redly knowes they never so much as dreamt of it. But I had rather believe their owne words, then his pretended knowledge.
'Tis true indeed, in many things they doe but trifle, but for the maine scope of those discourses, 'tis as manifest they seriously meant it, as any indifferent Reader may easily discerne; otherwise sure Campanella (a man as well acquainted with his opinion, and perhaps his person as Cæsar was) would never have writ an apologie for him. And besides 'tis very likely if it had beene but a jest, Galilæus would never have suffered so much for it as afterwards he did. But as for the knowledge which hee pretends, you may guesse what it was by his confidence (I say not presumption) in other assertions, and his boldnesse in them may well derogate from his credit in this.[1] For speaking of Ptolome’s Hypothesis he pronounces this verdict, Impossibile est ex-
- ↑ Cap. 7.
