78 DR. S. CROMPTON ON A PORTRAIT OF TYCHO BRAHE. 



of Brahe. This picture is on canvas, aud is 3 feet and 3I 

 inches high, and 2 feet and 6^ inches wide. It represents 

 a man of ruddy complexion, standing and looking forwards. 

 He is bareheaded, has little hair, and that short, on the 

 head, of a yellowish colour verging to red. He has very 

 long moustaches, and a short beard. He wears a wide ruff 

 round the neck edged with wide open lace. He wears a 

 black jacket buttoned down to the waist with gold buttons ; 

 and he is decorated with the Danish Order of the Elephant 

 and Castle, suspended by a gold chain from his neck, with 

 a portrait in profile of the king in front of the body of the 

 elephant, and below the elephant the letters MHZGA. He 

 has a broad belt of gold round the waist. The right hand 

 is nearly at a right angle with the body and rests on his 

 side ; and on its little finger there is a curious twisted ring 

 of five turns. In his left hand he holds a pair of gloves ; 

 and on the left forefinger there is a large signet ring. 

 There is also a ring on the fourth and another on the fifth 

 finger. He has wristbands edged with open lace. 



In the right upper corner of the picture (that is, to B.^s 

 right) there is a curious emblematic design, consisting of a 

 round tapering column springing from a square base, around 

 which, at its foot, are waves. Over the monument is a 

 canopy suspended by a strong chain, a few links only of 

 which are visible, the top being lost in clouds ; and the chain 

 itself has flames playing round it. Two ^olic heads (one 

 on each side) are represented as blowing towards the 

 canopy and column. Lower down, and to the right and 

 left of the column, are two hands (one on each side) holding 

 each a jug from which water flows. Clouds and lightning 

 surround the background, the wrists of the hands holding 

 the jugs, and also the j^Eolic heads. Round the monument 

 is a label, not entirely decipherable, with the words " Stans 

 (tectus ?) in solido;" then follows an indistinct word and 



