and quite a retinue of persons were assigned the duty of con- 

 ducting them under the direction of the imperial dancing- 

 master Alfonso Pasetti of Ferrara. 



For thirty years Rudolph guarded his superb collection 

 of pictures, statuary, antiquities and curiosities with jealous 

 care; its fame attracted many visitors to Prague, but access 

 to the treasures was only obtained through personal friend- 

 ship with Strada or some of the officers of the court ; as the 

 Emperor grew older he protected the collections more closely 

 from the gaze of strangers, and the magnificent masterpieces 

 of art exerted no educational influence on rising painters and 

 sculptors. 



Jacopo di Strada received the title of Court Antiquary ; 

 he lived in the Castle and dined from the royal kitchen, and 

 received the yearly salary of one hundred gold gulden, a hand- 

 some sum at that period. In company with Strada, Rudolph 

 spent entire days in the cabinets, devoting his nights to his 

 astrologers and alchemists. When Strada died in 1585 he 

 was succeeded by his son Octavius, who in turn was followed 

 by Dionysius Miseroni, who had entered the imperial service 

 as lapidary in 1590. 



In his later years as his disposition to believe in chimerical 

 problems increased Rudolph paid more attention to the 

 charlatans who imposed on his good nature than he did to 

 the legitimate artists; as has been shown the notorious 

 trickster Kelley, after a few exhibitions of legerdemain , 

 received from him landed estates and a patent of nobility, 

 whereas Johann von Achen, the eminent painter of historical 

 scenes, drew a monthly salary of only twenty -five florins after 

 many years of honorable service ; nevertheless von Achen and 

 Spranger were favorites with the Emperor, who often 

 required them to place their easels in his private apartments 

 for the pleasure of watching their work with palettes and 



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