CHAPTER X. RRENT MYTHS. Fate.-His Eyes put out.-" E pur si Muove." prisonment.-Galileo only detained twenty-two -Torture.-Refuted in 18th Century.-Torture examen rigorosum."-This shown to be unthe Acts have been falsified refuted.-False ni.-Conclusive Evidence against Torture.rtyr of Science." alileo's fate to the end, so far as his ria are concerned, it seems desirable bles and exaggerations, mostly origi fierce partisanship, which, in defiance latest historical research, are not only e public at large, but introduced, to works which profess to contain history. ese legends, Galileo languishes during sons of the Inquisition; when brought The proudly defends the doctrine of the is then seized by the executioners of nd subjected to the horrors of torture; sheroic fable demands-he for a long Ifast; under pain beyond endurance he e, that is, the recantation of the Copers soon as his torn and dislocated limbs ged before the large assembly of the Conere, kneeling in the penitential shirt, with heart, he utters the desired recantation. no longer able to master his indignation, to leave Rome, where he had suffered so much, and therefore addressed the following petition to Urban VIII. :— "Most Holy Father! Galileo Galilei most humbly begs your Holiness to exchange the place assigned to him for his prison near Rome, for some other in Florence, which may appear suitable to your Holiness, in consideration of his poor health, and also because the petitioner is expecting a sister with eight children from Germany, to whom no one can afford help and protection so well as himself. He will receive any disposition of your Holiness as a great favour." But in the Vatican the opinion prevailed that to allow Galileo to return to Florence already would be a superfluity of indulgence. The Pope said to Niccolini: "We must proceed gently, and only rehabilitate Galileo by degrees." Still Urban was disposed to grant the ambassador's request, and to alter the penalty so far as to allow the exile to go to Siena, to the house of the Archbishop Ascanio Piccolomini, whom we know as a warm friend of Galileo's. Niccolini's urgent entreaties succeeded in obtaining a papal decree of 30th June, ordering Galileo to go by the shortest route to Siena, to go to the Archbishop's at once, to remain there, and strictly to obey his orders; and he was not to leave that city without permission from the Congregation.3 Galileo was informed of this decree on 2nd July by the CommissaryGeneral of the Inquisition, Father Vincenzo Maccolani di Firenzuola, in person.* On 10th July, Niccolini reported to Cioli: "Signor Galileo set out early on Wednesday, 6th July, in good health, for Siena, and writes to me from Viterbo, that he had performed four miles on foot, the weather being very cool.5 1 Vat. MS. fol. 453 ro. 2 Niccolini's despatch to Cioli of 3rd July. 3 Vat. MS. fol. 453 ro. and 454 vo. 4 Ibid. fol. 453 vo. 5 Op. ix. p. 447. CHAPTER X. CURRENT MYTHS. 66 Popular Story of Galileo's Fate.-His Eyes put out.-" E pur si Muove." -The Hair Shirt.-Imprisonment.-Galileo only detained twenty-two Days at the Holy Office.-Torture.-Refuted in 18th Century.-Torture based on the words, examen rigorosum."-This shown to be untenable.-Assertion that the Acts have been falsified refuted.—False Imputation on Niccolini.-Conclusive Evidence against Torture.— Galileo not truly a "Martyr of Science." BEFORE following Galileo's fate to the end, so far as his relations with the curia are concerned, it seems desirable to glance at the fables and exaggerations, mostly origi nating in malice and fierce partisanship, which, in defiance of the results of the latest historical research, are not only circulated among the public at large, but introduced, to some extent, even in works which profess to contain history. According to these legends, Galileo languishes during the trial in the prisons of the Inquisition; when brought before his judges, he proudly defends the doctrine of the double motion; he is then seized by the executioners of the Holy Office, and subjected to the horrors of torture; but even then-as heroic fable demands-he for a long time remains steadfast; under pain beyond endurance he promises obedience, that is, the recantation of the Copernican system. As soon as his torn and dislocated limbs permit, he is dragged before the large assembly of the Congregation, and there, kneeling in the penitential shirt, with fierce rage in his heart, he utters the desired recantation. As he rises he is no longer able to master his indignation, and fiercely stamping with his foot, he utters the famous words: “E pur si muove!" He is, therefore, thrown into the dank dungeons of the dreaded tribunal, where his eyes are put out! The blinding of Galileo is a creation of the lively popular mind, which, with its love of horrors, embellishes tragical historical events by fictitious additions of this kind, just suited to the palates of people accustomed to coarse diet. Galileo's subsequent loss of sight may have given rise to the fable, which first appeared in the "History of Astronomy" by Estevius.1 It is not known who was the inventor of the assumed exclamation, "E pur si muove," which sounds well, and has become a "winged word;" but besides not being historic, it very incorrectly indicates the old man's state of mind; for he was morally completely crushed. Professor Heis, who has devoted a treatise to the origin of this famous saying, thinks that he has discovered its first appearance in the "Dictionnaire Historique," Caen, 1789; Professor Grisar tells us, however, in his studies on the trial of Galileo, that in the "Lehrbuch der philosophischen Geschichte," published at Würzburg, 1774, fifteen years earlier, by Fr. N. Steinacher, the following edifying passage occurs:— "Galileo was neither sufficiently in earnest nor steadfast with his recantation; for the moment he rose up, when his conscience told him that he had sworn falsely, he cast his eyes on the ground, stamped with his foot, and exclaimed, E pur si muove.' "3 Besides the fact that these words are not attributed to Galileo by any of his contemporaries, not even the best 1 Fabroni, "Vitæ Italorum." Pisa, 1778, vol. i. p. 144. 2 Heis, "Das Unhistorische des dem Galilei in dem Munde gelegten: 'E pur si muove.'" Munich, 1868. 3 "Der Galileischen Process auf Grund der neuesten Actenpublicationen historisch und juristisch geprütf." Von Prof. H. Grisar, S. J. Zeitschrift für Kathol. Theologie. 2nd series. Innsbrück, 1878. informed, the fallacy of the whole story is obvious; for the witnesses of this outbreak, his judges, in fact, would assuredly not have allowed so audacious a revocation of his recantation to escape unpunished; it is, indeed, impossible to conjecture what the consequences would have been; the recusant would certainly not have been released two days afterwards from the buildings of the Holy Office. 1 Although this dramatic scene is not mentioned as worthy of credit by any modern historian, it is different with the hair shirt in which Galileo is said to have performed the humiliating act. Libri, Cousin, Parchappe, and very recently Louis Combes, all gravely relate that the philosopher had to recant en chemise." 2 The official document, although it goes very much into detail as to the way in which the oath was performed, says nothing of the shirt, and these authors should have said nothing either. The doubtful source in which this fable originated is an anonymous and very confused note on a MS. in the Magliabechiana Library at Florence, where among other nonsense we find: "the poor man (Galileo), appeared clad in a ragged shirt, so that it was really pitiable." We agree with Epinois, that history requires more authentic testimony than that of an anonymous note. 4 Ferry, author of the article "Galilée" in "Dictionnaire de Conversation," Paris, 1859, undoubtedly believes the story. But the man who makes Galileo be born at Florence, study at Venice, and become Professor at Padua directly afterwards, thinks that Galileo did nothing more for science after his condemnation, and that (in 1859) his works were still on the Index, can hardly be reckoned among historians. 2 Louis Combes's "Gal. et L'Inquisition Romaine," Paris, 1876, is a pamphlet of no scientific value whatever, distinguished by astounding ignorance of the Galileo literature. The author complains that the original documents relating to the trial are buried among the secret papal archives, and that nothing more is known of them than what Mgr. Marini has thought fit to communicate! The publication, then, of the most important documents of the Vat. MS., by Epinois, 1867, seems to have escaped the notice of M. Louis Combes ! 3 Nelli, vol. ii. p. 562, note 2. 4 |