[295] The Inventory and this Acceptance both exist, in copy, in the MS. Vita of the Biblioteca della Missione. I owe a careful copy of the former to the kindness of Don Giacomo C. Grasso, the Librarian.

[296] From the documents in the MS. Vita of the Biblioteca della Missione.

[297] Vita, pp. 164b, c, 165c. Great and repeated stress is laid here, with unattractively realistic proofs and details, upon the damage done by the damp to the coffin and grave-clothes, and upon the contrasting spotlessness of the body.

[298] MS. Vita of the Biblioteca della Missione.

[299] Even the little engraving of the title-page of the first edition of the Vita (1551), which shows Catherine kneeling before a crucifix, represents her, not indeed with a nimbus, but with a diadem upon her head.

[300] Reprinted in Vita, p. 282b.

[301] A little Prayer-book marker picture, which will, I think, have been first engraved in 1737, when the body was, as indeed it is to this hour, considered quite incorrupt, already gives the large paper rose which has lain ever since in the place of the mouth and nose, which have perished long ago. But I have been unable to test the claim to incorruption further back than this.

[302] Vita, pp. 165c, 27b, 277a. In this last passage Maria Fiesca makes a declaration as to the partial fleshiness and elasticity of the body, e.g. of the right shoulder; and as to its extraordinary weight.

[303] All three classes of cases are represented in Padre Maineri’s account, reproduced in the Vita, p. 282b, c.

[304] Maineri, in Vita, p. 278, b, c. The first edition of the Vita calls her “Beata” on its title-page. MS. “A,” of 1547, 1548, has simply “Madonna Catherineta Adorna” on the Franciscan copyist’s own title, and “Beata” on the title copied by him from the MS. used by him.

[305] There is evidence that the many-sided Queen took an interest in Catherine, in the Oratorian G. Parpera’s very careful Beata Caterina di Genova Illustrata, Genova, 1682. But the Index of her Latin (and Italian) MSS. in the Vatican Library contains no indication of any MS. “Life” or “Doctrine” possessed by Christina.

[306] The main facts and dates of these paragraphs devoted to the various Processes are derived from Padre Maineri’s very clear account, first published in 1737, and reprinted at the end of the Vita, pp. 278-282.

[307] Copy in MS. Vita in the Biblioteca della Missione.

[308] So Padre Celesia, op. cit. p. 1121.

[309] Copy in the MS. Vita of the Biblioteca della Missione.

[310] From twenty-two conclusions concerning Catherine and her circle, constituting one of the papers in the volume, Documenti, etc., of the University Library. They were evidently written after 1675 and before 1737 (Catherine is “Beata” throughout), but are, wherever I have been able to test them, as a rule completely right, and never entirely wrong. It is certainly somewhat strange that Argentina should, as is there stated, have “continued in the said Hospital, and was living in it still in 1523,” and should have “similarly continued to be the servant of the Priest Cattaneo (Marabotto).” Still, she may have slept at the Hospital and worked at Marabotto’s. I had thought of concluding from this that Marabotto had been given Catherine’s house in the Hospital, after Don Carenzio’s death there. But the apparently complete absence of any mention of Marabotto in the Hospital books, after July 1512, makes me shrink from doing so.

[311] I am proud of this important discovery, since even Giovo had to leave a blank for this date in his Chapter IV of Part I of his MS. Vita, in the Biblioteca della Missione, written in 1675. I found the date amongst some notes and copies, in a sprawly handwriting, not Giovo’s, but the same which copied out the entry as to Carenzio’s funeral expenses. It is true that in Marabotto’s case this writer gives no proof or document; yet there is no reason for distrusting his assertion.

[312] Copy from Hospital Cartulary in MS. Vita of the Biblioteca della Missione Urbana: “1511, 7 Julii: Hereditas quondam Caterinetae Adurnae, pro Maria, olim famula ipsius et filia Hospitalis, pro legato facto dictae Mariae per dictam q(uondam) Caterinetam, £50.—Maria praedicta pro D. P. Cattaneo Marabotto, qui habuit curam guarnimentorum ipsius Mariae, dedicatae in Monasterio Sanctae Brigidae, £50.”—I take these two successive entries to refer to two successive stages of the same transaction, and to but one and the same sum.

[313] From the documents given in the MS. Vita of the Biblioteca della Missione Urbana.

[314] My quotations from this letter are all taken from Giuseppe Morro’s careful address on Vernazza, published in Inaugurazione della Statua d’Ettore Vernazza, Genova, 1867, pp. 5-31. It stands in extenso in the fine edition of his daughter’s works: Opere Spirituale della Ven. Madre Donna Battista Vernazza, 6 vols., Genoa, 1755; Vol. VI, Letter XXV.

[315] The document is given in fall, and carefully analyzed, in Inaugurazione, etc., pp. 61-70.

[316] Battista’s letter, as quoted in Inaugurazione, p. 16.

[317] Inaugurazione, pp. 17, 18.

[318] Printed in Inaugurazione, pp. 71-73.

[319] The present, second and much larger and detached SS. Annunziata, on the square of that name, was not built (for the Capuchins) till 1587. In Giuliano’s and Catherine’s Wills of 1494, 1498, and 1506, the Hospital Church occurs indifferently as “Church of the Annunciation of the Order of Friars Minor of the Observance” with and without the addition of “adjoining the Hospital,” or “adjoining the Hospital of Pammatone.”

[320] This was a Cistercian Convent, founded in the twelfth century, outside one of the Genoese gates. Only its Chapel survived the destruction of the Convent at the time of the Revolutionary secularization. And even this Chapel was in January 1903 in process of demolition, to make room for the new Via Venti Settembre.

[321] The three daughters’ names in Religion all occur in a document of the Bank of St. George printed in Inaugurazione, p. 79.

[322] Inaugurazione, p. 18, quoting Battista’s letter of 1581.

[323] Inaugurazione, pp. 19, 20.

[324] I derive this particular from Professore G. Morro’s Inaugurazione, p. 20.

[325] Inaugurazione, p. 20.

[326] Inaugurazione, p. 21.

[327] Inaugurazione, pp. 21, 22. Battista’s account would lead one to place that last Communion on the Feast itself; but the various inscriptions erected by the most careful Committee of 1867, shows that it occurred really on the Eve. See Inaugurazione, pp. 37; 39, 40. One more instance of a slight displacement of date effected by a (no doubt unconscious) desire to find a full synchronism between the Feast of the Baptist and the final Communion of one so devoted to that Saint. The Committee evidently shrank from interpreting her “three days after”: it may evidently mean either the 26th or the 27th.

[328] As to the older monuments, see Inaugurazione, p. 5. An excellent photograph of Varni’s statue forms the title-picture to this publication.

[329] An engraving of this (now lost) portrait exists in Ritratti ed Elogii di Liguri Illustri, Genova, Ponthonier, and appears reproduced here as the Frontispiece to Vol. II.

[330] Inaugurazione, p. 26.

[331] Even such a rhetorical apostrophe as occurs in the peroration of Dottore Morro’s speech (Inaugurazione, p. 30): “Thou worthy of incense and of altars, as was that Catherine Fieschi, whose friend and confidant and spiritual son thou wast, and who was God-mother to thy own first-born,” stands, I think, alone.

[332] Schmöger: Leben der gottseligen Anna Katharina Emmerich, Freiburg, 1867, 1870, Vol. II, pp. 892, 898, 900.

[333] Vallebona, op. cit. p. 83: “Santissima mia Diva, | questo mio cor ricevi: | che quando al sole apriva | le luci a giorni brevi, | infin d’allor fei voto, | con animo devoto, | non mai, madre adorata, | esser da Te sviata.” “My most holy Protectress” and “adored Mother” may apply to Catherine. But I have had to punctuate so as to make “che” = “perchè,” as in Jacopone throughout: so that we now have not a declaration of time, as to when she, the Protectress, accepted Tommasa’s heart (which might well have been at Baptism); but a prayer that this Mother may accept her heart, in view of the fact that she, Tommasa, had, from her first opening of her eyes to life (surely, on coming to some degree of reason), vowed never to be parted from this Mother. And thus the application to Catherine remains possible but becomes uncertain.

[334] I feel obliged to put the matter in this hypothetical form because of the several undeniable indications of Catherine’s loss of interest in many, perhaps most, events and occurrences, since, at latest, the beginning of 1509.

[335] See the admirably vivid account of, and wisely-balanced judgment concerning, these events, in the Catholic Alfred von Reumont’s little book, Vittoria Colonna, Freiburg, 1881, pp. 117-152; 194-215.

[336] Acta Sanctorum, Vol. VI, pp. 192-196.

[337] For Gerson’s “Rigorism,” see J. B. Schwab’s admirable monograph, Johannes Gerson, Regensburg, 1858; and for Contarini’s, Morone’s, and the Colonna’s views, see Reumont’s Vittoria Colonna.

[338] Opere, Vol. VI, p. 192.

[339] See the Preface to the Opere, Vol. I, p. 10.

[340] Opere, ed. Genoa, 1755, Vol. V, pp. 218-227.

[341] See here, pp. 265, 266; 272; 280; 264, 265; 135; 160, 274-276.

[342] See here, pp. 116; 117, 266.

[343] The last clause here is very obscure in the original: “non voglio meritare te, ma rimeritare lo amore che ti porto”; but I take the above translation to render correctly the substantial meaning.

[344] See here, pp. 265; 262, 263, 261.

[345] See here, pp. 266, 268; 285; 261; 275, 159, 141.

[346] See here, pp. 260, 261, 273, 274.

[347] Ch iv, §§ xiii, xiv, xvi (Parker, pp. 48-50).

[348] See here, pp. 138; 277; 260.

[349] See here, p. 270.

[350] See here, pp. 270; 290; 275, 270.

[351] See here, pp. 138, 139; 265, 260; 272.

[352] Opere, ed. 1755, Vol. VI, pp. 247, 248.

[353] See here, pp. 263, 266, 280; 272, 275; 292; 277, 262.

[354] See here, pp. 284; 166-174; 143-145.

[355] See here, pp. 140, 141; 131, 116.

[356] Inaugurazione, pp. 26, 27.

[357] Ibid. pp. 74, 75, 77, 78. Ibid. p. 94.

[358] Here, pp. 319, 320; 140, 141, 268.

[359] Date of death: Ritratti ed Elogii di Liguri Illustri, Genova, Ponthenier (Elogio della Ven. Battista Vernazza). Communion: Opere della Ven. B. Vernazza, ed. cit., Vol. I, p. 21. The portrait-frontispiece of the second volume of this work is a faithful facsimile of the portrait (a lithograph by F. Scotto) published among the Ritratti, between 1823 and 1830. The original picture, which will have hung in the convent of S. Marie delle Grazie, I have not been able to trace. The portrait now in possession of the Nuns of the convent of S. Maria in Passione, the successors of those Canonesses, is a quite conventional, inauthentic likeness.

[360] “A(nno) 1456, 27 Augti, ex Locis Pomerae uxore Bartolomaei de Auria et a de modo Isabellae dedicatae in monasterio S. David, ad instantiam Andreae Auria, unici ejus filii ex heredis, et Franciscae matris Catherinetae filiae Jacobi de Flisco, Loci duo in ratione dictae Catherinetae per ejus maritare et (si) dictae Franciscae fecerit consilio.” From parchment-bound small folio vol.: Documenti su S. Catherina da Genova MSS., in R. University Library, Genoa.

[361] From Dre. Ferretto’s copy of original in the Archivio di Stato Genoa.

[362] The originals of both deeds are in the Archivio di Stato, Genoa, Atti del Not. Battista Strata, folie 39, parte II, and 96 (parte III).

[363] Copies of these two entries, in the MS. volume “Documenti … Caterina da Genova,” University Library, Genoa, B VII 31.

[364] The first four documents exist, copied, in the Vita of the Biblioteca della Missione Urbana; the last is in the Archivio di Stato, and has been copied out plain for me by Dre. Ferretto.

[365] Ettore Vernazza: Inaugurazione, pp. 21, 22; 39, 40. Cattaneo Marrabotto: Don Giovo’s declaration among the “Conclusions” (in his own handwriting) attached to the MS. Vita of St. Catherine in the Biblioteca della Missione Urbana, Genoa. Tommasa Fiesca: Fed. Alizieri, in Atti della Società di Storia Patria, Vol. VIII, Genoa, 1868, p. 408. Battista Vernazza, Opere Spirituali della Ven. B. Vernazza, Genoa, ed. 1775, Vol. I, Preface.

[366] MS. A, pp. 3; 367; 368-398; 399.

[367] Ibid. pp. 361-363; 364; 87, 88.

[368] MS. A, p. 160.

[369] Ibid. pp. 134; 168; 198-200; 329; in contrast respectively with pp. 62; 124; 76; 161 of the Printed Life.

[370] MS. A, p. 193, which appears, in a somewhat modified form, in the Pr. L., p. 97c; and, with further transformations, on pp. 139a; 139c; 140a; 140b of the same.

[371] Ibid. p. 169, compared with Pr. L., p. 124c.

[372] Ibid. p. 163, compared with Pr. L., p. 122c.

[373] Pr. L., pp. 155b-156a.

[374] Pr. L., pp. 146c-147c; 154b.

[375] Pr. L., pp. 51a-53b.

[376] MS. A, p. 168, compared with Pr. L. pp. 123b-124b.

[377] Pr. L. pp. 116c-121b; 139a-140c. Retained lines: MS. p. 40 = Pr. L., p. 116c.

[378] Pr. L., p. 119c.

[379] MS. ch. iv = Pr. L., ch. ii, pp. 4a-5c.

[380] MS. ch. v = Pr. L., ch. ii, pp. 5c-6c.

[381] I purposely leave this sentence in its tell-tale clumsiness of form.

[382] This corresponds, as to its substance, to Pr. L., pp. 5c-6c.

[383] Pr. L., p. 14c.

[384] MS. B. fol. 2r et v.

[385] Ibid. fol. 19r et v.

[386] MS. B: the break, on fol. 30r; the abrupt ending, on bottom of fol. 33v.

[387] Hence Dialogo (Pr. L.) pp. 185c-190c is an expansion of the Vita-proper (Pr. L.) p. 31; and Dialogo pp. 191a-198a is an expansion of Vita-proper p. 33.

[388] Hence Dialogo (Pr. L.) pp. 198b-206b corresponds to Vita-proper pp. 4a-5a.

[389] P. 205c.

[390] Pp. 206c, 207b.

[391] Dialogo pp. 207c-212a is thus equivalent to Vita-proper p. 5b.

[392] Dialogo, pp. 212b-212c is hence equivalent to Vita-proper pp. 12b-13c.

[393] Dialogo pp. 213c-225c thus corresponds to Vita-proper pp. 9b, 15b; 13c, 14a; 20a, 21a; 123b; 13b; 96b-97a.

[394] See here, pp. 353, 354.

[395] Dialogo, pp. 215c, 216a.

[396] Dialogo, p. 197a.

[397] Ibid. p. 209b.

[398] Ibid. p. 223c.

[399] Ibid. p. 221c.

[400] Dialogo, pp. 20a, 13c, 21a, 20a.

[401] Ibid. pp. 220c, 222c.

[402] Ibid. p. 21b.

[403] Dialogo, p. 123b.

[404] From MS. A, p. 174: “Li buttò le braccie al collo, e, stringendola con singulti, non si poteva saziar di piangere.” The Printed Vita, p. 125b, has only: “La abbracciò piangendo, per lungo spazio di tempo.”

[405] See here, pp. 169-171.

[406] See here, pp. 185, 186; 194; 205.

[407] Ibid. pp. 221, 222a.

[408] See here, pp. 363; 346, 347.

[409] Ibid. pp. 56b, 203a; 33b, 202b.

[410] Vita, pp. 32c, 26c, 58a, 48a, 135a.

[411] Ibid. pp. 76a, 157c; 103b.

[412] Vita, pp. 212c, 213a; 222b; 220c, 221c.

[413] See here, p. 146.

[414] See here, pp. 145, 146.

[415] Vita, p. 21a.

[416] See here, pp. 344-358; 359-364.

[417] Dan. ix, 24.

[418] Gen. xxix, 20; xxx, 27.

[419] See here, pp. 351, 355.

[420] Compare, as to human intercourse, Dialogo p. 221b, with Battista’s advice, given here p. 363; and, as to spiritual consolations, Dialogo pp. 215c, 216a, with Battista’s Colloquies, here pp. 346, 347.

[421] Catherine, Pr. Vita, p. 209c; Battista, in one of the Colloquii given in the Opere, loc. cit., but not otherwise reproduced here; Catherine, Pr. Vita, pp. 209c, 211c, 211b, 32; Battista, here, pp. 359, 360.

[422] Catherine, Pr. Vita, p. 97b; Battista, Pr. Vita, p. 201b; here, p. 360; and Dialogo, p. 211a.

[423] I have not succeeded in finding a copy of this rare book: the six chief libraries of Genoa; the Ambrosian Library, Milan; and the Vatican and Angelica Libraries, Rome, are certainly without it. My general description, and my special reproduction of one passage, of it are taken from a series of very careful accounts of the successive early editions of the book, preserved among the Documents relative to the Process of Catherine’s Beatification of 1630-1675, in the Archiepiscopal Archives, Genoa.

[424] Vita, pp. 5b, 6b, 155b-156a; 211b, 264b.

[425] Vita, pp. viic, viiia; viiib.

[426] Colloquies, Opere, Vol. V, p. 219. Letters, ibid. Vol. VI, p. 24. Dialogo, pp. 187b, 215b, 220c, 223b, 237c, 247b, 248c, 273b. Dialogo, p. 266b.

[427] Vita: Chapter Second, pp. 226a-275a. Part Second, pp. 226a-245c; Part Third, pp. 246a-275a. The moralizing narrative: last sentence, p. 245c.

[428] Dialogo p. 225c, paraphrase of Vita p. 6c.

[429] “Nine years before her death,” Vita, p. 127a; “one year before she passed away,” p. 132b; Purgatory, pp. 128c, 129a; 136c, 144b; “Prison of the Body,” p. 137a; emaciation, pp. 144a, 160b; vomitings, pp. 127c, 138c, 160a, b; inability to move, pp. 128a, 137b.

[430] Vita, pp. 227a-241b; 213c-225c.