i BRUNO LEAVES PARIS: ENGLAND 21 



But Bruno's evil genius would not allow him rest ; 

 whether on account, as he himself says, of " tumults," 

 which may mean either the civil war * or an active 

 resistance to his own teaching on the part of the youth 

 of Paris, or because of the attraction of a less bigoted 

 country, he was drawn in 1583 to exchange Paris 

 for London. 



England under Elizabeth was renowned for its England, 

 tolerance ; all manner of religious refugees found there a * 583 ' 

 place of safety : to Italians its welcome was particularly 

 cordial, their language was the favoured one of the 

 court, and Elizabeth herself eagerly saw and spoke 

 with them in their own tongue. Florio an Italian in 

 spite of having had London for his birthplace, the 

 friend of Shakespeare, of Spenser and Ben Jonson 

 was constantly at court ; two of Elizabeth's physicians 

 were Italian, as were several of the teachers of the 

 universities. Perhaps the happiest days of Bruno's 

 troubled life were spent here ; he had access to the 

 most brilliant literary society of the time ; he was able 

 to speak, write, and publish in his own tongue, and in 

 consequence gave all the most polished and brilliant 

 of his works to the world during this period. 



In April, May, and June of 1583 Bruno was in Oxford, 

 Oxford, although the university and college records 

 make no mention of his name. He must have known 



it as a stronghold of Aristotelianism ; on its statutes The 

 stood " that Bachelors and Masters who did not follow AritStie? d 

 Aristotle faithfully were liable to a fine of five shillings 

 for every point of divergence, and for every fault 



Cf. Or at. Censcl (i. I. 32). 



