Kepler to Müller, 27 February 1630
Johannes Kepler, “Kepler to Müller, 27 February 1630,” Nova Kepleriana 4, February 27, 1630, 73–74, transcribed in Plain Old Text, https://sources.vjbe.net/stable/yv4q1.
Nova Kepleriana 4 27 Feb, 1630, p. 73–74 Summary
Part of Die Keplerbriefe auf der Nationalbibliothek und auf der Sternwarte in Paris
Kepler sends copies of the letter from China and asks for Müller's judgement, ethical as well as astronomical, with a bitter remark on the portents the war has brought Germany.
Source: Johannes Kepler's letter to Philipp Müller written at Sagan on 27 February 1630, about sending type and copies of the Epistolium from China, with a sharp remark on the war in Germany. The original is in the Bibliothèque nationale, Paris (Nouv. acq. lat. 1635, fol. 98; 89, 8. F. 19), with a copy at fol. 97. First printed in Nova Kepleriana 4, ed. Walther von Dyck and Max Caspar, Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Math.-naturw. Abteilung 31, no. 1 (Munich, 1927), 73–74.
English translation of the letter as printed in Nova Kepleriana 4 (1927), made for Plain Old Text. Each paragraph translates the corresponding paragraph of the original. Words the editors restored from the copy are given without brackets.
Many greetings.
Most famous and most excellent Sir.
Ten days ago I wrote to Lauban and sent a packet for you, asking my kinsman Christoph Hofmann to send it on to you by carters passing through, and to have my type brought to Görlitz. Four days ago I also sent a pack of 500 copies by the same road, to be handed to your Voigt. I now regret both decisions, since I have unexpectedly come upon a citizen of Sagan who sends goods straight to Leipzig, and whose wagon will come straight back to Sagan with some casks of wine. So, unless another carter, recommended from Lauban, has already got there first and carried them off, please have the type handed to this man, together with whatever of the three bales of paper must be kept and cannot be cancelled without offence; let me know how much money you have paid out beyond what you held, and I shall see that you are repaid at the Easter fair through the people of Sagan.
Since the half of the Ephemeris for 1630 came back to me only a few days ago, it has not yet all been finished. I can hardly bring myself to send printed pages, lest one copy be lost through my forgetfulness or some other mishap. The front matter would have come out more handsomely if we could have waited for the Leipzig type. For the italic letters I used are defective, as is easy to see.
I think I enclosed the Letter from China in the earlier packet. But I have instructed Mr Voigt, when he opens the packet of 500 copies, to give one copy each to you and to Avianus. Now I send one as well, to be sure. I await answers on each point, and your free judgement: not only on the astronomy, which I know you will give of your own accord, but on the ethics too, which I think you will dodge unless pressed. I go where I may; happier, not holier, is he who goes where he pleases. Grieving, I congratulate on those who grieve; a German, on the high blood of kings, now German blood too. So that very patron of mine is said to have congratulated Frederick Henry on his victory at Bois-le-Duc.Frederick Henry of Orange's capture of 's-Hertogenbosch (Bois-le-Duc) from Spain in September 1629; Kepler's Latin, de Dumeto, “of the Thicket”, renders bosch. And since the fate of Germany has brought us nothing but portents these ten years, is it any wonder if there are portents in my speech too, if my words are no stronger than my country’s deeds?
I look for great examples of nobility from your Meissen, which I may then at last imitate in my style as well. Farewell. Sagan, 27 February 1630.
Your Excellency’s
most dutiful
Jo. Kepler.
To the most famous and most excellent Mr
Philipp Müller, Licentiate of Medicine,
Professor of the Mathematical Arts in
the University of Leipzig, my friend of old
loyalty.
Leipzig.