Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/295

 VALLA

257

VALLA

lat both must renew their consent. That a true novation of consent be obtained, it is requisite that le parties be made aware of the nullity of their arriage, unless sanatio in radice be resorted to. he renovation must be made before the authorized clesiastical authority and witnesses when the im- ■diment has been public. (2) The dispensation ,Ued sanalio in radice consists in the revalidation of a arriage by reason of a consent formerly given, but effective at the time owing to some ecclesiastical ipediment. When the impediment is removed, the nscnt is ipso facto ratified and no renovation is re- lired. In such a case, it is requisite that the cou- nt of both parties to the marriage had not ceased id that their wedlock had had the external appear- Lce of a true marriage. Sanalio is resorted to when ere is urgent rc.a.son for not acquainting the parties th the nullity of their marriage, or when one of the irties alone is cognizant of the impediment and the her cannot be informed without grave consequences, when one party would be unwilling formally to renew consent that is presumably existent. The pope has iwer to give the dispensation called sanatio in radice r all marriages which are invaUd in consequence an ecclesiastical impediment. Bishops generally ive no such power, even when by particular indult ey can dispense in diriment impediments. For e granting of sanatio in radice a special apostolic eulty is required. In the United States, the or- naries may grant such dispensation, under certain nitations, when only one of the parties to the mar- ige is aware of the impediment.

Slater-Martin, Manual of Moral Theology, II (New York, 98) ; Sabetti-Barrett, Compendium Theologim Moralis (New »rk, 1902) : DE Becker. De Sponsalibus ct Malrimonio (New irk. 190.1) ; Lehmkuhl, Theologia Moralis, II (Freiburg, 1910); .RRY. The Vnlidaling of Marriage without new consent in Irish eologicnl Quarterly (July. 1911); Ecclesiastical Review (Phila- Iphia, July and Aug., 1910).

William H. W. Fanning.

Valla (della Valle), Lorenzo, Humanist and lilosopher, b. at Rome, 140.5; d. there, 1 Aug., 1457. is father came from Placentia. He studied Latin ider Leonardo Bruni (Aretino) and Greek under lovanni Aurispa. At the age of 24 he wished to itain a position in the papal secretariate, but was nsidered too young. After liis father's death he cepted a chair of eloquence in the University of ivia, where he wrote his treatise "De voluptate" 431), an emended edition of which appeared later ider the title, "De vero bono". On account of i open letter attacking the jurist Bartolo (1433) d ridiculing the contemporary jurisprudence he IS forced to leave Pavia. He went to Milan and )me, and finally settled at Naples (1433), where he came secretary to Alfonso of Aragon, whose Court, 'Quented by the most distinguished writers, was a tbed of hcentiousne.ss and debauchery. Lorenzo nfesses that his life there, like his previous life, was t free from moral stain. At Naples he wrote "De ero arbitrio", "Dialectical disputationes", "Decla- izione contro la donazione di Con.stantino" (1440), )e professione religiosorum" (1442, not printed til by Vahlen in 1869). In 1444 he had a con- iversy with Fra Antonio da Bitonto on the question the composition of the Apostles' Creed by each of icubrations caused him to be tried for heresy by the iria at Naples, but the trial was discontinued ■ough the intervention of King Alfonso. His .ndard work is "DeelegantiaUnguaelatina;", which it placed the study of Latin on a scientific basis. ■ had laboured on it from 143.5, and in 1444 it was blished through the indiscretion of Aurispa. The mianists who preceded him h.ad formed their Latin ■le r.ither empirically, and consequently had tnitted many constructions peculiar to popular XV.— 17
 * er to Genoa, made another effort to succeed at
 * .Vpostles. His philosophical and theological

Latin. Though Valla had refrained from personaU- ties, all the hterary writers considered his work a provocation, and hurled invectives against the author. This controversy is one of the most impleasant pages in the history of the Italian Renaissance. The fiercest aggressor was Poggio Bracciolini, who did not confine himself to pointing out errors of style in Valla's works, but accused him of the most degrading vices. Valla's no less virulent answers are collected in his "Invectivarum librisex". Poggio's invectives could not but cre- ate a bad impres- sion at Rome; as Valla still hoped to obtain a posi- tion in the Curia, he wrote an "Apologia ad Eugenio IV", ex- cusing himself for his faults and promising amendment. But it was only after the election of Nicholas V that he found favour (1448), obtaining first the position of scriptor, and later of Apostolic secretary. Cal- listus III be- stowed on him a canonry in St. John Lateran, which he was able to hold but for a few years. By order of Nicholas V he translated various Greek authors.

His philosophical and theological works are inter- esting. In his "Disputazioni diaiettiche" he bitterly opposes Aristotle and the Scholastics, but he treats his subjects superficially, and rather as a grammarian than as a philosopher. He made no positive contri- bution to philosophy, but only helped to discredit Scholasticism. His most discussed work is the dia- logue "De voluptate". In this Leonardo Bruni (Arentino) defends the Stoic doctrine that a Ufe con- formed to nature is the summum honum; Antonio Beccadelli (Panormita) strongly favours Epicurean- ism, declaring that the desire of pleasure is to be restrained only lest it might be an obstacle to a greater pleasure and that continence is contrary to nature; finally, Niccolo NiccoU speaks against both in favour of Christian hedonism, holding that perpetual happiness is the summum honum, and that virtue is practised only as a means of attaining it. It is uncertain whether Beccadelh or Niccoli (who is declared victor by the onlookers) expresses Valla's personal opinion. It would seem that he had not then (1431) come to a definitive opinion. He con- fines himself to expounding the three opinions, but gives Epicureanism the most ardent and eloquent defender. The way in which his "Apologia" exten- uates what had been said in "De voluptate", arguing on the meaning of the Latin word voluptas, shows that he wa-s undecided.

In the " Declamazione contro la donazione di Cos- tantino", probably in,spired by Alfonso, who was at war with Eugene IV for jiossession of the Kingdom of Naples, Valla exhorted the Romans to rebel and their leaders to deprive the pope of his temporal power, which he deems the cause of all the evils then afflicting Italy. The "Annotazioni siil testo latino del Nuovo Testamento" deals chiefly with the Latinity, and less frequently with the translation itself. In the "De professione religiosorum " he denies that the religious state is the most perfect as there is greater merit in acting spontaneously than in fulfilling what one is obUged to do by vow, and he taxes the monks with