strenuously opposed the publication of names of informers and betrayers of the apostates, even in writing, when to Charles, during his minority, there was offered an immense sum provided the process and names of witnesses were made known. Ximenes showed that the lives of the informers could not, under such conditions, be made safe, and that information would consequently cease. While deliberate efforts have been made to minimize the effects, in actual slaughter, of the workings of the inquisition, the number of victims was undoubtedly great, and under Ximenes it was introduced into Oran, the Canary Isles, and America. Throughout all this, the aim of Ximenes was to exalt the power of the Church. Although he could not attend the Lateran Council, he supported the pope by his letters and published the results of the deliberations in his diocese even before the conclusion of the council. He changed the conditions of entrance into the priesthood, substituting for five years’ training in philosophy a part of the course in theology. He supported Leo’s plan to improve the Julian calendar; but when the indulgence was offered by the pope for the purpose of obtaining funds for building St. Peter’s, and was published in Spain, Ximenes spoke openly against it.
The highest pinnacle of Ximenes’ greatness came through his appointment by Ferdinand as regent for Castile during the minority and absence of Charles after Ferdinand’s death. Though eighty
years of age, he took up his task with Last Years. youthful energy and great wisdom. With foresight he had Charles’ younger brother Ferdinand kept under his eye so that the latter might not be led by a court party to make pretensions upon the regency. But Hadrian of Utrecht claimed to have a document of Ferdinand’s appointing him regent, and when this was submitted to Charles, the latter supported Ximenes against the court party. Yet Charles proved ungrateful to Ximenes for the many ways in which the latter had paved the way to his accession, sought to limit the powers of Ximenes, and finally wrote an unworthy letter, though it is asserted that it was kept from him by those who knew how despondent he had already become. His last years were not saved from sadness by the conduct of those whom he had most benefited. (K. BENRATH.) BisiiocrapHy: The chief source for the life of Kimenes is the work of Alvaro Gomez de Castro, professor of classical literature in Salamanea, Toledo, and Alcala: De rebus gestis a Francisco Ximenio Cisnerio, Alcala, 1569, republished in Rerum Hispanie scriptores aliquot, Frankfort,
1581, and in A. Schottus, Hispanie illustrate, vol. i.,
Frankfort, 1603. As sources reference may be made to
Cartas de Jimenez, Madrid, 1874, and Cartas de los Secre-
tartos de Cisneros, 2 vols., ib. 1874-75. The best life for
general purposes is C, J. Hefele Der Kardinal Ximenes und die kirchliche Zustinde Spaniens am Ende des 16. und
Anfang des 16. Jahrhunderts, Tiibingen, 1844 Bng. transl.,
Life of Cardinal Ximenez, London, 1860. Consult further,
M. Baudier, Hist. de l’administration du Cardinal Ximenes:
Paris, 1635, Eng. transl., London, 1671; V. E. Fléchier,
Hist. du Cardinal Ximenes, Paris, 1693; B. Barrett, Life
of Cardinal Ximenes, London, 1813; 8. A. Dunham, Hist.
Yahbalaha Yahweh