bonfire of every copy in the public square, for in this LITTLE 

 volume, all the priests taught of astronomy had been JOURNEYS 

 contradicted and refuted. 



And then it occurred to him to send the manuscript to 

 the free city of Nuremberg, the home of science, art 

 and free speech, where men could print what they 

 thought was truth Nuremberg, the home of Albrecht 

 Durer. With the book he sent a bag of gold, his sav- 

 ings of a lifetime, to pay the expense of printing the 

 volume and putting it before the world. 

 To better protect himself, Copernicus wrote a preface, 

 dedicating the book to the Pope Paul, thus throwing 

 himself upon the mercy of His Holiness. He would 

 not put the work out anonymously, as his friends in 

 Nuremberg, for his own safety, had advised. Neither 

 would he flee to Nuremberg for protection ; he would 

 stay at home he was too old to travel now besides he 

 had forgotten how to talk and act with men of talent. 

 ({How would Rome receive the book ! He could only 

 guess he could only guess. 



The months went by, and fear, anxiety, and suspense 

 had their sway. He was stricken with fever. In his de- 

 lirium he called aloud, " The book tell me they surely 

 have not burned it you know I wrote no word but 

 truth oh, how could they burn my book ! " 

 But on May 23, 1543, a messenger arrived from Nurem- 

 berg. He carried a copy of the printed book he was 

 admitted to the sick-room, and placed in the hands of 

 the stricken man the volume. A gleam of sanity came 

 to Copernicus. He smiled, and taking the book gazed 



29 



