i 3 2 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



pears to me that your Keverence and Signor Galileo act wisely in 

 contenting yourselves with speaking ex suppositione and not with cer- 

 tainty." 



" In the month of February, 1616, Signor Cardinal Bellarmine 

 told me that as the opinion of Copernicus, if adopted absolutely, 

 was contrary to Holy Scripture, it must neither be held or defended, 

 but that it might be held hypothetically and written about in this 

 sense." Here Galileo presented a copy of the certificate which de- 

 clares that the doctrine of Copernicus ' is contrary to the Holy Scrip- 

 tures and therefore can not be defended or held.' The Inquisition 

 then asked if any other command was communicated to him and if 

 he would remember it, if what was then said was read aloud to 

 him. Galileo replied : " I do not remember that anything else was 

 said or enjoined upon me, nor do I know that I should remember 

 what was said to me, even if it were read to me. I say freely what I 

 do remember, because I do not think that I have in any way disobeyed 

 the injunction, that is, have not by any means held or defended the 

 said opinion that the earth moves and the sun is stationary." The 

 Inquisition now remind Galileo that a command was issued to him, 

 before witnesses, enjoining " that he must neither hold, defend nor 

 teach that opinion in any way whatsoever.' The annotation commands 

 Galileo to ' relinquish altogether ' the Copernican opinion, and for- 

 bids him ' henceforth to hold, teach or defend it in any way whatso- 

 ever, verbally or in writing; otherwise proceedings would be taken 

 against him in the Holy Office; which injunction the said Galileo 

 acquiesced in and promised to obey." 



The Inquisition asks if Galileo remembers how and by whom the 

 words first quoted were intimated to him. He replies : "I do not 

 remember that the command was intimated to me by anybody but by 

 the cardinal verbally ; and I remember that the command was ' not to 

 hold or defend.' It may be that ' and not to teach ' was also there. 

 I do not remember it, neither the definition ' in any way whatsoever,' 

 but it may be that it was, for I thought no more about it, nor took any 

 pains to impress the words on my memory, as a few months later I 

 received the certificate now produced of the said Signor Cardinal 

 Bellarmine, of twenty-sixth May, in which the injunction ' not to hold 

 or defend ' that opinion is expressly to be found. The two other 

 definitions of the said injunction that have just been made known to 

 me, namely, ' not to teach,' and ' in any way,' I have not retained in 

 my memory, I suppose, because they are not mentioned in the said 

 certificate on which I rely and which I have kept as a reminder." 



Emphasis is laid by Gebler in his Galileo on the difference between 

 an injunction ' not to teach ' and one ' not to hold or defend.' I can 

 see no essential difference between forbidding a citizen of Russia, let 



