3^0 coxe’s travels in Denmark .

aftonifted and furpaffed all who had hitherto been conftdered as the greateft proficientsin the fcience.

On his return to Copenhagen , in i C70, he was difgufted with the ceremonies of thecourt; and being importuned with innumerable vifits, removed to Herritzvold, nearKnudftorp, the feat of his maternal uncle, Steno Bille, who alone of all his relationsencouraged him to perfevere in his aftrcnomical labours, and configned to him a com-modious apartment, and a convenient place for the comtruftion of an cbfervatory andlaboratory.

During his refidence with his uncle, Tycho, befides his aftronomical refearches, fol-lowed with no lefs zeal the ftudy of chymiftry, or rather of alchymy, from the chime-rical view of obtaining the philofopher’s ftone, that he might amafs fufficient riches tofettle in feme foreign country, where he might not be under the neceffity of appearingat court, or being interrupted in his ftudies by vifitors.

But neither philofophy, nor the unwearied zeal with which he profecuted his ftudies,could exempt him from the paffion of love. Being a great admirer of the fair fex, heconceived a violent inclination for Chriftina, a beautiful country girl, the daughter of aneighbouring peafant, and alienated his family by efpoufmg her. Love is ingenious indeviling excufes. Our philofopher juftified the choice of his heart, and gave manywhimfical reafons for preferring a woman of low birth. He dreaded a wife who mightbe under the neceflity of frequenting the court, a life to him mod deteftable; he there-fore preferred one whofe fttuation precluded her from what he ftyles a painful honour,who, grateful to her benefactor, would be dependent on himfelf alone, would be happyto accompany him in his travels, would confider a fubferviency to his inclinations as aduty, and not objedt to his continued application. Whatever effect thefe reafons mighthave in inducing our philofopher to marry, yet they had none on a proud family, whoconceived themfelves difgraced by Tycho’s mif-alliance, and refufed to hold any inter-courfe with him, until Frederic the Second commanded them to be reconciled. Tychofeems not to have repented of his choice •, but ever found in his beloved Chriftina a grate-ful companion and an obedient wife.

About this period he firft appeared as a public teacher, and read le&ures on aftro-nomy at Copenhagen , by the exprefs deft re of the King. He explained the theory of'the planets, and preceded his explanation by a learned oration on the hiftory and excel-lency of aftronomy and the fifter fciences, with Tome remarks m favour of judicial aftro-logy, a fludy as congenial to the times as to the inclinations of our philofopher.

Offended with his relations, and difgufted wdth his countrymen, he had long deter-mined to quit Denmark, and fettle abroad. After travelling through Germany andItaly , he at length fixed on Bade, to'lhe choice of which place he was influenced by thewholefomenefs of the air, the cheapness of living, and the celebrity of the univerfity, fromwhence he might hold an eafy correfpondence with the aftronomers of France, Ger-many, and Italy .

On his return to Denmark , he was preparing with the utmoft fecrecy to tranfport hislibrary and aftronomical apparatus, but was prevented from carrrying his defign into,execution by an unexpected fummons from the King. Frederic, fecretly apprifed ofhis intentions, was unwilling that Denmark fhould be deprived of fo great an ornament,kindly embraced him, offered his protection, prefented him with the ifiand of Huen,and promifed to erect the buildings and apparatus neceffary for his purfuits. Fie alfafettled on him a penfion of 1000 crowns a year, and gave hirn a canonry of Rolkildworth not lefs than 2000 crowns.

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Tycho,