But I leave these patrons of circles and equality, these artificers of an useless labyrinth, and their hypotheses which are faulty in their construction and incapable of amendment. For although the measures of the eccentricities of the orbits, together with the mean motions, might be corrected so as to resemble this and other observations; yet as the stars are governed by different laws from those which they have invented, it is impossible by a complication of such circles to bring about an entire agreement with appearances.

I hasten therefore to that prince of astronomers, Kepler, to whose discoveries alone, all who understand the science will allow that we owe more than to those of any other person. I venerate with the greatest honour and admiration his sublime and enviably happy genius; and if necessary, I would defend with my best efforts the Uranian citadel of the noble hero who has so much surpassed his fellows, nor shall any one while I live, violate his ashes with impunity. His death was an event that must ever have happened too soon; the science of astronomy received the lamentable intelligence whilst left in the hands of a few trifling professors who had kept themselves concealed like owls until the brightness of his sun had set.