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him, and if he had done so during the last three years of his life, it would certainly have been mentioned in the meteorological diary, in which during this period all events of that character were noted.^[1] But this does not exclude a visit of the king to Hveen before 1585, and it would indeed be strange if he had never during the years he was building the castle of Kronborg at Elsinore, with the island before his eyes, crossed over the narrow strip of water to see the buildings of which he must have heard so much, and to whose owner he continued to show favour on every occasion. The king might also have taken the opportunity of seeing Uraniborg in the year 1584, when his eldest son, Prince Christian, was elected his successor. On the 20th July the nobility of Scania swore fealty to the prince at Lund, where Tycho Brahe also appeared among the other nobles of the province, and the king was apparently in Scania at that time. A remarkable document, which is still in existence, and is printed among the many important letters in the Danske Magazin,^[2] seems to show that the king was expected at Hveen at that time. It is a draught of an act, written in Latin and in the king's name, dated "Huenæ in Avtopoli Vranopyrgensi," the 1st July 1584. In this document the king, in recognition of Tycho Brahe's scientific work, and following the memorable examples of former ages, grants to him and his heirs male for ever the island of Hveen in fief, with all privileges and honours, provided that they do nothing to injure the king or kingdom, and keep the buildings of the island solely for the furtherance of mathematical studies. But this document was never engrossed and signed by the king, and even if Tycho could have persuaded the king to grant him so great a favour, it

1. It is curious that the very first note of an historical character is under the 27th April 1585: "Nuncium de adventu Regis," but in the following there is nothing about him.
2. ii. pp. 220-221 (Weistritz, ii. p. 124).