the world, and been so beneficial in furthering the study of astronomy, that it cannot be left out of consideration if we wish to get a full view of the scientific life and doings of former ages. Having devoted so much space to the horoscope of the first-born son of the king, we shall not review those of the younger sons, which Tycho was afterwards called on to prepare, although in these cases the originals (and not merely copies) have been preserved in the Royal Library at Copenhagen. The second son, Prince Ulrich, was born on the 30th December 1578, and Tycho worked out his Genethliaca by royal command, and presented it in May 1579. It is a handsome volume in small 4to, bound in pale green velvet with gilt edges, containing about 300 pages, all written in Tycho Brahe's own hand. The arrangement of the contents is like that of the previous prognostication, the results being, as before, given first in Latin and afterwards in German. Mars is the ruler, as he is in his own sign, and in every way most favourably situated, but the sun is dominus ascendentis, and the solar eclipse of the 21st July 1590 in the eighth degree of Leo, and "in the very degree of the ascendant," will be of great importance, and may injure the prince. It is again repeatedly pointed out how uncertain the whole thing is.[1] In 1583 the king's third and last son, Hans, was born on the 26th July, and Tycho had again to attack the twelve houses, aspects, &c. He sent in a volume like the last one, bound in the same manner, and containing about the same number of pages, but the Latin part is neatly written by one of Tycho's assistants, and only the German part by himself. To show his readiness to please the king, he has, in addition to the circular figure, divided into "houses" in the same way as on the two previous occasions, drawn two square figures, divided
- ↑ Round the four sides of the central part of the figura natalis Tycho has written: "Potest—fata augere—Deus—tollere fata."
