254 GIORDANO BRUNO PART 



divine love. This is the real meaning that underlies 

 t the bizarre and at times extravagant humour of the 

 dialogue : it points out the purification to which the 

 human soul must submit before it can become a fitting 

 vessel for the divine enthusiasm. 



Faith and Before a purer morality can be taught to any avail, 

 there must exist a desire for it in the minds of those to 

 whom it shall be revealed. In the way of Bruno's 

 proposed reformation there stood the attitude of the 

 Church and of the religious orders towards " faith " 

 and towards "works" respectively. Faith meant 

 merely professed belief in, or acceptance of, their 

 doctrines, and conformity with their practices blind 

 acceptance and unreasoning conformity in contrast 

 with which an earthly life that was simply moral was 

 held to be of no value towards the blessed life hereafter. 

 Under the influence of this spirit the worst vices were 

 practised, condoned, and pardoned, even in Bishops and 

 Cardinals, not to speak of the ordinary priests and 

 monks. It is only as embodying this conception that 

 Bruno attacked the Church. Thus Jupiter, in the 

 Spaccio, complains that his powers are decaying : " I 

 have not vigour enough to pit myself against certain 

 half-men, and I must, to my great chagrin, leave the 

 world to run its course as chance and fortune direct. 

 I am like the old lion of JEsop the ass kicked it with 

 impunity, the ape played tricks upon it, the pig came 

 and rubbed its dusty paunch upon it, as if it were some 

 lifeless log. My noble oracles, fanes, and altars are 

 thrown down, and most unworthily desecrated ; while 

 altars and statues are raised there to some whom I am 

 ashamed to name, for they are worse than our satyrs, 

 fauns, and other half-beasts, viler than the crocodiles of 

 Egypt ; for these at least showed some mark of 



