Clavis Monumentorum Litterarum
(Regnum Bohemiae) 2, Facsimilia - Translationes 1.
ISBN 80-85917-26-2
Reviewer - Jan Kalivoda
Facsimile of the coloured old print Tychonis Brahe Astronomiae
instauratae mechanica, Wandesburgi in arce Ranzoviana prope
Hamburgum, propria authoris typographia 1598.
KLP - Koniasch Latin Press, Prague 1996
ISBN 80-85917-23-8
Czech preface and Czech translation of Latin original by
Alena Hadravova and
Petr Hadrava.
Czech preface and Czech translation of Latin and Greek poems by
Dana Svobodova.
XV + 188 pp., ISBN 80-85917-24-6 (cena samostatneho ceskeho
prekladu 160 Kc)
English preface and English translation, based on the edition
Tycho Brahe's Description of his instruments...
(H. Raeder
et al., Copenhague 1946), revised, supplemented and commented by
Alena Hadravova, Petr Hadrava and
Jole R. Shackelford.
XV + 175 pp., ISBN 80-85917-25-4
Price of the complete set (facsimile+both translations in box)
300 USD including postage
This publication was supported by the Fund for the Publishing
of Scientific Literature of
the Academy of Sciences of the Czech
Republic and published in cooperation with
the Institute for
Classical Studies and
the Astronomical
Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Tycho Brahe wrote and published this treatise during his stay in
Wandsbeck at Hamburg after leaving his native Denmark and his
observatories Uraniborg and Stjerneborg on the island of Hven.
He looked for a new resource enabling him to continue in his
lifelong project of `renewing the astronomy'. This is why he chose
the form of an exquisite print. The main part of it is formed
by whole-page figures of instruments constructed by him and
corresponding descriptions of their construction and use. As a
supplement, there is a detailed description of some generally used
principles of instrument construction as well as an overall
description of the observatory buildings themselves. Next, there
is added Tycho's own scientific curriculum vitae, three letters
of his well-wishers (Emperor's vice-chancellor in Prague J. Kurz
of Senftenau - translation of his letter can be found
here,
and Prof. G. A. Magini from Padua), some occasional
poetry (the correspondence and
poetry are translated into Czech
only) and Tycho's preface to Emperor
Rudolph II, to whom the whole
treatise is dedicated. In this preface Tycho celebrated the
heavenly nature of the astronomy as well as the enlightenment of
the sovereigns supporting it. Tycho then sent the treatise to
several influential persons, both to sovereigns and to scholars,
who could contribute to supporting of his work. Owing to this
destination just the Mechanica yields the best
representative outline of the whole Tycho's work and simultaneously
it is a marvelous work of art.
The present facsimile (in hand-made cover) is done according to
the coloured old print (the copy of the National Museum
in Prague - the Library of castle of Krivoklat, sign. III-a-18
[1693]). It contains a dedication to Czech nobleman Oldrich
Desiderius Pruskovsky of Pruskov written and signed by Tycho Brahe.