No More Learning

" In the reading of the Historiographer be very wary, because for
the most part they are interested on the one hand or on the other When
they treat of any controversy. The most sincere authors are the English,
Paris, Hovedon, Walsingham. The most sincere and faithful history is to
be drawn out of the fathers and other writers of every time.
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? Air. 56. ] FRA PAOLO SARPI 173
" Above all it is necessary in reading to bear a neutral affection, and
not to suffer that which you find in one author, to take so deep in you that
it may not give place to the truth or greater probability which you may
find afterwards.
" But according to my judgment, to give a general and infallible rule
for all the difficulties that may occur in the process of your studies, I take
it to be best to consult with the Jesuits, and to resolve the clean contrary
of what they say.
" There remaineth, you say, the Parliament for a bank to keep them
from overflowirig; but I still see the water to increase and the earth of
the bank to diminish, which puts me in great doubt. We indeed are free
from their persons, but not from their vexations or ambushes. I know not
whether mischief to be the greater, that which they do being absent, or
that which they do being present. I begin to believe for that which now
I see, that they have been re-accepted in France to free that kingdom
from greater mischief, which they did in their absence, and peradventure
I am not deceived.
" Your worship doth esteem me more than is fitting, in thinking that
the Jesuits have any thought of me. Assure yourself that I am not high
enough to be stricken with such a lightning, unless they were (whereof I
doubt) in the number of those curious men that do not overstep, no, not
the least matters.
" However it be, every one is subject unto danger, only it rests to rely
ourselves on God, on these things whereunto no human caution can
arrive.
" I beseech your lordship to make me partaker sometimes of your let-
ters, whom you will oblige thereby. You will not be obliged to write
Italian, because, however I answer you in; my language, yet it is to me in-
different to yours in this or in French. Our Lord God give your
lordship all happiness, whose hands I reverently kiss.
" F. Paolo.
" From Venice, this 20th July, 1608. "
It has been denied, but it cannot be disproved, that after, as during the
time of the Interdict, there was a strong inclination on the part of many
Venetians to disentangle themselves from some of the innovations of the
Jesuits and other modern teachers of the Church of Rome; they wished
more liberty of conscience, they purchased the Italian Bible whenever they
had opportunity, they desired their Church to be less fettered and looked
for its return to its ancient usage: they were attracted by and interested
' in the sermons of Fra Paolo, the two Fulgenzios, Marsilio and the other
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? 174 THE LIFE OF [A. D. 1608.
- :88}:
theologians, " the seven. " They had greedily perused the Writings du-
ring the Interdict; these had exposed much that required to be known,
and intelligent minds discovered that there was not that impassable gulf
between the Church of Rome and the Church of Rome Reformed, as was
alleged, and they said, as did Fra Paolo, that there were many observan-
ces and abuses of the Church of Rome which only belonged to ignorance.
Their affections were touched by the magnitude of the love of the Saviour,
and as this, Paolo tells us, was the theme on which the preachers dwelt,
it is not marvellous what he relates of the numbers who hung on the lips
of Fulgenzio Micanzio.
Those who have listened to the impassioned language of the priests of
Italy to a throng of worshippers, can best picture to themselves Fra Paolo,
or Fra Fulgenzio with all the bold eloquence of truth, addressing the
hearts and understandings of the crowd who were loyal to their prince and
had shown themselves willing to follow him in his recent protest against
Rome. It is a well authenticated fact, on one occasion when preaching
from the Words of the Holy Saviour to the Jews. " Have ye not read? ' "
Fra Fulgenzio added, " If the Saviour were now to ask the question
' Have ye not read? ' all the answer you could make would be ' N o, we
are forbidden to do so. ' " And it is a fact equally well vouched for, that
when the Church resounded with the same demand that Pontius Pilate
the Roman Governor made to the Holy Saviour, " What is truth? " Fra
Fulgenzio took a New Testament from his pocket and told his auditors
that after long search he had found it there. He held the precious
volume up with outstretched hands in the sight of all, " But, " he exclaimed
as he returned the book to its place, " the book is prohibited! " The
effect of these words can scarcely he described, they stirred the assembly
to its depths, Fra Paolo and Fulgenzio were of the same. _opinion as the
learned Brucciolo, who told the Duke af Tuscany " that the reading
of the Holy Scriptures was of all means that most calculated to make his
' people de"out men and dutiful subjects. " There can can be no doubt but
that at the time and after the Interdict many copies of the Holy Scrip-
tures entered Venice, ' but these volumes were soon strictly prohibited:
the adherents of Rome prevented their entrance, and the people were
forced to be content with the portions of Holy Writ contained in their
books of common prayer.
An associate of Fra Paolo, the Secretary of Sir Henry Wotton, who
must have had full opportunity of judging of the truth of the above
statements thus expresses himself.
1 S. Matt. xn, 3.
2 Edition of the Bible (Diodati) 1607.
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? E1'. 56. ] . FRA PAOLO SARPI 175
"Venice is like a new world; it is the greatest consolation to find
oneself in companies and assemblies at the houses of the nobles, and
to hear them speak with so much piety and zeal of the truth of God
with those good men Father Paolo, Fulgenzio and Bedell, the Chaplain
of the Ambassador. The sermons in public are as good as could be
preached in Geneva, and they are delivered with so much earnestness,
that crowds flock to hear them, and it is necessary to go very early
to be in time to get a place. The Inquisition is kept under by a
Senator who is a member of it, and without whose voice nothing can
be decided. He is always chosen from the greatest opponents of the
Pope. ' The vehemence against the Pope and Court is greater than ever.
The Jesuits ar'e denounced from the pulpit, their doctrines refuted and
denied, and they mortally disliked; many of the nobles have provided
themselves with tutors of the reformed religion. Three fourths of the
nobility are much attached to the truth and the rest favorably in-
clined. " '
Here may be seen what reform within the Church of Rome can do.
Not only the nobles but the citizens and people heard Fra Paolo Iand
Fulgenzio gladly. The dislike of the Jesuits grew the stronger be-
cause they still endeavored to harass Venetia, and therefore it was not
malice but love of his country that still stimulated Fra Paolo against
them, he was particularly shocked by one of their Writings sent to
him from France, and boldly says, 'such things would not be endured
in Italy. ' Since their banishment he knew that they were secretly oc-
cupied against Church _and State, and they were not so much feared
as they had been, which he regretted. Next to religion, the most
prominent topic in Fra Paolo's correspondence is freedom, he was
gratified by M. Gillot's interest in the liberty of the Church. " I will
not say, " he writes, " of the Gallican, but of the Universal Church,
and perhaps in this age God wills by a milder method than' that
adopted in the last to annihilate tyranny. A foundation was then
attempted to be laid but it was incomplete, who knows but this may
succeed better? If God blesses the work we may have hope. "
The familiar nature of Sarpi's correspondence is thus expressed by
himself, "I Write to you without taking much account of what I say,
as if I spoke to you, but such is my habit, because familiar letters
ought to be the dictate of the heart without alfectation. " '
In a letter without date, but evidently prior to this period, he
remarks that Fra Fulgenzio Manfredi had left Venice for Rome. "He
1 Geneva, Aug. 10, 1608. Mem. Du Mornay, vol. x. p. 150.
3 M. Groslot, Sep. 3, 1608.
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? 176 THE LIFE. OF [A. D. 1608.
had been seduced by emissaries of the Pope, and had yielded after
two years persecution; had been provided with a safe conduclg/from
the Nuncio at Venice, had gone through the patrimony of the hurch,
and had been met and congratulated on his way. On his arrival he
was maintained, provided with three servants by the Pope, and receiv-
ed in audience, while the General of the Jesuits was kept waiting for
two hours. " But Sarpi knew how to estimate these passing honors.
"What will come of this, time will show, but possibly it will be seen
hereafter, that he who is believed by some to be infallible, may be
so in this also. " Healso knew that Manfredi could not give any in-
formation to the Court of Rome that would injure the Republic, and
"it was the common opinion that his life would be short. " '
Aboutthis time "command had been given to Michael Viti and
Parasio, " both Sarpi's assassins, to leave Rome, and the latter was
imprisoned a second time at Ancona. "I am very cautious," Sarpi
writes, " more to defeat their wishes, 'than for any esteem I have of
myself. The Court of Rome and the Head of it have not forgotten
that we would not acknowledge his omnipotence which is the greatest
sin that can'be committed against them. They long for revenge and
they spare neither pains or trouble to return to the old way. " '
For the most part his correspondence ike the mind of Sarpi, was
cheerful, he looked on events with the eye of one who referred all to
the allwise and almighty Ruler of the universe, he did not pretend to
fathom' mysteries, to foretell future events or to question the right of
God to do what and as he willed, his great intellect bowed to the
Divine with childlike submission. His letters are filled with short but
devout aspirations of trust in God; in seeing' impiety successful he
betrays no surprise, only observing, "It is What is predicted by the
'Holy Spirit, and is for the fulfilment of holy prophecy. We ought to
compassionate one that is blind, unless he is wilfully so. I have
always observed that nothing more precipitates danger than too great
avoidance of it. "
Here Sarpi evidently alludes to the constant warnings of his friends
to beware of danger as he continues, after observing that affairs at
Venice went very ill, "But I am too much occupied with a certain
conceit of others to take care of myself, because I trust wholly to
God, except when the discourse of others forces me to think of it. It
is a strange thing that they still try to seize me even in my own
chamber. . . Fifteen days since so1ne one went into the Colonna palace
1 Sep. 30, 1608. Sarpi to M. Groslot.
2 Appendix.
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? arr. 55. ] FRA PAOLO SARPI 177
to apprehend Poma. He defended himself by killing one of the sbirri,
and wounding others; he was wounded in the body as also his son:
they are now in prison. I do not comprehend these mysterious doings,
there must be some hidden art in them which I do not understand. "
This is his only comment.
The Court of Rome had determined that the works of Baronius
should be defended; this was contrary to Sarpi's strictures on the
Cardinal's work, and he was grieved to see Italy largely supplied with
pamphlets full. of untruth. Afraid of their works being prohibited,
their authors 'published them as if written on another subject than that
of which they 'treated.
He had perused the King of Great Britain's answer to Bellarmine,
and takes notice of the Catalogue of the Jesuits in Which are the
names of all their houses and colleges, those which they formerly pos-
sessed in Venetia are marked thus, ' and underneath is written, No-
tata nondum recuperatoe sunt. " If they say this with a vow, " adds
Sarpi, " that they will return thither, they are very bold, but perhaps
God will be for us. I hope so. "
Whatever was the rage of Sarpi's enemies without, they could not
rob him of Heaven's high peace within. It might be he was troubled
by being asked to wear mail beneath his habit, this admits of ques-
tion; besides, as he persevered at times in walking, the weight of
armor would have been great for his fragile body, and if he did wear
light armor, assuredly it would have been preserved with as jealous
care as the stiletto_ which Malpietro drew from his wound on the 5th
of October, Which is still to be seen in the Giustinian Museum
Venice.
? Catalogue illustrium virorum Societatis Jesu.
"M,"/','M,,N>>
1'
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? 178
CHAPTER IX.
A. D. 1609 -- A. nl 1617.
Doen or Vamcn. M. A. Memmo. 1614. G. Bcmbo.
SovaaEms or Guammz. Rodolph II. 1612 Matthias.
Guam BurrAm. James I.
FRANCE. Henry IV/\Louis X111. /6"
spAm. Philip III. /
Tuaxnr. Achmet I. 1617 Mustapha
Porn. Paul V.
WWW
Plots. - Manfredi. - Richer. - Public events. - Complaints against Fra Paolo. -
Extracts from his Letters. -- Marsilio. - History of the Uscochs. - Galileo. -
De Dominis.
Fra Paolo's enemies were not yet satisfied; they Were, however, un-
able to seize him as they still intended in the streets of Venice on
his way to the Palace. At last, they discovered that this could not be
attempted, as he never walked but in the most frequented parts of the
city, generally accompanied by Fra Fulgenzio or other friends, and so
remarked and saluted by the inhabitants that if any had dared to attack
him, their lives would have been instantly taken by the enraged multitude.
Fulgenzio's suspicions Were, however, aroused by a soldier who now
made his appearance, and beneath whose military garb it was suspected
that a priest was concealed; he made many attempts to converse with
Fra Paolo, but this was difficult, as no one was admitted without
first sending his name as Well as information as to his country and
profession, and being introduced by one of the nobles or an intimate
friend. This man addressed Fulgenzio, "and endeavored to tell him
that he had business of great importance to communicate well worthy
of his attention; that he would lay down his arms, or submit to
whatever the Father would require, but he would not listen to him.
However, the soldier appeared to place confidence in Fulgenzio, and
proceeded to tell him that he was a near relative of Cardinal Baro-
nins, but had fallen into disgrace, that he wished to give the Father
information which regarded his personal safety, and that he was ready
to certify the truth of what he asserted. "
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? 1-11'. 57. ] FR4. PAOLO SARPI L7/9
But when Fulgenzio only offered him money if he was in want,
the soldier exclaimed, "Beware of traitors, ye have need to do so.
God takes care of you who are better friars than others wish you were! "
This said, he disappeared.
It did not transpire whether this soldier--priest had any communica-
tion with Cardinal Bellarmine, or if it was to make Fra Paolo watch
against the same intended plot that he warned the friar, but the
instance about to be given of that Cardinal's true appreciation of his
old friend not only shows how his heart warmed towards him, but
demonstrates that in both there still remained virtue and Christian
charity. "The Cardinal sent his salutations twice to the Father, once
by a Roman secular, who told him by the Cardinal's command to guard
himself securely, because there was urgent need for such caution, and
again by Testoni a Venetian, a Roman friar on his way to Mantua.
He was commissioned by Cardinal Bellarmine, who mentioned Paolo
by naine, to salute the Father affectionately for him, to tell him that
he still retained his affection for him and to bid him note, that two
friars under the title of, " A life of the P. Paolo, " had written a libel-
lous work which they had presented to Paul V, who had given it to
the Cardinal for examination' in order to obtain his opinion of it,
with a view to its publication, but as the Cardinal knew the Father
well he told the Pope to believe that the work only contained notorious
calumnies, and their publication would only bring great dishonor on
the publisher.
Testoni told many such anecdotes to Fra Fulgenzio who observes
"that every kind of scandal both against his life and honor were
published, besides numerous libels to please the Court of Rome, but
the Father showed no sign of resentment or anger, one of his great
excellencies, and that which accompanied him to the tomb being his
gentleness, and all of his Order bore witness_ that they never heard
him seek revenge. " One of the authors was called P. Gioseffo, but
Fra Paolo, so far from returning evil for evil, although he- knew the
author of the libel above mentioned, did not punish him but permitted
him to enjoy an honorable employment; however, after Fra Paolo's
death, these calumnies and other delinquencies were the cause of his
banishment from the dominions of Venetia, but such was Paolo's charity
that when he received the greatest wrong his expression of counte-
nance Was most serene, and he endeavored to extenuate the offence as much
as possible, usually saying, that such an one's brain was touched, and that
in his position, or for his own interest, he could not do otherwise. '
1 MS.
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? 180 THE LIFE OF [A. D. 1609.
It has been noticed that the Archdeacon Rubetti had been well received
at Rome; five hundred ducats per annum were immediately conferred upon
him by the Pope, the recipient declaring, " that he had defended the Re-
public of Venice against his will! " 1 It is easy to conceive the mischief
that this ecclesiastic could, and did do against the Republic, he was one
of the seven who had put his name to writings in her favor, he was now
an informer against her.
The Court of Rome still continued to tamper with the Republic's defen-
ders. " As to me, " writes Sarpi, "I not only believe, but I have daily
proof of the snares laid for me. I do all I can by way of caution, but
without either anxiety or solicitude. Without God no design can be ef-
fected, whatever pleases Him best is for good. With this I am content.
They will gain nothing by taking my life, and through me they will find
greater opposition when Iam dead than when I am alive. They have used
every means lately to gain the others both by promises and by threats. I
believe they will not gain any more from them than they have done. They
do not attempt to gain me; they say openly there is no"'hope of me but by
daggers. " ' What a miserable life was Sarpi's in one sense, never to know
what it was to be safe from an assassin's thrust, and yet how he was to be
envied! Tranquil amidst revengeful passions, forgiving to his greatest ene-
mies, intrepid in the midst of danger, casting the veil of charity over the de-
fects of those who had once been his friends, never swerving from the path
of honor although' one of peril, but living a life of faith on the Son of God,
and listening to the holy solace which has emboldened the persecuted, "All
things are yours, Whether life or death, or things present or things to come,
all are yours, for ye are Christ's and Christ is God's. " The Senate of Ve-
nice was not so forgiving, indeed public justice required that he, who had
once defended the Republic and now betrayed her, ought to be punished
at all events in some measure, and while the Archdeacon was publicly
proceeded against, the Senate showed their approval of Fra Paolo and his
fellow supporters, by awarding two hundred ducats to each of those who
had proved themselves the stedfast defenders, faithful servants, and loyal
subjects of the Republic.
But Fra Paolo would not accept the proffered gift, " lest it should be said
that he had defended the public for gain, " and there still remained in his
heart the cherished hope that better times would dawn upon his country,
and that " if he were not alive to serve it, others would. "
In a letter of this date he takes a rapid survey of various subjects, and
mentions that the Due dc Sully had withdrawn from the Reformed Church,
1 Letters (Sarpi) Marciana.
3 Jan. 6, to M. Groslot 1609.
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? Ar. 57. ] FRA PAOLO SARPI 181
and attached himself to the communion of the Church of Rome. He adds,
" This is not 'true. " Sarpi had admired the Duke's conduct with regard
to the Jesuits, and does not appear to have ever expressed gratification on
hearing that any had quitted the Reformed, for this he has been censured.
Was it likely that he would when he desired reform in the Church of
Rome? He expressed approval of the confession of the Reformed Church
of France, especially of the. 3lst article, and observed " that the book would
survive whatever pains were taken for its suppression. " His tidings from
Rome augured ill for Fra Fulgenzio Manfredi. He had demanded a bis-
hopric, which had been refused, he had resisted public penance, but the
Archdeacon consented to perform it, and was seen barefooted, bearing a
candle, and visiting the seven churches. Whilst these measures were
enacted at Rome, Matthias had assumed the monarchy of Hungary, and
Sarpi comments frequently on the confusion which the Jesuits had caused
by their intrigues in Spain, France, Switzerland, and England.
It may be tedious to the reader to be obliged to read of these dis-
turbers of the peace of Europe so frequently as Sarpi mentions them,
but his biography cannot be written without a consecutive notice of
this body, of whom he was eager to obtain more knowledge. He had
studied Hosenmuller, but he had long been wishful to obtain the
Constitutions of the Jesuits, which were at last copied for him by
M. Castrine.
One might have supposed this body would have desisted from their
attempts to prejudice the Pope against Venetia, but he was still loud
incomplaint against Fra Paolo and the Republic, andthus expressed
his opinion to the French Ambassador.
" The Venetians employ three or four theologians at their own
charge to write against the authority of the Popes, and when the
book which the Frere Paul wrote by their command was shewn
by us to several learned theologians, they discovered eight pas-
sages which are palpably heretical; and we are informed by letters
from France, that many heretical books have been introduced into
Venice from Geneva. The Venetians think they derive great benefit
from the liberty they grant to all who inhabit their States, but they
do not reflectthat by this means they introduce heresy. An ambas-
sador from England, resident at Venice, is accompanied by a chaplain
who tampers with the nobles and citizens, and they spread the doctrines
of Luther and Calvin in such a manner that I believe," concluded
the Pope, "this Republic which has always been Christian, is about to
bury herself in heresy. " 1
1 M. de Bteves to H. M. Henry IV. Bib. Imra, MS.
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? 182 THE LIFE OF [A. D. 1609-
Such bitter feelings against Fra Paolo at Rome were but a prelude
of greater evil. The time had not yet passed away when mistaken men
thought they did good service to the Most High God by destroying his
faithful servant.
" In his youth the Cardinal Borghese had studied at Perugia, where
Fra Bernardo had so ingratiated himself with him, that on the creation
of Borghese as Cardinal, Bernardo went to Rome in hopes of prefer-
ment. This friar was acquainted with two others, Francesco and Anto-
nio, and under pretext of study, the General of the Servites was
prevailed upon to send Francesco to Padua; and its vicinity to Venice
gave frequent opportunity to Francesco to visit Antonio who resided
at Fra Paolo's convent.
"Although these two friars were of the same province and had
long known each other, their intimacy was not agreeable to Paolo7
but he only expressed this in general terms to Antonio, who ap-
parently withdrew from Francesco; though in reality they met pri-
vately without the convent, but with permission. They, however, cor-
responded, and Francesco's letters were sent to Antonio by a Jew, who
having carried a letter to the convent when Fra Antonio was from
home gave it to the porter who took it to P. Paolo, telling him 'that
he had made the Jew confess that this was a common occurrence, '
and as the Jews are not only far sighted but timid, this Jew told him
'that he wished to declare that he would not be the bearer of any
more letters, because he did not know the business that was so secret
between them. ' P. Paolo called for Fra Antonio and gave him the
letters, but he charged him to break off all intercourse with Francesco
on pain of dismissal from his service. Fra Antonio endeavored to excuse
himself and turned the whole affair into ridicule, merely observing
that the only reason of his intimacy with Francesco was to get a
good dinner from him. Fra Antonio was believed to he more simple
than wicked, yet although forbidden to correspond the two friars
continued to do so privately, and also held a long conversation in the
vestry of the Servi. At parting, being too much engrossed in earnest
conversation to be conscious of what he did, Fra Francesco pulled a
parcel of soft wax out of his hose, with which it was intended to
take the impression of some keys, and from this impression false keys
were to be made. The wax had adhered to a small packet of letters;
Fra Francesco gave the wax into the hands of Fra Antonio, but unper-
ceived the packet of letters fell to the ground. The friars separated,
the one to his cell in the Servi, the other went his way.
"The Sacristan picked up the letters and carried them immediately
to Fra Fulgenzio Micanzio, who on reading them found them to be
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? JET 57. ] FRA PAOLO SARPI 183
written in cypher, and on business of great importance. Fra Bernardo
had written to Francesco to solicit Fra Antonio to dispatch Paolo and
Fulgenzio at the Quadragesimale, ' that 500 scudi were ready and in
hand, and that 12,000 and more Were secure. In each letter he said
that he had spoken with the Holy Father and with the Fratello etc. ,
and that all were. anxiously awaiting the Quadragesimale, that the
Father General of the Servites entreated him not to doubt but that
he would be beatified, that the Holy Father had made all retire to
give him audience, with many similar particulars. These letters were
shown to P. Paolo by Fra Fulgenzio, but such was his meek self-
command, that he advised Fra Fulgenzio not to move in the matter,
but to keep silence, till all was more clearly discovered. But Fra
Fulgenzio had resolved otherwise, and without saying more, carried
the letters, eight in number, to the Most Excellent Inquisitor of State
Whom he informed how he had obtained them. Francesco, and soon
after Antonio were seized, and what followed remains secret in the
Archives of the State, but it was publicly knoWn that of the six
persons named in the letter by eypher, Fathers, Friars and Cousins,
except the General of the Servi, there was not one below the degree of
a Cardinal. "
"The orders were, at the Quadragesimale: 1? To stab P. Paolo
with a razor; 2? That something should be sent from Rome to put in his
food or in what he drank, and that thus with one bean they might
catch two pigeons (P. Paolo and Fulgenzio). But it was extremely
difficult, to administer poison to Paolo, on account of the great care
which was taken as to his food, as some bruicellato had been eaten in
the convent which caused illness.
. " The third and most likely way to make away with P. Paolo ap-
peared to these conspirators to be, that Fra Antonio should take the
impression of the keys of his cell with the wax above referred to,
that he should have false keys made from the impression, and that
Francesco, in the still hour of the night, should bring in secretly two
or three ruffians to murder the innocent P. Paolo. But God revealed
this infamous plot, and as the excellent Council of Ten wished to
ascertain the origin of this transaction, they gave sentence that if
Francesco did not communicate all he knew by a certain date, he
would be hanged. If he confessed the whole, he wasto be imprisoned
for twelve months, and then suffer perpetual banishment from Venetia.
Upon this, Francesco requested that search might be made in his
room at Padua, by a public functionary, where a large number of
1 Lent fast, also course of sermons preached during Lent.
? ? Generated for (University of Chicago) on 2014-06-11 22:54 GMT / http://hdl. handle. net/2027/uc1. 31158010289923 Public Domain, Google-digitized / http://www. hathitrust. org/access_use#pd-google
? 184 THE LIFE OF [. \. D. 1609.
letters in cypher and counter cypher were discovered concealed in a
cabinet, where all the above was clearly proved, as well as what the
government thought fit to conceal. " '
But lest Fra Fulgenzio he charged with exaggeration of this plot
against Fra Paolo Sarpi, will the reader' permit a further corroboration
of these facts from Fra Francesco Gio. Gratiani's own pen, although
it involves some repetition? Throughout a MS. letter to Pope Paul V,
Francesco calls himself " Fra Gio. " He tells of his reception of a let-
ter from Rome from Fra Bernardo of Perugia in the service of the
Cardinal Borghese; of his being asked to go to Venice to ascertain
from Antonio (Fra Paolo's secretary), if Fra Paolo was writing a
history of the Popes, as also of his being desired to advise Antonio
to leave Paolo's service.
These injunctions he says he obeyed, and easily got access to Fra
Antonio, as he had formerly known him, and found many volumes in
his cell of a pernicious nature, and specially notes, " Confessioni della
fede di alcune Chiese sparse in Francis, et in altre pmlel mondo, "
and that there were also many other heretical books shown to him by
Fra Antonio. who at first appeared afraid, but afterwards promised to
send some of the books to Fra Gio, and also to go to Padua to pass
eight or ten days with Fra Antonio, and confided to Fra Gio that
the great aim of Sarpi was to deal a good blow to the Popes of
Rome, and to show that all the troubles in the Church came into it
by the Popes.
Fra Gio also relates, that he immediately communicated with Fra
Bernardo at Rome, and sent him the title of Fra Paolo's book, telling
him that it had been taken from Fra Antonio's table, and continues,
" One morning, after he had celebrated mass, I took him to S. Giu-
stina, to the chapel of the blessed Virgin, into a remote secret place,
and reasoned with him in this manner: 'Fra Antonio, I wish to tell
you something very important, but before I tell you, you must swear
on the holy stone before the blessed Virgin. '
" Fra Antonio swore that he would not tell one living person. I
said, this negotiation was for the honour of God, for the good of our
holy Christian religion and of our Order; that I understood that they
wished to have some of the writings of Fra Paolo at Rome, and to
see under his hands his writings against the Roman pontitfs, and
that doing this would do honour to God, and to the Catholic religion.
And I showed him the said letter from Rome, and the intentions
of your Holiness, and of the Cardinal Borghcse. Fra Antonio on
1- MS.
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? arr. 57. ] FRA PAOLO SARPI 185
seeing this letter, conceived high hopes of temporal weal," and Fra
Gio states, "that towards two o'clock in the morning they consorted
how to steal the writings of Fra Paolo, and that on that occasion Fra
Antonio said, 'Fra Gio Francesco, I wish to tell you an important
matter,' and then in lengthy phrase he related, how he had once
been asked to kill Fra Paolo; that he then could not imbrue his hands
in his blood, but he expressed himself now willing to rid the world
both of Fra Paolo and Fra Fulgenzio, if Bernardo would send the
poison from Rome. "
He added, "that nothing was easier than to poison them, as they
dined together after the other friars had dined. Upon Fra Antonio
saying, that he would write to Bernardo on this subject, Fra Gio
said he Would write first, and expressed a wish to have a copy of
the heretical book. "
The day after, Fra Antonio returned to Venice, and Fra Gio rose
early for matins and left the lamp burning. When he returned, Fra
Antonio had written and sealed his letter. Fra Gio opened it and read
it, and judging that its contents were not sufficiently obscure, he told
him so. On this Fra Antonio wrote him a second letter and sent it
to Rome, but other letters passed, and there is an acknowledgment
of 10 scudi. At length it occurred to Fra Antonio that it would be a
good plan if he took an impression of the keys of the room of Fra
Paolo, and it would thus be an easy matter to effect his death, and
on this being written to Rome, there came an answer to say, that
"this was the easiest and most approved way. "
Fra Gio further relates, that soon after this the impression of the
keys was taken by Fra Antonio, he intending to go afterwards to
Ferrara to have the keys made. He further promised to get some
leaves of Fra Paolo's books. Fra Gio mixed the wax and turpentine
wherewith the impression was to be made; but it was ill melted. The
reader knows the result. It was not the will of heaven that the world
should be defrauded of the writings of Fra Paolo Sarpi, and in place
of Fra Gio and Fra Antonio sending them to Rome to be committed
to the flames, and the whole body of the astonished Servi standing
around the murdered Fra Paolo, the Doge and Senate bewailing the
irreparable loss of their theologian and counsellor, just retribution over-
took the deluded friar. At two o'clock, Fra Gio, when at Maria d'A-
bramo, Piazzo di S. Marco, was seized by the sbirri, dragged to prison,
and shortly after examined before three nobles who, according to the
laws of Venice, were present at this inquisitorial inquiry, and was
charged with taking the impression of the keys of the Fra Paolo Sarpi.
This these judges had learned from the letters which had been found.
? ? Generated for (University of Chicago) on 2014-06-11 22:54 GMT / http://hdl. handle. net/2027/uc1. 31158010289923 Public Domain, Google-digitized / http://www. hathitrust.