I have in general made no attempt to consult the original Greek authorities, but I have made some use of translations of Aristarchus, of the Almagest, and of the astronomical writings of Plato and Aristotle.
Chapter III.—The account of Eastern astronomy is based chiefly on Delambre, and on Hankel’s Geschichte der Mathematik im Alterthum und Mittelalter; to a less extent on Whewell. For the West I have made more use of Whewell, and have borrowed biographical material for the English writers from the Dictionary of National Biography. I have also consulted a good many of the original astronomical books referred to in the latter part of the chapter.
I know of no accessible book in English to which to refer students except Whewell.
Chapter IV.—For biographical material, for information as to the minor writings, and as to the history of the publication of the De Revolutionibus I have used little but Prowe’s elaborate Nicolaus Coppernicus, and the documents printed in it. My account of the De Revolutionibus is taken from the book itself. The portrait is taken from Dandeleau’s engraving of a picture in Lalande’s possession. I have not been able to discover any portrait which was clearly made during Coppernicus’s lifetime, but the close resemblance between several portraits dating from the 17th century and Dandeleau’s seems to shew that the latter is substantially authentic.
There is a readable account of Coppernicus, as well as of several other astronomers, in Bertrand’s Fondateurs de l’Astronomie Moderne; but I have not used the book as an authority.
Chapter V.—For the life of Tycho I have relied chiefly on Dreyer’s Tycho Brahe, which has also been used as a guide to his scientific work; but I have made constant reference to the original writings: I have also made some use of Gassendi’s Vita Tychonis Brahe. The portrait is a reproduction of a picture in the possession of Dr. Crompton of Manchester, described by him in the Memoirs of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, Vol. VI., Ser. III. For minor Continental writers I have used chiefly Wolf and Delambre, and for English writers, Whewell, various articles by De Morgan quoted by him, and articles in the Dictionary of National Biography.
Students will find in Dreyer’s book all that they are likely to want to know about Tycho.
Chapter VI.—For Galilei’s life I have used chiefly Karl von Gebler’s Galilei und die Römische Curie, partly in the original German form and partly in the later English edition (translated by Mrs. Sturge). For the disputed questions connected with the trial I have relied as far as possible on the original documents preserved in the Vatican, which have been published by von Gebler and independently by L’Épinois in Les Pièces du Procès de Galilée: in the latter book some of the most important documents are reproduced in facsimile. For personal characteristics I have used the charming Private Life of Galileo, compiled chiefly from his correspondence and that of his daughter Marie Céleste. I have also read with great interest the estimate of Galilei’s work contained in H. Martin’s Galilée, and have probably borrowed from it to some extent. What I have said about Galilei’s scientific work has been based almost entirely on study of his own books, either in the original or in translation: I have used freely the translations of the Dialogue on the Two Chief Systems of the World and of the Letter to the Grand Duchess Christine by Salusbury, that of the Two New Sciences by Weston (as well as that by Salusbury), and that of the Sidereal Messenger by Carlos. I have also made some use of various controversial tracts written by enemies of Galilei, which are to be found (together with his comments on them) in the magnificent national edition of his works now in course of publication; and of the critical account of Galilei’s contributions to dynamics contained in Mach’s Geschichte der Mechanik.
Wolf and Delambre have only been used to a very small extent in this chapter, chiefly for the minor writers who are referred to.
The portrait is a reproduction of one by Sustermans in the Uffizi Gallery.