Kepler (17 page)

How can you insinuate that I am delaying in the payment of these monies? What do I care for mere cash, I, who have lost that which was more precious to me than an emperor's treasury of gold, I mean my wife amp; my beloved son? That my lady Barbara chose not to mention me in her will is a profound hurt, but yet I intend to carry out her wishes. Although I have not the heart at the moment to investigate thoroughly how matters stand, I know in general the state of Frau Kepler's fortune, or what remains of it. When her father died, and the Mühleck estates were divided, she possessed some 3,000 florins in properties amp; goods. She was therefore not so rich as we had been led to believe-but that is another matter. I went with Frau Kepler to Graz at that time, when Jobst Müller had died, and spent no little time amp; pains in converting her inheritance into cash. Styrian taxes then were nothing less than punitive measures against Lutherans, and we suffered heavy losses in transferring her monies out of Austria. That is why there is not now those thousands which some people think I am trying to appropriate. Our life in Bohemia had been difficult, the Emperor was not the most prompt of paymasters, and inevitably, despite Frau Kepler's extreme parsimony, calls were made from time to time upon her capital. There were her many illnesses, the fine clothes which she insisted upon, and then, she was not one to be satisfied with beans amp; sausages. Do you imagine that we lived on air?

Also, after my marriage, I succeeded, against great opposition, in being appointed guardian of my wife's little daughter, our dear Regina, because I loved the child, as she was then, and because I feared that among her mother's people she would be exposed to the danger of Catholicism. I had been promised by Jobst Müller, 70 florins per annum for the child's maintenance: I was never paid a penny of that allowance, nor, of course, was I permitted to touch Regina 's own considerable fortune. Therefore, I am fully justified in deducting from the inheritance a just amp; suitable recompense. I have two children of my own to care for. My friends amp; patrons, the House of Fugger, will oversee the transfer to you of the remaining sum. I trust you will not accuse
them
of suspect dealing?

Johannes Kepler

Prague
December 1610

Dr Johannes Brengger: at Kaufieuren

I have received today, from Markus Welser in Cologne, the first pages in proof of my
Dioptrice.
The printing has been delayed, and even now, when it has finally started, there is a problem with the financing of the project, and I fear it will be some long time before the work is completed. I finished it in August, and presented it at once to my patron, the Elector Ernst of Cologne, who unfortunately has proved less enthusiastic amp; less prompt than the author, and seems not to be in any hurry to give to the world this important work which is dedicated to him. However, I am glad to see even these few pages in print, since in my present troubled state I am grateful for the small diversion which they provide. How far away already seem those summer months, when my health looked to be improving, and I worked with such vigour. Now I am subject once more to bouts of fever, and consequently I have no energy, and am sore in spirit. Worries abound, and there are rumours of war. Yet, looking now afresh at the form of this little book, I am struck by the thought that perhaps, without realising it, I had some intimation of the troubles to come, for certainly it is a strange work, uncommonly severe amp; muted, wintry in tone, precise in execution. It is not like me at all.

It is a book that is not easy to understand, and which assumes not only a clever head, but also a particularly intellectual alertness amp; an extraordinary desire to learn the causes of things. In it I have set about clearing up the laws by which the Galilean telescope works. (I might add, that in this task I have had scant help, as you would expect, from him whose name is given to the new instrument.) It may be said, I believe, that between this book, and my
Astronomia pars optica
of 1604, I have laid the foundations of a new science. Whereas, however, the earlier book was a gay amp; speculative venturing upon the nature oflight and the working of lenses, the
Dioptrice
is a sober setting out of rules, in the manner of a geometry manual. O, that I could send you a copy, for I am eager to hear your opinion. Damn these penny-pinchers! It is composed of 141 rules, schematically divided into definitions, axioms, problems amp; propositions. I begin with the law of refraction, the expression of which, I confess, is not much less inexact than previously, although I have managed not too badly by virtue of the fact that the angles of incidence dealt with are very small. I have also set out a description of total reflection of light rays in a glass cube amp; three-sided prism. As well, of course, I have gone more deeply than ever into the matter of lenses. In Problem 86, in which I demonstrate how, with the help of two convex lenses, visible objects can be made larger amp; distinct but inverted, I believe I have defined the principle upon which the astronomical telescope is based. Also, by treating of the suitable combinations of a converging lens with a diverging lens in place of a simple object lens, I have shown the way toward a large improvement upon the Galilean telescope. This will not please the Paduan, I think. So you see, my dear Doctor, how far ahead I have pressed in our science. I think, indeed, that I have gone as far as it is possible to go, and I confess, with some regret, that I am losing interest in the subject. The telescope is a wonderfully useful instrument, and will no doubt prove of great service to astronomy. For my part, however, I grow tired rapidly of peering into the sky, no matter how wonderful the sights to be seen there. Let others map these new phenomena. My eyesight is bad. I am, I fear, no Columbus of the heavens, but a modest stay-at-home, an armchair dreamer. The phenomena with which I am already familiar are sufficiently strange amp; wonderful. If the new stargazers discover novel facts which will help to explain the true causes of things, fair enough; but it seems to me that the real answers to the cosmic mystery are to be found not in the sky, but in that other, infinitely smaller though no less mysterious firmament contained within the skull. In a word, my dear friend, I am old-fashioned; as I am also,

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.