CH. X. CONCLUDING REMARKS. 83 



they wished really to understand the laws of the Great 

 Creator. 



This, in itself, was a great advance ; but beyond this 

 Copernicus, by his new system, had opened the way for 

 grand astronomical discoveries which you will see followed 

 quickly in the next century, and Tycho, by his long and 

 patient observations, had stored up facts for the use of those 

 who came after him. In the same way Vesalius in anatomy, 

 and Gesner and Caesalpinus in natural history, had laid a 

 foundation for the regular study of living beings, and had 

 roughly sketched out a plan of classification. In the subject 

 of light, Porta had invented the camera obscura, explained 

 the principle upon which it acts, and in doing this had made 

 important discoveries about the action of light upon our 

 eye, and the use of lenses, or convex and concave glasses, 

 in magnifying objects. Lastly, Galileo had discovered the 

 principle of the pendulum and the rate of falling bodies, 

 and was now on the brink of the discovery of the telescope 

 and all the wonders which it has revealed. 



Meanwhile the sixteenth century closed with one very 

 sad event, which must be mentioned here. Giordano Bruno, 

 a Dominican friar, who was born about the year 1550, at Nola, 

 in Italy, was one of the first people who openly taught that 

 the Copernican system was true. He ought to be peculiarly 

 interesting to us, because he was the first person to teach in 

 England that the earth moves round the sun. But poor 

 Bruno was a very plain outspoken man, and his bold 

 language brought him to a sad but noble death. When 

 people said he should not spread the Copernican system 

 because it was contrary to the Bible, he answered boldly 

 that the Bible was meant to teach men how to love God 

 and live rightly, and not to settle questions of science. 



