on the 29th August, and gave him an account of all this,[1] and as Tycho's removal from Benatky to Prague promised to do away with some of the difficulties, Kepler, though still hesitatingly, set out for Prague early in September. Troubled not only by his anxiety for the future, but also by an intermittent fever which clung to him for nearly a year, he left most of his luggage half-way at Linz, in case he should yet want to go to Würtemberg. Ill and miserable, he arrived with his family at Prague in October, and was hospitably received in Hoffmann's house. His first communication with Tycho was by a letter (on the 17th October[2]), in which he wrote that his hopes of retaining his Styrian salary were now at an end, and their former agreement consequently also; but as Tycho had laid the matter before the Emperor, he had thought it best to come. He had, however, very little money left, and could only wait four weeks, and if his position at Prague could not be made secure within that time, he would have to look out for himself elsewhere.
Tycho was much pleased to see Kepler return to Prague, the more so as he had lost his most experienced assistant, Longomontanus, who had wished to return to Denmark, and had received his discharge on the 4th August, when Tycho at parting gave him a very kind letter of recommendation.[3] It took a long time to get the question about Kepler's salary settled by the Government, but he and his family soon removed from Hoffmann's to Tycho's house, and he began work. This was probably not until the Emperor had purchased Curtius' house from the widow for 10,000 thaler,
- ↑ Opera, viii. p. 732.
- ↑ Ibid., pp. 734–737.
- ↑ Printed by Gassendi, p. 174. In 1603 Longomontanus became headmaster of Viborg school, in Jutland (where he had been educated himself); in 1605 Professor at the University of Copenhagen; in 1607 Professor mathematum superiorum. He died in 1647, before the University Observatory on the Round Tower (which existed till 1861) was finished.
