The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-22

Dy u council OF the tnurCn. surrendered the
whole position. since there was no telling where
the thing might stop.
1t was not until some thirty years after Copper.
nicus had formulated his theory that he ven.
tured to make it public. The Ptolemaic system,
which assumed IA fixed earth--R sun, moon, and
stars revolving about it-had held the field for
about fourteen centuries. 1t accorded with
Scripture; it had been adopted by the Church.
Moreover, it was confirmed by the senses, the
correction Of which still remains and will long
remain a condition OF intellectual advance.
We cannot wonder. then. that Copernicus
hesitated to breach a theory thus supported,
or that, when published, 1t was put forth in
q tentative form rs n possible explanation
more in accord with the phenomena than that
generally received. A preface. presumably by a
friendly hand. commended the Revolutions
Of the Heavenly Bodies" to Pope Paul III.
1t urged that. las in previous times to
others had been conceded the privilege of
feigning what circles they chose. in order to ex-
plain the phenomena" Copernicus had con-
ceived that he might take the liberty of trying
whether, on the supposition Of the earth's mo-
ton, 1t was possible to find better explanations
than the ancient ones Of the revolutions of the
celestial orbs." A copy Of the printed book was
placed in tho hands OF its author only o few
hours before his death on May %. l543. Copper
nicus himself was therefore beyond the grip of
the Holy 1nquisition. A substitute was even
tually forthcoming in Giordano Bruno. a Domin.
lean monk, who to certain heterodox beliefs
added the heresy OF Copernicanism, which he
publicly taught from Oxford to Venice. For
these cumulative crimes he was imprisoned
and. after two years, condemned to DO put to
death las mercifully as possible and without
the shedding of his blood" a euphemism for
burning q man alive. The execution of
Bruno took place in Rome on Feb. Is. 1000.
A generation later the Inquisition found a sec
6nd victim. though 1t treated him more leniently.
IN the famous Calico. who was born at Pisa in
1854. After spending som years in mechan.
zeal and pursuits. he began a
series or observations in confirmation OF the
Copernican theory, Of the truth of which he had
been convinced in early life. With tho aid of q
rude telescope, made by his own hand, he dis
covered the satellites OF Jupiter, mountains and
valleys In the moon, spots on the suns disk, and
the countless stars which compose the luminous
band known as the Milky Way. Saught oc.
CURED to disturb his observations TILL in q work
on the solar spots, he explained the movements
OF the earth and OF the heavenly bodies
In accordance with tho theory of Copernicus.
Even on the appearance of that book the au-
thorities contented themselves with administer
ing q caution to the author. More severe inter-
position followed his Dialogue on the Coperni-
can and Ptolemaic Systems. in which Calico
made the defender OF the Copernican theory an
easy victor. For this he WAS brought before the
1nquisition In 1888, and. after a tedious trial
and threats of rigorous personal examina-
tion," q euphemism for torture" he was.
despite the plea that he had merely put the pros
ana cons as between the rival theories, con-
demned to abiure all that he had taught.
Tho year 15I3, that OF the death of Coperni.
Gus. marks an epoch In biology, as well as In as.
tronomy. 1t is plain from the researches of
Galen, an Alexandrian physician of the second
century Of our era. that up to tho triumph OF
Christianity there had been among the Greeks
mo man di al MeYl an ns s 81 ibe low sas s s5T"S,sre q 2
Christian Church. on the other hand. fortified
b both by tradition and by prejudice. refused
tenth Century Bonifaco vIIIp. ' issued d sn bull in de.
ofenders. Prohitition e"entuaiIiy Ieh to- a5a eHs!
sion, and In the sixteenth century Vesalius,
sity Of Psdua. resoftod to. 'H Various us'V de-:
vices to procure subjects" the bodies
this way yesalius Was able to correct certain
errors OF Galen, and TO give the quietus to the
OF Eve. that man has one rib less than woman.
This was among the discoveries announced in
@sen ne &. G Srs oriy as% yesrs P ef ras R rho shed
fell under the ban OF the church because Vo.
salius gave no support to the belief in an indie.
IN man. The belief had. no doubt. near relation
70 that of the Jews in the Os sdcrum, and re.
minds one OF Descartes' fanciful location of
tho soul In the minute cone-like part OF
inc brain known as the condrium, or pineai
Hlann. On the untounded charge of attempting
the dissection OF a living subject the Inquisition
haled Vesalius TO prison. and would have nut
PIN 70 death las mercifplly as possible" but for
whom Vesalius had been physician. While The
h~eretical character and tendencies OF discoveries
IN astronomy and anatomy awoke active onno.
siion from the Church, the work OF such p men
g Geslsr, the eminent Swiss naturalist, and OF
Cnsalpino. professor of botany at Padua, passed
un9uestioned No dogma was supposed To be-
endangered by the classification OF plants and
II.
In his summary Of the attitude of the
Church toward the renaissance OF science.
Mr.. Clodd does not refer in det,u % a.