d minister, an attack was made upon himself, and
his shepherd or his steward was injured in the affray. Tycho was
provoked to revenge himself upon his enemies, and the judge was
commanded not to interfere in the matter.

Thus persecuted by his enemies, Tycho resolved to remain no longer in an
ungrateful country. He carried from Huen every thing that was moveable,
and having packed up his instruments, his crucibles, and his books, he
hired a ship to convey them to some foreign land. His wife, his five
sons and four daughters, his male and his female servants, and many of
his pupils and assistants, among whom were Tengnagel, his future
son-in-law, and the celebrated Longomontanus, embarked at Copenhagen,
to seek the hospitality of some better country than their own.

Freighted with the glory of Denmark, this interesting bark made the best
of its way across the Baltic, and arrived safely at Rostoch. Here the
exiled patriarch found many of his early friends, particularly Henry
Bruce, an able astronomer, to whom he had formerly presented one of his
brass quadrants. The approach of the plague, however, prevented Tycho
from making any arrangements for a permanent residence; and, having
received a warm invitation from Count Henry Rantzau, who lived in
Holstein at the Castle of Wandesberg, near Hamburg, he went with all his
family, about the end of 1597, to enjoy the hospitality of his friend.

Though Tycho derived the highest pleasure from the kindness and
conversation of Count Rantzau, yet a cloud overshadowed the future, and
he had yet to seek for a patron and a home. His hopes were fixed on the
Emperor Rudolph, who was not only fond of science, but who was
especially addicted to alchemy and astrology, and his friend Rantzau
promised to have him introduced to the Emperor by proper letters. When
Tycho learned that Rudolph was particularly fond of mechanical
instruments and of chemistry, he resolved to complete and to dedicate to
him his work on the mechanics of astronomy, and to add to it an account
of his chemical labours. This task he soon performed, and his work
appeared in 1598 under the title of _Tychonis Brahe, Astronomiae
instauratae Mechanica_. Along with this work he transmitted to the
Emperor a copy of his MS. catalogue of 1000 fixed stars.

With these proofs of his services to science, and instigated by various
letters in his favour, the Emperor Rudolph desired his Vice-Chancellor
to send for Tycho, and to assure