Germany until the pestilence ceased ; he had left his wife and 

 daughters with his hospitable friend Count Henry Rantzau, 

 at the Castle of Wandesberg near Hamburg, and he had with 

 him his sons, his pupils, together with a selection of the 

 more portable astronomical instruments. On arriving at 

 Prague he was kindly received by the Emperor who placed 

 a handsome residence at his disposal, granted him a yearly 

 stipend of three thousand crowns, promised him an estate, 

 and gave him the use of the picturesquely situated Belvedere, 

 the "Lustschloss" of Ferdinand, for an observatory. It was 

 in the spacious halls of this beautiful building that the cabinet 

 of curiosities was placed, and Svatek says the ever increasing 

 collections crowded Brahe out of the palace; at all events 

 the place was found unsuitable for an observatory and the 

 Emperor granted the astronomer the choice of several castles, 

 and he selected Benatek, situated about seven leagues from 

 Prague, built on a hill and commanding an unobstructed 

 view of the heavens. 



Before settling in his new surroundings, Brahe sent Teng- 

 nagel to fetch his wife and family from Hamburg, ordered 

 the rest of his instruments, and wrote to David Fabricius, 

 Longomontanus, John Kepler, and some students known to 

 be good computers, inviting them to assist him in founding 

 a school of astronomy and of chemistry. 



The Castle of Benatek was soon bustling with a number 

 of people from afar; Tycho Brahe's large family, a retinue 

 of servants, pupils, assistant observers, old friends of the 

 astronomer eager to share in his renewed good fortune, as 

 well as Professors from Universities desirous of making the 

 acquaintance of the first astronomer of Europe; all these 

 guests sat at the table with the hospitable master, enjoying the 

 bountiful supply of good things to eat and fine wines to drink. 



Work was planned for each one; the youthful George 



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