The courthouse was small and cramped. Inside, commoners were made to stand, while at the front there was a row of chairs reserved for the privileged. On one sat Father Rodrigo of Salamanca, newly arrived in Milan. Opposite him, behind a long table, sat three judges, dressed in black robes all looking appropriately solemn. A prisoner was brought into the crowded courtroom by two guards. Instantly a hullabaloo arose as a jeering crowd threw rotten fruit and vegetables at the shackled man. Several missiles missed their targets and hit the dignitaries seated on the front row, including an indignant Father Rodrigo, who wiped the remains of a cabbage from his shoulder.
The prisoner’s hair was so pitted with filth it was impossible to tell its colour, likewise his flesh was thick with grime, whi
