'■S6 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



GALILEO. 



By Dr. EDWARD S. HOLDEX, 



U. S. MILITARY ACADEMY, WEST POINT, N. Y. 



When the position of a heavenly body changes with such extreme slow- 

 ness as to leave astronomers undecided as to the change even, and still more 

 as to the direction of the change, it is their custom to compare two observations 

 made at a great interval of time. If the doubt still exists, they affirm with 

 certainty that the position they have measured is invariable, or nearly so, since 

 it is subject to no regular and persistent alteration. Such a method applied 

 to the history of the human mind leads to grave melancholy and discourage- 

 ment. Men have been ignorant and blind at every epoch. Always we find the 

 same ignorance, the same rash illusions, the same obstinate prejudices. 



Toujours memes acteurs et meme comedie. 



Three centuries before our era, a philosopher, Cleanthes, demanded that 

 Aristarchus should be brought to justice for his blasphemies in declaring the 

 earth in motion, and the sun to be the fixed centre of the universe. Two 

 thousand years later, the human understanding had not progressed. The 

 desire of Cleanthes was realized, and Galileo was accused of blasphemy and 

 impiety, in his turn. A tribunal dreaded by all condemned his writings, con- 

 strained him to denials disavowed by his conscience, and, judging him un- 

 worthy of a freedom that he had abused, deprived him of a part of it, and 

 thought it an indulgence to have left him any liberty whatever. 



But history is not to be judged in this way. Events in themselves are 

 of small moment; the impression that events produce is the only revelation of 

 the public consciousness. Never before has its generous aversion for intoler- 

 ance burst forth so strongly as for the sufferings of Galileo. The story of his 

 misfortunes, exaggerated like a pious legend, has confirmed the triumph of 

 the truths for which he suffered, at the same time avenging him. The scandal 

 of his condemnation will forever vex the pride of those who still wish to put 

 down reason by force; and the just severity of opinion will preserve the un- 

 welcome remembrance as an eternal reproach. But it is necessary to be 

 frank: this great lesson did not cause any deep sorrows. The long life of 

 Galileo, taken all in all, is one of the most peaceful and most enviable that the 

 history of science records. 



The foregoing paragraphs translated freely from the life of Galileo 

 by M. Bertrand, perpetual secretary of the Paris Academy of Sciences, 

 expresses so precisely the point of view of this article that I have 

 quoted them in order to have, from the outset, the support of his 

 great authority. And to them may be added the following extracts 

 from the ' History of the Inductive Sciences ' of Dr. Whewell, master of 

 Trinity College, Cambridge. The words in brackets are my own. 



