Fra Girolamo was preaching the Lent in San Lorenzo, when the Magnifico died; and, a few days later, he saw a wondrous vision, as he himself tells us in the _Compendium Revelationum_. "In 1492," he says, "while I was preaching the Lent in San Lorenzo at Florence, I saw, on the night of Good Friday, two crosses. First, a black cross in the midst of Rome, whereof the head touched the heaven and the arms stretched forth over all the earth; and above it were written these words, _Crux irae Dei_. After I had beheld it, suddenly I saw the sky grow dark, and clouds fly through the air; winds, flashes of lightning and thunderbolts drove across, hail, fire and swords rained down, and slew a vast multitude of folk, so that few remained on the earth. And after this, there came a sky right calm and bright, and I saw another cross, of the same greatness as the first but of gold, rise up over Jerusalem; the which was so resplendent that it illumined all the world, and filled it all with flowers and joy; and above it was written, _Crux misericordiae Dei_. And I saw all generations of men and women come from all parts of the world, to adore it and embrace it." In the following August came the simoniacal election of Roderigo Borgia to the Papacy, as Alexander VI.; and in Advent another vision appeared to the prophet in his cell, which can only be told in Fra Girolamo's own words:-- "I saw then in the year 1492, the night before the last sermon which I gave that Advent in Santa Reparata, a hand in Heaven with a sword, upon the which was written: _The sword of the Lord upon the earth, soon and speedily_; and over the hand was written, _True and just are the judgments of the Lord._ And it seemed that the arm of that hand proceeded from three faces in one light, of which the first said: _The iniquity of my sanctuary crieth to me from the earth._ The second replied: _Therefore will I visit with a rod their iniquities, and with stripes their sins._ The third said: _My mercy will I not remove from it, nor will I harm it in my truth, and I will have mercy upon the poor and the needy._ In like manner the first answered: _My people have forgotten my commandments days without number._ The second replied: _Therefore will I grind and break in pieces and will not have mercy._ The third said: _I will be mindful of those who walk in my precepts._ And straightway there came a great voice from all the three faces, over all the world, and it said: _Hearken, all ye dwellers on the earth; thus saith the Lord: I, the Lord, am speaking in my holy zeal. Behold, the days shall come and I will unsheath my sword upon you. Be ye converted therefore unto me, before my fury be accomplished; for when the destruction cometh, ye shall seek peace and there shall be none._ After these words it seemed to me that I saw the whole world, and that the Angels descended from Heaven to earth, arrayed in white, with a multitude of spotless stoles on their