96 MEMOIR OF GALILEO. 



right eye; in 1637 his left was also attacked, and in a few 

 months the bodily eyes of the philosopher were darkened 

 forever. After publishing his Dialogues on Motion, he 

 renewed his attempts to introduce his system of finding the 

 1 ongitude at sea. He made offers Co the Dutch government, 

 who appointed commissioners to investigate the subject. 

 This correspondence ended in nothing. Galileo was pre- 

 sented with a golden chain as a token of respect ; and after 

 his blindness one of his pupils undertook to arrange and 

 complete his calculations and observations. All parties en- 

 gaged in this matter died before it could be brought before 

 the world. This, however, is the less to be regretted ; for 

 the method proposed has never yet been found answerable to 

 the desired purpose. 



After Galileo had become blind, the Inquisition exercised 

 a little more lenity towards their victim. Many eminent 

 men of the day visited him, among whom was Milton. He 

 projected a continuation of his Dialogues on Motion j but 

 while preparing it, he' was seized with his last illness, and 

 in two months the spirit of the injured philosopher was re- 

 moved from the enmity of his persecutors. Not content, 

 however, with striking him down while living, the vengeance 

 of the Inquisition followed Galileo even in death. His 

 right to make a will, and of being buried in consecrated ground 

 was disputed; and although these were withdrawn, his 

 friends were prohibited from erecting a monument over his 

 remains, and his body lay for thirty years buried in an ob- 

 scure corner of the church. In 1737, his body was exhumed 

 and re-interred under the splendid monument which now 

 covers it. On this monument is a bust of Galileo, and 

 figures of geometry and astronomy. His house at Arcetri, 

 about a mile from Florence, still remains, an interesting 

 relic to lovers of science. 



