preparation of medicines.[1] The distinguished astronomer David Fabricius of Ostfriesland also visited Tycho at Wandsbeck, but probably only for a short time.
In addition to the observations, Tycho devoted his time at Wandsbeck to the preparation of the illustrated description of his instruments, which he had for years intended to publish, and which it seemed particularly desirable to issue now, in order to sustain his reputation and impress learned and influential men with the magnitude of his scientific work and its great superiority over that of previous observers. Woodcuts of a number of the instruments had already been prepared at Uraniborg, and some of them had been inserted in his books on the new star and the comet of 1577. Some engravings were now made of other instruments not yet figured, and the text was soon put together by enlarging the account formerly prepared for the Landgrave. As Tycho had brought his printing-press with him, he was able to have the book printed under his own eyes at Wandsbeck by Philip von Ohr, a printer from Hamburg. Early in 1598 the Astronomiæ instauratæ Mechanica was ready, a handsome thin folio volume, slightly larger than the reprint of 1602, and now extremely scarce, so that the number of copies printed can hardly have been considerable.[2]
- ↑ Letter from the Electress to Tycho of 14th February 1598. Danske Magazin, ii. p. 352 (Weistritz, ii. p. 353).
- ↑ Tychonis Brahe Astronomiæ Instauratæ Mechanica, in the centre the vignette "Suspiciendo despicio," underneath, "Wandesburgi, Anno CIƆ IƆ IIƆ. Cum Cæsaris et Regum quorundam Privilegiis." Colophon: Vignette Despiciendo suspicio, and under that: "Impressum Wandesburgi | in Arce Ranzoviana prope Hamburgum sita, | propria Authoris typographia | opera Philippi de Ohr Chalcographi | Hamburgensis | Ineunte Anno mdiic." This original edition now only exists in a few great libraries. In the Royal Library of Copenhagen are two copies with all the pictures beautifully illuminated and gilt, the one presented to Grand Duke Ferdinand de Medici, the other to the Bohemian nobleman "Peter Vok Ursinus, Dominus a Rosenberg;" in the Strahöfer Stiftsbibliothek at Prague is one presented to Baron Hasenburg (Astr. Nachr., iii. p. 256); in the British Museum is a copy presented to
