manuscript was a copy of his catalogue of 1000 stars. These 

 proofs of his attainments in science were hardly necessary, 

 however, to secure the goodwill of the German monarch who 

 had long watched the career of the Danish astronomer. 

 Coroducius and Dr. von Hayek had corresponded with Tycho 

 Brahe, and the latter influenced the Vice-Chancellor Curtius 

 in his favor ; an invitation to the Hradschin was extended to 

 Brahe by the Emperor, through his private secretary Barvi- 

 tius, promising the Dane every facility for prosecuting his 

 astronomical studies, as well as a stipend and a residence for 

 his family. 



Rudolph's invitation was the more cordial on account 

 of Brahe's reputation as an astrologer and of his predilection 

 for alchemical pursuits, which beliefs and practices were not 

 inconsistent at that period with learning. The astrological 

 studies of the illustrious Dane led him to attribute the great 

 plague that devastated Europe in 1566 to the conjunction 

 of Jupiter and Saturn in August three years before ; he pro- 

 phesied that a lady of high rank would be killed by a horned 

 beast, and one year later a Countess was murdered by her 

 jealous husband; and when he calculated that Frederick II 

 of Denmark would die in the year 1593, and his Majesty 

 actually passed away in 1588, Brahe said that the demise 

 occurred simply because "death was too previous." This 

 astrological gammon did not prevent Brahe from holding a 

 pious belief in an over-ruling Divine Providence. 



Tycho Brahe was also a practical alchemist working with 

 crucibles, athanors and alembics at what he called " terrestrial 

 astronomy," the planets and the metals being closely allied, 

 as indeed their present names show. During his brief residence 

 at his uncle's castle of Herritzvold he fitted up a laboratory 

 and conducted experiments on gold and silver, satellites of 

 the earth that promised pecuniary rewards. And afterwards 



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