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effective assistant and a supporter of galileo’s reasoning against
Sarsi’s argumentations: “and for Mr. Sarsi’s comprehension, Your
Excellency could, in case thou meet him, suggest him two given
straight lines aB, CD […] and tell him […] then, so that we may
understand, ask him to describe, […] since I confess I am not able
to do it.”25; “now I’ll go explaining some very little doubts that
come to me when I look to Mr. Sarsi’s procedure, doubts that Your
Distinguished Sir can eventually show him, in order that he [Sarsi],
by removing them could even more perfectly re-establish the order
of everything.”26; “I ask Your Excellence to show him [Sarsi] once
how it is possible, on a mid-summer day, to freeze wine by shak-
ing it strongly”27.
Moreover, galileo refines his rhetorical process by using the
first person plural in such a way as to establish a relationship of
complicity with the addressee (and, by extension, with the reader):
“Let us listen to him and then we will follow the theory we con-
sider as the most appropriate.”28; “Therefore, if we consider this
subject again, we will find it defective”29; “But Your Excellency,
let us listen to what finally Mr. Sarsi produces.”30
The systematic confutations of Libra astronomica are directly
addressed to Cesarini, but galileo very often interrupts this sort of
ideal connection with his privileged interlocutor and directs his sar-
casm straight at his opponent, Sarsi. The aim of this alternation and
double addressing is to gradually cut the opponent off from the
consideration of the reader: “Well, Mr. Sarsi, forgive me: […] I am
quite surprised when I see you bringing this aforementioned dis-
course with a doctrinal style, as if you have the intention of teach-
STEFanO rOSaTTI
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25 “E per intelligenza del Sarsi, V.S. Illustrissima potrá una volta, incontrandolo, proporgli due
tali linee rette aB, CD […] e dirgli […] lo prieghi poi, che per nostro ammaestramento egli
descriva […] perché io confesso di non lo saper fare.” Ibid, p. 59.
26 “Io […] andró promovendo alcuni dubbietti che mi nascono nel progresso del Sarsi, i quali
V.S. Illustrissima, se cosí le piacerá, potrá con qualche occasione mostrare a lui, acció, col
torgli via, possa tanto piú perfettamente stabilire il tutto.” Ibid, p. 94.
27 “Io prego V.S. Illustrissima a farli una volta veder di meza state ghiacciare il vino per via
d’una veloce agitazione”, ibid, p. 248.
28 “Sentiamolo, e poi prenderemo quel partito che ci parrá piú opportuno.” Ibid, p. 72.
29 “Per tanto, se noi torneremo a considerar meglio questo argomento, lo troveremo esser difet-
toso”, ibid, p. 95.
30 “Ma sentiamo, Illustrissimo Signore, quello che in ultimo il Sarsi produce.” Ibid, p. 177.
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