ii6 SECTIONPHYSICS. 



Shnplicio, a learned and sincere peripatetic. After many and gieat 

 difficulties, the Dialogues, having been revised and approved, were 

 finally published at Florence in 1632. But no sooner had they 

 appeared, than his enemies decided to bring into play eveiy evil art 

 in their power in order to effect his ruin ; and knowing that the 

 Pope favoured him, and had even corrected, with his own hand, the 

 introduction to the Dialogues, they quickly understood that, to carry 

 out their purpose, they must turn Urban's friendship for Galileo into 

 enmity. They therefore insinuated themselves hypocritically into the 

 councils of the Pontiff, whom they made believe that Galileo, in his 

 Dialogues, had meant to represent in the person of Simplicio no other 

 than his own sacred person. At this suggestion anger and perse- 

 cution straightway took the place of friendship in the mind of the Father 

 of the Faithful. Of no avail was the protection, which indeed was but 

 timidly proffered by the Grand Duke ; nor yet the intercession of 

 persons in high authority, nor even that of some ecclesiastics, in whom 

 the feelings of religion were undoubtedly sincere, being inseparably 

 bound up with those of truth. All was in vain ; and although a pesti- 

 lence was raging at the time, poor Galileo, old, in bad health, and 

 sorely afflicted, was forced to leave .Florence in the very middle of 

 winter and proceed to Rome. At the Bridge of Centino, on the 

 frontier, he was compelled to undergo twenty days' quarantine in a 

 miserable old house, totally denuded of comfort. And in the mean- 

 time the Pope was revenging himself on all those who had had com- 

 passion on the unfortunate old man. 



On the 1 3th of February, 1633, Galileo reached Rome, and was at 

 first lodged at the Villa Medici, from which he was afterwards taken 

 to the dungeons of the Holy Office, where he remained seventeen days, 

 and was only released on account of his increasing ill health. Finally, 

 after six months' distress and suffering, having once more passed four 

 days in the dungeons of the Holy Office, he was conducted to the Church 

 della Minerva, where, in the presence of the Inquisitors, he was obliged^ 

 on the 20th of June, 1633, to pronounce the famous recantation, which 

 did not prevent him from uttering the now historical "Eppur s 

 muove," which, while summing up in a word the most severe martyr- 

 dom to which a man outraged in his convictions could be subjected, 

 expressed at the same time the boldest challenge that knowledge 



