130 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The correspondence of Galileo shows that the summons came as a 

 complete surprise to him, and he could not have received it without 

 grave apprehension. He had risked everything in the belief that the 

 Pope's favor and friendship would continue; but it is plain that 

 this order would never have been despatched unless that favor had 

 been withdrawn; his enemies had triumphed; he was at the mercy of 

 men who would show no mercy to him personally — as in times past 

 he had shown no mercy to them; even his friends among the Eoman 

 notabilities were powerless in the face of the Pope's anger; and his 

 most influential supporter — Prince Cesi — was dead. There can have 

 been no moments in all of Galileo's long life so bitter as these. The 

 whole fabric he had built up in his imagination crumbled in an in- 

 stant. Numberless incidents that he had formerly interpreted in one 

 way must have arisen in his mind demanding new and more veracious 

 interpretations that could be reconciled with the present bewildering 

 reversal of all his hopes and beliefs. The Holy Office would have no 

 difficulty in proving him culpable of disobedience to its orders; the 

 general prohibition binding on all catholics he had openly disobeyed, 

 as well as the prohibitions special to his case. 



A letter written on October 13 to one of the cardinals, Barberini,* 

 shows Galileo's consternation and astonishment. He curses the time, 

 he says, devoted to his studies. He begs the cardinal to intercede with 

 the wise fathers in Eome, not to release him from giving an account 

 of himself, which he is ready and anxious to do — but to make it easiest 

 for him to obey. He can give his account in two ways ; he can write 

 a full history of his whole connection with the Copernican contro- 

 versy which will prove to any one free from party malice that he has 

 all along acted piously and as a good catholic; or he can give it 

 verbally to the officers of the Inquisition in Florence. If, however, 

 no dispensation or delay can be granted he will make the journey to 

 Eome in spite of his great age and many bodily infirmities. The 

 Tuscan ambassador at Eome interested himself in the matter, and 

 throughout the whole of Galileo's process was devoted, prudent, wise 

 and unwearied. No son could have been more faithful, nor more deli- 

 cate. The letter was delivered, but the Pope would not permit delay. 

 Galileo must come to Eome to answer. Mccolini then appealed 

 directly to the Pope, begging for delay on account of Galileo's in- 

 firmities. The answer was that he must come — slowly, if necessary — 

 with every comfort — but he must be tried in person, ' for having been 

 so deluded as to involve himself in these difficulties, from which we 

 had relieved him when we were cardinal.' On the ninth of December 

 orders were sent to Florence to compel Galileo to set out. A medical 



* Cardinal Antonio Barberini senior was the brother, and Cardinal Antonio- 

 junior was the nephew, of the Pope. 



