had lent in 1597 to the Dukes of Mecklenburg. In accordance with the terms of the bond, he had, about Michaelmas 1600, through his kinsman Eske Bille, given notice to the agent of the Dukes to repay the capital sum of 10,000 thaler at Easter 1601; and for fear of his letter to Bille having been lost, he took the further precaution of giving notice himself to the "Landrentmeister," Andreas Mayer, to pay the money at Michaelmas 1601, if Bille had not already carried out his instructions.[1] He stated expressly that he required the money for buying property in Bohemia, and wrote to this effect to Duke Ulrich in April 1601, as he had been informed that Mayer had stated that he could not get the money together so soon. At Easter the money was not forthcoming, as Mayer "at the last moment" was disappointed about some money which should have been paid to him, but Tycho's money was promised for St. John's Day. Bille now sent his own servant to Doberan, where Duke Ulrich was then staying, to receive the money, but he was again disappointed, and Tycho had on the 18th July to send off another reminder, to which the Duke answered that the money had been ready, but that Bille's servant had not called again. Before the 9th August Bille had himself arrived at Rostock to receive the money, which the Duke on that day ordered to be paid to him "before his departure on Tuesday morning." This must have been done, as the cancelled bond is still in the archives at Schwerin.[2]
There appears to be nothing known as to whether Tycho
- ↑ Breve og Aktstykker, p. 145. It appears from this letter that an annual interest of 6 per cent, was paid on the capital to Tycho's friend, Professor Backmeister, in Rostock (in whose house the quarrel with Parsbjerg had begun in 1566 which led to the loss of part of Tycho's nose).
- ↑ Lisch, T. Brahe u. seine Verh. zu Meklenburg, pp. 11, 18. In the letter of 10th April 1601, Tycho mentions that all his instruments are now conveniently placed in Curtius' house.
