For a reproduction of the title page and of the twelve-page text of Martin Cortez’s “Breve Compendio,” see G. Hellmann, “Neudrucke,” 1898, No. 10.
References.—Fernandez de Navarrete, “Disertacion sobre la historia de la nautica y de las mathematicas,” Madrid, 1846; “La Grande Encyclopédie,” Vol. XII. p. 1114; “Biographie Générale,” Vol. XI. p. 964; Gilbert, De Magnete, Book I. chap. i.; Book III. chap. i. and Book IV. chap. i.
Costæus, Joannes—Giovanni Costeo—of Lodi, who died at Bologna in 1603, was an Italian physician teaching medicine at the Universities of Turin and of Bologna and the author of several valuable works, notably the “Tractatus de universali stirpium natura,” Turin, 1578; the “Disquisitionum physiol. ... Avicennæ sectionem,” Bologna, 1589; the “Annot. in Avicennæ canonem ...” Venetia, 1595; and the “De igneis medicinæ ...” published also at Venice in the last-named year.
Gilbert, who speaks of him (De Magnete, Book I. chap. i.; Book II. chap. iii.; Book VI. chap. v.) gives this as the theory propounded by Costæus regarding the powers of amber and loadstone: “There is work on both sides, result on both sides, and therefore the motion is produced in part by the loadstone’s attraction and in part by the iron’s spontaneous movement; for, as we say that the vapours given out by the loadstone do by their own nature haste to attract the iron, so, too, do we say that the air impelled by the vapours, while seeking a place for itself, is turned back, and when turned back impels and transfers the iron, which is picked up, as it were, by it, and which, besides, is exerted on its own account. In this way, there is found a certain composite movement, resulting from the attraction, the spontaneous motion and the impulsion; which composite motion, however, is rightly to be referred to attraction, because the beginning of this motion is invariably from one term, and its end is there too; and that is precisely the distinguishing character of attraction.”
References.—Eloy (N. F. J.), “Dict. historique de la Médecine”; Larousse, “Dict. Univ.,” Vol. V. p. 245.
Cusanus—Nicolas Khrypffs or Krebs, Cardinal de Cusa (1401–1464), an eminent German scholar, who, abandoning the study of law, entered the Church, became Archdeacon of Liége, member of the Council of Basle, and was raised, in 1448, to the dignity of Cardinal. His biographer in the ninth “Encycl. Britan.” (Vol. VI. pp. 728–729) says: “As in religion he is entitled to be called one of the Reformers before the Reformation, so, in philosophy, he was one of those who broke with scholasticism while it was still the orthodox system.” His works were published in complete form by H. Petri, 1565.
References.—Hartzheim (Josephus), “Vita N. de C.,” Trèves, 1730; Deux (M.), “Life of C. Cusa,” 1847; Scharpff (Franz Anton), “Der Cardinal und Bischof Nic. von Cusa ...” Tübingen, 1871; Dr. W. Windelband, “History of Philosophy,” auth. tr. by Jas. H. Tufts, New York, 1893, pp. 345–347; Humboldt, “Cosmos,” 1860, Vol. II; Libri (G.), “Hist. des Sciences Mathém.,” Vol. III. p. 99; Dr. F. Ueberweg, “History of Philosophy,” tr. by Geo. S. Morris, 1885, Vol. II. pp. 23–24; Ritter (Dr. Heinrich), “Geschichte der Phil.,” Vol. IX. p. 142; Gilbert, De Magnete, Book I. chap. i. and Book II. chaps, iii. xxxvi.; “Journal des Savants” for January 1894; Houzeau et Lancaster, “Bibl. Gén.,” Vol. II. p. 115; Larousse, “Dict. Univ.,” Vol. V. p. 687; “Biogr. Gén.,” Vol. XII. pp. 651–657.
Dominicus, Maria Ferrariensis—“Novara”—Italian savant (1464–1514), taught astronomy at Bologna, Rome and elsewhere, and had for one of his pupils the celebrated Copernicus, who, later on, became an associate in his investigations. None of his writings have reached us.
Gilbert thus alludes to Dominicus as well as to Stadius at Chap. II. book vi. of his De Magnete: “According to Dominicus Maria’s observations, the north pole is raised higher and the latitudes of places are greater now than in the past: from this he infers a change of latitudes. But Stadius, holding the directly opposite opinion, proves by observations, that the latitudes have grown less. ‘The latitude of Rome,’ says he, ‘is given in the Geographia of Ptolemy as 41⅔°; and lest any one should say that some error has crept into the text of Ptolemy, Pliny relates, and Vitruvius in his ninth book testifies, that at Rome on the day of the equinox the ninth part of the gnomon’s shadow is lacking. But recent observation (as Erasmus Rheinhold states) gives the latitude of Rome in our age as 41⅙°; so that you are in doubt whether one-half of a degree has been lost (decrevisse) in the centre of the world, or whether it is the result of an obliquation of the earth.’”
References.—Borsetti (Ferrante Giovanni), “Hist. Gymn. Ferrar.,” Vol. II. p. 50; Tiraboschi (Girolamo), “Storia della Letteratura Italiana,” Vol. XIV. p. 296; Montucla (J. F.), “Hist. des Math.,” Vol. I. p. 549; Houzeau et Lancaster, “Bibl. Gén.,” Vol. II. pp. 215–216; “Biog. Gén.,” Vol. XXXVIII. p. 336.