Schoner, John

, a noted German philosopher and mathematician, was born at Carolostadt in 1477, and died in 1547, aged seventy. From his uncommon acquirements, he was chosen mathematical professor at Nuremberg when he was but a young man. He wrote a great many works, and was particularly famous for his astronomical tables, which he published after the manner of those of Regiomontanus, and to which he gave the title of Resolute, on account of their clearness. But, notwithstanding his great knowledge, he was, after the fashion of the times, much addicted to judicial astrology, which he took great pains to improve. The list of his writings is chiefly as follows: I. “Three Books of Judicial Astrology.” 2. “The astronomical tables named Resolutoj.” 3. “De Usu Globi Stelliferi; De Compositione Giobi Ccelestis De Usu Globi Terrestris, et de Compositione ejusdem.” 4. “Æquatorium Astronomicum.” 5. “Libeilus de Distantiis Locorum per Instrumenturn et Numeros investigandis.” 6. “De Compositione Torqueti.” 7. “In Constructionem et Usum Rectangnli sive Radii Astronomic! Annotationes.” S. “Horarii Cylindri Canones.” 9. “Planisphserium, sen Meteoriscopium.” 10. “Organum Uranicum.” 11.“Instrumentum Impedimentorum Luna3.” All printed at Nuremberg, in 1551, folio. Of these, the large treatise of dialling rendered him more known in the learned world than all his other works besides, in which he discovers a surprising genius and fund of learning of that kind; but some have attributed this to his son. ²