406 HISTORY OF FORMAL ASTRONOMY. 



rozza, rustica, selvatica, et male allevata, non cede 

 ad altra che pascer possa la terra nel suo senoV 

 The work to which I refer is La Cena de le Cenere, 

 and narrates what took place at a supper held on 

 the evening of Ash Wednesday (about 1583, see 

 p. 145 of the book), at the house of Sir Fulk Gre- 

 ville, in order to give " II Nolano" an opportunity 

 of defending his peculiar opinions. His principal 

 antagonists are two " Dottori d' Oxonia," whom 

 Bruno calls Nundinio and Torquato. The subject 

 is not treated in any very masterly manner on 

 either side ; but the author makes himself have 

 greatly the advantage not only in argument, but 

 in temper and courtesy : and in support of his 

 representations of " pedantesca, ostinatissima igno- 

 ranza et presunzione, mista con una rustica inci- 

 vilita, che farebbe prevaricar la pazienza di Giobbe," 

 in his opponents, he refers to a public disputation 

 which he had held at Oxford with these doctors 

 of theology, in presence of Prince Alasco, and 

 many of the English nobility 3 . 



Among the evidences of the difficulties which 

 still lay in the way of the reception of the Coper- 

 nican system, we may notice Bacon, who, as is 

 well known, constantly refused his assent to it. 

 It is to be observed, however, that he does not 

 reject the opinion of the earth's motion in so pe- 

 remptory and dogmatical a manner as he is some- 

 times accused of doing: thus in the Thema Cceli 



2 Opere di Giordano Bruno, vol. i. p. 146. 3 vol. i. p. 17^. 



