Luckily Tengnagel was vain enough to promise the Emperor that he would complete the work in four years: during which time he has sat upon the material like the dog in the manger, unable to put the treasure to use, and preventing others from doing so. His four years are now gone, and he has done nothing. Therefore I am pressing ahead with my Astrono-mia noua, the printing of which has at last begun at Vogelin's in Heidelberg. Good enough. But now the dolt insists that the book shall carry a preface written amp; signed by him! I dare not think what twaddle he will produce. He claims he fears I have used Tycho's observations only in order to disprove the Dane's theory of the world, but I know all he cares for is the clinking of coins. Ach, a base amp; poisonous fool.
K
Gutenbergplatz Heidelberg Midsummer Eve 1609
Helisaeus Röslin, physician-in-ordinary to Hanau-Lichtenberg: at Buchsweiler in Alsace
Av. I have your interesting amp; instructive Diseurs von heutiger Zeit Beschaffenheir, which provokes in me, along with much speculation, many pleasant amp; wistful memories of those fraternal debates which engaged us in our student days together at Tübingen. I intend presently to reply with a public Antwort on those of my points on the Nova of 1604 which you challenge with such passion amp; skill, but first I wish to say a few words to you in private, not only in honour of our long friendship, but also in order to clarify certain matters which I may not air in print. For my position here in Prague grows more precarious daily. The royal personage no longer trusts anyone, and is particularly watchful concerning that science which you so energetically defend, and by which he puts much store. I would prefer to say pseudo-science. Please destroy this letter immediately you have read it.
I would grant in you, my dear Röslin, the presence of an instinctus divinus, a special illumination in the interpretation of celestial phenomena, which, however, has nothing to do with astrological rules. After all, it is true that God sometimes allows even pure simpletons to announce strange amp; wonderful things. No one should deny that clever amp; even holy things may come out of foolery amp; godlessness, as out of unclean amp; slimy substances comes the pretty snail or the oyster, or the silk-spinner out of caterpillar dirt. Even from the stinking dung heap the industrious hen may scrape a little golden grain. The majority of astrological rules I consider to be dung; as to what may be the grains worth retrieving from the heap, that is a more difficult matter.
The essence of my position is simply stated: that the heavens do something in people one sees clearly enough, but what specifically they do, remains a mystery. I believe that the aspects, that is the configurations which the planets form with one another, are of special significance in the lives of men. However, I hold that to speak of good amp; bad aspects is nonsensical. In the heavens it is not a question of good or bad: here only the categories harmonic, rhythmic, lovely, strong, weak amp; unarranged, are valid. The stars do not compel, they do not do away with free will, they do not decide the particular fate of an individual; but they impress on the soul a particular character. The person in the first igniting of his life receives a character amp; pattern of all the constellations in the heavens, or of the form of the rays flowing on to the earth, which he retains to the grave. This character creates noticeable traces in the form of the flesh, as well as in manners amp; gestures, inclinations amp; sympathies. Thus one becomes lively, good, gay; another sleepy, indolent, obscurantist; qualities which are comparable to the lovely amp; exact, or the extensive amp; unsightly configurations, and to the colours amp; movements, of the planets.
But upon what are based these categories, lovely amp; unlovely, strong amp; weak, et cetera? Why, upon the division of circles made by the knowable, that is constructable, regular polygons, as for instance is set out in my Mysterium cosmographicum; that is, the harmonic primordial relationships foreshadowed in the divine being. Thus all animated things, human amp; otherwise, as well as all the vegetable world, are influenced from heaven by the appropriate geometric instinct pertaining to them. All their activities are affected, individually shaped amp; guided by the light rays present here below and sensed by all these objects, as well as by the geometry amp; harmony which occurs between them by virtue of their motion, in the same way as the flock is affected by the voice of the shepherd, the horses on a wagon by the driver's shout, and the dance of the peasant by the skirl of the bagpipes. This is what I believe, and none of your monkey-shine will convince me otherwise.
I trust this frank German talk has not offended you, my dear Röslin. You live in my affections always, though sometimes I may snap amp; snarl, as if the habit of your friend and colleague, Johannes Kepler
Cramer Buildings Prague September 1609
Frau Katharina amp; Heinrich Kepler: at Weilderstadt
(To be read in their presence by G. Raspe, notary. Fee enclosed.)
Loved ones: I write to say that we have arrived home safely amp; well. Friedrich has a cough, but otherwise remains strong. Preparations for our dear Regina 's wedding are already well advanced: she is wonderfully capable in matters such as these. Her intended husband is a fine amp; honourable man, and well set up. He came this week to pay us his respects. Of course, he has been here before, but not as a betrothed. I find him somewhat formal, and wonder if he may not prove inflexible. Everything was most polite. I have no doubt that Regina will be well treated by him, and will be happy, perhaps. They move to Pfaf-fenhofen in the Upper Palatinate after the wedding. There is talk of plague there.
We are still in our rooms in the old Cramer Buildings, and I think must remain here for the present. The quarters are satisfactory, for we are on the bridge, and so have the benefit of the river. The building is of stone, therefore there is less danger of fires breaking out, a thing I have always feared, as you know. Also we are situated in a good part of the city. At Wenzel College in the Old Town, where we lived before, things were very different: the streets there are bad, ill-paved and always strewn with every kind of filth, the houses are bad, roofed with straw or wattles, and there is a stink that would drive back the Turk. Our landlord here, though, is an unmannerly ruffian, and I have many differences with him, which upsets my digestion. Barbara tells me not to mind him. Why is it, I wonder, that people behave so badly toward each other? What is to be gained by fretting amp; fighting? I think there are some in the world who must sustain themselves by making their fellow men suffer. This is as true for the landlord who hounds his tenants, as it is for the infidel torturing his slaves to death: only the degree of evil differs, not the quality. These are the things I think about, when my duties at court and my scientific studies allow me time to think at all. Not that I do much scientific work now, for my health is not good, with frequent fevers and an inflammation of the bowel, and my mind for the most part prostrate in a pitiful frost. But I do not complain. God is good.