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

330
HISTORY OF THE POPES.
The edicts addressed by Rome to the provincial Inquisitors,
however, did not always contain exhortations to greater
activity. When complaints reached Rome about the Inquisi-
tor at Pavia, Fra Pietro da Ouintiano, who had imprisoned a
certain Miliavacca, the Roman Inquisition had the minutes
of the trial sent to it, and as a result, on October i8th, 1568,
ordered the Inquisition of Pavia to acquit and release the
condemned man from his imprisonment. ^ The unjust In-
quisitor was informed that the Cardinal Inquisitors had been
very much astonished at the trial, that the witnesses were
not worthy of credence, that their depositions were negligible,
and in no way proved the charge of heresy, and that it had
been suggested to the witnesses, by the way in which the
questions had been put, what answers they v/ere to make.^
The Cardinal Inquisitors sought to lay the principal blame on
Fra Pietro 's subordinates,^ but he had nevertheless to resign
his office.*
The German students at the University of Padua, many
of whom were Protestants, remained for the most part un-
disturbed, so long as they did not rouse the hostihty of the
^ The decree (of Cardinal Ribiba) is printed by Ettore Rota
m Bollett. della Soc. Pavese di storia patria, VII. (1907), 27-29.
^ ' Questi signori miei sono restati molto scandalezzati di detto
processo, e gli e parse che si sia date a' testimoni esaminati piu
fade di quelle che conveneva, attenta maximainente la qualita
lore e detti suoi, e I'interessi ch'havevano con il Miliavacha;
oltrache, la maggior parte delle cose che dicono sono frivole, et
anco non pertinenti alia heresia, et in quella che potevano toccarla,
poco verisimili ;
sono stati interrogati di mal modo et con interro-
gatori suggestivi ; et il mettere prigione quel testimonio et fare
alii altri precetti penale pecuniarii in simil caso non e stato laudato,
et in somma non s' e proceduto con quella saldezza e gravita che
conviene a tanto tribunale." Although Miliavacca may not be
the best man in the world, the Inquisition must nevertheless con-
fine itself to inquiring into heresy, or at least into those offences
which smack of heresy. Bollett. Pavese, loc. cit. 27 seq.
^ Ibid. 28.
* Ibid. Tlie gravest accusations of abuse of his office were also
brought against him {ibid. 23 seqq.).