ymy--Observations on the Character of the Alchymists--Tycho's
Elixir--His Fondness for the Marvellous--His Automata and Invisible
Bells--Account of the Idiot, called Lep, whom he kept as a
Prophet--History of Tycho's Instruments--His Great Brass Globe
preserved at Copenhagen--Present state of the Island of Huen,

* * * * *

LIFE OF JOHN KEPLER.

CHAPTER I. 203

Kepler's Birth in 1571--His Family--And early Education--The
Distresses and Poverty of his Family--He enters the Monastic School
of Maulbronn--And is admitted into the University of Tubingen,
where he distinguishes himself, and takes his Degree--He is
appointed Professor of Astronomy and Greek in 1594--His first
speculations on the Orbits of the Planets--Account of their
Progress and Failure--His "Cosmographical Mystery" published--He
Marries a Widow in 1597--Religious troubles at Gratz--He retires
from thence to Hungary--Visits Tycho at Prague in 1600--Returns to
Gratz, which he again quits for Prague--He is taken ill on the
road--Is appointed Tycho's Assistant in 1601--Succeeds Tycho as
Imperial Mathematician--His Work on the New Star of 1604--Singular
specimen of it,

CHAPTER II. 220

Kepler's Pecuniary Embarrassments--His Inquiries respecting the Law
of Refraction--His Supplement to Vitellio--His Researches on
Vision--His Treatise on Dioptrics--His Commentaries on Mars--He
discovers that the orbit of Mars is an Ellipse, with the Sun in one
focus--And extends this discovery to all the other Planets--He
establishes the two first laws of Physical Astronomy--His Family
Distresses--Death of his Wife--He is appointed Professor of
Mathematics at Linz--His Method of Choosing a Second Wife--Her
Character, as given by Himself--Origin of his Treatise on
Gauging--He goes to Ratisbon to give his Opinion to the Diet on the
change of Style--He refuses the Mathematical Chair at Bologna,

CHAPTER III. 237

Kepler's continued Embarrassments--Death of Mathias--Liberality of
Ferdinand--Kepler's "Harmonies of the World"--The Epitome of the
Copernican Astronomy--It is prohibited by the Inquisition--Sir
Henry Wotton, the British Ambassador, invites Kepler to
England--He declines the Invitation--Neglect of Ge