"Towers which the sight astounded 



In north and south were placed, 



Upon strong pillars founded, 



And both with galleries graced. 



And there they caught attention 



Of all who thither strolled. 



Quadrants of large dimensions 



And spheres in flameg that rolled." 



Unhappily Brahe's generous patron, King Frederick, died 

 in 1588 and was succeeded by his son Christian IV, a boy 

 of eleven years of age; the Danish courtiers, jealous of Brahe's 

 pension and privileges, gradually undermined his position in 

 the kingdom, poisoning the mind of the youthful sovereign 

 against the scientific establishment at Huen and its Director. 

 Brahe was deprived of his pension and his estate; and after 

 suffering many indignities at the hands of the influential 

 noblemen surrounding the infant King, he resolved to forsake 

 his ungrateful native land. Accordingly in 1597 he removed 

 his instruments, library and chemical apparatus from Huen 

 and put them on board a ship hired for the purpose; then, 

 with his wife, five children, servants, several assistants and 

 pupils, including his future son-in-law Tengnagel and the 

 mathematician Longomontanus, he set sail from Copenhagen 

 and landed at Rostock, the scene of his early folly that had 

 resulted in a silver nose. 



Being thus cast adrift with limited resources and expensive 

 responsibilities, he found need of a wealthy patron and sought 

 the favor of the Emperor Rudolph whose scientific court was 

 the admiration of all Europe. Knowing of Rudolph's fondness 

 for machines and for chemical experiments, Brahe dedicated 

 to him his newly completed work on the mechanics of as- 

 tronomy, and added to it an account of his labors in chem- 

 istry ; the date of the dedication is January 1598, but the book 

 was first published four years later.* Accompanying this 



* Astronomic instauratae mechanics. Norimbergse, 16O2. 



78 



