1836.] (ialileo, and the Copeniican St/stem. 609 



where, although i). is probable that he did not arrive till after the death of the 

 cardinal, which occurred when he was in his fortieth year, in September 1520, 

 {Tirahoschi Storia, liv. i. sec. 17,) as afterwards in Venice and at Rome he 

 passed many years. {Schelhorn. Anicen. Hist. Ecc. vol. ii. p. 210.) It is 

 probable that from him, if not from John Albert Widmanstadius who will be 

 mentioned presently, Calcagnini obtained a knowledge of the Copernican 

 system, which he subsequently explained, though not in the happiest manner, 

 in his brief tract— " quodccelum stet, terra autem moveatur?" 



Calcagnini was the first Italian who ventured to support the system of 

 Copernicus, even before the work of that great philosopher appeared. Now in 

 what manner was this man received, who might be considered, in astronomy, 

 as an impious and dangerous innovator? Not only no outcry was raised 

 against him, but having been brought to Rome in the time of Paul III., he was 

 received by that pontiff with so much kindness, that on his return to Ferrara 

 he addressed to him a letter, referred to above, of the most humble and grateful 

 acknowledgments, and the pope having honoured him with a courteous reply; 

 Calcagnini maintained with him an epistolary intercourse. It is not credible 

 that Paul III. was unacquainted with the opinions of Calcagnini, since the 

 former in many of his letters expressed great admiration of his vast attainments 

 in philosophy : whence it is higiily probable, that in the friendly conferences 

 which they had together, Calcagnini explained his ideas, and that the pontiff 

 with the same readiness with which, a few years afterwards, he allowed Coper- 

 nicus to dedicate his large work to him, evincing by that his approval of the 

 system, also approved the opinions of Calcagnini. And in truth Paul III., 

 when Cardinal Alexander Farnese, had before his eyes an example which would 

 preclude his entertaining any doubt of its being lawful to embrace that opinion. 

 He had seen his predecessor, Clement VII., receive with kindness in the Vatican 

 gardens an advocate of the Copernican system, listen to his explanations in 

 presence of the most distinguished personages, and present him with an honour- 

 able mark of his favour and approbation. This is a fact not generally known, 

 but supported by the most incontrovertible documents. John Albert Widman- 

 stadius, at that time distinguished for his extensive acquaintance with oriental 

 languages, having gone to Rome in the year 1533 began there to discuss the 

 opinions of Copernicus, which, although not yet laid before the public in print, 

 must have been widely spread throughout Germany. ClemcMt, being apprised 

 of thisj wished himself to hear in what manner this system would account for 

 the movements of all the celestial bodies, and Widmanstadius being sent for 

 into the gardens of the Vatican, he heard him explain the Copernican system 

 in the presence of the two cardinals, Franciotto Orsini and Giovanni Salviati, of 

 Giampietro Grassi, bishop of Viterbo, and of his own physician, Matteo Cotte. 

 The philosopher having concluded, the pope presented him with a beautiful 

 Greek manuscript of Alexander Aphrodisseus " de sensu et sensibili," as a 

 lasting testimony of the pleasure with which he had listened to his discourse, 

 and he further honoured him with the titles of his domestic and private 

 secretary. Of what has now become of this manuscript we are uncertain ; 

 but prior to the French revolution and the annexation of the small terrttory of 

 Monaco to France, it was preserved in the ducal library of the Grimaldi, in the 

 town of Monaco ; and Widmanstadius, to leave a memorial of an event so 

 highly honourable to himself, had inserted in it the following words, which 

 appear in the old catalogue of the library, printed at Monaco, and are recorded 

 by Marini Degli Archiatri, Pontif, toni. ii. p. 351. " Clemens VII., P.M. hunc 

 codicem mihi donodedit. A. 1533 Roniae, postquam, prtesentibus Franciotto 

 Ursino, Jo. Salviato Cardinalibus, Jo. Petro Episcopo Viturbiense, et Mattheo 

 Curtio, Medico Physico in hortis Vaticanis Copernicanam de motu terrae 

 sententiam explicavi. Johannes Albertus Widmanstadius, cognomento Lucre- 

 tius, SS. D. N. Secretarius domesticus et familiaris." 



The facts which have been hitherto detailed clearly show, that the Copernican 

 system was sanctioned and applauded by three popes, Nicholas V, Clement VII, 

 and Paul III; by three cardinals, Cusa, Cesarini, and Schoenberg; that it was, 



M.M. New Series.— YoL. I. No. 6. 4 1 



