SECTION I

The minority of Servetus. Conjectures respecting the formation of his character.

Little is known of the early part of the life of Servetus; like many other distinguished characters, who have devoted their lives to the service of mankind, his history remains unknown, prior to the commencement of his public labors. It would be gratifying to be particularly informed of the circumstances which attended persons of eminent wisdom, virtue and usefulness, from their infancy to the time of their appearance as public characters; but such information is seldom to be obtained.

Writers are not agreed as to the place where Servetus was born. Having called himself in the title of some of his books Michael of Villanova, and, in others, an Arragonian Spaniard, some have concluded that he was born at Villanova, or Villa Neuva, in Arragon; but this seems not to be the fact. It appears from his own confession, in his examination at Vienne, that he was born at Tudelle in Navarre. Some have conjectured that his ancestors had lived originally at Villanova, and had removed to

Tudelle. This is not improbable. The place of his birth is of no consequence any further than it might furnish a clue to the discovery of where he imbibed his religious opinions, and the circumstances which might lead his thoughts into so new and singular a train. From all the information that can be collected, it seems most, likely that he descended from a Spanish family which had lately removed from Arragon, and at the time of his birth resided in Navarre. They might still call themselves of Villanova, having lately left that place, and, probably, possessed some estate there.

Servetus was born either in the year 1509, or 1511; for about the time of his birth historians are not agreed. His father was a Notary. Who were his teachers we are not told, but it is evident his education was liberal. It is said he had naturally a great deal of ingenuity, and inclination for the sciences; and from his earliest youth applied himself incessantly, to the most serious studies, wherein he made such a rapid progress, that at fourteen years of age he is said to have understood Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and to have had a pretty extensive knowledge of philosophy, mathematics, and the scholastic divinity. We are told, that when about fifteen

years of age he was taken into the service of Charles the fifth's Confessor, called Quintaine, and went into Italy among the attendants of that emperor, whom he saw crowned at Boulogna. It is probable it was on his return from Italy that his father sent him to the university of Thoulouse, to study the civil law; for that he sent him to that university good writers positively assert, and the fact has never been disproved. At Thoulouse, it seems, he devoted much of his time to the study of the scriptures. After he had been two or three years there, it is said, he resolved to retire into Germany and set up for a reformer. It appears he had meditated a great plan of reform, the bringing the christian world back to the simple doctrines of scripThis was a herculean labor. He did not enter precipitately upon it; but first conferred with some of the reformers. He went to Basil by way of Lyons, and Geneva; and having had some conferences at Basil with Oecolampadius, he set out for Strasburgh, being extremely desirous to discourse with Bucer and Capito, two celebrated reformers of that city. At his departure from Basil, he left a manuscript which he had written against the trinity in the hands. of Conrad Rouss, a bookseller, who sent it afterwards to Haguenau. Servetus went thither to

ture.

get it printed, in the year 1531. This is all we know of him prior to the publication of his first book.

By what means was the character of Servetus formed? What excited in him the train of thought he pursued, and led him to form the opinions in defence of which he sacrificed his life? These are interesting enquiries, and, though I dare not attempt a direct answer, I will hazard the following conjectures.

His character could not be formed on the model of what he saw, nor through the influence of the maxims and spirit which prevailed, in the catholic church. His opinions could not be derived from any of the doctors of the latin or greek churches, who lived in or near his times, nor from any of the leaders of the newly formed protestant churches. All writings containing such doctrines as he believed had long been prohibited in the christian world. He was no doubt an original genius, he possessed extraordinary natural powers, and was of a manly spirit; but how oft is genius cramped by untoward circumstances, the best natural powers rendered torpid or diverted into a corrupt channel, and the most manly spirit tamed by superstition, or broken by oppression, A vast combination of

circumstances are necessary to the production of a truly great character.

Some have made Servetus cross over into Africa, and imbibe his opinions from the Mahommedans; but of this there is not the leastshadow of evidence; on the contrary it is pretty certain he never was in that country; for in his Ptolemy he always speaks of Africa from report, and never from his own observations. Others have supposed he imbibed his religious notions in Italy; but there is nothing to support this conjecture, except that there were people in Italy at the same time of his opinion: but it is in the highest degree improbable, that they would communicate their religious views to a youth, in the train of a bigotted monarch, and in the immediate service of a popish confessor, even supposing there were unitarians in Italy at the time he was there.

The family of Servetus had resided in a country where a high degree of civil and religious liberty had long been enjoyed, in comparison of what existed in the neighbouring nations; for Spain was not always the footstool of superstition, the victim of civil and religious despotism. While the Moors ruled in that country the people were free in all matters of religion and conscience; and arts, manufactures, and trade