Hadrian the Seventh (Annotated)

Frederick Rolfe's *Hadrian the Seventh* (1904) is an audacious blend of ecclesiastical fantasy, political satire, autobiography, and decadent romance. Its protagonist, George Arthur Rose—a disaffected Englishman with artistic ambitions and a profound sense of grievance—is unexpectedly elected pope and assumes the name Hadrian VII. From the Vatican, he pursues sweeping reforms in church administrat...