the said lords caused to be prepared two new habiliments, which it was expected the two friars would willingly enter the fire with, and consent to take off their own.

"Fra Francisco, the Franciscan, not only consented to the proposal of the lords, but offered to go through the ordeal without any habit, to remove all cause for suspicion, and thus enter the fire in a state of nudity-et nudum ignem intraturum.

"Fra Dominic, the Dominican, by words and subterfuges, refused either to relinquish his habit or to exchange it for another, which refusal Fra Francisco, the Franciscan, hearing of, said to all present that he would not contend with Fra Domingo on this point, but would allow him to wear his own habit, though made of cloth, as it would inevitably be burned, and he (the owner) with it. It was therefore admitted, with the consent of the Franciscans, that Fra Domingo should wear his own habit. The Dominican friar, Domingo, now said he would never enter the fire without the crucifix he held; on which point, there being a consultation with the lords, Fra Francisco rejoined, and besought the lords that even this should be allowed to Fra Domingo, for even this would not preserve him from the flames, but he would only be the sooner consumed with it.

"This point was also conceded by the lords of the council to the Dominican.

"But this even was not enough for Fra Domingo, for he continued to evince great dread of the fire. He now required permission to carry with him into the fire the blessed sacrament; otherwise in no wise a danger of this kind would be encountered by him- alioquin nequaquam esset hujusmodi periculum de se facturus.

"Which proposal, when submitted to the lords of the council, they would by no means admit. The spectacle was put an end to-dissolutum est spectaculum-and everybody returned home. This rumour getting among the people, created a strong feeling of indignation, and suspicion likewise, against Fra Girolamo ; so that on Monday, the 9th of April, in the evening, the populace,

* Diarium Burchardi, p. 54.

with great clamour and vehemence, rushed to the convent of S. Marco, in which the said Fra Girolamo resided, which convent his brethren shut fast against the assailants, and in it, with machines for projectiles, bombardos, and other offensive weapons which they were furnished with, they defended their convent against the people. But at length the latter entered by force, five or six being killed, three of whom were monks, one of the slain being a professed monk of the Dominican order, a brother of Fra Girolamo, and the two others brethren also of the order.

"They took prisoners Fra Girolamo and two other monks, namely, Fra Sylvester de Florentia, and * *. They led them to the palace of the Florentine lords, and then shut them up in prison.

"The people then ran to the houses of Francis de Valore and Paul Anthony Soderini, the brother of the bishop of Volteranni, who principally favoured Fra Girolamo. First they went to the house of Francis de Valore, whom, not finding there, they returned to the palace of the lords of the council, and in the square meeting with him, they killed and barbarously dragged him through the city. His wife, who endeavoured to defend her house, was also killed by them, and everything in the house was destroyed; all his goods were carried away, each taking all that he could carry. Then they rushed again to the house of Soderini, and proceeded to make an attack, as they had done on the other habitations. But one of the Signori opportunely provided for its safety, and by his people succoured Soderini and his house. Populo autem fecit sub bonis modis et pænis inhiberi ut recederet quod et fecit.'

But if the evidence of the agent of Alexander the Sixth should appear better deserving of credit in all particulars than the details given by Burlamacchi and Mirandola, let us turn to the pages of the Florentine historian for his statement of the facts of this case.

Guicciardini's account of the proposed ordeal is to the following effect :

* Burchard's Diary, p. 55.

"Savonarola, having been long before accused to the Pope of "the following crimes, that he preached scandalously against "the manners of the clergy, and of the court of Rome, that he "nourished divisions in Florence, that his doctrines were not "entirely Catholic, and having for these reasons been summoned "to appear at Rome by several Apostolical briefs, refused to go. "there, alleging divers excuses, and on this account, he had, at last, in the preceding year, been excommunicated by the Pope. By reason of this sentence, he abstained some months "from preaching, and if he had abstained longer, he might have "obtained his absolution easily; because the Pope, who made no great account of Savonarola, had proceeded against him, "rather by the instigation and persuasion of his adversaries, "than for any other cause. But he, concluding that it was

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owing to his silence that his reputation declined so fast, or "that the end which he had in view was thereby interrupted, "as he had chiefly raised himself by his vehemence in preaching, despised the Pope's orders, and returned afresh to the 'public discharge of that office; affirming, that the censures 'published against him were unjust and void, as being contrary to the will of God, and prejudicial to the interest of society. "He railed most severely at the Pope and the whole court: "which occasioned a violent uproar. His adversaries (whose authority with the people decreased daily) detested this dis"obedience, and laid to his charge, that by his rash conduct "the Pope's mind was altered, and that too, at a time when he "was treating with other confederates about the restitution of "Pisa, and when it was proper to do every thing that might con"firm him in that inclination. On the other hand, his followers "defended him, saying, that people ought not, for the sake of "worldly consideration, to disturb the work of God; nor con"sent that under such pretexts, the Pope should begin to "meddle with the affairs of their Republic. This dispute having "lasted several days, and the Pope being strangely provoked, "and thundering out new briefs and threatenings of excom"munication against the whole city, he was at length com

"manded by the magistrates to desist from preaching. He "obeyed their orders, but several of his brethren did in divers "churches the same thing that he had done. As the clergy were no less divided than the laity, the monks of other orders "did not cease to preach against him with great vehemence, "and they were inflamed at length to such a degree, that one of "the friars who adhered to Savonarola, and one of the friars "minors, agreed to enter into the fire in the presence of the "whole people, to the end, that according as Savonarola's friar "should escape or be burned, every one might plainly see whether "he was a prophet or an impostor: because formerly he had "several times affirmed in his sermons, that, as a sign of the "truth of his prediction, he would obtain of God, when it should "be necessary, the favour to pass unhurt through the middle of "the fire. Being nevertheless vexed, that the proposal of "coming to an immediate proof of it should have been made "without his knowledge, he dexterously tried to divert it. But as the thing had already gone too far, and was pressed by some citizens, who desired to see their country rid of so much vexation, it was at last necessary to proceed. Wherefore, the "two friars, accompanied by all their brethren, being come on "the day appointed to the place which is before the public "palace, where were assembled, not only all the people in Florence, but likewise several others from the neighbouring towns, "the friars minors were informed, that Savonarola had ordered "his monk to carry the sacrament in his hand when he entered "into the fire. As they began to protest against this, and to "allege, that by such means an attempt was made to endanger "the authority of the Christian faith, which would decline very "much in the minds of the ignorant if the Host should burn, and as Savonarola, who was present, still persisted in his reso"lution, there arose such a discord between them, that they did "not proceed to make the experiment. He lost so much credit by this, that the next day his adversaries, encouraged by some "accidental tumult, took arms, and joining to these the authority "of the supreme magistrates, they entered by force into the

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"convent of S. Marco, where he resided, and carried him, to"gether with two of his brethren, to the public gaol."*

Having now laid before my readers the most ample details to be met with on this subject in different works, of several authors cotemporary with Savonarola, I will merely trouble them with one or two observations on these matters.

The conduct of Fra Domenico de Pescia throughout the whole transaction, appears to be that of a pious, enthusiastic, faithful, straight-forward man, having an entire confidence in the truth and sanctity, of the life and doctrines, preaching and teaching, of Fra Girolamo, and a perfect assurance in the divine protection for his safety, in the trial he was prepared to make. With respect to Fra Girolamo, it seems evident from the first, that he was not favourable to the proposed ordeal; that he had been no party to the treaty entered into incautiously by Fra Domenico with the Franciscans; but that, in several discourses, having made appeals to heaven in defence of the truth of his doctrine-such as calling on God to deprive him of life if the words he spake were not true—and inviting his adversaries to disprove them by any means whatsoever if they could do so--an impression had been made on the mind of Fra Domenico da Pescia, that the ordeal proposed by the Franciscans to him, came within the category of those means of testing the truth to which Fra Girolamo had generally referred in his discourses.

But when the engagement had been entered into by Fra Domenico, Fra Girolamo appears to have dreaded the effects on the popular mind, of withdrawing from it. We must bear in mind, at that moment, that his adversaries-with whom it is unfortunate to have to say, that many eminent persons of the Franciscan order were leagued-were waging a fierce war, not only against his doctrines, but against his life.

There was manifest peril, then, to be apprehended in giving an advantage to the Franciscans, which would have been accounted a signal triumph by them and their adherents.

But there was a greater peril, which it is to be lamented Fra *Guicciardini, Hist. d'Ital. lib. iii..