E NORMAL SCHOOL, 



GALILEO GALILEI. 21 



Galileo's son Vincenzo had married and brought 

 his wife home to live. Strange fortune for this 

 man of genius ! Strange that he must have help- 

 less relatives, and constant pecuniary troubles. 

 Most great lives are as pathetic as they are great. 



As ever, the one gleam of light was the daily let- 

 ter from Maria Celeste, in which she expressed a 

 tenderness beyond what any daughter ever had for 

 a father. " But I do not know how to express my- 

 self, except by saying that I love you better than 

 myself. For, after God, I belong to you ; and 

 your kindnesses are so numberless that I feel I 

 could put my life in peril, Avere it to save you from 

 any trouble, excepting only that I would not offend 

 His Divine Majesty." 



Finally Galileo moved to Arcetri, over against 

 the convent, to be near the one who alone satisfied 

 his heart. 



In January, 1632, the " Dialogues " appeared. 

 Copies were sent to his friends and disciples 



1 throughout Italy. The whole country applauded, 

 and at last Galileo seemed to have won the homage 

 he had so long deserved. 



But a storm was gathering. Enemies were at 



- work prejudicing the mind of Urban VIII., making 

 him feel that Galileo had wrought evil to the 

 church. At once an order came from the Inquisi- 

 tion to secure every copy in the booksellers' shops 

 throughout Italy, and to forward all copies to 

 Rome. 



In October of the same year of publication, 



