Page:Tycho brahe.djvu/245

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THE LAST YEARS AT HVEEN.
221

Nothing further is known about Rasmus Pedersen and his disagreeable landlord, who seems to have acted in a remarkably high-handed manner in the whole affair. He certainly did not by this conduct improve his credit with the young king, who throughout his life wished to act justly by everybody, irrespective of rank and social position.

Another source of trouble to Tycho, for which he also had himself alone to blame, arose soon after out of his prebend at Roskilde. We have seen that the possession of this prebend brought with it the obligation to keep in good repair not only the residence attached to it, but also the "Chapel of the Holy Three Kings" in the Roskilde Cathedral. Though perfectly willing to enjoy the income of the prebend, Tycho seems altogether to have neglected to look after the state of the chapel, and in August 1591 the Government found it necessary to draw the attention of the Chapter to the want of repair of the chapel. Having been informed that Tycho was bound to see to this, a letter was written on the 30th of August to Tycho in the king's name about this matter. Tycho does not appear to have taken any notice of this reminder, and the king had to write to him again in August 1593, that he had himself been in the cathedral, and found the roof, the woodwork, and the vault in so dilapidated a state, that it was to be feared that it would all come down unless something was done before the winter. Tycho was therefore desired to repair the chapel at once, and if he did not do so, the king would have it done by a builder at Tycho's expense. But Tycho did nothing, and in consequence received in September 1594 a third reminder, in which he was informed that if the chapel was not repaired at latest before Christmas, the prebend would be conferred on somebody else. Now at last Tycho thought he had better do something,