GALILEO. 23 



The abjuration was drawn up in the following terms : 



THE ABJURATION OF GALILEO. 



" I Galileo Galilei, son of the late Vincenzo Galilei of Florence, 

 aged seventy years, being brought personally to judgment, and kneel- 

 ing before you, Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lords Cardinals, 

 General Inquisitors of the universal Christian Republic against here- 

 tical depravity, having before my eyes the Holy Gospels, which I touch 

 with my own hands, swear, that I have always believed, and now be- 

 lieve, and with the help of God will in future believe, every article 

 which the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Rome holds, teaches, 

 and preaches. But because I had been enjoined by this Holy Office 

 altogether to abandon the false opinion which maintains that the sun 

 is the centre and immovable, and forbidden to hold, defend, or teach 

 the said false doctrine in any manner, and after it had been signified 

 to me that the said doctrine is repugnant with the Holy Scripture, I 

 have written and printed a book, in which I treat of the same doctrine 

 now condemned, and adduce reasons with great force in support of 

 the same, without giving any solution, and therefore have been judged 

 grievously suspected of heresy ; that is to say, that I held and believed 

 that the sun is the centre of the world and immovable, and that the 

 earth is not the centre and moveable. 



"Wishing, therefore, to remove from the minds of Your Eminences, 

 and of every Catholic Christian, this vehement suspicion rightfully 

 entertained towards me, with a sincere heart and unfeigned faith, I 

 abjure, curse, and detest the said errors and heresies, and generally 

 every other error and sect contrary to the said Holy Church ; and I 

 swear that I will never more in future say or assert anything verbally, 

 or in writing, which may give rise to a similar suspicion of me; but 

 if I shall know any heretic, or any one suspected of heresy, that I will 

 denounce him to this Holy Office, or to the Inquisitor and Ordinary 

 of the place in which I may be. 



" I swear, moreover, and promise, that I will fulfil, and observe fully, 

 all the penances which have been or shall be laid to me by this Holy 

 Office. But if it shall happen that I violate any of my said promises, 

 oaths, and protestations (which God avert !), I subject myself to all 

 the pains and punishments which have been decreed and promulgated 

 by the sacred canons, and other general and particular constitutions, 

 against delinquents of this description. So may God help me, and 

 His Holy Gospels, which I touch with my own hands. 



"I, the above-named Galileo Galilei, have abjured, sworn, promised, 

 and bound myself, as above, and in witness thereof with my own hand 

 have subscribed this present writing of my abjuration, which I have 

 recited word for word. At Rome in the Convent of Minerva, 226. 

 June, 1633. 



'* I, Galileo Galilei, have abjured as above with my own hand." 



