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Rh following description of it:—"On the west side of Molda is the Emperour's castle, seated on a most high mountaine, in the fall whereof is the suburbe called Kleinseit or little side. From this suburbe to go into the city, a long stone bridge is to be passed over Molda, which runnes from the south to the north and diuides the suburbe from the city, to which as you goe, on the left side is a little city of Jewes, compassed with wals, and before your eies towards the east is the city called new Prague, both which cities are compassed about with a third, called old Prague. So as Prague consists of three cities, all compassed with wals, yet is nothing less than strong, and except the stinch of the streetes driue backe the Turks or they meet them in open field, there is small hope in the fortifications thereof. The streets are filthy, there be diuers large market places, the building of some houses is of free stone, but the most part are of timber and clay, and are built with little beauty or art, the walles being all of whole trees as they come out of the wood, the which with the barke are laid so rudely as they may on both sides be seen."

When the Emperor learned that Tycho Brahe wished to reside outside Prague, he gave him his choice between the three castles of Lyssa, Brandeis, and Benatky, "zur Exercirung seines Studii." Having seen them all, and having learned that Brandeis (which was situated rather low) was the Emperor's favourite hunting-lodge, Tycho selected Benatky on the River Iser (a tributary to the Elbe), about twenty-two miles north-east of Prague. The Castle of Benatky, which the Emperor had recently purchased from Count Dohnin, had been erected in 1522 in the place of an older castle which had been destroyed during the Hussite wars. It has since Tycho's time been considerably enlarged, so that the building inhabited by him now only forms the