sion, the Pope not only imposed the strictest secrecy on Niccolini as to what he had been told, but desired that the Grand Duke also should be charged to keep the secret, adding that he "had acted with great consideration for Galileo, by having impressed upon him what he knew before, and by not referring his affairs, as he ought to have done, to the Holy Office, but to a specially-appointed congregation." Urban added the bitter remark that his behaviour towards Galileo had been far better than Galileo's towards him, for he had deceived him.
In the narration of the whole of this interesting conversation between the Pope and the Tuscan ambassador, we have given an almost literal translation of the Italian original of Niccolini's report of it to Cioli, of 5th September, 1632.[1] Urban's last angry expression caused Niccolini to remark in his despatch that he found "ill will here too; and as for the Pope, he could not be more against poor Galileo than he was." He then said that he had communicated Cioli's letter of 24th August to the Master of the Palace, and that Riccardi thought they would hardly condemn the "Dialogues" altogether, but only alter some passages which really were objectionable. He had also offered, as far as he could do so without incurring censure or transgressing rules, to inform the ambassador at once of what was going to be done, adding however, that he must be cautious, for he had already felt the lash in this matter. He then complained that they had not acted in accordance with his letter to the Inquisitor, that the introduction was printed in different type from the rest of the work, and that the conclusion did not agree with the introduction. Towards the end of the despatch, Niccolini says that "it will be better to act without any temper in this business, and rather to negotiate with the ministers and Cardinal Barberini than with the Pope himself, because he obstinately persists that it is a hopeless case, and if you dispute it, or threaten any-
- ↑ Op. ix. pp. 420–423.
