The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-08-19

ooed during the pleasure OF the court, an to
reci,e once week for three yeilrs the seven
penitential psalms. ~. =
Gallleo was thus compelled to choose be-
tween a solemn denial of demonstrated truth
or the most agonizing of dsaths. What he
ought to have done i'll these circumstances, is
a question in morals which has been discuss.
ed for two hundred years without result !;
since it is a question which every one decides
according to his own character. He decided
to recant On his knees, with one hand up
on the Gospel, he PRONOUNCED the form of
words required: &" / abjure, curse and detest
the error aud heresy of the motion OF tine
earth, and promise that l will never more
teach. verbally or in writing, that the sun is
the centre of the universe and immovable,
and that the earth is not the centre OF the
universe and movable.
/. Rising from his knees, indignant at the
outrage done to Truth through him, he mat.
tered between his teeth the words, which will
never he forgotten .r. -,
"THE EARTH MOVES, NOTWITHSTANDING
After his recantation. he was confined for
esven months IN a spacious house III Rome,
and he was allowed to walk at will in Its ex-
te.lsive gardens. He was then permitted to
return to the ueighborhood of Florence, un.
to visit the city wher his iniiruities permit
ted.
These events saddened his old age, but he
continued to labor at his favorite pursuits
With unabated ardor. He wrote a treatise on
the motion and resistance of solid bodies,
but fearing to encounter new prosecutions,
he only thought to have the manuscript pre-
served from destruction. Confounded and
afflicted" he wIote to friend, at the bad
success of nv other works, and having resolv-
ed to publish nothing more, | have wished at
least to place in sure hands some copy of my
works and as the particular affection with
which YOU have honored me will certainly
make you desirous IL preserve them, have
chosen To comtide these to YOU 1t was this
very work which enabled Newton to deduce
the attraction Of gravita,ion from the fall Of
The apples.
He lived nine wears after his recantation,
surrounded by affectionate pupils ard admir-
ing disciples Such was his devotion TO the
study of astronomy. that at the age of seventy
four he became totally blind. He survived
the loss of sight four years, and died January
9th, 1912, aged seventy-eight On Christmas
day of the same year was born the illustrious
Newton, who, inherting the great discoveries
OF Galileo. added to them the crowning truth,
that the principle of attraction Is net eonfn-
ed in its operation TO the earth, but controls
the universe.
Calico was rem lrkable for the variety Of
his knowledge. His Latin STYLE Was so pure
and elegt,t that Hume ranks his writings
with the classics of antiquity and he wasso
fond OF Italian poetry thar he could repeat
the whole of Arinsto's longest poem One oi
his avorite amusements, all his life, was play
ing upon the lule, in which he eAcelled most
amaears. lie took great pleasure In cult
waiting a gar len. His manners We're exceed
ingls amiable, and his conversation full o
yivaritv and grace. Like Newton, he was
never married; but. unlike Newton, he left a
son a,d tive daughters. Aite- his death
both of his daughters entered a convent and
took the veil lie wds buried in one Of the
churches of Flprence, where, century later
a costly and imposing monument was erected
over his remains. The complete EDITION q
his works. published at Milan in 1911, is III
eleven tolmes octave.