The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-13
SOME NEW BOOKS.
rho Strange Career OF Tycso Brahe.

editing tho great mass OF Bruhcs i0tt.iS SfN
preserved in the libraries OF Copenhagen.
Vienna. pulkowa end Basel undofts zen 10y Mr..
J. r. Frns. must necessarily proceed at slow
pace. OF the sixteen parts contcmi la,ed. earh
containing n certain number ~ ,'crs only
three have MS yet appeared. Il IA probable that
tho collection when completed viii hc az mo re-
interest to tho scientific world than 'o the gen
ernl public. Yet the story 81 Tvcho Brah's
evertful life. with rs many v,cssiiuics IL full
Of interest even 10 those who care l'tc about
tho character % his services to Astronomical
science There Hre cNtant number of bio
0raphics a. Ernhe most of winch ara not in
form 10 engage the attention OF the general
public. There are on'y two which sat
isiactorily combine IN a popular form the two
aspects. historical and scientific. Of his most re-
markable career. Neither is much known out
OF Scandinavia. Ono it. by tho gifted Danish
writer J. 5. Heib'rg. and it contains. besides
full Biographical d,tnis. n graphic description
OF the interesting little ISLAND Of Hycen. in the
Sound. few miles to tho north of Copenhagen.
whore Brahc spent long years Of unfaggiug
scientific activity The re ond popular biog
raphy was not lonE ago published 10y Mr.. Fms
tho same gentleman who has how undertaken
tho publication Of Buhe's letters.
Tycho Bruhe was an astronomer NJ n time
when most other students Of the stars were ns-
trologors and nothing more. Tho ron ~ Otto
Brahe-or BrnGo. accordn. 10 ~ older Danish
spelling--he wns botn ia 1916 40 kund=trur in
the county ol Mnimoe. iu Scauia. H"spraugir from
noble Danish family. which for sew
eral years had been settled in That province.
Speakisg oi the old Danish nobility sir. rrus
draws our attention 10 tho interesting fact that
the wealth and influence of this body had been
on the Increase since the Reformation. ana
maintains Tint for polished manners and learn
ing the Danish uolieman Of the sixteenth cen
fury outshone his peers in other lands. BE this
as It may. the Tact remains that Ia Erahc'- TIM
II was considered Gtogc,hcrdcroEa'ogy 10 tho
dignity Of nobleman 20 devote himself pro-
fessionally to any branch of science. rs poor
Tycho too wc.i learned at the cost Of MS own
peace Of mind. The study Of jurisprudence.
Of course. formed an exception. since il was re-
garded as an indi- porsGh,o preparation ,or ali
exalted u,accs III tne scr,ieeo. thc Government.
At the tender n-s IT thirteen Brahe was sen,
TO the University % Copenhagen TO study
rhetoric and philosophy. Tho University had
been founded barely eighty years. Hrl during
that period. existing chiefly hy the cooperation
of French aud German professors. Il had dis
played rather low degree of acad,mical vital
ity. Young Tyrho appears - have had ono of
those finely organized natures in which future
devotion to science fret manitests itself M an
unboundod yet silent admiration oievery natu-
raj object. AZ Copenh sau he war fortunate
enough to become acquainted with Johannes
Pratenss. 81 Roucu in France. aud Hans
Fraudsen. both medical men and matucra-
,icians who doubtless must have contributed 20
develop his early pariiali.y for the na,lra.
Sciences. His first Textbook in science app
pears to have been u hugo and forNadine t1lo
edition OF The collected writings - poiany.
printed at lnso IL. 1851. lie h,u-lt a NJ
Copenhagen for three joachim doilars md
II is eth presorye in library ai P a-uc. The
perusal Of Pt9leny and his followers re, Hs n
the first instance % have awakened au IN 'er-
riGib.e astrolr-;ira, tendency. ~ VII. % Brahe
had some difficulty IA altogether di,estine
himself even IN later DAYS. although on nor
than ono occasioT ne dsoiaiuod any
faith in astrological. sooihsa, Ill., With Tycho
Brahe this tendency remained IN tho form OF
m enthusiast and exaggerated woishiuo. tho
laws and forces Of nature. Lotus not forget with
what sort ~ fellow men Brahe hal "a deal. At
the bidding n kings. Co whom he was under tho
deepest personal Obligations hr could not well
reiuse 20 submit % the ,S.-tng astrological
doctrine II M. time; hu' whichever he waa
compelled 20 do SO, re either rem iered his olie-
glance In ioot. 80 rm. or In a tone Of purely
farciious banter
Acoomranird ly his tutor. Andcrs Vedel. a
Danish historian 0f some rcpute. Brahe. I'm
1862. repaired 20 Lcirsir osicasihly for tho
study OF iug.surud nee. A. I..lIslc lc secretly
studied his .aV r.'- s'i,uce. and ut last openly
and eS 'lusiyely devoted himself 70 the pursuit
OF astronomy This determined step did not
fan 10 involve HIM III exactly the same
troubles that any young man ofhi- rank would
have experienced ia contracting an obnoxious
family alliance. For q number az years aiter-
ward he had 10 endure tie lairtul consa-