Read Online Sky's Dark Labyrinth by Stuart Clark - Free Book Online Page B

trepidation forgotten. ‘Can the Lutherans reach any lower? This desire to claim the heavens for human reason is abominable . To lower the planets to the realm of human wit is to diminish God’s glory. Why do we even discuss it?’
    Bellarmine eyed Clavius. ‘I am wondering the same thing,’ he said. ‘I thought the ideas of Copernicus were unworkable.’
    Clavius scratched his brow. ‘Father Grienberger, please explain.’
    â€˜Kepler is an original thinker. He came to our attention because of his book, the Mysterium Cosmographicum .’ He indicated the tome beneath Clavius’s fingers. ‘It’s the first worthwhile defence of Copernicanism to be published. It’s still unworkable, but Kepler has made advances in the way he treats the movement of the planets. Shortly after I saw this book, Hans Hewart von Hohenburg, the Bavarian Chancellor, contacted me with some questions of chronology. I placed him in correspondence with Kepler, to test the Lutheran’s mathematical abilities.’
    Bellarmine’s shoulders were growing tight. ‘And …’
    â€˜He solved everything Hewart asked of him. He is a mathematician without equal in the Lutheran Church, maybe in the whole world. Now that he has access to Tycho Brahe’s measurements, he may surprise us and provide better predictions for the planetary positions than the traditional Ptolemaic method.’
    â€˜Have you discussed this with the Praepositus Generalis?’
    Clavius fidgeted. ‘Not yet, we wanted your theological advice first.’
    â€˜There is more,’ said Grienberger. ‘Tycho has observations of other celestial phenomena that cannot be explained by the traditional ways of thinking. He observed a comet in 1577 that moved through the crystal spheres.’
    â€˜Wait! Ptolemaic method? Crystal spheres? You speak another language,’ said Pippe.
    â€˜Aristotle tells us that the heavens are composed of crystal spheres. The first major one contains the Moon, the second Mercury, then Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The eighth is the sphere where the fixed stars are located. Beyond this is the realm of the Prime Mover, which turns the whole arrangement to give us night and day. In addition to this movement, each crystal sphere has a movement of its own, which is why the planets travel across the sky at different speeds from eachother and the stars. Ptolemy provided the mathematical recipe to calculate the position of the planets from the movement of the spheres.’
    â€˜Yet you say this comet moved through the crystal spheres,’ said Bellarmine.
    â€˜How? How can it pass through them?’ demanded Pippe, sliding to the edge of his seat.
    â€˜We do not know,’ said Grienberger impassively.
    â€˜Then, Father Grienberger, you must be mistaken. They must be atmospheric phenomena. Change is possible only beneath the Moon’s sphere, where the perfect ether is corrupted by human sin and wickedness .’
    â€˜We can find no error in Brahe’s work.’
    â€˜Pah,’ spat Pippe.
    Bellarmine looked at Clavius. ‘Is Tycho within our control?’
    The Professor shook his head. ‘His attendance at Church has lapsed.’
    â€˜Does the Emperor not insist that his Mathematician attends Mass? What did we do to deserve Rudolph II?’ Bellarmine rolled his eyes.
    â€˜There is one hope,’ said Clavius, looking again at Grienberger.
    â€˜Through their correspondence, Hewart and Kepler have become friends. The Chancellor now sees himself as something of a patron; so much so that Kepler sends all his letters through Hewart’s personal courier,’ said Grienberger.
    â€˜We could read them while they are en route ,’ cut in Pippe. ‘A Lutheran writing to Catholics is surely a matter for the Inquisition.’
    Bellarmine nodded. ‘It would seem a prudent move.’
    Clavius straightened his posture.