Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/152

140 HISTORY OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE These two men, under the influence of Nicolaus of Cusa, became the restorers, in Europe, of direct and independent scientific research. By careful and un- wearied labour they increased and multiplied the treasures of wisdom obtained from the Greeks and Arabs, and helped to bring about that grand revolution in scientific thought which resulted in the Copernican system ; for it was chiefly a work of Peuerbach's on the planets, edited by Eegiomontanus, which induced Coper- nicus to devote himself to the study of astronomy. In this work Peuerbach had elaborated a new theory of the planets, their spheres and movements, and had treated the most difficult points with unusual learning and distinctness. For nearly a hundred years this work continued to be the principal authority on astro- nomical science, and was used in all the schools of Europe as a preparation for higher mathematics. Another work of Peuerbach's on the eclipses of the sun and moon was also first brought out by Eegiomontanus, and was of a like epoch-making character. After the death of Peuerbach in 1461, at the age of thirty-eight, Eegiomontanus, at the invitation of Cardinal Bessarion, went to Italy. There he remained for several years, during which he devoted himself to the study of Greek, and becoming thoroughly acquainted with the historians, philosophers, orators, and poets of ancient Hellas, he himself composed good verses in the Greek language. He collected many Greek and Eoman manuscripts, and turned his attention to Biblical and theological studies. With his own hand he made a clear and correct copy of a Greek edition of the New Testament which he could not succeed in procuring, and he carried it constantly about with him. He gave astronomical