Savonarola hoped the Christian world would come to his rescue; but his letters were intercepted, and reached the eye of Alexander VI., who now bent the whole force of the papal empire to destroy that bold reformer who had assailed his throne.  And it seems that a change took place in Florence itself in popular sentiment.  The Medicean party obtained the ascendency in the government.  The people—­the fickle people—­began to desert Savonarola; and especially when he refused to undergo the ordeal of fire,—­one of the relics of Mediaeval superstition,—­the people felt that they had been cheated out of their amusement, for they had waited impatiently the whole day in the public square to see the spectacle.  He finally consented to undergo the ordeal, provided he might carry the crucifix.  To this his enemies would not consent.  He then laid aside the crucifix, but insisted on entering the fire with the sacrament in his hand.  His persecutors would not allow this either, and the ordeal did not take place.

At last his martyrdom approaches:  he is led to prison.  The magistrates of the city send to Rome for absolution for having allowed the Prior to preach.  His enemies busy themselves in collecting evidence against him,—­for what I know not, except that he had denounced corruption and sin, and had predicted woe.  His two friends are imprisoned and interrogated with him, Fra Domenico da Pescia and Fra Silvestro Maruffi, who are willing to die for him.  He and they are now subjected to most cruel tortures.  As the result of bodily agony his mind begins to waver.  His answers are incoherent; he implores his tormentors to end his agonies; he cries out, with a voice enough to melt a heart of stone, “Take, oh, take my life!” Yet he confessed nothing to criminate himself.  What they wished him especially to confess was that he had pretended to be a prophet, since he had predicted calamities.  But all men are prophets, in one sense, when they declare the certain penalties of sin, from which no one can escape, though he take the wings of the morning and fly to the uttermost parts of the sea.

Savonarola thus far had remained firm, but renewed examinations and fresh tortures took place.  For a whole month his torments were continuous.  In one day he was drawn up by a rope fourteen times, and then suddenly dropped, until all his muscles quivered with anguish.  Had he been surrounded by loving disciples, like Latimer at the burning pile, he might have summoned more strength; but alone, in a dark inquisitorial prison, subjected to increasing torture among bitter foes, he did not fully defend his visions and prophecies; and then his extorted confessions were diabolically altered.  But that was all they could get out of him,—­that he had prophesied.  In all matters of faith he was sound.  The inquisitors were obliged to bring their examination to an end.  They could find no fault with him, and yet they were determined on his death.  The Government of Florence consented to it and hastened it, for a Medici again held the highest office of the State.