ected
rainbows are _other_ rainbows, caused by those _other_ drops which are
placed so as to give the colors to the eye after reflection, at the water
or the looking-glass. A few years ago an artist exhibited a picture with a
rainbow and its apparent reflection: he simply copied what he had seen.
When his picture was examined, some started the idea that there could be no
reflection of a rainbow; they were right: they inferred that the artist had
made a mistake; they were wrong. When it was explained, some agreed and
some dissented. Wanted, {335} immediately, an able paradoxer: testimonials
to be forwarded to either end of the rainbow, No. 1. No circle-squarer need
apply, His Variegatedness having been pleased to adopt 3.14159... from Noah
downwards.

TYCHO BRAHE REVIVED.

The system of Tycho Brahe,[621] with some alteration and addition, has been
revived and contended for in our own day by a Dane, W. Zytphen,[622] who
has published _The Motion of the Sun in the Universe_, (second edition)
Copenhagen, 1865, 8vo, and _Le Mouvement Sideral_, 1865, 8vo. I make an
extract.

"How can one explain Copernically that the velocity of the Moon must be
added to the velocity of the Earth on the one place in the Earth's orbit,
to learn how far the Moon has advanced from one fixed star to another; but
in another place in the orbit these velocities must be subtracted (the
movements taking place in opposite directions) to attain the same result?
In the Copernican and other systems, it is well known that the Moon,
abstracting from the insignificant excentricity of the orbit, always in
twenty-four hours performs an equally long distance. Why has Copernicus
never been denominated Fundamentus or Fundator? Because he has never
convinced anybody so thoroughly that this otherwise so natural epithet has
occurred to the mind."

Really the second question is more effective against Newton than against
Copernicus; for it upsets gravity: the first is of great depth.

{336}

JAMES SMITH WILL NOT DOWN.

The _Correspondent_ journal makes a little episode in the history of my
Budget (born May, 1865, died April, 1866). It consisted entirely of letters
written by correspondents. In August, a correspondent who signed "Fair
Play"--and who I was afterwards told was a lady--thought it would be a good
joke to bring in the Cyclometers. Accordingly a letter was written,
complaining that though Mr. Sylvester's[623] demonstration of Newton's
theore