“From the observation of these wonderful phenomena we are supplied with a determination most conclusive, and appealing to the evidence of our senses, of two very important problems, which up to this day were discussed by the greatest intellects with different conclusions. One is that the planets are bodies not self-luminous (if we may entertain the same views about Mercury as we do about Venus). The second is that we are absolutely compelled to say that Venus (and Mercury also) revolves round the sun, as do also all the rest of the planets. A truth believed indeed by the Pythagorean school, by Copernicus, and by Kepler, but never proved by the evidence of our senses, as it is now proved in the case of Venus and Mercury. Kepler therefore and the rest of the school of Copernicus have good reason for boasting that they have shown themselves good philosophers, and that their belief was not devoid of foundation; however much it has been their lot, and may even hereafter be their lot, to be regarded by the philosophers of our times, who philosophise on paper, with an universal agreement, as men of no intellect, and little better than absolute fools. “The words which I sent with their letters transposed, and which said, Haec immatura a me jam frustra leguntur, o.y. when reduced to their proper order, read thus, Cynthiae figuras aemulatur mater amorum: The mother of the Loves rivals the phases of Cynthia: that is, Venus imitates the phases of the Moon. “Three days ago I observed an eclipse of the moon, but not anything worthy of special notice occurred in it. Only the edge of the shadow appeared indistinct, blurred, and hazy; the cause of the phenomenon no doubt is that the shadow has its origin at the earth, at a great distance from the body of the moon. “I have some other particulars, but I am prevented by time from writing about them, etc.” So writes Galileo.