had found in Caccini "great ignorance and a mind full of venom." 1

But Galileo had only performed half his task by the happy adjustment of the difficulties affecting himself; the more important and grander part of it, the preservation of the Copernican system from the interdict of the Church, had yet to be accomplished. His letter of 6th February to Picchena tells him of the favourable turn in his own affairs, as well as of the noble purposes by which he was animated. He writes:

"My business, so far as it concerns myself, is completed; all the exalted personages who have been conducting it have told me so plainly, and in a most obliging manner, and have assured me that people are fully convinced of my uprightness and honour, and of the devilish malice and injustice of my persecutors. As far as this point is concerned, therefore, I might return home without delay, but there is a question concerning my own cause which does not concern myself alone, but all those who, during the last eighty years, have advocated in printed works or private letters, in public lectures or private conversations, a certain opinion, not unknown to your Grace, on which they are now proposing to pronounce judgment. In the conviction that my assistance may be of use in the investigation of the matter, as far as a knowledge of those truths is concerned which are proved by the science to which I have devoted myself, I neither can nor ought to neglect to render this assistance, while I shall thereby follow the dictates of my conscience and Christian zeal.2

This was magnanimous, and Galileo was entitled, as few others were, to appear as the advocate of science. But unfortunately his warm and perhaps too solicitous efforts for the Copernican cause had a result precisely opposite to the one he intended. He was still under the great delusion that the Roman curia must above all things be convinced of the correctness of the Copernican doctrines. He therefore sought out scepticism on the subject everywhere in the eternal city, combated it eagerly and apparently with signal success. In many of the first houses in Rome, such as the Cesarini's, Ghislieri's, and others, he unfolded before numerous audiences

1 Letter to Picchena. (Op. vi. pp. 225-227.)

Op. vi. pp. 221-223.

his views about the construction of the universe. He always began these discourses by carefully enumerating all the arguments for the Ptolemaic system, and then proved that they were untenable by the telling arguments with which his own observations had so abundantly supplied him; and as he not seldom added the biting sarcasm of his wit to serious demonstration, thus bringing the laugh on his side, he prepared signal defeats for the orthodox views of nature.1

But by this method he obviously took a false standpoint. He would not see that the Romanists cared far more for the authority of Scripture than for the recognition of the laws of nature; that his system, running counter to orthodox interpretation of the Bible, was opposed to the interests of the Church. And as his tactics were founded upon a purely human way of looking at things, and he erroneously imagined that the true system of the universe would be of greater importance, even to the servants of the Church, than her own mysteries, it was but a natural consequence of these false premises that, instead of attaining his end, he only widened his distance from it.

1 See the letter of Mgr. Queringhi, from Rome, of 20th January, 1616, to Cardinal Alessandro d'Este. (Op. viii. p. 383.)

CHAPTER VI.

THE INQUISITION AND THE COPERNICAN SYSTEM, AND THE ASSUMED PROHIBITION TO GALILEO.

Adverse Opinion of the Inquisition on Galileo's Propositions.-Admonition by Bellarmine, and assumed Absolute Prohibition to treat of the Copernican Doctrines.-Discrepancy between Notes of 25th and 26th February. Marini's documents.-Epinois's Work on Galileo.-Wohlwill first doubts the Absolute Prohibition.-Doubts confirmed by Gherardi's Documents. Decree of 5th March, 1616, on the Copernican system.— Attitude of the Church.-Was the Absolute Prohibition ever issued to Galileo?-Testimony of Bellarmine in his favour.-Conclusions.

THE Inquisition, perhaps still incensed by Galileo's active propagandism, even among the learned world of Rome, and by his brilliant defence of the new system, now hastened to bring to a conclusion the transactions which had been going on for a considerable time against it. A decree of 19th February, 1616, summoned the Qualifiers of the Holy Office (they were not judges exactly, but had to give their opinion as experts) and required them to give their opinion on the two following propositions in Galileo's work on the solar spots:

I. The sun is the centre of the world, and immovable from its place.

II. The earth is not the centre of the world, and is not immovable, but moves, and also with a diurnal motion.1

In accordance with the papal decree, these theologians met four days afterwards, at 9 a.m. on 23rd February, and published the result of their deliberations the next day, as follows:

Che il sole sij centre del mondo, et per consequenza imobile di moto locale,

Che la Terra non è centro del mondo, ne imobile, ma si move secondo se tutta etia di moto diurno. (Vat. MS. fol. 376 ro.)

The first proposition was unanimously declared to be false and absurd philosophically, and formally heretical, inasmuch as it expressly contradicts the doctrines of Holy Scripture in many passages, both if taken in their literal meaning and according to the general interpretation and conceptions of the holy Fathers and learned theologians.

The second proposition was declared unanimously "to deserve the like censure in philosophy, and as regards theological truth, to be at least erroneous in the faith."1

The Vatican MS. reports the further steps taken against Galileo as the chief advocate of the Copernican system, as follows:

"Thursday, 25th February, 1616. The Lord Cardinal Mellini notified. to the Reverend Fathers the Assessors and the Commissary of the Holy Office, that the censure passed by the theologians upon the propositions of Galileo-to the effect particularly that the sun is the centre of the world, and immovable from its place, and that the earth moves, and also with a diurnal motion—had been reported; and His Holiness has directed the Lord Cardinal Bellarmine to summon before him the said Galileo, and admonish him to abandon the said opinion; and in case of his refusal to obey, that the Commissary is to intimate to him, before a notary and witnesses, a command to abstain altogether from teaching or defending this opinion and doctrine, and even from discussing it; and if he do not acquiesce therein, that he is to be imprisoned."

1 Sol est centru mundi, et omnino imobilis motu locali;

2

Censura Omnes dixerunt dicta propositione ee stulta et absurdam in Philosophia, et formaliter heretica, quatenus contradicit expresse sententijs sacre scripture in multis locis. Secundú proprietate verbor, et secundu commune expositione, et sensu. Sanct. Patr. et Theologor doctor. Terra non est centr. mundi, nec imobilis, sed secundu se tota, movetur et moto diurno.

Censura: Omnes dixerunt, hanc propositione recipe eande censura in Philosophia; et spectando veritate Theologica, at minus ee in fide erronea. (Vat. MS. folio 377 ro.)

1 Die Jovis, 25th Februarij, 1616.

Ill D. Card" Millinus notificavit R.R. pp. D.D. Asseos, et Commiss S" Officij, quod relata censura P.P. Theologoru ad proposit"" Gallilei Mathem, q. Sol sit centru mundi, et imobilis motu locali, et Terra moveatur et motu diurno; S ordinavit Ill D. Card", Bellarm, ut vocet cora se de Galileum, eumq. moneat ad deserendas da oponem, et si recusaverit

This is followed in the Vatican MS. by a record intended to look like an official report on the course of the proceedings ordained above. Every unbiassed reader will expect to find in it either that Galileo refused to obey the admonitions of the cardinal, and that the Commissary-General of the Inquisition then issued the other strict injunction, or that Galileo immediately submitted, in which case the official of the Inquisition would not have had to interfere. Instead of this we find the following document, couched half in a narrative tone, half like the report of a notary :

"Friday, the 26th.-At the Palace, the usual residence of the Lord Cardinal Bellarmine, the said Galiled having been summoned and brought before the said Lord Cardinal, was, in presence of the Most Revd. Michael Angelo Segnezzio, of the order of preachers, CommissaryGeneral of the Holy Office, by the said Cardinal warned of the error of the aforesaid opinion, and admonished to abandon it; and immediately thereafter, before me and before witnesses, the Lord Cardinal Bellarmine being still present, the said Galileo was by the said Commissary commanded and enjoined, in the name of His Holiness the Pope, and the whole Congregation of the Holy Office, to relinquish altogether the said opinion that the sun is the centre of the world and immovable, and that the earth moves; nor henceforth to hold, teach, or defend it in any way whatsoever, verbally or in writing; otherwise proceedings would be taken against him in the Holy Office; which injunction the said Galileo acquiesced in and promised to obey. Done at Rome, in the place aforesaid, in presence of Badino Nores, of Nicosia, in the kingdom of Cyprus, and Augustino Mongardo, from a place in the Abbacy of Rottz, in the diocese of Politianeti, inmates of the said Cardinal's house, witnesses."1

parere, P. Comiss; cora Noto (Notario) et Testibus faciat illi preceptum, ut ío (omnino) abstineat huõi (huiusmodi) doctrina, et oponem docere, aut defendere, seu de ea tractare, si vero nõ acquieverit, carceretur. (Vat. MS. folio 378 vo.)

Die Veneris, 26th eiusdem.

In Palatio solite habit" d; Ill D. Card Bellarm" et in mãsionib. Dom sue Ill Idem Ill D. Card" vocato suprad Galileo, ipsoq. corã D. sua Ill exnte (existente) in pntia adm. R. p. Fis Michaelis Angeli Seghitij de Lauda ord. Pred. Comissarij qualis s" officij predTM Galileû monuit de errore suprad" oponis, et ut illa deserat, et successive, ac icotinenti in mei &, et Testiu & pnte et adhuc eodem Ill D. Card" suprad P. Comiss: pred Galileo adhuc ibidem pnti, et Constituto precepit, et ordinavit [Here the MS. is defaced. Two words are wanting, the