Bibliographical history of electricity & magnetism : chronologically arranged / Researches into the domain of the early sciences, especially from the period of the revival of scholasticism, with biographical and other accounts of the most distinguished natural philosophers throughout the middle ages, comp. by Paul Fleury Mottelay ; with introduction by the late Prof. Silvanus P. Thompson and foreword by Sir R.T. Glazebrook.

Mottelay, Paul Fleury, 1841-

Date:: 1922

Credit: Bibliographical history of electricity & magnetism : chronologically arranged / Researches into the domain of the early sciences, especially from the period of the revival of scholasticism, with biographical and other accounts of the most distinguished natural philosophers throughout the middle ages, comp. by Paul Fleury Mottelay ; with introduction by the late Prof. Silvanus P. Thompson and foreword by Sir R.T. Glazebrook. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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as a whirlpool carries straws, could be readily understood; and though it appears to have been held by Kepler that this current and vortex was immaterial, he ascribes to it the power of overcoming the inertia of bodies, and of putting them and keeping them in motion, the only material properties with which he had anything to do. Kepler’s physical reasonings, therefore amount, in fact, to the doctrine of vortices around the central bodies and are occasionally so stated by himself; though by asserting these vortices to be ‘ an immaterial species,’ and by the fickleness and variety of his phraseology on the subject, he leaves his theory in some confusion; a proceeding, indeed, which both his want of sound mechanical conceptions and his busy and inventive fancy might have led us to expect. Nor, we may venture to say, was it easy for any one at Kepler’s time to devise a more plausible theory than the theory of vortices might have been made. It was only with the formation and progress of the science of mechanics that this theory became untenable.” References.—“ Kepler, sa vie et ses ouvrages,” in the “ Journal des Savants ” for June, July and August 1847; Kepler’s manuscripts, “ Phil. Trans.,” Vol. XI. p. 27; Wm. Whewell, “ Phil, of the Ind. Sc.,” London, 1840, Vol. II. pp. 383-386; “ Epistolae ad J. Keplerum,” published by M. G. Hansch in 1718; Houzeau et Lancaster, “ Bibliogr. Generale,” 1887, Vol. I. part i. pp. 612-614, detailing the contents of Kepler’s “ Opera Omnia,” also Vol. I. part ii. pp. 1315-1316, 1330-1331, 1383, and Vol. II. pp. 175-176, 456-462 and 1581; Robert Small, “ An Account of the Astronomical Discoveries of Kepler,” London, 1804; Humboldt, “ Cosmos,” i860, Vol. II. p. 710, notes, for Laplace, Chasles and Brewster on the writings and theories of Kepler; “ Jour, des Savants ” for June, July and August 1847; “ Geschichte der Mathem.,” Vol. III. p. 318, and Vol. IV. pp. 216, 311; Dr. Geo. Miller, “Hist. Phil. Ill.,” London, 1849, Vol. III. notes at pp. 134-135 ; Fourth Dissert, of “ Encycl. Brit.”; Whewell, “Hist, of the Ind. Sc.,” 1859, Vol. I. pp. 291-311, 320, 386, 387, 415, 462, 532-534, and Vol. II. pp. 55, 56. It will be well to look at the last-named work of Dr. Whewell for references to Jeremiah Horrox—Horrockes—(1619-1641), the celebrated young English scientist, who wrote in defence of the Copernican opinion in his “ Keplerian Astronomy defended and promoted ” (“ Hist, of the Ind. Sc.,” Vol. I. Book V. chap. iii. p. 276, and Chap. V. p. 303), as well as for references to Giovanni Alfonso Borelli (1608-1679). Borelli, who has by many been errone¬ ously called a pupil of Galileo, was a distinguished Italian physicist and astronomer, born at Naples in 1608, who founded what has been called the iatromathematical school, which, under the protection of Leopold of Tuscany, became known as the Accademia del Cimento. Whewell speaks of him in Vol. I. at Book VI. chap. ii. p. 323, at Book VII. chap i. pp. 387, 393, 394, and at Chap. II. pp. 303, 395, 405, 406. Horrox is mentioned, more particularly, by Houzeau et

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