coke’s TRAVELS IN DENMARK. 329

Tycho Brahe , defcended from a noble and illuftrious Danifh family, was bom in 1546at Knudftorp, a fmall lordfliip near Heifinborg in Scania. His father, Otto Brahe, havinga large family, Tycho was educated under the care and at the. expence of his uncle,George Brahe, who, having no children, adopted him as his heir. Finding his nephewa boy of a lively capacity, and inclined to ftudy, Tycho was inftru&ed in the Latin tongue, unknown to his father, who confidered literature as inglorious, and was defirousthat all his fons Ihould follow the profeffion of arms.

In the twelfth year of his age, Tycho was removed to the academy of Copenhagen ;and was cafually incited to the ftudy of aftronomy by an eclipfe of the fun, which hap-pened on the 2iflvof Auguft, 1560. He had for fome time examined the r Urological diaries or almanacks, "tvliich pretended to prediCl future events from the infpedion ofthe ftars; but wheii he obferved that the eclipfe happened at the precife time at whichit was foretold, his admiration was loft in aftonilhment; and he confidered that fcienceas divine, which could fo thoroughly riefcribe the motions of the heavenly bodies,and foretel their relative pofitions. From that moment he devoted himfelf to aftro-nomy.

In-1562 he was fent to Leipfic for the purpofe of ftudying civil law ^ but gave to thelaw only thofe hours which hjs tutor’s importunity wrefted from him, devoting thegreater part of his time to his favourite fcience; and as his tutor continually remon-ftrated againft thofe ftudies which diverted his attention from the law, he conceived anunconquerable difguft for that profeffion, and more affiduoufly, though fecretly, conti-nued his aftronomical purfuits. For this purpofe he expended his pocket money in thepurchafe of aftronomical books, and having obtained a fmall celeftial globe, took theopportunity, while his preceptor was in bed, of examining the heavenly bodies, and be-fore the expiration of a month, made himfelf acquainted with all the ftars which appearedabove the horizon. Infpired with the fame ardent zeal in purfuit of his favouritefcience, he learned mathematics without a mafter, and invented feveral mathematical in-ftruments.

Having palled three years at Leipfic, he was preparing to purfue his travels throughGermany ; but on the death of his uncle returned to his native country, to fuperintendthe eftates, which he largely inherited. Inftead of finding himfelf encouraged andefteemed for his wonderful progrefs in aftronomy,' he was treated with contempt by hisrelations and acquaintance for his purfuit of a fcience which they confidered as de-grading. Difgufted at their behaviour, he fettled his affairs, haftened his departurefrom a country wherein he met with repeated mortifications, and before a year haddapfed fet out on his travels. lie proceeded to Wittenberg, and afterwards to Roftoc,where an accident happened which nearly occaiioned his death.

Being invited to a wedding feaft, he had a difpute with a Danifh nobleman relative tof°nie fubjeCI in mathematics; and as they were both of choleric difpofitions, the difputee nded in a duel. In the conflict part of Tycho ’s nofe was cut off. To remedy this de-fe£t, he contrived a fa&itious nofe of gold and filver, which he faftened by means of agHe, fo artfully formed, it is faid, as to bear the appearance of nature, and to deceivernany who were not acquainted with his lofs.

From Roftoc Tycho continued his travels, and profecuted his ftudies in the principaltowns of Germany and Italy , particularly at Augfburgh, where he formed an acquaint-ttnee with the celebrated Peter Ramus . He invented and improved various mathemati-c al inftruments, gave the plan of an obfervatory, which was conftruCted at the expence°I the burgomafter Paul Hainzell, and formed a feries of aftronomical obfervations, which

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