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the characteristics of the supreme orator perfectly match galilean lit-
erary style. Cicero, whose work galileo knew (the Latin author was
part of the normal cycle of studies of every educated person in
galileo’s time), states that the supreme orator is “in duty bound to
instruct; giving pleasure is a free gift to the audience, to arouse it is
indispensable.”56 One can say that, in galileo, the ‘high’ elements of
language (those which employ elegant metaphors) are particularly
related to the function of instructing and giving pleasure to the read-
er, while the elements of orality (which will be considered below) are
connected to the function of arousal. In fact, the use of a deeply
informal linguistic register constitutes the very galilean pars destru-
ens that once and for all reduces his opponents to immature, childish
individuals and is at the same time popular with the public. If ele-
ments of orality are well-known and evident in The Assayer, in the
style of Considerazioni al Tasso – a style obviously rougher and
undoubtedly less rich – we observe in nuce constituent parts of a
structure in which the oratorical technique clearly plays a funda-
mental role. as mentioned above, the supposed puerility of the oppo-
nents is the best strategy to discredit them. In Considerazioni al
Tasso, Tasso himself and his stanzas are caught in the trap of imma-
turity: “These are ways of wheedling that young people like very
much”57; “This is one of those jokes that children like”58. In The
Assayer, Sarsi is similarly derided: “Someone could infer a not very
fair consequence for Sarsi. Either he considers his own conclusion
ingenious […] but if he thinks it is a special and grave idea, I cannot
avoid judging him as a poor soul who needs to abide again by a
teacher’s authority.”59; “Childish thoughts and discourses indeed,
which one moment support and the other oppose the same ideas,
according to their puerile inconstancy.”60
STEFanO rOSaTTI
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56 “Docere debitum est, delectare honorarium, permovere necessarium.” Ibid, p. 356.
57 “Questi son di quei scambietti che piacciono assai a’ giovani”, ibid, p. 74.
58 “Questo è un di quelli scherzetti che piacciono a i fanciulli”, ibid, p. 77.
59 “alcuno potrebbe dedurre forse una conseguenza non molto insigne pel Sarsi. Imperocché o
egli stima questa sua conclusione e dimostrazione per cosa ingegnosa […] o vero per una
cosuccia da essere anco ritrovata da’ fanciulli […] ma se ei l’ha per cosa sottile e di momen-
to, io non saperei come non far giudicio ch’ei fusse povero affatto e bisognoso di ritornar
sotto la disciplina del maestro.” galileo galilei, Il Saggiatore, p. 172–173.
60 “pensieri e discorsi appunto fanciulleschi, che or vogliono ed or rifiutano le medesime cose,
secondo che la sua puerile incostanza loro detta.” Ibid, p. 201.
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