Il natural desiderio di sapere - Pontifical Academy of Sciences

ON THE NATURAL DESIRE FOR KNOWLEDGE 157does today that two principal chairs of mathematics remain vacant formonths and years owing to a dearth of subjects.Nor will the Academy only be able to give to the public and superiorsworthy professors of these noble disciplines, but also both to the latterand other good literati, when, either for weariness of age or for accomplishmentof great and difficult works or for particular contemplationand experiment, 135 it will be dear to them and opportune, to offer them aremote and quiet place so as to be able to rest or, their business completed,to return to public service, as will be convenient for them.Hence the Accademia dei Lincei will be a congregation, a seminary, aredoubt or true retreat 136 of professors, writers, and experimenters particularlyin philosophy and mathematics, not, however, without the ornamentof philology; while, well-united and grounded in the love of the colleaguesamong themselves and of each and everyone toward wisdom, tothat totally dedicated and addressed with sincerity of mind and goodorder of mutual aids and correspondence, provided with all that is necessaryboth for living and for their profession, released and exempted fromall other care, ambition, or interest, overcoming with the ardor of theirown affection, with the stimulus of glory, with the help of means andamenities, any and all interposed difficulties, not only with every effortand assiduity and without distraction or contest will it always seek theacquisition of these noble and abandoned sciences, but also to illustratethem with their own labors and parts to the public benefit. From whichfollows for the literati and the disciplines, esteem, splendor, comfort,favors, frequentation of the entire public, 137 easy, copious, and faithfuladministration of these, wide and useful diffusion by voice, writings anddeeds, in all places and occasions, of their fruits, today so little hoped forand known. And so, invigorated the part of man, facilitated that of the disciplines,may the number of the learned multiply ever more and withhuman perfection may the natural desire for knowledge be fulfilled. 138135 Again the significant pairing also cited above.136 These are the three fundamental meanings of the Academy, according to Cesi:congregation or the coming together of the learned (but not without religious connotations),which he emphasises particularly in the early part of the speech; seminary indicatingdidactic activity and research; redoubt or retreat recalling the more ‘residential’aspects which he has just mentioned.137 Assiduous presence of the public (but it is not clear what this means exactly).138 The final recapitulation closes with a restatement of the constant theme thatmarked the start of the speech, and of the Lyncean project itself.