Among the causes which finally induced Tycho to leave Denmark, the quarrel with his former pupil, Gellius Sascerides, is supposed to have been an important one. We have mentioned that Gellius spent about two years in Italy. On the return journey he was at Basle for some time (1592–93), where he became a Doctor of Medicine, and he reached Denmark some time in 1593. He soon after began to visit Uraniborg, and eventually became engaged to Tycho's eldest daughter, Magdalene, at that time about nineteen years of age. Gellius would hardly have thought of aspiring to the hand of any other nobleman's daughter, but the peculiar position of Tycho's children, by many people not considered to be legitimate, may have given him courage. Tycho does not appear to have objected to the proposed marriage, and may have thought that the undoubted learning of Gellius made up for any supposed deficiency in lineage.[1] But the pleasant relations between Tycho and Gellius did not last long, probably because the latter during his long absence abroad had become unaccustomed to the imperious manner of Tycho, and the quarrel commenced in earnest in the following year, when the wedding began to be talked about. It appears that Tycho did not care to have festivities and expense in connexion with the ceremony, and further demanded that Gellius, after the wedding, should remain at Hveen for a while to assist in the work; and not content with this, he made certain stipulations as to the manner in which Gellius was to provide his wife with clothes, &c. On the other hand, Gellius is said to have
- ↑ The following account is taken from Dr. Rördam's paper in the Danske Magazin, 4th Series, ii. p. 16 et seq., which is founded on documents in the archives in the Copenhagen University which were not accessible to Langebek (D. M., ii. p. 285 et seq.).
manner of spelling names which prevailed in those days, that Tycho Brahe's name in the document is spelt Tygge Brahe, in the signature Thyghe Brahe. In Latin or German he always wrote Tycho, in Danish generally Tyge.
