Galileo Galilei and the Roman Curia: From Authentic SourcesGebler, Karl von
Religion
Galileo Galilei and the Roman Curia: From Authentic Sources
Gebler, Karl von
Astronomers -- Italy -- Biography; Catholic Church. Curia romana; Galilei, Galileo, 1564-1642; Religion and science -- History
Marini was therefore on the track of the documents, though he did not
get them. But only twenty-four days after he received this explanation
the famous hundred days occurred, and Louis XVIII. left his palace in
the darkness of night for Ghent. Napoleon had scarcely set out for St.
Helena, and the legitimate sovereign made his entry into Paris, than we
find the Papal Commissary again eagerly trying to get back the precious
MS.[624] But what must have been his dismay when he was informed by Count
Pradel, temporary successor of Count Blacas, on 6th November, 1815,
that the documents were no longer to be found in the King’s cabinet,
and that it was not known what had become of them.[625] Further efforts
were fruitless. All that he could get from the French Government was the
doubtful promise that the papers should be restored when found.
Two years later, in August, 1817, he again attacked Count Pradel on the
subject,[626] and was assured that they were not in the cabinet of the
royal palace; he might have a search made among the archives in the
Louvre, they might have been put aside there.[627] Marini suspected that
the papers had been purloined, and asked the minister of police, Count
Decazes, to help him in his search. He, however, referred him to the
Minister Of the Interior,[628] that is, to the place where he had begun
his inquiries three years before. Afterwards he applied to the president
of the ministry, the Duke of Richelieu, and to the influential M. de
Lainé, but with no more success than before.
In 1820 Venturi applied to Delambre, Secretary of the Academy of
Sciences, with the request to get for him, if possible, extracts from
and copies of the Acts of the trial, as he was urgently in want of them
for the second volume of his “Memorie e lettere inedite fuora o disperse
di Galileo Galilei.” Delambre eagerly took up the question. Some light
is thrown on the steps he took by the following note to Barbier of 27th
June, only published a few months ago:—
“Le secretaire perpétuel de l’Académie pour les Sciences
Mathématiques est venu pour avoir l’honneur de converser
avec M. Barbier, sur un article intéressant de biographie
astronomique, le procés de Galilée et les pièces originales
dont M. Barbier a été longtemps dêpositaire. Il desire
cette conversation pour lui-même et pour M. Venturi, etc.,
Delambre.”[629]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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