Mr. Deutsch's Hebrew course, according to the principles just enunciated, is beyond doubt the best schoolbook of its kind that has appeared from the American press. Rödiger's revision of Gesenius's Grammar, translated from the German by Conant, is much too extensive for beginners, and was never intended by its eminent author to fall into the hands of the uninitiated. Yet it is commonly used in the colleges and seminaries of this country as an introductory treatise. The same objection should be urged, in union with others, against Green's Grammar; while his chrestomathy is more of an exegetical than a grammatical treatise. The student is frequently terrified from the study by the vast array of particulars, and he who has courage to persevere must learn to shut his eyes to the greater portion of these works, in order to clearly discern that which is truly valuable in them.
Mr. Deutsch has succeeded, to a considerable extent, in giving a concise and lucid exposition of the elements of the Hebrew language, but has greatly diminished, if not destroyed, the usefulness of his grammar as a class-book by introducing his elaborate system of "Hebrew-English and English-Hebrew exercises." These exercises, which compose the greater portion of his work, will be found to be merely cumbersome material, which will prevent its adoption in the schools.
Living languages, or such as are partially so, might be, perhaps should be, learned by acquiring a facility of rendering the phrases of one's mother tongue into those of the language he is endeavoring to acquire; but it is not easy to understand how such a readiness can be, or need be, acquired in Hebrew, which is nowhere spoken, and living in no form if not in its degenerate offspring, the rabbinic of the Portuguese, German, or Polish Jews.
Those who are looking for a concise and lucid exposition of the elements of Hebrew will not be pleased with Mr. Deutsch's repetition of the nine declensions of nouns, as given by Gesenius. This constitutes an additional encumbrance to the work, not unlike that which would arise in a Latin grammar from an attempt to form a new declension from each of the various inflections embraced in the third.
A Hebrew course for Catholic schools has been supplied, as to the more important part, and the portion requiring the greater amount of labor, by Paul L. B. Drach, in hisCatholicum Lexicon Hebraicum et Chaldaicum. Mr. Drach had been a Jewish rabbi in Paris before his conversion to the Church, and as he was an eminent oriental scholar, the last Pontiff, Gregory XVI., requested him to publish a Hebrew lexicon for the use of Catholic schools. His work resulted in a corrected and enlarged edition of Gesenius' Lexicon, from which all Jewish and rationalistic errors were excluded. It received the special approbation of Pius IX. in 1847, and was published by the greatest promoter of ecclesiastical literature in this century, Abbé Migné. This is undoubtedly the best work of its kind, and its complement, consisting of a grammar and chrestomathy, is all that is wanting to constitute a course of Hebrew for the Catholic schools of this country.
The New Adam; or, Ten Dialogues on our Redemption and the Necessity of Self-Denial.Edited by the Very Rev. Z. Druon, V.G., and approved by the Right Rev. Bishop of Burlington.Claremont, N. H. 1868.
This little book was first published in Paris, A.D. 1662. From a second and more complete edition, the present translation was prepared and edited. The subjects of the "Ten Dialogues" are as follows:
I. The State of Original Righteousness.II. Adam's Fall.III. The Penance of Adam and Eve after their Fall.IV. The State of Penance we are in is preferable, in some respects, to the earthly Paradise.V. The Infinite Perfection with which Jesus Christ, the new Adam, performed the penance imposed on the old Adam.VI. Self-Denial.VII. Obligation of Self-Denial.VIII. Imitation of the Self-Denial of Christ.IX. Scriptural texts concerning Self-Denial.q X. The Self-Denial of Jesus Christ.
From this view of its contents, and the cursory glance we have been able to bestow upon its pages, we believe it to be, as its editor claims, "well grounded on the Holy Scriptures, sound in doctrine, remarkable for its clearness and depth of thought, full of pious and practical reflections, instructive, and, at the same time, interesting and pleasing."
The Life Of St. Thomas À Becket, of Canterbury.By Mrs. Hope, author ofThe Early Martyrs, etc. With a Preface, by the Rev. Father Dalgairns, of the London Oratory of St. Philip Neri.16mo, pp. xxiv., 398.London: Burns, Gates & Co.New York: The Catholic Publication Society.
Veneration for the memory of St. Thomas, of Canterbury, has undergone recently a remarkable revival in England, and this meritorious compilation by Mrs. Hope is one of the fruits of it. She has drawn most of her materials from the more elaborate biographies by the Rev. Dr. Giles and the Rev. John Morris, and from theRemainsof the Rev. R. H. Froude, and, of course makes no pretension to the rank of an original investigator; but she has done a very serviceable work nevertheless, and, upon the whole, has done it well. Her narrative is interesting and rapid. The style possesses the merit—rare with female writers on religious subjects—of directness and simplicity; the story being unencumbered by either ambitious rhetoric or commonplace reflections. From this reason, as well as from the care with which she seems to have studied the subject, the book not only gives us an insight into the saint's personal character, but leaves on the reader's mind a very clear comprehension of the nature of that long struggle for the rights of the Church and for the independence of the spiritual order which resulted in his martyrdom, and which modern historians have done so much to obscure. Mrs. Hope is rather too fond of telling dreams, which she apparently half-believes and half does not believe to have been prophetic inspirations, although most of them were like the answers of the pagan oracles—susceptible of almost any interpretation, and only to be understood in the light of after-events; but that is a habit which she borrowed of the mediaeval chroniclers, and she shares it with a very large class of modern biographers. Of course, God may speak to man in a dream as well as in other ways; but when the dreams are clearly referable to distinct physical causes, as some of those recorded in this book are, when, in fact, they are just like ordinary nightmares, the attempt to elevate them to the dignity of supernatural visions is more pious than prudent.
The preface, by Father Dalgairns, comprises a very effective answer to some of the misrepresentations in Dean Stanley's life of the saint, contained in theMemorials of Canterbury.
Vermont Historical Gazetteer:A Magazine embracing a digest of the History of each town, civil, educational, religious, geological, and literary.Edited by Abby Maria Hemenway, compiler ofThe Poets and Poetry of Vermont.Burlington, Vt. 1860-1868.
We have received the first eleven numbers of this magazine. The authoress has evidently endeavored to produce a first-class work of its kind, and has, to a great extent, succeeded. It is to be regretted, however, that some of the numbers are printed on inferior paper, a serious fault in a work of so much local interest and so permanent a character.
Miss Hemenway does not content herself with the historical and topographical, as is usual with the authors who produce most of our local annals. Biography and literature form a large portion of her work. Art also lends its charm, and adorns her pages with portraits of distinguished men and representations of memorable scenes. To us the work seems almost exhaustive. The Green Mountain State has reason to congratulate itself on so laborious and persevering a historian, and its sons should certainly reward her toil with the most prompt and liberal pecuniary recognition.
Gropings After Truth.A Life Journey from New England Congregationalism to the One Catholic and Apostolic Church.By Joshua Huntington.New York: The Catholic Publication Society. 1868.
This little work, which has been some weeks before the public in pamphlet form and already promises to shed "light in many dark places" in the hearts of candid seekers after truth, has at last been issued in a permanent and elegant edition. It is with great pleasure that we commend it to our readers, not only for their own perusal, but for distribution among their non-Catholic acquaintances and friends. As the Reverend Father Hewit says in his preface, the impulse toward a new and more vigorous life "will be quickened and directed in many souls" by the present volume; and we believe that few whose earlier religious life was similar to that of Mr. Huntington can read the book without misgivings for themselves, and a longing to discover, by some means, that peace and light which the author deems himself to have attained. That God will make known this truth and bestow this peace to them and to all others is, as it should be, the chief object of our labors and our prayers.
An Outline Of Geography For High Schools And Families. With an Atlas.By Theodore S. Fay.New York: G. P. Putnam & Son. 1867.
We are inclined to regard this work as a very valuable aid to the study of its subject, which is treated more scientifically in it than in any other equally elementary book which we have seen. The plan is decidedly original, and evidently is the result of careful thought, aided apparently by experience.
Prominence is given in it to the astronomical and physical aspects of the earth. The political division, which from its artificial and mutable character is an obstacle to a clear view of geography in its unity, is kept in the background, but is by no means neglected. A map showing the changes produced by the war of 1866 may be specially mentioned in this connection.
The astronomical part is very full, and in the main correct; there are, however, a few inaccuracies, as in the time occupied by light in coming from Neptune, and in the statement that the sun could hardly be distinguished in brightness from a fixed star by an observer on that planet. But these are small matters. The explanations in this part are clear and interesting, and the reticence of the author on points beyond the scope he has proposed to himself is specially commendable. To satisfy the student without misleading or puzzling him is an admirable talent.
We doubt the propriety of the items of historical information occasionally introduced; they seem unnecessary, and spoil the unity of the work.
Considering the strength of memory generally possessed in youth, the advantage claimed by the author that his method makes no direct demand upon this faculty seems doubtful; but, as he states in the preface, the work must be used to be judged; and the lessons can be memorized if desired.
We must protest against the use of small initial letters in the national adjectives; as british, french, etc.
The maps deserve the highest praise for their conception and execution.
Asmodeus In New York.New York: Longchamp & Co. 1868.
This work appeared last year in Paris, and is now translated and published in this country by the author. It pretends to give an inside view of American society, and to do this the author picks out all that is bad, vicious, and immoral in this country, North and South, and calls this conglomeration "American Society." He, however, should have told his readers that the first specimen of "American Society" he presented them was that ofone of his own countrywomen!We need hardly say that most of the other characters in the book are as good samples of American society as those given in the first chapter.
The Holy Communion: Its Philosophy, Theology, and Practice.By John Bernard Dalgairns,Priest of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri.1 vol. 12mo, pp. 440.New York: The Catholic Publication Society. 1868.
The Catholic Publication Society has just issued an American edition of this work, which has been for a long time much sought after in this country. We take occasion to recommend it as one of the very best works on its august theme in the English language. The most remarkable and original portion of the work is that which treats of the philosophy of transubstantiation. The author has handled this difficult and abstruse matter with masterly ability, explaining the doctrine of various philosophical schools respecting substance and accidents with clearness and precision, and has furnished most satisfactory answers to rational objections against the Catholic dogma. Both Catholics and those who are investigating Catholic doctrine will find this volume one of great interest and utility.
The Roman Martyrology.Translated into English, with an introduction by the Archbishop of Baltimore.Baltimore: Kelly, Piet & Co. 1868.
One of the most beautifully executed books which has been issued by the Catholic press in this country, printed in the ritualistic style, with red marginal lines and red edges. The publication of books of devotion which are standard and have the sanction of the Roman Church cannot be too much encouraged, and we cordially congratulate the enterprising publishers who have added this gem to our collection.
Sydnie Adriance; or, Trying the World.By Amanda M. Douglas, author ofIn Trust, Stephen Dane, Claudia, etc.Boston: Lee & Shepard. Pp. 355. 1869.
Those who read novels, and their name is Legion, will find this—the latest production of Miss Douglas's pen—nowise inferior to its predecessors. While avoiding the sensational characters and incidents, her language is always pleasing and unaffected.
The Life And Times Of Robert Emmet.By R. R. Madden, M.D., M.R.I. A.With numerous Notes and Additions, and a Portrait on Steel.Also, A Memoir Of Thomas Addis Emmet,with a Portrait on Steel.New York; P. M. Haverty. Pp. 328. 1868.
Few, if any, of the Irish patriots of modern days have a stronger hold on the affection of the people than Robert Emmet. Perhaps, with the exception of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, we might have written none other. His deep love of country, his abiding trust in her future, his daring but futile attempt to accomplish her liberation, his death upon the scaffold, these were his, in common with many others, who are remembered but with gratitude, not, like him, treasured in the popular heart. Like our own immortal Washington—the man is loved, the patriot revered.
This history of his life and times should find readers wherever a friend to liberty dwells; but for us, this volume has a special interest, containing, as it does, aMemoir of Thomas Addis Emmet,the last twenty-three years of whose life were spent in this city, and whose monument may be said to form one of the sights of the metropolis. The volume is very neatly got up; the steel portraits excellent, both as likenesses and works of art.
Memoirs Of The Life Of The Right Hon. Richard Brinsley Sheridan.By Thomas Moore.New York: W. J. Widdleton. 2 vols. pp. 307, 335.
Moore'sLife of Sheridanhas long since passed beyond the province of the critic. We will, therefore, merely call attention to the present edition as being very handsomely got up; containing, also, a very fine portrait of Sheridan, after the original painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds. We ought, perhaps, in this connection, to award a meed of praise to the enterprising publisher for placing within reach of all, books such as this, which, as of standard excellence, should be, but were not, of easy access.
The Poetical Works Of Thomas Moore.Brooklyn and New York: William M. Swayne. Pp. 496.
Moore's complete works for fifty cents! Truly, a marvel of cheapness. The typography—something unusual in cheap books—is very good.
Marks's First Lessons In Geometry, objectively presented and designed for the Use of Primary Classes in Grammar Schools, Academies, etc.By Bernhard Marks, Principal of Lincoln School, San Francisco.New York: Ivison, Phinney, Blakeman & Co. Pp. 157. 1869.
We can unhesitatingly recommend this little work. We have often felt the need of just such a text-book as this, and have no doubt its appearance will be hailed with equal pleasure by both teachers and pupils. The style in which it is got up reflects the highest credit on the publishers.
A Thousand Miles' Walk Across South America.By Nathaniel H. Bishop.Boston: Lee & Shepard. Pp. 310. 1869.
A journey on foot of more than a thousand miles across the South American continent, from Montevideo to Valparaiso, could not but furnish to an inquiring mind and an adventurous spirit abundant material for interesting detail and startling incidents, and of these there is certainly no scarcity in the present volume. There are some portions, however, open to objection, where allusion is made to the religion of the people, less, indeed, it must be confessed, than we almost, as a matter of course, expect from Protestant tourists in Catholic countries; and some attempted caricaturing of the Irish residents, which might be deemed insulting if they were not so very puerile. These excepted, it is a book both useful and entertaining.
The Trotting Horse Of America—How To Train And Drive Him.With Reminiscences Of The Trotting Turf.By Hiram Woodruff.Edited by Charles J. Foster, ofWilkes's Spirit of the Times.Including an Introductory Notice by George Wilkes, and a Biographical Sketch by the Editor.New York: J. B. Ford & Co. Pp. 412. 1868.
The papers comprising this work were originally published inWilkes's Spirit of the Times, and are a record of the author's forty years' experience in training and driving. While especially intended for those who are interested in the breeding, training, etc., of horses, there is abundance of matter likely to prove attractive to the general reader; biographies, so to speak, of famous trotters, whose names are familiar as household words; and graphic descriptions of the various matches in which they were engaged. In fact, it is one of those rare books which, while got up for a special purpose, and seemingly suited to the few, overleaps the narrow limits apparently prescribed, and attracts to itself the favorable notice of the entire community.
It makes a very handsome volume, is neatly bound, well printed, and illustrated with a fine steel portrait of the author.
Synodus Dioecesana Baltimorensis Septima, etc.Joannes Murphy, Baltimore. 1868.
The constitutions adopted at the above Synod of September 3d, 1868, were:
1. Of the Publication of the Decrees of the Plenary Council of Baltimore.2. Of the Officers of the Archbishopric and the Government of Dioceses.3. Of the Pastoral Care of Souls.4. Of the Sacraments.5. Of Divine Worship.6. Of Discipline.
The Two Women.A Ballad, written expressly for the ladies of Wisconsin.By Delta.Milwaukee. 1868.
A poem in five parts, celebrating the creation of Eve and the motherhood of Mary.
M. Duruy's History Of France.
Several esteemed correspondents have written to the editor of this magazine expressing regret at the commendatory notice of the above work, which appeared in our columns. Our judgment and sympathy are entirely with Mgr. Dupanloup in his contest against M. Duruy respecting religious education. This does not, however, affect the question of the value of his book as a secular classic and a manual of political and civil history. In respect to the ecclesiastical portion of the history, it is very true that the work is deficient; nevertheless, it is far superior to the English historical works which our readers, whether Protestant or Catholic, are likely to be familiar with; and we think that, in spite of the author's liberalistic bias, the general tone and effect of the work justifies our recommendation. If any of our correspondents will send us a history of France equal to this in other respects, and at the same time perfectly Catholic in its spirit, we will gladly recommend it in preference. We will add, however, that it is not for sale at the Catholic Publication House.
The Catholic Publication Society will publishThe Illustrated Catholic Family Almanacon November 25th. It will be sold for 25 cents a copy. The same Society will issue, on December 1st,The New Illustrated History of Ireland.
Mr. Donahoe, Boston, has just published
Verses on Various Occasions, by John Henry Newman, D.D.
From D. APPLETON & Co., New York:
Mental Science; a Compendium of Psychology, and the History of Philosophy. Designed as a text-book for High-Schools and Colleges.By Alexander Bain, M.A., Professor of Logic and Mental Philosophy in the University of Aberdeen, author of "The Senses and the Intellect," "The Emotions of the Will," etc. etc.Pp. 428; Appendix, 99. 1868.
From CHARLES SCRIBNER & Co., New York:
Guyot's Elementary Geography for Primary Classes.Felter's First Lessons in Numbers. An illustrated Table Book designed for elementary instruction.
Footprints Of Life; Or, Faith And Nature Reconciled.By Philip Harvey, M.D.New York: Samuel R. Wells. 1868.
D. & J. SADLIER & Co., New York:
Outlines of the History of Ireland.Being the substance of a lecture recently delivered at Honesdale.By Rev. J. J. Doherty.In behalf of the Sunday-schools.Pp. 35.A new edition of Carleton's Valentine McClutchy.
[Footnote 141]
[Footnote 141:Galileo—The Roman Inquisition. Cincinnati. 1844.Galileo e l'Inquisizione.Marino-Marini. Roma. 1850.Histoire des Sciences Mathématiques en Italie. Par Libri. Paris. 1838.Notes on the Ante-Galilean Copernicans. Prof. De Morgan. London. 1855.Opere di Galileo-Galilei. Alberi. Firenze. 1842-1856. 16 vols. imp. 8vo.Galileo-Galilei, sa Vie, son Procès et ses Contemporains. Par Philarète Chasles. Paris. 1862.Galileo and the Inquisition. By R. Madden. London. 1863.Galilée, sa Vie, ses Découvertes et ses Travaux. Par le Dr. Max Parchappe. Paris. 1866.Galilée. Tragédie de M. Ponsard. Paris. 1866.La Condamnation de Galilée. Par M. l'Abbé Bouix. Arras. 1866.Articles on Galileo, in Dublin Review. 1838-1865.Articles on Galileo, in Revue des Deux Mondes. 1841-1864.Mélanges Scientifiques et Littéraires. Par J. B. Biot. 3 vols. Paris. 1858.Galilée, les Droits de la Science et la Méthode des Sciences Physiques. Par Thomas Henri Martin. Paris. 1868.]
"Even so great a man as Bacon rejected the theory of Galileo with scorn. … Bacon had not all the means of arriving at a sound conclusion which are within our reach; and which secure people who would not have been worthy to mend his pens from falling into his mistakes."—Macaulay.
An Unwritten Chapter.
Galileo's "connection with a political party, unfriendly to religion as well as to the papal government," is correctly referred to by theEdinburgh Reviewas one of the causes of his difficulties concerning a question upon which Copernicus met with none whatever.
Our space will not permit us to treat this interesting chapter of the Galileo story, or we might show that not only such a connection, but Galileo's associations with the partisans and friends of such men (and in some cases with the men themselves) as Sarpi, (Fra Paolo,) Antonio de Dominis, etc. etc., contributed powerfully to encourage in him an insulting aggressiveness that even the indulgent admonition of 1616 could not restrain.
In various ways, these men stirred up strife that might otherwise have slumbered, and instigated Galileo to fresh infractions of a rule by which he had solemnly promised to abide. They are referred to by theNorth British Review(Nov., 1860) in energetic language as "the band of sceptics who hounded him on to his ruin."
In like manner, since we have spoken of the treatment of Urban at Galileo's hands, we cannot, for want of space, dwell upon the personal bearing of Urban toward him after the trial was resolved upon. The law that compelled the trial was as binding upon the pope as upon any layman. It had to be fulfilled; but so far as Urban's personal demeanor and acts are evidence, there was nothing in them, and nothing in his heart, but kindness, forbearance, and generosity toward the offender; and it will be remembered that he carried these so far as to allow the decree of the Inquisition to go forth unsigned and unconfirmed by him.
If revenge for any conceived personal affront had actuated him, he could, by his signature and approval, have given that decree a vigor and a value it could never otherwise possess.
We resume the thread of our relation, and proceed to recount the main facts of
The Trial.
Galileo was now summoned to Rome to answer for his infraction of the injunction of 1616.
The summons was issued September 23d, 1632. There was, however, neither hurry nor precipitation; and after a delay of some months, caused partly by Galileo's endeavors to have the trial deferred, partly by his illness, and partly by the prevalence of an epidemic in Florence, he reached Rome on the 13th of February, 1633, and became the guest of the Tuscan ambassador.
Still there appears to have been no haste with the proceedings, and Galileo passed his time in perfect freedom, surrounded by his friends and the attentions of his noble host, who could not help remarking that this was the first instance he had ever heard of in which a person cited before the Inquisition—even though they were nobles or bishops or prelates—was not held in strict confinement.
When, at last, Galileo's presence at the holy office was absolutely indispensable, the best and most commodious rooms were placed at his disposition, and his formal interrogatory commenced April 12th.
On the termination of this preliminary examination, he was assigned the more spacious and pleasant apartments of the Fiscal of the Inquisition.
"Galileo," says Mr. Drinkwater, "was treated with unusual consideration;" and Sir David Brewster states that "during the whole trial, which had now commenced, Galileo was treated with the most marked indulgence."
On the 22d of April, the commissary charged with the conduct of the trial was ready to proceed, but postponed it on Galileo's statement that he was suffering from severe pain in his thigh.
So matters rested, until, on the 30th, Galileo asked for a resumption of the examination, and presented a complete and utter disavowal of his book and its principles. He declared that, having again read over hisDialogues, in order to examine whether, contrary to his express intention, he had inadvertently disobeyed the decree of 1616, he found that two arguments were too strongly presented; that they were not conclusive, and could be easily refuted. "If I had to present them now," he said, "I should assuredly do it in terms that would deprive them of the weight they apparently have, but which in reality they do not possess."
His error, he admitted, arose from a vain ambition, pure ignorance and inadvertence: "E stato dunque l'error mio, e lo confesso, di una vana ambitione, e di una pura ignoranza e inavertenza."
Galileo's Voluntary Retraction.
Here the examination closed for the day; but Galileo voluntarily returned, and reopened it with the declaration ("et post paululum rediens dixit") that he had not held the condemned opinion of the earth's motion, and that he was ready, if time were granted him, to prove it clearly.
"I will take up," said he, "the argument in myDialogues, and will refute with all possible energy the arguments presented in favor of that opinion."
He closes by reiterating his request to be allowed the opportunity of putting these resolutions in execution: "Prego dunque questo S. Tribunals che voglia concorrer meco in questa buona risolutione col concedermi facoltà di poterle metter in effetto."
It is painful to see a man's convictions so lightly held. Why, all this voluntary proffer is more than was imposed on Galileo by the decree of 1616, and no more than assumed by the decree of 1633, not yet pronounced!
Alas, poor Galileo! Of such stuff martyrs never yet were made.
It seems strange that this phase and these incidents of the trial should never have been commented upon, as showing the scientific question to be entirely secondary in the estimation of the Congregation.
Had that question been the only point or the important point, this voluntary retraction, confession of judgment, plea of guilty, offer of reparation, and self-imposed sentence on the part of Galileo should have been more than sufficient to end the case, and leave naught for the tribunal to do but to put the self-imposed sentence in legal form.
But not so. As Galileo well knew, he might have gone on to the end of his life teaching, in peace and honor, the astronomy taught by Copernicus and others for the previous century. Copernicanism was not his crime, and therefore his retraction, as made, could not reach his criminal infraction of the decree of 1616, and of his own solemn pledges, nor could it modify the accusation of deception in the matter of the license to print hisDialogues, and the improper means taken to obtain that license.
The Trial Goes On.
On the same day Galileo made his voluntary retraction, he was permitted to return to the palace of the Tuscan ambassador.
On the 10th of May, he was notified that a further delay of eight days would be allowed him for the preparation of a defence, when he immediately presented it already prepared, in a written statement of two pages, accompanied by the Bellarmine certificate of 1616.
Meanwhile, the Congregation deliberated; and such was the friendly feeling in Rome toward Galileo that, as late as the 21st of May, Cardinal Capponi thought he would be acquitted.
Giuducci asserted it positively, and Archbishop Piccolomini made preparations to take Galileo with him to Sienna as his guest.
A large mass of documentary evidence, letters, reports, etc., had accumulated in the case, and on the 16th of June a preliminary decree was entered, by which Galileo was enjoined from writing eitherfororagainstthe theory of the earth's motion, ("injuncto ei ne de cetero scripto vel verbo tractet amplius quovis modo de mobilitate terrae nec de stabilitate soils et e contra" etc.)
On the 21st of June, Galileo was interrogated, and stated in his replies that, before the decree of 1616, he had held both opinions as to the sun or the earth being the centre of the world; but that since that time, convinced of the prudence of his superiors, all doubt had ceased in his mind, and he had adopted as true and undoubted the opinion of Ptolemy; that in hisDialogueshe had explained the proofs that might be urged against one or the other system, but without deciding for either.
To this he was answered that he asserts positively the immobility of the sun and the movement of the earth, and that he must make up his mind to acknowledge the truth, or that he should be proceeded against according to the law and the facts of the case, "devenietur contra ipsum ad remedia juris et facti opportuna."
Again Galileo replies that he neither holds nor has held that opinion of Copernicus since he received the order to abandon it.
Being admonished that, if he does not tell the truth, he refuses under penalty of torture, "et ei dicto quod dicat veritaiem alias devenietur ad torturam," he replies, "Io son qua per far l'obedienza e non ho tennta questa opinione dopo la determinatione fatta come ho detto," "I am here to make my submission. I do not hold and have not held this opinion since the determination taken as I have already stated."
"Et cum nihil aliud" proceeds the record, "posset haberi in executionem decreti, habita ejus subscriptione, remissus fuit ad locum suum." [Footnote 142]
(Signed)Io, Galileo-Galilei,"ho deposto come di sopra.."
[Footnote 142: "And as nothing else remained to be done, he signed the record, and was sent back to his place of abode."]
On the following day, (Wednesday, June 22d, 1633,) Galileo appeared again before the Congregation to hear the decree in his case, and pronounce his abjuration.
The Decree [Footnote 143]
[Footnote 143: So far as it relates to the scientific question, this decree was suspended by Benedict XIV., and repealed in full consistory by Pius VII. Meantime, hisDialogueswere repeatedly published in Italy with all the usual ecclesiastical approbations. The edition in the Astor Library is that of Padua, 1744, and shows what we here state.]
was based upon and mainly taken up with the recital of the proceedings of 1615, the injunction of 1616, the violation of that injunction, the effect of the Bellarmine certificate, the violation of Galileo's pledges, the improper means taken to obtain the license to print hisDialogues, and his confessions and excuses. There was no discussion of the scientific question.
"Wherefore," recites the decree, "as here," namely, in the Bellarmine certificate, "there is no mention made of two particular articles of the said precepts—that is to say, that you should not teach—doceri—and in any manner—quovis modo—write of the same doctrine, you argued that it was to be believed that in the course of fourteen or sixteen years those things passed out of your memory, and that, on account of the same forgetfulness, you were silent about that precept when you solicited a license for publishing the said work of yours. And this was not said by you to excuse error, but, as it is ascribed, rather to a vainglorious ambition than to malice. But this very certificate produced by you in your defence rather aggravates the charge against you, since in it, it is declared that the said opinion was contrary to Scripture, and nevertheless you dared to treat of it, to defend it, and even to argue in favor of its probability. Neither did that certificate give you the faculty, as you interpret it, so artfully and subtly extorted by you, since you did not make known the prohibition that had been imposed on you.But as it appeared to us that you did not speak the entire truth with respect to your intention, we indicated that it was necessary to proceed to a rigorous examination of you, in which, without prejudice to the other things which were confessed by you, and which are deduced against you with respect to your intention, you answered Catholically.
"Which things, therefore, having duly considered, and examined into the merits of this cause, together with the above-mentioned confessions and excuses of yours, and whatever other matters should be rightly seen and considered, we come to the following definitive sentence against you:
"We say, judge, and declare that you, the above-named Galileo, on account of those things set forth in the documents of this trial, and which have been confessed by you as above stated,have rendered yourself to this holy office vehemently suspected of heresy;that is, that you believed and hold that doctrine which is false and contrary to the sacred Scriptures, namely, that the sun is the centre of the orbit of the world, and that it moves not from east to west, and that the earth moves, and is not the centre of the world; and that an opinion can be held and defended as probable, after it had been declared and defined as contrary to the sacred Scriptures. And consequently, that you have incurred all the censures and penalties by the sacred canons and other general constitutions and particular statutes promulgated against delinquencies of this kind, from which it is our pleasure that you should be absolved; provided, first, that with a sincere heart and faith, not feigned, before us you abjure, curse, and detest the above-mentioned errors and heresies, and every other heresy and error contrary to the Catholic and Apostolic Roman Church, by that formula which is presented to you. But lest this grave fault of yours, and pernicious error and transgression, should remain unpunished altogether, and for the time to come that by more caution you should avoid them and be an example to others, that they should abstain from this sort of crime, we decree and by public edict prohibit the book of theDialoguesof Galileo-Galilei; we condemn you to the prison of the holy office during our pleasure; and as a solitary penance, we prescribe that for three years you shall once a week recite the seven penitential psalms; reserving to ourselves the power of moderating, commuting, or taking away in whole or in part the above-mentioned penalties and penances.
"And thus we say, pronounce, and by sentence declare," etc.
Then followed Galileo's abjuration of his errors and heresies; that is to say, abjuration of his error as to the earth's movement, and of his heresy as to the decisions of the Congregation.
We thus give, in all their crudity, and without comment, the only portion of the trial and the decree at all available to the advocates of the old version of the Galileo story. Let them make the most of it.
The Record Of The Trial Of Galileo,
or the Procès Verbal, still exists in all its original integrity. The history of these documents is singular. The archives of the Inquisition at Rome were carried off to Paris at some time during the reign of Napoleon. Lord Brougham says in 1809. M. Biot (who citesM. Delaborde, Directeur des Archives Françaises) says in 1811.A French translation of the Galileo trial, begun by order of Napoleon, was completed down to April 30th, 1633. Just before the Hundred Days, Louis XVIII. desired to see the documents, and all the papers connected with the trial were brought to his apartments. His hasty flight from Paris soon followed, and the MSS. were forgotten and lost sight of. When the plundered archives were returned to Rome, it was found that the Galileo trial was not among them. Reclamation was made, and it was not until 1846 that Louis Philippe had the documents returned by M. Rossi. They are now in the Vatican.
In this connection, it is an interesting fact to note that seventy folio volumes of the archives of the Inquisition are now in the library of the University of Dublin. The archives at Rome were plundered a second time in 1849, whether by Garibaldians or French is not known. The plunder was brought to Paris by a French officer, and there, in 1850, sold to the late Duke of Manchester, who sold them to the Rev. Mr. Gibbings, a Protestant clergyman of the Irish Establishment. Mr. Gibbings again sold them to the late Dr. Wall, vice-provost of the university, aided by Dr. Singer, Bishop of Meath, who presented them to the library of Trinity College, Dublin.
We return to the Galileo record. In 1850, Signor Marino-Marini, Prefect of the Vatican Archives, publishedGalileo e l'Inquizitione. This Signor Marini is the same who is so highly spoken of by William von Humboldt. (See Schlesier'sLives of the Humboldts.) His work originally appeared in the form of a discourse addressed to the Archaeological Academy of Rome.
Looked for with anxiety, the book was received with some disappointment. Instead of the text, and theentiretext of the trial, Signor Marini gave extracts and fragments, stating at the same time that the French, who had these documents in their possession so many years, had not dared to publish them, because they were disappointed at not finding in them what they sought for.
To this it was objected—and the point was well taken—"Why, then, did not you publish the whole?" The truth is, the choice of Signor Marini for the task was unfortunate. An excellent scholar and accomplished man, he was yet too timid or too narrow-minded for it, and undertook the function of an advocate rather than the far more important one of a historian.
He shrank from the publicity of such passages as, "Devenietur contra ipsum ad remedia juris et facti opportuna," "Alias devenietur ad torturam," as though we were not aware of the universality of the use of torture in all the criminal procedure of all Europe, and that the Inquisition took it not from ecclesiastical, but from the secular tribunals of the day; as though we did not only deplore, but openly reprobate, the fact, and as though we did not hold the Inquisition responsible for the odium it has entailed on the Catholic Church, very much, we presume, as any right-minded Protestant holds star-chambers and Elizabethan tortures responsible for burdens they find hard to bear.
A distinguished French writer, M. Henri de l'Epinois, expressed his regret to the present prefect of the Vatican Archives as to the unsatisfactory manner in which Sig. Marini had presented the Galileo record, whereupon the Rev. Father Theiner immediately offered to place all the documents at his disposition for any examination or publication he might wish to make.The result is M. L'Epinois's work,Galilée, son Procès, sa Condamnation, d'après des Documens Inédits, in which are given all the original passages omitted by Marini.
The record of the trial covers two hundred and twenty pages, and includes, besides the interrogatories and replies of Galileo and of several witnesses, sixty-three letters, orders, opinions, depositions, etc., besides the various decrees and Galileo's defence and abjuration.
The interrogatories are all in Latin, the answers in Italian.
Thus, for example, where Galileo is examined as to the publication of hisDialogues, the record runs:
"Interrogate. An si ostenderet sibi dictus liber paratus sit illum recognoscere tanquam suum?"Respondit. Spero di si che mi sara monstrato il libro lo riconoscero."Et sibi ostenso uno ex libris Florentiae impressis, anno 1632, cujus titulus estDialogo di Galileo-Galileilinceo, in quo agitur de duobus sistematibus mundi, et per ipsum bene viso et inspecto, dixit: lo conosco questo libro benissimo, et e uno di quelli stampati in Fiorenza, et lo conosco come mio e da me composto."Interrogatus. An pariter recognoscat omnia et singula in dicto libro contenta tanquam sua?"Respondit. Io conosco questo libro mostratomi, ch'è uno di quelli stampati in Fiorenza e tutto quello che in esso si contiene lo riconosco come composto da me."