Full of hope from these promising reports, on 3rd May Galileo arrived at Rome with the MS. of his "Dialogues." And events during his two months' stay seemed to realise his expectations. Soon after his arrival he had a long audience of Urban VIII, and wrote on 18th May in high spirits to Florence:—"His Holiness has begun to treat my affairs in a way that permits me to hope for a favourable result."[1] Riccardi also met Galileo, as was to be expected from Castelli's letters, in the most obliging way. Galileo showed him his work with the express request that he would examine it closely. The papal censor, however, could not but perceive, with all his personal regard for Galileo, that in his "Dialogues" he had by no means always kept, de facto, within the limits of hypothetical treatment of the Copernican system, and in some parts had far exceeded them. He decided, therefore, both as his official duty and in the interest of Galileo himself, to have the book altered to the hypothetical standpoint. Many corrections were to be made, and both preface and conclusion were to be altered so as to agree with them. Riccardi intrusted the first task to his official assistant, Father Rafael Visconti, who seemed well qualified for it in his capacity of professor of mathematics. He executed it with equal prudence and ingenuity, improved many passages, and finally approved the work thus revised.
The middle of June had meanwhile arrived, and Galileo was anxious to leave Rome on account of the heat. But Riccardi wished to look through the "Dialogues" once more after they had been revised by Visconti, before giving them his imprimatur. Galileo represented that this second revision was not customary, and succeeded in inducing Riccardi to grant permission for the printing for Rome.[2]
- ↑ Op. ix. p. 188.
- ↑ In the narration of this most important transaction we have followed the memorial which, later on, at the beginning of the trial of Galileo, was handed to the Pope by the preliminary commission. This is an authentic document, agreeing as far as it relates to these transactions with
