r the express purpose of
congratulating his friend upon his elevation to the papal chair. This
request was made in October 1623; and though Galileo's health was not
such as to authorise him to undergo so much fatigue, yet he felt the
importance of the advice, and, after visiting Cesi at Acqua Sparta, he
arrived at Rome in the spring of 1624. The reception which he here
experienced far exceeded his most sanguine expectations. During the two
months which he spent in the capital he was permitted to have no fewer
than six long and gratifying audiences of the Pope. The kindness of his
Holiness was of the most marked description. He not only loaded Galileo
with presents,[32] and promised him a pension for his son Vincenzo, but
he wrote a letter to Ferdinand, who had just succeeded Cosmo as Grand
Duke of Tuscany, recommending Galileo to his particular patronage. "For
we find in him," says he, "not only literary distinction, but the love
of piety; and he is strong in those qualities by which Pontifical
good-will is easily obtained. And now, when he has been brought to this
city to congratulate us on our elevation, we have very lovingly embraced
him; nor can we suffer him to return to the country whither your
liberality recalls him, without an ample provision of Pontifical love.
And that you may know how dear he is to us, we have willed to give him
this honourable testimonial of virtue and piety. And we further
signify, that every benefit which you shall confer upon him, imitating
or even surpassing your father's liberality, will conduce to our
gratification."

[32] A fine painting in gold, and a silver medal, and "a good
quantity of agnus dei."

Not content with thus securing the friendship of the Pope, Galileo
endeavoured to bespeak the good-will of the Cardinals towards the
Copernican system. He had, accordingly, many interviews with several of
these dignitaries; and he was assured, by Cardinal Hohenzoller, that in
a representation which he had made to the Pope on the subject of
Copernicus, he stated to his Holiness, "that as all the heretics
considered that system as undoubted, it would be necessary to be very
circumspect in coming to any resolution on the subject." To this remark
his Holiness replied--"that the church had not condemned this system;
and that it should not be condemned as heretical, but only as rash;" and
he added, "that there was no fear of any person undertaking to prove
that it must necessarily