Meanwhile the orthodox rejoiced.

Pico della Mirandola, who spent his life in reconciling Plato with the Cabala, finds nothing more to say than this: 'The sufferings of the Jews, in which the glory of the Divine justice delighted, were so extreme as to fill us Christians with commiseration.' With these words we may compare the following passage from Senarega: 'The matter at first sight seemed praiseworthy, as regarding the honor done to our religion; yet it involved some amount of cruelty, if we look upon them, not as beasts, but as men, the handiwork of God.' A critic of this century can only exclaim with stupefaction: _Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum!_ Thus Spain began to devour and depopulate herself.

The curse which fell upon the Jew and Moor descended next upon philosopher and patriot.

The very life of the nation, in its commerce, its industry, its free thought, its energy of character, was deliberately and steadily throttled.

And at no long interval of time the blight of Spain was destined to descend on Italy, paralyzing the fair movements of her manifold existence to a rigid uniformity, shrouding the light and color of her art and letters in the blackness of inquisitorial gloom.
[1] This number is perhaps exaggerated.