"Christ himself hath said, 'My kingdom is not of this world,' and the
power of the Sovereign Pontiff over Christians is not limitless, but is
restricted to spiritual matters and hath for rule the Divine Law.
"If the Pope, to enforce his commands--unlawful when they exceed the
authority given him by Christ--fulminates his interdict, it is unjust
and null; in spite of the reverence owed to the Holy See, it should not
be obeyed.
"Seven times before hath Venice been so banned--and _never_ for anything
that had to do with religion!"
Again that strange, slight, emphatic pause, as if he need wait but a
moment for his reasoning to dissipate any conscious unwillingness.
The Contarini quoted low to his neighbor a recent _bon mot_ of the
Senate, "Everybody hath a window in his breast to Fra Paolo;" for
several senators of families closely allied to Rome started at the
boldness of the thought, and exchanged furtive glances of disapproval,
and the fearless eye of the friar immediately fixed upon them, holding
and quieting them as they moved restlessly to evade his glance.
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