ittle fear that there will be
a reaction against the man. First, because Bacon will always live to speak
for himself, for he will not cease to be read: secondly, because those who
seek the truth will find it in the best edition of his works, and will be
most ably led to know what Bacon was, in the very books which first showed
at large what he _was not_.

THE CONGREGATION OF THE INDEX, ON COPERNICUS.

In this year (1620) appeared the corrections under which the Congregation
of the Index--i.e., the Committee of Cardinals which superintended the
_Index_ of forbidden books--proposed to allow the work of Copernicus to be
read. I insert these conditions in full, because they are often alluded to,
and I know of no source of reference accessible to a twentieth part of
those who take interest in the question.

By a decree of the Congregation of the Index, dated March 5, 1616, the work
of Copernicus, and another of Didacus Astunica,[137] are suspended _donec
corrigantur_, as teaching:

"Falsam illam doctrinam Pythagoricam, divinae que Scripturae omnino
adversantem, de mobilitate Terrae et immobilitate Solis."[138]

But a work of the Carmelite Foscarini[139] is:

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"Omnino prohibendum atque damnandum," because "ostendere conatur praefatam
doctrinam ... consonam esse veritati et non adversari Sacrae
Scripturae."[140]

Works which teach the false doctrine of the earth's motion are to be
corrected; those which declare the doctrine conformable to Scripture are to
be utterly prohibited.

In a "Monitum ad Nicolai Copernici lectorem, ejusque emendatio, permissio,
et correctio," dated 1620 without the month or day, permission is given to
reprint the work of Copernicus with certain alterations; and, by
implication, to read existing copies after correction in writing. In the
preamble the author is called _nobilis astrologus_; not a compliment to his
birth, which was humble, but to his fame. The suspension was because:

"Sacrae Scripturae, ejusque verae et Catholicae interpretationi repugnantia
(quod in homine Christiano minime tolerandum) non _per hypothesin_
tractare, sed _ut verissima_ adstruere non dubitat!"[141]

And the corrections relate:

"Locis in quibus non _ex hypothesi_, sed _asserendo_ de situ et motu Terrae
disputat."[142]

That is, the earth's motion may be an hypothesis for elucidation of the
heavenly motions, but must not be asserted as a fact.

(In Pref. circa finem.) "_Copernicus._ Si fortasse