72 GIORDANO BRUNO PART 



XV 



Meantime Mocenigo was putting pressure on Bruno 

 to obtain the secrets he sought to know, while Bruno 

 at last became aware of his danger. He pretended he 

 wished to go to Frankfort to have some books printed, 

 and on a certain Thursday in May he took leave of 

 Mocenigo. The latter, fearing his prey was about to 

 escape, began to cajole him into staying, but passed to 



May 22. complaint and finally to threats as Bruno persisted. 

 On the night of the following day (Friday), as Bruno 

 had already made preparations for leaving, Mocenigo 

 came with his servitor Bartolo and five or six men, 

 whom Bruno recognised as gondoliers, from the neigh- 

 bouring stance, seized the philosopher and locked him 

 up in an attic-room. Mocenigo promised, if he would 

 stay and teach what was desired viz. "the formulas 

 for memory and geometry " ! to set him at liberty, 

 otherwise something unpleasant would befal him. This 

 novel method of drawing instruction being foiled by 

 the self-respect of the prisoner, the latter was left for 

 the night, transferred the following day to a cellar 

 under the ground, and during the night was handed 



The in- over to the servants of the Inquisition, who brought 

 *' him to their prison. On the 23rd of May, Mocenigo 

 denounced him to the Holy Office, with a hideous but 

 cunning travesty of some of his opinions, reporting 

 him, for example, as saying that Christ's miracles were 

 only apparent, that He and the apostles were magicians, 

 and that he himself (Bruno) could do as much or more 

 if he had a mind ; that the Catholic faith was full of 

 blasphemies against God ; that the Friars ought to be 

 prevented from preaching, and should be deprived of 



