434 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academij, 



Princes, especially the ecclesiastical, and their Vicars and Administrators, and 

 work for all good men ; but to treat "men of letters, and especially leading 

 theologians, with special veneration ; above all things, to love and obey 

 Almighty God and supplicate Him to illuminate the minds of the Lynxes 

 with His Holy Spirit . . . ; and moreover to pray for intercession with Him 

 to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Evangelist, and St. Catherine, also 

 all the Saints who were Doctors and philosophers — St. Thomas Aquinas and 

 St. Ignatius Loyola as being especially favoui'able to letters — and this, both 

 collectively and individually, in all the Society's feasts." Finally — I have 

 abbreviated the document considerably — St. John the Evangelist was elected, 

 from the great company of the Saints, special protector of the Lynxes because 

 his spiritual vision was so penetrating and transcendent. 



These things show the very harmless and pious views of the founders ; yet 

 not many years elapsed before the Church interfered with their liberties, and 

 the condemnation of Galileo, their most distinguished member, who had 

 subscribed the extant roll on April 25, 1611, proved to them clearly that no 

 submission to authority in words could save men who searched for the 

 truth in things after a manner which might easily lead to a subversion of 

 the traditional philosophy. 



The attitude of the Lynxes during the trial of Galileo' was calm and 

 dignified, and they asserted strongly that his theory had only been put 

 forth as a hypothesis, not as a new truth to upset any existing doctrine. 

 Though in the greatest danger from the Inquisition — it was only sixteen 

 years since Giordano Bruno had been burnt in Eome — the Society made no 

 confession of guilt, nor did it consider any justification required. 



The literary activity of the founder and his fellows was very great. They 

 wrote and read a vast number of papers for the Society, of which the 

 enumeration, printed by their modern historian, amazes us. Heck travelled 

 all over Europe— even to Ireland — for nine years, and wrote down his many 

 experiences. He conferred with Kepler, and with Tycho Brahe at Prag . 

 and either he or some other member pressed on the Prince the importance of 

 making Francis Bacon a member. But he was too far off. "While the 

 founder lived they were amply provided by him, and afterwards at intervals 

 by generous cardinals; but the want of a fixed income was a standing 

 danger to the Academy, and was probably the reason why almost all its 

 sisters in Italy were extinguished. 



^■With the exception of one mathematician, who gave evidence against GnUleo, and -sras 

 accordingly debarred from all intercourse with the Society. To expel him would have been 

 aanp-frniic: 



