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HISTORY OF THE POPES.
ous heretic " who had been heard of for many years. ^ His be-
haviour during the autodafe was not calculated to help popular
opinion in favour of the unhappy man. At first Carnesecchi,
relying on his powerful patrons, listened to the accusation with
a lofty air, but he suddenly collapsed when, contrary to his
expectations, he was condemned to be handed over to the
secular arm. On his return to his prison he sought consolation
from the Capuchin, Pistoja, who was wont to care for the
unhappy sinners. ^ Once more the Pope postponed the carry-
ing out of the sentence for ten days, in order to give the blinded
man an opportunit}^ for the contrite confession of his errors,
which would have saved his life.^ On October ist, he,
together with another, was beheaded and burned, but to the
end he was so vague and confused in his statements that, as he
himself had said, neither the CathoHcs nor the heretics could
feel satisfied about him.*
^ " Gl'inquisitori e tutti dicono essere malissimo uomo (Serristori
September 21, 1567, Legaz. di Serristori 441). In ristretto non
f u udito da molti anni in qua il piu brutto, 11 piu scelerato heretico
di cestui. . . . Ogniuno di passo in passo stupiva d'udir tanta
scelerato heretico di cestui. . . . Ogniuno di passo in passo stupiva
d'udir tanta sceleragine " (B. Pia to the Duke of Mantua in
Bertolotti, Martiri 39).
- B. Pia, loc. cit. For Pistoja cf. Arch. Rom., XIII., 156.
^ Legaz. di Serristori, 443.
* " Egli medesimo in ultimo confess6 non aver satisfatto ne
alii eretici, ne alii cattolici " (Tiepolo, September 27, 1567, in
CANTtr, Eretici, II., 434). Giov. Antonio de Taxis wrote on
October 11, 1567 : " II Carneseccha se confesso et comunico il di
inanzi, pero con tutto questo dicono che mori non del tutto
repentito " (in Lassen, Briefe des Masius, 396). It may be supposed
that Taxis confused Carnesecchi with his companion, who
was really converted. But Firmanus (*Diarium p. 195, Papal
Secret Archives : see App. nn. 35-47) on October i, 1567. says
of the two victims : " Isti die praeterita acceperant ss. sacramentum
Eucharistiae " although he calls him " impoenitens " (that is,
impenitent while there was still time). *Arco on September 29,
" Esso mostra curar poco di vita o
1567, writes of Carnesecchi :
di morte " (State Archives, Vienna). On October 4 he *relates