rmine, to renounce his heretical
opinions; and, having declared that he abandoned the doctrine of the
earth's motion, and would neither defend nor teach it, in his
conversation or in his writings, he was dismissed from the bar of the
inquisition.

[29] It is said that Galileo was cited to appear at Rome on this
occasion; and the opinion is not without foundation.

Having thus disposed of Galileo, the inquisition conceived the design of
condemning the whole system of Copernicus as heretical. Galileo, with
more hardihood than prudence, remained at Rome for the purpose of giving
his assistance in frustrating this plan; but there is reason to think
that he injured by his presence the very cause which he meant to
support. The inquisitors had determined to put down the new opinions;
and they now inserted among the prohibited books Galileo's letters to
Castelli and the Grand Duchess, Kepler's epitome of the Copernican
theory, and Copernicus's own work on the revolutions of the heavenly
bodies.

Notwithstanding these proceedings, Galileo had an audience of the Pope,
Paul V., in March 1616. He was received very graciously, and spent
nearly an hour with his Holiness. When they were about to part, the Pope
assured Galileo, that the congregation were not disposed to receive upon
light grounds any calumnies which might be propagated by his enemies,
and that, as long as he occupied the papal chair, he might consider
himself as safe.

These assurances were no doubt founded on the belief that Galileo would
adhere to his pledges; but so bold and inconsiderate was he in the
expression of his opinions, that even in Rome he was continually engaged
in controversial discussions. The following very interesting account of
these disputes is given by Querenghi, in a letter to the Cardinal
D'Este:--

"Your eminence would be delighted with Galileo if you heard him holding
forth, as he often does, in the midst of fifteen or twenty, all
violently attacking him, sometimes in one house, sometimes in another.
But he is armed after such fashion that he laughs all of them to scorn;
and even if the novelty of his opinions prevents entire persuasion, he
at least convicts of emptiness most of the arguments with which his
adversaries endeavour to overwhelm him. He was particularly admirable on
Monday last in the house of Signor Frederico Ghisilieri; and what
especially pleased me was, that before replying to the contrary
arguments, he amplif