Political Majesty at the Interior and Exterior of Creation (1588 & 1680)

JF Ptak Science Books LLC  Post 742  Blog Bookstore

This engraving Le Monde Selon l’Hypthese de Copernic. Le Systeme du Mondeau movement de la Naissance de Louis le Grand le 5 de Septembre 11. heures 20 minutes du matin 1638, is a

singular representation of the universe at a singular moment in time.  And that moment in time was the birth of Louis le Grand, or Louis XIV, the Sun King, pictured at the moment of his birth at the center of the Copernican universe. The future (72-year-long reign) king smiles benignly at us from the center of the universe.

On the other side of the coin is the all-reaching embrace of the deity-like Queen Elizabeth, who cradles the nine successive spheres of the universe.  The innermost sphere is occupied by the Earth, the center of all things, around which are labeled the seven spheres of the planets:  “urbetas rerum” (immovable justice) of the Earth, “facundia” (eloquence) of Mercury, “Clementia” (clemency) of Venus, “Religio” as the Sun, “Fortitudo” (fortitude) of Mars, “Pridetia” (prudence) of Jupiter, and “Majestas” (majesty) of Saturn.  Beyond the sphere of Saturn is that of the fixed stars (consisting of the Star Chamber, the nobles, Lords, Counsellors); and beyond that, in the last sphere, is Elizabeth.   

 

The image appears in John Case’s Sphaera Civitatis  (1588, The Sphere of the Commonwealth) who writes in his preface “How well civic machinery accords with heaven’s form, and how it is distinguished by like figures, our republic, unique, will declare on behalf of many. Do you see the stars, wheeling around in their alternating course, and Justice, who weighs causes in her balanced pans, the unchangeable center of our universe?” [Full text here.]

Comments

[peacay]

That Sun King image is wonderful, thanks John. (nb. the full text linky is a bit borked)

[John PTak]

Thanks Peacay! I've also fixed the link--thanks too for that. ("Borked"? Where does tat come from? In this country there is a strong connection to a certain supreme court nominee that would explain the derivation of this word. What about down under?

[peacay]

While I only know its use from seeing it written on msg boards (thus either international or American), it seems one dimension of its etymology belongs with R Bork, yes.

I understand (or use) it with the etymology in No.1 and the definition in No.6:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=borked