and the want of proper telescopes, would have baffled him in all his efforts, and he would have been subject to a more serious mortification from the failure and rejection of his plan, than that which he actually experienced from the avarice of his patron, or the indifference of Spain. Even in the present day, no telescope has been invented which is capable of observing at sea the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites; and though this method of finding the longitude has great advantages on shore, yet it has been completely abandoned at sea, and superseded by easier and more correct methods.

In the year 1618, when no fewer than three comets visited our system, and attracted the attention of all the astronomers of Europe, Galileo was unfortunately confined to his bed by a severe illness; but, though he was unable to make a single observation upon these remarkable bodies, he contrived to involve himself in the disputes to which they gave rise. Marco Guiducci, an astronomer of Florence, and a friend of Galileo, had delivered a discourse on comets before the Florentine Academy. The heads of this discourse, which was published in 1619,1 were supposed to have been communicated

1 Discorso delle Comete. Printed in the Opere di Galileo, vol. vi. pp. 117-191.

to him by Galileo, and this seems to have been universally admitted during the controversy to which it led. The opinion maintained in this treatise, that comets are nothing but meteors which occasionally appear in our atmosphere, like halos and rainbows, savours so little of the sagacity of Galileo, that we should be disposed to question its paternity. His inability to partake in the general interest which these three comets excited, and to employ his powerful telescope in observing their phenomena and their movements, might have had some slight share in the formation of an opinion which deprived them of their importance as celestial bodies. But, however this may have been, the treatise of Guiducci afforded a favourable point of attack to Galileo's enemies, and the dangerous task was intrusted to Horatio Grassi, a learned Jesuit, who, in a work entitled The Astronomical and Philosophical Balance, criticised the discourse on comets, under the feigned name of Lotario Sarsi.

Galileo replied to this attack, in a volume entitled Il Saggiatore, or The Assayer, which, owing to the state of his health, was not published till the autumn of 1623.1 This work was written in the form of a letter to Virginio Cesarini, a member of the Lyn

1 Printed in the Opere di Galileo, vol. vi. pp. 191-571.

cæan Academy, and master of the chamber of Urban VIII., who had just ascended the papal throne. It was dedicated to the Pontiff himself, and has been long celebrated among literary men for the beauty of its language, though it is doubtless one of the least important of Galileo's writings.

F

CHAPTER V.

Urban VIII., Galileo's friend, raised to the Pontificate-Galileo goes to Rome to offer his congratulations-The Pope loads him with presents, and promises a Pension to his Son-Galileo in pecuniary difficulties, owing to the death of his patron CosmoHe again rashly attacks the Church, notwithstanding the Pope's kindness-He composes his System of the World, to demonstrate the Copernican System-Artfully obtains a license to print it. -Nature of the work-Its influence on the public mind-The Pope resolves on suppressing it-Galileo summoned before the Inquisition-His trial-His defence-His formal abjuration of his opinions-Observations on his conduct-The Pope shows great indulgence to Galileo, who is allowed to return to his own house at Arcetri, as the place of his confinement.

HE succession of the Cardinal Maffeo Bar

THE

berini to the papal throne, under the name of Urban VIII., was hailed by Galileo and his friends as an event favourable to the interests of science. Urban had not only been the personal friend of Galileo and of Prince Cesi, the founder of the Lyncæan Academy, but had been intimately connected with that able and liberal association; and it was therefore deemed prudent to secure his favour and attachment. If Paul III. had, nearly a

more enlightened

century before, patronized Copernicus, and accepted of the dedication of his great work, it was not unreasonable to expect that, in times, another Pontiff might liberality of sentiment.

exhibit the same

The plan of securing to Galileo the patronage of Urban VIII., seems to have been devised by Prince Cesi. Although Galileo had not been able for some years to travel, excepting in a litter, yet he was urged by the Prince to perform a journey to Rome, for the express purpose of congratulating his friend upon his elevation to the papal chair. This request was made in October 1623; and though Galileo's health was not such as to authorize him to undergo so much fatigue, yet he felt the importance of the advice, and, after visiting Cesi at Acqua Sparta, he arrived at Rome in the spring of 1624. The reception which he here experienced far exceeded his most sanguine expectations. During the two months which he spent in the capital, he was permitted to have no fewer than six long and gratifying audiences of the Pope. The kindness of his Holiness was of the most marked description. He not only loaded Galileo with presents,1 and promised him a pension

1 A fine painting in gold, and a silver medal, and "a good quantity of agnus Dei."