od of his engagement at Padua,
he was re-elected for other six years, with an increased salary of 320
florins. This liberal addition to his income is ascribed by Fabbroni to
the malice of one of his enemies, who informed the Senate that Galileo
was living in illicit intercourse with Marina Gamba. Without inquiring
into the truth of the accusation, the Senate is said to have replied,
that if "he had a family to support, he had the more need of an
increased salary." It is more likely that the liberality of the republic
had been called forth by the high reputation of their professor, and
that the terms of their reply were intended only to rebuke the malignity
of the informer. The mode of expression would seem to indicate that one
or more of Galileo's children had been born previous to his re-election
in 1598; but as this is scarcely consistent with other facts, we are
disposed to doubt the authenticity of Fabbroni's anecdote.

The new star which attracted the notice of astronomers in 1604, excited
the particular attention of Galileo. The observations which he made upon
it, and the speculations which they suggested, formed the subject of
three lectures, the beginning of the first of which only has reached
our times. From the absence of parallax, he proved that the common
hypothesis of its being a meteor was erroneous, and that, like the fixed
stars, it was situated far beyond the bounds of our own system. The
popularity of the subject attracted crowds to his lecture-room; and
Galileo had the boldness to reproach his hearers for taking so deep an
interest in a temporary phenomenon, while they overlooked the wonders of
creation which were daily presented to their view.

In the year 1606, Galileo was again appointed to the professorship at
Padua, with an augmented stipend of 520 florins. His popularity had now
risen so high, that his audience could not be accommodated in his
lecture-room; and even when he had assembled them in the school of
medicine, which contained 1000 persons, he was frequently obliged to
adjourn to the open air.

Among the variety of pursuits which occupied his attention, was the
examination of the properties of the loadstone. In 1607, he commenced
his experiments; but, with the exception of a method of arming
loadstones, which, according to the report of Sir Kenelm Digby, enabled
them to carry twice as much weight as before, he does not seem to have
made any additions to our knowledge of magnetism. He a