Brecht Collected Plays: 5: Life of Galileo; Mother Courage and Her Children (World Classics)

by Bertolt Brecht

  SAGREDO Galileo, I am helpless when you talk. (A church bell has been ringing for some time, calling people to mass. Enter Virginia, muffled up for mass, carrying a candle, protected from the wind by a globe)

  VIRGINIA Oh, father, you promised to go to bed tonight, and it’s five o’clock again.

  GALILEO Why are you up at this hour?

  VIRGINIA I’m going to mass with Mrs. Sarti. Ludovico is going too. How was the night, father?

  GALILEO Bright.

  VIRGINIA What did you find through the tube?

  GALILEO Only some little specks by the side of a star. I must draw attention to them somehow. I think I’ll name them after the Prince of Florence. Why not call them the Medicean planets? By the way, we may move to Florence. I’ve written to His Highness, asking if he can use me as Court Mathematician.

  VIRGINIA Oh, father, we’ll be at the court!

  SAGREDO (amazed) Galileo!

  GALILEO My dear Sagredo, I must have leisure. My only worry is that His Highness after all may not take me. I’m not accustomed to writing formal letters to great personages. Here, do you think this is the right sort of thing?

  SAGREDO (reads and quotes) “Whose sole desire is to reside in Your Highness’ presence – the rising sun of our great age.” Cosmo di Medici is a boy of nine.

  GALILEO The only way a man like me can land a good job is by crawling on his stomach. Your father, my dear, is going to take his share of the pleasures of life in exchange for all his hard work, and about time too. I have no patience, Sagredo, with a man who doesn’t use his brains to fill his belly. Run along to mass now. (Virginia goes)

  SAGREDO Galileo, do not go to Florence.

  GALILEO Why not?

  SAGREDO The monks are in power there.

  GALILEO Going to mass is a small price to pay for a full belly. And there are many famous scholars at the court of Florence.

  SAGREDO Court monkeys.

  GALILEO I shall enjoy taking them by the scruff of the neck and making them look through the telescope.

  SAGREDO Galileo, you are traveling the road to disaster. You are suspicious and skeptical in science, but in politics you are as naive as your daughter! How can people in power leave a man at large who tells the truth, even if it be the truth about the distant stars? Can you see the Pope scribbling a note in his diary: “10th of January, 1610, Heaven abolished?” A moment ago, when you were at the telescope, I saw you tied to the stake, and when you said you believed in proof, I smelt burning flesh!

  GALILEO I am going to Florence.

  (Before the next scene a curtain with the following legend on it is lowered)

  By setting the name of Medici in the sky, I am bestowing immortality upon the stars. I commend myself to you as your most faithful and devoted servant, whose sole desire is to reside in Your Highness’ presence, the rising sun of our great age.

  - GALILEO GALILEI

  Scene Four

  Galileo’s house at Florence. Well-appointed. Galileo is demonstrating his telescope to Prince Cosmo di Medici, a boy of nine, accompanied by his Lord Chamberlain, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court and an assortment of university Professors. With Galileo are Andrea and Federzoni, the new assistant (an old man). Mrs. Sarti stands by. Before the scene opens the voice of the Philosopher can be heard.

  VOICE OF THE PHILOSOPHER Quaedam miracula universi. Orbes mystice canorae, arcus crystallini, circulatio corporum coelestium. Cyclorum epicyclorumque intoxicatio, integritas tabulae chordarum et architectura elata globorum coelestrium.

  GALILEO Shall we speak in everyday language? My colleague Mr. Federzoni does not understand Latin.

  PHILOSOPHER Is it necessary that he should?

  GALILEO Yes.

  PHILOSOPHER Forgive me. I thought he was your mechanic.

  ANDREA Mr. Federzoni is a mechanic and a scholar.

  PHILOSOPHER Thank you, young man. If Mr. Federzoni insists …

  GALILEO I insist.

  PHILOSOPHER It will not be as clear, but it’s your house. Your Highness … (The Prince is ineffectually trying to establish contact with Andrea) I was about to recall to Mr. Galilei some of the wonders of the universe as they are set down for us in the Divine Classics. (The Ladies “ah”) Remind him of the “mystically musical spheres, the crystal arches, the circulation of the heavenly bodies – ”

  ELDERLY LADY Perfect poise!

  PHILOSOPHER “– the intoxication of the cycles and epicycles, the integrity of the tables of chords and the enraptured architecture of the celestial globes.”

  ELDERLY LADY What diction!

  PHILOSOPHER May I pose the question: Why should we go out of our way to look for things that can only strike a discord in this ineffable harmony?

  (The Ladies applaud)

  FEDERZONI Take a look through here – you’ll be interested.

  ANDREA Sit down here, please.

  (The Professors laugh)

  MATHEMATICIAN Mr. Galilei, nobody doubts that your brain child – or is it your adopted brain child?- is brilliantly contrived.

  GALILEO Your Highness, one can see the four stars as large as life, you know.

  (The Prince looks to the Elderly Lady for guidance)

  MATHEMATICIAN Ah. But has it occurred to you that an eyeglass through which one sees such phenomena might not be a too reliable eyeglass?

  GALILEO How is that?

  MATHEMATICIAN If one could be sure you would keep your temper, Mr. Galilei, I could suggest that what one sees in the eyeglass and what is in the heavens are two entirely different things.

  GALILEO (quietly) You are suggesting fraud?

  MATHEMATICIAN NO! HOW could I, in the presence of His Highness?

  ELDERLY LADY The gentlemen are just wondering if Your Highness’ stars are really, really there! (Pause)

  YOUNG LADY (trying to be helpful) Can one see the claws on the Great Bear?

  GALILEO And everything on Taurus the Bull.

  FEDERZONI Are you going to look through it or not?

  MATHEMATICIAN With the greatest of pleasure. (Pause. Nobody goes near the telescope. All of a sudden the boy Andrea turns and marches pale and erect past them through the whole length of the room. The Guests follow with their eyes)

  MRS. SARTI (as he passes her) What is the matter with you?

  ANDREA (shocked) They are wicked.

  PHILOSOPHER Your Highness, it is a delicate matter and I had no intention of bringing it up, but Mr. Galilei was about to demonstrate the impossible. His new stars would have broken the outer crystal sphere – which we know of on the authority of Aristotle. I am sorry.

  MATHEMATICIAN The last word.

  FEDERZONI He had no telescope.

  MATHEMATICIAN Quite.

  GALILEO (keeping bis temper) “Truth is the daughter of Time, not of Authority.” Gentlemen, the sum of our knowledge is pitiful. It has been my singular good fortune to find a new instrument which brings a small patch of the universe a little bit closer. It is at your disposal.

  PHILOSOPHER Where is all this leading?

  GALILEO Are we, as scholars, concerned with where the truth might lead us?

  PHILOSOPHER Mr. Galilei, the truth might lead us anywhere!

  GALILEO I can only beg you to look through my eyeglass.

  MATHEMATICIAN (wild) If I understand Mr. Galilei correctly, he is asking us to discard the teachings of two thousand years.

  GALILEO For two thousand years we have been looking at the sky and didn’t see the four moons of Jupiter, and there they were all the time. Why defend shaken teachings? You should be doing the shaking. (The Prince is sleepy) Your Highness! My work in the Great Arsenal of Venice brought me in daily contact with sailors, carpenters, and so on. These men are unread. They depend on the evidence of their senses. But they taught me many new ways of doing things. The question is whether these gentlemen here want to be found out as fools by men who might not have had the advantage of a classical education but who are not afraid to use their eyes. I tell you that our do
ckyards are stirring with that same high curiosity which was the true glory of Ancient Greece. (Pause)

  PHILOSOPHER I have no doubt Mr. Galilei’s theories will arouse the enthusiasm of the dockyards.

  CHAMBERLAIN Your Highness, I find to my amazement that this highly informative discussion has exceeded the time we had allowed for it. May I remind Your Highness that the State Ball begins in three-quarters of an hour?

  (The Court bows low)

  ELDERLY LADY We would really have liked to look through your eyeglass, Mr. Galilei, wouldn’t we, Your Highness?

  (The Prince bows politely and is led to the door. Galileo follows the Prince, Chamberlain and Ladies towards the exit. The Professors remain at the telescope)

  GALILEO (almost servile) All anybody has to do is look through the telescope, Your Highness.

  (Mrs. Sarti takes a plate with candies to the Prince as he is walking out)

  MRS. SARTI A piece of homemade candy, Your Highness?

  ELDERLY LADY Not now. Thank you. It is too soon before His Highness’ supper.

  PHILOSOPHER Wouldn’t I like to take that thing to pieces.

  MATHEMATICIAN Ingenious contraption. It must be quite difficult to keep clean. (He rubs the lens with his handkerchief and looks at the handkerchief)

  FEDERZONI We did not paint the Medicean stars on the lens.

  ELDERLY LADY (to the Prince, who has whispered something to her) No, no, no, there is nothing the matter with your stars!

  CHAMBERLAIN (across the stage to Galileo) His Highness will of course seek the opinion of the greatest living authority: Christopher Clavius, Chief Astonomer to the Papal College in Rome.

  Scene Five

  Things take indeed a wondrous turn

  When learned men do stoop to learn.

  Clavius, we are pleased to say,

  Upheld Galileo Galilei.

  A burst of laughter is heard and the curtains reveal a ball in the Collegium Romanum. High Churchmen, monks and Scholars standing about talking and laughing. Galileo by himself in a corner.

  FAT PRELATE (shaking with laughter) Hopeless! Hopeless? Hopeless! Will you tell me something people won’t believe?

  A SCHOLAR Yes, that you don’t love your stomach!

  FAT PRELATE They’d believe that. They only do not believe what’s good for them. They doubt the devil, but fill them up with some fiddle-de-dee about the earth rolling like a marble in the gutter and they swallow it hook, line, and sinker. Sancta simplicitas! (He laughs until the tears run down his cheeks. The others laugh with him. A group has formed whose members boisterously begin to pretend they are standing on a rolling globe)

  A MONK It’s rolling fast. I’m dizzy. May I hold on to you, Professor? (He sways dizzily and clings to one of the scholars for support)

  THE SCHOLAR Old Mother Earth’s been at the bottle again. Whoa!

  MONK Hey! Hey! We’re slipping off! Help!

  SECOND SCHOLAR Look! There’s Venus! Hold me lads. Whee!

  SECOND MONK Don’t, don’t hurl us off on to the moon. There are nasty sharp mountain peaks on the moon, brethren!

  VARIOUSLY Hold tight! Hold tight! Don’t look down! Hold tight! It’ll make you giddy!

  FAT PRELATE And we cannot have giddy people in Holy Rome. (They rock with laughter. An infuriated Monk comes out from a large door at the rear holding a Bible in his hand and pointing out a page with his finger)

  INFURIATED MONK What does the Bible say – “Sun, stand thou still on Gideon and thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon.” Can the sun come to a standstill if it doesn’t ever move? Does the Bible lie?

  FAT PRELATE HOW did Christopher Clavius, the greatest astronomer we have, get mixed up in an investigation of this kind?

  INFURIATED MONK He’s in there with his eye glued to that diabolical instrument.

  FAT PRELATE (to Galileo, who has been playing with his pebble and has dropped it) Mr. Galilei, something dropped down.

  GALILEO Monsignor, are you sure it didn’t drop up?

  INFURIATED MONK AS astronomers we are aware that there are phenomena which are beyond us, but man can’t expect to understand everything!

  (Enter a very old Cardinal leaning on a Monk for support. Others move aside)

  OLD CARDINAL Aren’t they out yet? Can’t they reach a decision on that paltry matter? Christopher Clavius ought to know his astronomy after all these years. I am informed that Mr. Galilei transfers mankind from the center of the universe to somewhere on the outskirts. Mr. Galilei is therefore an enemy of mankind and must be dealt with as such. Is it conceivable that God would trust this most precious fruit of His labor to a minor frolicking star? Would He have sent His Son to such a place? How can there be people with such twisted minds that they believe what they’re told by the slave of a multiplication table?

  FAT PRELATE (quietly to Cardinal) The gentleman is over there.

  OLD CARDINAL So you are the man. You know my eyes are not what they were, but I can see you bear a striking resemblance to the man we burned. What was his name?

  MONK Your Eminence must avoid excitement, the doctor said …

  OLD CARDINAL (disregarding him) So you have degraded the earth despite the fact that you live by her and receive everything from her. I won’t have it! I won’t have it! I won’t be a nobody on an inconsequential star briefly twirling hither and thither. I tread the earth, and the earth is firm beneath my feet, and there is no motion to the earth, and the earth is the center of all things, and I am the center of the earth, and the eye of the creator is upon me. About me revolve, affixed to their crystal shells, the lesser lights of the stars and the great light of the sun, created to give light upon me that God might see me – Man, God’s greatest effort, the center of creation. “In the image of God created He him.” Immortal… (His strength fails him and he catches for the Monk for support)

  MONK You mustn’t overtax your strength, Your Eminence. (At this moment the door at the rear opens and Christopher Clavius enters followed by his Astronomers. He strides hastily across the hall, looking neither to right nor left. As he goes by we hear him say –)

  CLAVIUS He is right.

  (Deadly silence. All turn to Galileo)

  OLD CARDINAL What is it? Have they reached a decision? (No one speaks)

  MONK It is time that Your Eminence went home.

  (The hall is emptying fast. One little Monk who had entered with Clavius speaks to Galileo)

  LITTLE MONK Mr. Galilei, I heard Father Clavius say: “Now it’s for the theologians to set the heavens right again.” You have won.

  (Before the next scene a curtain with the following legend on it is lowered)

  ….. As these new astronomical charts enable us to determine longitudes at sea and so make it possible to reach the new continents by the shortest routes, we would beseech Your Excellency to aid us in reaching Air. Galilei, mathematician to the Court of Florence, who is now in Rome…..

  – From a letter written by a member of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce and Navigation to the Papal Legation.

  Scene Six

  When Galileo was in Rome

  A Cardinal asked him to his home

  He wined and dined him as his guest

  And only made one small request.

  Cardinal Bellarmin’s house in Rome. Music is heard and the chatter of many guests. Two Secretaries are at the rear of the stage at a desk. Galileo, his daughter Virginia, now 21, and Ludovico Marsili, who has become her fiance, are just arriving. A few Guests, standing near the entrance with masks in their hands, nudge each other and are suddenly silent. Galileo looks at them. They applaud him politely and bow.

  VIRGINIA O father! I’m so happy. I won’t dance with anyone but you, Ludovico.

  GALILEO (to a Secretary) I was to wait here for His Eminence.

  FIRST SECRETARY His Eminence will be with you in a few minutes.

  VIRGINIA Do I look proper?

  LUDOVICO You are showing some lace.

  (Galileo puts his arms around their shoulders)<
br />
  GALILEO (quoting mischievously)

  Fret not, daughter, if perchance

  You attract a wanton glance.

  The eyes that catch a trembling lace

  Will guess the heartbeat’s quickened pace.

  Lovely woman still may be

  Careless with felicity.

  VIRGINIA (to Galileo) Feel my heart.

  GALILEO (to Ludovico) It’s thumping.

  VIRGINIA I hope I always say the right thing.

  LUDOVICO She’s afraid she’s going to let us down.

  VIRGINIA Oh, I want to look beautiful.

  GALILEO You’d better. If you don’t they’ll start saying all over again that the earth doesn’t turn.

  LUDOVICO (laughing) It doesn’t turn, sir.

  (Galileo laughs)

  GALILEO Go and enjoy yourselves. (He speaks to one of the Secretaries) A large fête?

  FIRST SECRETARY Two hundred and fifty guests, Mr. Galilei. We have represented here this evening most of the great families of Italy, the Orsinis, the Villanis, the Nuccolis, the Soldanieris, the Canes, the Lecchis, the Estensis, the Colombinis, the … (Virginia comes running back)

  VIRGINIA Oh father, I didn’t tell you: you’re famous.

  GALILEO Why?

  VIFGINIA The hairdresser in the Via Vittorio kept four other ladies waiting and took me first. (Exit)

  GALILEO (at the stairway, leaning over the well) Rome! (Enter Cardinal Bellarmin, wearing the mask of a lamb, and Cardinal Barberini, wearing the mask of a dove)

  SECRETARIES Their Eminences, Cardinals Bellarmin and Barberini.

  (The Cardinals lower their masks)

  GALILEO (to Bellarmin) Your Eminence.

  BELLARMIN Mr. Galilei, Cardinal Barberini.

  GALILEO Your Eminence

  BARBERINI So you are the father of that lovely child!

  BELLARMIN Who is inordinately proud of being her father’s daughter. (They laugh)

  BARBERINI (points his finger at Galileo) “The sun riseth and setteth and returneth to its place,” saith the Bible. What saith Galilei?

  GALILEO Appearances are notoriously deceptive, Your Eminence. Once when I was so high, I was standing on a ship that was pulling away from the shore and I shouted, “The shore is moving!” I know now that it was the ship which was moving.