Flowers of Freethought (Second Series)Foote, G. W. (George William)
Religion
Flowers of Freethought (Second Series)
Foote, G. W. (George William)
Free thought
Now, for our second instance. Bruno was betrayed to the Venetian
Inquisition by Count Mocenigo while he was that nobleman's guest.
Mocenigo had invited him to Venice in order that he might learn what
this writer calls "his peculiar system for developing and strengthening
the memory," although this "peculiar" system was simply the Lullian
method. What the nobleman really wanted to learn seems to have been the
Black Art. He complained, and Bruno resolved to leave him; whereupon the
"nobleman," who had harbored Bruno for months, forcibly detained him,
and denounced him to the Inquisition as a heretic and a blasphemer. A
more dastardly action is difficult to conceive, but our Scotch libeller
is ready to defend it, or at least to give it a coat of whitewash. He
allows that Mocenigo does not appear to have been animated "with the
motive of religious zeal," and that his "conscience" never "troubled
him" before the "personal difference." But he discovers a plea for
this Judas in his "sworn statement" to the Inquisition that he did not
suspect Bruno of being a monk until the very day of their quarrel. What
miserable sophistry! Would not a man who violated the most sacred laws
of friendship and hospitality be quite capable of telling a lie? Still
more miserable is the remark that Bruno was not ultimately tried on
Mocenigo's denunciations, but on his own published writings. Jesus
Christ was not tried on the denunciations of Judas Iscariot, but on
his own public utterances, yet whoever pleaded that this gave a sweeter
savor to the traitor's kiss?
So much--though more might be said--for the writer's meanness. Now for
his other virtues, and especially his ignorance. After dwelling on the
battle at Rome over the proposal to erect a public monument to Bruno,
this writer tells us that "a small literature is arising on the
subject," and that the name of Bruno is "suddenly invested with an
importance which it never formerly possessed." Apparently he is unaware
that, so far from a small literature arising, a large Bruno literature
has long existed. He has only to turn to the end of Frith's book, and
he will find an alphabetical list of books, articles, and criticisms
on Bruno, filling no less than ten pages of small type. He might also
enlighten his ridiculous darkness by reading the fine chapter in
Lewes's _History of Philosophy_, Mr. Swinburne's two noble sonnets, and
Professor Tyndall's glowing eulogy of Bruno's scientific prescience in
the famous Belfast address. Perhaps Hallam, Schwegler, Hegel, Bunsen
and Cousin are too recondite for the Scotch libeller's perusal; but
he might, at any rate, look up Lewes, Swinburne and Tyndall, who are
probably accessible in his local Free Library.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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