PALMIERI
431
PALMIERI
cially during the sixteen years that he was professor in
the Roman College, he acquired fame as a philosopher.
In this field he published: " Animadversiones in re-
cens opus de Monte Concilii Viennensis" (Rome,
1878); a more interesting work is his " Institutiones
Philosophicae" (3 vols., Rome, 1874-76). In this he
followed the scholastic method; but the doctrines in
many points differ from those common to the Peripa-
tetic philosophers. As regards the composition of
bodies he admits the dyiiamic theory, and considers
the first elements of bodies to be formally simple, en-
dowed with an attractive and repulsive force, but
which he says are virtually extended. On the other
hand he does not admit the real accidents, and to ex-
plain the permanence of the Eucharistic Species, he
has recourse to the phenomena of ether, which persist
by Divine operation, the substance of bread and wine
ceasing to exist. He held a conception altogether his
own of the life of plants, and assigned simple souls to
animals, which expire with their death. As regards
the origin of the idea, he was true to the scholastic
principles in admitting that the intellectual apprehen-
sion has its origin in the apprehension of the senses;
but to his last day would not admit the necessity of
the intelligible species. His works have a very forcible
quality of argument, which obliges one to recognize
the thinker, even when at variance with his mode of
thought.
In Scriptural study also he made his mark. Hav- ing taught the Holy Scriptures from 1880-87, and Oriental languages to the scholastics of his society in Maestricht, he published "Commentariusinepistolam ad Galatas" (Gulpen, 1886); and "De veritate histo- rica libri Judith aliisque ss. Scripturarum locis speci- men criticum exegeticum" (Gulpen, 18S6). Many others of his minor works can be placed under this head. When Loisy's book, "L'Evangile et I'Eglise", ap- peared, he was one of the first to give alarm to the Catholic party, and to show, in a treatise in the form of letters, the errors contained in this author's works. He examined more minutely another work of Loisy's, "Autourd'un Petit Livre", in his "Esamedi un opus- colo che gira intorno ad un piccolo libro ". To this dem- onstration he joins a more complete one of certain of the favourite errors of the new school, that is to say, not demonstrating the Divinity of Our Lord from the Synoptics. He does the same with another book en- titled "Se e come i sinottici ci danno GesA Cristo per Dio" (Prato, 1903). Only the first part of this book, concerning the Gospel of St. Matthew, was published; but these books contain nevertheless a valid defence of Catholic truth.
Palmieri's reputation, however, rests principally on his theology in the Roman College: (a) "Tractatus de Romano Pontifice cum prolegomeno de Ecclesia" (3rd ed., Prato, 1902); (b) " Tractatus dePoenitentia" (2nd ed., Prato, 1896); (c) " Tractatus deMatrimonioChris- tiano" (2nd ed., Prato, 1897); (d) " Tractatus de Gra- tia Divina Actuali" (Gulpen, 1885); (e) "Tractatus TheologicusdeNovissimis" (Prato, 1908); (f) "Trac- tatus de Crcatione et de Pra>cipuis Creaturis" (Prato, 1910); (g) "Tractatus de Ordine Supematurali et de Lapsu Angelorum" (Prato, 1910); (h) "Tractatus de Peccato Originali et de Immaculato Beatae Virginis Deiparae Conceptu " (Prato, 1904).
The last three treatises here noted, taken together, form a new edition in many parts perfected and re- arranged from his former treatise on God the Creator, printed first in Rome, 1878. The third part was pub- lished before the other two, because the author wished with it to render homage to the Immaculate Concep- tion on the fiftieth anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma. In his treatise on creation and the special creatures, a posthumous work, but of which he left the manuscript completed and prepared, we have to note the change made by him regarding the union of the soul with the body, because while he first asserted that
the union was only natural and not substantial, now
that it is defined doctrine that the human nature
consists entirely in the synthesis of two elements, that
is to say, of the body and of the reasoning soul, he ad-
mits that this union is substantial, although he as-
serts that it is not yet sufficiently determined how one
nature can result from these two elements.
The originality of his theological works consists principally in the method which he followed, which amounts to an exhaustive demonstration of the exist- ence of the dogma, and in its scholastic exposition and defence, so that his treatises are almost complete from the positive, scholastic, and polemic viewpoints. Father Antonio Ballerini left at his death a valuable collection of studies in moral theology. It was in the form of a commentary on the "Medulla" of Busen- baum , but not complete. Palmieri undertook the task of putting in order this work and made many additions of his own. To the acumen shown in his theological works he here adds evidence of a sound practical judg- ment, hereby proving himself a great moralist. For this reason, on the election of Cardinal Steinhuber, he was appointed to succeed him as theologian of the S. Poenitcntiaria, in which capacity his work was greatly appreciated by Leo XIII and Pius X. These labours were followed by a commentary on the Divine Comedy of Dante Allighieri, a work undertaken by him at the suggestion of his mother, Giuseppina Rocci Palmieri, a lady of high ideals and culture. To this he brought all the profundity of his philosophy and theology, and produced a work wonderful to all those who, knowing these sciences, are able to ap- preciate the profound thought which is re^-ealed, especially in a most learned introduction and in the scientific observations appended to the individual cantos. Benedetto Ojetti.
Palmieri, Luigi, physicist and meteorologist, b. at Faicehio, Benevento, Italy, 22 April, 1807; d. in Naples, 9 Sept., 1896. He first studied at the semi- nary of Caiazzo, then took up mathematics and the natural sciences in Naples, getting his degree in archi- tecture from the University of Naples. He taught succes.sively in the secondary schools of Salerno, Cam- pobasso, and Avellino, until in 1845 he became pro- fessor of physics at the Royal Naval School at Naples. In 1847 he was called to the chair of physics at the university. He began his connection with the meteo- rological observatory on Mount Ve.suvius in 1S48 and became its director in 1854, after the death of Melloni. The chair of meteorological and terrestrial physics was created especially for him at the university. He filled it in 1860 together with the position of director of the physical observatory of Naples.
Member of the Royal Society of Naples (."Academy of Sciences) since 1861, he became a member of the Academy of the Lincei (Florence) in 1871. Among other honours were the following: Member of the Superior Council of Meteorology, Senator of the King- dom, Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy, Commander of the Order of Rosa del Brazile, etc. His work is chiefly connected with the observa- tion of the eruptions on Mount Vesuvius and with the study of earthquakes and meteorological phenomena in general. He watched all the volcanic disturbances at the observatory and nearly lost his life there during the eruption of 1872. He was very successful in the invention and improvement of delicate apparatus. He modified the Peltier electrometer and used it for his investigation of atmospheric electricity during forty years. His seismometer for the detection and measurement of ground vibration was so sensitive that he was able to detect very slight movements and to predict the eruption^ of the volcano. A modification of the Morse telegraph, an anemometer, and a plu- viometer were also among his inventions. His tribute to Galluppi has often been applied to himself: "The
