Andrew Dickson White - The Warfare of Science

Figuier , Savants de la Renaissance , p. 380. Also, Flammarion , Vie de Copernic , p. 190.

The "proper authorities" in this case were the "Congregation of the Index," or cardinals having charge of the "Index Librorum Prohibitorum." Recent desperate attempts to fasten the responsibility on them as individuals seem ridiculous in view of the simple fact that their work is sanctioned by the highest Church authority, and required to be universally accepted by the Church. Three of four editions of the "Index" in my own possession declare on their title-pages that they are issued by order of the pontiff of the period, and each is prefaced by a special papal bull or letter. See, especially, Index of 1664, issued under order of Alexander VII., and that of 1761, under Benedict XIV. Copernicus's work was prohibited in the Index " donec corrigatur ." Kepler said that it ought to be worded " donec explicetur ." See Bertrand , Fondateurs de l'Astronomie Moderne , p. 57. De Morgan , pp. 57-60, gives the corrections required by the Index of 1620. Their main aim seems to be to reduce Copernicus to the groveling level of Osiander, making of his discovery a mere hypothesis; but occasionally they require a virtual giving up of the whole Copernican doctrine, e. g., "correction" insisted upon for cap. 8, p. 6. For scholarly account of the relation of the Prohibitory and Expurgatory Indexes to each other, see Mendham , Literary Policy of the Church of Rome .

See Fromundus's book, cited above, passim , but especially the heading of chapter vi., and the argument in chaps, x. and xi. For interesting reference to one of Fromundus's arguments, showing by a mixture of mathematics and theology, that the earth is the centre of the universe, see Quetelet , Histoire des Sciences Mathématiques et Physiques , Bruxelles, 1864, p. 170.

See Luther's Tischreden , Irmischer's Ausgabe . Also, Melanchthon's Initia Doctrinæ Physicæ . This treatise is cited under a mistaken title by the Catholic World , September, 1870. The correct title is as given above. It will be found in the Corpus Reformatorum , ed. Bretschneider , Halle, 1846. (For the above passage, see vol. xiii., pp. 216, 217.) Also, Lange , Geschichte des Materialismus , vol. i., p. 217. Also, Prowe , Ueber die Abhängigkeit des Copernicus , Thorn, 1865, p. 4. Also, note, pp. 5 and 6, where text is given in full.

For treatment of Copernican ideas by the people, see Catholic World , as above.

See title-page of Fromundus's work cited in note at bottom of p. 392; also, Melanchthon, ubi supra .

See Bartholmess , Vie de Jordano Bruno , Paris, 1846, vol. i., pp. 121 and 212, et seq. Also Berti , Vita di Giordano Bruno , Firenze, 1868, chapter xvi. Also Whewell , i., 294, 295. That Whewell is somewhat hasty in attributing Bruno's punishment entirely to the Spaccio della Bestia Trionfante will be evident, in spite of Montucla, to any one who reads the account of the persecution in Bartholmess or Berti; and, even if Whewell be right, the Spaccio would never have been written, but for Bruno's indignation at ecclesiastical oppression. See Tiraboschi , vol. xi., p. 435.

Delambre , Histoire de l'Astronomie moderne , discours préliminaire, p. xiv. Also Laplace , Système du Monde , vol. i., p. 326, and for more careful statement, Kepleri Opera Omnia , edit. Frisch, tom. ii., p. 464.

Cantu , Histoire Universelle , vol. xv., p. 473.

A very curious example of this sham science is seen in the argument, frequently used at the time, that, if the earth really moved, a stone falling from a height would fall back of the point immediately below its point of starting. This is used by Fromundus with great effect. It appears never to have occurred to him to test the matter by dropping a stone from the topmast of a ship. But the most beautiful thing of all is that Benzenburg has experimentally demonstrated just such an aberration in falling bodies as is mathematically required by the diurnal motion of the earth. See Jevons , Principles of Science , vol. i., p. 453, and ii., pp. 310, 311.

See Delambre as to the discovery of the satellites of Jupiter being the turning-point with the heliocentric doctrine. As to its effects on Bacon, see Jevons , Principles of Science , vol. ii., p. 298.

For argument drawn from the candlestick and seven churches, see Delambre.

Libri , vol. iv., p. 211. De Morgan , Paradoxes , p. 26, for account of Father Clavius. It is interesting to know that Clavius, in his last years, acknowledged that "the whole system of the heavens is broken down, and must be mended."

Cantu , Histoire Universelle , vol. xv., p. 478.

For Caccini's attack, see Delambre , Hist. de l'Astron. , disc. prélim., p. xxii.; also, Libri , Hist. des Sciences Math. , vol. iv., p. 232; also, Martin , Galilée , pp. 43, 44.

For Bellarmin's view, see Quinet , Jesuits , vol. ii., p. 189. For other objectors and objections, see Libri , Histoire des Sciences Mathématiques en Italie , vol. iv., pp. 233, 234; also, Martin , Vie de Galilée .

See Trouessart, cited in Flammarion , Mondes Imaginaires et Réels , sixième édition, pp. 315, 316.

Initia Doctrinæ Physicæ , pp. 220, 221.

See Ticknor , Hist. of Span. Literature , vol. iii.

See Th. Martin , Galilée , pp. 34, 208, and 266.

See Martin , Galilée , pp. 34 and 208; also a curious note in the earlier English editions, Lyell , Principles of Geology , Introduction.

For curious exemplification of the way in which these weapons have been hurled, see lists of persons charged with "infidelity" and "atheism," in Le Dictionnaire des Athées , Paris, An. viii. Also, Lecky , History of Rationalism , vol. ii., p. 50. For case of Descartes, see Saisset , Descartes et ses précurseurs , pp. 103, 110.

See the original documents in Epinois , pp. 34-36. Martin's translation does not seem exactly correct.

See full official text in Epinois .

See proofs of this in Martin . The reader should be reminded that the archives exposed within the past few years have made the statements of early writers untrustworthy on very many of the nicer points.

See Inchofer's Tractatus Syllepticus , cited in Galileo's letter to Deodati, July 28, 1634.

It is not probable that torture in the ordinary sense was administered to Galileo, though it was threatened. See Th. Martin , Vie de Galilée , for a fair summing up of the case. For text of the abjuration, see Epinois ; also, Private Life of Galileo , Appendix.