John Banville - Kepler

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.

We move in the midst of a distinguished society here in Prague. The Imperial Counsellor and First Secretary, Johann Polz, is very fond of me. His wife amp; his whole family are conspicuous for their Austrian elegance and their distinguished amp; noble manners. It would be due to their influence, if on some future day I were to make progress in this respect, though, of course, I am still far away from it (there is a difference between being a renowned mathematician and being great in society!). Yet notwithstanding the shabbiness of my household and my low rank, I am free to come amp; go in the Polz house as I please – and they are considered to belong to the nobility! I have other connections. The wives of two imperial guards acted as godmothers at Susanna's baptism. Stefan Schmid, the Imperial Treasurer; Matthäus Wackher, the Court Barrister; and His Excellency Joseph Hettler, the Baden Ambassador, all stood for our Friedrich. And at the ceremonies for little Ludwig, the Counts Palatine Philip Ludwig amp; his son Wolfgang Wilhelm von Pfalz-Neuburg were present. So you see, we are beginning to rise in the great world! All the same, I do not forget my own people. I think of you often, and worry for your well-being. You must take care of each other, and be kind. Mother, think on my warnings when last we spoke. Heinrich, cherish your mother. And in your prayers remember

your son amp; brother, Johann

(Herr Raspe, for your eyes only: watch Frau Kepler's doings, as I requested, and keep me informed. I shall pay you for these services.)

Aedes Cramerianis

Prague

March 1610

Signor Prof. Giorgio Antonio Magini: at Bologna

It is as if one had woken up to find two suns in the sky. That is only, of course, a way of putting it. Two suns would be a miracle, or magic, whereas this has been wrought by human eye and mind. It seems to me that there are times when, suddenly, after centuries of stagnation, things begin to flow all together as it were with astonishing swiftness, when from all sides streams spring up and join their courses, and this great confluence rushes on like a mighty river, carrying upon its flood all the broken amp; pathetic wreckage of our misconceptions. Thus, it is not a twelvemonth since I published my Astronomia nova, changing beyond recognition our notion of celestial workings: and now comes this news from Padua! Doubtless you in Italy are already familiar with it, and I know that even the most amazing things can come to seem commonplace in only a little time; for us, however, it is still new amp; wonderful amp; somewhat frightening.

Word was brought to me first by my friend Matthäus Wackher, Court Barrister amp; Privy Counsellor to His Majesty, who had it from the Tuscan Ambassador lately arrived here. Whackher came to see me at once. The day was bright and blustery, with a promise of spring, I will remember it always, as one remembers only a handful of days out of a lifetime. I saw, from the window of my study, the Counsellor's carriage come clattering over the bridge, and old Wackher with his head stuck out at the window, urging the driver on. Does excitement such as his that day send out before it palpable emanations? For even as I watched him coming, I felt nervous stirrings within me, though I knew nothing of what he had to tell me. I ran down and met the carriage arriving at my door. Herr Wackher was already babbling at me before I could grasp it. Galileus of Padua had turned upon the night sky a two-lensed perspicillum -a common Dutch spyglass, in fact-and by means of its 30-times magnification, had discovered four new planets.

I experienced a wonderful emotion while I listened to this curious tale. I felt moved in my deepest being. Wackher was full of joy amp; feverish excitement. At one moment we both laughed in our confusion, the next he continued his narrative and I listened intently-there was no end to it. We clasped hands and danced together, and Wackher's little dog, which he had brought with him, ran about in circles barking shrilly, until, overcome by our hilarity and quite beside itself, it jumped up and clasped me amorously about the leg, as dogs will, licking its lips and insanely grinning, which made us laugh the harder. Then we went inside and sat down, calmer now, over a jug of ale.

Is the report true? And if so, of what type are these newly discovered heavenly bodies? Are they companions of fixed stars, or do they belong to our solar system? Herr Wackher, though a Catholic, holds to the view of the misfortunate Bruno, that the stars are suns, infinite in number, which fill the infinite space, and Galileo's discovery, he believes, is proof of it, the four new bodies being companions of fixed stars: in other words, that it is another solar system that the Paduan has found. To me, however, as you know, an infinite universe is unthinkable. Also I consider it impossible that these are planets circling our sun, since the geometry of the world set forth in my Mysterium will allow of five planets in the solar system, and no more. Therefore I believe that what Galileo has seen are moons circling other planets, as our moon circles the earth. This is the only feasible explanation.

Perhaps you, closer to the scene of these discoveries, already have heard the correct explanation-perhaps even you have witnessed the new phenomena! Ah, to be in Italy. The Tuscan envoy, de Medici, who gave this news to Wackher, has presented to the Emperor a copy of Galileo's book. I hope soon to get my hands on it. Then we shall see!