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CHAPTER II.
FAILING HEALTH AND LOSS OF SIGHT.
Galileo's Labours at Arcetri.—Completion of the "Dialoghi delle Nuove Scienze."—Sends it to the Elzevirs at Leyden.—Method of taking Longitudes at Sea.—Declined by Spain and offered to Holland.—Discovery of the Libration and Titubation of the Moon.—Visit from Milton.—Becomes Blind.—Letter to Diodati.—On a hint from Castelli petitions for his Liberty.—The Inquisitor to visit him and report to Rome.—Permitted to live at Florence under Restrictions.—The States-General appoint a Delegate to see him on the Longitude Question.—The Inquisitor sends word of it to Rome.—Galileo not to receive a Heretic.—Presents from the States-General refused from fear of Rome.—Letter to Diodati.—Galileo supposed to be near his End.—Request that Castelli might come to him.—Permitted under Restrictions.—The new "Dialoghi" appear at Leyden, 1638.—They founded Mechanical Physics.—Attract much Notice.—Improvement of Health.—In 1639 goes to Arcetri again, probably not voluntarily.
Galileo was unceasingly active in his seclusion at Arcetri. In the year 1636 he completed his famous "Dialoghi delle Nuove Scienze."[1] He also exerted himself, like a loving father who wishes to see his children provided for before he dies, about the preservation and republication of his works which were quite out of print. But all these efforts were frustrated by envy, ecclesiastical intolerance, and the unfavourable times. His cherished scheme of bringing out an edition of his collected works could neither be carried out by the French mathematician, Carcavy, who had warmly taken up the subject,[2] nor by the Elzevirs through the mediation of Micanzio.[3] He had also to give up his pro-
