The article in Chauffepié's Continuation of Bayle's Dictionary does not contain anything which is not in the earlier accounts.
Andrès wrote an essay entitled 'Saggio sulla Filosofia del Galileo,' published at Mantua 1776; and Jagemann published his 'Geschichte des Leben des Galileo' at Leipzig, in 1787;[177] neither of these the author has been able to meet with. An analysis of the latter may be seen in Kästner's 'Geschichte der Mathematik, Göttingen, 1800,' from which it does not appear to contain any additional details. The 'Elogio del Galileo' by Paolo Frisi, first published at Leghorn in 1775, is, as its title expresses, rather in the nature of a panegyric than of a continuous biographical account. It is written with very great elegance and intimate knowledge of the subjects of which it treats. Nelli gave several curious particulars with respect to Galileo in his 'Saggio di Storia Letteraria Fiorentina, Lucca, 1759;' and in 1793 published his large work entitled 'Vita e Commercio Letterario di Galileo Galilei.' So uninteresting a book was probably never written from such excellent materials. Two thick quarto volumes are filled with repetitions of the accounts that were already in print, the bulky preparation of which compelled the author to forego the publication of the vast collection of original documents which his unwearied zeal and industry had collected. This defect has been in great measure supplied by Venturi in 1818 and 1821, who has not only incorporated in his work many of Nelli's manuscripts, but has brought together a number of scattered notices of Galileo and his writings from a variety of outlying sources—a service which the writer is able to appreciate from having gone through the greatest part of the same labour before he was fortunate enough to meet with Venturi's book. Still there are many letters cited by Nelli, which do not appear either in his book or Venturi's. Carlo Dati, in 1663, quotes "the registers of Galileo's correspondence arranged in alphabetical order, in ten large volumes."[178] The writer has no means of ascertaining what collection this may have been; it is difficult to suppose that one so arranged should have been lost sight of. It is understood that a life of Galileo is preparing at this moment in Florence, by desire of the present Grand Duke, which will probably throw much additional light on the character and merits of this great and useful philosopher.
The first editions of his various treatises, as mentioned by Nelli, are given below. Clement, in his 'Bibliothèque Curieuse,' has pointed out such among them, and the many others which have been printed, as have become rare.
The Florentine edition is the one used by the Academia della Crusca for their references; for which reason its paging is marked in the margin of the edition of Padua, which is much more complete, and is the one which has been on the present occasion principally consulted.
The latter contains the Dialogue on the System, which was not suffered to be printed in the former editions. The twelve first volumes of the last edition of Milan are a mere transcript of that of Padua: the thirteenth contains in addition the Letter to the Grand Duchess, the Commentary on Tasso, with some minor pieces. A complete edition is still wanted, embodying all the recently discovered documents, and omitting the verbose commentaries, which, however useful when they were written, now convey little information that cannot be more agreeably and more profitably learned in treatises of a later date.
Such was the life, and such were the pursuits, of this extraordinary man. The numberless inventions of his acute industry; the use of the telescope, and the brilliant discoveries to which it led; the patient investigation of the laws of weight and motion; must all be looked upon as forming but a part of his real merits, as merely particular demonstrations of the spirit in which he everywhere withstood the despotism of ignorance, and appealed boldly from traditional opinions to the judgments of reason and common sense. He claimed and bequeathed to us the right of exercising our faculties in examining the beautiful creation which surrounds us. Idolized by his friends, he deserved their affection by numberless acts of kindness; by his good humour, his affability, and by the benevolent generosity with which he devoted himself and a great part of his limited income to advance their talents and fortunes. If an intense desire of being useful is everywhere worthy of honour; if its value is immeasurably increased, when united to genius of the highest order; if we feel for one who, notwithstanding such titles to regard, is harassed by cruel persecution,—then none deserve our sympathy, our admiration, and our gratitude, more than Galileo.
List of Galileo's Works.
| Le Operazioni del Compasso Geom. e Milit. | Padova, 1606. Fol. |
| Difesa di Gal. Galilei contr. all. cal. et impost. di Bald. Capra | Venezza, 1607. 4to. |
| Sydereus Nuncius | Venetiis, 1610. 4to. |
| Discorso int. alle cose che stanno in su l'Acqua | Firenze, 1612. 4to. |
| Novantiqua SS. PP. Doctrina de S. Scripturæ Testimoniis | Argent, 1612. 4to. |
| Istoria e Demostr. int. alle Macchie Solari | Roma, 1613. 4to. |
| Risp. alle oppos. del S. Lod. delle Colombe e del S. Vinc. di Grazia | Firenze, 1615. 4to. |
| Discorso delle Comete di Mario Guiducci | Firenze, 1619. 4to. |
| Dialogo sopra i due Massimi Sistemi del Mondo | Firenze, 1632. 4to. |
| Discorso e Demostr. intorno alle due nuove Scienze | Leida, 1638. 4to. |
| Della Scienza Meccanica | Ravenna, 1649. 4to. |
| Trattato della Sfera | Roma, 1655. 4to. |
| Discorso sopra il Flusso e Reflusso. (Scienze Fisiche di Tozzetti.) | Firenze, 1780. 4to. |
| Considerazioni sul Tasso | Roma, 1793. |
| Trattato della Fortificazione. (Memorie di Venturi.) | Modena, 1818. 4to. |
The editions of his collected works (in which is contained much that was never published separately) are—