Jean Taisnier

Jean Taisnier (or Taisner) (Latin: Johannes Taisnierius; 1508, Ath, Habsburg Netherlands – 1562, Cologne), surnamed Hannonius (i.e., of the County of Hainaut), was a Wallonian musician, mathematician and astrologer who published a number of works and taught in various European cities and universities.

[8] John, or Jehan, Taisnier was one of the children of Thomas Taisnière, a successful Wallonian merchant who owned various properties near the market-place of the city of Ath, and his wife, demoiselle Cathérine de l'Issue.

These relationships are illustrated in a series of deeds in the archives of Ath: they show that father Thomas died before 4 October 1522, when Joachim, the eldest son, succeeded him as "matricularius" or parochial clerk for registrations, of the church of Saint-Julien (an office held by contract).

Much of the available information about Taisner's life and career depends upon his own statements made at various places in his published works, and especially in his cheiromantic readings, which are full of biographical details.

"[11] Famed little town where my forefathers bred me,Ath surveys the bounds of illustrious Hainault;Whose southern splendours oft the ferocious Gaulhas torn away, drawing up his Martial camp.Thence to the north it looks towards the shoreof Flanders, oft constrained by Ocean shoals.Where Phoebus pours to earth the sun's first rays,from easterly Eurus, lies the land of Brabant.North-westerly Corus with sweet breath freshens Artois:for these the Belgian army often fell."

[14] Authorities trace the assertion by De La Serna (1809) that, in a musical capacity, Taisnier accompanied the Emperor's expedition to the conquest of Tunis (1535):[15][1][16] this derives from Giacomo Filippo Tomasini (1630),[17] from the Abbate Ghilini (1633),[18] or from Isaac Bullart (1682),[19] and not (as implied) from Lodovico Guicciardini (1567).

[20] Taisnier noted, in one of his "Chyromantiae" published in 1562, that in 1538, at Toledo, Spain, he was with singers of the Imperial Chapel to celebrate the Low German festival of the Three Kings (i.e. Epiphany 1538/39), though he did not say whether his connection with the court was then formal.

Having got into a fight in which he bit off the ear of an imperial messenger, Bus disdained to travel with the other singers, succumbed to a fever, and was cast into the sea ("piscibus in escam proiectus est").

[28] At Palermo in 1550 he published his work on the Spherical Rings, De Usu Annuli Sphaerici, in Latin,[35] with dedications to the Barone Antonino Oddo and Prospero Minarbett, and to the censor, the dominican Salvatore Mangiavacca:[36] and here, it appears, he manufactured astronomical instruments, including a Planisphere of the material sphere, Astronomic compasses, and spherical rings,[37] for which the Spanish physician-turned-Jesuit attending Jerome Prince failed to pay him.

Taisnier resolved to devote himself no longer to musical disciplines: but despite this, he now became Director of Musicians to Cardinal Francisco Mendoza de Bobadilla, Bishop of Burgos, in Rome.

[19][4][44] The first of these, De Sphaerae Materialis Fabrica et Usu 128 Canonum Tituli ("128 Precept Titles on the Construction and Use of the Material Sphere"), produced by Iohannes Bathenius at Cologne in 1558, styles the author as Doctor of both laws ("utriusque Iuris D."), Poeta laureatus, and Mathematicus.

[10] It is followed by De Usu Spherae Materialis, by the same publisher in 1559, illustrating on the title page a mounted planisphere formed by astronomical rings enclosing other internal circuits around a central body (similar to that depicted in his author-portrait of 1562).

The intention is to describe the improvement of the armillary sphere by certain corrections, and by the addition of rings to make the instrument more useful in its application to astronomy, physiognomy and cheiromancy.

annos nunc natus, in diversis studiorum generibus versatus, totam fere Europam, magnam Africae, Asiae, Ameriaeque partem perlustravi, expertissimorum virorum ubique varias in diversis facultatibus opiniones colligens, collectas (ut par erat) in publicis Scholis et Academijs auditoribus communicavi, praesertim Romae, Ferrariae, Venetijs, Paduae, Florentiae, Panhormi, publice legendi provinciam suscipiendi..."[55] (For the better part of the 53 years that I have now lived, being well versed in various kinds of studies, I have travelled studiously through nearly the whole of Europe, and a great part of Africa, Asia and America, everywhere collecting the various opinions of the most experienced men in their diverse fields of expertise: these things I have communicated (in like fashion) to audiences in the public schools and academies, especially by undertaking public reading at Rome, Ferrara, Venice, Padua, Florence, and Palermo...)Taisnier's cheiromancy was strongly astrological in method.

[56] Tomasini illustrated Taisnier's symbol as a medallion showing a right hand upright with the Great Triangle marked in the palm, and the words "In Manibus Sortes Ejus" above.

[61] Benedetti himself drew attention to Taisnier's theft of his work, in the Preface Ad Lectorem of his De Gnomonum Umbrarumque Solarium Usu Liber (Turin 1574).

Homo vanus ab omni mathematica facultate alienus, qui merito propter crassissimam ignorantiam verebatur, ne vel aliqua Syllaba sublata aut addita totius tractationis inficeretur substantia.

Credidit (ut opinor) me iam vita functum qui furti nunquam argui posse confidit..."[62] ("as John Taisnier Hannonius did, the most unwholesome of all of them.

I think he believed that I was already dead, and trusted that I would never be able to denounce his theft...")That (and much more) having been said, Bosmans makes the case that Taisnier, as a teacher, was attempting to synthesize and disseminate knowledge for students and for practical uses.

[1] Thorndike surveys the plagiarism issue,[7] and finds (as others have found) Taisnier a perplexing figure in whom a vein of intellectual dishonesty ran through the bedrock of his undoubted brilliance, usefulness and erudition, his rich experience and life of dutiful service.

The Gelderland academic Johannes Fontanus of Arnhem (1544-1615),[63] Calvinist preacher to John Casimir, and Professor of Theology,[64] wrote this epitaph for Taisnier: "Teisnerus jacet hic, parvâ resupinus in Vrnâ,Qui vaga, dum vixit, sydera transilijt.Quò non dexteritas, quò non prænobile magniPertigit ingenium, cura, laborquè viri?

"[17] "Taisnier lies here, closed in a little Urn,who, living, danced across the wandering stars.Where does his prowess, where his outstanding mind,this great man's care and labour, not resound?"