to Galileo. After the publication of the decree of 5th March he remained three months at Rome. His enemies took advantage of this to spread a false report that he had been obliged formally to recant, and absolutely to abjure his opinion. Galileo seems to have been indignant at this; he pacified his adherents who sent anxious inquiries to their master, and complained bitterly of the unscrupulousness of his enemies, for whom no means of injuring him were too bad. But in order to confute these calumnies and guard himself against them in future, before leaving Rome he begged a certificate from Cardinal Bellarmine to prove the falsity of this perfidious fiction, This dignitary consented, and wrote the following declaration:—
"We, Robert Cardinal Bellarmine, having heard that it is calumniously reported that Signor Galileo Galilei has in our hand abjured, and has also been punished with salutary penance, and being requested to state the truth as to this, declare, that the said Signor Galileo has not abjured, either in our hand, or the hand of any other person here in Rome, or anywhere else, so far as we know, any opinion or doctrine held by him, neither has any salutary penance been imposed upon him; but only the declaration made by the Holy Father and published by the sacred Congregation of the Index, has been intimated to him, wherein it is set forth that the doctrine attributed to Copernicus, that the earth moves round the sun, and that the sun is stationary in the centre of the world, and does not move from east to west, is contrary to the Holy Scriptures, and therefore cannot be defended or held. In witness whereof we have written and subscribed these presents with our hand this 26th day of May, 1616."[1]
- ↑ Noi Roberto Cardinale Bellarmino havendo inteso che il Sig' Galileo Galilei sia calumniato, ò imputato di havere abiurato in mano nra, et anco di essere stato perciò penitenziato di penitenzie salutari; et essendo ricercati della verità diciamo, che il suddetto S. Galileo no ha abiurato i mano nra nè di altra qua in Roma ne meno i altro luogo che noi sappiamo alcuna sua opinione o dottrina, nè manco hà ricevuto penitenzie salutarj, né d' altra sorte, ma solo, ql'è stata denunziata la dichiara-zione fatta da Nŕo Sigre. e publicata dalla Sacra Congregne. dell' indice, nella quale si cotiene che la dottrina attribuita al Copernico che la terra si muova intorno al sole, e che il sole stia nel centro del Mõdo senza muoversi da oriente ad occidente sia cotraria alle sacre scritture, e però nõ si possa difendere nè tenere. Et in fede di ciò habbiamo scritta, e sotto-scritta
