Meddelelser 2006 - Ole Rømers Venner

They were found in the Observatory by the Danish savant F. Rostgaard, who
wroteas followstothe Vice-Labrarian Wolfenatthe R. Lib. Copenh. Underdate
l0May 1697:
"Je vis donc å la fin le 4 de ce mois dans la chambre du dit Sr. De la Hire les
manuscrits de Tycho Brahe, et je trouvay sept volumes in folio, sept volumes
ou paquets in quarto gros et petits, et un volume in octavo, avec deux brochures
in folio et une brochure in quarto. tl y avait outrd cela une copie de ces sept
volumes in folio, que M. Picard doit avoir fait faire, aux ddpens du Roi-Trds
Chretien, et sur laquelle par consequent nous ne pourrions faire aucune
pretension. [MS in R. Library Copenhagen interexerpta Langebekii.]
There can be little doubt that this copy was Bartholin's copy, which was thus
left at Paris by an unfortunate effor. [There is no mention anywhere of a copy
made under the direction of Picard.] The original MSS were suffendered to the
Danish envoy after an official demand had been made for them; and when he
retumed to Denmark in 1707 ,the MSS were safely returned to the R. Library.
Curiously enough, in this same year 1707 it was suggested by Dr. Arbuthnot,
physician to Prince George of Denmark (consort ofQueen Anne) and member
ofthe committee ofthe Royal Society forpublishing Flamsteed's observations,
that Tycho's observations should be printed in England along with Flamsteed's.
Newton prepared a letter to Rdmer on the subject, but nothing further came out
of it. [Brewster, memoirs ofSir I. Newton, Second Edition II p. 168; Catalogue of
the Portsmouth Collection of papers belonging to Newton (Cambridge 1888) p.
s l.l
Bartholin's copy was made good use of in Paris. J.N. De L'isle (born 1688, died
1678) made a complete copy of it, which is still in existence, at the Paris
Observatory. It is very neatly written and is bound in six volumes in folio. We
have compared it throughout with the original MSS, and it seems to be a most
carefully made copy. Of course it must be remembered, that where there were
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