beacon lights of history-iii-2-第73章

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made　fun　of　the　more　conservative　schoolmen　with　whom　he　was

brought　in　contact）；　that　he　heard；　while　on　a　visit　to　Venice；

that　a　Dutch　spectacle…maker　had　invented　an　instrument　which　was

said　to　represent　distant　objects　nearer　than　they　usually

appeared。　　This　was　in　1609；　when　he；　at　the　age　of　fifty…five；　was

the　idol　of　scientific　men；　and　was　in　the　enjoyment　of　an　ample

revenue；　giving　only　sixty　half…hours　in　the　year　to　lectures；　and

allowed　time　to　prosecute　his　studies　in　that　〃sweet　solitariness〃

which　all　true　scholars　prize；　and　without　which　few　great

attainments　are　made。　　The　rumor　of　the　invention　excited　in　his

mind　the　intensest　interest。　　He　sought　for　the　explanation　of　the

fact　in　the　doctrine　of　refraction。　　He　meditated　day　and　night。

At　last　he　himself　constructed　an　instrument；a　leaden　organ　pipe

with　two　spectacle　glasses；　both　plain　on　one　side；　while　one　of

them　had　its　opposite　side　convex；　and　the　other　its　second　side

concave。



This　crude　little　instrument；　which　magnified　but　three　times；　he

carries　in　triumph　back　to　Venice。　　It　is　regarded　as　a　scientific

toy；　yet　everybody　wishes　to　see　an　instrument　by　which　the　human

eye　indefinitely　multiplies　its　power。　　The　Doge　is　delighted；　and

the　Senate　is　anxious　to　secure　so　great　a　curiosity。　　He　makes　a

present　of　it　to　the　Senate；　after　he　has　spent　a　month　in　showing

it　round　to　the　principal　people　of　that　wealthy　city；　and　he　is

rewarded　for　his　ingenuity　with　an　increase　of　his　salary；　at

Padua；　to　one　thousand　florins；　and　is　made　professor　for　life。



He　now　only　thinks　of　making　discoveries　in　the　heavens；　but　his

instrument　is　too　small。　　He　makes　another　and　larger　telescope；

which　magnifies　eight　times；　and　then　another　which　magnifies

thirty　times；　and　points　it　to　the　moon。　　And　how　indescribable　his

satisfaction；　for　he　sees　what　no　mortal　had　ever　before　seen；

ranges　of　mountains；　deep　hollows；　and　various　inequalities！　　These

discoveries；　it　would　seem；　are　not　favorably　received　by　the

Aristotelians；　however；　he　continues　his　labors；　and　points　his

telescope　to　the　planets　and　fixed　stars；but　the　magnitude　of　the

latter　remain　the　same；　while　the　planets　appear　with　disks　like

the　moon。　　Then　he　directs　his　observations　to　the　Pleiades；　and

counts　forty　stars　in　the　cluster；　when　only　six　were　visible　to

the　naked　eye；　in　the　Milky　Way　he　descries　crowds　of　minute　stars。



Having　now　reached　the　limit　of　discovery　with　his　present

instrument；　he　makes　another　of　still　greater　power；　and　points　it

to　the　planet　Jupiter。　　On　the　7th　of　January；　1610；　he　observes

three　little　stars　near　the　body　of　the　planet；　all　in　a　straight

line　and　parallel　to　the　ecliptic；　two　on　the　east　and　one　on　the

west　of　Jupiter。　　On　the　next　observation　he　finds　that　they　have

changed　places；　and　are　all　on　the　west　of　Jupiter；　and　the　next

time　he　observes　them　they　have　changed　again。　　He　also　discovers

that　there　are　four　of　these　little　stars　revolving　round　the

planet。　　What　is　the　explanation　of　this　singular　phenomenon？　　They

cannot　be　fixed　stars；　or　planets；　they　must　then　be　moons。

Jupiter　is　attended　with　satellites　like　the　earth；　but　has　four

instead　of　one！　　The　importance　of　this　last　discovery　was　of

supreme　value；　for　it　confirmed　the　heliocentric　theory。　　Old

Kepler　is　filled　with　agitations　of　joy；　all　the　friends　of　Galileo

extol　his　genius；　his　fame　spreads　far　and　near；　he　is　regarded　as

the　ablest　scientific　man　in　Europe。



His　enemies　are　now　dismayed　and　perplexed。　　The　principal

professor　of　philosophy　at　Padua　would　not　even　look　through　the

wonderful　instrument。　　Sissi　of　Florence　ridicules　the　discovery。

〃As；〃　said　he；　〃there　are　only　seven　apertures　of　the　head；two

eyes；　two　ears；　two　nostrils；　and　one　mouth；and　as　there　are　only

seven　days　in　the　week　and　seven　metals；　how　can　there　be　seven

planets？〃



But　science；　discarded　by　the　schools；　fortunately　finds　a　refuge

among　princes。　　Cosimo　de'　Medici　prefers　the　testimony　of　his

senses　to　the　voice　of　authority。　　He　observes　the　new　satellites

with　Galileo　at　Pisa；　makes　him　a　present　of　one　thousand　florins；

and　gives　him　a　mere　nominal　office；that　of　lecturing

occasionally　to　princes；　on　a　salary　of　one　thousand　florins　for

life。　　He　is　now　the　chosen　companion　of　the　great；　and　the

admiration　of　Italy。　　He　has　rendered　an　immense　service　to

astronomy。　　〃His　discovery　of　the　satellites　of　Jupiter；〃　says

Herschel；　〃gave　the　holding　turn　to　the　opinion　of　mankind

respecting　the　Copernican　system；　and　pointed　out　a　connection

between　speculative　astronomy　and　practical　utility。〃



But　this　did　not　complete　the　catalogue　of　his　discoveries。　　In

1610　he　perceived　that　Saturn　appeared　to　be　triple；　and　excited

the　curiosity　of　astronomers　by　the　publication　of　his　first

〃Enigma；〃　Altissimam　planetam　tergeminam　observavi。　　He　could　not

then　perceive　the　rings；　the　planet　seemed　through　his　telescope　to

have　the　form　of　three　concentric　O's。　　Soon　after；　in　examining

Venus；　he　saw　her　in　the　form　of　a　crescent：　Cynthiae　figuras

aemulatur　mater　amorum；　〃Venus　rivals　the　phases　of　the　moon。〃



At　last　he　discovers　the　spots　upon　the　sun's　disk；　and　that　they

all　revolve　with　the　sun；　and　therefore　that　the　sun　has　a

revolution　in　about　twenty…eight　days；　and　may　be　moving　on　in　a

larger　circle；　with　all　its　attendant　planets；　around　some　distant

centre。



Galileo　has　now　attained　the　highest　object　of　his　ambition。　　He　is

at　the　head；　confessedly；　of　all　the　scientific　men　of　Europe。　　He

has　an　ample　revenue；　he　is　independent；　and　has　perfect　leisure。

Even　the　Pope　is　gracious　to　him　when　he　makes　a　visit　to　Rome；

while　cardinals；　princes；　and　ambassadors　rival　one　another　in

bestowing　upon　him　attention　and　honors。



But　there　is　no　height　of　fortune　from　which　a　man　may　not　fall；

and　it　is　usually　the　proud；　the　ostentatious；　and　the　contemptuous

who　do　fall；　since　they　create　envy；　and　are　apt　to　make　social

mistakes。　　Galileo　continued　to　exasperate　his　enemies　by　his

arrogance　and　sarcasms。　　〃They　refused　to　be　dragged　at　his

chariot…wheels。〃　　〃The　Aristotelian　professors；〃　says　Brewster；

〃the　temporizing　Jesuits；　the　political　churchmen；　and　that　timid

but　respectable　body　who　at　all　times　dread　innovation；　whether　it

be　in　legislation　or　science；　entered　into　an　alliance　against　the

philosophical　tyrant　who　threatened　them　with　the　penalties　of

knowledge。〃　　The　church　dignitaries　were　especially　hostile；　since

they　thought　the　tendency　of　Galileo's　investigations　was　to

undermine　the　Bible。　　Flanked　by　the　logic　of　the　schools　and　the

popular　interpretation　of　Scripture；　and　backed　by　the　civil　power；

they　were　eager　for　war。　　Galileo　wrote　a　letter　to　his　friend　the

Abbe　Castelli；　the　object　of　which　was　〃to　prove　that　the

Scriptures　were　not　intended　to　teach　science　and　philosophy；〃　but

to　point　out　the　way　of　salvation。　　He　was　indiscreet　enough　to

write　a　longer　letter　of　seventy　pages；　quoting　the　Fathers　in

support　of　his　views；　and　attempting　to　show　that　Nature　and

Scripture　could　not　speak　a　different　language。　　It　was　this

reasoning　which　irritated　the　dignitaries　of　the　Church　more　than

his　discoveries；　since　it　is　plain　that　the　literal　language　of

Scripture　upholds　the　doctrine　that　the　sun　revolves　around　the

earth。　　He　was　wrong　or　foolish　in　trying　to　harmonize　revelation

and　science。　　He　should　have　advanced　his　truths　of　science　and

left　them　to　take　care　of　themselves。　　He　should　not　have　meddled

with　the　dogmas　of　his　enemies：　not　that　he　was　wrong　in　doing　so；

but　it　was　not　politic　or　wise；　and　he　was　not　called　upon　to

harmonize　Scripture　with　science。



So　his　enemies　busily　employed　themselves　in　collecting　evidence

against　him。　　They　laid　their　complaints　before　the　Inquisition　of

Rome；　and　on　the　occasion　of　paying　a　visit　to　that　city；　he　was

summoned