least we do not possess any made at Rostock earlier than January 1568. But shortly after his arrival, on the 28th October 1566, a lunar eclipse took place, and Tycho posted up in the college some Latin verses, in which he announced that the eclipse foretold the death of the Turkish Sultan. It was natural to think of him, as Soliman, who was about eighty years of age, had the year before startled Christendom by his formidable attack on Malta, which was heroically and successfully defended by the Knights of St. John. A few weeks later news was received of the Sultan's death; but unluckily he had died before the eclipse, so that the praise Tycho received for the prophecy was not unmingled with sneers, while he defended himself by explaining the horoscope of Soliman, from which he had drawn his conclusions as to the Sultan's death.[1]
An event took place at Rostock soon after this, which was a good deal more unfortunate for Brahe, and which has become more widely known than many other and much more important incidents in his life. On the 10th December 1566 there was a dance at Professor Bachmeister's house to celebrate a betrothal, and among the guests were Brahe and another Danish nobleman, Manderup Parsbjerg. These two got into a quarrel, which was renewed at a Christmas party on the 27th, and finally they met (whether accidentally or not is not stated) on the 29th, at seven o'clock in the evening, "in perfect darkness," and settled the dispute with their swords. The result was that Tycho lost part of his nose, and in order to conceal the disfigurement, he
- ↑ In a marginal note in the volume of observations, 1563-81 (printed in Danske Magazin, ii. p. 177), Tycho states that Soliman died a few days before the eclipse. In reality he died on 6th September, while besieging the Hungarian fortress Szigeth, though his death was kept secret for more than a fortnight. There is a written pamphlet by Tycho, apparently intended to be printed, in the Hofbibliothek at Vienna, De Eclipsi Lunari, 1573, Mense Decembri, in which the eclipse of 1566 and the prediction of the Sultan's death are also treated of. Friis, in Danske Samlinger, 1869, iv. p. 255.
