Galileo's Letter to the Vatican in Defense of His Astronomical Work, a Copy Created During the Banishment of his Work ("As for the other objection, namely that if such Planets are indeed real, they must on account of their smallness remain ineffective, I cannot see how this can be held against me. let them take issue with nature or God, not with me, for I have nought to do with it, claiming no more than to have shown them there in the sky, revolving by their own proper motion round the star of Jove.")

Galileo Galilei

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An anonymous copy, almost certainly written at a time when only manuscript copies were being circulated, late 17th century to early 18th centuryIn 1610, Galileo published his Sidereus Nuncius (Starry Messenger), describing the observations that he had made with his new, much stronger telescope, amongst them, the Galilean moons of Jupiter. With these observations and additional observations that followed, such as the phases of Venus, he promoted the heliocentric theory of Nicolaus Copernicus published in De revolutionibus orbium coelestium in 1543. Galileo's opinions were met with opposition within the Catholic Church, and in 1616 the Inquisition declared heliocentrism to be "formally heretical". Galileo went on to propose a theory of tides in 1616, and of comets in 1619; he argued that the tides were evidence for the motion of the Earth.In 1632, Galileo published his Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, which defended heliocentrism, and was immensely popular. Responding to mounting controversy over theology, astronomy and philosophy, the Roman Inquisition tried Galileo in 1633, found him "vehemently suspect of heresy", and sentenced him to house arrest where he remained until his death in 1642. At that point, heliocentric books were banned and Galileo was ordered to abstain from holding, teaching or defending heliocentric ideas after the trial.On the publication of Sidereus Nuncius the British Ambassador Sir Henry Wotton sent a letter to King James about the discovery of four ?new planets? revolving around Jupiter, enclosing a copy of the book. He added that the new little planets would affect Jupiter?s perceived astrological influence: ?For the virtue of the new planets must needs vary the Judicial part? A year later, a query on this matter was put to Galileo by his friend at the Vatican, Piero Dini: if the Stella Medici really existed, how could one ascertain their influence?Galileo?s affirmation that the new stars do really exist appears here as inseparable from his stating that they must also, like Jupiter, exert an influence. He also proposes what could be the first program for astrological research: from past case-histories, by scrutinizing the configuration of the little Jupiter-moons, one should in principle be able to ascertain how they work. He here disagreed with Kepler. In his letter to Galileo of 1610, the Imperial Mathematician had expressed the view that, because the new moons did not depart appreciably from the side of Jupiter, viewed from Earth, therefore they could not exert any ?influence? ? and they must exist purely for the benefit of the inhabitants of Jupiter.Manuscript, late 17th century, early 18th century, 18 cm x 25 cm, consisting of 10 unnumbered leaves, filled in on the front and back. There is an annotation by a different, later hand which refers to a printed edition of Galileo's works "see work of Galileo, Padua edition volume II page 430". The Padua edition was published in 1744, so after the creation of this manuscript.Selections from the text:"I, for a full two years hitherto, have with my instrument, rather with tens of my instruments, carried out hundreds of thousands of experiments with thousands and thousands of objects, both near and far, both large and small, both bright and dark, I fail to see how it could occur to anyone that I might quite simply carry on being deceived in my observations, and that, between the perspicacity of another?s genius and the stupidity of my own, could fall such wide discrepancy, that they, without ever having seen my instrument, have discovered this fault. Let me add that it is not only my instrument, or the others by me constructed, that make visible the four Jovial planets, but all others too, made in whatever place by whichever craftsmen, provided they are well worked and show other objects large and distinct."As for the other objection, namely that if such Planets are indeed real, they must on account of their smallness remain ineffective, I c.

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• Titre: Galileo's Letter to the Vatican in Defense of His Astronomical Work, a Copy Created During the Banishment of his Work ("As for the other objection, namely that if such Planets are indeed real, they must on account of their smallness remain ineffective, I cannot see how this can be held against me. let them take issue with nature or God, not with me, for I have nought to do with it, claiming no more than to have shown them there in the sky, revolving by their own proper motion round the star of ...