The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

THE INQUISITION AT MANTUA. 323
Duke's counsellors were themselves heretics, ^ and heresy had
assumed a revolutionary and political character at Mantua. ^
A canon of Mantua, whom Pius V. demanded should be sent
to Rome on October 31st, 1567,^ openly maintained that the
human soul perished with the bod3^* The convent of the
Dominicans was violently assaulted," and the Duke summoned
the Inquisitor before him and rebuked him for having
imprisoned respectable citizens without the knowledge of the
prince.'' An attempt to obtain from Rome, by means of a
special envoy, the recall of the Inquisitor, was rendered hope-
less b\^ a fresh act of violence which occurred immediately
after the departure of the envoy. On Christmas night, two
brothers of the Third Order, who were on their way to the
midnight service, were kiUed in the pubhc streets.' As was
only to be expected Pius V. refused the request of the envoy,
saying that if the Duke persisted in his leniency towards the
heretics, he would witness even worse crimes ;
that the Pope
could not aUow himself to be frightened or turned aside from
his course of action against the heretics even if all the
Dominicans were cut to pieces.^ The envoy returned home
in January, 1568, without having accomplished his purpose.
All that he had obtained was that the Inquisitor was to make
his excuses to the Duke.^
In order to put an end to this state of confusion, Pius V.,
^ " Qui [a Roma] si sa molto bene .
. . che
rEcc. V. e male
consigliata et ingannata, e che ha tre o quattro consiglieri heretici
marci." The Count of S. Giorgio to Mantua, December 24, 1567,
in Davari, 793.
- Campeggio, October 14, 1567, ibid. 791.
' See the *brief to the Duke of Mantua in the Gonzaga Archives,
Mantua.
^ Bertolotti, Martiri, 45. He was an Averroist or follower
of Pomponazzo.
* Davari, 776.
« Ibid.
' Ibid. 792.
« Ibid. 777 ; cf. 793.
9 Ibid. 777 seq. ; 795,
'