Have been removed
from the terrace to the garden, it is now hardly worth while to repeat Mr.
Wylie's assurance that there is no ground whatever for such a supposition.
The instruments represented by Lecomte are all still on the terrace, only
their positions have been somewhat altered to make room for the two added
in last century.
Probably, says Mr. Wylie, more might have been added from Chinese works,
especially the biography of Ko Sheu-king. But my kind correspondent was
unable to travel beyond the books on his own shelves. Nor was it needful.
It will have been seen that, beautiful as the art and casting of these
instruments is, it would be a mistake to suppose that they are entitled to
equally high rank in scientific accuracy. Mr. Wylie mentioned the question
that had been started to Freiherr von Gumpach, who was for some years
Professor of Astronomy in the Peking College. Whilst entirely rejecting
the doubts that had been raised as to the age of the Mongol instruments,
he said that he had seen those of Tycho Brahe, and the former are quite
unworthy to be compared with Tycho's in scientific accuracy.
The doubts expressed have been useful in drawing attention to these
remarkable reliques of the era of Kublai's reign, and of Marco Polo's
residence in Cathay, though I fear they are answerable for having added
some pages to a work that required no enlargement!
