SALA
391
SALAMANCA
literature concerning its spirit, aims, purposes, and
works, it produces of itself relatively little literature,
owing to its poUcy of refraining from publishing any
exteailed a(;eount of its varied activities. Reports are
issued l)y the local conferences and councils, and the
council general in Paris publishes "The Bulletin",
which is regarded as the official organ of the society.
The official organ of English-speaking countries is
"The Bulletin", published monthly by the superior
council of Ireland. "The Quarterly", published by
the superior council of New York, is the official organ
of the society in the United States. Superior councils
of the society in some other countries likewise issue
similar periodicals.
Rules of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul; Manual of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul; The Bulletin (French); The Bulletin (Irish); The Quarterly (U. S.); O'Meara, Life of Fretl- erick Ozanam (London, 1879); Society Reportg.
Thomas M. Mulry.
Sala, George Augcstu.s Henry, journalist, b. in London, 24 Nov., 1828; d. at Brighton, 8 Dec, 1895, having been received into the Church before death. His grandfather, a native of Rome, came to England in 177G; the family were connected with the stage. Being an unusu- ally precocious child, young Sala began at fifteen to earn his living b}' draughtsman- ship. His versa- tile talent then ])assed to scene- ])ainting, illustra- ting books, etch- ing and engrav- ing, finally finding its real vocation in journalism. At- tracting the notice of Dickens, he be- came a regular contributor to Household Words" and "All the Year Round", and was sent as special correspon- dent to Russia. His literary output was large and various, though his style was criticiz(>d as florid. From 1857 he worked for the "Daily Telegraph", acting as .special corre- spondent all over the world. Much of this journalistic work was r(>i)ublished in book form. He was a man of social and convivial habits who prided himself on his extensive knowledge of cookery. Though earning a large income, his expensive tastes caused him frequent embarrassment, and the failure of his magazine, "Sala's Journal", straitened his circum- stances in the last years. His love for London, which he knew intimately, characterizes many of his books.
Sala, Life and Adventures of George Augustus Sala (London, 1895) ; Yate8, Edmund Yates: his Recollections and Experiences (London, 1882); Vizetelly, Glances back through Seventy Years (London, 1893); Lee in Diet. Nat. Biog.
Edwin Burton.
Salamanca, Diocese of (Salmanticensis, Sal- mantina, Salmantic/e), in Spain, comprises the civil Provinces of Salamanca, Caceres, Avila, and L6on, and is bounded on the north by Zamora, on the east by Avila and Valladolid, on the south by Caceres, and on the west by Portugal. The episcopal city has a population of 23,000. Its territory formed the southern portion of the ancient Vetonia, and the existence of the city of Salamanca in the Roman period is evidenced by a pretentious bridge over the
River Tormes, with twenty-seven arches, measuring
500 paces in length, and probably erected in the time
of Trajan. The See of Salamanca is of unknown
origin, probably dating back to the generation im-
mediately succeeding tlie Apostles, in which genera-
tion St. Secundus is said to have founded the Diocese
of Avila. Signatures of bishops of Salamanca are
found in the Councils of Toledo; in the third council is
that of Eleutherius; at the coronation of King Gonde-
mar, that of Teveristus; in the fourth and sixth, of
Hiccila; in the seventh, eighth, and tenth, of Egere-
tus; in the Provincial Council of Merida (metropolis
of Salamanca) the signature of Justus; in the twelfth
of Toledo that of Providentius; in the thirteenth,
fifteenth, and sixteenth, of Holemund, probably con-
temporaneous with the Moslem invasion. Alfonso
I the Catholic pushed his conquests as far as Sala-
rnanca, and Ordono I captured the city, but its
bishops continued to reside in Asturias, where the
Church of San Julian, outside the walls of Oviedo,
was assigned to them. Bishop Quindulfus (802)
signed a rcjyal deed of gift. Ramiro II, who defeated
the .Mohammedans at Simancas, began to repeople
Salamanca. In 1 102 the king's son-in-law, Raymond,
Count of Burgundy, and his wife Urraca, gave the
churches of the city to Don Jeronimo, the count's
master, and built the Cathedral of S. Maria. The
celebrated bishop, comrade of the Cid Campeador,
died in 1120 and was interred in the newly- built
basilica, to which he left the famous "Christ of the
Battles" {Cristo de las Batallas).
Later bishops were: Gerardo; Munio, a partisan of Alfonso of Aragon; Berengario, consecrated in 1135 and transferred to Compostela in 1151; Navarro; Ordono Gonzalo; Pedro Sudrez, praised by Alexander III for learning and prudence; and Vitalis, who maintained the validity of Alfonso IX's marriage with his cousin Teresa of Portugal against the cen- sures of Celestine III and the sentence of the bishops I)resided over by Cardinal Guillermo in 1197. From his period date the university and the most ancient and famous convents of Dominicans, Franciscans, and Clarisses. In October, 1310, the see being vacant, fifteen prelates of the ancient Province of Lusitania, presided over by the Archbishop of Santiago, assem- i)led in the cathedral of Salamanca to try the case of the Templars, and found them innocent in Spain of all the atrocities with which they were charged. Bishop Juan Lucero accompanied King Alfonso XI to the conquest of Algeciras. Later on he became subservient to the caprices of Pedro I the Cruel and annulled (1354) his marriage with Blanche of Bourbon in order to unite him with Juana de Castro. Lu- cero's succes.sor, Alonso Barrasa, on the contrary, supported Henry of Trastamare against Pedro. In May, 1382, a council was held at Salamanca to take action in the matter of the schism of Avignon, and Castile decided in favour of the antipope. In another council (1410) Salamanca again recognized Peter de Luna (Benedict XIII) as pope. At this time St. Vincent Ferrer laboured to convert the Jews of Salamanca; from 1 Kit) to 147S St. John of Sahagtm enlightened the diocese by liis ))reaching.
Salamanca has two cathedrals; tlu^ old, celebrated for its massive strength, was founded in 1100 by the aforesaid Count Raymond near the River Gate (Puerta del Rio). At the end of the thirteenth cen- tury it was not yet finished, and its main entrance, called Del Perd6n (of the Pardon), was covered over in 1680 with new Doric and Composite pilasters. In 1847 it was freed of its inarti.stic choir. Its build- ing occupied so long a time that Gothic ogival arches are supported by its Byzantine foundations. Of its three naves the principal one terminates in the main chapel on the reredos of which is to be seen the "Last Judgment" painted by Nicolds Florentino in 1446 for Bishop Sancho of Castile. In early days
