82 GIORDANO BRUNO PART 



familiarity with the magic arts. Three weeks later 

 Morosini was examined and Ciotto re-examined ; in 

 both cases the evidence was wholly in Bruno's favour, 

 juiy 30. Then a long interval elapsed. It was not till the 3oth 

 of July that the case was again taken up. 1 Bruno had 

 nothing to add to his defence, except his constant desire 

 to enter the Church, if he could only do so without 

 undergoing the bondage of monkhood again. Worn 

 out by anxiety, and possibly by torture, he humbled 

 himself before his judges: kneeling, he asked pardon of 

 God and of his judges for all the errors he had committed, 

 and offered himself as prepared for any penance they 

 might lay upon him. He hoped his chastisement might 

 exceed rather in gravity than in publicity, whereby 

 dishonour might be cast upon the sacred habit of the 

 Order which he had borne ; and if by the mercy of God 

 and of " their illustrious lordships," his life should be 

 granted him, he promised to make amends for the 

 scandal he had created by equally great edification. 



XVI 



This closed the acts of the process so far as the 

 Venetian tribunal was concerned. The " Sacred Con- 

 gregation of the Supreme Tribunal of the Holy Office," 

 at Rome, was eager to secure the distinguished heretic for 

 itself, and on the I2th of September the Cardinal San 

 Severina wrote to this effect ; the Venetian tribunal, 

 on the 1 7th, gave orders that Bruno be sent as soon as 

 possible to the Governor of Ancona, who would see to 

 his further custody to Rome. On the 28th this 

 decision was reported to the Doge and Council of 

 Venice by the Vicar of the Patriarch (the Father 



1 Doc. 17. 



