AUTHOR’S PREFACE.

...their own stupidity among philosophers, moving about like drones among bees. When I weighed these things in my mind, the contempt I feared because of the novelty and apparent absurdity of my opinion nearly drove me to abandon the work I had begun.

But my friends, while I delayed and even resisted, drew me back. Among them first was Nikolaus von Schönberg, Cardinal of Capua, renowned in every field of learning. Next to him was a man who loves me dearly, Tiedemann Giese, Bishop of Kulm Original: "episcopus Culmensis"; modern Chełmno, Poland., a devoted student of sacred and all good literature. For he frequently exhorted me, and sometimes even with added reproaches, demanded that I publish this book and finally allow it to come into the light—a book which had remained hidden with me not just for nine years, but already into its fourth nine-year period Copernicus refers to the Roman poet Horace’s advice to keep a manuscript for nine years before publishing; he notes he has kept his for thirty-six years (4 x 9).. Many other eminent and learned men did the same, urging me not to refuse my labor any longer for the common benefit of mathematical studies despite my fear. They argued that the more absurd my doctrine about the motion of the Earth appeared to most people now, the more admiration and gratitude it would earn after the publication of my writings, once the haze of absurdity was seen to be removed by the clearest demonstrations. Persuaded by these advisers and led by that hope, I finally allowed my friends to proceed with the publication they had long requested.

But perhaps Your Holiness will not be so surprised that I dared to bring these "night-studies" original: "lucubrationes"; refers to scholarly work performed by candlelight late into the night. of mine to light—after having put so much effort into elaborating them that I did not hesitate to commit my thoughts on the motion of the Earth to writing—but will rather expect to hear from me what came into my mind that I dared to imagine some motion of the Earth, contrary to the accepted opinion of mathematicians and almost contrary to common sense. Therefore, I do not want it to be hidden from Your Holiness that nothing else moved me to think of a different way of calculating the motions of the spheres of the universe than the fact that I realized mathematicians are not consistent with themselves in investigating them. First, they are so uncertain about the motion of the Sun and Moon that they cannot even [determine the length of] the returning year...

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