Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1913-11-17
WAS CALLED roRTUREDs

The world has been made well
aware Of the opposition which Calico
experienced from the ecclesiastical
authorities of his age, but it is remark
able that the first resistance that he
met with came from those who were
philosophers like himself. The stories
that have been told against the treat
ment of Calico by the Inquisition ara
pst -fourr<,i on racts. It Is true that
his doctrines brought him a certain
amount Of trouble, but, by little dis
Greet management, he might have es-
caped censure. He was, however, OF
an ardent disposition, and being as
sailed by preacher, he was tempted
to bring out pamphlet defending his
views. and in reality adding to the of
tense he had already given. This
brought him before the Inquisition in
1915 and he was obliged to disavow
all his doctrines and solemnly engage
never again to teach them.
The story of the torture and Ill treat
ment of Calico by the Inquisition has
been told so frequently in history and
we'll embellished that it Is credited
by the majority of people. The villa
Medici, where Calico was detained,
was never in any sense prison, but
was and is one of the most sumptuous
palaces in Rome.
In the biography Of Gailileo by Blot
is a letter of Galileo's dated 1888, in
which he speaks of enjoying the de-
lightful gardens. 1t was, indeed, his
biographer says, the very opposite OF
prison, for, being the residence OF a
Tuscan ambassador, 1t was exactly the
spot where, of all others, a Tuscan
was freest. He was allowed to write
to and to receive whom he pleased,
says his biographer, and had faithful
and favorite servants.
In December Of this same year he
had liberty to reside in the environs of
Florence, and soon after to inhabit any
part of his own Florence at WILL Here
re passed the remainder Of his days
and died in 1912 at the ripe old age
OF IS.
This was one story of Galileo's de-
tention. Another writer denies that
the literary and scientific men were
jealous of him, and that they were
his worst enmies. AS to the story, he
says: "Of this story there is, I be
lieve, no evidence now that GolileC
was actually put to the torture by or
der of the Inquisition; he was un
doubtedly imprisoned for short time
and compelled, under threats, to alb
jure the doctrine of the earth's mo
ton"
Whewell, in his History of Undue
tive Science" has devoted consider
able attention to Calico and his i'm
prisonment. He argues that the abju
ration was a solemn farce, equally dis
creditable to the enjoiners and the er
joined, to pander to the popular vieN
of the Interpretation of Scripture O
the earth's supposed immobility. How
ever, that may be, there is no dout
Calico was an unwilling party to tn
farce, although he had not sufficier
spirit of the martyr to run the ris
I Of refusing to make the abjuratiol
I The often repeated story that he e,
! claimed under his breath, "but tn
world does move" when he was mad
{ to say that it did not, was probably
graphical representation in later time
) of the sentiment he must have felt ;
the absurdity.
! This same writer further says
I Speaking of his own persecution {
the early believers in Christ, st. Pa,
{ is made to say, in the authorized We
{ sion: 4 compelled them to blasphemt
! The revised more accurately repr
: sents the original as 4 strove to NAL
s them blaspheme.' Would that the O
{ tempt of the Inquisition to make Ga
; ileo abjure and curse doctrine
: which he believed had been equal
s unsuccessful, but it was not so, and Il
I account forms one of the saddle
; chapters in the history of science.
: Sir David Brewster is authority f
{ the statement that investigation
I would prove that Calico was create
; with marked Difference and genera
{ ity by the principal members al
: highest dignitaries of the church.