GALILEO AND HIS JUDGES. 135 



What else this gifted being might see whether he 

 would observe some great central body round which 

 the whole of the heavenly bodies revolve, or, as seems 

 more probable, would detect, instead of one, many 

 centres, each with its own group all this we do not 

 and cannot know, and we must be content, at least 

 so long as our life here below continues, to remain in 

 profound ignorance. 



Seeing, then, how wide in extent and how difficult 

 of solution are some of the speculative problems, 

 originating in the Copernican theory, it can be no 

 matter of surprise that the ecclesiastics of the seven- 

 teenth century recoiled from it with more than 

 common aversion. 



