Galileo declares himself ready to sign an opinion of wise and well informed theologians on the Copernican theory. Since no investigation of it was instituted by the ancient fathers, it might be done now by theologians fitted for it, who, after they had carefully examined all the scientific arguments for and against, would establish on a firm footing what was dictated to them by Divine inspiration. He once more lays great stress on the need of first convincing one’s self of the actual facts of nature under the guidance of science, and then proceeding to interpret texts of Scripture. He is indignant with those who, from malice or blinded by party interest, say that the Church should draw the sword without delay, since she possesses the power. As if it was always desirable to do whatever was in our power! He shows that the fathers were not of that opinion, but agreed with him, and exclaims to these wranglers: “Try first to refute the arguments of Copernicus and his followers, and leave the task of condemning them to those to whom it belongs; but do not hope to find among the fathers, who were as discreet as they were far-seeing, or in the wisdom of Him who cannot err, those hasty conclusions to which you are led by personal interests and passions. It is doubtless true that concerning these and similar statements which are not strictly de fide, his Holiness the Pope has absolute authority to approve or condemn; but it is not in the power of any human being to make them true or false, or other than they de facto are.”
This lengthy treatise concludes with a disquisition on the passage in the book of Joshua, which he treats in the same way as in the letter to Castelli.
Notwithstanding all the care Galileo exercised in this apology[121] not to give any handle to his enemies, it contained far too many liberal and merely human principles not to do the author more harm than good in the eyes of the orthodox party, both on religious and scientific questions. His opponents saw this plainly enough, and agitated against him all the more vehemently at Rome.
Ominous reports reached the astronomer, who was anxious enough before; but he could not any how learn anything definite about these attacks, only so much eked out, that something was brewing against him, and that it was intended to interdict the Copernican theory. Galileo thought he could best meet these intrigues by his personal appearance at Rome; he wanted to learn what the accusations against him were, and to show that there was nothing in them; he desired energetically to defend the new system, to aid truth in asserting her rights. So, early in December, 1615, provided with cordial letters of introduction from the Grand Duke, he set out for Rome.[122]
Some older authors, and recently Henri Martin,[123] have repeated as a fact the report circulated at the time by Galileo’s enemies,[124] that this visit to Rome was by no means so voluntary as he thought fit to give out. Martin appeals in support of this view to a letter of Mgr. Querenghi to Cardinal Alexander d’Este, of 1st January, 1616,[125] in which he says that the philosopher had been cited to appear at Rome, that he might explain how he made his doctrines, which entirely contradict Holy Scripture, agree with it. Martin also states that the Tuscan ambassador at Rome, in a despatch of 11th September, 1632, announced that a document had been discovered in the books of the Holy Office, which showed that Galileo had been summoned to Rome in 1616; and finally, this otherwise excellent biographer of Galileo adds some grounds of probability which, however, are not conclusive. Besides, these arguments, in the face of other facts, are not valid. Even if Galileo’s contemporary letters from Rome, in which he repeatedly expresses his satisfaction that he had come there,[126] are not relied upon, and are regarded merely as a consistent carrying out of the fiction, his statement on his trial of 12th April, 1633, bears clear witness that Martin is in error. Being asked if he came at that time to Rome of his own accord, or in consequence of a summons, he answered: “In the year 1616 I came to Rome of my own accord, without being summoned.”[127] It was impossible that he should then have persisted in the assumed fiction, for he could not have denied before the Inquisition a summons issued by itself seventeen years before, since it would certainly have been entered in their registers.[128] According to the statement of the Tuscan ambassador mentioned above, such a document had been discovered one year previously in the protocols of the Holy Office. But in the face of the question put at the examination this does not seem very credible. Moreover, in none of the documents now open to historical research relating to the transactions of 1616, is there any such record to be found, nor anything to indicate that this visit of Galileo’s to Rome did not originate with himself.
Neither does the flattering reception he met with at all agree with the assumed secret summons. Nevertheless, his correspondence with Picchena, successor in office to Vinta, though very cautious, shows that notwithstanding the comforting assurances he had received from his friends at Rome, he found that a zealous agitation was going on, not only against the doctrines he advocated, but against himself.[129] In another letter of 8th January, 1616, he says he sees every day what a good idea it was to come here, for he had found so many snares laid for him that it would have been quite impossible not to be caught by one or other of them, and he would not have been able to extricate himself for a long time, perhaps never, or only with the greatest difficulty. He is confident that he shall now very soon destroy the traps of his enemies, and be able to justify himself in a way that will bring all their unworthy calumnies to light. They have spread the false report that he was in disgrace at the grand ducal court in consequence of the enormity of his offence, and that the proceedings against him had the Grand Duke’s entire approval. Now, as the cordial introductions given him by Cosmo II. proved precisely the contrary, the assertions of his enemies would lose all credit, and he would be believed all the more, so that he should be able to justify himself completely.[130]
Judging, however, from a letter written fourteen days later to the Tuscan Secretary of State, Galileo had not found it so easy to defend himself as he anticipated. Indeed it seems to have been a very complicated business. A passage from the letter above mentioned will give an idea of it:—
“My business is far more difficult, and takes much longer owing to outward circumstances, than the nature of it would require; because I cannot communicate directly with those persons with whom I have to negotiate, partly to avoid doing injury to any of my friends, partly because they cannot communicate anything to me without running the risk of grave censure. And so I am compelled, with much pains and caution, to seek out third persons, who, without even knowing my object, may serve as mediators with the principals, so that I may have the opportunity of setting forth, incidentally as it were, and at their request, the particulars of my interests. I have also to set down some points in writing, and to cause that they should come privately into the hands of those whom I wish should see them; for I find in many quarters that people are more ready to yield to dead writing than to living speech, for the former permits them to agree or dissent without blushing, and then finally to yield to the arguments used—for in such discussions we have no witnesses but ourselves, whereas people do not so readily change their opinions if it has to be done publicly.”[131]
Galileo at length succeeded by his strenuous efforts in freeing himself from all false accusations and in refuting the slanders of Caccini. His affairs took so favourable a turn that the monk found it advisable to pay an obsequious visit of several hours to Galileo, humbly begged pardon for his previous conduct, offered any satisfaction in his power, and assured Galileo that the agitation going on was not in any way to be laid at his door.[132] But he could not refrain from trying to prove that the Copernican doctrines were erroneous, in which however he had no more success than in convincing Galileo of his sincerity, for he wrote to Picchena that he had found in Caccini “great ignorance and a mind full of venom.”[133]