Sidney Rosen - Galileo and The Magic Numbers

GALILEO lay on his back, hands under his head, and stared up at the crack that zigzagged across the ceiling. There was just enough moonlight coming through the bedroom window to follow the dark line in the plaster. Outside, all about his house, the city of Pisa slept peacefully. Somewhere far away, Galileo could hear the faint clumping of horses feet on cobblestones. It was probably the night watch riding through the streets.

On the other side of the room, his younger brother, Michelangelo, turned restlessly in his bed and muttered, Goodgood doggie. He must be dreaming of the puppy Father promised him, Galileo thought. His sister, Virginia, was still a baby and slept in their parents bedroom.

The weather was coldit was the middle of Februaryand the boys bedroom was chilled. But Galileo was too excited thinking about the next day to notice that his blanket had fallen to one side.

Tomorrow, he said to himself, I will be nine years old. Nine years, thats a long time to have been alive. And tomorrow I begin my studies at the school of Master Borghini. I wonder what that will be like. Will he beat me if I do not know my lessons?

He remembered what his father had said about school the day before. Galileo had asked him, Why must I go away to school. Father? Why cant you teach me more here at home?

His father had shaken his head. There are certain things I can teach well, son, and certain things I cant teach at all. Remember, going to school is a privilegethe privilege of nobility. The sons of poor commoners have to go to work by the time they are your agetheres no school for them. But for you, the son of Vincenzio Galilei, musician at the Court of Florence, there will be schooling. Be glad you are one who can go to school!

And Galileo, who loved his father very much and would do anything to please him, clapped his hands and cried, I am glad, Father, I am!

Now Galileo began to practice his Latin declensions, conjugations, and grammar rules out loud, so that he would be ready for the next day.

Canto, I sing; cantos, you sing; cantat, he sings. Sum, I am; fui, I was. Qui, quae, quod, cuius, cuius, cuius, cui, cui

What is all this commotion in here! His mothers voice hissed sharply as the door was flung open.

I was just practicing my Latin for tomorrow. Mother.

Oh, all that nonsense about learning and education! Better your father got some sense into his head and apprenticed you to some rich merchant! But these Galileis with their notions about nobility and learning! Now, be quiet, or youll wake your brother, and then Ill have a job on my hands. You may be nine years old, young man, but youre not old enough so that I cant give you a good spanking! Now, go to sleep!

Yes, Mother. Why did Madam Giulia always have to be shouting at him, he wondered. Ill practice quietly, he decided. Ab, ante, con, in, inter, ob, post, prae... suddenly the words seemed far, far away. A moment later, Galileo was fast asleep.

In the morning, his father came into the room while he was dressing. Michelangelo was in the kitchen having breakfast.

Inspection! cried Vincenzio gaily. Turn around! Point onehose and breeches clean. Right! Point twohair trimmed and combed. Right! Point threejerkin clean and no wrinkles. Right! Point fourshoes brushed. No, not right!

He pointed to a large spot of dirt on Galileos right shoe.

Sorry, Father. Galileo hastened to wipe at the thick-soled leather shoe with a cloth.

Remember, you are Galileo Galilei, son of Vincenzio Galilei. We are a noble family. Remember that one of your ancestors was Tomaso Galilei, one of the Twelve Good Men of Florence. There are certain responsibilities that go with noble breeding: cleanliness, learning, good manners.

Galileo had heard this little speech many times in the last few years. But he loved his father very much. For Galileo, Vincenzio represented all that was beautiful and kind and noble in the world. He had taught Galileo the rudiments of Latin and Greek. And from him, Galileo had learned to do one of the things he loved bestto play the lute. After all, when a fellows father is a music teacherand good enough to have to make a special trip every week to teach at the Grand Dukes court in Florence!the least a fellow can do is learn to play music well.

This morning, his father had brought his lute with him into the bedroom. Well, just to cheer you up before you go to school, Ill teach you a new ballad.

Galileo took up his own lute from the corner and made ready to follow his fathers fingering on the strings. One of the middle strings was slightly out of tune. He twisted one of the tuning pegs until the string struck just the right note.

This is a noble ballad in the French tongue, said Vincenzio. I will sing it that way first, and then I will translate for you.

Lhomme, lhomme, lhomme arm,

Lhomme arm, lhomme arm doibt on doubter, doibt on doubter,

On a fait partout crier:

Que chascun se veigne armer

Dun haubregon de fer!

Thats a very fetching tune. It makes me feel like marching. What do the words mean?

This ballad is a humorous one, describing how the people feel about knights in armor.

Oh, the man, the man, the man at arms,

He fills us all with dread alarms;

Everywhere, the people wail:

Find, if you would breast the gale,

A good stout coat of mail!

Galileo and Vincenzio played the music over together, and then sang the whole ballad through once. Not a mistake. Vincenzio was very proud of his son.

Are you two lazy fellows going to spend the whole day in that bedroom? The breakfast is cold. It is almost eight oclock. That son of yours will be late for his precious lessons, Vincenzio!

Why does she have to scold so? Galileo felt annoyed with his mother. Her fit of bad temper was nothing new. As far back as he could remember, Galileo had heard his mothers voice raised in shrill argument. She screamed at Vincenzio about the lack of money in the house. She nagged at the children day and night about a thousand different little things.

Why couldnt I have a mother who is kind and pleasant like my father? thought Galileo. But then he suddenly remembered a night a few months before, when he had lain in his bed burning and tossing with fever. His mother had sat beside him all night, not sleeping, soothing and cooling him as best she could. His scolding mother could be a kind and loving angel at the right moments.

Galileo sighed. He and Vincenzio went sheepishly to eat their cold breakfast.

It was time to leave for Signor Borghinis house. Galileo excused himself from the table and went for his woolen coat, a hand-me-down that was almost threadbare. The coat was gone! Galileo ran back to the dining room.

Something wrong? asked his father.

My coatmy coatitsits

Michelangelo mocked him: Itsits

Vincenzio laughed. Oh, that old thing! I gave that to a beggar yesterday.

Then I cannot go to school?

Look in the corner there.

Galileo turned. Hanging on a hook on the wall was the most beautiful winter cape he had ever seen, made in the Spanish style. The collar was cut square and stood partly erect; its edge was trimmed with soft fur.