His fame flew over Europe like magic, and his discoveries were much
discussed--and there were many who refused to believe. Cosmo de Medici
induced him to migrate to Florence to carry on his observations. He
was received by Paul V., the Pope, at Rome, to whom he explained his
discoveries.

He thought that these discoveries proved the truth of the Copernican
theory of the Earth's motion; and he urged this view on friends and
foes alike. Although in frequent correspondence with Kepler, he never
alluded to the New Astronomy, and wrote to him extolling the virtue of
epicycles. He loved to argue, never shirked an encounter with any
number of disputants, and laughed as he broke down their arguments.

Through some strange course of events, not easy to follow, the
Copernican theory, whose birth was welcomed by the Church, had now
been taken up by certain anti-clerical agitators, and was opposed by
the cardinals as well as by the dignitaries of the Reformed
Church. Galileo--a good Catholic--got mixed up in these discussions,
although on excellent terms with the Pope and his entourage. At last
it came about that Galileo was summoned to appear at Rome, where he
was charged with holding and teaching heretical opinions about the
movement of the earth; and he then solemnly abjured these
opinions. There has been much exaggeration and misstatement about his
trial and punishment, and for a long time there was a great deal of
bitterness shown on both sides. But the general verdict of the present
day seems to be that, although Galileo himself was treated with
consideration, the hostility of the Church to the views of Copernicus
placed it in opposition also to the true Keplerian system, and this
led to unprofitable controversies. From the time of Galileo onwards,