1822.] 
and to present them, 
through you, to the 
Governors of Bride- 
well and Bethlem. 
The motives and cir- 
cumstances of the sup- 
pression in question 
are detailed in a let- 
ter to Mr. Harrison, 
through whose me- 
dium it was commu- 
nicated to the Gover- 
nors of the two Hos- 
pitals ; and tiis letter, 
I conclude, is entered 
on the minutes of their 
proceedings. 
Further experience 
and reflection have 
only tended to con- 
vince me more strongly 
that the publication 
of certain passages in 
these writings was 
highly improper ; to 
increase my regret at 
having sent them forth 
to the world ; to make 
me satisfied with the 
measure of withdraw- 
ing them from public 
circulation; and con- 
sequently firmly re- 
solved, not only never 
fo reprint them, but 
also never to pub- 
lish any thing more 
on similar subjects, 
fully impressed 
with these sentiments, 
I hoped and conelud- 
ed that my Lectures 
would in future be 
regarded only as pro- 
Sessional writings,und 
be referred to merely 
by medical readers, 
The copies which have 
gone out of my pos- 
session, from the time 
when the sale was dis- 
continued to the late 
decision of the Lord 
Chancellor, which has 
enabled all who may 
choose to print and 
publish my Lectures, 
have therefore been 
granted oniy as mat- 
ter of favour in indi- 
vidual instances to 
professional men, par- 
ticularly foreigners, 
or to scientific and li- 
terary characters. My 
expectations have been 
disappointed by the 
nals of the Universal 
Christian _Common- 
wealth, Inquisitors- 
General against here- 
tical depravity, hav- 
ing before my eyes 
the Holy Gospels, on 
which I now lay my 
hands, swear that I 
have always believed, 
and now believe, and, 
God helping, that I 
shall for the future 
always believe what- 
ever the Holy Catho- 
lic and Apostolic Ro- 
man Church holds, 
preaches, and teaches. 
But because this Holy 
Office had enjoined me 
by precept, entirely to 
relinquish the false 
dogma which main- 
tains that the sun is 
the centre of the 
world and immovable, 
and that the earth is 
not the centre, and 
moves; not to hold, 
defend, or teach by 
any means, or by wri- 
ting, the aforesaid 
false doctrine; and 
after it had been noti- 
fied to me, that the 
aforesaid doctrine is 
repugnant to the Holy 
Scripture, I have writ- 
ten and printed a 
book, in which I treat 
of the same doctrine 
already condemned, 
and adduce reasons, 
with great efficacy, 
in favour of it, not 
offering any solution 
of them ; therefore I 
have been adjudged 
and vehemently sus- 
pected of heresy,name- 
ly, that 1 maintained 
and believed that the 
sun is the centre of the 
world,and immovable, 
and that the earth is 
not the centre, and 
moves. 
Therefore, being wil- 
ling to take out of the 
minds of your emi- 
nences, and of every 
Catholic Christian, 
this vehement suspi- 
cion of right conceived 
against me, I with 
smeerc heart,and faith 
unfeigned, abjure, exe- 
2 
Literary and Philosophical Intelligence. 
piratical act of a book- 
seller in the, Strand, 
named Smith. When 
his reprint of my Lec- 
tures was announced, 
I adopted the only 
measure which could 
enable me to continue 
the suppression of the 
work, namely, an ap- 
plication to the Court 
of Chancery for an in- 
junction against this 
person, being encou- 
raged by the decided 
favourable opinions of 
the two eminent Coun- 
sel before whom the 
case was laid. The 
course of argument 
adopted by these gen- 
tlemen, in the pro- 
ceedings which ensued, 
was that which they 
deemed best calculated 
to attain my object— 
the permanent  sup- 
pression of the book, 
It is not to be regard- 
ed as a renewed state- 
ment, or defence, on 
my part, of opinions 
which I had already 
withdrawn from the 
public, and the conti- 
nued suppression of 
which, in conformity 
tomy previousarange- 
ment, was my only 
motive for incurring 
the trouble and ex- 
pense of a Chancery 
suit. 
As to the charge of 
irreligion, again hint- 
ed at in the Court of 
Chancery, I beg to re- 
peat what I have al- 
ready expressed inmy 
letter before alluded 
to—that I am fully 
impressed with the 
importance of religion 
and morality to the 
welfare of mankind— 
that L am most sen- 
sible of the distin- 
guishing excellencies 
of that pure religion 
which is unfolded in 
the New Testament; 
and most earnestly 
desirous to see its 
pure spirit universally 
diffused and acted on. 
Wm. LAWRENCE, 
Sir R. C, Glynn, bart. 
President of Bride- 
well & Bethlem, &c. 
543 
erate, and detest, the 
above-said errors and 
heresies, and general- 
ly every other error 
and sect contrary to 
the above-said Holy 
Church; and I swear 
that I will never any 
more hereafter say or 
assert, by speech or 
writing, any thing 
through which the 
like suspicion may be 
had of me; but, ff £ 
shall know any one 
heretical, or suspected 
of heresy, I will de- 
nounce him to this 
Holy Office, or to the 
Inquisitor, and Ordi- 
nary of the place in 
which I shall be. I 
moreover swear and 
promise, that I will 
Fulfil and observe en- 
rely all the peni- 
tences which have been 
imposed upon me, er 
which shall be im- 
posed by this Holy 
Office. But if it shall 
happen that I shall 
go contrary (which 
God avert) to any of 
my words, promises, 
protestations, and 
oaths, I subject my- 
self to all the penal- 
ties and punishments 
which, by the holy 
Canons, and other 
Constitutions, gene- 
ral and particular, 
have been enacted and 
promulgated against 
such delinquents. So 
help me God, and his 
holy Gospels,on which 
I now lay my hands. 
I, theaforesuid Ga- 
lileo Galilei, have ab- 
jured, sworn, — pro- 
mised, and have bound 
myself as above, and 
in. the fidelity of 
those with my own 
hands, and have sub- 
scribed to this present 
writing of my abju- 
ration, which IT have 
recited word by word. 
At Rome, in the Con- 
vent of Minerva, this 
22d of June, of the 
year 1633. 
I, Galileo Galilei, 
have abjured as above, 
with my own hand. 
Since 
