Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/806

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780 SERVETUS SEE VIA the stake in Geneva, Oct. 27, 1653. His proper Spanish name was Miguel Servedo. He studied law^at Toulouse, but having become a disbe- liever in the Trinity, he removed in 1530 for safety to Basel. In his 22d year he published De Trinitatia Erroribut (Hagenau, 1531), for which he was banished from Basel. In 1532 he published at Hagenan Dialogorum de Tri- nitate Libri duo : de Justitia Regni Christi Capitula quatuor, in which he defended his former book, and advanced a new heresy con- cerning the eucharist. Changing his name on entering France to Michel de Villeneuve, he devoted himself for some years to the study of medicine in Lyons (where he also worked as a corrector of the press), and afterward in Paris. He was at the university of Orleans in 1584. In 1535 he edited the works of Ptolemy with Latin notes. In the next year he graduated M. D. at Paris, and soon became celebrated as a lecturer on medical science. He divined the true method of the circulation of the blood, and with this and other conjectures in physi- ology anticipated Harvey and Hunter. In 1537 he published Syruporum Unitersa Ratio. He established himself at Charlieu, near Lyons, in 1538, and in 1540 removed to Vienne in Dauphiny, where he lived for several years in the palace of his former pupil the archbishop, lie revised a new edition of the Bible, found- ed upon the manuscripts of Sanctes Pagninns, which was put under the ban of the church ; and gathered the materials for Chrittianumi Rettitutio, the manuscript of which was com- pleted in 1540, and sent to Calvin for cor- rections and suggestions. But the Genevan reformer retained it, and freely accused the author of heresy in letters to others of the Reformed clergy. The work was printed at Vienne in 1553, and the author was arrested and imprisoned for trial. On April 7 he es- caped in disguise and reached the frontier ; but his trial went on, and he was sentenced to pay a heavy Hue and be burned by a slow fire. The edition of his book was de- stroyed, only thi*ee copies being saved. Ser- vetus, on his way to Naples, stopped at Ge- neva for a month, and at the instance of Cal- vin was arrested. On Aug. 14 he was brought before the municipal court, accused of heresy, of publishing seditious books, of disturbing the churches, of escaping from the lawful author- ity, and of insulting the ancient fathers and the living divines of the Protestant church, es- pecially Calvin. On the following days new charges were added, of Anabaptism, of pan- theism, of contempt of the Bible, and of mate- rialism. Though the result of the trial could not be doubtful, it was agreed that the mat- ter should be submitted to the decision of the Swiss churches. A paper containing 38 arti- cles was drawn up by Calvin, and, with the answers of Servetus annexed, was sent to the various churches. The opinion of all was that Servetus should be condemned as a heretic, while they differed as to the severity of the punishment. In the final council of 60 sum- moned in October, the discussion lasted three days, but in the end the extreme party pre- vailed. The execution took place on a hill a short distance from the city. No exhortations could induce Servetus to retract, and his last words were a repetition of his heresy. His books and the manuscript which he had sent to Calvin were burned with him. Servetus had no disciples while living, but after his death the name of " Servetists " was fixed as a stigma upon the Swiss Anabaptists, and ac- cepted by a email party who rejected the doc- trine of the Trinity. His life has been writ- ten by Mosheim (Helmstedt, 1750), Trechsel (Heidelberg, 1839), and W. H. Drummond (London, 1848). See also Brunnemann, M. Serretut (Berlin, 18G5). SERVIA (Slav. Serbia; Turk. Syrp), a state of Europe, tributary to Turkey, bounded N. by Slavonia and Hungary proper, E. by Wal- lachia and Bulgaria, S. by districts of the vila- yets of Prisrend and Bosnia known as Old or Turkish Servia, and W. by Bosnia; area, 16,- 817 sq. m.; pop. in 1873, 1,338,505, all Serbs, of Slavic origin, excepting about 140,000 Wal- lachs, 26,000 gypsies, and 15,000 Turks, Bul- garians, Jews, Germans, and Hungarians. The surface is broken by ramifications of the Car- pathians in the northeast, of the Balkan in the southeast and south, and of the Dinaric Alps in the west. The highest summits in the east and south reach an altitude of upward of 4,000 and 5,500 ft. respectively. Most of the moun- tains are covered with dense forests. In the centre and along the banks of the principal rivers are extensive plains. The Danube and its tributary the Save flow on the N. frontier (the former for some distance also on the east- ern), and receive the drainage of the country by several streams, the most important of which are the Drina, Morava, and Timok. The principal towns are Belgrade, the capital, Kraguyevatz, Semendria, Uzhitza, and Sha- batz. The climate is severe in the uplands, but mild in the valleys; in winter the ther- mometer generally ranges between 6 and 14 F. The low grounds are very fertile, and cere- als are raised in abundance ; good white wine is produced near Semendria; tobacco, hemp, fruit, and some cotton are raised ; but horses, cattle, sheep, and swine are the principal sources of wealth. The exports, including grain, skins, wool, cattle, and especially hogs, amounted in 1872 to $6,000,000, and the im- ports, chiefly salt, sugar, and manufactured goods, to about the same. Valuable minerals abound, but are not fully worked. Manufac- tures consist mainly of articles for home con- sumption. The powder, firearms, and accou- trements required for the army are made in the government works at and near Kraguye- vatz. Complete freedom of commerce is guar- anteed in the Ottoman empire. The Serbs are among the most spirited of the Slavic races. There is no nobility, and the peas-