References.—“La Grande Encyclopédie,” Vol. XVIII. p. 930; “Dictionary of National Biography,” London, 1890, Vol. XXI. p. 338; “Bibliographica Britannica,” London, 1757, Vol. IV. p. 2202; Larousse, “Dict. Univ.,” Vol. VIII. p. 123; “Freeman’s Historic Towns” (Colchester), by Rev. E. L. Cutts, 1888, p. 172; “Beauties of England and Wales,” by E. W. Brayley and John Britton, 1810, Vol. V. (Colchester) pp. 318–319; Cooper, “Athenæ Cantabrigienses,” Cambridge, 1858; Anthony à Wood, “Athenæ Oxonienses,” London, 1813, Vol. I; Thomas Wright, “Hist. and Top. of the County of Essex,” 1866, Vol. I; “Journal des Savants” for June 1859, Sept. 1870; Wm. Munk, “The Roll of the Royal College of Physicians of London,” 1878, Vol. I. p. 77; Humboldt, “Cosmos,” 1859–1860, Vol. I. pp. 158–159, note, 177, 179, 182, note; Vol. II. pp. xvii, 279–281, 334–335, 341–342; Vol. V. p. 58 for references to and extracts from Dr. Gilbert’s work; Wm. Whewell, “Hist. of the Ind. Sciences,” Vol. I. pp. 274–275, 394; Vol. II. pp. 192, 217–220, 224, 225, and “Philosophy of the Ind. Sciences,” London, 1840, Vol. II. pp. 374–379; “Mémoires de Physique,” Lausanne, 1754, pp. 123, etc.; “U.S. Magnetic Tables and Isogonic Charts for 1902,” L. A. Bauer, pp. 1–77; “Popular Science Monthly,” August 1901, pp. 337–350 for “Gilbert of Colchester,” by Bro. Potamian, also its translation in “Ciel et Terre” for Dec. 1, 1902, pp. 472–480 and for Dec. 16, 1902, p. 489; “New International Encyclopædia,” New York, 1903, Vol. VIII. p. 368; “William Gilbert of Colchester,” by Conrad Wm. Cooke, London, 1890 (reprinted from “Engineering,” 1889); “William Gilbert of Colchester,” by Dr. Silvanus P. Thompson, London, 1891; “William Gilbert of Colchester,” a translation by P. Fleury Mottelay, New York and London, 1893; “William Gilbert of Colchester,” a translation by members of the Gilbert Club, London, 1900, to which is appended a valuable collection of “Notes on the De Magnete” of Dr. William Gilbert, by Dr. Silvanus P. Thompson, who therein also gives an interesting bibliography of this great work; “William Gilbert of Colchester,” a sketch of his magnetic philosophy by Chas. E. Benham, Colchester, 1902; “Zur bibliographie von W. Gilbert’s De Magnete,” Von. G. Hellmann (“Terrestrial Magnetism and Atmospheric Electricity” for June 1902); “Terr. Magn. and Atm. Elect.,” Vol. II. p. 45 for “The Earth a Great Magnet,” by J. A. Fleming; “The Earth a Great Magnet,” by Prof. Alfred M. Mayer, New York, 1872; Philip Morant, “History and Antiquities of Colchester,” London, 1748; Bacon, “Novum Organum,” Leyden, 1650, pp. 263–265; Rees’ “Encyclopædia,” 1819, Vol. XVI. article “Gilbert”; “A Course of Lectures on Natural Philosophy and the Mechanical Arts,” by Thos. Young, London, 1807, Vol. I. pp. 686, 747, 756; Vol. II. pp. 111, 324, 436; “Critical Dictionary of Engl. Literature,” S. Austin Allibone, Philad., 1888, Vol. I. p. 668; “General Biographical Dictionary,” John Gorton, London, 1833, Vol. II, mentioning Wood’s “Athen. Ox.,” Hutchinson’s “Biog.-Med.,” and Aikin’s “G. Biography”; Phil. Trans. for 1667, Vol. II. pp. 527–531, also Baddam’s abridgments, London, 1739, Vol. III. p. 129 and London, 1745, Vol. I. p. 97.
A.D. 1601.—Brahé (Tycho—Tygge—Thyghe—Tyge), who has been several times mentioned in this compilation and is referred to by Gilbert (“De Magnete,” Book IV. chap. xii. also Book VI. chap. v.), was a distinguished Danish astronomer (b. 1546, d. 1601), the founder of modern astronomical calculations, whose investigations and records of the positions of the stars and planets made possible the brilliant discoveries of Kepler and Newton. As Humboldt expresses it, the rich abundance of accurate observations furnished by Tycho Brahé, himself the zealous opponent of the Copernican system, laid the foundation for the discovery of those eternal laws of planetary movements which prepared imperishable renown for the name of Kepler, and which, interpreted by Newton, proved to be theoretically and necessarily true, have been now transferred into the bright and glorious domain of thought as the intellectual recognition of nature (“Cosmos,” 1860, Vol. II. p. 313).
As his very able biographer, Dr. J. L. E. Dreyer, of the Armagh Observatory, remarks in his admirable work (Edinburgh, 1890): “Without Brahé, Kepler never could have found out the secrets of the planetary motions, and, in the words of Delambre, ‘Nous ignorerions peut être encore le véritable système du monde.’ The most important inheritance which Tycho left to Kepler and to posterity was the vast mass of observations all which, Kepler justly said, ‘deserved to be kept among the royal treasures, as the reform of astronomy could not be accomplished without them ...’ at one breath blowing away the epicycles and other musty appendages which disfigured the Copernican system.... Tycho Brahé had given Kepler the place to stand on and Kepler did move the world!”
Brahé was the first to recognize the variation, i. e. the inequality, in the moon’s motion. In opposition to the opinion of Sédillot, M. Biot maintains that this fine discovery of Tycho by no means belongs to Abul-Wefa, and that the latter was acquainted not with the “variation” but only with the second part of the “evection” (“Cosmos,” 1860, Vol. II. p. 222, wherein are many references to the Comptes Rendus and to the “Journal des Savants”).
The biographical division of the “English Cyclopædia,” 1866, Vol. I. pp. 898–903, gives a list of Brahé’s numerous writings, headed by his earliest publication, “De Nova Stella,” 1573, which is so extremely rare that, until 1890, when Dr. Dreyer gave a description of it, not a single historian of astronomy had ever seen it or been able to even give its title correctly (“Journal of Br. Astron. Assoc.,” Vol. XII. No. 2, p. 95; Houzeau et Lancaster, Vol. II. p. 598). A detailed account of its contents is given at pp. 44–56 of Dr. Dreyer’s 1890 work above alluded to, wherein we are further told of the protection given Brahé by the Landgrave William of Hesse-Cassel, as well as of the consequent aid so liberally extended by King Frederick II. Reference is likewise made to the fact that in December 1584 the King turned to Tycho for help, writing that he was under the impression he had returned a compass made by Tycho, believing there was something wrong with it; that, if this proved to be the case, Tycho was to send back the compass, but, if not, he was to make two new ones similar to the old one (F. R. Friis, “Tyge Brahé,” p. 147).
References.—“Life of Tycho Brahé,” by Gassendi, containing the “Oratio Funebris,” etc., of John Jessenius; Tessier “Eloges des hommes illustres,” Vol. IV. p. 383; Blount, “Censura,” etc.; “Epistolæ ad Joh. Keplerum,” 1718; Riccioli, “Chronicon in Almagesto Novo,” Vol. I. p. 46; the biography by Malte-Brun in the “Biog. Univ.,” wherein is to be found the list of all of Tycho Brahé’s writings; “English Cycl.,” Supplement to Biography, p. 376, at Scipione Chiaromonti, for “Anti-Tycho”; “Bulletin de la Société Astronomique de France,” Janvier 1903; “Journal des Savants,” Juin 1864; Humboldt, “Cosmos,” 1860, Vol. III. pp. 158, 160, 162; “Nature” of Dec. 27, 1900, p. 206, and “Nature,” Vol. LXV. pp. 5–9, 104–106, 181, as well as the “Bulletin Astronomique,” Paris, Avril 1902, pp. 163–166, for account of the celebrations of the Tercentenary of Tycho-Brahé’s death, held at Prague and elsewhere, on Oct. 24, 1901, with illustrations of his observatory, etc. etc.; “Geschichte der Mathem. von Abraham G. Kästner,” Vol. II. pp. 376, etc., 613, etc.; R. A. Proctor, “Old and New Astronomy,” 1892 passim; “Biog. Génér.,” 1890, Vol. XLV. pp. 750, 755; “La Grande Encycl.,” Vol. VII. pp. 962–963; Larousse, “Dict. Univ.,” Vol. XV. pp. 613–614; “Encycl. Brit.,” Edin., 1876, Vol. IV. p. 200.
Consult likewise for Abul Wefa: “Le Journal des Savants,” for Nov. 1841, Sept. 1843, Mar. 1845 and Oct. 1871; Houzeau et Lancaster, “Bibliog. Gén.,” 1887, Vol. I. pp. 598–600, and Vol. II. pp. 92–93; “Bull. de la Soc. Acad. de Laon,” Janvier 1903, pp. 40–48; Leopold Von Ranke, “History of England,” Vol. I. p. 367 and notes; Wm. Whewell, “Phil. of the Ind. Sc.,” London, 1840, Vol. II. pp. 386–388; Harold Höffding, “A Hist. of Mod. Phil.,” translated by B. E. Mayer, London, 1900, Vol. I. p. 428.
A.D. 1602.—Blundeville (Thomas) publishes at London, “The Theoriques of the Seuen Planets,” etc., which, as the lengthy title goes to show, indicates “the making, description and vse of two ingenious and necessarie instruments for sea men to find out thereby the latitude of any place upon the sea or land, in the darkest night, that is, without the helpe of sunne, moone or starre; first invented by M. Dr. Gilbert, a most excellent philosopher, and one of the ordinarie physicians to Her Majestie.”
He had previously published, in 1589, “A briefe description of universal mappes and cardes and of their use; and also the use of Ptolemy his Tables,” which was followed, during 1594, by his well-known work on navigation. From the rare sixth edition of the latter (London, 1622) the curious title page is worth reproducing as follows: “M. Blundeville, His Exercises, contayning eight treatises, the titles whereof are set down in the next printed page: which treatises are very necessary to be read and learned of all Young Gentlemen that haue not beene exercised in such Disciplines and yet are desirous to haue knowledge as well in Cosmographie, Astronomie and Geographie, as also in the art of navigation, in which art it is impossible, to profit without the helpe of these or such like Instructions. To the furtherance of which Art of Navigation the sayd Master Blundeville especially wrote the said Treatises and of meere good will doth dedicate the same to all Young Gentlemen of this Realme.” The contents of this curious work treat of Arithmetic, Cosmography, Terrestrial and Celestial Globes, Peter Plancius, his Universal Map, Mr. Blagrau, his Astrolabe, The First Principles of Navigation, etc. etc.
The Mr. Blagrau here mentioned is John Blagrave, eminent English mathematician, author of “The Mathematical Jewel,” as well as of “The making and use of the familiar staffe,” of “The Art of Dialling,” and of “Astrolabium Uranicum Generale, a necessary and pleasunt solace and recreation for Navigators in their long journeying, containing the use of an instrument or astrolabe.” From the last named, it appears that Blagrave was a convert to the heliocentric theory of Copernicus (“New Gen. Biog. Dict.,” by Rev. H. J. Rose, London, 1850, Vol. IV. p. 277). The invention of the dipping needle by Mr. Blagrave was before the discovery of the change of the needle’s variation by Mr. Gellibrand (“Philos. Britan.,” Benj. Martin, London, 1771, Vol. I. p. 46).