SAVONAROLA. 229 11th. Papal authority to disregard the clerical immunity of the prisoners was applied for, but the proceedings were not delayed by waiting for the answer, which, of course, was favorable, and two papal commissioners were adjoined to the tribunal. Savona- rola and his companions, still ironed hand and foot, were carried to the Bargello. The official account states that he was first in- terrogated kindly, but as he would not confess he was threatened with torture, and this proving ineffectual he was subjected to three and a half tratti di fune. This was a customary form of torture, known as the strappado, which consisted in tying the prisoner's hands behind his back, then hoisting him by a rope fast- ened to his wrists, letting him drop from a height and arresting him with a jerk before his feet reached the floor. Sometimes heavy weights were attached to the feet to render the operation more severe. Officially it is stated that this first application was sufficient to lead him to confess freely, but the general belief at the time was that it was repeated with extreme severity.* Be this as it may, Savonarola's nervous organization was too sensitive for him to endure agony which he knew would be in- definitely prolonged by those determined to effect a predestined result. He entreated to be released from the torture and promised to reveal everything. His examination lasted until April 18, but
- Landucci, pp. 171-2. — Villari, II. 178 ; App. p. clxv. — Processo Autentico,
pp. 550-1. Violi (Villari, II. App. cxvi.-vii.) says that the torture was repeatedly applied — on one evening no less than fourteen times from the pulley to the floor, and that his arms were so injured that he was unable to feed himself; but this must be exaggerated in view of the pi< us treatises which he wrote while in prison. Burlamacchi says that he was tortured repeatedly both with cord and fire (pp. 566, 568). Burchard, the papal prothonotary, states that he was tortured seven times, and Burchard was likely to know and not likely to exaggerate (Burch. Diar. ap. Preuves des Memoires de Commines, Bruxelles, 1706, p. 424). The ex- pression of Commines, who was well-informed, is " le gesnerent a merveilles" (Memoires, Lib. viii. ch. 19). But the most emphatic evidence is that of the Sig- noria, who, in answer to the reproaches of Alexander at their tardiness, declare that they had to do with a man of great endurance ; they had assiduously tort- ured him for many days with slender results, which they would suppress until they could force him to reveal all his secrets— " multa et assidua quaestione, mul- tis diebus, per vim vix pauca extorsimus, quae nunc celare animus erat donee omnia nobis paterent sui animi involucra^ (Villari, II. 197).
