BRUNO, broo'no, Giordano, Italian philos opher: b. Nola, Naples, about 1550; d. Rome, 16 Feb. 1600. He entered the order of Domini cans and became distinguished by the origin ality and poetical boldness of his speculations. In 1580, probably on account of the persecu tions which he drew upon himself by his re ligious doubts and his satires on the monks, he was forced to take refuge at Geneva. Here, however, he was soon persecuted by the Calvin ists for his paradoxes and his violence. In 1583 he stood forth at Paris as the antagonist of the Aristotelian philosophy, and as teacher of the ars Lulliana. His disputes with the Aristotelians caused him to leave Paris, and he then went to London, where he published sev eral of his works, and to Oxford, where he taught for a short time. In 1585 he went by way of Paris and Marburg to Wittenberg, and from• 1586 to 1588 taught his philosophy there. He then went to Helmstadt, where, protected by Duke Julius of Wolfenbiittel, he remained till 1589. He was then enivaged at Frankfort-on the-Main with the publication of some works, particularly (De Monade, Numero, et Figura,) but left this city in 1592, and returned to Italy. He remained peacefully in Padua until 1598, when the inquisition of Venice arrested him and transferred him to Rome. After an imprison ment of six years, that he might have oppor tunity to retract his doctrines, he was burned for apostasy, heresy and violation of his mo nastic vows. This death, which he might have averted eight days before by a recantation, he suffered with fortitude. While his violent at tacks on the prevailing doctrines of the Aristo telian philosophy, and on the narrow-minded Aristotelians themselves, everywhere created him enemies, his rashness and pride threw him into the hands of his executioners. A monu ment was erected in 1889 on the spot where he was burned at the stake. His philosophical writings, which have become very rare, display a classical cultivation of mind, a deep insight into the spirit of ancient philosophy, wit and satire, as well as a profound knowledge of mathematics and natu ral philosophy. In 1585 appeared at Paris his famous
of the universe, and the world endowed with organization and life, might have been forgiven by his contemporaries; but his inference that the world is infinite and immeasurable, and his doctrine of the plurality of worlds, at the moment when the new system of Copernicus was attacked from all quarters, could not but be looked upon as a crime. His writings are mostly in the form of dialogues, without any methodical order. His language is a strange mixture of Italian and Latin. His style is violent and fiery. The originality and loftiness of his ideas take a powerful hold on those who can understand him. His logical writings, in which he boldly and skilfully applies Raymond Lully's art of topical memory, are more obscure and less interesting. His belief in magic and astrology, notwithstanding his enlightened views of the nature of things, is to be attributed to the spirit of his age. He also wrote poems, among others,
Bibliography.— Bartholomess,