in regard to his own orthodoxy. His feeling of security did not last long, for in February, 1616, the Qualifiers of the Holy Office reported on two statements from Galileo's work on sun-spots. These embodied the Copernican doctrine that the sun is the fixed centre of the world; which they declared to be false and absurd philosophically, and formally heretical, the companion doctrine that the earth rotates and also revolves round the sun meeting with practically the same condemnation. Cardinal Bellarmine sent for Galileo in accordance with these findings and warned him of the error of these opinions. Galileo probably regarded the whole matter as a mere formality as far as he was concerned. At the same time the book of Copernicus himself and another setting forth the same theory were suspended "until correction," while a third work in which a Carmelite, Foscarini, argued that these doctrines were not contrary to the Bible, was prohibited altogether. It appears clear that Galileo was not asked to recant his opinions, and he actually obtained a certificate from Cardinal Bellarmine to this effect three months later, but something which happened at the citation in February had very far-reaching results. The plausible explanation is that the admonition of the Cardinal was noted in writing by a secretary, but that the Commissary of the Inquisition, who was present in virtue of his office, took upon himself to "dot the i's and cross the t's" by amplifying the Cardinal's admonition, and telling Galileo that he must not hold, teach, or defend the opinions in question; this officious comment was also entered in the minute, though Galileo, who was only concerned with the Cardinal's pronouncement, took no notice of it, and perhaps did not even hear it. His bow of acknowledgment to the Cardinal's statement seems to have been interpreted by the secretary as indicating acquiescence in the other
