resting-places, and at last he betook himself to Geneva. There he began to
write Vol. V. of his history. He was accosted one day by a certain
nobleman, who professed great admiration of his writings, and was much
interested in all that Giannone told him. His new friend invited him to
dinner at a farmstead which was situated not far from Geneva, but just
within the borders of the kingdom of Savoy. Fearing no treachery, Giannone
accepted the invitation of his new friend, but the repast was not
concluded before he was arrested by order of the King of Sardinia,
conveyed to a prison, and then transferred to Rome. The fates of the poor
captives in St. Angelo were very similar. In spite of a useless
retractation of his "errors," he was never released, and died in prison in
1758. His history was translated into French, and published in four
volumes in 1742 at the Hague. Giannone's work has furnished with weapons
many of the adversaries of Papal dominion, and one Vernet collected all
the passages in this book, so fatal to its author, which were hostile to
the Pope, and many of his scathing criticisms and denunciations of abuses,
and published the extracts under the title _Anecdotes ecclesiastiques_
(The Hague, 1738).

The work of Giannone on the civil history of the kingdom of Naples excited
Joseph Sanfelicius, of the order of the Jesuits, to reply to the arguments
of the former relating to the temporal power of the Pope. This man,
assuming the name of Eusebius Philopater, wrote in A.D. 1728 a fatal book
upon the civil history of the kingdom of Naples, in which he attacked
Giannone with the utmost vehemence, and heaped upon him every kind of
disgraceful accusation and calumny. This work was first published
secretly, and then sold openly by two booksellers, by whom it was
disseminated into every part of Italy. It fell into the hands of the
Regent, who summoned his council and inquired what action should be taken
with regard to it. With one voice they decided against the book; its sale