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Ycho Brahe, defcended from a noble and illuftrious Danish family, was born in 1546 at Knudftorp, a fmall lordfhip near Helfingborg in Scania. His father, Otto Brahe, having a 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 nephew a boy of lively capacity, and though only feven years of age ftrongly inclined to ftudy, he had Tycho inftructed in the Latin tongue unknown to his father, who confidered literature as inglorious, and was defirous that all his fons fhould follow the profeffion of arms.

"In the twelfth year of his age, Tycho was removed to the academy of Copenhagen; and his mind, which had not yet taken any direction, was cafually incited to the ftudy of aftronomy by an eclipfe of the fun, which happened on the 21ft of Auguft, 1560. He had for fome time examined the aftrological diaries or almanacks, which pretended to predict future events from the infpection of the flars; but when he obferved that the eclipfe happened at the precife time at which it was foretold, his admiration was loft in

aftonishment; and he confidered that fcience as divine, which could thus fo thoroughly underftand the motions of the heavenly bodies as to foretel their places and relative pofitious. From that moment he devoted himself to aftronomy.

"In 1562 he was fent to Leipfic for the purpofe of studying civil law; but he gave to the law only thofe hours which his tutor's importunity wrefted from him, devoting the greateft part of his time to his favourite fcience; and as his tutor continually remonftrated against thofe ftadies which took off his attention from the law, to which he was deftined by his uncle, he conceived an unconquerable difguft for that profeffion, and more afiiduoufly, though fecretly, continued his aftronomical purfaits. For this purpofe he laid out all the money which his uncle allowed him for pocket expences in the purchase of aftronomical books: having obtain. ed a small celeftial globe, he took the opportunity, while his preceptor was in bed, of examining the heavenly bodies, and before a month had elapfed, he made himself acquainted with all the ftars which at that time appeared above the horizon. Infpired with the fame ardent

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zeal in purfuit of his favourite fcience, he learned geometry and mathematics without a mafter, and invented a radius, and feveral mathematical inftruments.

"Having pailed three years at Leipfic, he was preparing to purfue his travels though Germany; but the death of his uncle obliged him to return to his native country, in order to fuperintend and fettle his eftates, which he largely inherited. Instead of finding himself encouraged and efteemed for the wonderful progrefs, which at his early age he had made in the science of aftronomy and its concomitant ftudies, he was mortified at being treated with contempt by his relations and acquaintance for following a fcience which they confidered as degrading, and who reproached him for not pursuing what they called the more noble ftudy of the law. Difgufted at their behaviour he fet tled his affairs, and haftened his departure from a country wherein he met with repeated mortifications, and before a year had elapfed fet out upon his travels. He proceeded to Wittenberg, and afterwards to Roftoc, where an accident happened which had nearly occafioned his death.

"Being invited to a wedding feaft, he had a difpute with a Danish nobleman relative to fome fubject in mathematics; and as they were both of choleric difpofitions, the difpute ended in a duel. In the conAlict part of Tycho's nofe was cut off. In order to remedy this defect, Tycho contrived a fuppofititious nofe made of gold and filver, which he faftened by means of a glue, fo artfully formed, it is faid, as to bear the appearance of the real member, and to deceive many who were not acquainted with his lofs.

"From Roftoc Tycho continued his travels, and profecuted his ftudies in the principal towns of Germany and Italy, and particularly at Aufburgh, were he formed an acquaintance with the celebrated Peter Kamus, invented and improved various mathematical inftruments, fuperintended the building of an ob fervatory at the expence of the burgomafter Paul Hainzell, after a plan communicated by himself, and formed a series of aftronomical obfervations and discoveries, which aftonished and furpaffed all who had hitherto been confidered as the greateft proficients in that fcience.

"On his return to Copenhagen, in 1570, he was foon difgufted with the neceffity of going to court; and, importuned with innumerable vifits and interruptions of his ftudies, he removed to Herritzvold, near Knudstorp, the feat of his maternal uncle, Steno Bille, who alone of all his relations encouraged him to prefevere in his aftronomical labours. Steno configned to his nephew a commodious apartment, and a convenient place for the conftruction of his obfervatory and laboratory.

"During his refidence with his uncle, Tycho, befides his aftronomical refearches, feems to have followed with no lefs zeal the study of chymistry, or rather of alchymy, from the chimerical view of ob taining the philofopher's ftone, that he might amafs fufficient riches to fettle in fome foreign country, where he might not be under the neceflity of appearing at court, or having his ftudies interrupted by receiving and paying vifits.

But neither his philofophy, or the unwearied zeal with which he profecuted his ftudies, could exempt him from the paffion of love.