HAROLD 3R!Gi «AM
B.
LEE LIBRARY
YOUNG UNIVERSITY
PROVO. UTAH
I
ffi9^
'^l
THE MARTYRS OF SCIENCE; THE LIVES OF GALILEO, TYCHO BRAHE, AND KEPLER.
SIR DAVID
BREWSTER.
K.H., M.A., D.C L.,
F.R.S., V.P.R.S., EDIN., M.R.I.A
.
F.G
S.,
I"
R.A.S.,
ASSOCIATE OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, HONORARY OR CORRESrONDI.VG MEMBER OF THE ACM)EMIES OF PETE RSBU RG H VIENNA, BKRLIN, COPENHAGEN STOCKHOLM. BRUSSEL'-, GOTTINGEN, WODENA, AND OF THi- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF WASHINGTON, AND PRINCIPAL OF THE UNITED .
COLLEGES OF ST. SaLVATORAND LEONARD, ST. ANDRLW:^.
Stbrntb
ST.
6bitioit.
LONDOx\: JOHN CAMDEN HOTTEN, PICCADILLY. 1S70.
——
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
IX
IE
PAGE Kepler'F Peci:niary Erabarrfi'^srr.euts— His inquiries; respecting
Law
of Refrriction
— His Supilement
the
Vitellio— Hi^ Researches on
to
— His Treatise on Dioptrics — He invents the Astronomical Telescope — His Comuentaries on Mars— He discovers that the orbit an Ellipse, with the sun in one focus — And extends this of Mars Vision
is
— He establishes the two laws of — His family distresses—Death of his Wife— He Professor of Mathematics at Linz — His Method of
discovery to
all
the other Planets
first
Physical Astronomy
appointed Choosing a Second Wife Her Character, as given by Himself He goes to Pvatisbon to give his Origin of his Treatise on Gauging if
—
—
Opinion to the Diet on the change of Style matical Chair at Bologna,
.
CRAPTEIi
— He refuses the Mathe.
.
.
TIL
—
continued Embarrassments— Death of Mathia? Liberality Ferdinand— Kepler's "Harmonies of the World"— The Epitome the Copernican Astronomy It is prohibited by the Inquisition
Kepler's of of
.181
.
— Sir
—
Harry Wottc^n, the British Ambas-:ador. invites Kepler to England He declines the invitation Neglect of genius by the Engli-h Government Trial of Kepler's mother Her final acquittal And death at the age of seventy-eight The States of StjTia burn publicly Kepler's Kalendar He receives his arrears of salary from Ferdioand The Rudolphine Tables published in 1625 He receive.* a gold chain from the Grand Duke of Tuscany He is patronized by the Duke of Friedland He removes to Sagan, in Silesia Is appointed Professor of Mathematics at Rostoch Goes to Ratisbon His death, funeral, and epitaph Monument to receive his arrears erected to bis memory in 1503 His Family His Posthumou? "Volume, entitled, '' The Dream, or Lunar Astronomy/' }y5 . ,
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
CHAPTER of Kepler's published
twenty-two
byHansch
foiio
volumes
works
—
—
—
Cumber
—
—
IV.
— His
numerous Manuscript? in and afterwards and Correspondence at the
— Purchased by Hevelius,
— Who publishes Kepler's Life —
Expense of Charles vi. The History of the rest of his Manuscripts, which are deposited in the Library of the Academy of Sciences at St Petersburg General Character of Kepler Hi? Candour in acknowledging Els Errors His Moral and Religious Character His Astrological Writings and Opinions considered His Character as an Astronomer and a Philosopher The Splendour of his Discoveries Account of his Methods of Investigating' Truth. .208
—
—
—
—
—
—
.
LIFE OF GALILEO.
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LIFE OF GALILEO.
CHAPTER
I.
—
Life— His Birth— His early studies Hi« work on the Hydrostatic Balance Appointed Lecturer on Mathematics at Pisa— Uis antipathy to the Philo-
Peculiar interest attached to his passion for 3Iathematics
— His
—
— His contentions with the Aristotelians— Chosen ProPadua — Adopt? the Copernican system, but BtiU teaches the Ptolemaic doctrine — His alarming — He observes Bophy of Aristotle
fessor of"^Iatheraatics in
illness
the
new
The
star in
1604— His magnetical
history of the
life
experiments.
and labours of Galileo
is
pregnant with a peculiar interest to the general reader, as well as to the philosopher. diBcoveries, the
property
;
man
H^s
brilliant
of science regards as his peculiar
the means by which they were made,
and the development of
his intellectual character,
belong to the logician and to the philosopher
;
the triumphs and the reverses of his eventful
common
must be claimed
for our
of deep interest,
and serious meditation.
The lengthened to Gnlileo
was
but life
nature, as subjects
career which Providence assigned
filled
up
throu,£:hout its
merged outline
GALILEO.
2
ciiAi'. I.
But though
with events of even dramatic interest. it
was emblazoned with achievements
of transcendent
magnitude, yet his noLIest discoveries sion of his contemporaries,
were the
and were ev.n denouncj
as crimes which merited the vengeancj
Though he was
deri!
of Heavi^n.
the idol of his friends, and the
favoured companion
became the
of princes, yet he
victim of a cruel persecution, and spent some of his latest hours within the walls of a prison
the
Almighty granted him,
to descry
unknown worlds
as
it
and though
;
were, a
new
sight,
in the obscurity of space,
yet the eyes which were allowed to witness such
wonders, were themselves doomed to be closed in darknes>.
Such were the lights and shadows
in
which
historj^
delineates •'
But,
The starry Galileo with
however powerful be
his woe'."
their contrasts, they are
not unusual in their proportions.
The balance which
has been struck between his days of good and is
evil,
we
that which regulates the lot of man, whether
study
it
in the arbitrary
sway
of the autocrat, in the
peaceful inquiries of the philosopher, or in the bler toils of ordinary
hum-
life.
Galileo Galilei was born at Pisa, on the loth of
February 1564, and was the eldest of a family three sons and three daughters.
Under
the
name
oi
of
Bonajuti, his noble ancestors had filled high offices at
A
D.
3
GALILEO.
15G4.
Florence
;
they seem of Galileo.
but about the middle of the 14th century to
have abandoned
Yincenzo
Galilei,
himself a philosopher of no
though his talents seem
to
this
surname
mean attainments; and
have been exercised only
in the composition of treatises on the theory tice of music, yet
for that
our author's father, was
and prac-
he appears to have anticipated even
his son in a just estimate of the philosophy of the age,
and
in
a distinct perception of the true method of
investio:atino: truth.*
The most
early years of Galileo were, like those of al-
all
great experimental philosophers, spent in the
construction of instruments and pieces of machinery,
which were calculated his schoolfellows.
chiefly to
amuse himself and
This employment of his hands,
however, did not interfere with the improvement of his
mind
;
and though, from the straitened circum-
stances of his father, he
was educated under
consider-
able disadvantages, yet he acquired the elements of classical
literature,
learning of the times.
and was
initiated into
the
Music, drawing, and painting
were the occupations of his leisure hours
was
all
;
and such
his proficiency in these accomplishments, that
he was reckoned a skilful performer on several musical instruments, especially the lute, while his
know-
ledge of pictures was held in great esteem by some of the best artists of his day.
* Life of Galileo, Library of Useful Knowledfre.
p. 1.
;
GALILEO.
4
CHAP.
I.
Galileo seems to have been desirous of following tlie
profession of a painter
but Lis lather had ob-
:
served in him decided indications of early genius and,
though by no means able to
resolved to send
him
study of medicine.
afford
it,
he
to the university to pursue the
He was
accordingly enrolled as
a scholar in arts at the university of Fisa, on the 5th
Xovember 1581, and
of
i)ursued his medical studies
under the celebrated botanist Andrew C^esalpinus,
who
filled
the chair of medicine from 1567 to 1592.
In order to study the principles of music and drawing,
found
Galileo
it
knowledge of geometry.
acquire some
necessary to
His father seems
foreseen the consequences of following this suit,
have
to
new
pur-
and though he did not prohibit him from read-
ing Euclid under Ostilio Ricci, one of the professors at Pisa, yet
he watched his progress with the utmost
jealousy, and
had resolved that
with his medical studies. ever,
of the
charms
should not interfere
demonstrations, how-
Greek mathematician had too many
for the
attention
The
it
ardent
mind
of Galileo.
burst upon his understanding, and after less
His whole
was engrossed with the new truths which
many
fruit-
attempts to check his ardour and direct
his
thoughts to professional objects, his father was obliged to surrender his parental control,
and allow the
fullest
scope to the genius of his son.
From
the elementary works of geometry, Galileo
passed to the writings of Archimedes
;
and while he
GALILEO.
A.D. 15S1.
was studying the hydrostalical
treatise* of the Syra-
cusan philosoplier, he wrote his essay on the hydro-
which he describes the constrnc-
statical bahance,f in
tion of the instrument,
and the method by which
Archimedes detected the fraud committed by the jeweller in the composition of Hiero's crown.
work gained
for
who had
Ubaldi,
its
author the esteem of Guido
distinguished himself by his me-
chanical and mathematical acquirements, and
engaged
young
his
this subject,
The
which Galileo presented
treatise
to his patron,
proved the source of his future success in
Through
who
friend to investigate the subject
of the centre of gravity in solid bodies.
on
This
life.
the Cardinal del Monte, the brother-in-
law of Ubaldi, the
Duke
reigning
of
Tuscany
Ferdinand de Medici, was made acquainted with the merits of our
young philosopher, and,
was appointed lecturer on mathematics the salary, however, attached to this sixty crowns, he
was compelled
in 1589, he at Pisa.
office
As
was only
to enlarge this in-
adequate income by the additional occupation of private teaching,
and thus to encroach upon the
which he was anxious
leisure
With menced
this
moderate
to devote to science.
competency,
his philosophical career.
of eighteen,
when he had
At
Galileo
com-
the early age
entered the university, his
innate antipathy to the Aristotelian philosophy began *
De
t
Opere
Iiisideniibus in Fluido. di Galileo.
Milano, 1610,
vol. iv. pr;.
2JS-2o7.
GALILEO.
b
CHAP.
I.
This feeling was strenirthenecl by
to display itself.
his earliest inquiries
;
and upon his establisiiment
at
Pisa he seems to have regarded the doctrines of Aristotle as the intellectual prey which, in his chase
was destined
of glory, he
to pursue.
who
Xizzoli,
flourished near the beginning of the IGth century,
and Giordano Bruno, who was burned 1600, led the
way
reserved for
Galileo
through
own
its
track
;
but
it
in
was
Thracian boar
the
native thickets, and, at the risk of his
to strangk-
life,
With
to
Kome
at
in this daring pursuit
it
in its den.
tbe resolution of submitting every opinion
to the test of experiment, Galileo's first inquiries at
Pisa were directed to the mechanical doctrines of Aristotle.
Their incorrectness and absurdity soon
became apparent
and with a
;
perhaps border-
zeal,
ing on indiscretion, he denounced them to his pupils
with an ardour of manner and of expression proportioned to his
own
The
conviction of the truth.
tection of long-established errors
de-
apt to inspire the
is
young philosopher with an exultation which reason condemns. itself in
The
feeling of triumph
the language of asperity
erroneous opinions science.
is
;
is
apt to clothe
and the abettor
oi
enemy
to
treated as a species of
Like the soldier who fleshes his
first
spear
in battle, the philosopher is apt to leave the stain of
only from
cruelty on his early achievements.
It
age and experience, indeed, that
can expect the
discretion of valour,
whether
it is
w^e
is
called forth in con-
GALILEO.
A.l). 153*:.
troversy or in battle.
i
Galilto seems to have Y^-aged
this stern v/arfare against the followers of Aristotle
;
and such was the exasperation which was excited by
and successful attacks, that he was
his reiterated
during the
assailed,
rest of his life,
with a degree of
rancour which seldom originates in a mere difference of opinion.
Forgetting that
all
knowledge
is
pro-
and that the errors of one generation call
.q-ressive,
forth the
comments, and are replaced by the
dis-
coveries, of the next, Galileo did not anticipate that his
own
speculations and incompleted labours might
one day provoke discussion in
making allowance
of his opponents.
;
and he therefore
for the prejudices
He who
failed
and ignorance
enjoys the proud lot of
taking a position in advance of his age, need not
wonder that behind.
his less gifted contemporaries are left
Men
are not necessarily obstinate because
they cleave to deeply rooted and venerable errors,
nor are they absolutely dull
when they
are long in
understanding and slow in embracing newly discovered truths. It Avas one of the
axioms
in the Aristotelian doc-
trine of mechanics, that the heavier of
two
falling
bodies would reach the ground sooner than the otber,
and that their velocities w^ould be proportional to their weights.
which
this
Galileo attacked the arguments by
opinion was supported
;
and when he
found his reasoning ineffectual, he appealed to direct experiment.
He
maintained that
all
bodies would
;
GALILKO.
5 fall
CHAP.
through the same height in the same time,
I.
if
they were not unequally retarded by the resistance of the air
:
^Yith the
bodies
and though
lie
performed the experiment
most satisfactory
fall
from the leanmg
Aristotelians,
who with
by
results,
their
tOT\'er
own
letting
heavy
of Pisa, yet the
eyes saw the un-
equal weights strike the ground at the same instant, ascribed the effect to som
unknown
cause,
and pre-
ferred the decision of their master to that of nature herself.
Galileo could not brook this opposition to his disCv.veries; nor could the Aristotelians tolerate the re-
The two
bukes of their young instructor. were,
consequently,
when, fortunately placed
marshalled in
for both,
parties
array
hostile
an event occurred
them beyond the reach
V\'hich
Don
of danger.
Giovanni de Medici, a natural son of Cosmo, had proposed a method of clearing out the harbour of
Leghorn.
Galileo,
whose opinion was requested,
gave such an unfavourable report upon
that the
it,
disappointed inventor directed against him force of his malice.
It
was an easy task
trate the malignity of his
effectually
was
this
enemies
all
the
to concen-
at Pisa
;
and
so
accomplished, that Galileo re-
solved to accept another professorship, to which he
had been
The
previoii:^ly invited.
chair of mathematics in
Padua having been vacant
the
university of
for five years,
public of Venice had resolved to
fill it
the Re-
up; and, on
GALILEO.
A.D. 1592.
the recommendation of
appointed to
it,
9
Guido Ubaldi, Galileo was
in 1592, for a period of six years.
Previous to this event, Galileo had
who
died, in 1591, at
lost his father,
an advanced age.
As he was
the eldest son, the support of the family naturally de-
volved upon him
and this sacred obligation roust
;
have increased his anxiety
and therefore added Pisa.
to better his circumstances,
inducements
to his other
In September 1592, he removed
where he had a salary of only 180
florins,
to quit
Padua,
to
and where
he was again obliged to add to his income by the labours of tuition.
Notwithstanding
this
fruitless
occupation of his time, he appears to have found
composing several of
leisure for
his works,,
and com-
pleting various inventions, which will be afterwards described.
among
his
His manuscripts were circulated privately friends
and pupils
;
but some of them
strayed beyond this sacred limit, and found their into the
way
hands of persons who did not scruple to
claim and publish, as their own, the discoveries and inventions which they contained. It is not
Galileo
easy to ascertain the exact time
became a convert
to th3 doctrines of Coper-
nicus, or the particular circumstances
he was led
to
when
adopt them.
under which
It is stated
by Gerard
Voss, that a public lecture of Ma^stlin, the instructor of Kepler,
was the means of making Galileo
quainted w^ith the true system of the universe. assertion, however,
is
ac-
This
by no means probable; an!
it
GALILEO.
10 hcis
CHAP.
been ably sLown, by the
biographer
latest
I
u.^
Galileo,* that, in his dialogues on the Co[)ernican
own
system, our author gives the true account of his
This passage
conversion. shall give •^
is
we
so interesting, that
entire.
it
I cannot omit this opportunity of relating to
what happened
to
myself
at
when
the time
you this
opinion (the Copernican system) began to be discussed.
was then a very young man, and had
I
scarcely finished
my
which
course of philosophy,
other occupati^^ns obliged nie t) L.ave
olY,
when
there
arrived in this country, from Eustoch, a foreigner,
whose name, (
believe,
I
was Christian Vurstisius
He
delivered,
or three lectures in
a certain
Wurteisen), a follower of Ce^pernicus.
on
two
this subject,
academy, and
whom
to
a
numerous audience, several
were attracted more by the novelty of the
Being firmly per-
by any other cause.
subject than
suaded that this opinion was a piece of solemn T
of
was unwilling
to be present.
Upon
folly,
interrogating,
however, some of those who were there, I fuund that they
dl made
it
the exception of one,
a subject of merriment,
who
assured
not a thing wholly ridiculous.
As
me
that
it
with
was
I considered this
individual to be both prudent and circumspect, I
repented that I had not attended the lectures
whenever
I
met any
* Life of
;
and,
of the followers of Copernicus,
Galilee, in L^Âť>r:iry of Useful
Knowledge,
p. 9.
11
GALILEO.
A.P 1;Âť02. I beo:an to inn 'aire
same opinion.
if
tbev bad always been of tbe
found tbat there was not one
I
of
them who did not declare that he had long maintained the very opposite opinions, and
over to the force of
new
doctrines
till
I next examined
argument.
one, to see if they were masters of the
the opposite side; and such their answers, that I
was
had not gone
he was driven by the
them one by arguments on
was the readiness
On
braced this opinion from ignorance or vanity. the other hand, tetics
whenever
and the Ptolemeans
of
they had not em-
satisfied
I interrogated the Peripa-
— and,
out of curiosity, I
have interrogated not a few respecting their perusal of Copernicus'
few
who had
stood
work, I perceived that there were
seen the book, and not one
Nor have
it.
I omitted to inquire
followers of the Peripatetic doctrines, if
bad ever stood on the opposite side was, that there was not one.
;
who underamong the
any
them
of
and the
result
Considering, then, that
nobody followed the Copernican doctrine, who had not previously held the contrary opinion, and
was not well acquainted with the arguments and Ptolemy
totle
;
who
of Aris-
while, on the other hand, nobody
followed Ptolemy and Aristotle,
who had
before ad-
hered to Copernicus, and had gone over from him
camp
into the
things, I jects 4iDd
of Aristotle
began
;
— w^eighing,
to believe that, if
I say, these
any one who
re-
an opinion which he has imbibed with his milk,
which has been embraced by an
infinite
number,
GALILEO.
12
CHAP.
1.
up an opinion held only by a few, con-
shall take
deraned by
all
the schools, and really regarded as a
great paradox,
cannot be doubted that he mnst
it
have been induced, not
to
say driven, to embrace
by the most cogent arguments. have become very curious
On
this account
it
I
to penetrate to the very
bottom of the subject."^ on the testioiony of Galileo himself,
It appears,
that he taught the Ptolemaic system, in compliance
with the popular feeling, after he had ccmvinced himself of the truth of the
which bears
and which must have been written soon
his name,"]
after
Padua, and subsequently to 1592, the
to
In the
Copernican doctrines.
treatise on the sphere, indeed,
he vrent
stability oi
the earth, and the motion of the sun, are supported
by the very arguments which Galileo afterwards culed
;
ridi-
but we have no means of determining whether
or not he
universe.
had then adopted the true system
of the
Although he might have taught the
Ptolemaic system in his lectures after he had convinced himself of
its
falsehood, yet
it is
not likely
that he would go so far as to publish to the world, as true, the very doctrines wdiich he despised. letter to Kepler,
that be had^
dated in 1597, he distinctly states
many years
of Copernicus
;
In a
ago^ adopted the opinions
but tbat he had not yet dared
Âť Systema Cosmicum. Dial.
ii.
pp. 119, 120.
to
Lugd. Bat. 1699.
The authenticity of this work has been doubted. It was printed at Rome, in 1C59, from a MS. in the librarv of Soma-chi, at Venice. See t
Opere
di G-ili''.o, torn
vii. p.
4i7.
AD.
GALILEO.
I'>'.i7.
13
puuUsli Ids alignments in favour of theni^
and
his re-
These
facts
would
futation of the opposite opinions.
us
lead
between
somewhere
place Galileo's conversion
to
1593 and
1597,
many
although
years
cannot be said to have elapsed between these two dates.
At
this early period of Galileo's
life,
in the year
1593, he met with an accident which had nearly
proved
A
fatal.
party at Padua, of which he was
one, were enjoying, at an open window, a current of
which was
air,
artificially cooled
Galileo unfortunately
fell
and so powerful was
its effect
stitution, that
order,
asleep under
upon
its
of water.
influence
;
his robust con-
he contracted a severe chronic dis-
and appetite, which attacked him at
tervals during the rest of his
party suffered
own
more
still
life.
severely,
in-
Others of the
and perished by
rashness.
Galileo's
over
fall
accompanied with acute pains in his body, and
loss of sleep
their
by a
reputation was
Europe.
now widely extended
The Archduke Ferdinand,
wards Emperor of Germany,)
the
(after-
Landgrave
of
Hesse, and the Princes of Alsace and Mantua, hon-
oured his lectures with their presence
;
and Prince
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden also received instructions from
him
in
mathematics, during his sojourn
in Italy.
When his
Galileo had completed the
engagement
at
first
Padua, he was re-elected
period of for other
GALILEO.
14
with an increased salary of 320
years,
six
CHAP.
This liberal addition to his income
Fabbroni
to the
is
florins.
by
ascribed
malice of one of his enemies, -who
informed the Senate that Galileo
was living
in illicit
Without
intercourse with Marina Garaba.
inquir-
ing into the truth of the accusation, the Senate said
to
have
I.
replied, that if
''
is
he had a family to
support, he had the more need of an increased salary." It
is
more
likely that the liberality of the Eepublic
had been called forth by the high' reputation of their professor,
and that the terms of
their reply
were
in-
tended only to rebuke the maligniiy of the informer.
The mode
of expression would seem ^o indicate that
one or more of Galileo's children had been born previous to his re-election in lo98
;
scarcely consistent with other
we
facts,
but as this
is
are disposed
to doubt the authenticity of Fabbroni's anecdote.
The new nomers Galileo.
star
which attracted the notice of
astro-
in 1604, excited the particular attention of
The
observations which he
made upon
it,
and the speculations which they suggested, formal the subject of three lectures, the beginning of the first
of which only has reached our times.
the absence of parallax, he proved that the
hypothesis of
its
From common
being a meteor was erroneous, and
that, like the fixed stars,
the bounds of our
own
it
was situated
system.
The
far
beyono
popularity
the subject attracted crowds to his lecture-room
;
ol
and
Galileo had the boldness to reproach his hearers for
.
Galileo.
A.D. 1606.
taking so deep an interest
15
in
a temporary pheno-
menon, while they overlooked the wonders of creation
which were daily presented
view.
to their
In the year 1606, he was again appointed to the professorship at Padna, with an
520
of
florins.
augmented stipend
His popularity had now risen so
high that his audience could not be accommodated in his lecture-room
bled
them
;
and even when he had assem-
which contained
in the school of medicine,
1000 persons, he was frequently obliged to the
open
Among attention,
the variety of pursuits which occupied his
was the examination of the properties In 1607, he
the loadstone.
ments
;
but,
with
the
commenced
as
Kenelm Digby, enabled them
much weight
made any
He
of
his experi-
exception of a method of
arming loadstones, which, according of Sir
to adjourn
air.
to the report
to carry twice
as before, he does not
seem
to
have
additions to our knowledge of magnetism.
appears to have studied with care the admirable
work
of our countryman. Dr. Gilbert,
nete," which
nised
in
the
was publisLed
in
1600
;
'^
De Mag-
and he recog-
and reasonings of the
experiments
English philosopher, the principles of that melhod of investigating truth which he
had himself adopted
Gilbert died in 1603, in the 63d year of his age,
and probably never read the
was paid
to
him by the
fine
compliment which
Italian philosopher
—
extremely praise, admire, and envy this author."
**
I
GALILEO.
16
CHAPTEE
CHAP.
II.
II.
—
Cosmo, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Invite? Galileo to Pisa Galileo visit? Venice in 1C09, ^here be first tiears of the Telescope He invents and Dis^nvers mountains in constructs one, which excites a great sensation the Moon, and Forty Star- in the PleiaQ^> Discovers Jut»iter'& Satellites Effect of this discovery on Kej^ler Manner in -which these in 1610 Galileo appoiuttd Mathematician to Cosmo discoveries \Nere received
—
—
—
—
— Mayer claims serres
them
in
—
—
the discovery of the Satellites of Jupiter
England
in
— Harriot ob-
October 1610.
In the preceding chapter
we have brought down
the history of Galileo's labours to that auspicious
year in which he
Xo
heavens.
first
directed the telescope to the
sooner was
that noble
instrument
placed in his hands, than Providence released hirn
from his professional
toils,
and supplied him with
the fullest leisure and the amplest
suing
and
completing
the
means
discoveries
for pur-
which
it
enabled him to make.
Although he had quitted the service and the domains
of his muniiic-'nt patron, the
Grand Duke
of Tuscany, yet he maintained his connexion with
the family, by visiting Florence during his academic vacations, and giving mathematical instruction to
the younger branches of that distinguished house.
Cosmo, who had been one of his
pupils,
now
sue-
4.L).
GALILEO.
1G09.
ceeded bis father Ferdinand early
imbued with the love
become hereditary
17
and Laving his mind
;
of knowledge, which
his family, he
in
that the
ft-lt
residence of Galileo within his dominions, and
more
upon
to their
common
name.
bis
Cosmo made
In
still
would do
his introduction into his household,
honour
bad
country, and reflect a lustre
the year
1G09,
accordingly,
proposals to Galileo to return to his
original situation
at
gratefully received
;
These overtures were
Pisa.
and
in the
arrangements which
Galileo on this occasion suggested, as well as in the
manner
in
which they were urged, we obtain some
insight into his temper
and character.
whom
the correspondent, through
lie informs
Cosmo's
offer
was
conveyed, that his salary of 520 florins at Padua
would be increased election,
to as
many crowns
and that he could enlarge
his
at
his re-
income
to
any extent he pleased, by giving private lectures and receiving
pupils.
His public
duties,
he stated,
occupied him only sixty half-hours in the year his
studies
suffered
such
interruptions
;
but
from
his
domestic pupils and private lectures, that his most ardent wish was to be relieved from them, in order that he might have sufficient rest and leisure, before
the close of his
life,
to finish
and publish those great
works which he had projected. fore, of his
be the
him
In the event, there-
returning to Pisa, he hoped that
first
leisure
object of his to
it
would
Serene Highness to give
complete his
works without
the
—
GALILEO.
IS
He
drudgery of lecturing.
CHAP.
12.
expresses Lis anxiety to
gain bis bread by his writings, and he promises to
He
enumerates,
two on the system
of the uni-
dedicate them to his serene master.
among
these books,
on
verse, three
motion, three books of me-
local
two on the demonstration
chanics,
one of problems
of principles^
;
and and
besides treatises on sound
speech, on light and colours, on the tides, on the
composition of continuous quantity, on the motions of animals,
and on the military
On
art.
the sub-
ject of his salary, he makes the following curious
observations
:
''I say nothing,
salary it,
says he,
of
feel
the
want
less
and
than
many
my
others
;
Finally, on the
subject.
service, I should wish that,
number
;
it
title,
I
may
it,
lo;
shall please then.
opportunity of discussing such objects
in their presence with those w^ho are in this
months
and how I have profited by
1 c-ui or ought to deserve this
me an
have studied
of years in philosophy, than
their Highnesses see, as often as to give
1
mathematician, his Highness would
pure mathematics if
upon
and, therefore,
that of philosu[)her, as I profess to
a greater
and
to live
my
Highness would not deprive
more on the
profession of
to the title of
add
am
of
any of those comforts, of which, however,
I say nothing title
"on the amount
being convinced that, as I
;
the graciousness of his
me
in
''
most esteemed
knowledge."
During the progress of
this negotiation,
Galile..
GALILEu.
A.D. IGO'J.
went
on a
to Venice,
May
of April or
mon rumour,
visit to
that
a
a friend, in the
Here he
1G09.
19
month
learned, from
com-
Dutchman had presented
to
Prince Maurice of Nassau an optical instrument,
which possessed the singular property of causing distant objects to appear nearer the observer.
Dutchman was Hans
or
This
John Lippershey, who,
as
has been clearly proved by the late Professor Mull of Utrecht,*
by himself
was
in the possession of a telescope
so early as
2d October 1608.
made
A few days
afterwards, this report was confirmed in a letter from
James Badorere
at Paris to Galileo,
who immediately
applied himself to the consideration of the subject.
On
the
first
night after his return to Padua, he
found, in the doctrines of refraction, the principle
which he sought. glasses, both of
which were plain on one
one of them had its
Having procured two
its
spectacle
side,
while
other side convex, and the other
second side concave, he placed one at each end
of a leaden tube
concave
glass,
near him.
;
and having applied
his eye to the
he saw objects pretty large and pretty
This
little
instrument, which magnified
only three times, he carried in triumph to Venice
where
it
excited the most intense interest.
Crowds
of the i^rincipal citizens flocked to his house to see
the magical toy
;
and
after nearly a
month had been
spent in gratifying this epidemical curiosity, Galileo *
On
p. 496.
the First Invention of Telescopes.— Juum.
Ji.
Itutit., 1831, toI.
l
GALILEO.
20
was
cnAr.
JI.
Leonardo Deodati, the
led to understand from
Do,2"e of
Venice, that the Senate would be highly
gratified
by obtaining possession of
Galileo instantly complied with the
an instruroent.
wishes of his patrons,
who acknowledged
by a mandate conferring upon him fessorship at to
1000
so extraordinary
Padua, and
the present
for life his pro-
520
raising his salary from
florins."
Although we cannot doubt the veracity of Galileo,
when he Dutch
affirms that he
telescopes, yet
carius, that
had never seen any of the
one of these instruments had at
been brought to Florence that a
Frenchman,
Dutch
inventor,
;
time
this
and Sirturus assures
us,
calling himself a partner of the
came
to 3Iilnn in
fered a telescope to the letter
expressly stated by Fuc-
it is
May
1609, and
Count de Fuentes.
from Lorenzo Pignoria
to
of-
In a
Paolo Gualdo, dated
from Padua, on the 31st of August 1609,
it is
ex-
pressly said, that, at the re-election of the professors,
Galileo had contrived to obtain 1000 florins for
life,
which was alleged to be on account of an eye-glass like the
one which was sent from Flanders to the
Cardinal Borghese. In a memoir so brief and general as the present, it
to discuss the history of this
would be ont of place
extraordinary invention. asserting that a
method
We
have no hesitation
in
of magniiying distant objects
* Viviani Vita dd' Galileo, p. 69.
GALILEO.
A.D. 1609.
was known
21
Baptista Porta and others
to
but
;
seems to be equally certain that an instrument producing these land,
and that
effects
v;as
it
was
it
for
constructed in Hol-
first
from that kingdom that Galileo
derived the knowledge of
its
In consider-
existence.
ing the contending claims, which have been urged
with it
all
the ardour and partiality of national feeling,
has been generally overlooked, tltata single convex
lens,
whose
focal length exceeds the distance at T\hicli
we examine minute telescope,
when an
tinctly the inverted
twenty
objects, performs the part of a
eye, placed behind
image which
it
;
and
by placing
his eye
lens,
manner mag-
was by the same
it
that Sir William Herschel discovered a of Saturn,
A
forms.
feet in focal length, will in this
nify thirty times
sees dis-
it,
principle
new
satellite
behind the focus of the
The instrument
mirror of his forty-feet telescope.
presented to Prince Maurice, and which the Marquis
Spinola found in the shop of John Lippershey, the
spectacle-maker of Middleburg, must have been an astronomical lenses.
telescope
Upon
consisting
this supposition,
which Galileo constructed
;
of two
convex
difiered fi'om that
it
and the Italian philo-
sopher will be justly entitled to the credit of having
invented that form of the telescope which his
name, while we must accord
to the
still
bears
Dutch
o})ti-
cian the honour of having previously invented the
astronomical telescope.
The
interest
which the exhibition of the telescupe
22
GALILKO.
CHAP.
excited at Venice did not soon describes
amonnting
as
it
self had succeeded
might use
it
St.
was the eagerness
*
he him-
of these instru-
Mark, where he
He was
without molestation.
however, by a crowd
Sirtnri
:
When
to frerizy.
making one
in
ments, he ascended the tower of
nised,
subside
Tl.
in the street
recog-
and such
;
of their curiosity, tliat they took
possession of the wondrous tube, and detained the
impatient philoso}iher for several hours, successively witnessed
its
efiocts.
till
they had
Desirous of ob-
taining the same gratification fo^ their friends, they
endeavoured he lodged inquiries,
;
to learn
name
the
and quitted Venice early next morning,
order to avoid a second visitation of this
The
of philosophers.
opticians
themselves of the wonderful tube
—
or the
the trunk, as
not yet sriven
manufactured inferior
which
of the inn at
but Sirturi fortunately oveiheard their
new
speedily
invention,
in
school availed
Galileo's
double eye-glass, or the cylinder, or it
was then
it
in
manner.
called, for
Demisiano had
the appellation of telescope great
and
quantities,
— was
in a
very
The instruments were purchased
merely as philosophical
toys,
and were carried by
travellers into every corner of Europe.
The
art of
grinding and polishing lenses was at
and those
whom
he instructed, were alone capable of making
toler-
this time very imperfect.
able instruments.
It *
Galileo,
appears, from De
Telescopio.
the testimony
A
I^.
Gassendi and
of
23
GALILEO.
1609.
1634, a good
that in
Gc'ertner,
telescope could not be procured in Paris, Venice, or
Amsterdam
;
and
that,
even in 1637, there was not
one in Holland which could show Jupiter's disc well defined.
After Galileo had completed his
instrument,
first
which magnified only three times, he executed a larger and a better one, with a power of about *'
At length,"
remarks,
as he himself
'*
eiglit.
sparing
neither labour nor expense," he constructed a tele-
scope so excellent, that
it
bore a magnifying power
of more than thirty times.
The
first celestial
lis telescope
object to
words, appeared as near as
only two
seraidiameters
directed
to the planets
it
if it
of the
to use his
'^
observations which he
earth.
its
to
trace, in
stars,
made upon
then
which
;
the
The
surface to that of our
naturally fixed his attention
He
incredible delight,"*
possessed a high degree of interest.
resemblance of
own
had been distant
and the fixed
he frequently observed with
The
which Galileo applied
was the moon, which,
moon
general
own
globe
and he was soon able
almost every part of the lunar
disc,
ranges of mountains, deep hollows, and other inequalities,
which reverberated from their summits
and margins the rays of the rising sun, while the intervening hollows were
The dark and luminous
still
buried in darkness.
spaces he regarded as in-
* IncredibiU animi jucunditate.
— 24
GALILEO.
CHAP.
and continents, which
dicating
seas
diflerent
degrees,
reflected,
sun
of the
the light
ascribed the phosphorescence, as
it
moon
has been improseen
is
and
in her first
last
sun's light from
the reflection of the
quarters, to
in
and he
;
perly called, or the secondary light, which
on the dark limb of the
II.
the earth.
These discoveries were lovv'ers
solutely
moon was
smooth
and scoop
it
and
;
fol-
According to their preconceived
of Aristotle.
opinions, the
by the
received
ill
perfectly spherical, and ab-
cover
to
it
witli
mountains,
out into valleys, was an act of impiety
which defaced the regular forms which Nature herself
had imprinted.
was
It
in vain
Galileo
that
appealed to the evidence of observation, and to the actual surface of our larities
own
The very
globe.
irregu-
on the moon were, in his opinion, a proof
of Divine
wisdom
lutely smooth,
it
;
and had
its
surface been abso-
would have been
'•
but a vast un-
blessed desert, void of animals, of plants, of
and
men
— the
abode
of
senseless, lifeless, soulless,
and inaoiion
silence
and stripped of
ornaments which now render
it
cities,
all
so varied
those
and
so
beautiful.'^
In examining the fixed with the
planets,
difference
in
the
stars,
and comparing them
Galileo observed a remarkable
appearance of their
discs.
The
principal planets appeared with round globular discs like the
moon
;
whereas the fixed
stars
never ex-
GALILEO.
A.D. 16U9.
hibited any disc at
all,
25
but resembled lucid points Stars of all magni-
sending forth twinkling rays.
tudes Le found to have the same appearance
when
character,
Upon
when
seen by the naked
directing his telescope to nebulae and
clusters of stars, he
consisted of great
was delighted
numbers of
to find that they
stars
be recognised by unassisted vision. fewer than
fortij in
or Seven Stars
which could not
He
the cluster called the Pleiades.,
and of
tlie
minute
stars
portion of the still
Way, he
heavens derived
its
In
the
descried crowds
and he concluded that
;
and sword
nebula of Pra^sepe.
great nebula of the Milky of
counted no
and he has given us drawings of
;
this constellation, as well as of the belt
of Orion,
those
seen through a telescope, as Sirius,
the largest of the stars, eye.
;
and sixth magnitude having the same
of the fifth
this singular
whiteness from
smaller stars, which his telescope was unable
to separate.
Important and interesting as these discoveries were, they were thrown into the shade by those to
which he was led during a careful examination of the planets with
a more powerful telescope.
the 7th of January IGIO, at one
o'clock in
On the
morning, whei] he directed his telescope to Jupiter, he observed three stars near the body of the planet,
two being
They were ecliptic,
to the east all in
and one
to the
west of him.
a straight Ihie, and parallel to the
and they appeared brighter than other
stars
GALILEO.
26
stars,
11.
Believing them to be tixeJ
same magnitude.
of the
CHAP.
he paid no great attention to their distances
On
from Jupiter and from one another.
the 8th of
January, however, when, from some cause or other,^ he had been led to observe the stars again, he found a very
difi'^-rent
arrangement of them
all
:
the three
were on the west side of Jupiter, nearer one another Thougii
than b^fore^ and almost at equal distances.
be had not turned his attention to the extraordinary fact
mutual approach of the
(f the
begr<n to consider
how
east of the tliree stars,
had been
stars,
when but
the
day before he
the west of two of th?m.
to
yet he
Jupiter could be found to the
The
only
explanation which he could give of this fact was, that the motion of Jupiter
was
direct^
contrary to
astronomical calculations, and that he had got before these
two
stars
by
his
own
motion.
In this dilemma between the testimony of his senses and the results of calculation, he waited for the following night with the utmost anxiety; but bis hopes
were disappointed,
wdiolly veiled in clouds.
the stars planet.
On
for the
the 10th, two only of
appeared, and both on
As
it
heavens were
the east of the
was obviously impossible that Jupiter
could have advanced from west to east on the 8th of January,
and from
east
to
west on the 10th,
Galileo was forced to conclude that the
phenomenon
which he had observed arose from the motion of the * Xescio quo fato ductu?;.
GALILEO.
A.D. 1009.
and he
stars,
set
On
place.
two
and both
stars,
i
himself to observe diligently their
change of
more eastern
2
star
the 11th, there were
to the east of Jupiter
was now
still ;
only
but the
twice as large as the
other one^ though on the preceding night they had
This
been perfectly equal.
upon Galileo's
difficulties,
fact
threw a new light
and he immediately drew
the conclusion, which he considered to be indubi^^
table,
there were in the heaven
that
which revolved round Jupiter^ in
the
Venus and Mercury revolves round
three stars
same manner as
and of different magnitudes
tions,
he discovered a fourth
star,
;
On
the sunJ'^
12th of January, he again observed them in
new
the
posi-
and, on the 13th,
which completed ihefour
secondary planets with which Jupiter
is
surrounded.
Galileo continued his observations on these bodies
every clear night,
the 2 2d of March, and studied
till
their motions in reference to fixed stars that
at the
same time within the
Having thus stars
were
clearly established that the four
satellites or
Jupiter in the same
were
field of his telescope.
new
moons, which revolved round
manner
as the
moon
revolves
round our own globe, he drew up an account of
which he gave
discover}^, in
the
names
patron,
of the
or the
in
^'
title
of
Sidereal Messenger,'^
same prince
;
*'
bodies
honour of
Cosmo de Medici, Grand Duke
This work, under the
new
to the four
Medicean Stars,
his
his
of Tuscany.
Nuncius
Sidereus,''
was dedicated
to the
and the dedication bears the date of
2S
GALILEO.
the 24 til of March, only
cilAr.
two days
after
be
II.
concluijt".'
his observations.
The importance stantly felt
of this great discovery
by the enemies, as well
The
of the Copernican system.
as
was
by the
in-
friends,
planets had hitherto
been distinguisht-d from the fix^d stars only by their relative
change of
them
be bodies so near
to
but the telescope proved
j'lace.
to
own globe
our
as to
exhibit well-defined discs, while the fixed stars retained,
even
magnified,
wlieri
the minuteness
The system
remote and lucid puints.
of
of Jupiter,
illuminated by four moons performing their revolutions in diflerent
and regular periods, exhibited to
the proud reason of n:ian the comparative insignifi-
cance of the globe he
inliabits,
anl proclaimed
impressive language that that globe was
in
not the
centre of the universe.
The
reception which these discoveries met with
from Kepler
is
highly interesting, and characteristic
and thinking
He was
man.
of the genius of that great sitting idle,
of Galileo,
when
one day
his friend
"Wachenfels stopped his carriage at his door, to com-
mtmicate
to
him the
wonder," says he,
seemed
^*
intelligence.
seized
me
to be so very absurd,
at
*'
Such a
a report
fit
of
which
and I was thrown into
such agitation at seeing an old di-pute between us dtrcided in this way, tliat ing, wci'e
between
his joy,
my
colour-
and the laugliter of both, confounded as we
by such a novelty,
wl-
were hai'dly capable,
A.
J).
GALILEO.
ICmO.
be of speaking, or I immediately
any addition overturning to
began
*
bow
to tbink
number
our partin-,
tbere could be
of tbe planets witbout
Cosmograpbic Mystery/ according
wbicb Euclid's
more tban
On
I of listening.
to tbe
my
'2-J
five regular
six planets
solids
do not allow
round tbe sun.
.
.
am
I
.
so
far from disbelieving tbe existence of tbe four cir-
cumjovial planets, tbat I long for a telescope, to an-
round
ticipate you, if possible, in discoverin>g two JIars,
eight
as tbe
proportion
seems to require, six or
round Saturn, and perbaps one eacb round
Mercury and Venus.'' In a very different ceive tbe
^^
Sidereal
tbe Aristotelians re-
spirit did
Messenger" of
principal professor of pbilosopby at Galileo's repeated
tbe
moon and
Padua
and urgent entreaties
to convince tbe
satellites of Jupiter
resisted
to look at
planets tbrougb bis telescope
even laboured
Tbe
Galileo.
and be
;
Grand Duke
tbat tbe
could not possibly exist.
Sizzi.
an astronomer of Florence, maintained tbat as tbere
were only seven apertures two
ears,
two
nostrils,
in tbe
he^d^two
and one moutb
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and
were only seven metals, and seven days so tbere could be only seven planets.
in
eyes,
as tbere
tbe week,
He
seems,
nowever, to have admitted tbe visibility of tbe four satellites
tbrougb tbe telescope
as tbey are invisible to tbe ercise
no influence on tbe eartb
tbey do not tberefore exist.
but be argues, tbat
;
naked ;
eye, tbey can ex-
and being useless
30
GALILEO.
A
CHAP. U.
'protege of Kepler's, of the
name
of
Horky.
wrote a volume against Galileo's discovery, after
having declared, four
new
'*
he should die for
was
no
at
that be
would never concede
his
planets to that Italian from Padua, even
loss for
if
This resolute Aristotelian
it.''
arguments.
He
asserted that he
had examined the heavens through Galileo's own and that no such thing as a
glass^
round Jupiter. surely
know
He
satellite existed
affirmed, that he did not
that he
had a soul
in his
more
body than
that reflected rays are the sole cause of Galileo's
erroneous observations
new
planets
and
aflord
was
;
to gratify Galileo's thirst for gold,
him a subject
When Horky
and that the only use of the
first
of discussion.
presented himself to Kepler,
after the publication of this
work, the opinion of his
patron was announced to him by a burst of indignation,
which overwhelmed the astonished author.
Horky
supplicated mercy for his offence
;
and, as
Kepler himself informed Galileo, he took him again into favour, on the condition that Kepler
him
Jupiter's satellites,
was
to
show
and that Horky was not
only to see them, but to admit their existence.
When
the spirit of philosophy had thus left the
individuals it
was
among
who
bore so unworthily her sacred name,
fortunate for science that princes.
it
found a refuge
Notwithstanding the reiterated
logic of his philosophical professor at
Padua, Cosmo
de Medici preferred the testimony of his senses to
31
GALILEO.
A.D. 1609.
He
the syllogisms of bis instructor.
new Pisa
observed the
planets several times, along with Galileo, at
and when he parted with him, he gave him
;
a present worth more than
1000
florins,
and con
we have
eluded that liberal arrangement to which already referred.
As
philosopher and principal mathematician
to
the
Grand Duke
of Tuscany, Galileo
his
residence
Florence, with a salary of 1000
florins.
No
at
official
that
appointment
took
u]'
duty, excepting that of lecturing
occasionally to sovereign princes, this
now
and
;
it
was attached
was expressly
to
stipulated
he should enjoy the most perfect leisure to
complete his treatises on the constitution of the
The
universe, on mechanics, and on local motion.
resignation of his professorship in the university
oi
Padua, which was the necessary consequence of his
new appointment,
created
much
dissatisfaction
:
though many of his former friends refused at to hold
any communication with him,
gradually subsided appreciated the
;
which induced a stranger
as well
first
this excitement
and the Venetian Senate
feelings,
but
as
at las!
the motives,
to accept of promotion in
his native land.
While Galileo was enjoying
tlie
reward and tb^
fame of his great discovery, a new species of enmit}
was roused against him. nomer
of
Simon Mayer, an
astro-
no reputation, pretended that he had
covered the
satellites of
dis-
Jupiter before Galileo, ant:
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
32
GALILEO.
that Lis
first
observation was
December 1609. discovery of
new
:
made on
satellites
but these
:
satellites
The names
fixed stars.
II.
the 29th of
Other astronomers announced the Scheiner reckoned
while some found even
Eheita nine, twelve
CHAT.
so
were found
five,
many
to
as
be only
of Vladislavian^ Agrippinc^
Uranodavian^ and Ferdinandotcriiau^ which were hastily given to these
common
telescopic stars, soon
disappeared from the page of science, and even the splendid telescopes of modern times have not been able to add another
A even
gem
modern astronomer in the present day,
to the
of no
diadem of Jupiter.
mean
endeavoured
of this staple article of his reputation. less
celebrity has, to
rob Galileo
From
a care-
examination of the papers of our celebrated
countryman, Thomas Harriot, which Baron Zach
had made
in
Egremont,
this
riot
first
1784, at Petworth, the seat of Lord
astronomer has asserted^ that Har-
observed the
Jupiter on the
satellites of
16th of January 1610; and continued his observations
till
the
25th of February 1612.
Baron
Zach adds the following extraordinary conclusion '*
Galileo pretends to have discovered
7th of January 1610; so that that Harriot was likewise the
attendants of Jupiter.'^
it
first
is
:
them on the
not improbable
discoverer of these
In a communication which
I received in 1822. | from the late Dr. Robertson, * Berlin Ephemeri?, 1755. t Euiii. PhiL Jourii., vol. vi.
p.
313
A.D. 1609.
GALILEO.
Savi'::ia Professor of
Astronomy
formed me tnat riot's papers,
and that
it
iae
So at Oxford,
he in-
tad examined a portion of Har-
entitled,
*'
De
Jovialibus Planetis;''
appears, from two page3 of these papers,
that Harj^lot first observed Jupiter s satellites on
nth of October 1610. These
tlie
observations are accom-
panied with rough drawings of the positions of the satellites,
and rough calculations of their periodica]
revolutions.
My friend,
the late Professor Piigaud,'^'
Dr. Piobertson's successor,
who more
recently ex-
amined the Harriot MSS., has confirmed the accuracy of Dr. Piobertson's observation, and has thus restored t(}
Galileo the honour of being the
first
and the
solb
discoverer of these secondary planets. * Life find Correspond'jnce of Dr. Bradley. â&#x20AC;˘klij
liU .iupi.lciiieat.
Oifoid, 1533, p. 17.
Oxford, 1^32, p. 0J3.
be-
—
",4
OAUi.r.o
CHAPTEB
III.
—
announces his discoveries in Enizma- He discorers the Crescert Venu? Tlie Ring cf Saturn And the Sfiots on the Sun Similar Observations made in England bv Harriot Claims of Fabricius ar,d
Or.lileo
—
of
—
Scheiner to the disc'-very of the Solar Spots
en the cluiras of Scheiner
Composes
hi?
— His
—
—
— Galileo's Letters to Veli^oj
residtnce at the Villa of Salviati—
work en Floating Bodies, which involve? him
in nc-v
controver^ie?.
The
great success which atteride^l the
scopic observations of Galileo, induced his
best
system. prive
tele-
first
him
to apply
instruments to the other planets of our
The attempts
him
-^hich
had been made
some of
of the honour of
to de-
his discoveries,
combined, probably, with a desire to repeat his observations with better telescopes, led his discoveries
under the
him
to
announce
veil of enigmas,
and
to
invite astronomers to declare, within a given time, if
they had observed any
new phenomena
in the
heavens. Before the
close
of
curiosity of astronomers first
enigma.
decipher
it;
1610,
Galileo
excited
by the publication of
tl
L.:
Kepler, and others, tried in vain V'
but in consequence of the Emper.'
Eodolph requesting a solution of the puzzle, Galih sent
him the
-
following' clue
•
:
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 35
GALILEO.
A.D. 1609.
" Altissimam planetam tergeminam obaervavL" I have observed that the remotest placet
is triple.
In explaining more fully the nature of his observation, Galileo
remarked that Saturn was not a
single star, but three together, nearly touching one
He
another.
described
them
having no relative
as
motion, and as having the form of three
o's,
namely,
oOo, the central one being larger than those on
each side of
it,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; thus forming a rude representation
of the planet's ring.
Although Galileo had announced that nothing
new appeared
in the other planets, yet
he soon com-
municated to the world another discovery of no slight interest.
The enigmatical
letters in
which
was concealed formed the following sentence
it
:
"Cynthiae figuras asmulatur mater Amorum."
Venus
rivals the
phases of the moon.
Hitherto, Galileo had observed disc
was largely illuminated
his telescope to her
when
from the sun, he saw her
;
Venus when her
but having directed
she was not far removed in the
form of a crescent,
resembling exactly the moon at the same elongation.
He
continued to observe her night after
night, during the whole time that she could be seen in the course of her revolution
round the sun, an
'
he found that she exhibited the very same phase.-
which would luminarv.
result
from her motion
round tha
GALILEO.
36
CHAP. m.
Galileo had long contemplated a visit to the me-
intention into
IGll.
and he accordingly carried
of Italy,
tropolis
the early part of the year
effect in
Here he was received with that
which was due
his
to his great talents
and
distinction
his exteiided
Princes, Cardinals, and Prelates has-
reputation.
who
tened to do hira honour; and even those credited his discoveries,
and dreaded
dis-
their results,
vied with the true friends of science in their anxiety to see the intellectr.al w(Âťnder of the nge.
new
In order to show the his friends at
telescope
;
p'henomena to
celestial
Pome, Galileo took
him
witli
his best
and as he had discovered the spots on
the sun's surface in October or
Xovember 1610,
cr
even earlier,^ he had the gratification of exhibiting
them
to
his
admiring
He
discip'ks.
accordingly
erected his telescope in the Qnirinal garden belong-
ing to Cardinal Bandini
showed the spots
;
and
to his friends
most interesting variations.
IGll, he
in April
many
in
From
their
position on the sun's disc, Galileo at
of their
change of
first
inferred,
either that the sun revolved about an axis, or that
Venus and Mercury, revolved
other planets, like
near the sun as to appear like black spots they were opposite to his disc. observations, however, he this hasty opinion. *
Pr :Âťfe>s<.r Rigaud
^pot^ataD
aarli'^r
i-
He
Upon
so
when
continuing his
saw reason
to
abandon
found that the spots must
of opinion that Galileo
had discovered the ÂŤo]ar
period than eighteen months before
May
l^li.
A.D.
GALILEO.
ICU.
be in contact with
37
surface of the sun
tlie
—that
their
— that they had de— that one spot would often divide into three or four — that three or four would frequently unite themselves one — and figures
were irregular
different
grees of darkness
itself
spots
into
that all the spots revolved regularly with the sun,
w^hich appeared to complete its revolution in about
twenty-eight days.
Previous to the invention of the telescope, spots
Lad been more than once seen on the sun^s the unassisted eye.
same character served,
we cannot
their discovery
was DOW
Bat even
as those
these were of the
which Galileo and others ob-
consider
by the
if
disc wdth
them
as anticipations
As
telescope.
ol'
the telescope
in the possession of several astronomers,
Galileo began to have
many
rivals in discovery
;
but
notwithstanding the claims of Harriot, Fabricius,
and Scheiner,
it is
doubt, that he spots.
From
1822 from the peared that
was the
in
placed beyond the reach of first
discoverer of the Solar
the communication which I received in late Dr. Robertson, of
Oxford,*
Thomas Harriot had observed
spots on the 8th of scripts,
now
December 1610
;
it
ap-
the solar
but his manu-
Lord Egremont's possession, f incontest-
ably prove that his regular observations on the spots did not
commence
till
December
1,
1611, although
* See paze 32. t The^e interesting MSS. I have bad the good fortune of seeing in the possession of iny much valued friend, the late Professor Rigaud ol Oxford
GALILEO.
38
CHAP.
III.
he had seen the spots at the date above mentioned^
and that they were continued
The
16 in.
m
199
the 18th of January
till
observations \\'hich be ha? recorded are
number, and the accounts of them are accom-
panied with rough drawings, representingthe number,
and magnitude of ihe
position,
servation of Harriot,
a diagram.
was a
there
and
a mi?t,
Harriot
glas-c
and he does not enumerate tions it
''
above mentioned.
and
d^^es
m
not apply the
this observation,
among
the 199 observa-
Professor Eigaiid")* considers
a misapplication of terms to call such an observa-
tion a
we
it
m
which no doubt acted
of spots to what he noticed
name
he saw
7^ or 8째 high,
The sun was thon frost
di:^,covery,
wLich he has represented
the sun,
darkening
as a
December
the 8th
1610, before he knevr of G:ilileo's three spots on
In the ob*
S})Ots.'-
made on
discovery;" but, with
feel for the
all
the respect which
candour of this remark,
v;e are
dis-
posed to confer on Harriot the merit of an original discoverer of the spots on the sun.
Another candidate
honour of discovering
for the
the spots of the sun, was JuIju Fabricius,
doubtedly saw them previous dedication of the
work J
in
who un-
June 1611.
to
The
which he has recorded
his observation, bears the date of the 13th of June
* Edin.
Phil. Journ. 1S22, toI. vi, p. 317.
&ui>plcment, t Id. It.,
See
rii2-:..ud's
Life of Eradley,
p. 31.
ip. 37, 35.
Job. Fi*bri:ii Phrysii de Maculis in Sole observatis, etapj arento earum cum Sole conversione, Narr..t:u. Witten-.b. IC 1. +
-
39
GALILEO.
A.D. IGll.
1611; and
it is
obvious, from the
work
that
itself,
he had seen the spots about the end of the year
1610
;
but as there
fore OctoVir,
we
no proof that he saw them be-
is
are compelled to assign the priority
of the discovery to the Italian astronomer.
The claim
of Scheiner, professor of mathematics
at Ingolstadt, is
more intimately connected with the This learned astronomer having,
history of Galileo.
early in 1611, turned his telescope to the sun, necessarily discovered the spots
at that time ap-
Light flying clouds happened,
peared on his disc. the time, to
which
weaken the
intensity of the
li^-ht,
These
he was able to show the spots to his pupils. observations were not published
and they appeared addressed to
Mark
in
till
form
the
at
so that
January 1612
of
three
:
letters,
Velser, one of the magistrates of
Augsburg, under the signature of Appellcs post Tahulam.
Scheiner, who,
many
years afterwards,
published an elaborate work on the subject, adopted Uie
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
same idea which had
volvii:ir
*
at first occurred to Gcdilco
that the spots were the dark sides of plandb re-
It
and by
round and near the sun.*
does not appear from the history of solar observation? at what time, ^vrlom, coloured glasses
to look at the
sun
Avith
of the usj of coloured glasses.
horizon, and
when
were
impunity.
He
first
introduced for permittin.^ tijecye
Fabricius was obviously quite
observed the sun
i,i:noraut
when he was
in ihe
was imjtaired by the interposition of t'lj-.u and he adviscs tho?e who may repeat his b-
his brilliancy
clouds and floating vapours
;
v
admit at first to the eye a small portion of the sun's liiiht, till When the suns altitude it is gradually accustomed to its full splendour. became considerable, Fabricias gave up his observations, which he oft:n continujd so long tliat he was scarcely able, for two days together, to ^tv
servati'.ns to
40
GALILEO.
On
CHAP,
ill
the publication of Scheiners letters, Yelser
transmitted a copy of them to his friend Galileo, with the request that he would favour
new phenomena.
of the
him with
his opinion
After some delay, Galileo
addressed three letters to Velser. in which he com-
bated the opinions of Scheiner on the cause of the
The
spots.
first
May 1612
of
but though the controversy was
carried on in the language of
an end
to the friendship
the two astronomers.
ed that the clouds
;
mutual
respect,
put
dispersed like vapour or
that they sometimes at other
had a
cHiration of only
times of thirty or forty
that they contracted in their breadth
;
it
which had existed between
In these letters Galileo show-
spots often
one or two days, and days
was dated the 4th
of these letters
;"^
when
they approached the sun's limb, without any diminution of their length
;
that they describe circles par-
object? ^vitb their u:ual distinctne??.
Fabriciu? Fpeaks of ot-:rvip.z the
sun by admittiiiJ his rays throuzb a small hole into a dark room, and r;ceivirg his image on pa; er; but he says nothing about a lens or a telescope being applied to the hole and he does not say that he saiv the spots of tlie sun in thi^Tvay. Harriot a^so viewed the solar spots ^iie-n the sun was ;
near the horizon, or rras risible through " thick ayer and thin cioudes," oi On December 21, 1611, at a quarter past 2 p.m., he
t)n-'.uga thin mist.
when the sky was perfectly clear, but his " sight was an houre/" Scbeiner, in his " Apptlles post Tabulam," describes four different ways one of which is by the iuto-position of blue or nrceri of vie-ving the spots glass. His first method was to observe the sun near the horizon; the 9ec')i:d was to view him through a transparent cloud; the third was to observed the spots
after
dim
for
;
look at
him through his telescope with and pl-.me on both sides, or
thickness,
a blue or a green glass of a proper to use a thin blue glass
sun was covered wi:h a thin vapour or cloud to begin
and observe the sun
the midd'e of his d *
The
at his
margin,
;
when
Xic
and the fourth method was
till
the eye gradually reached
?c.
oriiTinal of this letter is in the British
Museum.
:
41
GALILEO.
A.D.1G12.
each other; that the monthly rotation of the
allel to
sun again brings the same spots into view
;
and that
they are seldom seen at a greater distance than 30'
from the sun's equator.
Galileo likewise discovered
on the sun's disc faculcc^ or called,
which
differ
as they were
lucidi,
common
from the
ones in their
being brighter than the rest of the sun's surface." In the
last of the
which our author ad-
letters
dressed to Velser, and which was written in
Decem-
ber 1612, he recurs to his former discovery of the
elongated shape, or rather the triple structure, of
The
Saturn.
singular figure which he had ob-
served in this planet had entirely disappeared
he evidently announces the
fact
;
and
to Velser, lest it
should be used by his enemies to discredit the accuracy of his observations. says he,
*'
w^ithin these
and such of so
it
still
strange
Looking on
few days, I found
without the assistance of in short, perfectly
''
its
accustomed
round and defined
remains.
it
Saturn,'' solitary,
stars, and,
like Jupiter
Now, what can be
said
Are the two
a metamorphosis?
smaller stars consumed like the spots on the sun?
Have they suddenly vanished and
fled ?
Saturn devoured his own children
?
appearance indeed fraud and
illusion,
the glasses have for so long a time so
many
others
* See Istoria Opere di
1616.
who have
e Dimostrazioni,
or
or
was the
with which
mocked me, and
often observed with
intorno alle
Galileo, toI. t. pp. 131-233.
has
macchie
solare.
me
?
Eorray
42
GALILi:0.
Now,
time
tbe
perhaps,
CHAP.
come
is
revive
to
in.
tiie
withering hopes of those who, guided by more pro-
found contempLitions, have followed
new
cies of the
chance so strange, so new, and shortness of the the weakness of
the falla-
olservations, and recognised their
what
I cannoc resolve
impossibilities.
all
tii-C,
my
so
to say in a
unexpected
:
the
the unexampled occurrence,
and the terror of being
intellect,
Although
mistaken, have greatly confounded me."
Galileo struggLi-d to obtahi a solution of this mys-
he had not the good fortune to succeed.
tery, yet
lie imagined that the two smaller stars wotild rea]'pear, in
consequence of the supposed revoluti^ai
of the planet round
its
axis
;
but the discovery of
the ring of Saturn, and of the obliquity of to the ecliptic,
was necessary
mena which were The
ill
subject,
to explain
so perplexing to our author.
health to which Galileo was occasionally
and the
belief that the air of Florence
prejudicial to his complaints, induced
much
plane
its
the pheno-
him
was
to spend
of his time at Solve, the villa of his friend
Salviati.
This eminent individual had ever been
the warmest friend of Galileo, and seems to have
delighted
in
drawing
genius of the age.
him the
round
He was
a
member
scientific
of the cele-
brated Lynca?an Society, founded by Prince Frederigo Ccsi
;
and though he
author of any important
is
not
discovery,
known still
as the
he has
earned, by his liberality to science, a glorious name,
;
which
43
GALILEO.
A.D. 1G12.
indissolably
be
will
united
with
that
of
Galileo.
The
subject of fioatiDg bridges havirg been dis-
cussed at one of the scientific parties which had
assembled at the house of Salviati, a difference of opinion arose respecting the influence of the shape of bodies on their tendency to float or to sink in a
Contrary to the general opinion, Galileo un-
fluid.
dertook to prove that
depended on other causes
it
and he was thus led to compose his discourse on Floating Bodies," which was published in 1G12, and
Cosmo de
dedicated to
many
This work contains
Medici.
ingenious experiments, and
much
acute rea-
soning, in support of the true principles of hydrostatics;
and
is
it
now
remarkable
chiefly
as
a
s')ccimen of the sasfacity and intellectual power of its
Like
authoi.
all his
other works,
it
encountered
the most violent opposition; and Galileo w^as more
summoned
than once
into the
field
to
repel the
aggressions of his ignorant and presumptuuus op-
The
ponents.
first
Ptolemy Kozzolini,
attack upon
a
in
Archbishop of Florence
;'\
letter
and
it
to
was made by Marzemedici,
to this Galileo re-
plied in a letter addressed to his antagonist. J
more elaborate examination of
it
A
was published by
Loduvico delle Colombo, and another by M. Vin* Discor^o intorno iBuovono.
Opere
alle cose
che stanno in su I'acqua, o che in quella
di Galileo, vol.
t
Ibid. vol.
ii.
t
Ibid. pp.
307-390
pp. 355-3G7.
ii.
pp. 165-311.
si
44
CxALILEO.
To
cenzo di Grazia.
Benedetti Castelli, it
death,
*
Th'-.'sc
tlie
friend
lie
in the
ot'cuj.;-
of ;
after Galileo's
was himself the author
three tref.tiikr
name
and pupil of Galileo
was discovered, some years tliat
IIJ.
these attacks, a minute and
overwhelming ansvrer was printed
but
CHAP.
of
tliis
the whoV- of the tLirJ volume of t>ÂŁ
— A.D.
GALILEO.
lol.-!
45
CHAPTER
IV.
— He
Galileo treats his opponents vrith severity and sarcasm tr:e
sceptics of the
day
— The Church
is
party the ino=t powerful
aided by
— Galileo
and i.> ansvrered by Caccini, a Dominican Grand Ducliess of Tu=cnny, in supjtort of the the earth and the stabihty of the sun— He visits Rome Is
commences the
attack,
Galileo's letter to the
motion
—
of
eummoned before the Inquisition, and renounces his opinions, as heretical—The Inquisition denounces the Copernican System— Galileo ha? an audience of the Pope, but
—Proposes
still
maintains his opiniuns in private society
to find out the longitude at ?ea
by means of Jupiter's
satel-
— His negotiation on this subject with the Court of Spain — Its failure — He unable to observe the three Comets of 161S, but in-
lites
is
is
volved in the cont^over^y
The
ti»
which they gave
current of Galileo's
rise.
had
life
liiiherto
He had
a smootli and unobstructed channel.
^*ii
now
attained the highest objects of earthly ambi-
His discoveries had
tion.
of the great fessional
beyond
men
income
The was
carrying on
},laced
He
of the age. far
beyond
his anticipations
to a philosopher, for
flowed
;
him
his wants,
and,
head
at the
possessed a pro-
what
is
and even still
dearer
he enjoyed the most perfect leisure
and completing
his
discoveries.
opposition which these discoveries encountered, to
him more a subject
of triumph than of sorrow.
Prejudice and ignorance were his only enemies if
;
and
they succeeded for a while in harassing him on
his
march,
it
was only
to conduct
him
to fresh
46
GALILEO.
He who
acbievements.
CHAP.
contends for truths which
he has himself been permitted to discover,
destined
to
may
well
which presumption and error
sustain the conflict in are
IV.
fall.s
The
public
may
tribunal
neither be sufficiently pure nor enlightened to decide
upon the issue
;
but he can appeal to posterity, and
reckon with confidence on
The ardour
its
sure decree.
of Galileo's mind, the keenness of his
temper, his clear perception of truth, and his inextinguishal)le love of
it,
combined
to exasperate arid
When
prolong the hostility of his enemies.
ment
failed to enlighten their
to dispel their prejudices,
argu-
judgment, and reason
he wielded against them
the powerful weapons of ridicule and sarcasm in this unrelenting warfare,
;
and
he seems to have
for-
gotten that Providence had withheld from his enefe
mies the intellectual received.
He who
his species,
and
from common
gifts is
which he had
so liberally
allowed to take the start of
to penetrate
th-:'
veil
which conceals
minds the mysteries of nature, must
not expect that the world will be patiently dragged at the chariot-wheels of his philosophy. its inertia as
well as matter
truth can only be insured tient
;
and
its
Mind has progress to
by the gradual and pa-
removal of the difSculties which embarrass
The boldness â&#x20AC;&#x201D; may we â&#x20AC;&#x201D;with which Galileo
insisted
upon making prose-
lytes of his enemies, served l)ut to
from the
trutl].
it.
not say the recklessne-s
alienate therrj
Errors thus assailed speedily cl-
4ÂŤ
GALTLF.O.
A.D. 1G13.
trench themselves in general feeling, and become
embalmed
in the virnlence of the
The
passions.
various classes of his opponents marshalled them-
The
selves for their mutual defence. professors,
temporizing Jesuits, the
the
churchmen, and that
who
at all times
legislation
or in
timid but
science,
them with the penalties
of
who
tyrant,
be in
it
threatened
knowledge.
was not without power and
his doctrines,
body
entered into an alliance
of Galileo, though
trained around
political
respectable
dread innovation, whether
against the philosophical
The party
Aristotelian
weak
number,
in
He
influence.
hcid
him a devoted band, who cherished
and idolized
had been appointed
His pupili
his genius.
to several of the principal pro-
fessorships in Italy.
The enemies
were
of religion
on this occasion united with the Christian philosopher; and there were, even in these days, princes and nobles
who had
felt
of ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and
many
the inconvenience
who
secretly abetted
Galileo in his crusade against established errors.
Although these two
parties
had been long dread-
ing each other's power, and reconnoitring each other'o position, yet
them
first
we cannot
exactly determine which of
hoisted the signal for war.
party, particularly
its
The
Chur":.
highest dignitaries, were
tainly disposed to rest on the defensive.
/
c.'--
Flank-.
on one side by the logic of the schools, and on
ti
other bv the popular interpretation of Scripture, a
? -1
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; GALILEO.
48
CHAP.
backed by the strong arm of the
civil
IV.
power, they
were not disposed to interfere with the prosecution of science, however
The
iniluence.
much they may have dreaded
its
philosophers, on the contrary, united
the zeal of innovators with that firmness of purpose
which truth alone can
they were flushed with success, and they
contest,
panted
Victorious in every
insjiire.
for a struggle in
which they knew they must
triumph.
In this state of wradike preparation. Galileo addressed a letter, in 1613, to his friend and pupil, the
Abbe
which was
Castelli, the object of
to
prove that
the Scriptures were not intended to teach us science
and philosophy.
Hence he
guage employed
in the sacred
gi:ch subjects
mon
inferred, that the lan-
volume
in reference to
should be interpreted only in
acceptation
;
and that
it
was
its
com-
in reality as diffi-
cult to reconcile the Ptolemaic as the Copernican
Byslem to the expressions which occur in the Bible.
A
demonstration was about this time
made by the
ODDOsite party, in the person of Caccini, a friar,
who made
the pulpit.
Dominican
a personal attack upon Galileo from
This violent ecclesiastic ridiculed the
astronomer and his followers, by addressing them sarcastically in the sacred
language of Scripture
"
stand ye here looking up
Ye men
into
of Galilee^
heaven
?''
But
why
this species of warfare
approved of even by the Church
;
and Luigi
was
dis-
Maraffi,
the General of the Dominicans, not only apologized
A.D.
GALILEO.
1G13.
had transmitted
Galileo, tvLo
to
49 to
him a formal
complaint against Caccini, but expressed the acnteness
the
of his ^^
brutal
own
feelings on being
implicated in
conduct of thirty or forty thousand
monks.*'
From
the character of Caccini, and the part which
he afterwards played
we can
in the
persecution of Galileo.
scarcely reject the suspicion, that his attack
from the pulpit was intended as a snare
wary philosopher. caution
;
It roused Galileo
un-
for the
from his wonted
and stimulated, no doubt, by the nature
of the answer which he received from Maraffi,
lie
published a long letter of seventy pages, defending-
and illustrating
his former
views respecting the
fluence of Scriptural language on the
systems. this
to
As
new
if to
and
this
in
interest,
as if
addressed
of Tuscany, the
form it
two contending
give the impress of royal authority
appeal, he
Grand Duchess
it
it
to Christian,
mother of Cosmo
of the
These external circumstances
gave additional weight
to
the powerful
and un-
answerable reasoning which this letter contains
was
;
seems to have excited a new
had expressed the opinion
grand ducal family.
it
in-
scarcely possible that
;
and
any man, possessed of a
sound mind, and willing to learn the truth, should refuse his assent to the judicious views of
He
its
author.
expresses his belief that the Scriptures were de-
signed to instruct us respecting our salvation, and that the faculties of our minds were given us for the
D
GALILEO.
50
CHAl>. IV.
purpose of investigating the phenomena of nature.
He
Scripture and Nature as proceeding
considers
from the same divine Author, and, therefore, incapable of speaking a different language
and he points
;
out the absurdity of supposing that professors of
tronomy will shut their eyes to the
a.\--
phenomena which
they discover in the heavens, or will refuse to Lelievc those deductions of reason
judgnaent with
which appeal
to their
He
the power of demonstration.
all
supports these views by quotations from the ancient
Fathers nicus's
and he
;
refers to the dedication of
own work
to the
Pontiff,
of the
III.,
world as hostile to the sacred
Copernicus, on the contrary,
writings.
Paul
Pope himself did not regard the
as a proof that the
new system
Roman
Coper-
ness, that the reason
Holi-
tells his
him
of inscribing to
system was, that the authority of the
his
Pontiff'
put to silence the calumnies of some individuals, attacked
Scripture twisted for their It
in vain
to
own
purpose.
meet such reasoning by any
other weapons than those of the civil power.
enemies of Galileo
saw that they must
the dangerous innovation, scope
;
who
by arguments drawn from passages of
it
was
new
might
or
allow
it
and they determined upon an
Inquisition.
Lorini, a
monk
of the
The
either crush
the fullest
ai)peal to the
Dominican
order,
had already denounced to this body Galileo's letter to Castelli
;
and Caccini, bribed by the mastership
the convent of
St.
Marv
of Minerva,
was invited
of to
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A. D.
at
settle
51
GALILEO.
1615.
Rome
purpose of embodying .the
for the
evidence against Galileo.
Though
these plans
had been carried on
yet Galileo's suspicions were roused tained leave from
Cosmo
Here he was lodged
end of 1615."
and he ob-
;
Eome
go to
to
in secret,
about the
in the palace
Grand Duke's ambassador, and kept up
of the
a
constant correspondence with the family of his patron
Florence
at
but,
;
splendour, he
in
the midst of this external
was summoned before the Inquisition
to answer for the heretical doctrines he had published.
He
wasjcharged wuth maintajnino^
earth,
and the
stability of the sun
this doctrine to hispupils^^^^^^^th
the subject with several
German mathematicians
and with having published concile
it
1612.
in
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with teaching
corresponding on
it,
and attempted
to re-
Mark
Yelser
to Scripture, in his letters to /
The
Inquisition
assembled to consider
these charges on the 25th of February it
1615
;
and
was decreed that Galileo should be enjoined by
Cardinal Eellarmine to renounce the obnoxious doctrines,
and
to pledge himself that he
teach, defend, nor publish
them
would neither
in future.
In the
event of his refusing to acquiesce in this sentence,
was decreed that he should be thrown
it
into prison]
Galileo.did uot,.b^sitaie_to_yield_to this injunctic n.
On
the day following,
* It
is
the 26th of February, he
said that Galileo ^ras cited to appear at
aii'athe o[)inion
is
not without founua^i
u.
Rome on
this occasion;
OALILF.O.
:)'Z
11-
abandoned
tlie
IV.
Bellra-mine, to renounee
Cardinal
pciirea before
his lieretical opinion?
CUAT.
and. having dechired that he
;
doctrine of the earth's motion, and
would neither defend nor teach
it,
in his convers.'i-
was dismissed from
tion or in his writings, he
ilie
bar of the Inquisition. ILivirig thus disp.'.-ed of the heretical astronom<-r,
the Inquisition conceived the design of condemnii],,: the whole system of Copernicus as heretical.
Galilcv),
with more hardiiiL'ud than prudence, remained
liome
the purpose of givi^ig his assistance in
for
fru^trating this plan that
he
wliieli
injured
to
in-erted
put
lÂťut
his
down
among
letters to Castelli ler's
by
;
there
is
presence
The
he desired to support.
determined
now
la
tlie
new
reason to tijink the very
cause
inquisitors
opinions
;
had
and they
the prohibited books Galileo*:-
and the Grand Duchess,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Kep-
epitome of the Copernican theory, and Ccper-
nicus's
own work on
the revolutions of the heaveiily
bodies.
Xotwilhstanding these proceedings. Galileo had
an audience of the Pope, Paul
He was
March 16 IG.
reciuved very graciously, and spent nearly
an hour with his Holiness. to part, the
gation
V., in
Pope
^Yhen they were about
asstired Galileo that the congre-
were not disposed to receive upon light
grounds any calumnies which might be propagated by his enemies, and that, as long as he occupied the papal chair, he might consider himself as
safe.
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A
D.
GALILEO.
IGIG.
53
These assurances were no douLt founded on the belief that
Galileo
would adhere
pression of his opinions, that even in
engaged
continually
The following very di>putes
^-
of these
given by Querenghi, in a letter to the
is
Cardinal D'Este '
he wiis
discussions.
account
interesting
:
Your Eminence would be delighted with
leo,
you heard him holding
if
;
the ex-
in
Eome
controversial
in
pledges
his
to
but so bold and inconsiderate was he
does, in the midst of fifteen or
forth,
Gali-
as he often
twenty persons,
all
violently attacking him, sometimes in one house,
sometimes in another.
But he
is
aruj^d after such
fjishion,
that he laughs all of them to scorn
even
the novelty of his opinions prevents entire
if
;
and
persuasion, he at least convicts of emptiness most of
the arguments with which his adversaries endeavour to
overwhelm him.
He was
particularly admirable
on Monday
last
Ghisilieri
and what especially pleased
;
in
the house of Signor Frederico
me
was,
that before replying to the opposite arguments, he
amplified and enforced
them with new grounds
of
great plausibility, so as to leave his adversaries in ft
more ridiculous
turned them
The
when he
afterwards over-
discovery of Jupiter's satellites suggested to
Galileo a sea.
plight,
all.'^
new method
of finding the longitude at
Philip III. had encouraged
astronomers to
direct their attention to this problem,
by
offering a
54
GALILEO.
reward
new
for
its
solution
and
;
CHAP.
IV.
those days, Tvlien
in
discoveries in science were sometimes rejected
as injurious to society,
it
was no common event
to
see a powerful sovereign courting the assistance of
astronomers in promoting the commercial interests Galileo seems to have regarded the
of his empire.
solution of this problem as an oLject worthy of
ambition Avhich
liis
and he no doubt anticipated the triumph
;
he would obtain over his enemies,
Medicean
which tluy
stars,
if
the
treated with sucl)
i>ad
contempt, could be made subservient to the great
Eome
During
manhinl.
of
interests
residence
his
1G15 and IGIG, he had communicated
in
views on this
to the
S'llject
who had
Viceroy of Naples,
council of the Spar.ish Indies.
vised
him
Duke
of
to apply
Lerma
;
Conte
to
his
Madrid was engaged
to
his
Lemos, the
di
presided
over
the
This nobleman ad-
the Spanish
minister,
and, througli the influence of
Grand Duke Cosmo,
a:
ambassador
the tiie
at the court oi
tnanage the
aflair.
The
anxiety of Galileo on this subject was singnlarly great.
He
assured the Tuscan ambassador that, in
order to accomplish this object, ^'he was ready to leave
all
his comforts, his country, his friends,
his family, to cross over into Spain,
and
and
to stay as
long as he might be wanted at Seville or at Lisbon, or
wherever
it
might be convenient
a knowledge of his method.
to
communicate
Tlie lethargy of the
Spanish court seems to have increased
wiili
ilio
A.D. IGIS-
GALILr.v^.
enlbusiaMii of Galileo
;
5o
and tboiigb the negotiatioDS
were occasionally revived
or twelve years,
for ten
yet no steps were taken to bring
Tbis strange
procrastination
tbem
to a close.
has been
generally
ascribed to jealousy or indifference on tbe part of
Spain
but Xclli, one of Galileo's biographers, de-
;
clares,
on the authority of Florentine records, that
Cosmo bad ment the
privately requested from privilege
sending
of
tbe Govern-
annually
to
tbe
Spanish Indies two Leghorn merchantmen free of duty, as a compensation for the loss of Galileo.
The
failure of this negotiation
must have been a
source of extreme mortification to the high spirit
He bad
and sanguine temperament of Galileo. culated,
however,
putting the
new method
cal-
on his means of
securely
too
The
to a successful trial.
great imperfection of the time-keepers of that day,
and the want of proper
him
in all bis efforts,
ject to a
telescopes,
would have
and he would have been sub-
more serious mortification from the
and rejection of ally experienced
baffled
his plan,
failure
than that which he actu-
from the avarice of his patron, or
the indifference of Spain.
Even
in the present
no telescope has been invented which
is
day
capable of
observing at sea the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites;
and though
this
method of finding the longitude has
great advantages on shore, yet
abandoned
at
sea,
it
has been completely
and superseded by
more correct methods.
easier
and
GALILEO.
5G
In the year 1G18,
^YlleD
cilAr. it.
no fewer than three
comets visited our system, and attracted the attention of all the astronomers of Europe, Galileo v/as
unfortiiuately confined to his Led
though he was unable
but,
to
by a severe
make
illness
;
a single obser-
vation upon these remarkable bodies, he contrived
involve himself in the disputes to which they
to
gave
Marco Guiducci, an astronomer
rise.
rence,
of Flo-
and a friend of Galik'O, had delivered a
course on comets before the Florentine
The heads
of this discourse,
dis-
Academy.
which was published
in
1619,* were supposed to Iiave been communicated
to
him by
Galileo,
and
this
seems to have
bee:! uni-
versally admitted during the controversy to which
The
led.
it
opinion maintained in this treatise, that
comets are nothing but meteors which occasionally appear in our atmosphere, like halos and savours so
little
raii^l
ows,
we
of the sagacity of Galileo, tLat
should be disposed to question
its i>aternity.
His
inability to partake in the general interes: ^.vhich
these three comets excited, and to employ his p^owerful telescope in
observing their phenomena
an^I their
movements, might have had some slight share the formation of an opinion which deprived their importance as celestial bodies. this
may have
them
in of
But, however
been, the treatise of Guiducci afiorded
a favourable point of attack to Galileo's enemies, * DiscorÂŁ0 delle Comeie. 117-191.
Printed in iLe Opere di Galileo,
vol. tI.
pp.
GALILEO.
A.D. 1618.
57
and the dangervons task was intrusted Grassi, a learned Jesuit, who, in a
work
Horatio
to
entitled
The
Astronomical and Philosophical Balance^ criticised the discourse on comets, under the feigned
name
of
Lotario Sarsi. Galileo replied io this attack, in a volume eutitL-d
II Saggiatore^ or The Assaijer^ which, owing to state of his health,
of 1623.*
was not published
Academy, and master
VIII.,
tlje
the autunni
This work was written in the form of a
letter to Yirginio Cesarini,
caean
till
who had
was dedicated
a
member
of the
chamber
of its language,
to
Urban
among
literary
though
it
is
men
Id the
Opeie
di
Chlto,
It
and has been
fur the
beauty
doubtless one of the
least important of Galileo's writings.
Pnuted
Lyn-
just ascended the papal throne.
to the Pontiff himself,
long celebrated
of the
\oI. vi.
pp
iC'i-6". 1.
GALiLLO.
citaptet; Uiw^n
v.
VIIF., Gali'er.'f friend, r.ii-ed to the
Rome
to offer Li? con;:rjitul:idoLs
rnnd.lcate— Ga.ileo goes
to
— The Pope load- him ^ith presents, — G'dileo in pecuniary
diliiculties, riiid promise? a Pen-ion t'"> his Soi: owir- to the death of lii? pa'ron Cosmj— He again ra-hly attacks the Church, not^vith£tandinp tht PopoV liindnesr- He compo-es his System Artfully obt'iiri3 of the vrorld, to demonstrate the Copernican System a license to print it Nature of the vxik Its influence on the public mihd The Pope resc'lvr? .n Fur]'rc-.--'r;g it Gahleo suramrned le;'-re
—
—
— Hi- — Hi- dc;cT.ce— Hi— Observations on his cr.nuuet — The
tliC Inquij-itioii
opinions
trial
gence to Galileo,
who
—
— —
—
is
allowed
to
rmul abjuration of his
ft
Pope shows
return to his
great indul-
own house
at Arcetri,
as the place of his CL-ntiLcment.
The to tlie
succession of
tlie
CarJinnl Maffeo Barl'crini
papal throne, under tLe
was hailed Lv Galileo and
name
of
his friends
Urban Ylll., a^^^
favoiiraLle to the interest^ of science.
an event
Urban had
not only been the personal friend of Grdileo and of
Prince Cesi, the founder of the Lynca?an Academy, but had been intimately connected with that able
and
liberal association
prudent
Paul
to
;
and
it
was
therefore
deemed
secure his favour and attachment.
III. had, nearly a century before,
If
patronized
Copernicus, and accepted of the dedication of his great work, in
it
was not unreasonable
more enlightened
hibit the
same
to expect that,
times, another Pontiff
liberality of 'sentiment.
might ex-
GALILEO.
A.D. 1624.
The plan
o9
of securing- to Galileo the patronage of
Urban VIIL, seems
to
have been devised by Prince
Although Galileo had not been able
Cesi.
years to travel, excepting in a
litter,
for
some
yet he
was
urged by the Prince to perform a journey for the express
upon
was made
eo
October 1C23
in
was not such
much
This request
and though Galileo's
;
as to authorize
him
to
undergo
fatigue, yet he felt the importance of the
advice, and, after visiting Cesi at
Pome
arrived at tion
Kome,
purpose of congratulating his friend
his elevation to the papal chair.
health
to
in the spring of
which he here experienced
Acqua
far
Sparta, he
The
1624.
recep-
exceeded his
most sanguine expectations. During the two months
which he spent
in the capital,
have no fewer than
marked
he was permitted to
long and gratifying audiences
The kindness
of the Pope.
the most
six
of his Holiness
description.
He
Galileo with presents,^' and promised for his son
nand,
of Tuscany,
patronage.
recommending ''
Cosmo
just succeeded
For we
as
to
Ferdi-
Grand Duke
Galileo to his particular
is
''
find in him,'' says he,
only literary distinction, but the love of piety
he
of
him a pension
Yincenzo, but he wrote a letter
who had
was
not only loaded
;
not
and
strong in those qualities by which pontifical
good-will
is
easily obtained.
And now, when he
has been brought to this city to congratulate us on A
fine painting in gold,
at^nus Dei."
and a
silver
medal, and *'a good quantity of
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
;
60
GALILEO.
we have very
our elevatioE,
CHAP
V.
lovingly embraced him
;
nor can we sufier him to return to tbe country whilber
your liberality recalls him,
how
dear he
And we you
is
that
we have
to us,
honourable
this
an ample pro-
with(.)Ut
And
vision of jDontifical love.
testimonial
you may know
willed to give
of virtue
and
him
piety.
further signify, that every benefit which
shall confer
upon him, imitating or even
sur-
passing your father's liberality, will conduce to our gratification.^^
Xot content with thus securing the friendship
ol
the Pope, Galileo endeavoured to bespeak the goodwill of the Cardinals towards the Copernican system.
He
many
had, accordingly,
of these dignitaries
interviews with several
and he was assured, by Cardinal
;
Hohenzoller, that in a representation which he had
made
Pope on the subject
to the
stated
to his
Holiness,
*^
that
of Copernicus, he
as
all
considered that system as undoubted,
the heretics it
would be
necessary to be very circumspect in coming to any resolution
on the subject/'
Holiness replied
demned
this
condemned added,
'^
""
system
this
remark his
;
and that
it
should not be
as heretical, but only as rash ;"
that there
was no
taking to prove that
The
To
That the Chiuxdi had not con-
it
fear of
must necessarily be
recent appointment of the
and he
any person under-
Abbe
true.^'
Castelli, the
friend and pupil of Galileo, to be mathematician to
the Pope, was an event of a most gratifying nature
A.D.
GALILEO.
1 ;24.
and when
recollect iLat
vre
it
Gl vras
to
Castelli that
be addressed the famous letter which was pronoiiDced heretical
by the
we must regard it also new and f^ivourable feel-
Inquisition,
as an event indicative of a
ing towards the
fi'iends
of Urban, indeed,
had
inquisitorial
He was
who had opposed and
IGIG,
decree of
the
subsequent
his
in every respect conformable to the
The
liberality of bis early views.
conduct was
opinions
suffered no change.
one of the few Cardinals
demeanour was
The
of science.
sincerity of his
further evinced by the grant of a
still
pension of one hundred years after his visit to
crowns
Eome
to Galileo, a
though there
;
is
few rea-
son to think that this allowance was not regularly paid.
The death
of Cosmo,
bim both afSuence and with pecuniary in
a
**
whose
liberality
leisure,
difficulties.
had given
threatened Galiloo
He had
been involved
great load of debt," owing to the circum-
stances of his brother's f^tmily lieve himself, he
;
and
in order to re-
had requested Castelli
the pension of his son Vincenzo.
calamity he was
now alarmed
to dispose^ of
In addition to this at
the prospect of
losing his salary as an extraordinary professor at Pisa.
The extreme youth
of Ferdinand,
who was
scarcely of age, induced Galileo's enemies, in 162[\ to raise doubts respecting the
who
to a professor
the university
;
pnyment of a sahirv
neither resided nor lectured in
but the question was decided
in
his
G.VLILE
(32
favour, and
we Lave no doubt by the
facilitated
CHAP.
>.
Pope, to which
we have
already referred.
the grasp of the Inquisition, yet ho ciently sensible of the lenity
he
left
Eome
pledire of never airain trine, it
was with a
161
in
esca})e
from
was never
suffi-
which he experienced. under the solemn
G,
teachinir the obnoxious dochostility against
the Church,
and
his resolution
suppressed but deeply cherishf^d to
was
that tLe decision
friendly recomKiendation of the
f Although Galileo had made a narrow
When
V.
;
propagate the heresy seems io have been coeval
wuth the vow by which he renounced year 1C18, tides
when he communicated
his theory of the
Archduke Leopold, he alludes
to the
most sarcastic manner
The same
In the
it.
hostile
to the
tone,
in
the
conduct of the Church.
more or
less,
pervaded
all
his writings, and, while he laboured to sharpen the
edge of his against
satire,
its efiects,
he endeavoured
by an
to
guard himsell
afibciation of the
stood alone,
his
devotion
withdrawn him from
to
Galilcu
might have
science
so hopeless a contest
was spurred on by the violence
;
but he
The summon him
of a party.
Lyncaean Academy never scrupled from his researches.
humblest
Had
deference to the decisions of theology.
to
They placed him
lorn hope of their combat, and he at
in
the for-
last fell a victim
to the rashness of his friends.
But whatever allowance we may make
for
the
ardour of Galileo's temper, and the peculiarity of
G3
GALILi:0.
A.D. 1624.
his position
and bowever we may
;
approve of his past conduct, his in
1624, placed him in a
new
jnstify
visit to
and even
Urban VIIL,
relation to the Church,
which demanded on his part a new and correspond-
The noblo and generous
ing demeanour.
recepti(;n
which he met with from Urban, and the
liberal
declaration of Cardinal Hohenzoller on the subject
Copernican system, should have been
of the
garded as expressions of regret
re-
and
for the past,
by the Head of the Church, and befriended by dignitaries, Galileo
must have
against the indignities of
and
in
its
as
Thus honoured
offers of conciliation for the future.
felt
it>
himself secure
lesser functionaries,
the possession of the fullest license to prose-
cute his researches and publish his discoveries, pro-
vided he avoided that ecclesiastical
even
in
the present day,
hierarchy by even stronger
dogma which,
has not ventured to
But Galileo was bound
renounce.
self
it
ties.
to the
Romish
His son and him-
were pensioners of the Church, and, having
accepted of
its
alms, they
owed
decent and respectful allegiance.
to
it,
at
least, a
The pension thus
given by Urban was not the remuneration which sovereigns sometimes award to the services of their subjects.
Galileo was a foreigner at
Rome.
TLe
sovereign of the papal state owed him no obligation ;
and we must therefore regard the pension of Galileo as a donation itself,
and
from the
Roman
Pontiff to science
as a declaration to the CLristian world
GALILKO.
G4
CJIAP. V.
that religion was not jealous of philosophy, and that
the
Church
foster
of
Eome was
even the genius of
Galileo viewed
He
ent light.
all
its
enemies.
these circumstances in a
resolved to compose a
work
He
open manner.
to
diff'-r-
which
in
the Copernican system should Le demonstrated
he had not the courage
and
willing to respect
;
but
do this in a direct and
adopted the plan of discussing
the suLject in a dialogue hetvreen three speakers, in
the hope of eluding by this artifice the censure of
the
Church.
but,
owing
to print
it,
This work was completed in 1G30,
to
some
it
was not published
difficulties in
obtaining a license till
1632.
In obtaining this license, Galileo exhibited considerable address, and his
memory has
the imputation of having acted
not escaped
unfairly,
and of
liaving involved his personal friends in the conse-
quences of his imprudence.
The
situation of master of the palace was, for-
Galileo's
tunately
for
Eiccardi,
a friend and
officer
was a
work,
new
found
Galileo soon
made
instantly set off for
with his friend,
him.
])ointed out
by
Xicolo
publications,
This
and
applied to on the subject of printing
previously been
to oblige
filled
pupil of his own.
sort of censor of
when he was his
designs,
to
that attempts had
thwart his views.
He
Eome, and had an interview
who was
in every respect anxious
Eiccardi examined the manuscript,
some incautious expressions which he
AD.
considered
with
G5
GALILEO.
1G32.
to
iiecess;iry
it
erase,
and returned
it
written approbation, on the understanding
liis
that the alterations he suggested would he made.
Dreading
to
season, which
remain in
was
fast
Rome
during the unhealthy-
approaching, Galileo returned
to Florence, with the intention of
completing the
MS.
index and dedication, and of sending the
to
Piome, to be printed under the care of Prince Cesi.
The death
August
of that distinguished individual, in
1630, frustrated Galileo's arrangement, and he applied for leave to
have the book printed
Riccardi was at
first
again
end
;
of
in Florence.
desirous to examine the 3IS.
but, after inspecting only the beginning it,
he gave Galileo leave to print
he chose, provided
it
and
wdierever
it
bore the license of the In-
quisitor-General of Florence, and of one or two other persons
whom
he named.
Having overcome work appeared System of the
in
all
these difficulties, Galileo's
1632, under the
World of
Galileo
**
of
title
GaUlei^
&c.^
The in
which, in four dialogues concerning the two principal
systems of the world
Copernicanâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; he
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Ptolemaic and
discusses, indeterminately
the arguments proposed on both
cated to Ferdinand, is
prefaced by an
which dence.
is
itself
He
*'
sides.''
Grand Duke
Address
to the
characterized
and
the
firmly,
It is dedi-
of Tuscany, and
prudent reader,"
by the utmost impru-
refers to the decree of the Inquisition in
the most insultins* and irrmical language.
He
attri-
66
GALILEO.
Lutes
it
to passion
assertion, but
and
CHAP.
to ignorance, not
by
v.
direct
by insinuations ascribed to otbers
;
v.nd
he announces bis intention to defend tbc Copern: an system, as a pure mathematical bypothesis, and n as an opinion
having any absolute advantage over
The
that of the stability of the earth.
conducted by tbree persons
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
the dialogue, was the real
name
Salviati, Sagredo,
name
have already had occasion
vre
dialogue
is
and
Salviati, -^ho is the true philosopher in
Simplicio.
tlie
't
of a
nobleman
to mention.
wbom
Sagredo,
of another noble friend of Galileo, per-
forms a secondary part under Salviati.
He
pro-
poses doubts, suggests difficulties, and enlivens the
gravity of the dialogue with his wit and pleasantry. Simplicio totle,
is
a resolute follower of Ptolemy and Aris
and, with
a
proper degree of candour and
modesty, he brings forward
ments
in favour of the
all
the
common
argu-
Between
Ptolemaic system.
the wit of Sagredo, and the powerful philosophy of Salviati, the peripatetic sage is baffled in every dis-
cussion
more
iiimed a this
and there can be no doubt that Galileo
;
mode
fatal
voured to overturn
The
blow
of discussing it
as
it,
of
if
he had endea-
work on the public
might have been anticipated.
obnoxious doctrines which received,
Ptolemaic system by
than
by direct arguments.
iiifluence of this
was such
at the
it
j.
Tlie
upheld v;ere eagerly
and widely disseminated
Eome became
m.x.
;
and the Churci.
sensible of the shock
which wa8
;
GALiLhO.
A.D. luo'J.
given to
thus
its
Cu
Pope
supremacy.
intellectual
Urban VIII., attached though he had
Leeu to
Galileo, never once hesitated respecting the line of
conduct which he
mind was,
felt
himself bound to pursue.
nevertheless,
He
sentiments.
agitated with conflict! lig
entertained a sincere affection fur
science and literature, and yet he
enemy.
position of their
He
was placed
had been the
in the
pei'SLiiLil
and yet his duty compelled him
friend of Galileo,
become
His
his accus<^r.
to
Embarrassing as these feelings
were, other considerations contributed to soothe him.
He
had, in his capacity of a Cardinal, opposed the
first
He
persecution of Galileo.
had, since his ele-
vation to the pontificate, traced an open path fur tbe
march
of Galileo's discoveries
endeavoured
;
and he had
finally
bind the recusant philosopher ly
to
the ties of kindness and of gratitude.
All thts-
means, however, had proved abortive, and he Wi.s
now
called
upon
to support the doctrine
which he
had subscribed, and administer the law of which he
was the
gaiardian.
has been supposed, without any satisfactory
It
evidence, that
Urban may have been
less creditable motives.
Salviati
well-known personages,
it
plicio
must
also
was
influeioced
and Sagredo
by
bi-iug
inferred that Siu;-
have a representative.
The
enei.iivS
of Galileo are said to have convinced his HoluKâ&#x20AC;˘s;^
that
and
Simplicio was intended this opinion received
to represent himseit
some probability from the
GALILEO.
CS
bad employed
the peripatetic disputant
that
fact,
ClLAr. V.
niany of the arguments which Urban had himself
used
in
The
with Galileo.
his discussions
latest
biographer of Galileo"^ regards this motive as necessary to account for
the otherwise inexplicable
"'
in the conduct of
change which took place his old frienJf' bur
ness of
tills
we cannot admit
Urban
to
the correct-
The Church had been
supposition.
placed in hustility to a powerful and liberal party,
which was adverse
Catholic faith had
the
with
collision
The dogmas
to its interests.
the
been
of
brought into direct
deductions
of
The
science.
leader of the philosophic band had broken the most
solemn armistice with the Inquisition
nounced the the
Pontiff;
:
he had
re-
which bound him
to
and Urban was thus compelled
to
ties of gratitude
entrench himself in a
position
which he had
to
been driven by his opponents.
The design quisition,
of
summoning
Galileo bef )re the In-
seems to have been formed almost imme-
diately after the publication ot his Dialogues
even
in
;
for
August 1G32, the preliminary proceedings
had reached the
ears of the
The Tuscan ambassador made acquainted with Sovereign
felt at
Grand Duke Ferdinand. at
Pwome was
speedily
the dissatisfaction which his
these proceedings
;
and he was
in-
structed to forward to Florence a written statement of the charges against Galileo, in order to enable * Library of Ustiul Knowledge, Life of Gitlileo, chap.
viii.
GALILEO.
A.D. 1632.
to
liirn
Of'
prepare for bis defence.
Although
this re-
quest was denied, Ferdinand again interposed, anj
transmitted a letter to his ambassador, recommend-
ing the admission of CampanelLa and Castelli into the congregation of ecclesiastics by
was it
to
be
prudent to withhold this
away from Rome, and
the
number
Galileo
Circumstances, however, rendered
tried.
was
Castelli
letter.
sent
Scipio Chiaramonte, a bigoted
was summoned
ecclesiastic,
whom
fx-om Pisa to
complete
of the judges.
It
appears from a despatch of the Tuscan mini-
ster,
that Ferdinand was enraged at the transactiv;ij.
and instructed
his ambassador, Niccolini,
to
make
the strongest representations to the Pope.
Xiccolini
had several interviews with his Holiness
;
his expostulations
were
fruitless.
highly incensed against Galileo
begged Niccolini interfere it
any
to advise
further, as
On
with honour.''
Pope caused
mark
it
;
the
;
his Holiness
Archduke not
to
the 15th of September, the
esteem
but both the prince
for the
work
Grand Duke, to the Inqui-
and his ambassador
liable to the usual censures if they
divulged the secret.
From
and
to be intimated to Niccolini, as a
of his especial
were declared
all
found Urban
he would not " get through
that he was obliged to refer the sition
but
He
/
the measures which this tribunal had for-
merly pursued,
it
was not
difficult to foresee the re-
sult of their present deliberations.
They summoned
GALILEO.
70 rxaliieo to
CHAP. V.
appear before them
at
Eoine, to ansv.er
The
person the charges iinder whicli he lay.
in
Tn?can
arnl^assador expostnL;te(.l M'armlv Tvith the
Eome
Court of
He
ing. tlie
on the inhumanity of this proceed-
nrged his advanced age, his infirm healthy
discomforts of the journey, and the miseries of
the quarantine,* as mc-tives for reconsidering their
But the
decision.
il^ongh
Pope was
vras agreed
it
to
inexorable
and
the quarantine as
relax
as possible in his favour, yet
I'^rch
;
was
it
declare*!
indispensable that he should appear in person "before the Inquisition.
Worn
out
with
age
and
infirmities,
and ex-
hausted witli the fitiirues of his journey, Galilee, arrived at
Eome
on the 14th of February IGoP).
The Tuscan ambassador annorinced an
official
Office,
form
the
commissary of the Holy
and Galileo awaited
approach of his tlieir
to
trial.
his arrival in
Among
advice in this distressing
calm
in
those
diiznity
who
tiie
proffered
emergency, we must
enumerate the Cardinal Barberini, the Pope's n'jÂť]]ew,
who, though he
may have
ft^lt
tliC
necessiiy
of an interference on the part of the Church,
yet desirous that
it
should be effected with the
injury to Galileo, and to science. visited Galileo,
at
hom.e
* The
and advised him
as possible, to
coTnn-.unicatior)
to
He
was lea'^t
accordingly
remain as mueii
keep aloof from general
between FlorcTice and I^cne Trns nt this time b?d Vr^hfin out in Tu?cany.
terr>;i>red b^ n co!:iu_''ou< di-ca^e vbicli
in-
;
society,
71
GALILEO.
A.D. 1633.
and
The same
most intimate
to see only his
advice was
and Galileo, feeling
friends.
given from different quarters
its
propriety, remained in strict
seclusion in the palace of the
During the whole of the
Tuscan ambassador.
trial
which had now com-
menced, Galileo was treated with the most marked Abhorring, as we must do, the prin-
indulgence.
and practice of
ciples
probating
this odious tribunal,
and
re-
interference with the cautious deduc-
its
we must
tions of science,
yet admit that, on this
occasion,
its
deliberations were not dictated by pas-
nor
its
power directed by vengeance.
sion,
Though
placed at their judgment-seat as a heretic, Galileo stood there with the recognised attributes of a sage
;
and though an offender against the laws of which were the guardians, yet the highest respect
th(>y
was yielded
to his genius,
and the kindest commi-
seration to his infirmities.
In the beginning of April, in
person was to commence,
that he should be
instead of
removed
when it
to the
his examination
became necessary
Holy
OfiGce
;
but
committing him, as was the practice, to
solitary confinement, he
was provided with
apart-
ments in the house of the fiscal of the Inquisition. His table was provided by the Tuscan ambassador,
and
his servant
pleasure,
Even
and
this
was allowed
to sleep in
to
attend him at his
an adjoining apartment.
nominal confinement, however, Galileo's
high spirit was unable to brook.
An
attack
(^f
the
GALILEO.
I L'
disease
wbicb he
to
contributed to
fret
bondage.
bis
lii.s
anxiety as
v;el] as
Cardinal Barlierini seems
have received notice of the ings, and, ^vitb a
and he became
irritate liim,
impatient for a release from
from
T.
subject
constitutionally
v;as
and
CHAP.
to
state of Galileo's feel-
magnanimity vrbicb
posterity will
ever honour, be liberated the philosopher on bis ov^n responsibility; and in ten days after bis
first
examination, and on the last day of April, he vras restored
the hospitable roof of the Tuscan
to
am-
bassador.
Although
this favour
remaining
tion of his
was granted on the
condi-
in strict seclusion, yet Galileo
recovered his health, and to a certain degree his usual hilarity, amid the kind attentions of Xiccolini
and
his family
begun
to
;
and when the want of exercis
produce symptoms of
Tuscan minister obtain-d
for
bad the
indis])Osit:un,
him leave
go into
to
the public gardens in a half-closed carriage.
After the Inquisition had exaujined Giilileo personally,
they allowed him
preparing his addticirjg
as
a reasonable
He
felt
the
tinie
for
difficulty
of
anything like a plausible justification of
bis conduct
a shallow
defence.
;
and he resorted
artifice,
to
an ingenious, though
which was regarded by the Court
an aggravation of the crime.
After
his
first
appearance before the Inquisition in 1C16, be was publicly and falsely charged by his enemies witli
having then
abjured
his
opinions
;
and be
was
73
GALTLl-O.
A.D. 163.J.
taunted
punished
who had
criminal
a
as
As
for his oiTences.
calumnies,
Leon
actually
a refutation of these
Cardinal Bellarmine had given him a his
certificate in
own handwriting,
declaring that
he neither abjured his opinions, nor suffered punish-
ment
for
them
;
and that the doctrine of the earth's
motion, and the sun's stability, was oijly denounced
him
to
as contrary to
Scripture,
could not be defended.
To
dinal did not add, because he to
do
it,
manner
that Galileo
and
as one
which
this certificate the Car-
was not
was enjoined not
called
upon
to teach in
the doctrine thus denounced
;
any
and Galileo
ingeniously avails himself of this supposed omission, to account for his having, in the lapse of fourteen or
He
sixteen years, forgotten the injunction. the
same excuse
this injunction
General
for his
to Eiccardi,
at Florence,
and
to the Inquisitor-
when he obtained
to print his Dialogues.
assigned
having omitted to mention
The Court
the license
held the pro-
duction of this certificate to be at once a proof and
an aggravation of his offence, because the ficate itself
certi-
declared that the obnoxious doctrines
had been pronounced contrary
to
the
Holy
Scrip-
tures.
Having duly weighed
the confessions and excuses
of their prisoner, and considered the general merits
came
to
an agreement
upon the sentence which they were
to pronounce,
and appointed the 22d of June
doy on v.hich
of the case, the Inquisition
as the
74 it
GALILEO.
was
be
to
Galileo
Two
deliveret^.
was summoned
to
CHAP.
V.
rlavs previous to this,
appear at the Holy OiBce
;
and on the morning of the 21st, he obeyed the summons.
On
the 22d of
penitential dress,
and conducted
where the
]\Iinerva,
A
give judgment.
June he was clothed
Inquisitic^n
in a
Convent
of
was assembled
to
to the
long and elaborate sentence was
pronounced, detailing the former proceedings of the Inquisition, and specifying the offences which lileo
had committed
in
former pledires, and in obtaininsr bv
in violatino* his
improper means a license Dialogues.
ÂŤ
for the printing of his
name
After an invocation of the
Saviour, and of the Holy Virgin, Galileo to
Ga-
teaching heretical doctrines,
is
of our
declared
have brought himself under strong suspicions of
licresy,
and
have incurred
all
the censures and
which are enjoined against such
penalties
quencies
to
;
but from
all
delin-
these consequences he
is
to
be held absolved, provided that, with a sincere heart
and a
faith
unfeigned, he
heresies he has
al
jures and
cherished, as well
heresy against the Catholic Church. his offence m.ight not
it
was
every other
In order that
go altogether unpunished, that
he might be more cautious
warning
as
curses the
in
future,
and be a
to others to abstain from similar offences,
also
prohibited
decreed that his Dialogues should be
by public
edict
;
that be himself should
he
condemned
its
pleasure, and that, in the course of the next three
to the prison of the Inquisition during
— GAIJLEO.
A.D. 1C33.
years,
be
sboulil rcciie
4
once a week tbe seven peni-
tential psabns."
Tbe ceremony
and of awful formality.
exciting interest,
in tbe sackclotb of a repentant
able sage
upon
fell
was one of
of Galileo's abjuration
Clotbed
criminal, tbe vener-
bis knees before tbe assembled
bands upon tbe Holy
Cardinals; and laying bis
Evangelists, be invoked tbe Divine aid in abjuring
and detesting, and vowing never again doctrine
of
and of tbe sun's
earib's motion,
tbe
He
stability.
teacb tbe
to
pledged Limsclf tbat be would never
more, eitber in words or in writing, propagate sucb beresies
and be swore tbat be would
;
fulfil
and
observe tbe penances wliicb bad been inflicted upon bim/t*
At tbe conclusion
of tbis ceremony, in
wbicb
be recited bis abjuration, word for word, and tben signed
it,
be was conveyed,
in
conformity witb bis
sentence, to tbe prison of tbe Inquisition. | * Sir Charles Lyell (Principle- of G^^olocy. p. 56, edit. 1^53 has stated, on tbe authority of Professor Scirpt-llini, nt R- me, that the decree au'ainst (Jalileo and the Copernican Sy-tom had been repealed by Pius VII, but >
;
we
are assured that this
t It
has been
snid,
is
a mistake.
but not
u^m
anv
crood n'.ithority, that Tvhen Gali'eo
rose from his knees, he st.-imped on the ground, and said in a whisper to one of his friends. " pm- .c? wvorc" "It doe.> move, though."
—
E
Life of Galileo. Lib. Useful Kn'»w:edi:e. P:irt
ii.
p. 63.
Lord Broucham.
a very interesting no:e on th'.» persecution of Galileo, discredits this story. See his " Analytical View of the Principia," Append, p. 417. Loud. 1?.>5. in
X
That Galileo was subjected to the torture, in order to obtain his reis now generally believed, but on no other grounds than that
cantation,
the term, "
the
Esame
oriiiinal process,
rujoroso,' or
*'
rijorous examination,"
published by Riccif
:'nd considered a great wrif^r, u-c? the
sense, in his "Hist'>ry of
tlie
is
employed
in
phra«e "
who was a Cardin^.l. Esame rifjorosn" in thi.-*
Trent"
Lord Bron-rbain, how-
li.
Couricil of
Pallavicini,
GALILEO.
i\)
The account
we Lave now given
Human
the deepest interest and instniction. is
of
tlie
the sentence of Galileo, is pregnant with
and
trial
^rliicl]
CllAV. V.
here painted in
its
nature
darkest colours; and in sur-
ve^'ing the melancholy picture,
to de-
difficult
it is
cide whether religion or jiliiK)S.'phy has heen most
While we
degraded. priest
pronouncing
erring judgment,
v;itness
presumptuous
the
infallible the decrees of his
we
own
the high-minded philo-
see
sopher abjuring the eternal and immutable truths
which he had himself the gl^ry of establishing. ignorance and pn-jndices of ^he age
tiie
a mistaken respect
in
becom.e venerable
fru:ii
for the
avowed enemies
shadow of an
of the Church,
apolo2:y, evanescent
the conduct of the Inquisition.
can
we
— and
of the age
—
ha'l
the
taken am.ong
we
tuay find the
though
it
be, for
Cut what excuse
AVl^y did Vuls master-spirit
this high-priest of the
presentative of
science —
this
glory was near
career of
did he reject
its
o^n account
See Tiraboschi, " Lett.
find extracts
of
ii
hi;Te
th.'
lenity vrith
whose
— why
story as completely
which he had been
T.-m viii. Lib.
It,.l."
ha? been lately fuun-l, nn
from
this re-
consummation
ever, in the note above referred to, considers "the
jiroce?5
—
sage,
stars
hoary
the crown of martyrdom which he had
negatived by Galileo's
The
in
devise for the humiliating confession aufl
abjuration of Galileo?
treated."
that
eirors
their antiquity
peculiar position v/hicli Galileo had
the
a too
in
interpretation of the langua^fc of Scripture
literal
—
—
In
1
r^^siored to the
been printed by
.Mo::isij,nori
ii.
p. 1107.
Vatican Archive^,
Marini.
CALILLO.
A.D. 1G33.
i
i
himself coveted, and wLicb, plaited with immortcJ
was about
laurels,
to
descend upon his head ?
If,
and
sur-
instead of disavowing the laws of Nature,
rendering in his own person the intellectual dignity of his species, he his opinions,
had boldly asserted
and confided
cUe truth of
his character to posterity,
and his cause to an all-ruling Providence, he would
have strung up the hair-suspended sabre, and
armed
dis-
ever the hostility which threatened io
for
The
overwhelm him.
philosopher, however,
was
supported only by philosophy; and in the love of truth
he found a miserable substitute for the hopes Galileo cowered under the fear of
of the martyr.
man, and
his submission
Church.
The sword
on his prostrate neck phy-sical, yet
character of
it full
its
was the salvation
of the
of the Inquisition descended
;
and though
its
stroke
was not
with a moral influence fatal to the
victim, and to the dignity of science.
In studying with attention this portion of scientific
history, the reader will not fail to perceive that
the Church of
Eome was
driven into a dilemma,
from which the submission and abjuration of Galileo could alone extricate
and denounces inflicts
its
it.
lie
who
confesses a criuje
atrocity, not only sanctions l)nt
the punishment which
is
annexed
Galileo declared his innocence,
avowed
to
it.
Had
his senti-
ments, and appealed to the past conduct of the
Church
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
to the
acknowledged opinions of
its
and even
to the acts of its pontiffs,
he
itself
dignitaries,
GALILLo.
78
would have
tUAr.
V.
once confounded his accusers, and
at
escaped from their
After Copernicus, himself
toils.
a Catholic priest, had openly maintained the motion
and the
uf the earth,
stability of the sun
:
—
after he
had dedicated the work which advocated these opinions 10
Pope Paul
III.,
on the express ground that
the authority of the punf^J^ ml ^hi silence the caluuinies of those who' attiicked tbe.-e opinions by argu-
ments drawn from
Scrij'ture
:
—
after
the Cardinal
Schonberg and the Lisho}) of Culm had urged Copernicus to publish the the Bishop of to
new
doctrines
Ermehmd luA
Church
of Piome
— and
have appealed
after
monument
erect -d a
commetnorate his great discoveries;
the
;
— how
coulvl
to its pontifical
decrees as the ground of peisjcuiing and punishing
Galileo?
Even
in later times, the
had been propagated with in
entire
the very year of Galileo's
Anthony Foscarinus,
a
first
learned
same doctrints
toleration
:
Xay,
persecution, Piiul
Carmelite
monk,
wrote a pamphlet, in which he illustrates and defends the mobility of the earth, and endeavours to reconcile to this ture
new
doctj ine the passages of Scrip-
which had been em}>luyed
to subvert
it.
This
very singular pruJuctiun v.as dated from the Carmelite convent at Xiq)!es
;
was dedicated
to the \i^r\
reverend Sebasti:in Fan ton i, general of the Carmelite
Order;
authorities,
and, it
sanctioried
was publi-hel
very year of the
first
by at
the
Xaples
ecclesiastical in
1615, the
[)erscci;tiun of Galileo,
GALILEO.
A.D. ICoo.
Kor w as system
Tvhicli
1G22,
dedicater:
Kay,
it
Copernican
this the only defence of the
horn the hosoni of the Church.
i^:^\\Qrl
Thomas Campanena, in
i\y
*"
An
npology for
to
it
a Calal rian monk, puLlishe^l.
anJ he
Galileo,''^
D. Boniface, Cardinal of
evtii
Ci'jcti;.
appears from the dedication, that he under-
command
took the work at the
of the Cardinal, an^l
that the examination of the question had been intrusted to the Cardinal by the
Holy
St^nate.
an able defence of his friend, Campanella
Afier
refers, ai
ihe conclusion of his apology, to the suppression of
Galileo's e'Tect of
writings,
and justly observes, that the
such a measure would be to
more generally
The boldness
read,
make them
and more highly however,
of the apologist,
tempered with the humility of the
esteeme.l. is
wisely
ecclesiastic,
and
he concludes his work with the declaration, that all
whether written or
his opinions,
in
to be written,
himself to the opinions of the Holv
he submits
Mother Church
of
Eome, and
to the
judgment
of
his superiors.
By
these proceedings of the dig!:itaries, as well
as the clergy of the
been tolerated
for
Church of liome, which had
more than a century, the decrees
of the pontiUs against the doctrine of the earth's
motion were virtually repealed
;
have pleaded them with success ment.
and Galileo might in arrest of
judg-
Unfortunately, however, for himself and for
science, he
acted otherwise.
By
admitting their
GALILEO.
SD
CHAP.
V.
authority, he revived in fresh force these obsolete
and obnoxious enactments
;
and, by yielding to their
power, he riveted for another century the almost
broken chains of spiritual despotism It is a curious fact in
sedition,
the annals of heresy and
that opinions maintained with impunity
by one individual, have,
same
in the
others to the stake or to the scaffold.
age, brought
The
results
of deep research or extravagant s])eculation seldom
provoke
v^-hen
hostility,
meekly announced
as the
deductions of reason, or the convictions of conscience.
As
the dreams of a recluse or of
enthusiast, they
axi
may
excite pity or call forth contempt;
t^eed
quietly cast into the earih, they will rot and
but like
germinate according to the vitality with which they are endowed.
But,
if
new and
are thrown in the face of the
startling opinions
community
are uttered in triumph or in insult
public opinion,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
if
they
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in contempt of
or in derision of cherished errors,
they lose the comeliness of truth in the rancour of their propagation in a hurricane,
;
which only
husbandman. Had the
World with
and they are
like
irritates
seed scattered
and blinds the
Galileo concluded his System of
the quiet peroration of his apologist
Campanella, and dedicated
have stood in the library
it
to the
of the
Pope,
it
Vatican,
the cherished, though equally heretical,
might beside
volume of
Copernicus.
In the abjuration of his opinions by Galileo. Pohr
A
(iALlLKO.
1G34.
li.
Urban VIII.
u.d not
of his triumph in the
;
fail
81
to recognise the full extent
and he exhibited the utmost sagacity
means which he employed
to secure
it.
While
he endeavoured to overawe the enemies of the Church
by the formal promulgation of Galileo's sentence and abjuration, and by punishing the officials
who had
assisted in obtaining the license to print his work,
he
with
Galileo
treated
the
utmost
yielded to every request that was
and
lenity,
made
to diminish,
and almost suspend, the constraint under which he
The
lay.
sentence of abjuration was ordered to be
publicly read at several universities.
At Floreuce,
the ceremonial was performed in the Church of Santa Croce, and the friends and disciples of Galileo were especially
summoned
to witness the public
tion of their master.
was ordered
to be
The
Inquisitor at Florence
reprimanded
for his
conduct
Riccardi, the master of the sacred palace, poli,
the secretary of Pope
degrada-
Urban
;
and
and Ciam-
himself, were dis-
missed from their situations. Galileo had remained only four days in the prison of the Inquisition, when, on the application of Nic-
Tuscan ambassador, he was allowed to with him in his palace. As Florence still
colini, the
reside
suffered under the contagious disease
already mentioned,
it
which we have
was proposed that
Sienna
should be the place of Galileo's confinement, and that his residence should be in one of the convents of that city.
Niccolini, however,
recommended the
82
GALILLO.
CEAP. V.
palace of the Archbishop Piccolomini as a more suitable residence
;
and though the Archbishop was
one of Galileo's best friends, the Pope agreed to the arrangement, and quitted
Eome
in the
beginning of Jnly, Galileo
for Sienna.
After having spent nearly six months under the hospitable roof of his friend, with no other restraint
than that of being confined to the limits of the palace, Galileo
was permitted
to return to his villa
near Florence under the same restrictions the contagious disease
had disappeared
he was able in the month of December his
own house
ma"nder of
at Arcetri,
his davs.
in
;
and as
Tuscany,
to re-enter
where he spent iht rv
— UA1.IL1.0.
l03i.
A.I>.
CHAPTER VL C'llileo loses bis favourite
and Bat
ill
is
health
—
Is
Daughter— He
allowed
to
falls into a state of iLfclaDchu:y go to Florence for his recovery in IG18
prevented from leaving his House or receiving his Friends
friend Castelli pennitted to visit
Inquisition
— He
composes
him
in the presence of
an
his celebrated Dialogues on Local 3Iotion
— Loses the sight one Eye— The olber — tlind — Negotiates wiih finding the Longitude — He with his Friends — Illness and Deatii in
Discovers the Moon's Libration
01
Eye anacked by the same Disease Is struck Dutch Government re>pecting his Method of is
allowed free
1642
ini-jrcoursc;
— His
officer uf th.'
tlie
Hi!«
— His Epitapn — His Social, Moral, and Scientific Character.
Although
Galileo had
now
the happiness of re-
joining his family under their paternal roof, yet, like all
sublunary blessings,
it
was but
of short duration.
His favourite daughter Maria, who along with her sister
had joined the Convent of
Matthew
St.
in the
neighbourhood of Arcetri, had looked forward to the arrival of her father with the cipations.
most affectionate
She hoped that her
form some compensation
for
anti-
devotion might
filial
the malignity of his
enemies, and she eagerly assumed the labour of reciting
weekly the seven penitential psalms which
formed part of her father's sentence.
These sacred
duties,
however, were destined to terminate almost
at the
moment they were begun.
She was seized
with a fatal illness in the same month in which she
Ri
cuw.
<::ALTi.!:o.
VI.
rejoined Ler parent, and lefor^ the montli of April,
she
This heavy Llow, so suddenly
was no more.
struck,
overwhelmed Galileo
Owing
to the decline of his health,
in
the deepest agony.
and the recur-
rence of his old complaints, he was unable to oppose
mental suffering the constitutional energy of
to this
his nature.
and a
He
felt,
]-A<
manly and power-
as he expressed
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; palpitations â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
his heart
that he
was
his pulse
in-
it,
incessantly called by his daughter
termitted
down,
of his heart broke
flood of grief dv^solated
mind.
ful
The bulwarks
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
was agitated with unceasing
his appetite entirely left him,
and he
considered his dissolution so near at hand, that he
would not permit
Vicenzo to
his son
set out
upon a
journey which he had contemplau-L
From
this state of
melancholy and indisposition,
slowly, though
Galileo
partially,
recovered,
and,
with the view of obtaining medical assistance, he requested leave to go to Florence.
His enemies,
however, refused this application, and he was given imderstand,
to
that
any
additional
importunities
would be visited with a more vigilant surveillance.
He
remained, therefore, five years at Arcetri, from
1634
to 1638, without
any remission of
his confine-
ment, and pursuing his studies under the influence of a continued
There
is
and general
no reason
indisposition.
to think that Galileo or his
friends renewed their application to the
Rome;
but, in 1638, the
Church
of
Pop? transmitted, through
A.l).
GALILE'J.
:,Zi.
1
r.j
the luqui^itii" Fariauo, bis permii^slt-n
remove
he
iLiit
iirig:}t
to Florence fur the recovery of his health,
on the condition that he should present himself
at
the ofBce of the Inquisitor to learn the terms upon
which
mdulgence was granted.
this
Galileo ac-
cepted of the kindness thus unexpectedly profiered.
was given wtre
But the conditions upon which
it
more severe than he expected.
He was
prohibited
from leaving his house or admitting his friends so sternly
was
this
;
and
system pursued, that he required
a special order for attending mass during Passion
week.
The
was keenly
severity of this order
While he remained
Galileo.
felt
by
at Arcetri, his seclusion
from the world would have been an object of choice, if it
had not been the verdict of a tribunal
;
but to
be debarred from the conversation of his friends in
Florence
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
and
idolized,
tion of
With
in that city
where his genius had been
his society courted
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; was an aggrava-
punishment which he was unable
his
accustomed kindness,
made a strong ambassador
the
to bear.
Grand Duke
representation on the subject to his
Court of Eome.
at the
He
stated that,
from his great age and infirmities, Galileo's career
was near ideas,
its close
;
many
valuable
lose if they
were not
friends;
and that
that he possessed
which the world might
matured and conveyed
to
his
he was anxious to make these communications to
Father
Castelli,
who was
then a stipendiary of the
;
GALILEO.
SG
The Grand Dnke eomraanded
Court of Eome.
ambassador
him
Castelli on the subject
to see
in
Florence
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
to
VI.
his
urge
from the Pope to spend a few
to obtain leave
months
CHAP.
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and
supply him with
to
and everything that was necessary
money
for his journey.
Influenced by this kind and liberal message, Castelli
obtained an
audience of the Pope, and requested
Urban
leave to pay a visit to Florence.
instantly
suspected the object of hip journey; and, upon Cas-
acknowledging
te! li's
h^ could not possibly re-
tliat
frain
from seeing Galileo, he received permission to
visit
him
sition.
a
company
in the
of an ofGcer of the Inqui-
Castelli accordingly
went
to Florence, and,
few months afterwards, Galileo was ordered to
return to Arcetri.
During
his
confmement
at
Sienna and Arcetri,
between 1633 and 1C3S, his time was principally occupied in the composition of his
''
Dialogues on
Local Motion," in which he treats of the strength
and cohesion of
laws of uniform
solid bodies, of the
and accelerated motions, of the motion of
and of the centre of gravity of able work, which
was considered by
uest of his productions, vir, at
French ambassador
attempts to have
it
its
author as tho
was printed by Louis Elze-
Amsterdam, and dedicated
Xoailles, the
projectiles,
This remark-
solitls.
printed in
at
to the
Rome.
Count de Various
Germany had
failed
and, in order to save himself from the malignity of his enemies, he
was obliged
to pretend that the edi-
GALILEO.
A.D. 1630.
tion pullislud in
MS.
87
Holland had been printed from a
intrusted to the
French ambassador.
Although Galileo had
long time abandoned
for a
his astronomical studies, yet his attention
was
di-
rected, about the year 1636, to a curious appearance in the lunar disc,
known by the name When we examine with
which
the moon's libration.
is
telescope the outline of the moon, certain parts of her disc,
a
observe that
which are seen
at one time,
This change or libration
are invisible at another. is
we
of
of four different kinds, viz., the diurnal libration,
the libration in longitude, the libration in latitude,
and the spheroidal first
Galileo discovered the
libration.
of these kinds of libration,
and appears
had some knowledge of the second
;
have
to
but the third
was discovered by Hevelius, and the fourth by Lagrange.
This curious discovery was the result of the
last
his
telescopic
observations of Galileo.
Although
right eye
had
power, yet his
for
some years
lost its
general vision was sufficiently perfect to enable him to carry on his usual researches. this iiiiection of his eye
in
1637, his
disease.
left
In 1636, however,
became more
serious; and,
eye was attacked with the same
His medical friends
at first supposed that
cataracts were formed, and anticipated a cure from
the operation of couching. cious.
The
These hopes were
falla-
disease turned out to be in the cornea,
and every attempt
to restore
its
transparency was
8s
GALILEO.
CHAP.
In a few months the white cloud covered
fruitk'??.
the whole aperture of the pupil, and Galileo
became
This sadden and severe calamity had
totally blind.
almost over^^ helmed Galileo and his friends. writing to a correspondent he exclaims, ''Alas
In
your
!
dear friend and servant has become totally and
These heavens,
reparably blind. universe,
VI.
this earth,
ir-
this
which by wonderful observation I had en-
larged a thousand times beyond the belief of past are henceforth shrunk into the narrow space
ages,
which I myself occupy. therefore, please
deplores
telli,
me
*'
privileged,
:
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
'*
The
God
friend, thv-^
;
it
shall,
Father Cas-
same tone
of
noblest eye,'' says he, is
darkened
;
an eye so
and gifted with such rare powers, that
truly be said to have seen
and
of all that are gone, all
pleases
His
also.''
which nature ever made,
may
it
calamity in
the
pathetic sublimity
So
to
it
more than the eyes
have opened the eyes of
that are to come."
Although Galileo
had been thwarted
in
his
attempt to introduce into the Spanish marine his
new method never
of finding the longitude at sea, yet he
lost sight of
an object
the highest importance. tables of the
As
to
which he attached
the formation of correct
motion of Jupiter's
necessary preliminary to
its
satellites
introduction,
was a he had
occupied himself for twenty-four years in observations for this purpose, progre:-;" in
and he had made considerable
the laborious task.
After the publication
GALILLO.
1037.
A.I>.
of bis
Dialogues on Motion/' in 1636, he renewed
^'
method
his attempts to bring his
For
who had been
Real,
into actual use.
purpose he addressed himself to Lorenzo
this
India,
89
and
the
Dutch Governor-general
offered the free use of his
method
The Dutch Govern-
States-general of Holland.*
ment received the proposal with an anxious to
have
it
At the
carried into effect.
Constantine Huygens,
in
to the
desire
instigation of
the father of the illustrious
Huygens, and the secretary
to the
Prince of Orange,
tbey appointed commissioners to communicate witli Galileo
and while they transmitted
;
him a gold
to
chain as a mark of their esteem, they at the same
time assured him, that it
if
his plan proved successful
should not pass unrewarded.
The commissioners
entered into an active correspondence with Galileo,
and had even appointed one of
communicate personally with him this,
their
number
to
Lest
in Italy.
however, should excite the jealousy of the
Court of Eome, Galileo objected to the arrangement, so
that
the
negotiation was carried on solely by
correspondence. * It is a curious fact, that Morin bad about this time proposed to determine the longitude by the moon's distance from a fixed star, and that the commissioners assembled in Paris to examine it, requested Galileo's opinion of favourable.
its
value and practicability.
He saw
clearly,
Galileo's opinion
and explained
was
hii:hly
un-
distinctly, the objecti'^n to
Morin's method, arising from the imperfection of the lunar tables, and the
inadequacy of astronomical instruments scious that the very
but he seemed not same objection^ applied with even greater
own method, which has savant.
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;See Life
;
to be con-
force to his
since been supp'anted by that of the
of Galileo,
Library of U.sefal Knowledge,
p. 94.
French
GALILEO.
90 It
was
at this time that Galileo
Llindness. in
this
CH^P
VI.
was struck with
His friend and pupil, Eenieri, undertook
eraergency to arrange
observations and calculations
made much
and complete his Lut before he had
;
progress in the arduous task, each of
the four commissioners died in succession, and
it
was with great difdculty that Constantine Huygens succeeded in renewing
scheme.
tlie
It
was again
obstructed, however, by the death of Galileo
when
and
;
Renleri was about to pul>lish, by the order of
the Grand Duke, the of the Jovian
mortal
disease,
E[)hemeris," and
^'
of.
Tables
Planets," he was attacked with a
and the
manusci'pts of
which he was on the eve of
more heard
^*
By
publisiiing,
such a
series of
Galileo,
w^re never misfortunes
were the plans of Galileo and of the States-general com}>letely
overthrown.
however, to
know
tion suffered
any severe
It
is
some consolation,
that neither science nor navigaloss.
Xot withstanding the
perfection of our present tables of Jupiter's satellites,
and of the astronomical instruments by which
their eclipses aiay be observed, the is still
method
of Galileo
impracticable at sea.
In consequence of the
strict seclusion to
which
Galileo had been subjected, he was in the practice of dating his letters from his prison at Arcetri after
he had
lost the
;
but
use of his eyes, the Inquisition
seems to have relaxed
its
severity,
and
to
have
allowed him the freest intercourse with his friends.
The
Duke of Tuscany paid him frequent among the celebrated strangers who
GraD<l
visits
and
;
came from
lands to see the ornament of
distant
were Gassendi, Deodati, and our
Italy,
During
countryman Milton. his
91
GALILEO.
A.D. 1642.
life,
his
illustrioii^
the last three years of
eminent pupil Yiviani formed one of his
family; and in October 1841, the celebrated Torricelli,
another of his pupils, was admitted to the same
distinction.
Though tained
its
mind
the powerful
vigour, yet his debilitated frame
hausted with mental labour. that his head
was
want
cluded from worhl,
his
all
mind
;
re-
was ex-
often complained
body
of sleep,
Along with these
afHicted with another
deafness almost total
still
;
and the
was frequently broken with
attacks of hypochondria,
rheumatic pains.
He
too busy for his
continuity ot his studies
was
of Galileo
still
and acute
calamities, he
more severe
but though he was
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with
now
ex-
communication with the external still
grappled with the material
universe, and while he
was stuflying the
force of
percussion, and preparing for a continuation of his *'
Dialogues on Motion," he was attacked by fever
and palpitation of the heart, which,
two months, terminated ary ir342,
fatally
when he was
after continuing
on the 8th of Janu-
in the
78th year of his
age.
Having
died in the character of a prisoner of the
Inquisition, this odious tribunal disputed his right
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; GALILEO.
02 of
making a
drawn
;
being buried in cunsecrateJ
will, rend of
These
ground.
ciIA]'. VI.
erecting a
monument
him
to
Croce, in Florence, the
Church of Santa
in the
Pope would not permit
the
His sacred
re-
design to be carried into execution.
mains were, therefore, deposited
and continued
of the church,
years
were with-
however,
objections,
but though a large sum was subscribed for
an obscure corner
in
for
more than
unmarked wiih any monumental
tablet.
thirty
The
following epitaph, given without any remark in thj
Leyden
edition of his Dialogues,
is,
we presume, the
one which was inscribed on a tablet of Santa Croce
in the
:
GjlUlj&o GALiLiEi Florentino, Philoaopho et Geometrce vere lynceo, Naturae CC.iipo,
semper iriTcntorum machinatori, Qa; incoacessa adhuc inortalibu^^ glaria
Mi":1j;]iura
Coeh'rura prv^vincias auxit
Et uniTerso dedit iucrementum
Nod enim
;
vitreos si)herarara orbes
Fra^'ile^que stellar conHuvit;
Sed aeierna mundi curpora Medic'jaj beDenceiiti:c deiicavir.
Cujos inextincti
Ut oculos
gloriae cupidJt.s n:i.tioDUTn
Seculorumque omnium Tidere doccret, Proprios irapendit oculos,
Cum jam
amplius haberet
nil
Quod
r.arur:i
ipse vidcret.
C;;'as invcnia vix intra
rerum limites
cf^mprci.er.^a
FirniLimentujn ipsum nou solum coiiitnct,
Sed ttiain recipit. Qui
relictis
t-^t
scientiaruin
riura secum
tulit,
quam
monumentis reliquit.
Gravi enim f^c-iln )n
lum
affect
i
sencctute.
Churcli
A.D.
GALILEO.
iJiJ.
93
\ovi? contemplaiionibTi? M;:jcreni gloriam affectar.? l"^^i})lebilem sapieniia:- aniiiiain
Immaturo nob.s
obitu
Exbalavit
Anno Domini &iDC:.lii. -aZta'i? suce
LXXVIII.
His
p^H'il Viviani,
Lis property
ment over
with the charge of erecting a monu-
remains and his own.
Galileo's
when both
removed
Mow
died in 1703, "biirdered
however, was not
design,
1737,
who
carried
their bodies
into
effect
till
were disinterred, and
to the site of the splendid
monument which
The monument,
covers them.
The
erected at the
cx[)ense of the family of Xelli, contains the bust of
with figures of Geometry and Astronomy.
Cialileo, It
was designed by Giulio Foggini
Galileo's bust
;
was executed by Giovanni Battista Foggini; the figure of
Astronomy by Vincenzio Foggini,
and that of Geometry by Girolamo Galileo's house at Arcetri it
1
/'-'longed to
;
Ticciati.
remains.
In 1821,
one Signor Aliraari, having been pre-
served in the state in which It
still
his son
it
was
left
by
Galileo.
stands very near the Convent of St. Matthew, and
about a mile to the tion
by
S.
E. of Florence.
An
inscrip-
Nelli, over the door of the house, still re-
mains.
The PS a
character of Galileo, whether
member
science,
we view him
of the social circle, or as a
presents
many
man
of
interesting and instructive
GALILEO.
94 of
points
CHAP. YL
and
Unfortunate,
contemplation.
a
to
certain extent immoral, in his domestic relations, he
did not derive from tbat hallowed source
enjoyments which
it
generally yields
;
and
all
the
it
wjis
owing to this cause, perhaps, that he was more fond of society than
studious gaiety,
His habitual
habits.
and
rendered
might have been expected from his
his affability
him
among
his
and without any of that ostentation which
talent,
marks the man
often
favourite
of the pedantry of exclusive
Without any
friends.
and frankness of manner,
universal
a
and
cheerfulness
of limited
though profound
acquirements, Galileo never conversed u])on scientific
or philosophical subjects, except
who were capable
of understanding him.
literary
those
The
ex-
information, indeed, his great
of his general
tent
among
knowledge, but, above
all,
his
retentive
memory, stored with the legends and the poetry ancient
times,
drawing upon
saved him his
own
from
the
necessity
(f of
peculiar studies for the topics
of his conversation.
Galileo was not less distinguished for his hospitality
and benevolence
and generous
men
of genius
fortable
;
in the aid
and
he was liberal to the poor,
which he administered to
talent,
asylum under his
who
often found a com-
roof.
In his domestic
economy he was frugal without being parsimonious. His hospitable board was ever ready tion
of his friends
;
and,
for the recep-
though he was himself
A.li.
GALILEO.
lGi2.
abstemious in his
do
he seems to have been a
diet,
lover of good wines, of which he received always
the
out
varieties
choicest
This peculiar
cellar.
taste,
tachment to a country agricultural pursuits,
of the
life,
Grand Duke's
together with his at-
rendered him fond of
and induced him
to devote his
leisure hours to the cultivation of his vineyards.
In his personal appearance, Galileo was about the middle size, and of a
eyes penetrating,
square-built but well-
His complexion was
proportioned frame.
and
fair,
his hair of a reddish hue.
His expression was cheerful and animated
though
his
his
temper was easily
ruffled,
and
;
yet the ex-
citement was transient, and the cause of
it
speedily
forgotten.
One
ot the
of Galileo
most prominent
was
traits in the
character
his invincible love of truth,
and
his
abhorrence of that spiritual despotism which had so
long brooded over Europe.
were too
liberal,
and too
which he adorned admire the noble
His views, however,
far in
advance of the age
and however much we may
;
spirit
which he evinced, and the
personal sacrifices which he made, in his struggle for truth,
zeal
we must
yet lament the hotness of his
and the temerity
of his onset.
with the Church of Eome, he torious truth,
banner
;
and though
and hers that of
fell
In his contest
under her
his cause
vic-
was that of
superstition, yet the
sym-
pathy of Europe was not roused by his misfortunes.
GALILEO.
on
Under cus,
CHAP
the sagacious and peaceful
astronomy bad efiected
the dogmas
of the
Church
;
The
Lut under the hold and
the
all
scientific character of Galileo,
and
his
method
demand our warmest admira-
The number and ingenuity brilliant
her conquests
lost.
of investigating truth, tion.
of Coperni-
triumph over
a glorious
uncompromising sceptre of Galileo were irrecoverably
sway
'.-J.
of his inventions,
which he made in
discoveries
the
heavens, and the depth and beauty of his researches respecting the laws of motion, have gained him the
admiration of every succeeding age, and have placed
him next original
to
Xewton and Kepler
To
and inventive genius.
in
this
the
lists
of
high rank,
he was doubtless elevated by the inductive processes
which he followed
in all his inquiries.
Under
the same guidance of observation and experiment,
he advanced to general laws
;
and
if
Bacon had
never lived, the student of nature would have found, in the writings
and labours of Galileo, not only the
boasted principles of the inductive philosophy, but also their practical application to the highest efforts
of invention and d'scovcry.
LIFE OF TYCHO
MAHE.
BRAHK
LIFE OF TYCHO
CHAPTEE
I.
Tycho's Birth, Family, and Education— An Eclipse of the Sun turns Im attention to Asironomy Studies Law at Leipsic But pursues Astro-
nomy by
stealth
resumes
his
— His
—
—
Death— He returns to Copenhagen, and Observations— Revisits Germany— Fight- a Duel, and loses Uncle's
nose— Visits Augsburg, and meets Hainzel— Who assists him in making a large Quadrant Revisits Denmark— And is warmly received by the King— He settles at his Uncle's Castle of Herritz void— His Observatory and Laboratory— Discovers the new star in Cassiopeia Account of this remarkable Body Tycho's marriage with a Peasant Girl- Which irritates his friends— His Lectures on Astronomy— He visits the Prince of Hesse— Attends the Coronation of the Emperor his
—
—
Rudolph at Ratisbon— He returns
Among to
to
the distinguished
Denmark.
men who were
destined
revive the sciences, and to establish the true
system of the universe, Tycho Brahe holds a conspicuous place.
1546, at
He was
born on the 14th December
Knudstorp, an
estate
of his
situated near Helsingborg, in Scania, and eldest son
ancestors,
was the
and the second child of a family of
sons and five daughters.
His
five
father, Otto Brahe,
TYCHO
100
who was descended from was
in
BKAI3E.
CHAP.
1.
a noble Swedish family,
such straitened circumstances, that he re-
solved to educate his sons for the military profes-
but Tycho seems to have disliked the choice
sion
;
that
was made
who
appears to have had a similar feeling, exchanged
for
him
and his next brother, Steno,
;
the sword for the more peaceful occupation of Privy
Councillor to the King.
The
rest of his
though of senatorial rank, do not seem tended the renown of their family Sophia,
sister,
is
;
to
brothers,
have ex-
but their youngest
represented as an accomplished
mathematician, and
is
said to
have devoted her mind
to astron(miy as well as to the astrological reveries
of the age.
George Brahe, the brother of Otto, having no children of his own, resolved to
On
cate one of his nephews.
was desirous
accordingly, he
under
his wife's care
;
of
ad(^})t
and
to edu-
the birth of Tycho,
having him placed
but his parents could not be
pre railed upon to part with their child
till
after the
birth of Steno, their second son.
Having been
instructed in reading and writing
under proper masters, Tycho began the study of Latin in his seventh year his father's views, he
;
and, in
prosecuted
from
whom
under private
teachers,
Rho occasional
instruction in poetry
opposition to for five
it
he
years
received
and the
belles-
lettres.
In April 1559, about three years after his father's
^
TYCIIO EKAHE.
A.D. 1546-60.
death, Tyclio
was sent
101
to the University of
Copen-
hagen, to study rhetoric and philosophy, with
view of preparing
tht^
study of the law,
the
for
and
qualifying himself for some of those political offices
which
rank entitled him
his
In this
to expect.
situ-
ation he contracted no fondness for any particular
study
but after he had been
;
college,
powers of his mind
The
sixteen
months
an event occurred which directed to the
attention of the public
science
of astronomy.
had been long
a great eclipse of the sun, which was
at
the
all
to
fixed on
happen
crj
^^^ 21st of August 15G0,; and as in those duvs a
phenomenon
of this kind
was linked with the
tinies of nations as well as of individuals,
terest
which
excited
it
was
general.
Tycho watched
anxiety.
He
day, in which
described the very
;
its
as
intense
dt^>-
the in-
as
was
it
arrival with peculiar
read the astrological diaries of the
phases and
its consequences were and when he saw the sun darkened at its
moment
that
had been predicted, and
to
the very extent that had been delineated, he resolved to
make himself master
was capable cially that
of a science which
of predicting future events,
branch of
it
and espe-
which connected these events
with the fortunes and destinies of man.
With
this
view he purchased the TahulcE Bergenses^ calculated by John Stadius, and began with ardour the Btudy of the planetary motions.
When Tycho
had completed
^
his course at
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
--
Copen-
TYCIIO ERAHC.
102 hasfen,
he was
sent,
CHAP.
I.
in Felornary }J>ยง'2j uiuler the
charge of .a^tutor, to study jurisprudence at Leipsic.
aU
Astropomyj howeyer^ engrossed
Jii:^
thoughts;
and he had no sooner escaped from tlTfHaTTy
sur-
veiUance of his master, than he rushed with headlong impetuosity into his favourite pursuits. his
With
pocket-money be purchased astronomical books,
which he read tial
secret
in
;
globe, the size of his
quainted with the
stars,
and by means of a fist,
celes-
he made himself ac-
and followed them night
night through the heavens, when sleep had
after
By means
lulled the vigilance of his preceptor.
the Ephemerides
of
of Stadius, he learned to distin-
guish the planets, and to trace them through their direct
and retrograde movements
tained the Alphonsine
compared his own
and having ob-
;
and Prutenic Tables, and and
calculations
observations
with those of Stadius, he observed great differences in the results,
and from that moment he seems
have conceived the design of devoting accurate construction of Tables,
to
his life to the
which he justly
re-
garded as the basis of astronomy.
With
this view,
he applied himself secretly to the
study of arithmetic and geometry
;
and, without the
assistance of a master, he acquired that tical
knpwJedge which enabled him
early aspirations. still
His ardour
farther inflamed,
inspired
still
for
mathema-
to realize4hese
astronomy was
and the resolution which
it
farther strengthened, by the great cou-
"
A.D 1563.
TYCHO BRAHE,
junction of Jupiter
and Saturn, which took place
Au^st
1563.
menon
differed
The
103
considerably from
which was observed
in
calculated time of this pheno-
;
of conjunction, Tycho
and
the
true time
in determining the instant
felt in
the strongest
manner
the imperfection of the instruments which he used.
For
this purpose
he employed a sort of compass,
one leg of which was directed to one planet, and the second to the other planet or fixed star
;
and, by
measuring the angular opening between them, he determined the distance of the two
By
this rude contrivance,
sine Tables erred a
celestial bodies.
he found that the Alphon-
whole month
in the time of con-
junction, while the Copernican ones were at least several days in error. tion,
To
this celebrated conjunc-
Tycho ascribed the great plague which
sequent years desolated Europe, because
in subit
took
place in the beginning of Leo^ and not far from the
nebulous stars of Cancer^ two of the zodiacal signs
which are reckoned by Ptolemy "suffocating and pestilent
!
There dwelt at artisan
named
this time at Leipsic
Scultetus,
an ingenious
who was employed by
Homelius, the professor of mathematics in that to assist
him
city,
in the construction of his instruments.
Having become acquainted with this young man, Tycho put into his hands a wooden radius, such as was recommended by pose of having
it
Gemma
Frisius, for the pur-
divided in the
manner adopted by
TYCHO BRAHE.
104
Homelius; and with
made a
great
this
number
CHAP. L
improved instrument he
of astronomical observations
out of his window, without exciting the suspicions of his tutor.
Having spent to
make
three years at Leipsic he
the tour of Germany,
of his uncle's death, he
was about
when, in consequence
was summoned
to his native
country to inherit the fortune that had been left
him.
He
accordingly
middle of
May
quitted Leipsic
1565, and after
his domestic concerns in
about the
having arranged
Denmark, he continued
his astronomical observations with the radius con-
structed for
which
him by
Scultetus.
he pursued his studies
The ardour with
gave great umbrage
He was
to his friends as well as to his relations.
reproached for the law.
having abandoned the profession cf
His astronomical observations were
culed as not only useless but degrading, and, his
numerous connexions,
Bille^ was the only one
lowing the bent of
ridi-
among
his maternal uncle, Steno
who applauded him
his genius.
Under
for fol-
these un-
comfortable circumstances he resolved to quit his country, cities of
and pay a
visit
to the
most interesting
Germany.
At Wittemberg, where he
arrived in April 1566,
he resumed his astronomical observations
;
but, in
consequence of the plague having broken out in that city, he removed to Eostoch in the following
autumn.
Here an accident occurred which had
AD.
TYCHO BEAHE.
1566-8.
105
On
nearly deprived him of his
life.
cember he was invited
a wedding feast; and,
among
to
other guests, there
the 10th De-
was present a noble coun-
his own,
difference
having arisen between them on
sion,
this occa-
they parted with feelings of mutual displea-
On
sure.
some
at
Some
Manderupius Pasbergius.
tryman of
relled,
festive
settle
quar-
by
their differences
They accordingly met
at seven o^clock
evening of the 29th, and fought in
darkness. off the
games, and having again
they agreed to
the sword. in the
met
the 27th of the same month, they
total
In this blind combat, Manderupius cut
whole of the front of Tycho's nose, and
was fortunate
for
it
astronomy that his more valuable
organs were defended by so faithful an outpost.
The
quarrel,
which
is
said to
have originated
in
a
difference of opinion respecting their mathematical
acquirements, terminated here his loss
and
by cementing upon
silver,
which
is
and Tycho repaired
;
his face a nose of gold
said to
have formed a good
imitation of the original.
During the years 1567 and 1568, Tycho continued to reside at^Kostoch, with the exception of a
few months, during which he made a rapid journey into
Denmark.
He
lived in a house in the college
of the Jesuits, which he had rented on account of fitness for celestial observations
;
but,
tended to spend the winter under
made no arrangement
though he
its roof,
respecting his
its
in-
he had
future
life,
_
.0 '
"^
^
TYCIIO BRAKE.
lOG leaving
A
it,
T.
hands of Providence.
as he said, in the
however, to
desire,
CTIAP.
visit the
south of
Germany
induced him to quit Eostoch, and having crossed the Danube, he paid a visit to Augsburg.
Upon
entering this ancient city,
grandeur of
ticularly struck with the
splendour of
tions, the
beauty of within
its
its
fountains
par-
its fortifica-
private houses,
its
and the
and, after a short residence
;
was
walls, he
Tycho was
still
more delighted with
the industry of the people, the refinement of the
higher classes, and the love of literature and science
which was cherished by
its
wealthy
citizens.
Among
the interesting acquaintances which he formed at
Augsburg, were two brothers, John and Paul Hainzel,
the one a septemvir, and the other the consul
or burgomaster.
They were both
distinguished by
their learning,
and both of them, particularly Paul,
were
lovers
ardent
of
astronomy.
Tycho had
hitherto no other astronomical instrument than the
coarse radius which
was made
for
him by Scultetus,
and he waited only for a proper occasion to have a larger and better one constructed for his use.
now
the
command
of
Having
workmen who could execute
his plans, he conceived the bold design of
making
a divided instrument which should distinctly exhibit single minutes of a degree.
While he was
ferring the first rude conception of
it
trans-
to paper,
Paul
Hainzel entered his study, and was so struck with the grandeur of the plan, that he instantly under-
'
TYcno
A.D. 15G?.
took to have
it
executed at his
upon is
its
;
own
and Tycho and
The
expense.
was a quadrant
projected instrument cubits^ radius
107
rr.AiiE.
of fourteen
his friend entered
construction with that intense ardour which
ever crowned with success.
In the village of Gegginga, about half a mile to the south of the city, Paul Hainzel had a country
house, the garden of which
where the quadrant was artists in
was chosen to
and from the zeal which spired, the
The
best
to execute the work,
so noble
an instrument
quadrant was completed in
Its size
was
so great that
with difficulty transport
oak
The
be fixed.
Augsburg, clockmakers, jewellers, smiths,
and carpenters, were engaged
month.
as the spot
less
in-
than a
twenty men could
to its place of fixture.
it
two principal rectangular radii were beams of the arch which lay between their extremities
;
was made of
solid
wood
of a particular kind, and
the whole was bound together by twelve beams.
It
received additional strength from several iron bands,
and the arch was covered with plates of the purpose of receiving the it
was
to be divided.
A
5400
brass, for
lines into
which
large and strong pillar of
oak, shod with iron, was driven into the ground, and
kept in pillar
its
place
by
solid
the quadrant was
and steps were prepared
when
As
stars
mason- work.
To
this
fixed in a vertical plane, to
elevate the observer,
of a low altitude required
his attention.
the instrument could not be conveniently covered
\U' ^^^"'
)C^
0^"^"
^
10^
TYlIIO DKAIIE.
with a
I.
was protected from the weather by a
roof, it
made
covering
CUAP.
of skins
and other precautions,
;
but notwithstanding this
was broken
it
to pieces
by a
violent storm, after having remained uninjured for
the space of five years.
As
this
quadrant was
fitted
only to determine the
altitudes of the celestial bodies,
Tycho constructed a
large sextant for the purpose of measuring their disIt consisted of
tances.
two
radii,
which opened and
shut round a centre, and which were nearly four
and also of two arches, one of which was
cub'iis long,
graduated, while the in the
same plane.
or shut
served ^o keep the radii
After the radii had been Oj^ened
they nearly comprehended the angle be-
till
tween the
otlier
stars to be
observed, the adjustment was
completed by means of a very AVith this instrument observations
began
also
about six
during the
feet in
fine
tangent screw.
Tycho made many his
stay
at
construction
diameter.
of It<
excellent
Augsburg. a
He
wooden globe
outer surface
was
turned with great accuracy into a sphere, and kept
from warping by interior bars of wood supported at its centre.
After receiving a visit from the celebrated Peter
Eamus, who subsequently sacre
of St.
fell
a victim at the
Bartholomew, Tycho
left
mas-
Augsburg,
bavin o^ received a promise from his fnend Hainzel that he would communicate to niiide
him the observations
with his large quadrant, and with the sextant
which he had given him to Philip
KO
TYCIIO BRAHE.
A.v. l.'Tl.
Appian
as a present.
in passing
He
paid a
vii^it
through Ingolstadt, and
returned to his native country about the end of 1571.
The fame which he had
acquired as an astronomer
procured for him a warmer reception than that which
he had formerly experienced.
him
and
to court,
his friends
him with kindness.
now
His uncle, Steno
and who had always taken a deep scientific character of his
him
purpose. offer.
Tycho
it
who
interest in the
him
an obser-
for
which was best adapted
for that
cheerfully accepted of this liberal
The immediate proximity
Knudstorp,
Bille,
nephew, not only invited
to his house, but assigned to
vatory the part of
invited
ancient convent of Hevritzvold,
the
lived at
The King
and admirers loaded
of Herritzvold to
rendered this arrangement peculiarly
convenient, and in the house of his uncle he experi-
enced
all
that kindness
and consideration which
natural affection and a love of science combined
When
to cherish.
Steno learned that the study of
chemistry was one of the pursuits of his nephew,
he granted him a spacious house, a few yards distant
from the convent, time in
fitting
his furnaces
;
up
for his laboratory.
his observatory,
Tycho
and
and regarding gold and
in
lost
no
providing
silver
and the
other metals as the stars of the earth, he used to represent
his
two
opposite
pursuits
as
forming
only one science, namely, celestial and terrestrial
astronomy.
â&#x20AC;˘
I
^
TYCHO
110 In the hopes of alchemy,
oi
BHAIIi:.
CH\1>.
I.
enriching himself by the pursuits
Tycho devoted most
of his attention to
those satellites of gold and silver which constituted Ills
own
now
system, and which
disturbed by their
poweiiul action the hitherto uniform movements of their primary.
His
Germany, where astronomers artists
were ever turning
affections
almost every
city.
The
and
of kindred views,
of surpassing talent were
want of
found
be
to
money
means
in
alone pre-
vented him from realizing his wishes; and in the hope of attaining the
to
it
was
of travelling,
that he in a great measure forsook his sextants for his
crucibles.
In order, however, that he might
have one good instrument in structed a sextant similar
his observatory,
to,
he con-
but somewhat larger
than, that which he had presented to Hainzel.
limb was made of solid brass,
Its
and was exquisitely
divided into single minutes of a degree.
Its radii
were strengthened with
and the
plates oi
brass,
apparatus for opening and shutting them was
made
with great accuracy.
The
possession of this instrument
fortunate
for
Tycho,
for
was
peculiarly
an event now occurred
which roused him from his golden
visions,
and
directed all his faculties into their earlier and purer current.
On
was returning
the 11th
November 1572, when he
to supper
from his laboratory, the
clearness of the sky inspired
him with the
completing some particular observations.
desire ol
On
look-
TYCHO
1572.
A.I).
Ill
LUAIIE.
ing up to the starry firniciment he was surprised to
an extraordinary light in the constellation of
see
He
Cassiopeia, which
was then above
confident that he
had never before observed such a
own
senses,
the peasants,
that
it
before,
own
he was
vision.
he called out the servants and
and having received
was a huge
star such as they
sextant,
its
had never seen
new and unusual
to his observatory, adjusted
and measured
magnitude,
a
as
it
nearest stars in Cassiopeia. its
their testimony
of the correctness of his
satisfied
Regarding
phenomenon, he hastened his
felt
and distrusting the evidence
star in that constellation,
of his
his head.
light,
its
distances from the
He
noted also
and
its
colour,
its
form,
and he
waited with great anxiety for the next night, that
he might determine the important point whether
was a
own
fixed star, or a
body within, or near
to,
it
our
system.
For several years Tycho had been
in the practice
of calculating, at the beginning of each year, a sort
own
of
almanac
all
the observations which he had
star,
for his
use,
in this
he inserted
made on
the
new
and the conclusions which he had drawn from
them.
Having gone
to
of the ensuing spring, he
John
and
Copenhagen showed
Pratensis, a professor, at
always hospitably received.
this
in the course
manuscript to
whose house he was Charles Danzeus, the
French ambassador, and a person of great learning, "havhig heard of Tycho's arrival, invited himself to
112
TYCIIO BRATJE.
niAP.
The
dine with the party at the house of Pratensis.
conversation soon turned upon the
Tycho found existence. subject, to so
his
companion very
new
I.
and
star,
sceptical about its
Danzeus was particularly jocular on the
and attacked the Danes
for their inattention
important a science as astronomy.
ceived this lecture
Tycho
re-
good temper, and with the
in
anxious expectation that a clear sky would enable
him
to
give a practical
refutation
which had been made upon
attack
of the
his country.
The night
turned out serene, and the whole party saw with
astonishment the
new
able circumstances.
was
star
under the most favour-
Pratensis
similar to the one observed
conceived
that
it
by Hipparchus, and
urged Tycho to publish the observations which he
had made upon
Tycho
it.
refused to accede to this
request, on the pretext that his
ciently perfect
;
work was not
suÂŁ6-
but the true reason, as he after-
wards acknowledged, was, that he considered
would be a disgrace sucTi subjects, or to
for a
it
nobleman, either to study
communicate them
This absurd notion was with some
to the public.
difficulty over-
come, and through the earnest entreaties and
ance of Pratensis, his work on the
new
assist-
star
was
published in 1573^
This remarkable body presents to us one of the
most interesting phenomena in astronomy. date of tained.
its
The
appearance has not been exactly ascer-
Tycho saw
it
on the 11th November, but
A.
TYCHO BRAHE.
D 1574.
Cornelius
Gemma
Hainzel saw
had seen
113 on the 9tn.
it
on the 7th of August at Augsburg,
it
and Wolfgangus Schulerus observed
Tycho
berg on the Gth. first
Wittem-
at
it
conjectures that
was
it
Hieronymus Munosius
the oth, and
seen on
Paul
asserts that at Valentia, in Spain,
was not seen
it
on the 2d, when he was shewing that part of the
ThiÂŤ singular body con-
heavens to his pupils.
tinued to be seen during 16 montjis, and did not
disappear
marks
tive
March lo?4.
till
was exactly
a
lilie
It
when he
seemed is
to
it
equalled
splendour the
;
fifth, to
tude
;
it
was
him
;
less
In the
in i\iQ fourth,
Lyra
it
in the fourteenth
small that
it
changed with
its
;
in
;
to Sirius
in the eighth, ninth,
and
;
at last disappeared.
the third
month II
it
to
sixteenth
it
in
stars
and
fourth magni-
After this
first
;
in
in the eleventh,
fifteenth,
and in the
At
him
and seventh, to
magnitude
magnitude.
size.
of its
in the second,
;
surpassed
thirteenth, to stars of ih^
stars of the sixth
bright
;
it
was equal
in the sixth
;
month
first
than Jupiter
in the third,
the fifth magnitude
so
fixed
nearest the earth, and rivalled Venus in
tenth, to stars of the third
and
and
be somewhat larger than Jupiter
of the second magnitude
twelfth,
it
distinc-
any other
or Birius^ or
her greatest brightness.
appearance
appearance
its
It twinkled strongly,
of a comet.
grew larger than Lyra star.
In
having none of the
star,
stars
of
month, to it
became
Its colour
was white and
began to become
'
TYCHO
114 yellowish
baran
in the fifth, it
;
and
;
Its
Its longitude
of
was
Taurus; and
It
and
in the Gth degree its
like
was ani"!
I.
A'de-
bec.me
eightli. it
growing afterwards
place in the heavens
duliL-r
.â&#x20AC;˘nd
invarialh'.
54ih
njin;..
latitude 53^ 45' north.
Its
26f' and its declination GF had no parallax, and was unquestionaLly
was
right ascension 46|'.
;
cilAP.
became reddish
in the seventh
bluish like Saturn duller.
BnAIIE.
0^
situated in the region of the fixed stars.
After
Tycho had published
to travel into
Germany and
he proposed
his book,
Italy,
but he was seized
with a fever, and he had no sooner recovered from it,
than he became involved in a love
frustrated
upon
his nobility
new
lishing his observations on a
not scruple to
many
which
Although Tycho was
schemes.
his
all
afraid of casting a stain
afiair,
a peasant
star,
by pub-
yet he did
girl of the village of
Knudstorp.
This event took place in 1573, and
1574
gave birth
his wife
to his
Tycho's noble relations were deeply offended
imprudent step of the
;
and
so far did the
parties extend, that
in
daughter Magdalene.
the
at this
mutual animosity
King himself was
^obliged to effect a reconciliation.
The fame
of our author as an astronomer
mathematician was now
so high, that several
Danish nobles requested him lectures plication
to deliver a course of
upon these interesting
was seconded by
all bis best friends
;
and
young
subjects.
This ap-
Pratensis, Danzeus, and
but their solicitations were un-
;
Ha
TYCIIO BKAHE.
A.D. 1575.
The King
successful.
way which insured
at last
its
maae
the request in a
being granted, and Tyc]i(i
delivered a course of lectures, in which he not onlv^
gave a
full
view of the science of astronomy, but
defended and explained
Having domestic
finished
affairs,
all
the reveries of astrology.
his lectures,
and arranged
his
he set out on his projected journey
about the beginning of the spring of 1575, leaving
behind him his wife and daughter,
till
upon a place of permanent residence.
he should
The
first
fix
town
which he visited was Hesse-Cassel, the residence of
William Landgrave of Hesse, whose patronage astronomy, and whose servations,
have
skill in
making
immortalized his
Tycho spent eight
of
celestial ob-
name.
Here
or ten delightful days, during
which the two astronomers were occupied one half of the day in scientific conversation, and the other
half in
astronomical observations
have prolonged a pleasure,
visit
and he would
;
which gave him so much
had not the death of one of the Land-
grave's daughters interrupted their labours.
Passing
through Frankfort, Tycho went into Switzerland and, after visiting
many
cities
on
his
way, he fixed
upon Basle as a place of residence, not only from central position, but from the salubrity of the
and the cheapness of went
living.
From
to Venice, and, in returning
its
air,
Switzerland he
through Germany,
he came to Katisbon, at the time of the congress,
which had been summoned on the 1st of November,
TYCHO BRAHE.
116 for the coronation
this occasion
dividuals,
but
of the
cHAP.
On
Emperor EuJolph.
he met with several distinguished
who were
I.
in-
not only skilled in astronomy,
who were among
its
warmest patrons.
From
Eatisbon he passed to Saalfeld. and thence to Wittemberg, where he saw the parallactic instruments
and the wooden quadrant which had been used by
John Pratensis city,
and
in
measuring the altitudes of the new
Tycho was no time
in determining the latitude of the star.
novr impatient for home, and he lost
in returning to
awaiting him which
Denmark, where events were
frustrated all his schemes,
by
placing him in the most favourable situation for pro-
moting ests 01
bis
own
happiness, and advancing the intci-
astronomv.
— TYCHO BRAHE,
A.D.
CHAPTER Frtderick
II. patronizes
mark—Grants him
Tycha
— And
the Island of
117
IT.
resnlyes to establish
Uuen
for life
him
Den-
in
— And builds the splendid
— Description of the Island, and of the Obser— Account of Astronomical Instruments— Tycho begin? his made Canon of Rothschild, and reObservations — His Pupils — Tycho ceives a large pension — His hospitality to his visitors— Inj,Tatitude of Wiiichius— Tycho sends an assistant to take the latitude of Frauenburg Observatf^ry of Uraniburg
vatory
its
is
and Konigsberg
Is visited
by Ulric, Duke of Mecklenburg—Change in
Tycho's f(Ttune&
The
patronage ^hich had been extended to astro-
nomers by several of the reigning princes of Ger-
many, especially by the Landgrave
and
of Hesse,
Augustus, Elector of Saxony, had begun to excite a love of science in the minds of other sovereigns.
The King
of
Denmark seems
to
have
felt
it
as a
stain
upon
in his
dominions should carry on his observations in
his character, that the only astronomer
distant kingdoms,
and adorn by
courts than his own.
With
his discoveries other
this feeling
he sent am-
bassadors to Hesse-Cassel to inquire after Tycho,
and
to intimate to
him
his wish that
he should
re-
turn to Denmark, and his anxiety to promote the
advancement of astronomy
Tycho had rived,
left
Cassel
in his
when
own dominions.
these messengers
iir-
and had heard nothing of the King's inten-
1
TYCHO
18
lions
till
be was aboin
At
family for Basle.
BRAIIE.
to quit
this time
CHAP.
Knndstorp with
possible at
him
Tycho
obeying the royal summons.
him with the most to give
who brought
meet the King
to
Copenhagen.
a
as soon as
no time
lost
The King
in
received
He
offered
for life of the island of
Huen,
flattering kindness.
him a grant
his
he was surprised by
the arrival of a noble messenger, letter requesting
II.
between Denmark and Sweden, and furnish with instruments, at his
to construct
own
and an
expense,
accommoda-
observatory, as well as a house for the
tion of his family, together with a laboratory for
Tycho, who
carrying on his chemical inquiries. truly loved his country,
was deeply
the munificence of the royal
offer.
affected with
He
with that warmth of gratitude which lated to inspire
thought that
if
it
accepted
was calcu-
and he particularly rejoiced
;
it
in the
any success should attend his future
labours, the glory of
it
would belong
to his native
land.
The
island of
Huen
is
about six miles from the
coast of Zealand, three from that of Sweden,
fourteen from Copenhagen.
and
It is six miles in cir-
cumference, and rises into the form of a mountain,
which, though very high, terminates in a plain. is
nowhere rocky, and even
in the time of
produced the best kinds of grain pasturage for horses, deer, hares,
rabbits,
cattle,
Tycho
It it
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; afforded excellent
and sheep, and possessed
and partridges
in
abundance.
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A.I).
It
M
TYCHO BRAHE.
1570.
cc>ntrw;.ed
119
time only one
at that
villa^ro,
with
about forty inhabitants.
Having surveyed to build a
his
new
territory,
Tycho resolved
magnificent tower in the centre of the
elevated p'ain, which he called Uraniburg, or The
Having made
City of the Heavens.
the necessary
arrangements, he repaired to the island on the 8ih of August,
and
his friend Charles
foundation-stone of the
new
sisted of a slab of porphyry,
scription
Danzeus
laid the
observatory, which con-
with the following
in-
:
PiEGXAXTE r.< Daxia Feederico XL, Caeolus DaXZ-EC9 Aquita^us Pi. G. I. D. L.,*' Domui uuic Philosophise, imPRIM1?QUE ASTRORUM COXTEMPLATIOXI, PiEGIS DECRETO A SO-
TyCHOXE BrAHE De KxUDSTRUP EXTRUCT.E YOTITU HUNG LAPIDEM MEMORISE ET FELICI3 AUSPICII ERGO P. Ax>"0
BILI TIRO
CIj.Ij.LXXVL \L
Id.
Augusti.
This ceremony was performed early
in the
morn-
ing of a splendid day, in which the rising sun threw its
blessing upon Frederick, and upon the party of
noblemen and philosophers who had assembled testify their love of science.
An
to
entertainment was
provided for the occasion, and copious libations of a variety of wines were offered for the success of the undertakinsr.
The observatory was surrounded by a rampart, each face of which was three hundred
About the middle
feet
of each face, the rampart
Regis Gallorum in Dania Le^atus.
lon^. o
became
;
TYCHO BRAKE.
120
CHAP.
a semicircle, the inner diameter of v^hkh
The height
feet. feet,
and
its
vrjis
II.
ninety
of the rampart -was twenty-two
thickness at the base twenty.
Its four
angles corresponded exactly with the four cardinal points,
and
the north and south angles were
at
erected turrets, of which one was a printing-house,
and the other the residence
Gates
of the servants.
were erected at the east and west angles, and above
them were apartments
for the reception of strangers.
Within the rampart was a shrubbery with about three hundred varieties of trees
and
;
of each semicircular part of the rampart or summer-house.
at the centre
was a bower
This shrubbery surrounded the
flower-garden, which was terminated within by a circular wall about forty-five feet high, whicli en-
closed a
more elevated
area, in the centre of
which
stood the principal building in the observatory, and fi'om
which four paths led
angles, with as
The
The and
many
to the
above-mentioned
doors for entering the garden.
principal building was about sixty feet square.
doors were placed on the east and we.^t sides to the north
and south
fronts
were attached two
round towers, whose inner diameter was about
two
feet.
which had windows in their
roof,
that could be
opened towards any part of the heavens.
commodations splendid.
tower,
thirty-
These towers formed the observatories,
for
Under
The
ac-
the family were numerous and the
observatory,
was the museum and
library,
in
the
south
and below
this
A. D.
TYCHO BRAKE.
1576.
121
again was the laboratory in a suLteranneous crypt, containing sixteen furnaces of various kinds.
Be-
neath this was a well forty feet deep, from which
water was distributed by syphons to every part of the building.
Besides the principal building, there were other
two situated without the rampart, one
to t!ie north,
containing a workshop for the construction of astro-
nomical and other instruments, and the other to
was occupied
the south, which
house.
These buildings
as a sort
King
cost the
of
100,000 rixdollars (ÂŁ20,000), and Tycho
of
farm-
Denmark is
said to
have expended upon them a similar sum.
As
accommodate the
the two towers could not
instruments which Tycho required for his observations,
he found
it
necessary to erect, on the
hill,
about sixty paces to the south of Uraniburg, a subterranean observatory, in which he might place his larger instruments,
and
to
which required
to be firmly fixed,
be protected from the wind and the w^eather.
This observatory, which he called Stiernberg, or the
mountain of the
crypts, separated
by
stars,
consisted
solid walls,
and
of
several
to these there
was a subterranean passage from the laboratory Uraniburg.
The
various
buildings which
in
Tycho
erected were built in a regular style of architecture,
and were highly ornamented, not only with external decorations, but with the statues and pictures of the
most distinguished astronomers, from Hipparchus
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 122
TYriTO rJiAiiE.
and Ptolemy, down
and poems
tions
in
to Copernicus,
and with
ii.
insL-rip-
hononr of astronomers.
While these buildings were
Tycho was
their completion,
chap.
erecting,
and
after
bnsily occupied in pre-
These were
paring instruments for ohservation.
of
the most splendid description, and the reader will
form some notion of their grandeur and their expense from the fullowl^ig In 1.
A
the Scm^Ji
and
semicircle of sohd
li>i
:
greater Ohservatonj.
iroh
covered with bra-s
four
cubits radius. 2.
A
3.
A quadrant
sextant of the same material: and of one
and
size.
a half cubits radius,
azimuth civle of three cubit^. 4. Ptolemy's parallactic rules, covered with
and an
bra-^s,
four
cubits in the side. 5. 6. 7.
The sextant already described in page 108. Another quadrant, like No. o. Zodiacal armillav-ies of melted brass, and turned out
cf the solid, of three cubits in diameter. Near this observatory wa- a large clock, with one wlieel tvro cubits in diameter,
and
t^vo
smaller ones which, like
it,
indicated hours, minutes, and seconds. /// the
8.
An
Sou'jt
and ksscr
Observatory/.
armillar}' sphere of brass, with a steel meridian,
whose diameter
Avas
about four cubits.
In the Xorth Olservatory, 9. Bra^s parallactic rules, which revolved in azimuth above a brass horizon, twelve feet in diameter.
10.
A half sextant,
11.
A
12.
Another half sextant, with
radius.
of four cubits radius.
steel sextant.
steel limb,
four cubits
a
13.
The
123
TYCIIO EKAIIE.
A.D. liu).
pavallactic rules of Copernicus.
14. Equatorial armillaries. 15.
A
quadrant of a solid plate of brass,
five cubits in
radius. sho\ving every ten second-. IG.
burg.
In the
museum was
the large globe
made
at
Augs-
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; see page 108. In
the Sticrrtherg Observatory,
a large semicircle, with a brass showing hours, minutes, and seconds.
17. In the central part,
limb, 18.
and
tiiree clocks,
Equatorial
armillaries
of seyen cubits,
with semi-
armillaries of nine cubits. 19.
A
sextant of four cubits radius.
20.
A
geometrical square of iron,
with an intercepted
quadrant of five cubits, and divided into fifteen seconas. 21. A quadrant of four cubits radius, showing ten seconds, with an azimuth
circle.
22. Zodiacal armillaries
of brass, with steel meridians.
three cubits in diameter. 23.
A
sextant of brass, kept together by screws, and ca-
pable of being taken
to
pieces lor travelling with.
Its
radius was four cubits. 24. 25.
A movable armillary sphere, three A quadrant of solid brass, one
cubits in diameter.
cubit radius,
and
divided into minutes by Konian circles. 2G.
An
astronomical radius of solid brass, three cubirs
long. 27.
An
28.
A
astronomical ring of brass, a cubit in diameter.
small brass astrolabe.
In almost the
limb
all
the instruments
now enumerated.
was subdivided by diagonal
method which Tycho which, in modern
first
lines,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
brought into use, but
times, has been superseded
by
the inventions of Nonius and Vernier.
When Tycho
had thus furnished
his observatory,
he devoted himself to the examination of the stars
;
124
TYCIIO BRAIIE.
and during
tlie
to
astronomical science. in
II.
twenty-one years which he spent
this delightful occupation, he
young
CHAr.
made
in
vast additions
In order to instruct the
the art of observing, and educate assis-
tants for his observatory, he had sometimes under
from six
his roof
and educated.
to
twelve pupils,
Some
whom
were named by the
of these
Others were
King, and educated at his expense. sent
by
who
different
he boarded
academies and
cities
and
;
had presented themselves of their
several,
own
accord,
were liberally admitted by the generous astronomer.
As Tycho had
spent nearly a ton of gold (about
100,000 dollars) in his outlay
own income was reduced
to
at
Uraniburg, his
very narrow limits.
To
supply this defect, Frederick gave him an annual pension of 2000 dollars, besides an estate in Nor-
way, and made him Canon of the Episcopal Church of Rothschild, or
Prebend of
St.
had an annual income of 1000
Laurence,^ which dollars,
and which
was burdened only with the expense of keeping up the chapel containing the
monuments
of the
Kings
of the family of Oldenburgh.
would be an unprofitable
It
means
task,
and one
l)y
no
interesting to the general reader, to give a
detailed history of the various astronomical observations
and discoveries which were made by Tycho
during the twenty years that he spent
Every phenomenon *
ThU
that appeared
at
Uraniburg.
in the
heavens
ofSce had been usually conferred on the King'? Chancellor.
;
TYCIIO BRAHE.
A.D. 1576.
he observed
^\'ith tlie
greatest care
125 ;
T\'liile
he at the
sarae time carried on a regular series of observations for
determining the places of the fixed
stars,
and
for
improving the tables of the sun, moon, and planets.
Though almost suits,
unbounded nobles,
the
T\'holly
devoted to these noble pur-
yet he kept an open house, and received, with
crowds of philosophers,
hospitality, the
and princes, who came to be introduced
first
to
astronomer of the age, and to admire the
splendid temple which
the Danish sovereign
had
consecrated to science.
Among
the strangers wdiom he received under his
roof, there
were some who returned his kindness with
ingratitude.
Paul Witichius, a mathematician, who
pretended to have devoted his whole
nomy, introduced himself
described
all
to
his
to astro-
The unsuspecting
with the utmost kindness.
nomer explained
life
Tycho, and was treated
to
guest
his methods,
all
astro-
his inventions,
and even made him ac-
quainted with those views which he had not realized,
and with the
principles of instruments
not yet executed.
When
which he had
Witichius had thus ob-
tained possession of the methods, and inventions, and
views of Tycho, and had enjoyed his hospitality for three months, he pretended that he was obliged to
return to
Germany
he had succeeded.
to receive
an inheritance
to
which
After quitting Uraniburg, this
ungrateful mathematician neither returned to see
Tycho, nor kept up any correspondence with him
12C
and
TYCIIO BRAlIi:. it
was not
Tjcho Hesse
till
CHAP.
five years after Lis
learned, from
the
letters
II.
departure that the Prince of
oi
Eanzau, that Witicliius bad passed through
to
Hesse, and had described, as bis own, the various inventions and methods which had been sh^wn to
him
Huen.
in
Being unable
own
io reconcile his
observations
with those of Copernicus, and with the Prutenic
Tycho resolved
Tables,
to obtain
of the latitude of Frauenburg,
made
Ci'pernicus berg,
of
adapted his Prutenic Tables. sent one
his assistants,
(>f
in
his observations,
meridian
the
to
new
determinations Prussia,
and
where
of Konigs-
which Pihcinhold had
For
purposes he
tliese
Elias Morsianus, with a
proper instrument, under the protection of Cylovius,
Ambassador
King
the
of
Margrave
of Anspach,
Denmark, who was returning by
of
Germany
;
to
the
sea to
and, after receiving the greatest attention
and assistance from the noble Canons of Ermeland, he determined, from nearly a month's observations
on the sun and
stars, that
the latitude of
was 54^ 22i', in place of 54' Copernicus. latitude 17',
In
like
of Konigsberg
as adopted
returned to
Frauenburg
as given
manner he found was 54^
by Eheinhold.
Huen
19?>',
in July,
by
that the
43', in place of 54^
When
Morsianus
he brought with him, as
a present to Tycho, from Hannovius, one of the
Canons
of
Ermeland, the Ptolemaic
Parallactic Instrument
rtiles,
or the
which Copernicus had used
;
127
TYCIIO BIIAIIE.
A.D. 1586.
and made
own
Tvitb Lis
bands.
It consisted of
two
equal wooden rules, five cubits long, and divided
1414
into
Tycbo preserved
parts.
tbis gift as one
peculiarly dear to bim, and, on tbe day of bis re-
ceiving
it,
be composed a set of verses in boncur
the great astronomer to
Among
it
belonged.
tbe distinguisbed visits wbicb were paid
Tycbo, we must enumerate tbat of Ulric, Duke
to
of
wbom
j-f
Mecklenburgb,
Queen
Sopbia, visits to
of
Altbougb
1586.
in
bis daugbter,
Denmark, bad already paid two
Uraniburg
in
tbe same year, yet sucb was
ber love of astronomy, tbat sbe accompanied ber
and
fatber
bis
wife
Elizabetb
on
tbis
occasion.
Ulric was not only fond of science in general, but
bad
for
suits,
many
years devoted bimself to cbemical pur-
and be was tberefore peculiarly
gratified in
examining tbe splendid laboratory and extensive apparatus wbicb Tycbo possessed.
by some
of tbe biograpbers of
It bas
been said
Tycbo, that tbe Land-
grave of Hesse visited Uraniburg about tbis period but tbis opinion
is
astronomer and
optician,
journey to bealtb.
Huen
in
not correct, as
1591
Tycbo bad long
was only
it
bis
Eotbman, wbo made a for tbe recovery
of bis
carried on a correspondence
witb tbis able astronomer respecting tbe observations
made
at tbe observatory of Hesse-Cassel, and,
tbe few montbs w bicb tbey discussed in tbe amplest
now
during
spent togetber, tbey
manner
all
tbe questions
wbicb had previously been agitated.
Eotbmau
TYCIIO BRAKE.
128
was astonished he saw
at
cHAP. n,
at the wonderful
apparatus which
Uraniburg, and returned to his native
country charmed with the hospitality of the Danish astronomer.
Hitherto
we have
career of almost
unexampled
had scarcely reached established,
followed
Tycho through a
prosperity.
thirtieth
his
by the kindness and
sovereign, in the
When
year,
he
he was
liberality of
his
most splendid observatory that had
ever been erected in Europe
;
and a thriving family,
an ample income, and a widely extended reputation were added gifts
to his blessings.
he was deeply
sensible,
Of the value
of these
and he enjoyed them
the more that he received them with a grateful heart.
sopher.
Tycho was a Christian
The powers
of
his
as well as a philo-
vigorous mind
have
been amply displayed in his astronomical labours; but we shall
and
now have
resignation in
an adverse dcstinv.
occasion to witness his piety
submitting to an unexpected
vj
r]
— TVCHO BRAHE.
1590.
A. D.
CHAPTER
III.
Tvcho'3 labours do honour to his country Ja.mes
Scotland
vi. of
Tycho— The
Tycho
visits
I>uke of BrunsTvick's
at
—Death of Frederick — Christian
Uraniburg
visit to
ii.
iv. Tisits
Tycho— The Danish nobility, — He is compelled to quit
him
jealous of his fame, conspire against
Uraniburg
12 9
— And to abandon his studies— Cruelty of the Minister — Tycho quits Denmark with his— family and in'^truments
Walchendorp
— Is the
hospitably received by Count Rantzau
Emperor Rudolph
— The
him a pension of 3000 crowns and an observatory Kepler
—
—
appointment
The
of
"Who introduces him to to Prague He gives And the Castle of Benach as a residence
Emperor visits
Mathematician
to
Tycho— Who
had been
quivocally exhibited by Frederick inspired
outward respect sters
their
obtains for
him the
Rudolph.
love of astronomy, which
Consort,
—
him
invites
it.
so une-
and hisEoyal
courtiers with at least an
for science
;
and among the mini-
and advisers of the king, Tycho reckoned
many ardent friends. It was everywhere felt that Denmark had elevated herself among the nations of Europe by her ful gloiy
Tycho
liberality to
which he had
;
and the peace-
in return conferred
upon his
country was not such as to dissatisfy even rival nations.
In the conquests of science no widow^s
or orphans' tears are shed, no captives are dragged
from their homes, and no devoted victims are yoked to the chariot-wheels of the
triumphant philosopher.
The newly-acquired domains I
of knowledge belong to
TYCHO BRAHE.
130 all nations,
and Denmark had now earned the
Europe by the success
tude of
CIIAP.
111.
grati-
of her contingent
and
by the magnitude of her conquests.
An
event, however,
now
occurred, which thre:!{-
ened with destruction the interests of Danish science. In the beginning of April 1588, Frederick in the
ii.
died
54th year of his age, and the 29th of his
reign.
His remains were conveyed
and deposited
in
to Eothschild,
the chapel under Tycho's care,
where a finely-executed bust of him was afterwards placed.
His son and successor, Christian
iv.,
was
only in the 11th year of his age, and though his
temper and disposition were good, yet Tycho had reason to be alarmed at the possibility of his discon-
tinuing the patronage of astronomy. science,
however,
which had sprung up
Danish Court, had extended
itself
saw themselves eclipsed
in
The
the
parasites
in the bright re-
had acquired, and every
nown which Tycho visit to
taste for
no wider than the
influence of the reigning sovereign.
of royalty
The
new
Uraniburg by a foreign prince supplied fresh
fuel to the
rancour which had long been smoulder-
ing in their breasts.
The
accession of a youthful
king held out to his enemies an opportunity of destroying the influence of
Tycho;
and though no
adverse step was taken, he had yet the sagacity to foresee, in
''
trifles
confirmation of his
cheered him amid
light as air," the approaching fears.
Hope, however,
his labours; but that
still
hope was
AD.
131
TYCIIO BIIAHE.
1590.
founded chiefly on the learning and character
ol
Nicolas Caasius, the Chancellor of the kingdom,
from
whom
he had experienced the warmest atten-
tions.
Among
the princes
who
visited Uraniburg, there
were none who conducted themselves with more condescension and generosity than our
James
In the year 1590,
vi.
King repaired
to
Denmark
when
visit to
sovereign,
the Scotti.-h
to celebrate his
with the Princess Anne, the King's a
own
sister,
marriage he paid
Tycho, attended by his councillors and a
During the eight days
large suite of nobility.
which he spent
at Uraniburg,
James
carried on
long discussions with Tycho on various subjects, but chiefly on the
motion which Copernicus had ascribed
to the earth.
He examined
narrowly
all
the astro-
nomical instruments, and made himself acquainted with the principles of their construction and the
method
of using them.
pictures in the portrait of
He
inspected the busts and
museum, and when he perceived the
George Buchanan,
his
own
preceptor, he
could not refrain from the strongest expressions of
Upon
delight.
quitting
the
hospitable
roof
of
Tycho, James not only presented him w^th a magnificent donation, but afterwards gave him his royal license
to
publish his works in
seventy years.
England during
This license was accompanied with
the following high eulogium on his abilities and learning :â&#x20AC;&#x201D;** Nor have I become acquainted
with
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
132
TYCIIO BRAHE.
CHAP.
these things only from the relation of others,
ITI.
or
from a hare inspection of your works, but I have seen
them with burg,
before
my own
my own
ears, in
them
your residence at Urani-
them from
have drawn
and
and have heard
eyes,
the
various
learned and agreeable conversations which I there
held with you, and which even to
such a degree, that
whether
I
admiration
now
as I
;
and
At the request
is difficult
it
my mind
affect
to
determine
them with greater pleasure
recollect
license, to present
now
of
by
willingly testify,
or
this
to future generations,'' &c.
Tycho, the King also com-
posed and wrote in his own hand Sume Latin verses,
which were
more
complimentary than
classical.
His Chancellor had also composed some verses of a similar character during his visit to Tycho.
specimen of these will be classical reader
deemed
clari tot
Rex Iluennum Scoticu3 almam monumenta viri."
In the year 1591, when Christian his 14th year,
aurg.
He
short
by the
:
"Tidit et objtupuit
Miratus
A
sufficient
iv.
he expressed a desire to
;
had reached visit
Urani-
accordingly set out with a large party,
consisting of his three principal senators, and other councillors
and noblemen
;
and having examined
the various instruments in the laboratory, he proposed to
observatories and
Tycho various questions
on mechanics and niathematics, but particularly on
TYCIIO BRAKE.
A.D. 1591.
the
of
principles
and sbip-bnilding.
fortification
Having observed
he
that
133
particularly
admired a
by means of internal wheel-
brass globe, which,
work, imitated the diurnal motion of the heavens, the rising and setting of the sun, and the phases of
the moon,
Tycho made him
a present of
it,
and
re-
ceived in return an elegant gold chain, with his
Majesty's picture, and an assurance of his unalterable attachment and protection.
Notwithstanding already, as
this
we have
assurance,
stated,
begun
Tycho
had
to suspect
the
designs of his enemies; and in a letter addressed to the
Landgrave of Hesse, early
in
1591, he throws
out some hints which indicate the anxieties that
The Landgrave
agitated his mind.
of Hesse, as
if
he had heard some rumours unfavourable to the prospects of Tycho, request-ed
him
to write to
him
respecting the state of the kingdom, and concerning his
own
To
private affairs.
this letter,
which was
dated early in February, Tycho replied about
He
beginning of April. that he led a private
from
life
functions,
all official
a part in public
affairs.
tlie
informed the Landgrave
in his
own
island,
exempt
and never willingly taking
He was
desirous of leaving
the ambition of public Iwnours to others, and of
devoting himself wholly to the study of philosophy
and astronomy
;
and he expressed a hope that
if
he
should be involved in the tumults and troubles of life,
either
by
his
own
destiny or by evil connsels,
.
134
TYCIIO BRAKE.
CHAP.
III.
be might be able, by the blessing of God, to extri-
by the
cate himself tegrity of his
idea that every
soil
mind and the
force of his
He
life.
in-
comforted himself with the
was the country
man,
of a great
and that wherever he went the blue sky would
still
be over his head;^ and he distinctly states at the close of his letter,
that he
ferring his residence to
had thought of
some other
trans-
place, as there
were individuals among the King's councillors who
had already begun grudge him
The
to calumniate his studies,
and
to
his pension from the treasury.
causes which led
t(;
cnange of feeling on
this
the part of Christian iv.'s advisers have not been
explained by the biograpliers of Tycho.
been stated,
many
It
general terms, that he had
in
hns
made
enemies, by the keenness of his temper and the
severity of his satire
but I have not been able to
;
discover any distinct examples of these peculiarities
In an event, indeed, which occurred
of his mind.
about
he
time,
this
marked
slightly
resented
a piece of
on the part of Henry Julius, Duke
incivility
of
Brunswick, who had married the Princess Eliza
of
Denmark
an
affair,
cadled
but
;
if it
it
is
not
were known
down upon him
likely at
that so trivial
Court, could have
the hostility of the King's
advisers.
The Duke visit to *
of
Brunswick had,
in
1590, paid a
Uraniburg, and had particularly admired au Orri'ic- >o:'.mj fort: pat.-in, o^ ca':urr.
upcI q-^e !^u]ira tst.
;
AD
TYCHO BRAHE.
1502.
antique
brai^s statue of
135
Mercury, about a cubit long,
which Tj'cho had placed
in the roof of the
hypo-
caust or central crypt of the Stiernberg observa-
By means
tory.
moved round
in
of
a
mechanism,
concealed
The Duke
a circular orbit.
quested the statue and
it
re-
machinery, which Tycho
its
gave him, on the condition that he should obtain a model of
it,
for the
purpose of having another exe-
cuted by a skilful workman.
The Duke not only
forgot his promise, but paid no letters
which were addressed
justly
irritated
at
this
attention to
him.
to
unprincely
the
Tycho was conduct,
and
ordered this anecdote to be inserted in the description of Uraniburg,
which he was now preparing
for
publication.
In the year 1592, friend
lost
his distinguished
and correspondent the Prince of Hesso, and
Astronomy one cultivators.
and
Tycho
sincere,
of its
most active and intelligent
His grief on
this
occasion was deep
and he gave utterance
to his feelings in
an impassioned elegy, in which he recorded the virtues and talents of his friend.
Prince Maurice,
the son and successor of the Landgrave, continued, w^ith the
assistance of able observers, to
mamtain
the reputation of the observatory of Hesse-Cassel
and the observations which were there made were afterwards published
by
Snellius.
The extensive
and valuable correspondence between Tycho and the Landgrave was prepared for publication about
TYCHO
136
BRAIIE.
cHAr. m.
the beginning of 1593, and contains also the letters
Eothman and Eantzau.
uf
For several years the
studies of
Tycho had been
treated with an unwilling toleration
Many
Court.
of the nobles
grudged the munificent
establishment which he had derick,
and the
were some physicians,
healing
art.
diseases,
his
which he
Fre-
from
drevÂť'
most active enemies
who envied
reputatiun
his
and gratuitous practitioner of the
as a successful
and
from
received
liberal pension
But among
the treasury.
by the Danish
Numbers which
cure, are said to
of invalids flocked to
resisted
have yielded
to the
Under
scriptions of the astrologer.
Huen,
other methods of
all
panacea! prethe influeiice of
such motives, these individuals succeeded in excit-
They
ing against Tycho the hostility of the Court.
drew the public attention the treasury.
to the
given to
the
:
The President
pos-
uscf;illy for
and they accused him
the chapel at R-.^thschild to
dorp,
fall
of allow-
into
of the Council, Christopher
decay.
Walchen-
and the King's Chancellor, were the most ac-
tive of the
the
men who laboured more
commonwealth
ing
Lad
that he
Norway, which ought
sessed too long the estate in to be
exhausted state of
They maintained
mind
enemies of Tycho
;
and, having poisoned
of their sovereign against the most meri-
torious of his subjects,
Tycho was deprived
of his
canonry, his estate in Norway, and his pension.
No
longer able to bear the expenses of his
esta-
137
TYCHO BRAKE.
A.D. 1537.
blisbment in Huen, and dreading that the feelings
which had been excited against him might be further roused, so as to deprive
Huen to
him
still
of the Island of
he resolved to transfer his instruments
itself,
some other
Notwithstanding
situation.
this re-
solution he remained with his family on the island,
and continued
observations
his
when he took
1597,
removed
to
it all
till
the spring of
a house in Copenhagen, and
his smaller
and more portable
in-
struments, leaving those which were large or fixed in
the crypts of Stiernberg.
take
security his
His
away everything from Huen ;
as a measure of
but the public feeling began to turn
in
and there were many good men
in
favour,
Copenhagen who did not scruple conduct of the Government. Council,
plan was to
first
Walchendorp
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a
to reprobate the
The President
name
of the
wdiich, while
the
heavens revolve, will be pronounced with horror by astronomers
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; saw
his injustice
the change of sentiment which
had produced, and adopted an
artful
method of sheltering himself from public odium. In consequence of a quarrel with Tycho, the recolof which
lection
dreaded
He
be the prime mover
in
his
whom was Thomas
Government on
studies
of Tycho.
intirely ignorant of
the
breast,
he
in his persecution.
therefore appointed a committee of
one of the
to
had rankled
two persons,
Feuchius, to report to
nature and utility of the
These two individuals were astronomy and the use of
in-
138
TYCIiO BRAIIi:.
stmments
;
and even
science, they to the
if tlicv
CHAP.
had been versed
III.
in tlie
would have been equally subservient
views of the minister.
the studies of
Tycho were
They
reported that
of no vabiG, and
they were not only useless, but noxious
that
Armed
!
with this report, TValchendorp prohibited Tycho, in the King's name, from continuing his chemical ex-
periments
;
and instigated, no doubt, by
this
wicked
was made upon himself, and
minister, an attack
his
sheplicrd, or his steward,
was injured
Tycho was provoked
revenge himself upon his
assailants,
to
in the affray.
and the judge was commanded not
to
interfere in the matter.
Thus persecuted by to
remain no longer
carried from
Huen
in
his enemies,
Tycho resolved
an ungrateful country.
He
everything that was movable,
and having packed up his instruments, his crucibles,
and
his books,
he hired a ship to convey them to
some foreign land.
His
wife, his five sons
and four
daughters, his male and his female servants, and
many
of his pupils
and
assistants,
among whom were
Tengnagel, his future son-in-law, and the celebrated
Longomontanus, embarked
at
Copenhagen,
to seek
the hospitality of some better country than their
own. Freighted with the glory of Denmark, this interesting barque Baltic,
made
the best of
and arrived safely
exiled patriarch found
its
way
at Eostoch.
many
across the
Here the
of his early friends,
particularly
whom
139
TYCIIO Er.AIlE.
A.D. 1597.
Henry Bruce, an
able astronomer, to
he had formerly presented one of his brass
quadrants.
The approach
of the plague, however,
prevented Tycho from making any arrangements for
a
and, having received
a permanent residence;
warm
lived
in
invitation from Count Henry Eantzau,
Holstein
at
who
Castle of Wandesberg,
the
near Hamburg, he went with his family, about the end of 1597, to enjoy the hospitality of his friend.
Though Tycho derived
the highest pleasure from
the kindness and conversation of Count Rantzau, yet a cloud overshadowed the future, and he had yet to seek for a patron and a home.
en the Emperor Eudolph, of science, but
was
and astrology, and
His hopes were fixed
who was
not only a lover
especially addicted to his friend
have him introduced
to
alchemy
Eantzau promised
to
the Emperor. When Tycho
learned that Eudolph was particularly fond of me-
chanical instruments and of chemistry, he resolved to complete
and
to dedicate to
mechanics of astronomy, and
to
him
add to
formed, and his work appeared at title
the dedication of which is
it
an account
Nuremberg
in
of Tychonis Brahe^ Astronomice
instauratce Mechanical''
Prefixed to the work
work on the
This task he soon per-
of his chemical labours.
1602, under the
his
Along with is
this
volume,
dated January 1598, he
a compliniertnry Lutin Poem hy hi? relative '* In Z-.ilos n)tilevolo5 et inscios.'"
Oligcrus RoscDkr:inzi\is addressed
140
TrCHO
transmitted to the
Emperor a copy
logue of 1000 fixed
BRAIIE.
cilAP.
of bis
MS.
m.
cata-
stars.
Willi these proofs of his services to science, and
by various
instigated
peror Eudolph
Em-
desired bis Vice-Chancellor to send
Tycbo, and
for
letters in bis favour, the
to assure
him
that he
would be
re-
bis great merits, and that nothing
ceived according to
should be wanting to prom.ote his scientific studies.
Leaving
his wife
and daughters
at
Wandesberg, and
taking with him his sons and his pupils, Tycho went to
Wittemberg; but having learned that the plague
had broken out
had gone
Prague, and that the Emperor
at
to Pilsen,
he deferred
for a while his jour-
ney into Bohemia.
Early
to his
when
spring of 1599,
in the
had ceased
the pestilence
Prague, and the Emperor had returned
at
capital,
Tycho
set out for
Bohemia.
On
his
arrival at Prague, he found a splendid house ready for his reception,
and a kind message from the
peror, prohibiting
him
till
him from paying
Em-
his respects to
he had recovered from the fatigues of his
journey.
On
his presentation to Ptudolph, he
received with the most distinguished kindness.
announced
to
him that he was
pension of 3000 crowns
;
to receive
was
He
an annual
that an estate would as
soon as possible be settled upon him and his family
and their successors be provided
for
him
that a
;
;
town residence would
and that he might have
his
choice of various castles and houses in the country
TYCHO
A.D. 1599.
BEAllE.
as the site of his observatory
Emperor had
141
and laboratory.
The
also taken care to provide everything
that
was necessary
and
so
for
Tycho's immediate wants;
overwhelmed was he with such unexpected
kindness, that he remarked, that as he could not find
words
would speak
for
what a refuge been
the whole heavens
to express his gratitude,
to the
Among at Prague,
him, and posterity should knovr
his great
and good sovereign had
Queen of the Arts.
the numerous friends
whom Tycho
were his correspondents Corodueius and
Hagecius, and his benefactor Barrovitius, the peror's all
found
He was
secretary.
Em-
congratulated by them
on his distinguished reception at Court, and he
was regarded
as the
^neas
of science, who, driven
from his peaceful home, had carried with him to the
Latium of Germany household gods.
his wife, his children,
If external
remove the sorrows of the
past,
have been supremely happy. sion,
which had belonged
and his
circumstances
could
Tycho must now
In his spacious man-
to his friend Curtius, he
found a position for one of his best instruments, and
having covered with poetical inscriptions the four sides of the pedestal his
on which
benefactors, as well as
it
stood, in
honour of
of former astronomers,
he resumed with diligence his examination of the stars.
When
Piudolph saw the magnificent instruments
which Tycho had brought along with him, and had
142
TYCIIO BRAIIE.
CHAP.
111.
acquired some knowledge of their use, he pressed
him
Denmark
to send to
which he had
left at
for the
larger ones
still
In the meantime,
Stiernberg.
he gave him the choice of the Castles of Brandisium, Lvssa, and Benach as his country residence.
them about the end
visiting
of
After
May, Tycho gave
the preference to Benach, which was built upon a rising ground,
and commanded an extensive horizon.
It w^as situated
on the stream Lisor, near
ence with the Albis, a of Prague,
German
little
its
to the east
and was distant from that
conflu-
and north
city only five
miles, or about six hours journey.
It con-
tained splendid and commodious buildings, and
what he
almost,
On
calls
it,
the 20th of August, the Prefect of Brandisium
gave Tycho possession of his new residence. gratitude to his royal patron
not only in a Latin
but
was
a small city.
poem
His
was amply displayed,
written on the occasion,
Latin inscriptions which he placed above the
in
doors of his observatory^ and laboratory.
In order
that he might establish an astronomical school rt
Prague, he wrote to Longomontanus, Kepler, Miiller,
David Fabricius. and two students
who were good calculators, reside with him at Benach, as
berg, to
pupils
:
Wittem-
his assistants
and
he at the same time despatched his destined
sun-in-law, Tengnagel, accompanied leus, to
at
requesting them
by Pascal Mu-
bring huuie his wife and daughters from
Wandesberg, and
his instruments
from
Huen
;
and
TYCTIO BRAIIE.
A.D. 1601.
he Legged
them
to
143
LongomoDtanus would accompany Denmark, and return in the same carriage tbiit
with them to Bohemia.
Kepler arrived at Prague in January 1600, and, after
spending three or four months
at
Benach,
in
carrying on his inquiries, and in making astronomical observations, he returned to Gratz.
had undertaken
to obtain for
of his assistant.
It
was arranged that the Emperor
should allow him a hundred
florins,
on the condition
that the states of Styria would permit his
salary fur two years.
failed,
TycLo
him the appointment
him
to retain
This scheme, however,
and Kepler was about
to study medicine, in
order to compete for a professorship of that science at Tubingen, when Tycho undertook to obtain for him a permanent appointment from the Emperor.
Kepler, accordingly, returned in September
1601,
and, on the recommendation of his friend, he was
named
imperial mathematician, on the condition of
assisting
Tycho
in his observations.
While residing
much
at Benach,
Tycho had experienced
inconvenience from his ignorance of the lan-
guage and customs other causes.
of the country, as well as from
He was
his instruments to
therefore anxious to transfer
Prague
;
and no sooner were
his
wishes conveyed to the Emperor than he gave him leave to send them to the royal gardens and
adjacent buildings.
struments having
His family and
now
arrived
the
his larger in-
from
Huen, the
TYCHO BRAKE.
144 astronomer,
with
Lis
family
were safely lodged in the found that
there
cHAP.
and
bis
royal edifice.
was no house
in
in.
propertv.
Having
Prague more
suited for his purposes than that of his late friend Curtius, the o.nd
Emperor purchased
Tycho removed
IGOl.
into
it
it
from his widow,
on the 25th February
TVCHO BKAUE.
A.D. 1601.
CHAPTER Tycho resume?
145
lY.
— —
AFtronomical Obserration?
If? attacked with a painful and Death in IGOl His Funeral His Tem| er His turn for Satire and Raillery His Piety— Account of his Astronomical Discoveries His Love of Astrology and Alchemy Observa-
Li?ea=e
—
— His
his
Sufferings
—
—
tions on the Character of the Alchemists
—
— — Tycho's Elixir — His fondne==i
—
Marvellous— His Automata and Invisible Bells Account of the he kept as a Prophet History of Tycho's Instruments—His great Brass Globe preserved at Copenhagen Present for the
—
Idiot, called Lep, ^^•hom
—
state of the Island of Iluen.
Although Tvcho
continued in
to observe the planets
the
tliis
of his sufferings,
recollection
new
position
with his usual assiduity, yet
and the incon-
veniences and disappointments which he had experienced,
began
to prey
upon
his mind,
and
to
K'otwithstanding the continual
his health.
affect
Emperor, and the kindness of his
liberality of the
he was yet a stranger in a foreign
friends
and
land.
Misfortune was unable to subdue that love
pupils,
of country which his
affections
;
vras
one of the most powerful of
and though
its
ingratitude might
have broken the chain which bound him of his nativity, links,
it
to the land
seems only to have riveted
and added to their number.
its
His imagination,
thus influenced, acquired an undue predominance
K
TYCHO BKAHE.
14G
He
over his judgQient. occurrences those azure his mind,
viewed the most
supernatural
as
CHAP. IV.
indications
trifling
and
;
in
moments when the clouds broke from
and when he displayed
his usual wit
and
pleasantry, he frequently turned the conversation to
the subject of his latter end.
This state of mind was the forerunner, though a painful disease, which had,
probably the
effect, of
doubtless,
origin in the severity
its
and continuity of
his studies.
On
supping
house of a nobleman called Eosenberg,
at the
the
13th October, when he was
he was seized with a retention of urine, which forced
him
to leave the party.
This attack continued with
little
more than a week, and, during fered great pain,
Ne
this period,
during
On
this painful situation,
perfectly tranquil.
the 24th
and became
His strength, however, was gone,
and he saw that he had not many hours
He
to live.
expressed an anxious wish that his labours should
whom
redound to the glory of his Maker, to fered up the most ardent prayers.
He
he
encouraged his pupils not to abandon
suits
;
he requested Kepler
phine Tables
;
and
to
of-
enjoined his
sons and his son-in-law not to allow them to be
He
suf-
which he frequently
frustra vixissc videar.
he recovered from
he
attended with want of sleep and
temporary delirium, exclaimed,
intermission for
lost.
their pur-
complete the Eudol-
to his family he
recommended
piety and resignation to the Divine will.
Among
A.i>.
those
IJT
TVCJJo bkaiij:.
1601.
who never
quitted
Tycho
was
in his illness,
Erick Brahe, Count Wittehorn, a Swede and a lation of his
Poland.
This amiable individual never
side of his friend,
attentions
re-
own, and Counsellor to the King of
and administered
which
situation
his
to
the bed-
left
him
all tho>e
Tycho,
required.
turning to him, thanked him for his affectionate kindness, and requested
him
pain,
to maintain the rela-
He
tionship with his family.
then expired without
amid the consolations, the prayers, and the This event took place at Prague
tears of his friends.
on the 24th of October 1601, when he was only four years
and ten months
fifty-
old.
The Emperor Eudolph evinced the greatest sorrow when he was informed of the death of his friend, and he gave orders that he should be buried
in the
most
honourable manner, in the principal church of the ancient city.*
The
funeral took place on the 4lh
November, and he was interred
in the dress of a
nobleman, and with the ceremonieo of his order.
The
funeral oration
was pronounced by
before a distinguished assemblage, and
Jessenius,
many
elegies
were written on bis death.
Tycho was a
little
the last years of his
He had He was
above the middle life
size,
and
in
he was slightly corpulent.
reddish yellow hair and a ruddy complexion. of a sanguine temperament, and
* The church memory.
of Tiers,
is
said to
where a monument has been erected
to his
148
TYCIIO BKAIIE.
have been sometimes
irritable,
This
if
failing",
however,
CHAr.
IV.
and even obstinate.
he did possess
it,
was not
exhibited towards his pupils or his scientific friends,
who
ever entertained for him the warmest affection
Some
and esteem. his
of his pnpils
had remained
house more than twenty years;
in
and, in the
quarrel which arose between him and Kepler," and
which
is
allowed to have originated entirely in the
temper of the
he conducted himself with the
latter,
greatest patience and forbearcMice. to think that the irritability with
There
is
reason
which he has been
charged was
less
effect of that
noble independence of character which
an affection of his mind than the
belonged to him, and that
from his conduct
whom
with
to
it
has been inferred chiefly
some of those high personages
he was brought
in
contact.
When
Walchendorp, the President of the Council, kicked his favourite hound,
it
was no pvoof
of irritability of
temper that Tycho expressed in strong terms his disapprobation of the deed. It
was, doubtless, a greater weakness in his char-
acter that he indulged his turn for satire, without
being able to bear retaliation. too,
His jocular
habits,
sometimes led him into disagreeable positions.
When
the
Duke
of
at Uraniburg, the
dinner, that as
it
Brunswick was dining with him
Duke
was
said,
late
towards the end of the
he must be going.
Tycho
jocularly remarked that this could not be done with* See the Life of Kepler.
A.
T).
TYCIIO BRAHE.
1601.
out his permission left
;
149
upon which the Duke
rose
and
the party, without taking leave of his host.
Tycho became indignant
in his turn,
to sit at table
repenting of what he had
;
but, as
if
done, he followed the Duke,
who was
and continued
on his way to
the ship, and calling upon him, displayed the cup in his hand, as if he
had washed out
his offence
by a
draught of wine.
Tycho was
a
man
of true piety, and cherished the
deepest veneration for the sacred Scriptures, and for the great truths which they reveal.
Their principles
regulated his conduct, and their promises animated his hopes.
His familiarity wuth the wonders of the
heavens increased, instead of diminishing, his admiration of Divine wisdom,
and
his daily conversation
was elevated by a constant reference
to a superin-
tending Providence.
As
a practical astronomer, Tycho has not been
surpassed by any observer of ancient or of modern times.
The splendour and number
of his instru-
ments, the ingenuity which he exhibited in inventing
new ones and in improving and adding to those which were formerly known, and his skill and assiduity as an observer, have given a character to his labours,
and a value
to his observations,
be appreciated to the latest posterity.
ance of the new star in 1572 led
which
will
The appearhim to form a
catalogue of 777 stars, vastly superiiu' in accuracy to those of
Hipparchus and Ulugh Beig.
His im-
;
TYdIO
150
BRAIIE.
CHAP.
provements on the lunar theory were valuable.
He
called the
variation^
still
IV.
more
discovered the important inequality
and likewise the annual
in-
equality which depends on the position of the earth
He
in its orljit.
discovered, also, the inequality in
the inclination of the moon's orbit, and in the motion
He
of her nodes.
determined with new accuracy
the astronomical refractions from an altitude of 45째
down
to the horizon,
v^
heie he found
it
to
be 34'
and he made a vast collection of observations on the planets,
which formed the groundwork of Kepler's
discoveries,
and the basis of the Eudolphine Table>.
Tycho's powers of observation were not equalled by his capacity for general views.
owing more
It
was, perhaps.
to his veneration for the Scriptures than
to the vanity of
giving his
name
to a
new
syste]]-.
that he rejected the Copernican hypothesis.
Henc;'
he was led to propose another system, called thu Tychonic, in which the earth
is
stationary in the
centre of the universe, while the sun, with all the
planets
other
and
comets revolving round him,
performs his daily revolution about the earth.
arrangement of the planets afforded a planation of the various
and ture,
as
it
phenomena
it
of the heavens
;
was consistent with the language of Scrip-
and conformable
senses,
Thi-^
sufficient ex-
found
many
to
the
indications of the
supporters, notwithstanding
the physical absurdity of
making the whole system
revolve round one of the smallest of the planets.
A.D. IC
TYCIIO BRAKE.
''1.
It is a painful transition to pass
151 from the astro-
nomical labours of Tycbo to his astrological and chemical pursuits.
That Tycho studied and prac-
tised astrology, has
been universally admitted.
He
calculated the nativity of the Empt-ror Eudolph,
and foretold that his relations would mate some attempts upon his
The
life.
confided in the prediction, and his brother
seemed
the conduct of
fell
a prey to the fear
Tycho, however, seems
inspired.
it
when
to justify his belief, he confined
himself to his palace, and
which
Emperor
credulous
to
have
entirely renounced his astrological faith in his latter
days
;
and Kepler
states,* in the
most pointed
manner, that Tycho carried on his astronomical
mind
labours with his
stitions of astrology
the
;
entirely free from the super-
that he derided and detested
knavery of astrologers, and was
vanity and
convinced that the stars exercised no influence on the destinies of man.
Although Tycho informed Kothman that he devoted as
much
terrestrial f as
yet
labour and expense to the study of
he did
to that of celestial
account of his experiments, nor has he his writings
He
astronomy,
a singular fact that he never published any
it is
pretended, however, to have
the science, and * In t
left
any trace of his chemical
discoveries in
we should have been
his Preface to the
Chemistry.
made
among
inquiries.
disposed to
Rudolphine Tables, page
5.
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; TYCHO
152 the
reprobate
apology
r-RAHL.
CfiVP.lV.
makes
he
Tvhicli
puLlishmg them, did we not know that
by the
frequently given ^'
age
On
for
not
had been
it
other alchemists of the says
consideration,'^
and by the
''
he,
advice of the most learned men, I thought
it
im-
proper to unfold the secrets of the art (of alchemy) to the vulgar, as
mysteries
its
few persons were capable of using
to
advantage
and
without
detri-
ment/'
Admitting then, as we must not only a professed
practically occupied with ally misled
by
its
its
alchemy, and a practice of in
pursuits,
Tycho was
that
arts,
human
the weakness of
uninter-
it
its
he was
and continu-
may not be consider how far a
delusions,
esting to the reader to
tion
do, that
alchemist, but
belief in
have a foundanature
;
and
to
what extent they are compatible with the piety and elevated moral feeling
by which our author was
distinguished.
In the history of
human
errors
two classes of im-
postors, of very different characters, present
selves to our notice their species, to
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;those
wilfully deluded
and those who permitted their species
delude themselves.
consisted of the just
who
them-
The
selfish tyrants
first
of these classes
who upheld an un-
supremacy by systematic delusions,
grovelling mountebanks who quenched
and of
their avari-
cious thirst at the fountains of credulity and ignorance.
Tbe second
class
comprehended
spirits of a
TYCHO
A.D. 1601.
nobler mould siasts,
whom
:
embraced the speculative enthu-
the love of fame
onward, in a lights of
It
153
BRAllE.
and of truth urged
and those great
research,
fruitless
knowledge and of
virtue,
who, while they
stood forward as the landmarks of the age which
they adorned, had neither the intellectual nor the
moral courage to divest themselves of the supernatural radiance with which the ignorance of the
vulgar had encircled them.
The
thrones and shrines, w^hich delusion
once
sustained even in the civilized quarter of the globe, are for ever fallen, liberty,
which
and that
in past ages
and
civil
religious
was kept down by the
marvellous exhibitions of science to the senses,
now maintained by The
man.
application to the reason of
its
charlatans, w^hether they deal in moral
or in physical wonders, form a race
They migrate
extinct.
social system,
phical
which
is
their place,
The
not disposed
either of these varieties of impostors
;
objects of
paramount
interest.
obliquities of great
The
philosoto
study
but the other
two families which compose the second
and even the
never
their victims, yet their cha-
and motives remain the same. mind, therefore,
is
to the different zones of the
and though they change
and their purposes, and racter
is
class are
eccentricities
minds merit the
scrutiny of the metaphysician and the moralist, and
they derive a peculiar interest from the state society in
which they are exhibited.
of
Had Cardan
154
TYCilO BKAllE.
and Cornelius Agrippa lived
in
ciiAI'. IV.
modern
times, their
vanity and self-importance would have been checked
by the forms of })retensions
society,
and even
their harmless
if
had been displayed, they would have
disappeared in the blaze of their genius and know-
But nursed
ledge.
and educated
in superstition,
dark and turbulent times, when everything lectual
was
iu
a state of restless transition,
genius and character of great flected
men
in
intel-
the
necessarily re-
the peculiarities of the age in which they
lived.
Had
history transmitted to us correct details of
the leading alchemists and scientific magicians of
the dark ages, their actions
we should have been
and
able to analyze
and trace them,
their opinions,
probably, to the ordinary principles by which the
human mind
is in
every age influenced and directed.
But when a great man has once become an either of interest or of wonder, and
be
is
skill
still
object
more when
considered as the possessor of knowledge and
which transcend the general capacity, he
is
soon
His powers
transformed into the hero of romrnce.
are overrated, his deeds exaggerated, and he becomes
the subject of idle legends, which acquire a firmer
hold on credulity from the slight sprinkling of truth
with which they are seasoned.
To
disclaim the
possession of lofty attributes thus ascribed to great
men,
is
ercised.
a degree of humility which
But even when
is
not often ex-
this species of
modesty
is
A
displayed,
155
TYCliO BP.AHE.
D. 1(301.
never
it
fails to defeat
its
object.
It
but
calls forth a
deeper homage, and fixes the demigod
more firmly
in his shrine.
The
many
history of learning furnishes us with
examples of that species of delusion in which
mind submits
great
itself to
renounces unwillingly,
a
vulgar adulation, and renounces at
all,
the
unenviable reputation of supernatural agency.
In
cases
where
self-interest
if
it
and ambition are the bas's
of this peculiarity of temperament,
when
and
the conjuror and the alchemist were the com-
panions and even the idols of princes, trace the steps
by which
is
it
easy to
is
a gifted sage i^tains his
ascendency among the ignorant.
which
an age
in
The hecatomb
sacrificed to the magician, he receives as
an oblation
to his science,
and conscious of possess-
ing real endowments, the idol devours the meats that are offered to
him without analvzin^ the mo-
tives and expectations under
which he
But
is fed.
even w^hen the idolater and his god are not placed in
this transverse
of notoriety
relation,
is sufficient
the love of power or
to induce
good men
to lend
a too willing ear to vulgar testimony in favour of
themselves
;
and
in our
own
times
it is
not
common
to repudiate the unmerited cheers of a popular as-
sembly, or to ofier a contradiction to fictitious
tales,
which record our talents or our courage, our charity or our piety.
The conduct
of the
scientific alchemists of
iLti
153
TYCiio i;kaiiÂŁ.
ihirteenlli,
we
fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries
a problem of very
sents
ciiAr. it.
difiieult
pre-
When
solution.
may
consider that a gas, a fluid, and a solid,
consist of the very
same ingredients
in different
may
proportions; that a virulent poison
from
differ
the most wholesome food only in the difference of
quantity of the very same elements silver,
metals,
;
that gold and
and lead and mercury, and indeed
may
the
be extracted from transparent ciystals,
which scarcely piece of
all
differ
common
that diamond
is
appearance from a
their
in
of sugar-candy;
and
nothing more than charcoal,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; we
salt or a bit
need not greatly wonder
at the
tation that the precious metals
extravagant expec-
and the noblest gems Such
might be procured from the basest materials.
hopes must have been ofien excited by the startling results of their daily experiments.
The most
ant compounder of simples could not the
fail to
magical transformations of chemical
and every new product must have added
ignor-
witness action to
;
the
probability that the tempting doublets of gold and silver
might
Ijc
thrown from the dice-box with
which he was gambling.
But when the precious metals were found
in lead
and copper by the action of powerful re-agents,
was natural
to suppose that
formed during the process lated minds
;
and men of well-regu-
might have thus been led
new adventures
it
they had been actually
to procure a
to
embark
in
more copious supply,
TYCIIO BRATIE.
A.D 1001.
l.'T
without any insult being offered to sober reason, or
any injury
When
inflicted
on sound morality.
an ardent and ambitious mind
once
is
dazzled with the fascination of some lofty pursuit.
where gold difficult to
is
the object, or fame the impulse,
pause in a doubtful career, and to
it is
make
a voluntary shipwreck of the reputation which has
Hope
been staked. failure
to
failure,
still
cheers the aspirant from
the loss of fortune and the
till
decay of credit disturb the serenity of his mind, an hurry him on to the
1
last resource of baffled inge-
The
nuity and disappointed ambition. thus becomes an impostor
philosopher
and by the pretended
;
transmutation of the baser metals into gold, or the discovery of the philosopher's stone, he attempts to sustain his sinking reputation
tune he has secret is
he
is
The communication
the staple
by their
gence,
against
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
to those
virtues,
and the its
among
the opulent
and can acquire divine
disclosure.
wealthy aspirant, or
son,
it
vengeance
A
process
fraud and terminating in mysticism
siast,
of the grear
commodity with which he
It can be imparted
to conjure.
is
only to a
who
by
is
till
their dili-
commencing
is
conveyed
instilled into the
some cautious professor of the its
merit
threatened in
to the
young enthu-
and the grand mystery passes current
denounces
for-
and the grand talisman with which
to barter,
chosen few it
lost.
now
and recover the
for
art, like
a sea-
Tycho,
publication as detrimental to society.
TYCIIO UKALL.
15S
Among
IT.
the extravagant pretensions of the alche-
that
mists,
cHAP.
of
forming a universal medicine was
perhaps not the most irrational.
was only when
It
they pretended to cure every disease, and to confer
The
longevity, that they did violence to reason.
success of the Arabian physicians in the use of mercurial preparations naturally led to the Leli'jf that
other medicines,
and
tion,
still
more general
yet be brought to light
many
in their applica-
efficacious in their healing powers,
might
and we have no doubt that
;
substantial discoveries were the result of such
Tycho was not merely
overstrained expectations. a believer in the medical
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he was
dogmas
actually the discoverer
of the alchemists, of a
new
elixir^
which went by his name, and which was sold in every apothecary's shop as a specific against the
epidemic diseases which were then ravaging Ger-
The Emperor Eudolph having heard
many.
this celebrated medicine, obtained a
of
from Tycho by the hands of the Governor of
it
Brandisium
;
but,
not satisfied with the
seems to have applied the
method
to
of preparing
dressed to the
ber
of
small portion
Tycho
for
gift,
he
an account of
Tycho accordingly ad-
it.
Emperor a long
letter,
dated Septem-
1599, containing a minute account of the
7,
process.
The base
of this
remarkable medicine was
Venetian treacle, which undergoes an infinity of chemical ready
operations
for the patient.
and admixtures before
When
it
is
properly prepared, he
TYCIIO CRAIIE.
A.D. ICOl.
assures the
that
it
with
Emperor
that
it is
made
still
more valuable by mixing
may
it
corals,
be
a single or
better than gold, arid
scruple either of the tincture
of
or hyacinth, or a solution
of
sapphire,
pearls, or of potable gold, if
of all
159
corrosive matter
medicine universal for
it
can be obtained free
In order to render the
!
diseases
all
which can be
cured by perspiration, and which, he says, form a third of those
combines
it
which attack the Iiuman frame, he
with antimony, a well-known sudorific
in the present practice of physic. his
by humbly beseeching the Emperor
letter
keep the process for
Tycho concludes
himself alone
The same
and reserve
secret,
tlie
to
medicine
!
disposition of
mind which made Tycho
an astrologer and an alchemist, inspired him with a singular love of the marvellous.
He had
various automata with which he delighted
to astonish the peasants bells,
and by means of
;
invisible
which communicated with every part of
establishment,
his
and which rung wuth the gentlest
touch, he took great pleasure in bringing any of his pupils suddenly before
strangers,
particular time the words if
'^
Come
muttering at a hither, Peter," as
he had commanded their presence by some super-
natural agency.
If,
on leaving home, he met with
an old woman or a hare, he returned immediately his house
:
But the most extraordinary of
peculiarities remains to be noticed.
When
all
to
his
he lived
IGO at
TYCIIO BKAHE.
Uraniburg he maintained an
Lep,
who
CHAP.
idiot of the
dinner, and
whom
he fed with his
name down
lay at his feet Avhenever he sat
own hand.
IV.
of to
Per-
suaded that his n:ind, when moved, was capable of
Tycho
foretelling future events,
everything he this
was done
lates that
Lep,
Lest
said.
to no
when any
when
Longomontanus
re-
person in the island was sick,
whether the patient would
Peyter, that
marked
should be supposed that
it
purpose,
interrogated,
also in the letters of
carefully
never failed live or die.
Wormius, both
when Tycho was
to
It is stated
Gassendi and
to
and
absent,
predict
his pupils
became very noisy and merry in consequence of not expecting him soon home, the sent, exclaimed, Junchcr
has arrived.''
had ness,
On
xaa
wdio
idiot,
*'
laudlt^
another occasion,
was
pre-
Your master
when Tycho
sent two of his pupils to Copenhagen, on busi-
and had fixed the day
surprised
him
by exclaiming, the sea."
of their return,
on that day while he ''
was
Lep
at dinner,
Behold, your pupils are bathing in
Tycho, suspecting that they were ship-
wrecked, sent some person to the observatory to look for their boat.
The messenger returned with
the intelligence that he saw some persons wet on the shore, and in distress, with a boat upset at a great distance.
Gassendi, and
These
may
stories
have been given by
be viewed as specimens of the
superstition of the age.
The
peculiar character of Tycho's mind, and the
;
—
;
TYCIIO BRAIIE.
A.D. ICOl.
IGl
strength of his religious convictions are exhibited in
a curious allegorical picture which he
caused to
be engraved on the face of his lesser brass quadrant, erected at Uraniburg.
crowned with
A
young philosopher, upon a
laurels, is seated
stone, hold-
ing in one hand a celestial globe, and in the other
Beside him
a book.
while
side,
is
withered and
leafless.
displayed everything
Jewels
a tree in full foliage on one
on the other side
— Sceptres
Upon
is
;
as
Above
the picture, on one side,
— Gold
and Death,
surrounding them
arms,
are
a table close by are
that mortals value
and Crowns
form of a skeleton,
branches
its
all
in
the
with his
he were about to carry them away.
if
is
the inscription,
VIVIMUS INGEXIO, CETERA MORTIS ERU^'T
and on the other
side,
VIVIMUS IX CHRISTO. CETERA MORTIS ERUNT the different halves of the two being so arranged that each of
them
is
applicable to the correspond; ult
device in the picture. the tree there are
the
life
^Yitliin the
green foliage of
hung hieroglyphic;d
which, as Tycho himself expresses '^
that no
mortal
indications of
and doctrines of our Saviour, the object of
man
life,
is
it,
to
show
can be made happy, and evijov im-
but through the merits of Chri>t the
Redeemer, and the Son of God, and by the study of his do:trines,
and the imitation of his example."*
Astronomiae Instauratn? Mecbanica.
L
p.
A.
TYCIIO BRAIIE.
1G2
Tvcho
behind him a wife and six children,
left
Lut even
known
cilAP. IV.
nothing was
time of Gassendi
the
in
of their history, excepting that Tengnagel,
who married one
daughters, gave up his
of the
having been admitted among
scientific pursuits, aud,
the Emp'jror's counsellors, was employed in several of his emljcissies.
The instruments his
heirs,
of T}clio were [Âťurchased from
Ly the Emperor,
They were shut up were treated
crowns.
22,000
for
the house of Curtius, and
in
such vener;;tion, that no astro-
witli
nomer, not even Kepler himself, was permitted to see or to use them..
Here they remained Matthias, in 1G19,
When
took place.
till
when
off,
It
city of Silesia
was ;
Bohemia
some
forces
of the instruments
The fir.-t
were
it
great brass globe, however,
was preserved
in their
Udalric, the son of Christian,
mark, took Xiessa
to
carried toXiessa, the episcopal
and having been presented
College of Jesuits, till
troubles in
the
some destroyed, and others converted
different purposes.
was saved.
Emperor
Prague was taken by the
of the Elector Palatine,
carried
the death of the
in 1G32.
King
to the
museum, Den-
of
The globe was
recog-
nised as having belonged to Tycho, and was carried in triumph to
ten upon
it
with some Sciences.
Denmark.
An
inscription
by Longomontanus, and
pomp
it
was
writ-
was deposited
in the Library of the Academy of
TYCIIO BRAHE.
IGOI
A.I).
After Tycbo to
Huen, the island was transferred
left
some of the Danish
brief but
Wormius
]Ci?)
nobility,
and the following
melancholy description of
There
''
:
Uraniburg was/*
is,
The
it
was given by
in the island, a field
where
scientific antiquities of
Hiien
have been more recently described by Mr. Cox, in
Denmark.
his travels through *'
We
landed," says he, *'on the south-west part,
in a small bay, just
below the place where a stream,
supplied by numerous pools and fish-ponds, falls into
We
the sea.
ascended the shore, which
is
clothed
with short herbage, crossed the stream, and passed over a gently waving surface, gradually sloping
wards the
sea,
and walked a mile
to-
to a farm-house,
standing in the middle of the island, inhabited by
Mr. Schaw, a Swedish gentleman,
to
greater part of the island belongs.
He
in
summer, but
This dwelling
is
in
whom
the
lives here
winter resides at Landscrona.
the
same as existed
in
Tycho
Brahe's time, and was the farm-house belonging to his estate.
A
guide,
Schaw, conducted us
whom we to
the
obtained from Mr.
remains of Tycho's
mansion, which are near the house, and consist of little
more than a mound
of earth
which enclosed
the garden, and two pits, the sites of his mansion
and observatory."* Âť Cox's Travels iu Poland, Lc, vol.
v.
pp. 169, 190.
LIFE OF JOHX KEPLER.
—
LIFE OF JOHN KEPLER.
CHAPTEK
I.
Kt pkr's birth in 1571-— His family— And early education— The ai^tre^se3 aud poverty of his family— He enters the Monastic School of Maulbronu
— And
is
admitted into the University of Tubingen, where he
guishes himself, and tiikes his degrees— He
Asiroiiomy and Greek in the Planets
— Account
1594— His
first
of their progress
is
distin-
apjicinted Professor of
speculations on the Orbits of His " Co.-mografailure
—
and
published— He marries a widow in 1507— Religious He retires from thence to Hungary— Visits Tycho at trc'Ubles at Gratz Prague in 1600— Returns to Gratz, which he again quits for Praguephical My^tery
"
—
He
is
taken
fc^ucceeds
of
ill
on the road— Is ap[>ointed Tycho's assistant in ICol Hie w oik on the New Star
Tycho as Imperial Mathematician
1604— Singular specimen
It
is
—
it.
a remarkable circumstance in the history of
science, that at the
of
astronomy should have been cultivated
same time by three such distinguished men
Tycho, Kepler, and Galileo.
While Tycho,
as
in the
54th year of his age, was observing the heavens at Prague, Kepler, only 30 years
old,
was applying
his wild genius to the determination of the orbit of
Mars, and Galileo, at the age of 3G, was about to direct the telescope to tbe unexplored regions of
168
JO UN KLPLLIl.
The
space.
CHAl
I.
Providence
diveisiiy of gifts Avliich
assigned to these three philosophers was no less iv-
T}X'ho was destined to lay the founda-
markaule. tion of
modern astrononiy, Ly
a vast series of c^ccu-
made with
rate observations finest instruments.
It
and the
the largest
was the proud
lot of
Kepler
to deduce the laws of the planetary orLits from the
observations
of
his
predecessors
while
;
Galileo
enjoyed the more dazzling honour of discovering ly the telescope
new
celestial bodies,
and new systems
of worlds.
John Kepler, the
younc'est
of this
band, was born at xne imperial city
illustrious
of ^Yeil, in
the
duchy of \Virtemberg. on the 21st December 1j71. His parents, Henry Kepler and Catherine Gulden-
mann, were both duced
of noble family, but
to indigence
Kepler had been long
Wirtemberg,
had wasted army, he
in the service of the
as a petty officer,
his fortune.
left
his
had been
by their own misconduct.
^\ife
and
Upon in
re-
Henry
Duke
of
in that capacity
setting out for the
a state
of
pregnancy;
and. at the end of seven months^ she gave premature birth to
John Kepler, who was. from
a sickly child during the
first
this cause,
years of his
life.
Being obliged to join the army in the Netherlands, his wife son,
then
followed him into the five
field,
and
left
her
years old, under the charge of his
grandfather at Limberg.
Some time
afterwards he
>ras attacked with the small-pox, and having
witli
JOHN KEPLER.
A.D. 1571-86.
difficulty recoverod
1G9
from this severe malady, be wa^
sent to school in 1577.
Having become
security for one of bis friends,
who absconded from was obliged
to sell bis
and was driven at
bis
creditors,
bonse and
to tbe necessity of
Owing
Elmendingen.
to
Henry Kepler all bis
property,
keeping a tavern
tbese
misfortunes,
young Kepler was taken from scbool about two years afterwards, and was obliged to perform tbe functions of a servant in
bis
In
father's bouse.
1585, be was again placed in tbe scbool of Elmen-
dingen
but bis father and mother having been
;
both attacked with the small-pox, bis
education
was much neglected, and be himself having been seized with a violent illness in 15S5, he
hibited from
all
was
pro-
mental application.
In the year 1586, on the 2Gth of Xovember, Kepler
was admitted
into the school at the Monastery
of Maulbronn, which had been established at the
Eeformation, and which was maintained at the ex-
pense of the
seminary
Uuke
for the
maining a year
of "Wirtemberg, as a preparatory
University of Tubingen. at the
upper
classes,
After re-
tbe scholars
presented themselves for examination at the College for the degree of this,
Bachelor;
and having received
they returned to the school with the
Veterans.
study
;
title
Here they completed the usual course
of of
and, being admitted as resident students at
Tubingen, they took their degree of Master.
In
170
JOHN KLPLi:
CUAP.
I.
prosecuting this course of study, Kepler was sadly only by periodical returns of his
not
interrupted,
former complaints, but by fixmily quarrels of the
most serious
These dissensions, arising
import.
greatly from the perverseness of his mother, drove his father to a foreign land,
and
his
relations,
all
;
her
the afiairs of the family were involved in
inextricable disorder. mities,
where he soon died
mother having quarrelled with
Notwithstanding these cala-
Kepler took his degree of Bachelor on the
loth September 1588, and his degree of Master in
August 1501, on which occasion he held the second place at the annual examination.
In his early studies, Kepler devoted himself with general, but he
intense pleasure to philosophy in eiiterrained
no
peculiar
Being well grounded he had no
difficulty
in
in
afiVction
for
astronomy.
arithmetic and geometry,
making himself master
of
the geometrical and astronomical theorems which
occurred in the course of his studies.
While attend-
ing the lectures of Ma-sijin, professor of mathematics,
who had
distinguished himself by an oration
in favour of the
Copernican system, Kepler not only
became a convert
to the opinions of his master, but
defended them in the physical disputations of the students,
and even wrote an essay on the primary
motion,* in order to prove that
it
was produced by
the diurnal rotation of the earth. * The dailv mution of the ?un, moon, planets, and stari
;
JOHN KEPLEK.
A.D. 159").
173
This discovery, as he considered in a very rude
way with
ary orbits given by Copernicus
enamoured with
it,
harmonized
it,
the measures of the planet;
but Kepler was so
that he ascribed the differences
and declared that he would
to errors of observation,
not renounce the glory of having
made
it
for the
whole Electorate of Saxony. In his
first
attempt to discover the relation be-
tween the periodic times of the planets and their distances from the sun, he
was not more
successful
but as this relation had a real existence, he made
some
slight approach to its determination.
These
extraordinary researches, which indicate the wildness
and irregularity
Kepler's
of
were
genius,
published in 1596, in a work entitled, **Prodromus
Cosmographical
of
Dissertations;
containing
the
cosmographical mystery respecting the admirable proportion of the celestial orbits, and the genuine
and
real
causes of the number, magnitude,
and
demonstrated by the
five
periods of the planets,
regular geometrical
solids.'*
Notwithstanding the speculative character volume,
among
obtained for
it
astronomers.
opinions of
it
its
The former
and good
which
faith
it
though he requested him of the
same nature
to the
name
and Tycho, whose
he requested, spoke of
commendation.
high
author a
Galileo
of this
it
with some
praised the ingenuity
displayed to try to
;
and Tycho,
adapt something
Tychonic system, saw the
JOIIX KLPLER.
174
CHAP.
him
speculative character of bis mind, and advised *'
I
by actual
to lay a solid foundation for his views
observation, and then, by ascending from
these, to
strive to reach the causes of things."
In
1592, before Kepler had quitted Tubingen,
he was on the eve of entering into the married
Though off,
the foolish
yet he resumed
his addresses
it
again in 159G, when
Barbara
to
was a widow
for
]\lillar
second
the
match
would not consent
to the
his nobility; and,
owiiig to
this circumstance, tne till
from
his professorship
wife's fortune turned
of iluleckh,
who
though only
parents, however, till
Kepler proved
tlie dcd
ay which arose
marriage did not take
was very
much
out
been led to expect, he not only
with
paid
The income which Kepler derived
1597.
place
pecuniary
lie
time,
Her
twenty-three years of age.
from
state.
scheme was fortunately broken
difficulties,
small, less
and as his
than he had
was annoyed with
but was involved in disputes Thc-^e evils were greatly
his wife's relations.
increased by the religious troubles which took place in Styria.
The
Catholics at Gratz rose ag.iinst the
Protestants, and threatened to expel city.
Kepler,
religion,
who openly
saw the
risks to
pr^rf'essed
them from the the Protestant
which he was exposed, and
retired with his wife into
Hungary.
Here he con-
tinued nearly a year, during which he composed
and
transmitted
to
his
Tubingen, several small
friend treatises,
Zehentmaier, "
On
the
at
Mag-
A
I).
JOHN
]cno.
tic,''
On
''
net/'
and
*'
Creation,"
Ki:PLi;u.
1
<
o
the cause of the Obliquity of the Eclip-
On
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
the Divine
all
of
Wisdom,
which seem
to
as
shown
in the
have been
lost.
In 1599, Kepler was recalled to Gratz by the States of Styria, and resumed his professorship city
was
but the
divided into t'vo factions, and Kepler,
still
who was
;
a lover of peace, found his situation very
Having learned from Tycho
uncomfortable.
that
he had been able to determine more accurately than
had been done the planets,
eccentricities of the orbits of the
Kepler was anxious
observations, and
set
Prague, where he arrived received
to avail
out on in
himself of these
a visit to
Tycho
January IGUO.
at
Tycho
him with great kindness, notwithstanding
the part which he liad taken
against
him along
with Eaimar, and he spent three or four months with him at Benach.
It
was then arranged that
Kepler should be appointed Tycho's assistant in the observatory, with a salary of 100 florins, provided
the States of Styria should, on the Emperor's application, allow
retain
his
before this
him
salaiy.
to
be absent
for
two years and
Kepler had returned to Gratz
arrangement was completed, and new
troubles having broken out in that city, he resigned his professorship.
frustrate his
Dreading
to ask the patronage of the
the
Icst
this step
would
scheme of joining Tycho, he resolved
professorship
Duke
of medicine
of
at
Wirtemberg
for
Tubingen: and
with this view he corres^'onded with Ma^stlin and
JOHN
176
KtPLr.Pw.
chap.
When Tycho
his other friends in that University.
heard of this pLin, he pressed him to abandon
and promised
i.
his best exertions to procure a
it,
perma-
nent situation for him from the Emperor.
Encouraged by these promises, Kepler and
his
was unfortunately
wife set off for Prague, but he
attacked on the road with a quartan ague, which lasted seven little
months;
and having exhausted the
money which he had along with him, he was
obliged to apply to
for
some return
for this
kindness by attacking
troversial pamphlet two of the
of TycLo.
make
to
in a
con-
opponents
scientific
Kepler's total dependence on the gene-
rosity of his friend
He
communicated
had made him suspicious
of his
imagined that Tycho had not freely to
him
all his
observations, and that
he had not been sufSciently liberal wife with
After his
and he endeavoured
of his friend,
sincerity.
a supply.
Prague he was supported entirely by the
arrival at
bounty
Tycho
money
in his absence.
in
supplying his
While absent a
second time from Prague, and influenced by these feelings, filled
he addressed a violent letter to Tycho.
with reproaches.
On
the plea of being occu-
pied with his daughter's marriage,
Tycho requested
Ericksen, one of his assistants, to reply to Kepler's letter
:
and he did
this
with so much
Kepler saw his mistake, and
effect,
in the noblest
that
and most
generous manner supplicated the forgiveness of his friend.
Tycho exhibited the same good
feeling;
AD. ICOl.
JOHN KEPLER.
and the
kindness of Hoffman,
177 President
the
of
States of Styi'ia, completed the reconciliation of the
two astronomers.
On
his return
sented by
to
Tycho
upon him the
Prague
to the
1601. he was pre-
in
Emperor, who conferred ^Mathematician, on
title of Imi^erial
the condition that he would assist culations.
Tycho
in his cal-
This connexion was peculiarly valual.le
to Kepler, as the observations of his colleague
only
the
ones
enable him to
made
in
carry on
the
world
These two astronomers now undertook
cal tables, to be called the
honour of the Emperor.
which could
his theoretical
from Tyclio's observations, a new
were
to
inquiries.
compute,
set of astronomi-
Eudolphine Tables,
in
Tliis scheme flattered the
vanity of their master, and he pledged himself to
pay
all
the expenses of the work.
Tycho's principal
assistant, took
Longoraontanus,
upon himself the
labour of arranging and discussing the observations
on the
stars,
while Kepler devoted himself to the
more congenial task of examining those on the planet Mars, with which particularly occupied.
montanus
Tycho was
at
The appointment
to a professorship in
that time of
Longo-
Denmark, and the
death of Tycho in October 1601, put a stop to these important schemes.
Kepler succeeded Tycho as principal mathematician to the Emperor, and
some
salary,
was provided with a hand-
which was partly charged on
the
JOHN KEPLER.
178
and
Imperial treasury, Silesia,
in
iirst
viduals,
fail to
on
States
tlie
was
it
t.
cf
to Le paid
generosity of the Einp^ror
excite the jealousy of ipiorant indi-
who were
the state
partly
instalment of
The
March 1602.
did not
to
and the
CIIA7\
not aware of the value
oi sciei^c.'
but the increasing fame of Kepler,
;
and the valuable w^rts which he published, soon silenced their opposition.
In September 1604, astronomers were surprised with the appearance of a new star in the foot of Serpentarius.
It
September, and
was not seen before the 29th
of clouds, he did not obtain a good view of
Like that of 1572,^
6th of October.
passed
Jupiter
Venus, but lus.
it
in
brightness,
aÂŤ^
till
the
and rivalled even
tlie
and was
at
constantly changed
its
It
first
tawny, then yellow, then
purple and red. and often
wliiti' at
had no parallax, and therefore
Kepler wrote bo;ly,
it
at first sur-
Saturn, and disappeared at
end of a few months.
It
it
afterwards became as small as E'^gu-
and as dull
colour,
of
informs us that, on account
]\ux?stlin
a
its
year, while the other appeared tliat
str.r.
superority to that of 1572,
on the ground that the one star came
fiery ingnn. or
a fixed
account of this re'narh:iblc
short
and maintained
great altitudes.
wa-t^
in
iii
in
an oi'dinary
the ye^.r of
which Saturn,
Juj-iter,
tlie
and
Mars, are in the three fiery signs, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius,
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; an
event which
occurs
See the Life of Tvclio.. p ]]0.
only
every
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
800
K i:pi j:u.
JÂŤiiN
A.D. 1G04.
After
years.
discussing
179 great
a
of
varicl^'
connected with his subject, and in
topics, but little
a style of absurd joculaiity, he attacks the opinions of the Epicureans, that
concourse of atoms, in
paragraph, which '^
V/hen
is
the
hands, I was
fortuitous
remarkable
a good specimen of the
was a youth with plenty
T
was a
star
the lollowing
much taken
work
:
my
of idle time on
with the vanity, of whicli
some grown men are nut ashamed, of making an
my
grams, by transposing the letters of
Out
ten in Latin. in
Akuleo
of Joannes Keplerus
(a serpent in his
sting)
.-
name, writ-
came Serpcm
but not being
;
with the meaning of these words, and being
satisfied
unable
to
make
another,
I trusted
the thiug to
chance, and taking out of a pack of playing cards as
many
name, I wrote on-
as there were letters in the
U}'on each,
and then began
to
sliuCle
them, an
1
at
each shuffle to read them in the order they came, to see if
any meaning came of
Xow, may
it.
Epicurean gods and goddesses confound
all
this
the
same
chance, which, although I have spent a good deal of time over
it,
the Epicurean infinity
;
and,
me anything
never showed
even from a distance. eternity, it
is
said,
So
gave up
I
to
be
carried
they are
there in the utmost confusion
still
among
those disputants,
my
wife's.
my opponents,
not
cards to
away imo flying
abom
the atoms, and
have never yet come to any meaning.
but
like sense
my
I will tell
my own
opinion,
Yesterday, when weary with writing,
JOHN KEPLEI^
ISO and
my mind
quiet dusty with
CIIA?.
1.
considering these
atoms, I ^vas called to supper, aud a salad I had
a^ked for was I,
aloud,
'
set before
that
if
me.
'
It seems, then,' said
pewter dishes, leaves of lettuce,
grains of salt, drops of waterj vinegar, and slices of egg,
had been flying about
all eternity, it
there '
at last
would come a salad/
but not
ifc.'"'
might
iio
oil,
in the air
and from
happen by chance that *Yes,' says
my
nice und well-dressed as this of
wile,
mine
—
JOHN KEPLER.
A.D. 1606.
CIIAPTEE Kepler's pecuniary embarrrissment^
—
181
II.
His inquiries respecting the la;^ of Kefrnction— Hi.s Supj^lement to Vit^liio His Researches on Virion His Treatise on Dioptrics He invents the Astronomical Te^.escope His Commentaries on Mars—jje^di^corers that the orbit of Mars is an
—
—
sunjn one focus
EllUjse^jyith the
other planets
— He
e.^tab]ishes the
— And extends thi> discovery
— His family distresses — De»ath of his of 3Iathematic- at Linz — His metiiou
^vife
io"*a;l ilie
laws of Phys'-cal Astrovi..i-y
t \vo" ^first
— He
appointed Trvf^—^or
is
of choo-ing a second wife
— Her
character, as fiiven by himself— Origin of Lis Treatise on Gauging
goes to Ratisbon to give his opinion to
—He
tlie
— He
Die: on the change of style
refuses the Mathematical Chair at Bolugna.
Although Kepler now
one
filled
of the most
honourable situations to \Yhich a philosopher coulJ
and possessed a large salary
aspire,
his
most reasonable wants,
treasury was drained by the sive war, his salary to this cause
ary
the
as
yet,
demands
was always
in
the
supply
Imperial
of an expen-
arrear.
he was constantly involved
difficulties,
ation,
fitted to
Owing
in pecuni-
and, as he himself described his situ-
he was perpetually begging his bread from
Emperor
at
Prague.
rendered the want of
and he
w^as driven
money
to
the
His increasing family still
more
painful
drawing an income from casting
distressing,
alternative
nativities.
of
From
the same cause he was obliged to abandon his plan
JOHN KEPLLR.
182
CHAP.
1!.
of puLlishing the Rndolphine Tablef^, and to devote
himscdf to works of a
which were more
expensive
less
kind,
and
some pecuniary
yield
likely to
advr.ntoges.
In spite of these embarrassments, and the occuof his time
pation
in
Kepler found leisure
the practice
of
astrology,
Xo
for his favourite pursuits.
adverse circumstances were capable of extingui^ihing his scientific ardour,
and whenever he directed
his
vigorous nand to the investigation of phenomena, he
never failed to obtain interesting and original results. Since the death of Tycho, his attention had been
much vision
occupied with the subject of refraction and and, in 1606, he published the result of his
;
researches in Vitellio,
in
a work, entiiled
^^
A
Supplement
which the optical part of astronomy
treated, but chiefly on the artificial observations
to is
and
estimation of diameters, and of the eclipses of the
Astronomers had long been per-
Sun and Moon.''
plexed with the refraction little
the atmosphere, and so
()f
was known of the general
of this
branch of
it,
second
had unravelled
its
subject, as well as
Tycho believed
Even
at -45° of altitude.
century,
that
at the
Claudius
it
to cease
beginning of the
Ptolemy of Alexandria
principal mysteries,
and had given
in his Optics a theory of astronomical refractions
more complete than that of any astronomer before the time of Cassini ;* but the *
Cas
ini wf\ÂŁ
born
MSS. had unfortunately
in 1625.
and died
in 1712.
JOHN KEPLER.
A.D. ICGG.
been
niiblaid,
were obliged
mencement.
and Alhazen and to take
183 and Kepler
Vitellio
up the subject from
com-
its
Ptolemy had not only determined that
the refraction of the atmosphere gradually increased
from the zenith to the horizon, but he had measured with singular accuracy the angles of refraction for
water and glass, from a perpendicular to a horizontal incidence.
Kepler treated this branch of science peculiar way,
'^
own
in his
hunting down,'' as he expressed
every hypothesis which his
fertile
imagination had
In his various
successively presented to him.
it,
at-
tempts to discover the law of refraction, or a measure of
it,
as varying with the density of the
and the angle of incidence of the the goal in his rest
;
first
and he seems
light,
speculation, than in any of the to
have
failed in
of his not separating the question as density, from the question as ''
body
he was nearer
it
it
related to
related to incidence.
I did not leave untried," says he,
assuujing a horizontal
consequence
'^
whether, by
refraction according to the
density of the medium, the rest would correspond to the sines of the distances from a vertical direction,
but calculation proved that
it
was not
so
indeed, there was no occasion to have tried
:
and, it,
for
thus the refraction icoidd increase according to the
same law
in
all
mediums^ which
is
contradicted by
''erpej'i.'nent.'*
iM:!:ough coiripU'tely foiled in his search after the
JOHN Ki:rLER.
184
law of
refractloD,
by Willebrord
and some time afterwards by
Snell,
singularly successful in bis
inquiries respecting vision. its
ii.
wbicb was subsequently discovered
James Gregory, be was
analogous in
chap.
Eegarding the eye
as
structure to tbe camera obscura of
Baptista Porta, be discovered that tbe images of external objects were painted in an inverted position
on tbe retina, by tbe union of tbe pencils of rays
wbicb issued from every point of tbe
object.
He
ascribed erect vision to an operation of tbe mind, by
wbicb
it
baek
traces tbe rays
to
tbe pupil, wbere
tbey cross one anotber, and thus refers tbe lower parts of tbe image to tbe biglier p-^ats of tbe object.
He
also explained
tbe
cause of Icng-sigbted and
sbort-sigbted vision, and sbowed
bow convex and
concave lenses enabled tbose wbo possessed tbese peculiarities of sigbt to see distinctly,
by accurately
converging tbe pencils of rays to a focus on tbe retina.
Kepler likewise observed tbe power of ac-
commodating the eye ascribed
it
to different distances,
and be
to tbe contraction of tbe ciliary processes,
wbicb drew tbe crystalline lens,
sides
of tbe eyeball
towards tbe
and tbus elongated tbe eye
produce an adjustment of
it
for
near objects.
wisely declined to inquire into tbe
way
in
mind perceives tbe images painted on tbe he blames Vitellio
for
so as to
Kepler
wbicb tbe retina,
and
attempting to determine a
question which he considered as not belonging id optics.
The work
of Kepler,
now under
considera-
JOHN KEPLEK.
A.D. 1609.
which
now
is
The only was
the method
contains
tion,
1^5
of calculating eclipsv.^
in use at the present day.
other optical treatise written by Kepler,
an appendix on the use of
his Dioptrics, wiih
This adniiraLle work, which
optics in philosophy.
laid the foundation of the science,
was puLlished
Augsburg
London
in 1611,
and reprinted
at
Although Maurolyciis had made some in
at
in 1G53.
slight progress
studying the passage of light through different
media, yet
to
it is
Kepler that we owe the methu^s
of tracing the progress of rays through transpareni
bodies with convex and concave surfaces, and of de-
termining the of the
f^'ci
of lenses,
and the
relative position
images which they form, and the objects from
which the rays proceed.
He was
thus led to explain
the ratiuncdc of the telescope, and to invent the
astronomical telescope, which consists of two convex lenses,
also
by which objects are seen inverted.
discovered the important
fact,
Kepler
that splierical
surfaces are not capable of con verging rays to a single focus,
and he conjectured, what Descartes afterwanis
proved, that this property mi^ht be possessed bv lenses
having the figure of some of the sections
the cone.
The
of
total reflection of light at the second
surface of bodies
was likewise studied by Kepler, and
he determined that this reflection commenced when the angle of incidence fraction,
was equal
which corresponded
to
to the angle of re-
an incidence of
90"^.
Tv/o years before the publication of his Dioptrics,
JOHN KEPLER.
183
1609, Kepler had given to the world his
in
viz.,
CHAP. n.
great work,
The New Astronomy,
''
entitled,
Commentaries on the Motions
The
of Mars.''
or dis-
coveries which this voluiiie records form the b-.sis of [physical
v,as
led
The
astronomy.
them Legan
to
inquiries
that
in
Ly which he
memorable year
IGOl, when he became the colleague or assistant of
The powers
Tycho. for
the
first
of original genius were then
time associated with inventive
and
skill
observation; and though the astri.-nomical
piitient
data provided by Tycho were sure of finding their application in some future age, yet without them,
Kepler's speculations would have b^en vain, and liiws
which they enabled him
have adorned failed
m
tliC hisioi'y
motion
in
Kep'ler
was
to led,
tlie
th.e
would
Having
motion of Mars
])y
and by the
a circuhir orbit,
and epicycles v
endeavoured
determin\^,
of anotlier century.
trying to represent
a uniform
cycles
to
which Copernicus had
iih
explain the planetary inequalities, after
many
fruitless
speculations,*
to su}Âťpose the orbit of the planet to be
oval
;
and,
from his knowledge of the conic s-ctions, he after-
wards determined placed in one of
it
to
be an
He
its foci.
dimensions of the orbit
;
ellipse-',
with the sun
then ascertained the
anl, by a comparison of
the times employed by the planet to complete a
*
An
interesting account of the steps
hy n-hich Kepler proceeded
will
be found in Mr. Drinkwater Betbuncs aCmir;.ble Life of Kepler, in the Library of U.-e.ul KnowI-.-'^ge.
JOHN
AD. IGiO.
\vbole revoluiion or
1S7
Ki PL! K.
any
[)art
of one,
Mars
tbat the time in which
lie
discovered
describes any arches
of his elliptic orhit, were always to one another as
the areas contained by lines drawn from the focus, or the centre of
respective arches
tlie
;
sun, to the extremities of the
or, in
other words, that the radius
Sun and Mars
vector, or the line joining the
scribed equal areas in equal times. tlie
By
de-
exanjining
inequalities of the other planets he found th;it
they
all
moved
in elliptic orbits,
and that the radius
vector of each described areas proportional to the
These two great
times.
name
of the
first
results are
known by
the
The
and second laws of Kepler.
third law, or that wliich relates to the connexic-n
between the periodic times and the distances of the planets,
was not discovered
till
a later period of his
life.
When
Kepler presented
which contained these
him
to PiuJol['h the
fine discoveries,
volume
he reminded
j(^cularly of his requiring the sinews of
make
similar attacks
war
upon the other planets.
to
The
Emperor, however, had more formidable enemies than Jupiter and Saturn, and from the treasury, which
war had exhausted, he found the wants of science.
it
difficult to supj)ly
While Kepler was thus
in-
volved in the miseries of poverty, misfortunes of every kind wife,
was
filled
who had seized,
up the cup of
his adversity.
His
L ng been the victim of low spirits,
towards the end of 1610, with fever,
JOHN KEPLER.
ISS e})ilc])sy,
CHAP.
II.
and phrenitis; and, before she had com-
pletely recovered, all his three children were simul-
taneously attacked with the siuall-pox. His favourite son
fell
a victim to this malady, and at the
same
time Prague was partially occupied by the troops
The
Leopold. bided
part of the city
where Kepler
was harassed Ly the Bohemian
crown
this list of evils,
duced the plague into
Some time
of
re-
levies, and, to
the Austrian troops intro-
tlie city.
afterwards Kjpler set out for Austria
with the view of obtaining* the professorship of mathematics at Linz, which was
now vacant
but,
;
upon
his return in June, he foimd his wife in a decline, 1
rought on by grief
for the loss of
was some time afterwards fever, of
which she
her son, and she
seized with an infectious
died.
The Emperor Eudi;lph was unwilling Kepler to quit Prague.
He
to allow
encouraged him wuth
hopes that the arrears of his salary would be paid
fiom Saxony; but these hopes were it
was not
till
fallacious,
and
the death of Paidolph, in 1G12, that
Kupler was freed frum these distressing embarrassments.
On
the accession of MatLias, Paidolph's brother,
Kepler was re-appointed Imperial Mathematician,
and was allowed
to accept the professorship at Linz.
His family now consisted of two children ter,
in
Susannah, born
1007.
in 1602,
and a
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a daugh-
son, Louis,
born
His own time was so completely occupied
by
new
his
189''
KErLER.
.lOIlN
A.D. 1612.
professorial
as well
duties,
private studies, that he found
necessary to seek
it
For
another parent for his children.
he gave a commission
by Lis
as
this purpose,
to his friends io
look out for
him a
suitable wife
ter to
Baron Strahlenuorf, he has given an amusing
account
oi
;
and, in a long and jocular let-
the different negotiations which preced-d
The substance
his marriage.
of this letter
is
so
given by Sir. Drinkwater Eethune, that \ve follow his account of
"
The
first
friend of his first wife, and
among whom
v/iio,
on
posal
;
but at
'
an
intimate accounts,
it is
for
says
first,'
certain that she took time to consider
it,
she very quietly excused herself.'
It
last
recollection of this lady's
good qualities, that Kepler ;
'At
she seemed favourably inclined to the pro-
must have been from a
offer
his
many
appeared a most eligible match. Kepler,
slinil
it.
of the eleven ladies
wavered, was a widow,
inclinations
\\\-]\
we
was induced
to
make
his
learn rather unexpectedly, after being
informed of her decision, that when
wards paid his respects
to her,
it
lie
soon after-
was the
first
that he had seen her during the last six years
he found, to his great
relief,
that
single pleasing part about her.' to be, that he
*
there
The
;
time
and
was no
truth seems
was nettled by her answer, and he
is
at greater pains than appears necessary, considering this last discovery, to
determine wdiy she would not
accept his proffered hand.
Among
other reasons,
JOHN KEPLrR.
190
he suggested Lor chikbxTi,
marriageable daughters
wards
to
tbem
find
Kepler appeared
among
and
also in
it
TI.
\\ljom were two
diverting after-
is
tbe catalogue, wbicli
be making, of
to
...
acquaintance.
;
CHAP.
Of tbe other
bis female
all
ladies,
one was
too old, another in bad health, another too proud of her birth
and quartering^, a fuurth bad learned
nothing but showy acCvOmplishments, suitable to
sort of life
tlie
'
not
at
ali
she would ba%T^ to lead
with me;^ ano:her gi'ew impatient, and married a
more decided
'The
whilst
luunirer,
miscliief,'
he,
s;iys
was, that whilst
I
be was hesitating.
'in all these attachments
was delaying, comparing and
balancing cohflicting reasons, every day saw flamed
new
witli a
piis:-ion/
By
the 8th, be found his match in this respect.
tune at b^ngtii has avenged herscdf on
At
inclinations.
her friends al>o
me
in-
the time be reached
my
'
For-
doubtful
she was quite complying, and
first
presently,
whether
slie
did or did
;
not consent, not only
I,
After tbe lap-e of a
but she
f.-w
her.ieli',
did not know.
days came a rene-a^ed pro-
mise, which, however, had to be confirmed a third
time; and four days after that,
slie
again repcat-d
her confirmation, and begg-d to be excused from UjMin this I gave her up. and this time sellors W':re of
courtship in
one opinion.'
the
list,
all
my
it.
cor.n-
This was the long
.-t
having lasted three whole
mv)ntbs, and, quite disheartened
by
its
bad
success,
Kepler's next attempt was of a more timid com-
Joi:n KrrLi:R.
A.D. ir,i2.
His advances
j)lexioii.
to
191
Xo. 9 were mnde ly
^hole slory of his recent
confiding- to lier tlje
dis-
appointment, prudently determining to be guided
in
bv observing: whether the treatment
his behaviour,
he had exj'erienced met with a proper degree of
sympathy. ceed
Apparently the experiment did not suc-
and, almost reduced to despair, Kepler betook
;
himself to the advice of a friend,
time past complained
When
this difficult negotiation.
and the
10,
as fellows
vras
fortune,
is
was
first visit :
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
*
most horribly ugly
is
at in the streets, not to
and spare
short
slie
:
notorious for fulness, she
The only
upon
off
all
and thick
mention the I
:
she
am
lank,
in a family
considered superfluously
;
and when this treaty
and chose
bis advisers,
have
is
:
\a
as
on that account, Kepler turned his back
h;id figured as
to
goo^i
objection to Xo. 11 seems to have
bc'^n her excessive youth
broken
upon her
of go.^d family, and of economical bal)its;
would be stared
fat.'
in
she produced Xo.
paid, the report
striking disproportion in our figures. lean,
some
for
She has, undoubtedly, a
her pliys^ognomy
but
who had
was not consulted
she
tljat
felt
Xo. 5
for himself
in tlie list, to
attacljed
whom
he
one
who
profissc.'-:
throughout, but from
wbom
the representations of his friends had hitherto de-
tained him,
probably on account of her humble
station. '^
The following
racter
:
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
^
is
Her name
Kepler's is
summary
of her cha-
Susannah, the daughter of
192
JOHN KrPLi:n.
chap. n.
J(;hn Pteutbing"cr and Barbara, citizens of the town
The
of Eferdingen.
father
was by trade a cabinetShe has
roaker, but both her parents are dead.
ceived an education
Vv-ell
Lady
favour of the
whose household
of
Her
vince.
mine
窶馬o
work
to
manage
;
and manners are
has a toiorable
a family
and capability
suitable
to
She can bear
knovvdedge how^ to
middle-aged, and of a dispositioii
;
to acquire
I shall marry,
dowry, bv
famous throughout the pro-
no extravagance.
pride,
she
har^rest
of Stahrenberg, the strictness is
per::on
worth the
re-
what she
by favour
still
wants.
Iler
noble Baron of
of the
Stahrenberg, at
12 o'clock on \he oOih of next
October, with
Eferdingen asseml)led
all
to
meet
us,
and we shall eat the marriage dinner at Maurice's at the
Golden Lion.'"-
Kepler's marriage seems to have taken place at the
time
here
mentioned
Gauging, published that be took
home
at
his
Linz
in
new
which occasion he found cellar
in
for,
;
to
book en
1615, he infm'ms us
wife in
November, on
necessary to stock his
it
When
with a few casks of wine.
merchant came
his
the wine-
measure the casks, Kepler ob-
jected to his method, as he
made no allowance
for
the diflerent sizes of the bulging parts of the cask.
From
this
accident, Kepler
was
led to study the
subject of gauging, and to write the book which
Life of Kepler, chap.
vi.
we
JOHN KEPLER.
A.D. 1C15.
193
have mentioned, and which contains the
earliest
specimens of the modern analysis.
About
this period,
Kepler was summoned to the
Diet at Ratisbon, to give his opinion on the reformation of the Kalendar,
on the subject
;
and he published a short essay
but though the Government did
not scruple to avail themselves of his services, yet pension was allowed to
his
fall in
arrear, and,
in
order to support his family, he was obliged to pub-
an Almanac, suited to the taste of the age.
lish "'
In
order,^^ says he,
Ephemeris compose scarcely its
for
a
" to defray the expense of the
two years,"
vile
I
have been obliged
prophesying Almanac^
which
to is
more respectable than begging, unless from
saving the Emperor's credit,
and
entirely,
would
suffer
me
who abandons me to
perish
with
hunger/'
Although Kepler's residence uncomfortable by the
Roman
at
Linz was rendered
Catholics,
excommunicated him on account of
who had
his refusing to
subscribe to some opinions respecting the ubiquity of
our Saviour,
or,
as others maintain, on account of
some opinions which he had expressed respecting transubstantiation, in a letter to Peter Hoffman, he says,
*'
that the Priest and School-inspector com-
bined to brand
me
with the public stigma of heresy,
* These Ephemerides, from 1617 to 1620, were published at Linz in The one for 1C20 was dedicated to Baron Napier of Merchiston, whose invention of Logarithms Kepler considered " a famous contriTance,* notwithstanding its unfavourable reception by some of his countrymen.
1616.
N
JOHN KEPLER.
194 Lecanse
in
to 7ne to he
every question
I take
consonant with the
he refused, in
CHAP. n.
that side which seems
Word
.1G17, to accept of
the mathematical chair at Bologna. of his fortune Leing bettered
of God,'
^
Yet
an invitation to
The
fill
prospeci
by such a change couL'
not reconcile him to live in a country where his
freedom of speech and manners might expose to suspicion
most hiin.
;
and he accordingly declined,
respectful
manner, the
uLier
hirr.'
in the
which was made
— JOHN KEPLER.
A.;>. IJIT.
CHAPTEE Kep'er's continued Emlinrras'rcents
195
III.
— Death
—
of 3IatliiaE!
Li^erjililv
of
— Keplers " Harmonies of the World" — The Epitome of the Copernican Astronomy — It prohibited by the Congregation of the Index at Rome — Sir Henry NTotton, the British Ambassador, inrites Kepler to England — He declines the invitation — Neglect of genius by the Ferdinand
is
—
English Government— Trial of Kepler's mother Her final acquittal— And death at the age of seventy -eight The States of Styria burn publicly
—
Kepler"s Kalendar
— He receives his arrears of —
salary from Ferdinand
The Rudolphine Tables published in ]62S He receives a gold chain from the Grand Duke of Tuscany— He is patronized by the Duke of Friedland He removes to Sagan, in Silesia Is appointed Professor of
—
—
—
Mathematics at Rostoch Goes to Ratisbon to receive his arrears His death, funeral, and epitaph Monument erected to his memory in 1S03 His family His Posthumous Volume, entitled, "The Dream, or
—
—
—
Lunar Astronomy."
Kepler was kept
in a state of constant anxiety
from the delay in the Government
to
pay up the
arrears of his pension, while their repeated promises
prevented him from accepting of other employments.
He had hoped
that the affair of the Bolognese chair
would ronse the Imperial treasury duty, and enable
Tables
—that
memory both
him
great of
to
to
a sense of
work which he owed
Tycho and
its
publish the Rudolphine
of Rudolph.
to
the
But though
he was disappointed in this expectation, an event
row
occurred which at least held out the prospect
of a favourable change in his circumstances.
The
;
JOHN kepli:r.
196
Emperor Mathias died by Ferdinand
in 1619,
who
iii.,
chap.
jii.
and was succeeded
not only continued him in
the situation of his principal mathematician, with his
former pension, but promised to pay up the
arears of
it,
and
to furnish the
means
for publish-
ing the Eudolphine Tables.
The year 1619, in life,
so favourable to Kepler^s prospects
was distinguished
also
by the publication,
at
Linz, of one of his most remarkable productions, en^'
tilled,
The Harmonies
cated to James
memorable
i.
of the
World/'
of England, and
It
is
dedi-
will be for ever
in the history of science, as containing
the celebrated law, that the squares of the periodic
times of the planets are to one another as the cubes
This singular volume, which
of their distances.
marked with his
^^
all
the peculiarities which distinguish
Cosmographical Mystery,''
The two
books.
which
first
is
divided into five
books are principally geome-
and relate to regular polygons inscribed in a
trical,
circle
is
;
the third book
a treatise on Music, in
is
musical proportions are derived from figures
the fourth book
is
astrological,
harmony of rays emanating
and
treats of the
to the earth
from the
heavenly bodies, and on their influence over the sublunary or
human
soul
;
the
fifth
book
is
astro-
nomical and metaphysical, and treats of the exquisite harmonies of the celestial motions,
and of
the celebrated third law of the universe, which
have alreadv referred
to.
we
;
JOHN KEPLEIt.
A,D. 161^.
197
Tins Law, as he Inmself informs
us, first entered
mind on the 8th March 1618
his
made an erroneous reject
it.
He
calcuL^tion, he
having
bat,
;
was obliged
and having discovered his former
error,
to
May
resumed the subject on the 15th
he recog-
nised with transport the absolute truth of a principle Avhich for seventeen years his
incessant
had been the object
The
labours.
which
delight
grand discovery gave him had no bounds. thing holds me," says he sacred fury
;
this **
No-
I will indulge in
my
triumph over mankind by the
I will
honest confession,
*' ;
of
have stolen the golden
that I
vases of the Egyptians, to build up a tabernacle for
my
God, far away from the confines of Egypt.
you forgive me, bear
it.
be read which. as
The
die is cast
now
either It
I rejoice
may
or
;
;
if
If
you are angry, I can
the book
by posterity
written, to
is
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
I
care
not
well wait a century for a reader,
God has waited
thousand years
six
for
an ob-
server."
About the same
time, in 1618, Kepler published,
at Linz, the three first
books of his
*'
Epitome of the
Copernican Astronomy," of which the fourth appeared at the same place in 1622, and the sixth,
and seventh at Frankfort
This interesting work his astronomical views,
is
in the
a kind of
drawn up
summary
in the
its
publication,
it
of all
form of a
dialogue for the perusal of general readers.
mediately after
fifths
same year.
Im-
was placed by the
;
JOHN KLPLEn.
IDS
Congregation of the Indt-x prohibited books this
at
chap. m.
Hume
in
tlie
list ol
and the moment Kepler learned
;
from his correspondent Eemus, he was thrown
into great alarm,
and requested from him some
in-
formation respecting the terms and consequences of the censure which
He was
work.
personal safety
compelled
be
was thus pronounced upon
his
might compromise
his
afraid that
if
to
it
he went to Italy his
retract
work would be ruined
abandon
The
:
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that the
sale of
and that he must either
Remus calmed
He
assured
him that the book
two years before
t\
with a piece of seasonable exhortation,
as
tiie
and he concluded
;
aptated
his
prohibited as contrary to the decree of Office
the
;
his country or his opinions.
reply of his friend
mind.
;
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
opinions
censure might extend to Austria his
;
that he might
only
Huly
his letter
^'
There
is
therefore no 2:round for vour alarm either in Italv or in Austria
;
only keep yourself within bounds,
and put a guard upon our own passions." In the year 1620, Sir Henry Wotton, the English
Ambassador
at Venice, paid a visit to
way through Germany. or not this visit to
whom
It does not
was paid
Kepler on his
appear whether
at the desire of
James
i.,
Kepler had dedicated one of his works
but from the nature of the communication which was
made
to
him by
the ambassador, there are strong
reasons to think that this was the case.
Wotton urged Kepler
to take
up
Sir
Henry
his residence in
A
I>
JOHN KEPLER.
1620.
Eiiglaiid,
199
where he could assure him of a welcome
and an honourable reception
but, notwithstanding
;
the pecuniary difficulties in which he was involved,
he did not accept of the invitation. this ofier in
one of his
letters,
was made, he thus balances the question
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
*^
The
it
'^
are
Shall I then cross the sea,
me
whither Wotton invites of firm land,
to
difficulties of the
of civil war,'' says he,
fires
raging in Germany.
who
In referring
written a year after
who dread
a German, a lover
I,
the confinement of an island,
and must drag along with
foresee its dangers,
me my little wife and
?
flock of children ?''
seems to have entertained no doubt of provided for in England, the British Sovereign
it is
his
As Kepler being well
the more probable that
had made him
a distinct offer
A welcome and an
through his ambassador.
honour-
able reception, in the ordinary sense of these terms,
could not have supplied the wants of a starving astronomer,
who was
though an
ill-paid
upon
called
to
renounce a large
salary in his native land
;
ami
Kepler had experienced too deeply the faithlessness of royal pledges, to trust his fortune to so vague an
assurance as that which
is
implied in the language
of the English ambassador. turies
During the two cen-
which have elapsed since
this invitation
was
given to Kepler, there has been no reign during
which the most
illustrious foreigner could
hope
for
pecuniary support, either from the Sovereign or the
Government
of
England.
What
English science
200
JOHN KEPLER.
oiIAl' Jll.
command
for lier inJig-eiious
has Dever been able to
was not
talent,
likely
The generous
merit.
to
be proiTeivd to foreign
hearts of individual English-
men, indeed, are always open intellectual
come the stranger the
frozen
claims
the
to
of
pre-eminence, and ever ready to wel-
whom
adorns
it
of a
life-blood
sympathies have seldom vibrated
but through
;
such
minister
British
and, amid the
;
struggles of faction and the anxieties of personal
and family ambition, he has turned a deaf ear
demands
the
of genius, whether
humble posture
the
to
she appeared in
of a suppliant, or in the prouder
attitude of a national benefactor. If the Imperial
Mathematician, therefore, had no
home
other assurance of a comfortable
in
England
than that of Sir Henry Wotton, he acted a wise part
distrusting it;
in
sacred
long
name
of Kepler
and we
of distinguished characters
list
that
rejoice
the
was thus withheld from the
whom England
has starved and dishonoured.*
In the year 1620, Kepler was exposed calamity, which continued to harass
His
time.
mother,
peculiarities of
was
arrested on the 5th April,
One
for
some
Kepler, to whose
Catherine
temper we have
very serious nature.
to a severe
him
already referred,
upon a charge of a
of her acquaintances
* Ai though these para zraphs were ^^Titten before Lord Melb-^unie and Sir
Robert Peel had recognised,
and Science pre?-ÂŤ
nre
to a small extent, the claims of Literature
to the liberal'.ty of the State, the seiitiments
still
substantially true.
which they es-
JOHN KKPLER.
A E. 1G20.
201
Laving some years before suffered a miscarriage,
was subsequently attacked
^yith
violent headaches,
and Catherine was charged with having adminiThis accusation was
stered poison to her friend.
indignantly repelled, and a young doctor of the law,
whom
she consulted, advised her to raise an action
From
against her calumniator.
professional
or
probably pecuniary reasons, this zealous practitioner
The
contrived to delay the law-suit for five years.
judge vras
who
tried
happened
it
succeeded by
another,
with the prosecutor.
quarrel
was aware
to
be displaced, and
who had a personal The defender, who
of this favourable change in her case,
became the
accuser, and, in July 1620, Catherine
Keider was sent to prison, and condemned to the
The moment
torture.
this event reached the ears
of her son, he quitted Linz, and arrived in time to
He
save her from punishment.
found that the evi-
dence upon which she was condemned had no other foundation than her
own
intemperate conduct
though his interference was
successful, yet she
not finally released from prison
woman, now
new
till
the 4th
Convinced of her innocence,
ber 1621.
;
and
was
Novem-
this bold
in the 79th year of her age, raised a
action for
damages against her opponent
;
but
her death, in April 1622, put an end to her own miseries,
Among
as well
as
to
the
anxiety of her son.
the virtues of this singular
number that
of generosity.
woman, we must
Moestlin, the old pre-
202
JOHN KLPLEIt.
CHAP.
in.
ceplor of Kepler, bad generously declined iiny com-
Kepler never forgot
pensation for his instructions.
this act of kindness, and, in the midst of his poverty,
he found means to send to Mcestlin a handsome silver
In acknow-
cup in token of his gratitude.
ledging this
had taken
Moestlin remarks,
gift,
it
into her
head that you owed me 200
and had brought
florins,
Your mother
''
fifteen florins
and
a chan-
delier
towards reducing the debt, which I advised
])er to
send to you.
However, we hanselled your cup,
which she refused. lis
you know she
I asked h'^r to stay to dinner,
is
temperament."*
of a thirsty
In the same year in
which
his
mother was
ar-
rested, the Slates of Styria ordered all the copies of
the
"Kalendar"
'inhere
for
1624
be publicly burned,
to
does not seem to be any reason for supposing
tliat this insult
Catholics.
proceeded from his old enemies
They would, no
share in carrying
it
into
tlie
doubt, take an active
efi'ect
;
but
it
would appear
that his former [jatrons w^ere affronted at Kepler's
giving the precedence in his title-page to the States of
Upper Ens, where he then
resided, before
the
States of Styria.
In 1622, the Emperor Ferdinand, notwithstanding his
own pecuniary
ordered the whole
difficulties,
of Kepler's arrears to be paid,
even those which
had been due by Kudolph and Mathias groat
was
his
anxiety
to
have
* Life of Kepler, chap.
viii.
the
;
and
so
Eudolphine
JOHN KEPLER.
1622.
A.l).
L^Uo
Tables publisLed, that be supplied tbe means
New
immediate completion.
their
up
ever, sprang
for
bow-
to retard still longer tbe publica-
Tbe wars
important work.
of tbis
tion
difficulties,
of tbe
Eeformation, wbicb were tben agitating tbe wbole
Germany,
of
Tbe
interfered witb every peaceful pursuit.
library of Kepler
and
Jesuits,
it
was sealed up by order of tbe
was only
bis position
as Imperial
Matbematician tbat saved bim from personal incon-
A
venience.
popular insurrection followed in tbe
Tbe peasantry blockaded
train of tbese disasters.
Linz, tbe place of Kepler's residence, and till
it
was not
tbe year 1G27, as tbe title-page bears, or 162S,
as Kepler elsewbere
states,
tbat tbese celebrated
Tables were given to tbe world.
Tbe Eudolpbine Tables were published one volume
Tbey were
folio.
iruin tbe observations of
bis
own
Ulm
at
in
calculated by Kepler
Tycbo, and are founded
oji
great discovery of tbe ellipticity of tbe
planetary orbits.
Tbe
first
and third parts
of tbe
work contain logarithmic and other auxiliary Tables, for tbe
purpose of facilitating astronomical calcula-
Tbe second
tions.
moon, and planets
1000
map
stars, is
and tbe fourth a catalogue
as determined
by Tycbo.
A
of
nautical
prefixed to some copies of tbe Tables, and
tbe description of
method
part contains Tables of tbe sun, ;
it
contains tbe
first
of determining^ tbe lon^-itude
occult at ions.
notice of the
bv means
of
jniiN kit:.
t:04
A the
CHAP.
IIT.
short iItiO after the piiLlication of these Tables,
Grand Duke
Galileo, sent
of Tuscany, instigated no doubt
Kepler a gold chain
in
by
testimony of his
approbation of the great service which he had rendered to astronomy.
About
time,
this
Duke
Albert Wallenstein,
of
Friedland, a great patron of astrology, and one of
men
the most distinguished
most munificent take
Tip
his
offers to
residence
at
Sagan
made
the
in
The
Silesia.
agitated Linz, the love
religious dissensions vrhich
of tranquillity
of the age,
Kepler, and invited him to
which Kepler had
so little enjoyed,
and the publication of his great work, induced him to accept of this offer.
He
accordingly removed his
family from Linz to Eatisbon in 1629, and he himself set
cut for Prague, with the dotible object of
presenting the E.idolphine Tables to the Emperor,
and of
soliciting his permission to
of the
Duke
of Friedland.
hesitate to grant his request,
go into the service
The Emperor
did not
and would have gladly
transferred Kepler's arrears as well as himself to the
charge of a foreign prince.
Kepler accordingly set
out with his wife and family for Sagan, where he
The Duke Albert
arrived in 1629.
with liberality and distinction. with an assistant a printing press
Duke
;
He
for his calculations,
treated
him
supplied
him
and
also
with
and, by his influence with the
of Mecklenburg, he obtained for
fessorship in the University of Rostoch.
him
a pro-
.
JOHN Ki:rLER.
A.D. 1630.
In
remote situation, Kepler found
this
to obtain
difficult
which he
still
The
retained.
arrears
Imperial Assembly at Eatisbon to to obtain
them.
it
extremely
payment of the Imperial pension
8000 crowns, and be resolved
lated to
less.
205
make
had accumuto
go to the
a final effort
His attempts, however, were
The vexation which
this occasioned,
fruit-
and the
great fatigue which he had undergone, threw him into a violent fever,
of cold,
and
posthume
to
which
him
off
have been one
said to
have been accompanied with an im-
in his brain, occasioned
This disease baffled the carried
is
by too much stud}
skill of his physicians,
and
on the 5th November, O.S. 1630, in
the sixtieth year of his age.
The remains Peter's
of this great
Churchyard
inscription,
man were
at Eatisbon,
interred in St.
and the following
embodying an epitaph which he had
written for himself, was engraven on his tombstone:
In hoc QUIESCIT VIR NOBILISSIMUS, DOCTISSIMUS ET CELEBERRIMUS DoM. JoHANNES KePLERUS, TRIUM ImPERATORUM liLDOLPHI U., MaTHI^, ET FeRDIXANDI II., PER ANXOS XXX,
ANTE A VERO PROCERUM StYRI^ AB ANNO 1594 USQUE 1610 POSTEA QUOQUE ASTRIACORUM ORDINUM AB i.NNO 1612 USQUE AD ANNUM 1628 Mathematicus, toti oebi Christiano, per MONUMENTA PUBLICA COGNITUS, AB OMNIBUS UOCTIS, INTER PiiiNCiPES Astronomic numeratus, qui propria manu assigNATUM POST SE RELIQUIT TALE EpiTArillUM Mensus eram coelos, nunc terra? metior umbras: :
Mens
coelestis erat, corporis
umbra jacet.
In Christo pie obiit anno Salutis 1G30, die 5 Novembris, JETATIS sue SEXAGESIMO. .
-OG
JOHN
This monument
chap. hi.
not long preserve:].
u'as
rlestroyed during the
Ki:PLi:r.
was
It
wars which desolated Germany;
and no attempt was made
17S6
till
to
mark with
honour the spot which contained such venerable mains.
This attempt, however,
not
1803 that
till
memory
and
it
was
duty was paid to the
this great
by the Prince Bishop of Con-
of Kepler,
who
stance,
failed,
re-
erected a
handsome monumental temple
near the place of Lis interment, and in the Botanical
Garden
The temple
of the city.
a sphere, and in the centre
is
surmounted by
a bust of Kepler in
Is
Carrara marble.
Kepler
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; two
behind him a wife and seven children
left
by
his first wife,
Susannah and Louis
by
three sons and two daughters viz.
â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Sebald,
Anna
Cordelia,
The
Maria.
eldest of these,
Bartschius, his pupil,
physician
;
who
They were
wife are said
left
though 24,000
in
in
florins
children
were due
to
or
little
till
and
received to
the debt was
work, entitled, " The
Lunar
;
Kepler by the
sum was
consequence of her refusing
Kepler composed a
John Kepler,
1663, while
The
very narrow cn-cumstances
up Tycho's Observations
of
in
have died young.
to
Emperor, yet only a part of this
by Susannah,
death to
was educated as a
and his son Louis died
his second
Susannah, was
fatlier's
practising medicine at Konigsberg.
by
and
Friedman, Hildebert, and
married a few months before her
Jacob
;
his second wife,
give paid.
Dream
Astronomy,'^ the object of
AD.
JOHN KEPLER.
1630.
which was
moon
;
to describe the
207
phenomena seen from
engaged
in its publication
resumed the
;
and Bartschius having
task, died also before its completion.
Louis Kepler dreaded to meddle with a work
had proved law;
the
hut he died while he and Bartschius were
so fatal to his father
and
wdiicli
his brother-in-
but this superstitious feeling was overcome,
and the work was published at Frankfort
in 1G3G.
—
JOHN KEI'LEU.
106
CHAPTER Number
IT.
Works— His numerous Manuscripts in 22 by Hevelius, and afterwards by Hansch
of Kepler's published
— Purchased
folio
volumes
Who
publishes Ke};lers Life and Correspondence at
Charles ti.
— The
deposited in the Library of the
— General
the expense
of
History of the rest of his Manuscripts, which are
Kepkr
Academy
—
of Sciences at St. Petersburg
Candour in acknowledging his Errors His Mural and lleligiou« Chariicter His Astrological Writings and Opinion'; considered His Character as an Astronomer and a Philosopher The Splendour of his DiscoTeries— Account of his Methods of Character of
—
Ills
—
—
—
investigating Truth.
Although
__^
^Vi^-"'
the labours of Kepler were frequently
bterrupted by severe and long-continued indisposition, as well as
by the pecuniary embarrassments
in
which he was constantly involved, yet the ardour and power of
his
the difficulties
mind enabled him
of his
position.
to
surmount
all
Not only did he
bring to a successful completion the leading inquiries for
which he had begun, but he found
composing an immense number
or less connected with the
of
leisure
works more
subject of his studies.
Between 1594, when he published
his
Kalendar
at
Gratz, and 1630, the year of his death, he published
no fewer than left
thlrty-three separate
works
;
and he
behind him twenty-two volumes of manuscripts,
seven of which contained
dence.
his epistolary correspon-
.
JOHN KEPLEIl.
CIIAI'. IV.
The
209
celebrated astronomer Hevelius,
who was
a
contemporary of Louis Kepler, purcliascd all these
At
manuscripts from Kepler's representatives.
the
death of Hevclius they were bought by M. Gottlieb
Hansch, a zealous mathematician, who was desirous of giving
them
to the world.
issued a prospectus in
1714
subscription, in twenty-two
For
this purpose
them by
volumes
but this
folio
;
plan having failed, he was introduced to Charles
who
liberally obtained for
him 1000 ducats
AYith such encouragement,
florins.
Hansch published
in 1718, in
one volume
correspondence of Kepler, entitled,
Joannem Keplerum, bus Keplerianis^ runi^ opus
novum^
The expenses
vi.,
to de-
and an annual
fray the expense of the publication,
pension of 300
he
for publishing
insert is
**
ad easdem
folio,
the
EpistolcB
ad
responsioni-
quidquid hacienus reperiri potueet
cum
Jo. Kepleri
vita,^^
of this volume unfortunately ex-
hausted the 1000 ducats which had been granted
by the Emperor, and, instead of being able lish the rest of the
necessity of pledging
to pub-
MSS., Hansch was under the
them
for
828
florins.
Under
these difficulties he addressed himself in vain,
the celebrated "Wolfius,
London, and terest
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
to the
to other bodies that
were likely to
themselves in such a subject.
M. De Murr
of
Nuremberg was
in
to
Eoyal Society of
In 17G1,
in-
when
London, he made
great exertions to obtain the MSS., and Dr. Bradley is
said to
have been on the eve of purchasing them. o
210
JOHN KEPLLK.
The
CHAT.
IV.
competition proLaLly raised the demands of the
whose hands they continued
proprietor, in
and some time afterwards M.
them
for
In 1773, they were offered for 4000
years.
St. Petersburg',
in
De Murr purchased
Academy
Imperial
the
for
many
franc.-,
Sciences
of
whose library they
still
at
remain.
Euler, Lexell, and Kraft undertook the task of ex-
amining them, and selecting those that were best but we believe that no steps
fitted for publication
;
have yet been taken
for
we aware from
its
executing this task, nor are
that science would derive any advantage
completion.
Although, in drawing his own character, Kepler describes himself as politics
''
troublesome and choleric in
and domestic
events of his
life
matters,"
yet
the
more peaceful
indicate a
general
disposition
than might have been expected from the peculiarities of his
On
mind and the ardour
one occasion, indeed,
reproachful letter to Tycho, just
ground
of ofience
;
of his temperament.
he wrote a violent and
who had
given him no
but the state of Kepler's
health at that moment, and the necessitous circumstances in which he
had been placed,
palliation of his conduct.
some
But, independent of this
apology, his subsequent conduct as to reconcile even
offer
Tycho
was
so truly noble
to his penitent friend.
Kepler quickly saw the error which he committed
he lamented anxious
to
it
;
with genuine contrition, and was
remove any unfavourable
impression
CHAP.
JOHN KEPLER.
r/.
211
be might have given of bis friend, by tbÂŤ
wliicli
most public confession of bis
error,
and by the
warmest acknowledgments of tbe kindness of Tycbo. In bis relations witb tbe
scientific
men
own
of bis
times, Kepler conducted bimself witb tbat candour
and love of trutb wbicb sbould always distinguish
He was
the philosopher.
mean
never actuated by any
He
jealousy of bis rivals.
acknowledge their high merits coveries
made by
;
never scrupled
and when the
to
dis-
the telescope established beyond a
doubt the errors of some of Kepler's views, be willingly avowed bis mistake, and never joined in tbe opposition which w^as
made by many
to the discoveries of Galileo.
of this
was exhibited
A
of bis friends
striking example
in reference to bis supposed
discovery of Mercury on tbe sun's disc.
In the
year 1G07, Kepler observed upon the face of the
sun a dark spot, which be mistook for Mercury;*
but the day proving cloudy, be bad not tbe means
by subsequent observations, whether
of determining,
or not this opinion tlie
was well founded.
As
spots on
sun were at that time unknown, Kepler did not
liesitate to
publish the
in Sole visus
;
fiict
wards, discovered a great * It
in 1607, in bis
Mercurius
but when Galileo, a few years
number
after-
of similar spots
saw this dark spot vhik looking at the niji As a camera obscura is a<tually a telescope, Diagnifyint; objects in proportion to tbe focrJ lenu'th of the lens employed, he may be said to have first seen tbOie spots \Aith the aid of an ip
said that Eepler
in a camrra
obscura.
optical insirumcnt.
212
JoiiN ki:pli:h.
cn.M'. tv
with the telescope, Keller retracted his opinions,
and acknowledged that Galileo's discovery afforded an explanation,
also, of
many
similar oLservations
which he had found
in old writers,
difficult
it
to
reconcile with the actual motions of Mercury.
Kepler wr.s not one of those cold-hearted
who, though continually occupied
men
the study
in
o!
the material worLl, and ambitious of the distinction
which a successful examination of
s^.istains
worhs excited
He
tion but love.
he was allowed the universe his unaided
His mind was cast
it.
in
The magnificence and harmony
a better mould. of the Divine
confers, are yet
and greatness of the Being
insensible to the goodness
who made and
it
felt his
in
him not only admira-
own humility
the farther
to penetrate into the mysteries of
and sensible of the incompetency of
;
powers
such transcendent researches,
for
and recognising himself as but the instrument which the
Almighty employed
to
make known
his wonders,
he never entered upon his inquiries without praying for assistance
from above.
This frame of mind was
by no means inconsistent with that high
spirit oi
delight and triumph with which Kepler surveyed his discoveries.
His was the unpretending ovation
of success, not the ostentatious triumph of ambition
and
if
a noble pride did occasionally mingle
with his feelings,
it
was the pride
;
itself
of being the
chosen messenger of physical truth, not that of being the favoured possessor of superior genius.
Wiih
CHAP.
213
JOHN KEPLER.
IV.
such a frame of mind, Kepler was necessarily a
The
Christian.
afHictions with
which he was beset
confirmed his faith and brightened his hopes bore them, in
all
Christian patience
their variety ;
and
:
he
severity, with
and though he knew that
this
world was to be the theatre of his intellectual glory, yet he
felt
that his rest and his reward could be
found only in another. It is difficult to form
any very
intelligible idea of
the nature and extent ot Kepler's astrological opi-
and of the degree of credit which he himself
nions,
placed in those which he avowed.
In his Princij^les
of Astrology, published in 1602, and in other works,
he
rails
against the vanity and worthlessness of
ordinary astrology. it
as knaves
He
regards those
and charlatans
who
tJae
professed
and maintains that the
;
planets and stars exercise no influence whatever over
human
afi'airs.
He
conceives, however, that certain
harmonious configurations of suitable planets, like the spur to a horse, or a speech to an audience,
the
power of exciting the minds of men
general actions or impulses of these configurations vital
soul
in
is
;
have
to certain
so that the only efiect
to operate
along with the
producing results which would not
otherwise have taken place.
he states that those who are
As an example born when many
of this,
aspects
of the planets occur, generally turn out busy and industrious,
wealth,
whether they be occupied
managing public
afi'airs,
or
in
amassing
prosecuting
214
JOHN KEPLER.
scientiSc studies.
Kejjler himself
and hence,
triple configuration,
ardour and activity in study
knew
that he
configurations,
CHAP.
was born
lie
'^
v^dio
expresses
it,
her whole family, and occa-
faculties of
This excite-
sublunary natures, as he
by the colours and aspects and conjunche regarded as a
tions of the planets,
fact,
which he
had deduced from observation, and which had pelled his unwilling belief.'' to
same
not only makes no progress in
sions deplorable misery to herself.'^
of the
informs us
a lady born under nearly the
literature, but troubles
ment
un;]er a
his opinion, his
in
and
;
IV.
this," says
he,
''
^'
I
^'
com-
have been driven
not by studying or admiring
Plato, but singly and solely
by observing seasons,
and noting the aspects by which they are produced. I
have seen the state of the atmosphere almost uni-
lormly disturbed as often as the planets are in conjunction, or in the other configurations so celebrated
among either
astrologers.
when
when they
Had
I have noticed
its
tranquil state
there are none or few such aspects, or are transitory and of short duration."
Kepler been able to examine these hasty and
erroneous deductions by long- continued observation,
he would
soon
have found that the coincidence
which he did observe was merely accidental, and he would have cheerfully acknowledged tions of this
series
Specula-
kind, however, are, from their very
nature, less subject to a rigorous Ions:
it.
of observations
is
scrutiny
;
and a
necessary either to
JOHN KEPLEPw.
CllAr. IV.
or
establish
overturn
to
215
The
them.
modern observers has now supplied there
the
is
no point
science
in
industry of
and
this defect,
more certain than that
moon, and planets do not exercise any
sun,
influence on the general state of our atmosphere.
The the
philosophers in Kepler's day,
phenomena
who had
studied
of the tides, TN'ithout having any idea
who observed
that they were re-
lated to the daily motions of the
two great lumin-
of their cause, and
aries,
may
be excused for the extravagance of their
belief in supposing that the planets exercised other
influences over ler, in
his
^'
sublunary nature. '^ Although Kep-
Commentaries on Mars, had considered
it
probable that the waters of our ocean are attracted
by the moon, as
iron
is
by a
loadstone, yet this
opinion seems to have been a very transient one, as
he long afterwards, in his System of Harmonies, stated his firm belief that the earth
is
an enormous
living animal, and enumerates even the analogies
known animated
between
its
habits and those
beings.
He
considered the tides as waves produced
by the spouting out
of
of water through
its
gills,
and
he explains their relation to the solar and lunar motions by supposing that the terrene monster has, like other animals, its daily
and nightly alternations
of sleeping and waking.
From
the consideration of Kepler's astrolo;:,ncal
reveries, it is
an agreeable transition
to proceed to
the examination of his merits as an astronomer and
JOHN KlIPLEK
21G a philosopher.
As an experimental
as an astronomical
He
was
much from weak
self to the
eyes,
and
for
He
''
and the delicacy of
did not permit him
night
dull,
hand was awkward.
mechanical operations his
his constitution
philosopher, or
himself acknowledges,
that for observations his sight
suffered
iV.
Kepler does not lay
observer,
claim to our admiration. *'
CHAP.
to expose him-
Notwithstanding these hin-
air.
drances, however, he added several observations to
those of Tycho, which he that were presented to
made with two instruments
him by
his friend
the President of the States of Styria.
ments were an iron sextant,
2-1-
Hoffman,
These
instru-
feet in diameter, and
a brass azimuthal quadrant SJ feet in diameter, both
which were divided into single minutes of a de-
of
gree.
They were very seldom
used, and vre
must
regard the circumstances which disqualiOed K'^pler for
being an observer, as highly favourable to the
development of those great powers which he directed with undivided energy to physical astronomy.
Even
if
Kepler had never turned his attention to
the heavens, his optical labours would have given
him a high rank among age
;
but when
we
the original inquirers of his
consider
him
also as the dis-
coverer of the three great laws which bear his name,
we must
The
assign
him
a rank next to that of Newton.
history of science does not present us with
discoveries
more truly
original, or
any
which required
for
their establishment a more acute and vigorous mind.
CHAP.
The
JOHN KEPLER.
IV.
him no
speculations of his predecessors afforded
From
assistance.
the cumbroiis machinery adopted
by Copernicus, Kepler passed, elliptical orbit, T\-ith the
from that tive
217
at one step,
sun in one of
moment astronomy became
science.
The
its
to an
foci,
and
a demonstra-
splendid discoveries of
Newton
sprung immediately from those of Kepler, and completed the great chain of truths which constitute the
The
laws of the planetary system.
eccentricity
and
boldness of Kepler's genius form a striking contrast
with the calm intellect and the enduring patience of
Newton.
The
bright spark which the genius of
the one elicited, was fostered by the sagacity of the
other into a steady and enduring flame.
Kepler has fortunately
left
behind
him a
full
account of the methods by which he arrived at his
What
great discoveries.
other philosophers have
studiously concealed, Kepler has openly avowed, and
minutely detailed
;
and we have no hesitation
in con-
sidering these details as the most valuable present
that has ever been given to science,
the careful study of
mortal
Newton made method
all
achievements.
;
who
seek to emulate his im-
It
has been asserted that
his discoveries
but this
is
and as deserving
by following a
different
a mere assumption, as Newton
has never favoured the world with any account of the erroneous speculations and the frequent failures success.
Had
Kepler done the same, by recording only the
final
which must have preceded his ultimate
Jn]\\ KLPLER.
218 steps of
liis
inquiries, Lis
method
wonld have oLtained the highest have been held np
to future
CHAP.
of investigation
and would
celeLrity,
ages as a pattern for
But such was the candour
their imitation.
ir.
of his
mind, and such his inordinate love of truth, that he not only recorded his wildest fancies, but emblazoned
even his greatest
If
errors.
Xewton had indulged
us with the same insight into his physical inquiries,
we might have
witne.-sed the
same processes which
were employed by Kepler, modified only by the
and
different characters
intensities of their
imagina-
tive powers.
When
Kepler directed his mind
to the discovery
of a general principle, he set distinctly before him,
and never once his search.
lost
of,
the explicit object of
His imagination then unreined, indulged
itself in the creation
theses.
sight
The most
plausible,
fascinating, of these
rigorous scrutiny
;
and invention of various hypoor perhaps the most
was then submitted
and the moment
it
most
to the
was found
to
be incompatible with the results of observation and experiment,
it
was willingly abandoned, and another
hypothesis submitted to
tl^e
same severe
ordeal.
By
thus gradually excluding erroneous views and as-
sumptions, Kepler not only made a decided approxi-
mation to the object of his pursuit, but in the to
which his opinions were submitted, and
trials
in the ob-
Bervations or experiments which they called forth,
he discovered new
facts,
and arrived
at
new
views,
niAP.
JOHN
jv.
which directed
his
siil
219
K::FLi:rw.
By
sequent inquiries.
suing this method, he succeeded in his most researches, and discovered those beautiful
pur-
difficult
and pro-
found laws wdiich have been the admiration of succeeding ages. it is
In tracing the route which he followed,
easy for those
who
live
under the light of modern
science to say that his fancies were often wild, his labour often misapplied ler's
;
but, in judging of
methods, we should stand
Kep-
in the twilight of his
day, and invest ourselves with the prejudices
knowledge of
and
and the
his contemporaries.
In the infancy of a science there
is
no specula-
tion so worthless ns not to merit examination.
The
most remote and fanciful explanations of facts have often been found the true ones
have
in one century
;
and opinions which
been objects of
ridicule,
have
next been admitted among the elements of
in the
The
our knowledge.
physical
world teems with
wonders, and the various forms of matter exhibit to us properties
and
relations, far
more extraordin-
ary than the wildest fancy could have conceived.
Human
reason stands appalled before this magni-
ficent display of creative
drunk deepest of
its
power, and they
wisdom
w^ill
who have
be the least dis-
posed to limit the excursions of physical speculation.
The ment
influence of the imagination as an instru-
of research, has,
looked by those
we
think, been
who have ventured
much
to give
over-
laws to
220
joiis KKrLi:K.
This faculty
philosophy.
in physical inquiries.
confide in
us
;
but
if
its
If
indications,
we employ
afford us the
it
of the grcatebt value
is
we it
use
like that of the light troops
it
as a guide,
and
will infallibly deceive
an auxiliary,
as
most invaluable
cjiap. iv.
aid.
it
will
Its operation is
which are seut out
to
ascertain the strength and position of the enemy.
When
the struggle commences, their services termi-
nate
and
;
it
ment that the
is
by the
battle
solid
must be
TiiK
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•*Verv curious as showing wliat articles of cliurch farnimre were in tliose ^ays considered tc !e Id latrous or unnecessary. The wo;k. r.f whic'i ouly a rii;;itoi^ nuii.ber )ia<; bx-ii frinted. is cf t:«B highest interest to tliose who *;ike part in the ^jies^cn; Licoai discussion.'' iff /I'tw^'iout Jvurncui.
—
NEW BOOK BY
PHOFESSOPv EENAN'S ASSOCIATE. the Pagr.n or Paise Christ cf An Essay. By Albert Eeville, Pastor of tl--
ApoUonius of Tyana
:
the Third Century. "Walloon Church ?«.t Rotterdam. Authorised transhition. Price 3s. 6d. •** A most curious account cf an attempt to revive r;i:;a:r's;;i in tiic tliirJ ct-ntury by mea,..s of a S;ra ipe to say, the priucipai evcatsia tiicliie ol Apollonius aie almost ideiitical >v^;n
false Christ.
the Gospel
nan a live.
Carlyle on the Choice of Eoolis. Caulyle,
Tvith
Memoir, Anecdotes^
Address by TIiom?.s
T'.vo Portraits,
and View
of his
House
*»
in Chelsea. This day, elcg-anily printed, pp. 96, cloth 23. The leader in Daii;/ Telegraph, April 25:h, largely quotes from above " 'Icmoir."
Smiles's (Sanii.) Story of the Life of Gscrge Stepheneon;
a Companion
copies only at 3s. ^d.
A
Volume
few Sells at 6s. to *' Self-Help." Apf/nj to Mr. lloitcn direct for this hook. -~
•
:^alone's (Ed.) Life.
By
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James
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A
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MR. SWINBURNE'S ^*
BOOK.
for mane c''
literary
^'A wonderful
j) er
—
^^
Splendour oj
mjle and majestic bcautf/ of diction never siirjyasscd.''— WILLI All BbAKE: A Ciutical Essay. With facsimile Paintings, coloured by hand, from the original drawings painted by Blake and his wife. Thick Svo, pp. 350, 16s. v:'A\i a sense of " An extraordi«
work
nary
M^
vio-
:
ehocl:
many
,
^^^^ fe^^'-
and
beauty,
W^
1^"
to alarm
abounding
vitality."
-V
-^^
readers, but
and
l\
^'Jr'^.:il.--">>^.^5r.
extravagant, calcuperverse, lated to startle, to lent,
in
^^1"
clia-
^^i^J^
often
truly
*'
:
in every TTcrtLy of Mr.
It is
wav
-^'.
Swinburne's high In no prose wori: can be found passages of keener poetry or more linished grace, or fiin:.
-
'
more
ifl
iinprcssivo
harmony. Strong,
ivon-
derful— sometimes^ must be adit in excess, but always full of matter, form, and colour, and instinct
raitted,
Mr.
12,
1868. --^'
"
racterised by intel- ^rz^;Q . ^--=^'^d lectual grasp. • His power of . .
word - painting
— Daily
Feb.
Kci'-s,
vigorous,
and
musical,
style
tlie
sweeps on
like river."— -Sunday 12, Jan. TimeSf
v^^ie*^-'
e
1058.
Swinbirjiie's
Iv
e':Tr
Poem.
—A
Fcap. Svo, toned paper, cloth, price 33. 61. •** Tlie Athc7i(rnwrcma.\ks<ii tliis poem—" Seldom has such
Song of
a chant been heard
Italy.
'SO full
«f glow,
Strength, end colour."
Mr. Swinburne's Poems and Ballads.
Tliird Edition.
Price 93.
Mr. Swinburne's
ISTotes on his Reviews which have appeared upon them,
Mr. Swinburne's Atalanta
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Kew Edition,
fcap. Svo, price 6s.
Mr. Swinburne's Edition.
Price
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A
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ITew
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A
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"61?
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16
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lit
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*'
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A
loving and de^:ca*e care has been besto^ved on perliaj^s the daintiest pflp-R8 of verse that Lave been for
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ears.'— L/o^d
time
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;
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the
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It
iu
turn
her heart to away with
everted face."—
shall
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•ay Menken
Yoik
was not Table. *'An amazing little book, nnhappily posthumous, which a ditUcguished woman has legacy to mankind and the aj [es. '—Sana Jay Review.
Anacreon in English. the Original.
cii3t-
tlie
posthumous
thouL'-hts tiiat pcs8e«:sed her soul, and
Who
this
gested for the
f
Few, If any, could have guessed
....
tro gifted
ance of whose better nature vi!) be sug-
*'
•
—
can
Mrayward
and
voman,
mn-'j
Hem.
a pas-
most £tanling.' Sunday Timet.
{jio be.
ibsued
is
about
markable
*'
There
on ate richnesa many of the poems which is al-
•i
By Thomas
J.
Attempted in the Arnold.
Rau.td
left as
a
Tiletres of
A choice little volume, price 43.
The Village on the Forth, and other Poems. By Philip Latimer.
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»9
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facsimile copies (exact vaper, priming ilie vsatcy-colour draivin'js Octng filed in hy an arti.^tj of the Ojuginal Editions of the Bool^s written and IllTistrated by William Elake. As it is onl}- intended to produce with utnDost care— a fcv cnranples of each worl:, Mr. Hotten will be glad to hear from any gentleman v/ho may desire to secure copies of these vronderful boolia. The iirst volume, " Marriage of Heaven and Hell/' 4to, is now being issued, price jCs., half morocco. "Elfike is n real car^e, I assure yon, and a most extraor:^"nary man he is. if he still be Mviti*.
as
—
to
—
m
He is the ii.ake w'loio wiiJ designs accuniniiny a si>le-.vii'i eJr.i'u of 'B'airs L4:ave.' He paitits 1 ''rrf ir'Ach he ai':crts he has seen. WQUr-rojj.iij v2tirit..ous f/r.T^if pictures vntor.s oj' his ii uin have g/c-it merit, 1 must look upou him as ouo of tl^e mjst exuaordiuary persons of the age."—
—
—
Chaelzs Lamb.
Georg'e Clip.pnian's Plays,
from
tlie
Edited, with Notes and an Introduction, by
Sw] NBURNE. 4 vol?., Editions of the
"Old
Original Tests. Algernon Charles
uniform with \\m. Piclrering'e [In prcjmratlon,
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Taps, &c.)
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ItttJS.
•^ A great deal of prc'inaice
in this countn.i has been shown against remavK-aUe autJior. His worh should he read hy independent minds, and an opinion formed totally apart from the attacUs tliat liave been made upon him. this ve^-y
Eossetti's Criticisms on Swinburne's Poems.
Price
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SECOND EDITION. —Now ready,
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known
Tiii? curious little volume has been reprinted verbatim from one of the only tvro copies V) be in existence. It coutaius an Introduction poiuiing out some of the principal persons meutior.ed in the list
***
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EXACT FACSIMILE. LETTER FOK LETTER, OF THE EXCESSIVELY PAKE OPlGiXAL, Much Adoe ahont ITotliing. As it hath been snndrie times publikely acted by the Pi^ht Honourable the L^rd Chamberlaino his seraants. 'Written by William Shakespeare, i6oo. *i,^* Small quarto, on fine toned paper, half-bound morocco, EoxburgLe style, only 4s. 6d. (Orighial price, los. 61.) i^
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VERY IMPORTAyr Poems from the Greek By Edmund
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nnnK<
M3rtliology,
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IL--
—
—
Price
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The
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4isr io.
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t
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*** A volume of dciiphtfully hamorou'; Poems, very aimilar to the miithf ul verses of Eer.der* will not be disappoiiited with this work.
Songs
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Tom
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20
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DATE DUE
mi
Date Due All library items are subject to recall at
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APR
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AN 2
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2005 1
201 le
1 2010
Brigham Young University
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