In the year 1663, Galileo, now seventy years old, being brought before the Inquisi tion, was forced solemnly to disavow his belief in the earth's motion ; and condemned to perpetual imprisonment, though the sentence was afterwards mitigated, and he was allowed to return to Florence. The Court of Rome was very careful to publish this second recantation all over Europe, thinking, no doubt, that it was administering a com plete antidote to the belief of the Copernican system. The sentence, indeed, appears to have pressed very heavily on Galileo's mind, and he never afterwards either talked or wrote on the subject of astronomy. Such was the triumph of his enemies, on whom am - ple vengeance would have long ago been executed, if the indignation and contempt of posterity could reach the mansions of the dead.
Conduct like this, in men professing to be the ministers of religion and the guar dians of truth, can give rise to none but the most painful reflections. That an aged phi losopher should be forced, laying his hand on the sacred Scriptures, to disavow opinions which he could not cease to hold without ceasing to think, was as much a profanation of religion, as a violation of truth and justice. Was it the act of hypocrites, who con sidered religion as a state engine, or of bigots, long trained in the art of believing with out evidence, or even in opposition to it ? These questions it were unnecessary to re solve ; but one conclusion cannot be denied, that the indiscreet defenders of religion have often proved its worst enemies.
At length, however, by the improvements, the discoveries, and the reasonings, first of Kepler, and then of Galileo, the evidence of the Copernican system was fully developed, and nothing was wanting to its complete establishment, but time sufficient to allow opinion to come gradually lived, and to give men an opportunity of studying the arguments placed before them. Of the adherents of the old system, many had been too long habi tuated to it to change their views ; but as they disappeared from the scene, they were re placed by young astronomers, not under the influence of the same prejudices, and eager to follow doctrines which seemed to offer so many new subjects of investigation. In the next • generation the systems of Ptolemy and Tycho had no followers. • It was not astronomy alone which was benefited by this revolution, and the discussions to which it bad given rise. A new light, as already remarked, was thrown on the phy