PROPENSITY OF BIRDS.-At the recent fire in Spring street, a covey of pigeons was observed hovering over the flames at a great height, presenting a beautiful appearance, resembling that of gold, caused by the reflection of the light below. For several minutes they were seen darting in every direction, as if at a loss where to wend their passage. At last they were noticed to follow the propensity ascribed to birds by naturalists, and plunged one by one, into the flames, where they perished.-N. Y. Com. Adv. A JUST SENTIMENT HAPPILY EXPRESSED." Whether I shall ever succeed in being useful," said Dacre, "is, I fear, very doubtful, but I have determined not to be idle. A lonely man like me cannot afford to despise himself." ITEMS OF INTELLIGENCE. Equity according to Grotius is the correction of that wherein the law (by reason of its universality) is deficient. The whole number of bills in Chancery filed in the state of New York, during the year 1934, was 1,932; of which 430 were filed before the Chancellor, and the residue before the several Vice-Chancellors: and the number of appeals to the Chancellor from the decisions of Vice-Chancellors, was 88. The number of special motions and applications, some of which involve important questions of law, requiring time for decision was 2,417. The number of decrees, special orders and decisions, exclusive of orders of course 3,350. From the Report of the Director of the mint, it appears that within the year 1834, the coinage amounted to $7,388,423; of which $3,954,270 were in gold coins, $3,415,002 in silver, and $19,151 in copper-in all 11,637,643 pieces of coin. The Legislature of Alabama has passed a law prohibiting the issue of bank bills under $5 in that state. A stupendous rock weighing upwards of 300 tons, lately fell from a precipice upon the village of Aravedra, near Peru S. A. and crushed twenty-three men, women and children. Upwards of ninety horses and a great many sheep, pigs, and cows were also buried under the ruins. At Polock, in Lithuania, at the end of October, a man died aged 188! At 93 he married his third wife, who lived 50 years with him, and bore him several children. They're dealing-will YE cut the cords And will ye give to man a bill Divorcing him from Heaven's high sway, In which is felt the fiercer blast Of the destroying Angel's breath? And yet take off the tiger's chain? The living to the rotting dead The God-contemning Tuscan* tied, Till by the way, or on his bed, The poor corpse carrier dropped and died- Less cutting, think ye, is the thong The drunkard's child-the drunkard's wife Are ye not fathers? When your sons The table that for them ye spread? O, Holy God! let light divine Break forth more broadly from above, The perfect law of truth and love: NOTICES. "The Elements of Natural and Experimental Philosophy; including Physics, Dynamics, Mechanics, Hydrostatics, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Acoustics, Optics, Electricity, Galvanism, A person in Connecticut has invented a machine for catching Magnetism, and Astronomy. According to the latest discoveshad by steam. The engine is to be placed on the shore, and to ries, illustrated by nearly one hundred engravings. By Rev. be used for drawing in the seine. It is intended for fishing in David Blair, A. M. Revised, corrected, newly arranged, and North Carolina, where catching shad is a very extensive busi-greatly improved and enlarged, with many useful and important ness, and for three or four months employs a great number of additions, illustrations, experiments, observations, &c. By E. A. Smith. New York: M'Elrath & Bangs, 1834. 12mo. pp. 288," negroes, at a considerable expense. This little elementary work, whose title above given sufficiently The Militia of the United States, according to the latest re-explains its nature and object, is excellently well adapted to the turns, comprises 1,336,829 men. business of schools, and is a desirable auxiliary to the labours of instructers, to whom we recommend it with confidence. The subjects are well arranged and clearly illustrated. It appears by the annual message of the Governour, that the income of the two State Prisons at Auburn and at Mount Pleasant, over their ordinary expenses exclusive of the support of the female convicts, was $23,892 42, for the last fiscal year; and over all expenses, ordinary and extraordinary, six thousand seven hundred and sixteen dollars and forty-two cents. The news of the recall of M. Serrurier the French Minister, from Washington, by the government of Louis Philip, was re-signed for similar purposes, that we have seen. Dr. Gale, whose received in New York, the 18th Feb., 1835. Elements of Chemistry, illustrated by more than one hundred engravings. Designed especially for the use of schools and academies. By L. D. Gale, M. D. New York: M'Elrath & Bangs, 1835. 12mo. pp. 323.' This book, which comes from the same press, surpasses every elementary work on Chemistry deexperience entitles him to confidence, treats the subject in that popular and attractive manner, which cannot fail to interest be An attempt was made to assassinate Gen. Jackson, President ginners in a science which has hitherto been treated of with such of the United States, on the 30th. Jan. 1835 by one Richard Law-prolixity and elaborateness, as to discourage young persons from rence, by snapping two percussion pistols at his breast, as he was the laborious attempt of fathoming its intricate truths. The wants leaving the Rotunda of the Capitol, at the funeral of Warren R. of pupils and teachers in this respect, this book is intended to sup. Davis, M. C. ply. The experiments are simple, and by the aid of the many useful engravings are easily comprehended. LICENSE LAWS. BY REV. JOHN PIERPONT. 'We license thee, for so much gold,' And take one that is young and fair :- 'For so much gold, we license thee,' So say our laws-' a draught to sell, Of this Destroyer seize their swords, "The Religious Magazine. Origen Bacheler, Editor. No. 1, January, 1835. Royal 8vo. pp. 64." The former enterprising editor of the Family Magazine has again appeared before the world at the head of a new magazine, of the above title and dimensions. His plan is to furnish a system of standard religious knowledge, admitting that variety of religious subjects and religious discussions which will be calculated to suit all tastes, and all denominations. It is got up on very good material, and each number is to be adorned with engravings, and a piece of devotional musick. The plan is a good one, and should not fail to recommend itself to the patronage and confidence of the religious community. It is issued monthly. Subscription price $3 per annum. "The Western Monthly Magazine, a continuation of the Illinois Monthly Magazine. Conducted by James Hall. Vol. 3." This Magazine is conducted with taste and talent. The leading articles are written with highly creditable energy and excellent spirit. The critical notices are just and discriminating. It is published monthly, at Cincinnati, O.-Each number contains upwards of 50 pages. Subscriptions received at this office, where specimen numbers may be seen. Price $3, in advance. SECTION XXXI. HISTORY. wilderness of Sinai, in which they were doomed to wander during forty years. At the age of 120 he died on mount Nebo, in the land of Moab, having first taken a view of the promised land. This occurred 1451 years B. C. Moses was a man of eminent piety and wisdom. Joshua was the successor of Moses, and led the Israelites into the promised land, over the river Jordan, whose waters divided to afford them a passage. The followed by the speedy reduction of thirty others. first city which he conquered was Jericho; this was Having divided the land of Canaan among the ten tribes, Joshua died, aged 110, 1426 years B. Č. Orpheus was the son of Eager, or, as some say, of Apollo, by Calliope. The fictions of poetry have put into his hands a lyre, whose entrancing sounds stayed the courses of rivers, moved mountains, and subdued the ferocity of wild beasts. Doubtless the effects of his song, though not of such a nature, were considerable, in that rude and early age, on the minds of untu In concluding this volume, we are constrained to remark, that the subject of Universal History from the beginning of the world, has been attended with difficulty as to the collection of details. The history of nations in their primitive simplicity, unsettled and almost uncivilized is necessarily involved in much darkness, from the deficiency of intelligent historians in those periods, and the confusion and frequent discrepancy in the writings of those historians who came afterwards. We have thus far, however, availed ourselves of all the histories within our reach, and have tolerably succeeded in giving a concise history of most nations, endeavouring as much as possible to reconcile palpable discrepancies wherever they have occurred, and furnishing a result as near the truth as it was possible for us to render it. From the period to which By the power of his musick, as fiction reports, he we have arrived, however, the year 1004 B. c. we shall regained his wife, Eurydice, from the infernal regions, be able to pursue the subject with more fulness of but lost her again in consequence of failing to comply detail, greater cartainty of truth, and of course, as we with a certain condition, on which she to be was restored. reach more important events, with an increasing inter-see her till he had come to the extremest borders of hell. The condition was, that he should not look behind to est. The nations thus far noticed, are, China, Baby- Contrary to promise he did this, through the impatience lonia, Assyria, Canaan, the Israelites, the Moabites, of love, or by reason of forgetfulness, and she vanished the Ammonites, Idumæa, Egypt, Palestine, Phoenicia, from before his eyes. Greece, Lydia and Italy. We shall conclude the subject for the present, with a recapitulation of the history of the distinguished characters, in the period extending from 1491 to 1004 B. c. "Moses, the first Hebrew lawgiver and leader. Joshua, a conqueror of Canaan, and pious military chief tain. Orpheus, the father of poetry. Musæus, a Greek poet. Samson, a judge of Israel, and endowed with extraordinary strength. Sanconiathon, a Phoenician, one of the earliest writers of History. David, a king of Israel, a warrior and poet. Moses, when an infant, having been exposed on the brink of the river Nile, in an ark of bulrushes, the daughter of Pharaoh found the ark, saved the child, and had him educated as her own son. At forty years of age, having renounced the honours of Pharaoh's court, he endeavoured to join his oppressed countrymen, but they would not receive him. After this, circumstances induced him to flee to the land of Midian, where he married, and enjoyed a retirement of forty years. At the end of this period, God appeared to him in the mount of Horeb, and ordered him to return to Egypt, with a commission to Pharaoh, respecting his release of the Israelites from bondage. He accomplished this object only after the infliction of ten severe and awful plagues upon that monarch and his people. At length God saw fit, through Moses, to destroy Pharaoh and the flower of his military force in the Red Sea. From this period, Moses was employed in receiving the moral law from Mount Sinai, in prescribing the form of the ceremonial worship of the Hebrews, in regulating their civil polity, in conducting their military operations, and in leading them through the VOL. II. 49 tored barbarians. Orpheus, according to story, was one of the Argonauts; of which celebrated expedition he wrote a poetical account. This, however, is doubted; and the poems that pass under his name, are, with reason, ascribed to other and later writers. There is little cause to doubt that such a person as Orpheus existed, and that he was a great poet and musician. The period assigned for him is 1284 years B. C. Musæus is supposed to have been a son or disciple of Linus or Orpheus, and to have lived about 1253 years before the Christian era. None of his poems remain. A Musæus, who flourished in the 4th century, according to the judgement of most criticks, wrote "The loves of Leander and Hero." Samson was the son of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan. As he was raised up to avenge the Israelites of their oppressors, he was endowed with extraordinary strength. On one occasion, he slew 1000 Philistines with the jaw-bone of an ass. At various other times, he severely molested and distressed them. At length he was, through stratagem, betrayed by Delilah, and deprived of his strength. It, however, soon returned; and he pulled down the temple of Dagon on the heads of his enemies, the Philistines, with whom he perished in the general ruin. Some parts of his character are very far from deserving imitation. His various exploits and follies, are recorded, Judges xiv. xv. xvi. Sanconiathon was born at Berytus, or, according to others, at Tyre. He flourished about 1040 years B. C. He wrote, in the language of his country, a history, in nine books, in which he amply treated of the theology and antiquities of Phoenicia and the neighbouring places. This history was translated into Greek by Philo, a native of Byblus, who lived in the reign of the emperour Adrian. Some few fragments of this Greek translation are extant. Some, however, suppose them to be spurious, while others maintain their authenticity. David was the son of Jesse, and anointed king of Israel, while keeping his father's flocks, by Samuel, the prophet. He was a valiant, prosperous, and warlike prince, and raised himself and people to great eminence and renown. His name began to be known and celebrated, from the time that he slew Goliath, the giant. His military operations were planned with wisdom, and executed with vigour. The angular motions of the planets, as then known, were sufficiently well represented by this system; not so their changes of distance from the earth, as seen in their apparent diameters. This was the universal sys tem of after-times till Copernicus. The principal discovery of Ptolemy is that of the LUNAR EVECTION, an inequality such as would be caused by an alternate increase and diminution of the eccentricity of the moon's orbit. He also discovered the REFRACTION and made some tolerably correct experiments to determine its law. He explained the apparent enlargement of the disks of the sun and moon when near the horizon. He extended the projection of the sphere of Hipparchus. He entered into the investigation of instances finding more correct values; in others, altering without amending. He was not an astronomer only, but wrote on geography, musick, chronology, mechanicks, and, unfortunately, on astrology. He was distinguished as a sacred poet and writer of psalms; no one in this department has ever equalled him. These inspired productions are marked by loft-every point which Hipparchus had touched; in some iness, vigour, and felicity of expression-abounding in the sublimest strains of devotion, and conveying the most important truths and instructions to the mind. This pious prince was left to fall into scandalous sins, in a few instances, particularly in the seduction of Bathsheba, and the murder of Uriah, her husband; but he bitterly repented of them, and was restored to the divine favour. He died, 1015 years B. C., after a reign of forty years. This brings us down to PERIOD V, which is the Period of Homer, extending from the dedication of Solomon's temple, 1004 B. C., to the founding of Rome, 752 years B. C." ASTRONOMY. ITS HISTORY-Continued. Manilius, a Roman, A. D. 10, wrote an astronomical and astrological poem. Seneca, A. D. 50. His book on natural philosophy contains many pieces of information on astronomical history, but is principally remarkable for his bold opinions on the nature of comets. These he declares to be planets, whose laws he predicted would one day be calculated, and that posterity would wonder how things so simple could have so long escaped notice. Menelaus, A. D. SO, has left three books of spherical trigonometry. Theon of Smyrna, A. D. 117? wrote on astronomy, and made a collection of astronomical works. His observations are cited by Ptolemy. Cleomedes wrote on astronomy. He certainly lived after Posidonius, but whether before or after Ptolemy is uncertain. He is usually considered as having lived under Augustus Cæsar. We must suppose that there were many real observers between the epochs of Hipparchus and Ptolemy; but from the loss of even their names, and the silence of Ptolemy himself, it is clear that no discovery of any importance was made. Ptolemy of Alexandria, ▲. d. 130-150. We must briefly mention his works, his system, and his discoveries. The mathematical collection, called by the Arabs, the Almagest is the work from which we derive most of our knowledge of the Greek astronomy. We find there a full account of the observations and discoveries of Hipparchus; those of Ptolemy himself; the reasons and elements of his system; various mechanical arguments against the motion of the earth, which show that the first principles of dynamicks were utterly unknown; a description of the heavens and the milky way, and a catalogue of stars, which we may be nearly certain was that of Hipparchus, reduced to his own time by an assumed value for the precession, but which has been asserted to have been corrected by new observations; a theory of the planetary motions; the length of the year; the instruments he employed, &c. The Ptolemaick system was an attempt to represent the motions of the planets by supposing them to move uniformly in circles, the centres of which circles themselves moved uniformly in circles round the carth. With Ptolemy the originality of the Greek school ends. We must come to the Arabs before we find any thing worth particular notice. Sextus Empiricus, A. D. 173, described and wrote against the Chaldean astrology. Censorinus, A. D. 238, wrote an astrological work on the day of nativity, containing historical information with regard to astronomy. Julius Firmicus Maternus, A. D. 370 wrote on astronomy. Pappus of Alexandria, A. D. 383. His commentary on Ptolemy is nearly all lost. Theon of Alexandria, A. D. 385, the most celebrated commentator on Ptolemy. He was a good mathematician, but no great astronomer. He has however left some tables, and a method for constructing almanacks. Hypatia (his daughter,) murdered a. D. 415, the first female on record celebrated for her scientifick talents. She wrote one book of her father's commentary, and constructed some tables. Martianus Capella, a. d. 470, in his Satyricon, has some astronomical notions, among which is the following: that Mercury and Venus move round the sun. Cicero and Macrobius give the same idea; but the passage of Martianus is remarkable as being reported to have turned the attention of Copernicus to the system which bears his name. Thius of Athens, A. D. 500, has left six observations of lunar occultations and solstices: the only observations recorded between Ptolemy and the Arabs. Simplicius, a. D. 546, has left a commentary on, and ́ description of, the astronomical work of Aristotle, which we have mentioned as lost. Proclus Diadochus (not the commentator of Euclid,) A. D. 550, wrote a commentary on the astrology of Aristotle, and a description of astronomical phenomena. Isidore, archbishop of Hispalis (Seville,) a. D. €36, wrote a theological work on astronomy. The Bede, A. D. 720, and Barlaam the monk. A. D. 1330, are attached to the preceding by Delambre. Both wrote astronomical works of little distinct merit. last Greek writer on astronomy, of the least note, is Michel Psellus, a. D. 1050. It is remarkable that, excepting his own commentators, few of the authors immediately preceding ever quote Ptolemy. Had it not been for the Arabs, the writings of the latter must have been lost. The Alexandrian school was destroyed by the Saracens under Omar, A. D. 640; and the rise of astronomy among the eastern Saracens dates from the building of Bagdad by the caliph Al Mansur, in the year 762. In the reign of this prince, translations of the Greek writers were begun; and with nearly the same instruments, and the same theory, as Ptolemy, a career of four centuries of observation commenced, during which many astronomical elements, and, in particular, the obliquity of the ecliptick, and the precession of the equinoxes, were more accurately determined. In the reign of Al Mamun, son of Harun al Rashid, | himself a diligent observer, great encouragement was given to astronomy. A degree of the meridian was measured, but with what accuracy cannot be known, from our ignorance of the measure employed. Albategnius, or Al-Batani, a. D. 880, discovered the motion of the solar apogee, corrected the value of the precession, the solar eccentricity, and the obliquity of the ecliptick; and published tables. He is the first who made use of sines (instead of chords) and versed sines. He found the length of the year more accurately. He is, beyond all doubt, the only distinguished observer of whom we know any thing between Hipparchus and Tycho Brahe. Alfraganus or Al-Fergani, and Thabet ben Korrah, both about A. D. 950. The first has left a work on astronomy; the second is principally remarkable by his having revived an old notion of the Greeks (not mentioned by Ptolemy, but by Theon) of a variation in the position of the ecliptick, which has been called a trepidation. Ebn Yunis, and Abul-Wefa, about A. D. 1000. The former, an Egyptian, an observer and mathematician of great merit, has left a work containing tables and observations. He first noted the time of the beginning and end of an eclipse by taking the altitude of a star. His work shows an increasing knowledge of trigonometry. He was the first who employed subsidiary angles. Abul-Wefa first formally used tangents, cotangents, and secants, which Albategnius had overlooked. He gave tables of tangents and cotangents. Alphetragius of Morocco, A. D. 1050, attempted a new explanation of the planetary motions, not worthy of further notice. Arsachel, a Spanish Moor, A. D. 1080 has left some tables of indifferent accuracy. His contemporary, Alhazen, wrote on refraction. Geber, also a Spaniard, (about A. D. 1080 ?) made some improvements in spherical trigonometry. He introduced the use of the cosine. Abul Hassan about A. D. 1200, has left a catalogue of stars, and some improvements in dialling. We have Persian tables (of the eleventh century?) translated by George Chrysococca, a Greek physician, in the fourteenth century; but the best known are those of Nasireddin, published A. D. 1270, under the protection of Hulagu, grandson of Jenghis Khan, and conqueror of Persia. The Persians have a method of intercalating their solar years, which, though complicated, is of surprising accuracy, but when they first began to employ it is unknown. Ulug Beg, grandson of Timur, A. D. 1433. This prince made a large number of observations at Samarcand. His catalogue of stars of the date abovementioned, was, in its day, the most correct ever published. He also gave tables of geographical latitudes and longitudes. The emperour Akbar (sixth from Timur, died 1605) also encouraged astronomy, and caused many Hindoo works to be translated into Persian. In China, Cocheou-King, A. D. 1280, patronised by Kublai, brother of Hulagu, and fifth successor of Jenghis Khan in the partial conquest which that prince made of China, made a great number of good observations. He introduced spherical trigonometry, and rejected the ancient chronology. Since the fifteenth century, astronomy has declined throughout the East. The Chinese received many methods from the Jesuits, but to little purpose. Among the Hindoos, there are very few who can understand the ancient writings. The Turks and Persians have little besides astrology. We now proceed with Euro pean astronomy which forms a chain of progressive improvement. Astronomy was introduced again into Europe by means of the Greek writers, mostly through translations from the Arabick. The first translation of the Almagest was made under the auspices of the Emperour Frederick II., about A. D. 1230. Sacrobosco (an Englishman named Holywood.) A. D. 1220, wrote a work on the sphere, taken from Ptolemy, &c. It continued for a long time in great repute. He also wrote on the Calendar. About the same time, Jordanus, wrote a curious work on the Planisphere. Alonso X., king of Castile, A. D. 1252, with the assistance of Arabs and Jews, formed the first European tables. They differ little from those of Ptolemy. Roger Bacon, A. D. 1255, wrote on the phenomena of astronomy. (For writers of this period, not worth naming, see Delambre, Hist. Ast. Moy. pp. 258, 444.) The Cardinal Cusa, A. D. 1440, wrote on the correction of the Calendar. He is said to have maintained the motion of the earth. George Purbach, A. D. 1460, extended trigonometrical tables, and published a theory of the planets based on that of Ptolemy. John Muller, called Regiomontanus, (died a. d. 1476,) made an abridgment of the Almagest, published more extensive trigonometrical tables, extended various parts of trigonometry, and was an observer, though not, in this respect, superiour to some of the Arabs. His almanacks were the first which were worthy of the name, and were in great repute. The two last-mentioned writers deserve some special notice, though it cannot be said that they made any direct advances either in theory or observation. Their writings, and the facilities afforded by their tables, undoubtedly did much to promote a taste for astronomy. George of Trebizond, called Trapezentius, who died A. D. 1486, first translated the Almagest from the Greek into Latin. Bianchini, A. D. 1495, published tables similar to those of Alonso. Walthereus, died A. D. 1594, a pupil of Regiomontanus, made numerous observations, which were often reprinted. The following names are inserted that the reader may know to what names to refer for the astronomy of the time immediately preceding the promulgation of the system of Copernicus. Except in this point of view, there is but little interest attached to their labours : Riccius, A. D. 1521, wrote a book on astronomy, containing much historical discussion. Werner (died A. D. 1528) gave a more correct value of the precession. Stoffler (died about A. D. 1531) published almanacks for fifty years; wrote on the astrolabe, &c. Munster (died A. D. 1552) wrote on clocks and dials. Fracastorius (died A.D. 1543,) wrote on the heavenly motions. In 1528, Fernel, who died in 1558, gave a very correct measure of a degree of the meridian, from such insufficient observations, that, as Delambre remarks, the correctness must have been accidental. Copernicus, born 1473, died 1543. Applied himself to astronomy from A. D. 1500. In 1530, he had finished his tables of the planets, and his work On the Revolu tions of the Heavenly Bodies, containing an explanation of the COPERNICAN SYSTEM, which, it is almost unnecessary to say, was a revival of the opinions of the Pythagorian school on the motion of the earth. It was published in 1543, and its author died immediately afterwards. Copernicus improved the lunar tables, and gave, to a considerable extent, an explanation of celestial phenomena upon his own system. His book is a mixture of his own original and sagacious notions and of the old philosophy; and he was far from being able to answer the mechanical objections of his time. What might have struck so bold a thinker, had he lived to face opposition, cannot be told; but as the history stands we shall come to the time of Galileo before we find all objections satisfactorily an swered. From this period, at which the preservation of printed works commences, our limits will not permit our giving more than the names of many astronomers. The following is the list of those who are worth mention between Copernicus and the death of Tycho Brahe; the dates are generally those of death, but where that is not known, the date in brackets is that of the publication of some work. 1557 William, Landgrave 1575 Galucci 1576 Pini 1577 Tycho Brahe Of these must be mentioned (1578) 1579 - 1581 other planets to move round the sun, being also carried with it round the earth. This system explains all the appearances as well as that of Copernicus; and we must say, that by this means the then unanswerable arguments against the Copernican system were avoided. In fact, there is nothing but the aberration of light (a comparatively recent discovery,) which is demonstrably conclusive in favour of the motion of the earth. The system of Tycho is said to have been promulgated by some of the ancients, at least with regard to the inferiour planets. The reformation (as it was called) of the calendar took place in 1582, under Pope Gregory XIII. From the time of the death of Tycho Brahe, to that of Newton, which forms the next great epoch in the history 1582 of astronomy, we can only dwell generally on a few (1588) leading discoveries. To enable the reader to search 1590 further, we give a table of all the names between the 1590 deaths of Tycho Brahe and Newton which Delambre has thought worthy of any mention, with some few 1592 additions. The names mentioned from 1581, to 1727, 1594 which are not in this list, will be found in the next. 1595 The year of death is given opposite to each name; or 1596 where that is not known, the year of some publication (1597) is given in brackets. The dates are principally from Weidler, and several from Delambre, compared with 1601 those in the first edition of Lalande's astronomy. 1598 Reinhold, the friend of Copernicus, and advocate of his doctrines, who formed the PRUTENICK TABles. Recorde, who wrote the first English treatise on the celestial phenomena. Rheticus, editor of the Opus Palatinum, a large trigonometrical table. Maurolicus, author and editor of several works and tables. Nonius, inventor of an ingenious method of division of the circle, which has often caused it to be supposed that he anticipated the invention of Vernier. Mercator (Gerard,) who gave the first idea of the projection known by his name. Up to this time, the means of observation had been undergoing gradual improvement, more by attention to the construction of the elder instruments, than by the introduction of any new principle. The Copernican theory had its advocates, but was not yet adopted by many. Algebra had been introduced into most parts of Europe, but was not yet in a state to furnish much assistance in trigonometry. Logarithms were not yet invented, nor do we find the instruments fixed in the meridian, the telescope, or the pendulum clock. The first observer, who made any important additions to the phenomena of the heavens as received from the Arabs, was Tycho Brahe, to whom we now come. Tycho Brahe, born 1546, began to study astronomy 1560; commenced his observations at Hoene, an island near Copenhagen, 1582; was driven from thence, 1597; died 1601. He made a catalogue of the fixed stars, more accurate than any which preceded: gave the first table of refractions: discovered the variation and annual equation of the moon, the variation of the motion of her nodes, and of the ipelination of her orbit, and that of the obliquity of the ecliptick. What was essentially as great a service as any of the preceding, he discarded the trepidation of the precession, already mentioned, which had more or less infected all tables up to his time; he also ascertained that comets (those of his day, of course) were further removed from the earth than the moon; in fact, that they had no parallax which his instruments could discover, thus refuting the notion that they were atmospherick bodies. He greatly improved and extended the instruments in use as well as all the methods of observation. Tycho Brahe did not admit the Copernican theory; but substituted for it one of his own, usually known by the name of the Tychonick system. This consisted in supposing the sun to move round the earth, but all the Tycho Brahe Magini (1631) Pound |