286 PREFACE TO THE 



so indefinite a system as that of Telesius could find 

 much acceptance, and accordingly it is but seldom 

 mentioned by scientific writers. Grassi, in the Libra 

 Astronomical seems to reproach Galileo with having 

 taken some notion about comets from Cardan and Te 

 lesius ; remarking that their philosophy was sterile and 

 unfruitful, and that they had left to posterity &quot; libros 

 non liberos.&quot; To this Galileo answers that as for what 

 Cardan and Telesius might have said on the matter in 

 hand he had never read it, and it would seem as if 

 he means to disclaim all knowledge of their writings. 

 Thougli he protests against the argumentum ex con- 

 sensu which Grassi brings against them, yet it is plain 

 that he does so only to confute his opponent, and not 

 because he thought them worthy of a greater fame than 

 they had received. Even among the large class of men 

 who are content to acquiesce in general views and are 

 not careful to inquire whether these views are accurate 

 or ill defined, Telesius s popularity could not last long. 

 For he had left nothing for his followers to do. All 



O 



that could be said in favour of his fundamental idea he 

 had said himself, and any attempt to develop it further 

 could only show how insecure a foundation it was built 

 on. His works are however not undeserving of atten 

 tion, even apart from the influence which they had on 

 the opinions of Bacon. They show much of the pecul 

 iar character of mind which distinguishes southern from 

 northern Italy, and which is yet more conspicuous in 

 the writings of Campanella and of Vico : grave and 

 melancholy earnestness, a fondness for symbol and 

 metaphor, and for wide-reaching but dreamy theories. 



1 Published in 1618, with the pseudonym of Lotario Sarsi. It is incor 

 porated in the new edition of Galile^ i works, iv. p. (51. 



