Apology Against the Calumnies of the Louvain Theologians

usurped for themselves the liberty of judging: and since they were accusers and enemies, they sought not so much to judge as to destroy my case. Therefore, because I have now waited for more than a year and a half in vain for the decree of that senate, lest I be found to acknowledge with my silence—being profligate with my honor, cruel to my own reputation, and a deserter of my own innocence—such a cruel infamy of heresy, impiety, and scandal, which those most wicked forgers of my writings and perfidious murderers of my reputation have heaped upon me, I am compelled to publish it even before the trial (having reviewed it a little and added a few things), and that under the protection of your name. I do this the more boldly because your highness had even encouraged me to answer and to purge myself of such horrible crimes, while enjoining upon me gentleness and modesty. Hence, I did not permit myself to speak as freely, nor to answer as vehemently, as those perfidious calumniators of mine have deserved. For they (as you know) have not only acted against me with these articles, but with innumerable other secret traps, capital accusations, and many suborned sycophants, compounded with much aconite a poisonous plant, used metaphorically here to describe lethal, toxic lies, they have poured out so much lethal venom against me, in the court of the Caesar, among the princes, and in temple sermons before the ignorant multitude, that it is very difficult for me to withstand such treacherous persecutions everywhere.