beacon lights of history-iii-2-第67节

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services。　　The　worst　that　can　be　said；　is　that　he　was　not　willing

to　suffer　and　die　for　his　opinions：　and　how　many　philosophers　are

there　who　are　willing　to　be　martyrs？



Nevertheless；　in　the　eyes　of　philosophers　he　has　disgraced　himself。

Let　him　then　return　to　Florence；　to　his　own　Arceti。　　He　is　a

silenced　man。　　But　he　is　silenced；　not　because　he　believed　with

Copernicus；　but　because　he　ridiculed　his　enemies　and　confronted　the

Church；　and　in　the　eyes　of　blinded　partisans　had　attacked　divine

authority。　　Why　did　Copernicus　escape　persecution？　　The　Church　must

have　known　that　there　was　something　in　his　discoveries；　and　in

those　of　Galileo；　worthy　of　attention。　　About　this　time　Pascal

wrote：　〃It　is　vain　that　you　have　procured　the　condemnation　of

Galileo。　　That　will　never　prove　the　earth　to　be　at　rest。　　If

unerring　observation　proves　that　it　turns　round；　not　all　mankind

together　can　keep　it　from　turning；　or　themselves　from　turning　with

it。〃



But　let　that　persecution　pass。　　It　is　no　worse　than　other

persecutions；　either　in　Catholic　or　Protestant　ranks。　　It　was　no

worse　than　burning　witches。　　Not　only　is　intolerance　in　human

nature；　but　there　is　a　repugnance　among　the　learned　to　receive　new

opinions　when　these　interfere　with　their　ascendancy。　　The

opposition　to　Galileo's　discoveries　was　no　greater　than　that　of　the

Protestant　Church；　half　a　century　ago；　to　some　of　the　inductions　of

geology。　　How　bitter　the　hatred；　even　in　our　times；　to　such　men　as

Huxley　and　Darwin！　　True；　they　have　not　proved　their　theories　as

Galileo　did；　but　they　gave　as　great　a　shock　as　he　to　the　minds　of

theologians。　　All　science　is　progressive；　yet　there　are　thousands

who　oppose　its　progress。　　And　if　learning　and　science　should

establish　a　different　meaning　to　certain　texts　from　which

theological　deductions　are　drawn；　and　these　premises　be　undermined；

there　would　be　the　same　bitterness　among　the　defenders　of　the

present　system　of　dogmatic　theology。　　Yet　theology　will　live；　and

never　lose　its　dignity　and　importance；　only；　some　of　its　present

assumptions　may　be　discarded。　　God　will　never　be　dethroned　from　the

world　he　governs；　but　some　of　his　ways　may　appear　to　be　different

from　what　was　once　supposed。　　And　all　science　is　not　only

progressive；　but　it　appears　to　be　bold　and　scornful　and　proud；at

least　its　advocates　are　and　ever　have　been　contemptuous　of　all

other　departments　of　knowledge　but　its　own。　　So　narrow　and　limited

is　the　human　mind　in　the　midst　of　its　triumphs。　　So　full　of

prejudices　are　even　the　learned　and　the　great。



Let　us　turn　then　to　give　another　glance　at　the　fallen　philosopher

in　his　final　retreat　at　Arceti。　　He　lives　under　restrictions。　　But

they　allow　him　leisure　and　choice　wines；　of　which　he　is　fond；　and

gardens　and　friends；　and　many　come　to　do　him　reverence。　　He　amuses

his　old　age　with　the　studies　of　his　youth　and　manhood；　and　writes

dialogues　on　Motion；　and　even　discovers　the　phenomena　of　the　moon's

libration；　and　by　means　of　the　pendulum　he　gives　additional

importance　to　astronomical　science。　　But　he　is　not　allowed　to　leave

his　retirement；　not　even　to　visit　his　friends　in　Florence。　　The

wrath　of　the　Inquisition　still　pursues　him；　even　in　his　villa　at

Arceti　in　the　suburbs　of　Florence。　　Then　renewed　afflictions　come。

He　loses　his　daughter；　who　was　devoted　to　him；　and　her　death　nearly

plunges　him　into　despair。　　The　bulwarks　of　his　heart　break　down；　a

flood　of　grief　overwhelms　his　stricken　soul。　　His　appetite　leaves

him；　his　health　forsakes　him；　his　infirmities　increase　upon　him。

His　right　eye　loses　its　power；that　eye　that　had　seen　more　of　the

heavens　than　the　eyes　of　all　who　had　gone　before　him。　　He　becomes

blind　and　deaf；　and　cannot　sleep；　afflicted　with　rheumatic　pains

and　maladies　forlorn。　　No　more　for　him　is　rest；　or　peace；　or　bliss；

still　less　the　glories　of　his　brighter　days；the　sight　of

glittering　fields；　the　gems　of　heaven；　without　which





　　　　〃Neither　breath　of　Morn；　when　she　ascends

　　　　　With　charm　of　earliest　birds；　nor　rising　sun

　　　　　On　this　delightful　land；　nor　herb；　fruit；　flower

　　　　　Glistering　with　dew；　nor　fragrance　after　showers；

　　　　　Nor　grateful　evening　mild；　。　。　。　is　sweet。〃





No　more　shall　he　gaze　on　features　that　he　loves；　or　stars；　or

trees；　or　hills。　　No　more　to　him



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Returns

　　　　　Day；　or　the　sweet　approach　of　even　or　morn；

　　　　　Or　sight　of　vernal　bloom；　or　summer's　rose；

　　　　　Or　flocks；　or　herds；　or　human　face　divine；

　　　　　But　clouds；　instead；　and　ever…during　dark

　　　　　Surround〃　＇him＇。





It　was　in　those　dreary　desolate　days　at　Arceti；





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Unseen

　　　　　In　manly　beauty　Milton　stood　before　him；

　　　　　Gazing　in　reverent　awe；Milton；　his　guest；

　　　　　Just　then　come　forth；　all　life　and　enterprise；

　　　　　While　he　in　his　old　age；　。　。　。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　。　。　。　exploring　with　his　staff；

　　　　　His　eyes　upturned　as　to　the　golden　sun；

　　　　　His　eyeballs　idly　rolling。〃





This　may　have　been　the　punishment　of　his　recantation；not

Inquisitorial　torture；　but　the　consciousness　that　he　had　lost　his

honor。　　Poor　Galileo！　thine　illustrious　visitor；　when　his

affliction　came；　could　cast　his　sightless　eyeballs　inward；　and　see

and　tell　〃things　attempted　yet　in　prose　or　rhyme；〃not





　　　　〃Rocks；　caves；　lakes；　bogs；　fens；　and　shades　of　death；

　　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。

　　　　　Where　all　life　dies；　death　lives；　and　Nature　breeds

　　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。

　　　　　Gorgons；　and　Hydras；　and　Chimeras　dire；〃





but　of　〃eternal　Providence；〃　and　〃Eden　with　surpassing　glory

crowned；〃　and　〃our　first　parents；〃　and　of　〃salvation；〃　〃goodness

infinite；〃　of　〃wisdom；〃　which　when　known　we　need　no　higher　though

all　the　stars　we　know　by　name；





　　　　〃All　secrets　of　the　deep；　all　Nature's　works；

　　　　　Or　works　of　God　in　heaven；　or　air；　or　sea。〃





And　yet；　thou　stricken　observer　of　the　heavenly　bodies！　hadst　thou

but　known　what　marvels　would　be　revealed　by　the　power　of　thy

wondrous　instrument　after　thou　should'st　be　laid　lifeless　and　cold

beneath　the　marble　floor　of　Sante　Croce；　at　the　age　of　seventy…

eight；　without　a　monument　（although　blessed　on　his　death…bed　by

Pope　Urban）；　having　died　a　prisoner　of　the　Inquisition；　yet　not

without　having　rendered　to　astronomical　science　services　of　utmost

value；even　thou　might　have　died　rejoicing；　as　one　of　the　great

benefactors　of　the　world。　　And　thy　discoveries　shall　be　forever

held　in　gratitude；　they　shall　herald　others　of　even　greater

importance。　　Newton　shall　prove　that　the　different　planets　are

attracted　to　the　sun　in　the　inverse　ratio　of　the　squares　of　their

distances；　that　the　earth　has　a　force　on　the　moon　identical　with

the　force　of　gravity；　and　that　all　celestial　bodies；　to　the　utmost

boundaries　of　space；　mutually　attract　each　other；　that　all

particles　of　matter　are　governed　by　the　same　law；the　great　law　of

gravitation；　by　which　〃astronomy；〃　in　the　language　of　Whewell；

〃passed　from　boyhood　to　manhood；　and　by　which　law　the　great

discoverer　added　more　to　the　realm　of　science　than　any　man　before

or　since　his　day。〃　　And　after　Newton　shall　pass　away；　honored　and

lamented；　and　be　buried　with　almost　royal　pomp　in　the　vaults　of

Westminster；　Halley　and　other　mathematicians　shall　construct　lunar

tables；　by　which　longitude　shall　be　accurately　measured　on　the

pathless　ocean。　　Lagrange　and　Laplace　shall　apply　the　Newtonian

theory　to　determine　the　secular　inequalities　of　celestial　motion；

they　shall　weigh　absolutely　the　amount　of　matter　in　the　planets；

they　shall　show　how　far　their　orbits　deviate　from　circles；　and　they

shall　enumerate　the　cycles　of　changes　detected　in　the　circuit　of

the　moon。　　Clairaut　shall　remove　the　perplexity　occasioned　by　the

seeming　discrepancy　between　the　observed　and　computed　motions　of

the　moon's　perigee。　　Halley　shall　demonstrate　the　importance　of

observations　of　the　transit　of　Venus　as　the　only　certain　way　of

obtaining　the　sun's　parallax；　and　hence　the　distance　of　the　sun

from　the　earth；　he　shall　predict　the　return　of　that　mysterious　body

which　we　call　a　comet。　　Herschel　shall　construct　a　telescope　which

magnifies　two　thousand　times；　and　add　another　planet　to　our　system

beyond　the　mighty　orb　of　Saturn。　　Romer　shall　estimate　the　velocity

of　light　from　the　eclipses　of　Jupiter's　satellites。　　Bessell　shall

pass　the　impassable　gulf　of　space　and　measure　the　distance　of　some

of　the　fixed　stars；　although　such　is　the　immeasurable　space　between

the　earth　and　those　distant　suns　that　the　parallax　of　only　about

thirty　has　yet　been　discovered　with　our　finest　instruments；so

boundless　is　the　material　universe；　so　vast　are　the　distances；　that

light；　travelling　one　hundred　and　sixty　thousand　miles　with　every

pulsation　of　the　blood；　will　not　reach　us　from　some　of　those　remote

worlds　in　one　hundred　thousand　years。　　So　marvellous　shall　be　the

victories　of　sc