yours, Kepler
Aedes Cramerianis Prague October 1610
Georg Fugger: at Venice
Let me yet again offer you my warm amp; sincerest thanks for your loyal support of me amp; my work. I thank you also for your kind words regarding my Dissertatio cum nuncio sidero, and your efforts to promote in Italy the views expressed in that little work. Yet, once more, I must protest at your too enthusiastic championing of me against Galileo. I do not oppose him. My Dissertatio does not, as you put it, rip the mask from his face. If you read my pamphlet with attention, you will clearly see that I have, with reservations, given my blessing to his findings. Does this surprise you? Are you, perhaps, disappointed? How, you will ask, can I be warm toward someone who will not even deign to write to me directly? But as I have said before, I am a lover of truth, and will welcome it amp; celebrate it, whatever quarter it may come from. Sometimes I suspect that those who concern themselves in this squabble over the reliability of Galileo's findings, may in fact care less for the objective truth, than they do for getting hold of ammunition to use against an arrogant amp; clever man, and who is not subtle nor sly enough to put on a false humility in order to please the general. That young clown Martin Horky, Magini's assistant, in his so-called Refutation, had the gall to quote me-no, to misquote me, in support of his imbecile gibes against Galileo. I lost no time in terminating my acquaintance with the young pup.
Still, I confess Galileo is difficult to love. You know, in all this time he has written to me only one letter. For the rest, for news of his further discoveries, and even for word of his reactions to my Dissertatio (which after all was an open letter directed to him!), I must depend on second-hand accounts from the Tuscan Ambassador here, and other suchlike. And then, how secretive amp; suspicious the Paduan is! When he does send me a crumb, he hides it inside the most impossible amp; unnecessary of disguises. For instance, last summer he sent, again through the ambassador, the following message: Smaismirmilmepoetaleumibunenugttaurias. At first I was amused: after all, I myself sometimes play with anagrams amp; word games of this sort. However, when I set about deciphering the code, I was nearly driven out of my mind. The best I could manage was a bit of barbaric Latin verse that made no sense. It was not until last month-when Galileo had heard that the Emperor himself was curious-that the solution was furnished at last: hidden in that jumble was the announcement of the discovery of what appear to be two small moons circling Saturn! Now has come another puzzle, which seems to speak of a red spot in Jupiter which rotates mathematically. A red spot, I ask myself, or a red herring? How is one to respond to this kind of foolery? I shall scald the fellow's ears with my next letter.
And yet, what a splendid amp; daring scientist he is! O, that I could journey to Italy to meet this Titan! I will not have him sneered at, you know, in my presence. You mention how Magini amp; the dreadful Horky (nice name for him), and even you yourself, were delighted with the passage in the Dissertatio in which I mention that the principle of the telescope was set out 20 years ago by della Porta, and also in my own work on optics. But Galileo has not claimed the invention of the instrument! Besides, these anticipations were purely theoretical, and cannot dimmish Galileo's fame. For I know what a long road it is from the theoretical concept to its practical achievement, from the mention of the Antipodes in Ptolemy to Columbus's discovery of the New World, and even more from the two-lensed instruments used in this country to the instrument with which Galileo has penetrated the skies.
Let me state, then, clearly and without equivocation, that my Dissertatio is not the masterpiece of irony which so many take it to be (would that I possessed such subtlety!), but an open amp; express endorsement of Galileo's claims. Thank you for the oranges. Though I regret to say the packaging was damaged, and they had all gone bad.
Your servant, Sir, Joh: Kepler
Prague September 1610
Professor Gio. A. Magini: at Bologna
Excellent news, my dear sir: the Elector Ernst of Cologne, who is my patron, and who has been here throughout the summer for the Council of princes, returned last week from a brief visit to Vienna and brought with him a telescope, the very one which Galileo had himself presented to the Archduke of Bavaria. Thus the mean-spirited Paduan is frustrated in his jealousy by the kindness of my friends amp; patrons. Perhaps there is justice in the world, after all.
I have had much trouble with this Galilei (his father, I think, was a finer mind: have you read him?). With his usual imperiousness, he sends through his countrymen here at court, demands that I should support him in his claims regarding Jupiter, for it seems he is not content with my Dissertatio, and would have me repeat myself in ever more forceful affirmations of his genius-and yet, despite my many pleas, he would not send me an instrument with which to verify his claims to my own satisfaction. He says the expense amp; difficulty of manufacture prevents him, but I know that he has already distributed telescopes to all amp; sundry. What does he fear, that he excludes me? I confess I am led to suspect that his enemies may have something, when they say he is a braggart amp; a charlatan. I urged him to send me the names of witnesses, who would testify that they had seen what, in the Sidereus nuncius, he claims to be the case. He replied that the Grand Duke of Tuscany amp; one other of that numerous Medici clan would vouch for him. But I ask, what good are these? The Grand Duke of Tuscany, I do not doubt, would vouch for the sanctity of the Devil, if it suited him. Where are the scientists who will corroborate the findings? He says he holds them incapable of identifying either Jupiter or Mars, or even the moon, and so how can they be expected to know a new planet when they see it!
Anyway, it is all over now, thanks to the Elector Ernst. From August 30th, when he returned from Vienna, I have been, with the aid of the telescope, witnessing these wonderful new phenomena with my own eyes. Wishing, unlike the Paduan, to have the support of reliable witnesses, I invited to my house Ursinus the young mathematician, along with some other notables, that we might, individually, and by secret recording, at last provide indisputable proof of Galileo's claims. To avoid error, and also to preclude any charges of complicity, I insisted that we each draw in chalk on a tablet what we had seen in the telescope, the observations afterwards to be compared. It was all very satisfactory. We got in some good wine, and a hamper of food-game pies amp; a string of excellent sausage-and spent a very convivial evening, though I confess that the wine, combined with my poor eyesight, led me to a strange amp; peculiarly coloured view of the phenomena. However, all of the results matched up, more or less, and in the following days I was able myself to check them repeatedly. He was right, that Galilei!
Ah, with what trepidation did I apply my face to that splendid instrument! How would it be, if these new discoveries should only go to prove that I was wrong in my dearly held assumptions as to the true nature of things? I need not have feared. Yes, Jupiter possesses moons; yes, there are many more stars in heaven than are visible to the unaided eye; yes, yes, the moon is made of matter similar to that of the earth: but still, the shape of reality is as it has always seemed to me. The earth occupies the most distinguished place in the universe, since it circles the sun in the middle place between the planets, and the sun in turn represents the middle place at rest in a spherical space enclosed by the fixed stars. And everything is regulated according to the eternal laws of geometry, which is one amp; eternal, a reflection of the mind of God. All this I have seen, and am at peace-no thanks, however, to Galileo.
These are strange amp; marvellous times in which we live, that such transformations are wroughtin our view of the nature of things. Yet we must hold fast to that, that it is only our vision which is being expanded amp; altered, not the thing itself. Curious, how easy it is for us little creatures to confuse the opening of our eyes with the coming into being of a new creation: like children conceiving the world remade each morning when they wake.
Your friend, Sir, Johannes Kepler
Cramer Buildings
Prague
; April 1610
Frau Katharina amp; Heinrich Kepler: at Weilderstadt
Unwholesome amp; frightening reports have come to me, never mind by what channels, regarding your conduct, my mother. I have already spoken to you on this matter, but it seems I must do so again, and forcefully. Do you not know what is being said about you in Weil amp; roundabout? Even if you do not worry for your own safety, have a thought at least for your family, for my position and that of your sons amp; daughter. I know that Weil is a small place, and that tongues will wag whether the scandal is real, or thought up by evil minds, but all the more reason, then, to have a care. Daily now we hear of more amp; more burnings in Swabia. Do not deceive yourself: no one is immune to the threat of these flames.
The woman Ursula Reinbold, the glazier's wife, has put it about that once, after taking a drink at your house, she became ill with awful fluxions, and holds that you had poisoned her with a magic draught. I know she is unbalanced, and has a bad reputation, and that the illness was probably brought on by an abortion-but it is with just such people as this that stories begin, which in time take on the semblance of truth in the general mind. Others, hearing of the Reinbold woman's charge, bethink themselves that they also have cause to complain against you. There is a kind of madness which takes hold of people at times such as this, when the stars are unpropitious. What wrong, anyway, did you do the glazier's wife? She says you abused her, and now seemingly she nurses a deep hatred of our family. I am told too that Christoph has been in some way involved with her-what is the young fool about, that he consorts with the likes of her?
There is more. Beutelspacher the schoolmaster says that he also had a drink of you, and that it was this drink which caused his lameness. (What is this drink, in which you seem to have soused the entire town?) Bastian Meyer says you gave his wife a lotion, and after she had applied it she fell into a lingering illness amp; died. Christoph Frick the butcher says he suddenly felt pains in his thigh one day when he passed you by in the street. Daniel Schmid the tailor blames you for the death of his two children, because you would come into his house without cause, and whisper invocations in a strange language over the cradle. Schmid also claims that, when the children were ill, you taught his wife a prayer, to be uttered at full moon under the open sky in the churchyard, which would cure them, though they died all the same. And, wildest of all, I am told that you, Heinrich, have testifed that our mother had ridden a calf to death, and then wanted to prepare a roast from the carcase! What is going on? and yes, mother, something else: a gravedigger at Eltingen says that on a visit to your father's grave, you asked the fellow to dig up the skull, so that you could have it mounted in silver amp; presented to me as a drinking vessel. Can this be true? Have you gone mad? Heinrich, what do you know of these matters? I am beside myself with worry. Should I come to Swabia and investigate for myself, I wonder. The business is growing serious. Iprayyou, mother, keep to the house, speak to no one, and above all cease this doctoring amp; giving of potions. I am sending this letter directly to Herr Raspe, as I shall do with all letters in future, for I am told that previously, despite my directions, you have gone to Beutelspacher, of all people, to have my letters read. Have a care, now, I say, and pray for him who is
your loving son, Johann
(Herr Raspe: My thanks for these informations. What am I to do? They will burn her, sure as God! Enclosed, the usual fee.)
Prague November 1609
H. Röslin: at Buchsweiler in Alsace
Several thoughts occur to me, following your latest letter, but the majority of them I must keep to myself, for fear of angering you further. I am sorry to note the hostility of your reaction to my Antwort auff Röslini diseurs: believe me, my friend, it was not meant as an attack ad hominem. My tongue, I fear, has at times a rough amp; uncouth edge to it, especially when I am wrought, or even when I am only excited by the subject in hand, which last is the case on this occasion. I wished in my pamphlet to define as clearly as possible my attitude to astrology. I thought I had neither condemned nor condoned this science, of which you are such an ardent champion. Did I really say, in my last letter, that it was monkey shine? What comes over me, to say such things! Please, I apologise.I shall try here, as briefly amp; concisely as possible, to make amends and show you my true opinion in the matter.
In fact, you will be interested to hear that I am at this very time engaged in the composition of another Answer, this time to an attack upon astrologers! Feselius, physician-in-ordinary to the dedicatee of your own Diseurs, has produced a weighty attack upon the whole of astrology, which he altogether repudiates. Now, will it surprise you to know that I am about to weigh in, in my latest Antwort, with a defence against this broadside? For of course, contrary to what you seem to think, I do not hold all of that science to be worthless. Feselius, for instance, claims that the stars amp; planets were put up by God only as signs for determining time, and therefore astrologers, in scrying by the stars, impute a wrong intention to the Lord. Also he argues that Copernicus's theory is contrary to reason amp; to Holy Scripture. (I think, in this last, you agree with him? Forgive me, my friend, I can never resist a jibe.) All this, of course, is nonsense. Feselius is a foolish amp; pompous fellow, and I intend to dispatch him with a quick thrust of my sword. I mention him merely to show you that I am not wholly unsympathetic to your views.
I am interested in your contention that there is, behind the visible world, another world of magic which is hidden from us except in a few instances where we are allowed to witness magical actions at work. I cannot agree. Do you not see, Röslin, that the magic of, say, the so-called magic square is simply that numbers may be disposed in such a way as to produce wonderful configurations-but that this is the whole of it? No effects of this magic extend into the world. The real mystery amp; miracle is not that numbers have an effect upon things (which they do not!), but that they can express the nature of things; that the world, vast amp; various amp; seemingly ruled by chance, is amenable in its basic laws to the rigorous precision amp; order of mathematics.
It seems to me important that, not only is innate instinct excited by the heavens, but so also is the human intellect. The search for knowledge everywhere encounters geometrical relations in nature, which God, in creating the world, laid out from his own resources, so to speak. To enquire into nature, then, is to trace geometrical relationships. Since God, in his highest goodness, was not able to rest from his labours, he played with the characteristics of things, and copied himself in the world. Thus it is one of my thoughts, whether all of nature amp; all heavenly elegance is not symbolised in geometry. (I suppose this is the basis of all my belief.) And so, instinctively or thinkingly, the created imitates the Creator, the earth in making crystals, planets in arranging their leaves amp; blossoms, man in his creative activity. All this doing is like a child's play, without plan, without purpose, out of an inner impulse, out of simple joy. And the contemplating spirit finds amp; recognises itself again in that which it creates. Yes, yes, Röslin: all is play.
Vale Johannes Kepler
Prague
All Souls Day 1608
Dr Michael Mästlin: at Tübingen
I have your beautiful amp; affecting letter, for which much thanks, though I confess it has saddened me greatly. For a long time, though I wrote to you repeatedly, I heard not a word; now suddenly, as if you have been spurred to it by resentment amp; irritation, comes this strange valediction. Have I reached such a high step amp; distinguished position that I could, if I wished, look down on you"? Why, sir, what is this? You are my first teacher amp; patron, and, so I would like to think, my oldest friend. How would I look down on you, why should I wish to do so? You say my questions have been sometimes too subtle for your knowledge amp; gifts to comprehend: yet I am sure, magister, if there have been things you did not understand, the fault was mine, that my style of expression has been clumsy amp; unclear, or that my thoughts themselves were senseless. So you understand only your modest crap. On that score,
I say only this: you understood the work of Copernicus at a time when others, whose names subsequently have made a great noise in the world, had not yet heard tell of the Ermlander or his theories. Come, my dear Doctor, no more of this, I will not have it!
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