LITTLE 

 JOURNEYS 



was asked to recant, and we know he refused. We 

 also know that he repeated his heresies and hurled 

 back into the teeth of his accusers the invective they 

 heaped upon him Jt> jfr 



Bribery, persuasion, threat and torture were tried in 

 turn, but all in vain, for Bruno would not swerve. 

 Unlike Savonarola his quivering flesh could not wring 

 from his heart an apology. He scorned the rack and 

 thumbscrew, declaring they could not reach his soul. 

 He knew that death would be the end he prayed for 

 it, and even thought to hasten it by an aggravating 

 manner and harshness of speech toward his captors, 

 seemingly quite unnecessary. 



For seven years he was in prison. He was burned 

 alive on February 7, 1600, aged fifty-two. When bound 

 to the stake he turned his face from the crucifix that 

 was held before him, and sought to kiss the fagots. 

 His ashes were thrown to the four winds. 



'N the year 1564 Galileo Galilei was born, 

 consequently he was thirty-six years old 

 when Bruno was executed. He had known 

 Bruno, attended many of his lectures, and 

 had followed his career with interest ; and 

 while he agreed with him as to the Coper- 

 nican theory of the earth's revolution, he took excep- 

 tions to Bruno's arbitrary way of presenting the mat- 

 ter, and to his scathing criticisms of Theology. At this 

 time Galileo could not see that the extravagant words 

 38 



