to Bishop Crew's benefaction of 301. a year to the lecture reader in experimental philosophy at Oxford. He was elected a member of the Academy of Sciences at Berlin in 1747; of that at Paris in 1748; of that at Petersburgh in 1754; and of that at Bologna in 1757. He was married in the year 1744; but never had more than one child, a daughter.

By too close application to study and observations, Dr. Bradley became afflicted for near two years before his death with a grievous oppression on his spirits; which interrupted his useful labours. This dis

tress arose chiefly from an apprehension that he should outlive his rational faculties: but this so much dreaded evil never came upon him. In June, 1762, he was seized with a suppression of urine, occasioned by an inflammation in the reins, which terminated his existence the 13th of July following. His death happened at Chalfont, in Gloucestershire, in the 70th year of his age, and he was interred at Minchinhampton, in the same county.

As to his character, Dr. Bradley was remarkable for a placid and gentle modesty, very uncommon in persons of an active temper and robust constitution. Although he was a good speaker, and possessed the rare but happy art of expressing his ideas with the utmost precision and clearness, yet no man was a greater lover of silence, for he never spoke but when he thought it absolutely necessary. Nor was he more inclined to write than to speak, as he has published very little: he had a natural diffidence which made him always afraid that his works might injure his character; so that he suppressed many which might have been worthy of publication. Many of his papers have been inserted in the Philosophical Transactions.

The public character of Dr. Bradley, as a man of science and observation, is fully established by his various works. His private character was in every respect estimable. That he published so little may be ascribed to a large share of diffidence, which prevented him from soliciting that attention which at all times he could command. His observations made at the Royal Observatory during 20 years were comprized in 13 vols. folio and two 4to.; these were transferred in the year 1776 to the University of Oxford, on condition they should be printed and published by that learned body. In June, 1791, the Board of Longitude seeing no prospect of their publication, passed some

resolutions respecting the public right to these observations, which being transmitted to the vice chancellor, the Board was in consequence informed, that the delegates of the press in the university were proceeding with the work. The first volume was published in 1798, in a very splendid form, under the title of "Astronomical observations at Greenwich, from the year 1750 to the year 1762."

BRADS, among artificers, a kind of nails used in building, which have no spreading head as other nails have.

BRADYPUS, the sloth, in natural history, a genus of Mammalia, of the order Bruta. Generic character: cutting teeth, none in either jaw; canine teeth obtuse, single, longer than the grinders, placed opposite; grinders five on each side, obtuse; fore-legs much longer than the hind; claws very long. See Plate II. Mammalia, fig. 6. There are three species, of which we shall give a brief account. B. tridactylus, or three-toed sloth: the general appearance of the sloth is extremely uncouth; the body is of a thick shape; the fore-legs short, the hinder ones far longer; the feet on all the legs are very small, but are armed each with three most excessively strong and large claws, of a slightly curved form, and sharp-pointed: the head is small; the face short, with a rounded or blunt snout, which is naked and of a blackish colour; the eyes are small, black, and round; the ears rather small, flat, rounded, lying close to the head, and not unlike those of monkeys: the hair on the top of the head is so disposed as to project somewhat over the forehead and sides of the face, giving a very peculiar and grotesque physiognomy to the animal. The general colour of the hair on all parts is a greyish brown; and the hair is extremely coarse, moderately long, and very thickly covers the body, more especially about the back and thighs. A remarkable character as to colour in this species, is a wide patch or space on the upper part of the back, of a bright ferruginous, or rather pale orange colour, spotted on each side with black, and marked down the middle with a very conspicuous black stripe, wide at its origin, and gradually tapering to its extremity; it reaches more than half way down the back, and terminates in a sort of trifid mark. The tail is nearly imperceptible, being so extremely short as to be concealed from view by the fur.

The sloth feeds entirely on vegetables, and particularly on leaves and fruit. Its

voice is said to be so inconceivably singular, and of such a mournful melancholy, attended, at the same time, with such a peculiarity of aspect as at once to excite a mixture of pity and disgust and it is added, that the animal makes use of this natural yell as its best mode of defence; since other creatures are frightened away by the uncommon sound. This, however, is far from being its only refuge; for so great is the degree of muscular strength which it possesses, that it is capable of seizing a dog with its claws, and holding it, in spite of all its efforts to escape, till it perishes with hunger; the sloth itself being so well calculated for supporting abstinence, that the celebrated Kircher assures us of its power in this respect, having been exemplified by the very singular experiment of suffering one, which had fastened itself to a pole, to remain in that situation, without any sustenance, upwards of forty days. This extraordinary animal is an inhabitant of the hotter parts of South America. It is nearly as large as a middle-sized dog.

B. Didactylus, or two-toed sloth, is also a native of South America; and it is asserted, on good authority, that it is likewise found in some parts of India, as well as in the island of Ceylon. In its general appear ance, as well as in size, it bears a considerable resemblance to the former species: it is, however, somewhat more slender in its shape, covered with smoother or less coarse and harsh hair, and is of a more uniform or less varied tinge; and, in particular, is strikingly distinguished, as a species, by having only two claws on the fore-feet; it is also a much more active animal, and, even when imported into Europe, has been known, according to the testimony of the Count de Buffon, to ascend and descend from a tall tree several times in a day; whereas the three-toed sloth with difficulty performs that operation in a whole day, and can scarcely crawl a few hundred yards in the space of many hours.

B. Ursinus, or ursine sloth, is by far the largest species: it is a native of India, and has been but lately introduced to the knowledge of European naturalists. It was brought from the neighbourhood of Patna in Bengal. This animal has, at first sight, so much of the general aspect of a bear, that it has actually been considered as such by some observers: but it is no otherwise related to the bear than by its size and habit, or mere exterior outline.. It is about the size of a bear and is covered all over, ex

cept on the face, or rather the snout, which is bare and whitish, with long shaggy black hair, which on the neck and back is much. longer than elsewhere: on the fore part of the body the hair points forwards; on the hinder part backwards: the eyes are very small; the ears rather small, and partly hid in the long hair of the head: it is totally destitute of incisores, or front teeth; in each jaw there are two canine teeth of a moderate size: the nose or snout is of a somewhat elongated form; it also appears as if furnished with a sort of transverse joint, or internal cartilage, which admits of a peculiar kind of motion in this part. It is a gentle and good natured animal; it feeds chiefly on vegetables and milk, is fond of apples, and does not willingly eat animal food, except of a very tender nature, as marrow, which it readily sucked from a bone presented it. Its motions are not, as in the two former species, slow and languid, but moderately lively; and it appears to have a habit of turning itself round and round every now and then, as if for amusement, in the manner of a dog when lying down to sleep. It is said to have a propensity to burrowing under the ground.

BRAG, an ingenious and pleasant game at cards, wherein as many may partake as the cards will supply, the eldest hand dealing three to each person at one time, and turning up the last card all round. This done, each ganester puts down three stakes, one for each card. The first stake. is won by the best card turned up in the dealing round; beginning from the ace, king, queen, knave, and so downwards. When cards of the same value are turned up to two or more of the gamesters, the eldest hand gains; but it is to be observed, that the ace of diamonds wins, to whatever hand it be turned up.

The second stake is won by what is called the brag, which consists in one of the gamesters challenging the rest to produce cards equal to his now it is to be observed, that a pair of aces is the best brag, a pair of kings the next, and so on; and a pair of any sort wins the stake from the most va luable single card. In this part consists the great diversion of the game; for, by the artful management of the looks, gestures, and voice, it frequently happens, that a pair of fives, treys, or even duces, out-brags a much higher pair, and even from pairs. royal, to the no small merriment of the company. The knave of clubs is here a princi pal favourite, making a pair with any other

a pair royal.

The third stake is won by the person, who first makes up the cards in his hand one and thirty; each dignified card going for ten, and drawing from the pack as usual in this game.

BRAHE (TYCHO), a celebrated astronomer, descended from a noble family originally of Sweden but settled in Denmark, was born the 14th of December, 1546, at Knudstrop, in the county of Schonen, near Helsinbourg. He was taught Latin when seven years old, and studied five years under private tutors. His father dying while he was very young, his uncle, George Brahe, adopted him, and sent him in 1559 to study philosophy and rhetoric at Copenhagen. The great eclipse of the sun, on the 21st of August, 1560, happening at the precise time the astronomers had foretold, he began to consider astronomy as something divine; and purchasing the tables of Stadius, he gained some notion of the theory of the planets. In 1562 he was sent by his uncle to Leipsic to study the law, where his acquirements gave manifest indications of extraordinary abilities. His natural inclination, however, was to the study of the heavens, to which he applied himself so assiduously, that, notwithstanding the care of his tutor to keep him close to the study of the law, he made use of every means in his power for improving his knowledge of astronomy; he purchased with his pocket money whatever books he could meet with on the subject, and read them with great attention, procuring assistance in difficult cases from Bartholomew Schultens, his private tutor; and having procured a small celestial globe, he took opportunities, when his tutor was in bed, and when the weather was clear, to examine the constellations in the heavens, to learn their names from the globe, and their motions from observation.

After a course of three years study at Leipsic, his uncle dying, he returned home in 1565. In this year, at a wedding-feast, a difference arising between Brahe and a Danish nobleman, they fought, and our author had part of his nose cut off by a blow: a defect which he so artfully supplied with one made of gold and silver, that it was scarcely perceivable. About this time he began to apply himself to chemistry, proposing nothing less than to obtain the philosopher's stone.

In 1571 he returned to Denmark; and was favoured by his maternal uncle, Steno

nient place at his castle of Herritzvad near Knudstorp, for making his observations, and building a laboratory. And here it was he discovered, in 1573, a new star in the constellation Cassiopeia. But soon after, his marrying a country girl, beneath his rank, occasioned so violent a quarrel between him and his relations, that the king was obliged to interpose to reconcile them.

In 1574, by the king's command, he read lectures at Copenhagen on the theory of the planets. The year following he began his travels through Germany, and proceeded as far as Venice. He then resolved to remove his family, and settle at Basil; but Frederick the Second, King of Denmark, being informed of his design, and unwilling to lose a man who was capable of doing so much honour to his country, he promised to enable him to pursue his studies, and bestowed upon him for life the island of Huen in the Sound, and promised that an observatory and laboratory should be built for him, with a supply of money for carrying on his designs: and accordingly the first stone of the observatory was laid the 8th of August, 1576, under the name of Uranibourg. The king also gave him a pension of 2000 crowns out of his treasury, a fee in Norway, and a canonry of Roshild, which brought him in 1000 more. This situation he enjoyed for the space of about twenty years, pursuing his observations and studies with great industry: here he kept always in his house ten or twelve young men, who assisted him in his observations, and whom he instructed in astronomy and mathematics. Here also he received a visit from James the Sixth, King of Scotland, afterward James the First of England, having come to Denmark to espouse Anne, daughter of Frederick the Second. James made our author some noble presents, and wrote a copy of Latin verses in his praise.

Brahe's tranquillity, however, in this hap py situation was at length fatally interrupted. Soon after the death of King Frederick, by the aspersions of envious and malevolent ministers, he was deprived of his pension, fee, and canonry, in 1596. Being thus rendered incapable of supporting the expenses of his establishment, he quitted his favourite Uranibourg, and withdrew to Copenhagen, with some of his instruments, and continued his astronomical observations and chemical experiments in that city, till the same malevolence procured from the new King, Charles the Fourth, an order for him to dis

continue them. This induced him to fall upon means of being introduced to the Emperor Rodolphus, who was fond of mechanism and chemical experiments: and to smooth the way to an interview, Tycho now published his book, "Astronomia instaurata Mechanica," adorned with figures, and dedicated it to the Emperor. That prince received him at Prague with great civility and respect; gave him a magnificent house till he could procure one for him more fit for astronomical observations; he also assigned him a pension of 3000 crowns; and promised him a fee for himself and his descendants. Here then he settled in the lat. ter part of 1598, with his sons and scholars, and among them the celebrated Kepler who had joined him. But he did not long enjoy this happy situation, for about three years after he died, on the 24th of October, 1601, of a retention of urine, in the 55th year of his age, and was interred in a very magnificent manner in the principal church at Prague, where a noble monument was erected to him; leaving, beside his wife, two sons and four daughters. On the approach of death he enjoined his sons to take care that none of his works should be lost; exhorted the students to attend closely to their exercises; and recommended to Kepler the finishing of the Rudolphine Tables which he had constructed for regulating the motion of the planets.

Brahe's skill in astronomy is universally known; and he is famed for being the inventor of a new system of the planets, which he endeavoured, though without success, to establish on the ruins of that of Copernicus. He was very credulous with regard to judicial astrology and presages: if he met an old woman when he went out of doors, or a hare upon the road on a journey, he would turn back immediately, being persuaded that it was a bad omen: also, when he lived at Uranibourg, he kept at his house a madman, whom he placed at his feet at table and fed himself; for as he imagined that every thing spoken by mad persons presaged something, he carefully observed all that this man said; and because it sometimes proved true, he fancied it might always be depended on.

He was

of a very irritable disposition: a mere trifle put him in a passion; and against persons of the first rank, whom he thought his enemies, he openly discovered his resentment. He was very apt to rally others, but highly provoked when the same liberty was taken with himself. The principal part of his writings are:

1. An account of the New Star which appeared Nov. 11th, 1572, in Cassiopeia; Copenh. 1573, in 4to. 2. Another treatise on the New Phenomena of the Heavens. In the first part of which he treats of the restitution, as he calls it, of the sun and of the fixed stars. And in the second part, of a new star which had then made its appearance. 3. A collection of Astronomical Epistles; printed in 4to. at Uranibourg, in 1596; Nuremberg in 1602; and at Franckfort in 1610. It was dedicated to Maurice Landgrave of Hesse; because there are in it a considerable number of letters of the Landgrave William, his father, and of Christopher Rothmann, the mathematician of that prince, to Tycho, and of Tycho to them. 4. The Rudolphine Tables; which he had not finished when he died; but were revised and published by Kepler, as Tycho had desired. 5. An accurate Enumeration of the Fixed Stars: addressed to the Emperor Rodolphus. 6. A complete Catalogue of 1000 of the Fixed Stars; which Kepler has inserted in the Rudolphine Tables. 7. “Historia Cœlestis," or a History of the Heavens, in two parts: the first contains the observations he had made at Uranibourg, in sixteen books; the latter contains the observations made at Wandesburg, Wittenberg, Prague, &c. in four books.

The apparatus of Tycho was purchased by the Emperor Rodolphus for 22,000 crowns. It remained, however, useless and concealed till the troubles of Bohemia, when the army of the Elector Palatine plundered them, and in the true spirit of barbarism breaking some of them, and applying others to purposes for which they were never designed, The great celestial globe of brass was preserved, carried from Prague, and deposited with the Jesuits of Naysia in Silesia, whence it was afterwards taken, in the year 1633, and placed in the Hall of the Royal Academy at Copenhagen.

BRAIL, or BRAILS, in a ship, are small ropes made use of to furl the sails across : they belong only to the two courses and the mizen-sail; they are reeved through the blocks, seized on each side the ties, and come down before the sail, being at the very skirt thereof fastened to the cringles; their use is, when the sail is furled across, to hale up its bunt, that it may the more easily be taken up or let fall. Hale up the brails, or brail up the sail, that is, hale up the sail, in order to be furled or bound close to the yard.

BRAIN, in anatomy, that soft white mass inclosed in the cranium or skull, in which