CHAPTER VII.—PUBLICATION OF "IL SAGGIATORE".
Galileo's health was bad for some time after his return to Florence, and though he wrote and circulated long private letters he was unable to do much in the way of observation even of the bright comet of 1618. He must have made some observations, however, for he came to the conclusion that comets were atmospheric phenomena, but his views, published ostensibly by one of his pupils, gave offence to the Jesuit College at Rome, and called forth from Father Grassi, whose opinions were attacked in the pamphlet, a violent reply full of abuse of Galileo. He was urged to take up the cudgels himself, but waited for three years partly on account of ill-health, and partly from caution. The Papal Imprimatur was granted in 1623 after various impolitic passages had been altered by members of the Academy, to whom it was first submitted, and the essay published under the title of "II Saggiatore" (Assayer). Pope Paul V. had died shortly before this, and his successor Gregory XV. died while the work was being printed, so that a new Pope was at the Vatican when the book appeared, and this new Pope, Urban VIII., was none other than Cardinal M. Barberini, who had frequently shown sympathy with Galileo. To him the "Saggiatore" was consequently dedicated, and Galileo must have hoped confidently to meet with less opposition in the future. The success of the book was immediate and well justified the delay in publication, but it gave great offence to the Jesuits, whose champion found his arguments turned into ridicule with great dialectic skill
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