614 Galileo, and the Copemican Sj/stem. [June, 



the wings of epeculative minds by a sudden prohibition. On hearing these re- 

 monstrances my zeal could not be silent, and as being fully acquainted with that 

 most prudent resolution, I determined to come forward publicly on the theatre 

 of the world as a witness of the real truth." Could a declared apologist for the 

 ancient theories, could even the most zealous inquisitor, have spoken olhersvise 

 if he had imdertaken to confute the Copernican system ? But still farther, 

 Galileo not only feigns respect for the decree, but he would almost wish to make 

 us believe that it was published by his advice. " Being at Rome," he continues, 

 " at that period, I not only had audiences, but also received applause from the 

 most eminent prelates of the court, nor was the decree issued without some 

 previous information of mine." He then, in the following words, gives an idea 

 of the work to which they are prefixed : " therefore it is my desire in this pre- 

 sent undertaking to show to foreign nations that as much is known in Italy, 

 particularly in liome, of this subject as strangers have ever conceived, and col- 

 lecting at the same time all the speculations which belong to the Copernican 

 system, to evince that the Roman court was previously acquainted with 

 them all; and that not alone the doctrines for the salvation of the soul, but 

 that also the ingenious discoveries which delight the mind, ])roceed from this 

 country." And shortly afterwards he adds: " Spero...che il mondo conoscera 

 che il rimettersi ad asserir la fermezza della terra e prender il contrario sola- 

 mcnte per capriccio matematico non nasce da non aver contezza di quant'altri 

 ci abbia pensato, ma, quando altro non fusse da quelle ragioni che la jiieta, la 

 religione, il conoscimento della divina Onnij)otenza e la coscienza della debolezza 

 deir ingcgno humano ci sonuuinistrano." After this exordium, who would ever 

 have thought that the dialogue of Galileo was to be the most ingenious demon- 

 stration of the Copernican system that coidd at that lime be composed? It is 

 true that here and there, particularly at the end, he states that this is merely a 

 simple hypothesis ; but it is also true, that he puts so much nonsense into the 

 mouth of Simplicius, thecliaractcr to whom he has intrusted the defence of the 

 ancient system, and makes him support his opinion so weakly as to occasion a 

 suspicion that, under the name of Simplicius, Galileo wished to point out and 

 to ridicule some one of his censors; and it was even conceived, apparently 

 without sufficient foundation, that he applied the denomination to Pope Urban 

 VIII. It is probably true that the persons to whom the revision of Galileo's 

 work was confided, reading this modest and religious preface, and not being 

 well able to comprehend the ingenious arguments contained in the dialogue, 

 judged of the interior of this edifice by its external appearance, imagining it to 

 have been raised exactly according to their rules and design. It is in fact known 

 that Urban VIII. frequently complained that they had not been sufficiently 

 cautious, but had allowed thenvselves to be deceived by Galileo; and with 

 Ciampoli, a prelate of great authority in Rome, he was particularly incensed; 

 since, having frequently questioned him on the subject, he always assured him 

 of the religious obedience and the sound opinions of Galileo. Francesco 

 Nicolini, in a letter dated September 5, 1632, giving an account of an interview 

 he had with the Pope, writes thus to Bali Cioli: " Mi rispose con la medesima 

 escandescenza, che egli (Galileo) ed il Ciampoli I'avevano aggirata, e ch'il Ciampoli 

 in particolare aveva ardito di dire, che il Sig. Galilei voleva far tutto quel che 

 S. S. comandava, e che ogna cosa stava bene, e che questo era quanto si aveva 

 saputo, senz' aver mai \'isto o letto i'opera, dolendosi del Ciam|)oli e del Maestro 

 del S. Palazzo, sebben' di quest' ultimo disse ch'era stato aggirato anche lui, 

 col cavargli di mano con belle parole la sottoscrizione de llibro," &c. {Lett. Ined. 

 (VUum. Illust. V. ii. p. 276, 286, 295.) Now would the most moderate and just 

 tribunal in the world, if it saw one of its strict prohibitions publicly contravened, 

 and that the transgressor, not content with this, had also wished to deride and 

 artfully circumvent it, and obtain a permission by fraud, which, if all the circum- 

 stances of the case had been known, it would have been refused — not have been 

 indignant, and considered the offender as meriting severe punishment? And 

 could it have been a matter of astonishment, if the Roman Inquisition had pro- 

 ceeded with no ordinary rigour against Galileo ? Yet such was the respect that, 



