i GERMANY: MAINZ: MARBURG 51 



work, the De Immenso, which was to see the light in 

 Frankfort ; and he published in this year a commentary 

 on the physics of Aristotle as well as an account of a 

 mathematical and cosmometric invention of one Fabrizio 

 Mordenti^ which seems to be of much less value than 

 Bruno supposed. 1 



XI 



Leaving France for Germany, the Nolan made his 1586. 

 first halt at " Mez, or Magonza, which is an archi- 

 episcopal city, and the first elector of the Empire"; 2 

 it is certainly Mayence. There he remained some Mainz, 

 days ; but not finding either there or at " Vispure, a 

 place not far from there/' any means of livelihood such 

 as he cared for, he went on to Wittenberg in Saxony. 

 " Vispure " has caused considerable exercise of ingenuity Marburg. 

 among Bruno's biographers. The best explanation 

 seems to be that of Brunnhofer, that it represents 

 Wiesbaden, which is not far from Mayence, and is still 

 popularly known as Wisbare or Wisbore ; but there 

 may also be a telescoping of the words Wiesbaden and 

 Marburg. Bruno was certainly at the latter town, but 

 it is of course a long distance from Mayence. On the July 25, 

 ist of July 1586, Petrus Nigidius, Doctor of Law and I5 6> 

 Professor of Moral Philosophy, was elected Rector of 

 the university at Marburg. In the roll of students 

 matriculated under his rectorship stands as eighth name 

 that of" Jordanus Nolanus of Naples, Doctor of Roman 

 Theology," with the date July 25, 1586, and the 

 following note by the rector : " When the right 

 of publicly teaching philosophy was denied him by me, 



1 Figuratio Arhtottlki Physici Auditus, Paris, 1586. Dialogi Duo de Fabricii 

 Mordenti* Salernitani prope divina adinventione ad perfectam cosmimetrae praxim, 

 Paris, 1586. Vide add. note. 



2 Doc. 9. 



