Galileo and His Judges

by F. R. Wegg-Prosser

But there was, about this time, a sort of moderate reaction in favour of Galileo among the authorities at Rome. For instance, a work of his published since the decree of the Index, and entitled “Il Saggiatore,” in which he had favoured the theory of the Earth’s motion, was attacked, and an attempt was made to have it prohibited or at least corrected, but the attempt was a failure.

The reports of casual or unofficial conversations are always to be received with caution and with some qualification; yet at least they are “straws which show how the wind blows.”

Thus we are told that Cardinal Hohen-Zollern, in a conversation with the Pope (Urban VIII.) on the subject of Copernicus, endeavoured to show the necessity of proceeding with great circumspection on that point, to which it is said the Pope replied that the Church had not condemned and would not condemn that opinion as heretical, but only as temerarious. So again the Master of the Sacred Palace, himself resting neutral between Ptolemy and Copernicus, is reported to have said that there was no matter of faith in question, the great point being that one must not in any way mix up the Holy Scriptures with it.

We may suppose that when the Pope spoke of the opinion having been condemned as temerarious, what he meant was not that it had been explicitly censured as such—using the word in the technical sense which it bears when applied as a censure—for that it plainly had not been, but that the general effect of the prohibition issued by the Index was to stamp the mark of rashness upon it. This, I may observe, if it be the right interpretation, is quite consistent with the theory that the prohibition was of a disciplinary and a provisional character.

We have also another reputed conversation of the Pope with Campanella—resting on the authority of Prince Cesi, who related it to Father Castelli—and it is important if true. Campanella had said that certain Germans, ready to embrace the Catholic faith, had hesitated on account of the condemnation of Copernicus, to which Pope Urban VIII. had replied that this was not his intention, and if he had had the arrangement of matters the decree would never have been made. “Non fu mai nostra intenzione, e se fosse toccato a noi, non si sarebbe fatto quel decreto.”

As already remarked, we must not attach too great weight to reports of private conversations; but it is probable that some such scene took place as here represented, and, if it did, it is surely wholly incompatible with the idea that the decree was a decision in matters of faith. No Pope, no well-informed ecclesiastic of any rank, would express himself so in such a case; but it is quite consistent with what we might expect in a question of simple discipline.

It will now be convenient, before discussing the matter further, to resume the narrative, and to touch upon the questions connected with the condemnation of Galileo by the Inquisition, and his enforced abjuration. It is, indeed, these latter proceedings that have left so deep an impression upon the popular mind, though, strictly speaking, they were of less importance than the decree of the Index—of less importance, that is, to all others besides Galileo himself.

It seems that our philosopher overrated the effect of the reaction that had taken place in his favour, real though it was so far as it went. He thought he might now safely publish the work on which he had been labouring, and on which he probably relied as likely to influence the minds of learned men, ecclesiastical as well as lay, in the direction of Copernicanism.

He came in May in the year 1630 to Rome, and had a very long audience with the Pope, who treated him with great kindness and even increased a pension he had already bestowed upon him; but we do not know what passed as to other matters on this occasion. He had also an interview with Father Riccardi, who had now become Master of the Sacred Palace, with a view of obtaining authority to print his book. Father Riccardi upon this engaged Father Visconti, who was a professor of mathematics, to read the work and mark such passages as he thought necessary.

Father Visconti reported that there were some passages which required correction, and many points that he would like to discuss with the author. However, the Master of the Sacred Palace gave leave for the printing of the work, expressing at the same time a wish to see it once more himself; consequently it was arranged that Galileo should return to Rome in the autumn, in order to add the preface, and to insert in the body of the work certain passages, calculated to show that the question was being treated purely as a hypothesis.