Page:A history of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, volume 3.djvu/244

 228 POLITICAL HERESY.— THE CHURCH. Two other houses of Savonarola's partisans were likewise pillaged and burned.* In the midst of the uproar there came forth successive procla- mations from the Signoria ordering Savonarola to quit the Flor- entine territories within twelve hours, and all laymen to leave the church of San Marco within one hour. Although these were fol- lowed by others threatening death to any one entering the church, they virtually legalized the riot, showing what had doubtless been the secret springs that set it in motion. The assault on San Marco then became a regular siege. Matters had for some time looked so threatening that during the past fortnight the friars had been secretly providing themselves with arms. These they and their friends used gallantly, even against the express commands of Savonarola, and a melee occurred in which more than a hundred on both sides were killed and wounded. At last the Signoria sent guards to capture Savonarola and his principal aids, Do- menico and Salvestro, with a pledge that no harm should be done to them. Resistance ceased ; the two former were found in the library, but Salvestro had hidden himself, and was not captured till the next day. The prisoners were ironed hand and foot and carried through the streets, where their guards could not protect them from kicks and buffets by the raging mob.f The next day there was comparative quiet. The revolution in which the aristocracy had allied itself with the dangerous classes was complete. The Piagnoni were thoroughly cowed. Oppro- brious epithets were freely lavished on Savonarola by the victors, and any one daring to utter a word in his defence would have been slain on the spot. To render the triumph permanent, how- ever, it was necessary first to discredit him utterly with the peo- ple and then to despatch him. Xo time was lost in preparing to give a judicial appearance to the foregone conclusion. During the dav a tribunal of seventeen members selected from among: his special enemies, such as Doffo Spini, was nominated, which set promptly to work on April 10, although its formal commis- sion, including power to use torture, was not made out until the + Landucci, p. 171. — Processo Autentico, pp. 544. 549. — Burlamacchi, p. 564. — Nardi, Lib. it. p. 78. — Villain, II. 173-77; App. pp. xciv.. ccxxv., ccxxxiii.
 * Landucci, p. 170. — Processo Auteutico, pp. 534, 543. — Burlamacchi, p. 564.