Des plus lettrez dessus les faits celestes

Seront par princes ignorans reprouuez,

Punis d'edit, chassez comme celestes,

Et mis à mort là où seront trouuez.

Some of those most lettered in the celestial facts

Will be condemned by illiterate princes:

Punished by Edict, hunted, like criminals,

And put to death wherever they will be found.

The 1-2 lines. In the Middle Ages the fires of the Inquisition were blazing in many countries of Europe. Especially was brutal the Spanish and Italian inquisition. True, she herself could not bear the death penalty, but gave the convicted to secular justice. If scientists put forward theories or teachings that are contrary to church dogma, they were accused of heresy. This slowed the development of science until the Holy Inquisition ceased to exist in the XIX century.

The 4 line. The most famous victim of obscurantism was Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) – an Italian astronomer and mathematician, philosopher and poet. In 1600 he was burned alive at the stake. He popularized the teachings of Copernicus, arguing that the Sun does not revolve around the Earth, but conversely, as well as other progressive theories. Copernicus himself escaped the verdict, having renounced his views. Bruno fled from Italy, tried save oneself, but he was tricked and attracted.

The next Galileo Galilei was involved to the Inquisition after 30 years. He also accepted the theory of Copernicus. Thanks to the improvement of the telescope, he made outstanding astronomical discoveries. To avoid the sentence, he publicly renounced his views, but in the soul remained true to them. He is credited with the famous phrase: "And yet it spins." After Galileo, the Inquisition was increasingly subjected to public condemnation, and its had to reckon with it.

Quatrain 3.36 John Calvin

Enseuely non mort apopletique,

Sera trouue auoir les mains mangees

Quand la cite damnera l'heretique,

Qu'auoit leurs loix ce ieur sembloit changees.