Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-03-12

was so clated with his success that he re-
turned directly TO Venice TO exhibit his
wonderful instrument TO the Senate, where
upon they confirmed his prolessorship for
life and raised his salary to 1000 forms a
year. His instrument was the wonder OF
all wonders, and his name was on the lips
of all Venice. On his return 10 the univer-
sity he followed mp with vigor his re-
searches on this new idea, and on the third
trial obtained an instrument that magni-
fed thirty-fold. This he directed to the
stars, and 10! there was new field Of
wonder opened to his vision. lie saw
what the eye of man had not seen before;
his soul was filed with unspeakable de.
light. On the night of the 18Th of January,
1910, after six nights of careful watching,
he discovered four satellites revolving
around the planet Jupiter, but he dared
not publish his discovery until March 22d,
when he had made himself absolutely GER
tain of the truth Of his discovery by re-
peatcd and careful observation. The an
nounccmeut was so new and full of the
wonderful and strange that it was met
with perfect howl of contempt and dis
gust by the church, and even by the old
school of astronomers. One of his own
under. professors reasoned that, as there
were but seven days in the week, seven
metals, and seven holes in mans head,
there could he but seven planets; and
when forced to admit the sight of new stars
in this wonderful instrument, he replied,
"they are invisible TO the eye, they are
useless, consequently they do not exist"
lie now gradually cspoused The doctrines
of Copernicus in his writings and lectures,
His fame filled the land, and the serried
hosts of his enemies began TO close in
around him. In February, 1916, he was
summoned TO Rome to answer TO the
charge of heresy in teaching that the sun
was the centre of a planetary system, and
interpreting the scriptures to suit his own
! theory. lie was compelled to promise
never again to teach his views, either in
lectures or writings. After the accession
of his friend, Cardinal Barberin TO the
pontificate, under he title of Pope Urban
| VIII, he went to Rome to offer him his
congratulations in the spring of 1924, and
was received with the varmest cordially
| by the Pope and his cardinals, many of
whom expressed themselves in very lib
eral terms on the Copernican theory, and
he began to feel that he could again teach
his views in safety; and accordingly he
wrote a very sharp and powerful treatise
| in the form of dialogue, eloquently sus-
tanning his own views and holding up the
inquistion to scorn aud ridicue. This
was, perhaps. the most unwise act of his
| life. The book was published in 1852. Iu
the spring OF 33 he was again summoned
before the inquis!tion, when his case was
| considered in connection with his former
| sentence. He was now sentenced TO be
imprisoned at the inquisition during their
| pleasure, and 10 recte once a week, for
| three years, the seven penitential psalms.
| Clad in sacLcloth, he was compelled TO
kncel on the bible in open court and swear
never again 10 teach such doctrines; but
as he rose from the ground he is said 10
have said. in an undertone, "the world
does move for all that!" After four days
confinement at the holy prison he was set
at liberty and returned TO his own house
in Arcetri, near Florence; but from this
time forth until the day of his death he
was kept under the Srctest surveillance
by the inqusition. In 1884 he became
blind, and it was only after four years
| pleading that he was allowed medical aid,
and then under strict regulations. Jan. 8,
1912, at the age offs, he passed beyond the
power of all earthly irquisitions, and his
warfare on earth was done.
But the great truths that he had demon
strated lived, and to-day we not only know
| that the world is round, but that it actually
| measures about twenty-five thousand miles
| in circumference on the surface of the sea
| at the equator. We have learned that about
| one-third only of this vast area is land and
| two thirds are still covered with the waters
of the deep, both sea and air teeming full
| of animal life. We find the land surface
| covered with almost insurmouutable bar
riers. Mountain chains extend the entire
| length Of continents, over which man
works his way with fear and trembling; he
stands as a mere babe peering from the
giddy heights OF the rocky ramparts of our
| mountain ravines. He is struck dumb
with awe at the magnitude Of the power
that raised Ontinonis and mountains from
pNNa'hs y
what authority do you assert that CONT
nents have como up from the ocean? My
answer is, because the sea hath delivered
up the deRd that were in ii. Please mark
the language, as farther on you shall see
that it is literally true. What was the ex-
act condition of the surlac of the primeval
earth when first the sea began to sustain
animal life is matter of conjecture;
whether the entire surface of the globe was
once a vast sea, we know not; whether
other continents sunk beneath the waters
when present land came to the surface, we
know not; but the fact that the primeval
seas did exist over the present continents,
and were teeming full of animal life, is fully
demonstrated by geological research. How
many of us as we have, in years gone by,
| strolled of quiet Sunday eve into yonder
cemetery Ito commune with our dead
ever realized the fact that those beautiful
marble tablets are but the solid remains of
myriads on myriads of living beings which
once floated in the sea and yet it is n fact I!
Who of us, as we have thrown water upon
the Stacking, stcaming lime, have realized
that the fiery disintegraion going on be-
fore our eyes was but chemical change in
animal matter that once had life and roamed
at will in the dark waters of The prehistoric
ocean? How many teacher even can tell
their pupils that the chalk used in the
school-room is but so much animal matter
that once had life, shape and form beneath
the seas? will not continue this enumer-
alton but give you in substance the language
of a celebrated author and investigator. 1t
is supposed that limestone constitutes one
seventh part Of the crust of the globe and