and ten, broken in health, with spirit crushed, repeated LITTLE 

 after a priest these words : " I, Galileo Galilei, being JOURNEYS 

 in my seventieth year, a prisoner and now on my 

 knees before your Eminences, the Cardinals of the 

 Holy See, having before mine eyes the Holy Bible, 

 which I touch with my hands and kiss with my lips, 

 do abjure, curse and detest the error and heresy of the 

 movement of the earth." 



He also was made to sign the recantation. On arising 

 from his knees, legend declares that he said, " Yet the 

 earth does move!" It is hardly probable that the 

 words reached his lips, although they may have been 

 in his mind. But we must remember the man's heart 

 was broken and he was in a mental condition where 

 nothing really mattered. 



To complete his dishonor all of his writings were 

 placed on the Index, and he was made to swear that 

 he would inform the Inquisition of any man whom he 

 should hear or discover supporting the heresy of the 

 motion of the earth. 



The old man was then released, a prisoner on parole, 

 and allowed to make his way home to Florence, which 

 he did by easy stages, helped along the way by friendly 

 monks who discussed with him all questions but those 

 of astronomy. 



Galileo's eldest daughter, a nun, whose home was 

 near his, was so affected by the humiliation of her 

 father that she fell into a nervous decline and died 

 very soon after he reached home. Between these two 

 there had been a close bond of love and tender sym- 



61 



