The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-22

works issued from tho press by him during
this period were his comedy ii Candelaio,"
written at Naples which has no literary merit
a work In Latin. "Do Umbris Idearum," aud
another in Latin on the system Of Raymond
Lully. Toward the end OF 1888 he crossed the
channel into England with letter Of introduce
ton from Henry III. to tho French Ambassador
at London, Michael Orstelnuovo, by whom he
was courteousy received aud entertained la his
own house for nearly two years.
Brunos stay In England was the brightest pc
riod OF his life. Queen Elizabeth was on the
throne, aud with the scholars and poets who
have made her court SO famous, Bruno, by the
favor OF Castelnuovo, enjoyed abundant oppor-
tunities OF Intercourse. Sir Philip Sidney be-
came his particular friend, ana two OF hts
works are dedicated to him. During visit OF
three months to oxford he iectured on the inn
mortality OF the soul and the CopernioaD sys-
TEN, concluding with public disputation with
the Oxford doctors OF divinity, Ia the presence
OF Prince Alasco OF Poland aud many OF the
English nobility. Tho remainder Of the time he
employed In writing and publishing, the fruits
Of his labor being some OF his best works. They
are the Gem dc u CGnef DC Ia CIisd Principle
ct Uno, Dc rInfnito Universe Mondi, Spaccio
de Ia Bestid Trsonfdnte, Cdbdlr del Crpdlio Pc
gdseo, and the Heroici Furori Although
printed In London, these books have on their
title pages "venice" and PARIS" which was
probably done because they we're 10 the italian
language, and the imprint London" might be
prejudici'l to their sale. They extend over
pretty much all the subjects OF Bruno's ought,
and present . nearly complete view OF his
opinions.
From London Bruno returned. IN 1886. to
Paris, aud, about Whitsunday In 1888, held a
public disputation at the Sorbonne, ia which he
attacked the Aristotelian philosophy aud meta
physics, aud defended his own. The issue does
not seem to have been In his favor, for he soon
after quilted Paris and went to Marburs Ia Hesse
Cassel. Here he asked Of the university au-
thorities the usual permission to lecture, but II
was refused him, aud he went TO wittemberg,
then the stronghold OF Protestant, as Paris was
Of Roman Catholic, learning. From the m amer
In which he speaks Of the professors OF the
university he must have met with great success
at wittsmbers. but stu he rem aimed only two
years. aud left IN 1888 for Prague, where he bo-
came acquainted with the astronomer Kepler,
and was able to impress him with some Of his
Ideas OF the CONSTITUTE OF the universe. After
a sotourn OF few months In Prague he re-
moved to Helmstaedt Ia the Dlchv OF Bruns-
wick, but becoming involved in a violent con-
troversy with the Evangelical pastor Boetius, he
was accommodated, and, in $780, went OF to
Frankfort. In Frankfort he put I, press three
Latin works: De Imdginum SiJnorum ct Ided-
rum Composiione: De Dupltci, Mintmo ct Men
surd, and De Monade, Numero et FiUTd. He
seems also about this time to have made a visit
to Zurich, IN Switzerland. and lectured there.
While busy al Frankfort, superint ending the
printing of his books, Bruno received n letter
from young Venetian nobeman, Giovanni
Mocenigo, urgently inviting him to come TO MIN
at Venice and instruct him in the science OF
memory ami the other branches OF the Bruno
MIN philosophy. Mocenigo, IL appears, had met
with B7uno's treatise, De M0nddc at 4 book
sellers In Venice and conceived so high
opinion OF the authors abilities that he desired
TO pront by them In person. Bruno accepted
the invitation and arrived ut Venice during the
summer OF 1891. For while all went well. lie
was lodged at the palace OF mis- patron. and
spent his time In teaching him. frequenting the
bookshops, writing books. and occasionally
making a visit to Padua. At theend Of about
eight months. however. there arose a quarrel,
and tho young Venetian, as the most ensctual
way OF gratifying his spite, denounced Bruno to
the Inanis.tion, taking the precaution to nrst
shut him up In one OF the rooms Of his palace to
prevent his escape. From thence he Yves re-
moved on the ed OF May. i592, aud connoed In
the prison of the Inquisition. After several ex-
aminations. which ended in a profession Of vii.
lingness on his part to submit to tho auth oritv
OF the Church, orders came from Rome to send
him there for trial. and considerable discussion
was had on this subject between the Venou IN
aud the Plpal authorities. Finally, he was In
January, l59j, Transferred to Rome, where he
was kept ia confinement until February. 100,
when he was sentenced aud executed. what
was the reason OF this delay, and what we're tho
proceedings during Its continuance. no re-
searches have awaited To discover. The keepers
OF the Roman archives OF the Inquisition say
that the records OF the lse are lost or become
| illegiole. and II would not even be known cor
| tainly that Bruno was executed but for the let
| ter OF one Schopp, Swiss, who was in Rome at
| the time and wrote an account OF the arir to a
| friend IN Altorf. According to Schopp, Bruno =
| sentence read to him on the 9th February &,
| 1900. aud he WAS then and there degraded from
| the priesthood, and delivered over to the sec L.
| lar arm to be punished. 1t was on this occasion
| that he made the wer, perhaps with greater
| fear do We pass sentence me than receive
it," moaning probably, that they, as well MS ne,
| foresaw the infamy which the act would bring
upon them. The presumption Is, that he re-
pentej OF his subnissiyeness at Venice. and
was only condemned after ali efforts to induce
| him to recaut had been found unavaling.
| On the 18th Of February he WIS led to the
stake in tbs Campo dl Fora, IN front OF Pom
| pey's Theatre. A crucl1x WIS presented to him,
| but he turned away from It cOntemptuously.
| and, as Schopp says, "peIished mserably In the
| flames, to carry Information, think, to those
| other worl Is he feignod, how bl isphemous and
| impious mon are treated by Romans" In u
| book printed In lGll, Schopp again refers to tine
! burning Of Bruno, ana Keplsr, writing to "a
| friend In 1905, says; :" knew, from Wa cher.
! that Bruno was burnt in Rome, and that he boro
his fate with constancY, asserting that all rsli-
| gions are vain, and that q cd IS the same wi IA
the world, with the circle, and with tho point"
| This IL all the Information eXtant concerning
| Hruno's end. but IA regard TO the proceedings
| In Venice We are more fortunate. The docu-
| mcnts which P,Of Berti prints in the appendix
to his life Il the philosopher consist Of the de-
| nuuciation Of min made To the lnquisitiOn by
| Mocengo and supplements thereto, the deposit
| uons OF booksellers and others who were &C
| qualnted with him, his own oxamin itlon by tho
| Venetian nauisitors, and the diplomatic cor
| respondence bel geen the Papal Government
aud the Venetian authorities relative to his ex
| tradition.
| The cha -cos contained In Mocenigo's denun-
| citation arc thus expressed:
| L. ZIana Mocenigo son Of the most Illustri Qua