The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1910-02-12

leo was not centen like the other great astronomers
of his time to demonstrate the Coperncan system
as an hypothesis astronomically true; he would in
sist on its physical certainty although many of the
arguments he advanced were far from being fault
less. For instance, he derived his chief argument
from the flux and reflux of the tides, which
tronomer now holds to be proof of the earth's
ton There also many physical difficulties in
the way for the specific gravity of the not
then determined and it not till fifty years after
Galileos death that the law of gravitation dis
covered by the genius of Newton.
Add to this that Calico dragged the sacred
Scriptures into the controversy and contended that
his Interpretation, which at times fancful
than accurate, was alone to be accepted. Cardinal
Bellarmine, who was one of the most prominent
counsellors of the Holy See, set the matter in its
true light when he wrote to Calico: eve cannot
so bend the Interpretation of the Scriptures as to
suit your system of astronomy; but this tell you,
when the demonstration shall be found to establish
the earths notion it will be proper then to inter
pref the Holy Scriptures otherwise than they have
hitherto been in those passages which mention the
moving of the heavens and the stability of the
world"
Francis Bacon, were so determined in their hostl-
ity to the earth's notion we can readily appreciate
the prudence of the theologians of Rome in their
unwillingness to commit themselves to Galileos
theories. In the controversy then raging over the
planetary system, the Incorporate language and
violent invectives of Calico deprived him of the
sympathy of his best friends. He persisted in OPP
posing the teachings of his day and hurled bitter
invectves against all who differed from him. In
spite of repeated remonstrance, and relying on the
Pontiff's patronage, Cardinal Barbareni's friend
ship for him, and the encouragement of members
of the papal court, he resumed with greater VIC
ence his attack on his rivals, and once more he
dragged the sacred Scriptures into the controversy
reasserted the physical certainty of his theories,
and violated promises he had made. So they ar
rested him and sentenced him to confinement in
palace for twenty days.
Some English writers and American copyists
have conjured up dismal visions of dreary dungeons
and torture, and violent punishment but as Won
Gebler the latest German historian of Galleos life
has fully proved in all this, there is not single par
ticle of truth, According to the legal procedure
of those times he wa sentenced to imprisonment
The apartments in which he was confined were
enjoy the prospect of the majestic dome of ST. Pc
ter's and the other of the beautiful gardens of
the Vatican" (Von Geber, page 21O)
From the Vatican he was transferred to the
Villa Medici, which, unrivaled in its position and
GROWING the Pincian gardens was the center of
fashion nthose days, and is at the present day one
of the loveliest villas in the Eternal City From
here he went to the city of Siena and became the
guest of the bishop of that See. After pleasant
stay here he returned to his own home, near Flor
ence. Such the much-taked-of Imprisonment
of Calico Until the day of his death he continued
to enjoy the pension which years before had been
munificently assigned him by the sovereign pontiff
Pope Urban. For the thousandth time it has been
repeated iterated and reiterated that after his CON
demnation, own dear old Telegram has it,
cas- he came out from the hall and looked at the
sun, he murnured to himself, But it does move'"
This is about true if the Deseret News charged
the venerable and kindly editor of the Telegram
with having muttered to himself, when he last
shook hands with Bishop Seaman and left his hos
pitable door: "To hell with the Pope"