202 A SHORT HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



of the sixteenth century had been asked whether the idea of the earth 

 moving through space was not clearly heretical, he would probably 

 merely have smiled at the innocence of the enquirer and have answered 

 in the words of Pomponazzi that a thing might be true in philosophy 

 and yet false in theology. But the times had changed. The sun of 

 the Renaissance had set when, in 1527, the hordes of the Constable of 

 Bourbon sacked and desecrated Rome ; the Reformation had put an 

 end to the religious and intellectual solidarity of the nations, and the 

 contest between Rome and the Protestants absorbed the mental 

 energy of Europe. During the second half of the sixteenth century 

 science was therefore very little cultivated, and though astronomy and 

 astrology attracted a fair number of students (among whom was one 

 of the first rank), still theology was thought of first and last. And 

 theology had come to mean the most literal acceptance of every word 

 of Scripture ; to the Protestants of necessity, since they denied the 

 authority of Popes and Councils, to the Roman Catholics from a 

 desire to define their doctrines more narrowly and to prove how un- 

 justified had been the revolt against the Church of Rome. There 

 was an end of all talk of Christian Renaissance and of all hope of rec- 

 onciling faith and reason; a new spirit had arisen which claimed 

 absolute control for Church authority. Neither side could therefore 

 be expected to be very cordial to the new doctrine. 



Robert Recorde, in his Pathway to Knowledge (1551), has his 

 "Master" state to a "scholar " : 



' Eraclides Ponticus, a great philosopher, and two great clerkes of 

 Pythagoras schole, Philolaus and Ecphantus, were of the contrary 

 opinion, but also Nicias Syracusius and Aristarchus Samius seem with 

 strong arguments to approve it.' After saying that the matter is too 

 difficult and must be deferred till another time, the Master states 

 that ' Copernicus, a man of great learning, of muche experience and 

 of wondrefull diligence in obseruation, hathe renewed the opinion of 

 Aristarchus Samius, and affirmeth that the earthe not only moueth 

 circularlye about his own centre, but also may be, yea and is con- 

 tinually out of the precise centre 38 hundredth thousand miles; but 

 bicause the vnderstanding of that controuersy dependeth of profounder 

 knowledge than in this introduction may be vttered conueniently, I will 

 let it passe tyll some other time.' 



