Since it was an uncertain time to conduct scientific research — in 1578 the Inquisition had closed Giambattista della Porta's "Academia Secretorum Naturae" in Naples under suspicion of sorcery — the "Accademia dei Lincei" had rough beginnings. Cesi's own father forbade Cesi's association with the other three men, suspecting them of undermining his authority and trying to separate his son from family interests. The four "Lynxes" soon returned to their native cities and continued to communicate only by letter, adopting astronomical pen names: Cesi, perpetual president, was "Celívago". Cesi traveled to Naples where he met della Porta, who he seemed to have been corresponding with for some time. There he described his academy to Della Porta, who encouraged Cesi to continue with his endeavors. The academy managed to survive due to Cesi's resources as a rich nobleman and his diplomatic skills in navigating the politics of Counter-Reformation Rome. Cesi managed to expand the ranks of the Academy, recruiting Giambattista della Porta himself in 1610 and Galileo Galilei in 1611. Cesi's letter to Galileo of 21/7/1612 mentioned Kepler's ellipses. Cesi's Academy published Galileo's "Istoria e dimostrazione intorno alle macchie solari" (Letters on Sunspots) in 1613, "The Assayer" in 1623, and also had a hand in defending Galileo in his controversies with establishment leaders and ecclesiastical authorities.