The Evil Eye, Thanatology, and Other EssaysPark, Roswell
Religion
The Evil Eye, Thanatology, and Other Essays
Park, Roswell
Bruno, Giordano, 1548-1600; Evil eye; Knights of Malta; Medicine; Mythology; Religion; Students
Bruno published seven works in England. The first was "_Explicatio
triginta Sigillorum_," the Thirty Seals thus explained being hints for
acquiring, arranging and remembering all arts and sciences. To it was
added his _Sigillus Sigillorum_ for comparing and explaining all mental
operations. Then came an Italian dialogue "_La Cena de le Ceneri_" or
Ash Wednesday Supper. This was written in praise and extension of the
Copernican theory, indeed quite exceeding it in teaching the identity
of matter, the infinity of the universe, the possibility of life on
other spheres, with a painstaking attempt to show that these notions
do not conflict with those of Mother Church. Next came "_De Causa,
Principio et Uno_." (Cause, Principle and Unity). This treated of the
immanence of spirit, the eternity of matter, the potential divinity
of life, the origin of sin and death, and many other similar abstruse
topics. It was followed by _De l'Infinito Universo ed Mondi_, with
numerous reasons for believing the universe to be infinite and full of
innumerable worlds, with the divine essence everywhere pervading.
All these works appeared in 1583. In 1584 appeared his "_Spacio de la
Bestia Triofante_" or Expulsion of the Triumphant Beast. In this prose
poem Jupiter, repenting his errors, resolves to expel the many beasts
that occupy his heavenly sphere--the constellations--and to substitute
for them the virtues. In the council of the gods convened by him many
subjects are discussed, among them the history of religions, the
contrasts between natural and revealed religions and the fundamental
forms of morality. In this allegory Jupiter represents of course
the human spirit; the Bear, the Scorpion, etc., are the vices to be
expelled. Unfortunately the book was quite generally regarded as
attack upon the Church or the Pope, though what he really struck at
was the credulity of mankind. It was dedicated to Sir Philip Sydney.
Then came his "_Cabala del Cavallo Pegasio_" or Cabal, dedicated to a
suppositious Bishop who was made to impersonate the spirit of ignorance
and sloth. It is a mordant satire on Asinity, including credulity and
unquestioning faith. After this he dedicated another work to Sidney.
"_Degl' Heroici Furori_" (Enthusiasms of the Noble), a collection of
sonnets with prose commentaries, like Dante's _Vita Nuova_, touching
on the love for spiritual beauty arising from that for physical beauty
attaining a climax in a sort of ecstasy by union with the divine. These
sonnets possess a very high literary value aside from their other
interest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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