SERVETUS 35 



a fatal correspondence with the theologian Calvin. 

 Calvin lived at Geneva, then a small Protestant republic 

 of which he was well-nigh dictator. Servetus sent 

 Calvin, along with a letter on some theological topic, a 

 manuscript copy of his book. Calvin was greatly in- 

 censed at the heretical character of the book and refused 

 to return it. 



Even at this time Servetus knew his life was threatened, 

 for he wrote to a friend not long after, ' I know of a 

 truth that this work will be my death." He brooded 

 long on it. The book was recast, but not finally issued 

 until early in 1553. It therefore appeared before the 

 second edition of the great work of Vesalius. Its 

 heretical character was but too obvious. Although the 

 book was published anonymously, Servetus was sus- 

 pected of being its author and was arrested. He 

 escaped and reached Geneva, but was recognised and 

 again arrested. He was tried and burned alive at 

 Geneva on 27th October 1553. So died one of the 

 most remarkable figures in the annals of science. 

 Calvin cannot be exonerated from his share in this 

 cruel and wicked act, though it is said in his defence 

 -if such it can be called that he would have had 

 him beheaded rather than burned ! 



When Servetus was burned, the edition of his book was 

 burned with him. Copies of it are therefore excessively 

 rare, and indeed only three are known to exist. To one 

 of them now in the National Library at Paris a romantic 

 and melancholy interest is attached. This copy was 

 once owned by the prosecutor of Servetus at the Genevan 

 trial. As he worked up his case against his unfortunate 

 victim, he marked the passages that he thought the most 

 damning, and his underlines can still be traced in the 

 volume. The relic has yet another interest. It bears 

 the marks of fire ! Perhaps it was flung into the flames 



