NOTES TO BOOK V. 465 



It has sometimes been asserted or insinuated that 

 Galileo was subjected to bodily torture. An argument 

 has been drawn from the expressions used in his sen- 

 tence: " Cum vero nobis videretur non esse a te integram 

 veritatem pronunciatam circa tuam intentionem ; judi- 

 cavimus necesse esse venire ad rigorosum examen tui, in 

 quo respondisti catholice." It has been argued by M. 

 Libri (Hist, des Sciences Mathematiques en Italie, vol. iv. 

 p. 259,) and M. Quinet (L" 1 Ultramontanisme, iv. Lecon, 

 p. 104,) that the rigorosum examen necessarily implies 

 bodily torture, notwithstanding that no such thing is 

 mentioned by Galileo and his contemporaries, and notwith- 

 standing the consideration with which he was treated in 

 all other respects : but M. Biot more justly remarks, 

 (Biogr. Univ. Art. Galileo,) that such a procedure is 

 incredible. 



To the opinion of M. Biot, we may add that of 

 Delambre, who rejects the notion of Galileo's having been 

 put to the torture, as inconsistent with the general con- 

 duct of the authorities towards him, and as irreconcilable 

 with the accounts of the trial given by Galileo himself, 

 and by a servant of his, who never quitted him for an 

 instant. He adds also, that it is inconsistent with the 

 words of his sentence, " ne tuus iste gravis et perniciosus 

 error ac transgressio remaneat omnino impunitus;" for the 

 errour would have been already very far from impunity, if 

 Galileo had been previously subjected to the rack. He 

 adds, very reasonably, " il ne faut noircir personne sans 

 preuve, pas meme requisition.'" 



(s.) p. 444. I will insert this passage, as a specimen of 

 Kepler's fanciful mode of narrating the defeats which he 

 received in the war which he carried on with Mars. 

 VOL. I. II II 



