“I will speak the truth. Several times I have been threatened with
being brought to this Holy Office, and I have always held it as a jest,
because I am ready to give an account of myself. While at Frankfort
last year, I had two letters from Signor Giovanni Mocenigo, in which he
invited me to come to Venice, as he wished me to teach him the art of
memory and invention, promising to treat me well, and that I should be
satisfied with him. And so I came, seven or eight months ago. I have
taught him various terms pertaining to these two sciences; living at
first outside of his house, and latterly in his own house. And, as it
seemed to me that I had done and taught him as much as was necessary,
and as was my duty in respect to the things he had sought me for, and
deliberating, therefore, to return to Frankfort to publish certain
of my works, I took leave of him last Thursday, so as to depart. He,
hearing this, and doubting lest I wished to leave his house to teach
other persons the very sciences I had taught him and others, rather
than to go to Frankfort, as I announced, was most urgent to detain me;
but I none the less insisting on going, he began at first to complain
that I had not taught him all I had agreed, and then to threaten me
by saying that, if I would not remain of my own accord, he would find
means to compel me. And the following night, which was Friday, seeing
me firm in my resolution of going, and that I had put my things in
order, and arranged to send them to Frankfort, he came, when I was
in bed, with the pretext of wishing to speak to me; and after he had
entered, there followed his servant Bortolo, with five or six others,
who were, as I believed, gondoliers of the sort near by. And they made
me get out of bed, and conducted me up to an attic, and locked me in
there, Master Giovanni saying that, if I would remain and instruct him
in the terms of memory and of geometry, as he had wished hitherto, he
would set me at liberty; otherwise, something disagreeable would happen
to me. And I replying all along that I thought I had taught him enough,
and more than I was bound, and that I did not deserve to be treated in
that fashion, he left me till the next day, when there came a captain,
accompanied by certain men whom I did not know, and had them lead
me down to a storeroom on the ground-floor of the house, where they
left me till night. Then came another captain, with his assistants,
and conducted me to the prison of this Holy Office, whither I believe
I have been brought by the work of the aforesaid Ser Giovanni, who,
indignant for the reason I have given, has, I think, made some
accusation against me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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