400 HISTORY OF FORMAL ASTRONOMY. 



bus is the Narratio of Rheticus, already quoted. 

 Rheticus, it appears, went to Copernicus for the 

 purpose of studying his theory, and speaks of his 

 fc ' Preceptor" with strong admiration, as we have 

 seen. " He appears to me," says he, " more to re- 

 semble Ptolemy than any other astronomer." This, 

 it must be recollected, was selecting the highest 

 known subject of comparison. 



