Volume Ii Part 8 (2/2)

Schiller was a pupil of the famous astronomer, Johannes Bayer, from whom he probably received his impulse to inaugurate a reform in the matter of naming the constellations. Schiller felt much annoyed that heathen names for stars and star groups should be retained by Christian peoples, and it was probably with Bayer that he worked out his scheme for a new nomenclature. To the twelve signs of the zodiac, for example, he gave the names of the twelve apostles. For the constellation Perseus he proposed the Apostle Paul, for the Great Bear the s.h.i.+p of Peter, for Hercules the Three Kings, for Ca.s.siopeia the name Maria Magdalena, for Auriga Saint Jerome; he further proposed to change the name Ophiuchus to Pope Benedict, Pegasus to the Angel Gabriel, Orion to Joseph, Canis Major to King David, the s.h.i.+p Argo to the Ark of Noe, the Centaur to Abraham, the Peac.o.c.k to Eve.

It was proposed to change the name Sun to Christ, the Moon to Maria, Saturn to Adam, Jupiter to Moses, Mars to Joshua, Venus to John the Baptist, and Mercury to Elias.

The suggestions of Schiller, of Bayer, and of their contemporaries, or near contemporaries, Schickard, Bartsch, and Harsdorfer, with the added support of Weigel, seem to have found little favor among astronomers.

[70] Weigel, E. Universi corporis pansophici prodromus. Jena, 1672; same author. Beschreibung der verbesserten Himmels- und Erdgloben.

Jena, 1681.

[71] Coronelli, op. cit., pp. 331-332; Wolf, op. cit., pp. 426-427, n. 16; Gunther-Fiorini, op. cit., p. 85, n.

[72] Fiorini, op. cit., pp. 308-310.

[73] Quoted by Fiorini, op. cit., pp. 306-307.

[74] Practically the only information we have concerning Moroncelli, aside from that which may be gained from his globes, is contained in a ma.n.u.script preserved in the Biolioteca Munic.i.p.ale of Fabriano, t.i.tled, ”Vite dei Monaci Ill.u.s.tri di S. Benedetto in Fabriano,” by the Monk Feliziani, who died in the year 1683. Extracts from this have courteously been sent the author in reply to letters of inquiry. See also Fiorini, op. cit., p. 310.

[75] Letter from the director, Dr. G. Coggiola, dated January 4, 1914.

[76] See II, 34.

[77] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 323.

[78] Christina, daughter of Gustavus Adolphus; succeeded her father as ruler of Sweden. In the year 1654 she abdicated the throne, became a devout Catholic and pa.s.sed a considerable part of her remaining years in Rome, residing at first in the Palazzo Farnese, and later in the Palazzo Riario, bringing together in the latter place of residence a large collection of books and objects of art.

Much of her collection later pa.s.sed to the Vatican.

[79] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 323.

[80] See note 9, above.

[81] Coronelli, op. cit., pp. 325-330; Dictionary of National Biography, ”Palmer, Roger” (Count of Castlemaine), to which is appended a somewhat lengthy list of bibliographical references.

[82] Moxon, J. The English globe, being a stabil and immobil one, performing what the ordinary globes do, and much more. Invented and described by the Right honorable, the Earl of Castlemaine. The second edition corrected by J. Moxon. London, 1696.

[83] Coronelli, op. cit., p. 333.

[84] It has been impossible to locate a copy of this work or to get further information concerning Treffler.

[85] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 376.

[86] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 377.

[87] Briefly described in a letter received by the author from the Biblioteca Estense of Modena.

[88] Fiorini, M. Vincenzo Coronelli ed i suoi globi cosmografici.

(In: Annuario Astro-Meteorologico. Roma, 1893.); Rigobon. Biografia e studi del P. Vincenzo Coronelli. (In: Archivo Veneto, Vol. III, pt. i, p. 267.); Ginanni, P. P. Memorie storico critiche degli scrittori Ravennati. Faenza, 1769. Vol. I, p. 162; Pasolini, S.

Huomini ill.u.s.tri di Ravenna antica ed altri degni professori di lettere ed armi. Bologna, 1703. p. 63.

[89] Among his more important works the following may here be cited: Atlante Veneto, nel quale si contiene la descrittione ... degl'

Imperij. Regni, Provincie, e Stati dell' Universo. Venetia, 1691-1696. 3 Vols. in 4 pts.; Biblioteca universale sacro-profano, antico-moderna. Venezia, 1701-1706. Vols. I-VIII, but not completed beyond ”Caque”; Epitome Cosmografica, o compendiosa introduttione all' Astronomia, Geographia, et Idrografia. Colonia, 1693; Viaggi del P. C. Venetia, 1697: The Royal Almanack: containing a succinct account of the remarkable actions of K. William III: with the year and the day of the month when each happened. Tr. from Italian into English. London, 1696. See also Giannini, G. t.i.toli della opere ...

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