lished in 1668 a critique of it, showing the errors in the observations of 1582, and announcing the forthcoming correct edition.[1] Bartholin furthermore compared a copy of the Historia Cœlestis (bound in two volumes) with the originals, and entered in it all the corrections and smaller omissions, while he in a third volume had the observations previous to 1582, the longer omissions, the year 1593, and the observations of comets, carefully copied and compared with the originals.[2] In 1669 he caused inquiries to be made from Blaev, in Amsterdam, about the printing of the new edition, which Blaev seemed disposed to undertake.[3]
Unfortunately, King Frederick III. died in 1670, and as his son and successor took no interest in literature or science, there was an end to the prospect of a correct edition of Tycho Brahe's observations. In the following year Picard came to Copenhagen to determine the geographical position of Uraniborg, and on learning how matters stood, he begged and obtained leave to take Bartholin's copy back with him to Paris to have it printed at the expense of Louis XIV.[4] For the sake of control during the printing, the originals were handed to Bartholin's assistant, Ole Römer, whom Picard had persuaded to go with him to France. The printing was commenced at Paris, but Louis XIV.'s wars required money, and the undertaking was eventually stopped.[5]Inquiries were made for the original manuscripts by the Danish Government in 1696, and they were found in charge
- ↑ "Specimen recognitionis nuper editarum observationum astronomicarum n. v. Tychonis Brahe, in quo recensentur insignes maxime errores in editione Augustana Historiæ Cœlestis a. 1582 ex collatione cum autographo . . . ani- madversi ab Erasmo Bartholino." Hafniæ, 1668, small 4to, 48 pp., of which 6 pp. are dedication to the King, 11 pp. introduction, and the remainder errata. Reviewed by Kästner, ii. p. 656.
- ↑ Strange enough, he did not copy the year 1581, but instead of it the year 1583, though this is in the Hist. Cœl. About this supplement, see Bugge, Observations astronomicæ, 1781–83, Hafniæ, 1784, p. xviii., where a catalogue of Tycho's original MSS. is given. See also below, Note H.
- ↑ Werlauff, Historiske Efterretninger om det store Kongelige Bibliothek, Kjöbenhavn, 1844, P. 411.
- ↑ Picard gave the following receipt for them (copied by Bartholin into the supplementary volume): "Je confesse avoir recue de Mons. Erasme Bartholin les observations de Tycho Brahe escrites au net en cinq Volumes in folio depuis l'année 1563 jusques à 1601 avec les Observations des Cometes, à condition qu'ils seront imprimiées à Paris au Louvre aux depens du Roy de France, & quant a la Dedication & Preface elles seront faites par le dit Mr. Bartholin. Je promets aussy, qu'incontinent après l'ouvrage achevé d'imprimer, il en sera fourny cinquante exemplaires, qui seront mis entre les mains de qui l'on voudra. Fait à Copenhague, le 2 Avril 1672. Picard."
- ↑ Sixty-eight pages were printed (as far as 1582). See Lalande's Astronomie (2nd edit.), i. p. 198.
