beacon lights of history-iii-2-第66节

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the　advocates　of　the　old　system。　　He　called　them　〃paper

philosophers。〃　　In　private　he　made　a　mockery　of　his　persecutors。

One　Saisi　undertook　to　prove　from　Suidas　that　the　Babylonians　used

to　cook　eggs　by　whirling　them　swiftly　on　a　sling；　to　which　he

replied：　〃If　Saisi　insists　on　the　authority　of　Suidas；　that　the

Babylonians　cooked　eggs　by　whirling　them　on　a　sling；　I　will　believe

it。　　But　I　must　add　that　we　have　eggs　and　slings；　and　strong　men　to

whirl　them；　yet　they　will　not　become　cooked；　nay；　if　they　were　hot

at　first；　they　more　quickly　became　cool；　and　as　there　is　nothing

wanting　to　us　but　to　be　Babylonians；　it　follows　that　being

Babylonians　is　the　true　cause　why　the　eggs　became　hard。〃　　Such　was

his　prevailing　mockery　and　ridicule。　　〃Your　Eminence；〃　writes　one

of　his　friends　to　the　Cardinal　D'Este；　〃would　be　delighted　if　you

could　hear　him　hold　forth　in　the　midst　of　fifteen　or　twenty；　all

violently　attacking　him；　sometimes　in　one　house；　and　sometimes　in

another；　but　he　is　armed　after　such　a　fashion　that　he　laughs　them

all　to　scorn。〃



Galileo；　after　his　admonition　from　the　Inquisition；　and　his　promise

to　hold　his　tongue；　did　keep　comparatively　quiet　for　a　while；

amusing　himself　with　mechanics；　and　striving　to　find　out　a　new　way

of　discovering　longitude　at　sea。　　But　the　want　of　better　telescopes

baffled　his　efforts；　and　even　to…day　it　is　said　〃that　no　telescope

has　yet　been　made　which　is　capable　of　observing　at　sea　the　eclipses

of　Jupiter's　satellites；　by　which　on　shore　this　method　of　finding

longitude　has　many　advantages。〃



On　the　accession　of　a　new　Pope　（1623）；　Urban　VIII。；　who　had　been

his　friend　as　Cardinal　Barberini；　Galileo；　after　eight　years　of

silence；　thought　that　he　might　now　venture　to　publish　his　great

work　on　the　Ptolemaic　and　Copernican　systems；　especially　as　the

papal　censor　also　had　been　his　friend。　　But　the　publication　of　the

book　was　delayed　nearly　two　years；　so　great　were　the　obstacles　to

be　surmounted；　and　so　prejudiced　and　hostile　was　the　Church　to　the

new　views。　　At　last　it　appeared　in　Florence　in　1632；　with　a

dedication　to　the　Grand　Duke；not　the　Cosimo　who　had　rewarded　him；

but　his　son　Ferdinand；　who　was　a　mere　youth。　　It　was　an　unfortunate

thing　for　Galileo　to　do。　　He　had　pledged　his　word　not　to　advocate

the　Copernican　theory；　which　was　already　sufficiently　established

in　the　opinions　of　philosophers。　　The　form　of　the　book　was　even

offensive；　in　the　shape　of　dialogues；　where　some　of　the　chief

speakers　were　his　enemies。　　One　of　them　he　ridiculed　under　the　name

of　Simplicio。　　This　was　supposed　to　mean　the　Pope　himself；so　they

made　the　Pope　believe；　and　he　was　furious。　　Old　Cardinal　Bellarmine

roared　like　a　lion。　　The　whole　Church；　as　represented　by　its

dignitaries；　seemed　to　be　against　him。　　The　Pope　seized　the　old

weapons　of　the　Clements　and　the　Gregories　to　hurl　upon　the　daring

innovator；　but　delayed　to　hurl　them；　since　he　dealt　with　a　giant；

covered　not　only　by　the　shield　of　the　Medici；　but　that　of　Minerva。

So　he　convened　a　congregation　of　cardinals；　and　submitted　to　them

the　examination　of　the　detested　book。　　The　author　was　summoned　to

Rome　to　appear　before　the　Inquisition；　and　answer　at　its　judgment…

seat　the　charges　against　him　as　a　heretic。　　The　Tuscan　ambassador

expostulated　with　his　Holiness　against　such　a　cruel　thing；

considering　Galileo's　age；　infirmities；　and　fame；all　to　no　avail；

he　was　obliged　to　obey　the　summons。　　At　the　age　of　seventy　this

venerated　philosopher；　infirm；　in　precarious　health；　appeared

before　the　Inquisition　of　cardinals；　not　one　of　whom　had　any

familiarity　with　abstruse　speculations；　or　even　with　mathematics。



Whether　out　of　regard　to　his　age　and　infirmities；　or　to　his　great

fame　and　illustrious　position　as　the　greatest　philosopher　of　his

day；　the　cardinals　treat　Galileo　with　unusual　indulgence。　　Though　a

prisoner　of　the　Inquisition；　and　completely　in　its　hands；　with

power　of　life　and　death；　it　would　seem　that　he　is　allowed　every

personal　comfort。　　His　table　is　provided　by　the　Tuscan　ambassador；

a　servant　obeys　his　slightest　nod；　he　sleeps　in　the　luxurious

apartment　of　the　fiscal　of　that　dreaded　body；　he　is　even　liberated

on　the　responsibility　of　a　cardinal；　he　is　permitted　to　lodge　in

the　palace　of　the　ambassador；　he　is　allowed　time　to　make　his

defence：　those　holy　Inquisitors　would　not　unnecessarily　harm　a　hair

of　his　head。　　Nor　was　it　probably　their　object　to　inflict　bodily

torments：　these　would　call　out　sympathy　and　degrade　the　tribunal。

It　was　enough　to　threaten　these　torments；　to　which　they　did　not

wish　to　resort　except　in　case　of　necessity。　　There　is　no　evidence

that　Galileo　was　personally　tortured。　　He　was　indeed　a　martyr；　but

not　a　sufferer　except　in　humiliated　pride。　　Probably　the　object　of

his　enemies　was　to　silence　him；　to　degrade　him；　to　expose　his　name

to　infamy；　to　arrest　the　spread　of　his　doctrines；　to　bow　his　old

head　in　shame；　to　murder　his　soul；　to　make　him　stab　himself；　and　be

his　own　executioner；　by　an　act　which　all　posterity　should　regard　as

unworthy　of　his　name　and　cause。



After　a　fitting　time　has　elapsed；four　months　of　dignified

session；the　mind　of　the　Holy　Tribunal　is　made　up。　　Its　judgment

is　ready。　　On　the　22d　of　June；　1633；　the　prisoner　appears　in

penitential　dress　at　the　convent　of　Minerva；　and　the　presiding

cardinal；　in　his　scarlet　robes；　delivers　the　sentence　of　the

Court；that　Galileo；　as　a　warning　to　others；　and　by　way　of

salutary　penance；　be　condemned　to　the　formal　prison　of　the　Holy

Office；　and　be　ordered　to　recite　once　a　week　the　seven　Penitential

Psalms　for　the　benefit　of　his　soul；apparently　a　light　sentence；

only　to　be　nominally　imprisoned　a　few　days；　and　to　repeat　those

Psalms　which　were　the　life　of　blessed　saints　in　mediaeval　times。

But　this　was　nothing。　　He　was　required　to　recant；　to　abjure　the

doctrines　he　had　taught；　not　in　private；　but　publicly　before　the

world。　　Will　he　recant？　　Will　he　subscribe　himself　an　imposter？

Will　he　abjure　the　doctrines　on　which　his　fame　rests？　　Oh；　tell　it

not　in　Gath！　　The　timid；　infirm；　life…loving　old　patriarch　of

science　falls。　　He　is　not　great　enough　for　martyrdom。　　He　chooses

shame。　　In　an　evil　hour　this　venerable　sage　falls　down　upon　his

knees　before　the　assembled　cardinals；　and　reads　aloud　this

recantation：　〃I；　Galileo　Galilei；　aged　seventy；　on　my　knees　before

you　most　reverend　lords；　and　having　my　eye　on　the　Holy　gospel；

which　I　do　touch　with　my　lips；　thus　publish　and　declare；　that　I

believe；　and　always　have　believed；　and　always　will　believe　every

article　which　the　Holy　Catholic　Roman　Church　holds　and　teaches。

And　as　I　have　written　a　book　in　which　I　have　maintained　that　the

sun　is　the　centre；　which　doctrine　is　repugnant　to　the　Holy

Scriptures；　I；　with　sincere　heart　and　unfeigned　faith；　do　abjure

and　detest；　and　curse　the　said　error　and　heresy；　and　all　other

errors　contrary　to　said　Holy　Church；　whose　penance　I　solemnly　swear

to　observe　faithfully；　and　all　other　penances　which　have　been　or

shall　be　laid　upon　me。〃



It　would　appear　from　this　confession　that　he　did　not　declare　his

doctrines　false；　only　that　they　were　in　opposition　to　the

Scriptures；　and　it　is　also　said　that　as　he　arose　from　his　knees　he

whispered　to　a　friend；　〃It　does　move；　nevertheless。〃　　As　some

excuse　for　him；　he　acted　with　the　certainty　that　he　would　be

tortured　if　he　did　not　recant；　and　at　the　worst　he　had　only

affirmed　that　his　scientific　theory　was　in　opposition　to　the

Scriptures。　　He　had　not　denied　his　master；　like　Peter；　he　had　not

recanted　the　faith　like　Cranmer；　he　had　simply　yielded　for　fear　of

bodily　torments；　and　therefore　was　not　sincere　in　the　abjuration

which　he　made　to　save　his　life。　　Nevertheless；　his　recantation　was

a　fall；　and　in　the　eyes　of　the　scientific　world　perhaps　greater

than　that　of　Bacon。　　Galileo　was　false　to　philosophy　and　himself。

Why　did　he　suffer　himself　to　be　conquered　by　priests　he　despised？

Why　did　so　bold　and　witty　and　proud　a　man　betray　his　cause？　　Why

did　he　not　accept　the　penalty　of　intellectual　freedom；　and　die；　if

die　he　must？　　What　was　life　to　him；　diseased；　infirm；　and　old？

What　had　he　more　to　gain？　　Was　it　not　a　good　time　to　die　and

consummate　his　protests？　　Only　one　hundred　and　fifty　years　before；

one　of　his　countrymen　had　accepted　torture　and　death　rather　than

recant　his　religions　opinions。　　Why　could　not　Galileo　have　been　as

great　in　martyrdom　as　Savonarola？　　He　was　a　renowned　philosopher

and　brilliant　as　a　man　of　genius；but　he　was　a　man　of　the　world；

he　loved　ease　and　length　of　days。　　He　could　ridicule　and　deride

opponents；　he　could　not　suffer　pain。　　He　had　a　great　intellect；　but

not　a　great　soul。　　There　were　flaws　in　his　morality；　he　was

anything　but　a　saint　or　hero。　　He　was　great　in　mind；　and　yet　he　was

far　from　being　great　in　character。　　We　pity　him；　while　we　exalt

him。　　Nor　is　the　world　harsh　to　him；　it　forgives　him　for　his

services。　　The　worst　that　can　be　said；　is