s 



cup-bearers, carvers and servers; there were also physicians, 

 almoners, librarians and curators of the Cabinet of curiosi- 

 ties and of the Art-gallery. In addition to these functionaries 

 he surrounded himself with retainers whose duties and occu- 

 pations were in harmony with his personal interests; such 

 were the court artists, musicians, poets, mathematicians, 

 archaeologists, astronomers and alchemists. These he esteemed 

 in proportion to their success in impressing him with exalted 

 ideas of their esoteric knowledge ; the librarian held his post 

 not only for his book-learning, but because he had discovered 

 perpetual motion; those physicians were most successful in 

 establishing intimate relations with his Majesty who dis- 

 coursed most learnedly on theosophy and magical cures, and 

 promised most confidently genuine panaceas for all diseases; 

 the eminent astronomer John Kepler was never quite enough 

 of an astrologer to please this superstitious Prince. 



Philosophy was not altogether neglected by the encyclo- 

 paedic Emperor ; he studied the extravagant tenets of theo- 

 sophy with his young Secretary, Dr. Michael Maier, and the | 

 mysteries of the Kabbala with the venerable Rabbi Bezalel / 

 Loew. This master in Israel was as pious and charitable as * 

 he was learned ; he was beloved of the common people for 

 his unselfish benevolence and admired by scholars for his 

 proficiency in medicine, physics, mathematics, astronomy, as 

 well as for his knowledge of the Talmud. Modestly holding 

 the position of leader in Jewish circles, he was regarded as 

 the oracle of Hebrew savants and a father to the poverty- 

 pinched residents of the Ghetto. Although Catholic influence 

 was predominant at the court, the pious Rabbi was ever 

 welcomed by the Emperor as the great expositor of the 

 Kabbala, and it was no fault of his that a family intrigue, f *? 

 eventually brought great sorrow to both. 



To enumerate the host of minor dependants in the im- 



15 



