necessary steps towards the fulfilment of his most reasonable request.[1]
On the same day on which this despatch went off, a mandate was issued from Rome, which not only confirmed the provisional prohibition of the "Dialogues," but requested Landini to send all the copies in stock to Rome. He replied that all the copies had been delivered to the purchasers.
Niccolini on receipt of the Grand Duke's order hastened to carry it out, but met with more bitter and obstinate opposition than either he or the Tuscan court had expected. On 4th September, when the ambassador was about to execute his mission at the Vatican, the Pope met him bluntly with the words: "Your Galileo has ventured to meddle with things that he ought not, and with the most important and dangerous subjects which can be stirred up in these days." Niccolini remarked that the philosopher had not published his work without the approval of the Church, to which the Pope angrily rejoined that Galileo and Ciampoli had deceived him, especially Ciampoli, who had dared to tell him that Galileo would be entirely guided by the papal commands, and that it was all right; he had not either seen or read the work, and this was all he had known about it. His Holiness then made bitter complaints against the Master of the Palace, adding, however, that he had been deceived himself, for he had been enticed by fair speeches to approve the book, and by more fair speeches to allow it to be printed at Florence, without at all complying with the form prescribed by the Inquisitor, and with the name of the Roman censor of the press, who had nothing whatever to do with works which did not appear at Rome. Niccolini then ventured to say, that he knew that a special congregation was appointed to try this affair, and as it might happen (as was the case) that there might be persons on it unfavourable to Galileo, he humbly petitioned that Galileo might have an opportunity of justifying himself. Urban answered curtly: "In these affairs of
- ↑ Op. vii. pp. 3, 4.
