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286 and addition to the Castle of Benatky; but he had a good many obstacles to contend with, which must often have made him think with bitter regret of the easy times he had had in Denmark, where an order on the Exchequer was at once exchanged for cash without any trouble. At Benatky everything had to be done through Kaspar von Mühlstein, manager of the crown estates of Brandeis and Benatky; and as the estates were in a sad condition, and the Bohemian Exchequer was always empty, the manager was in a bad plight, as Tycho wanted money, and thought the Emperor's orders should produce the money immediately. On the 2nd December 1599, Mühlstein wrote to the President of the Bohemian Treasury, announcing that the building operations were in progress, but that Tycho continued to make new plans, so that the cost would very far exceed the estimate. As Mühlstein could not consent to this without orders from the Treasury, Tycho had threatened him with the Emperor's displeasure, and said that he would leave Bohemia again, and let the world know the reason why. Mühlstein had now received a letter from Barwitz, in which the latter informed him that his Majesty had taken Tycho into special favour, and ordered to let him, in addition to the buildings commenced, erect a wooden dwelling-room and a furnace, for which eighty florins were granted. Mühlstein wrote back that he could not do this without an order from the Treasury. Tycho had also shown him a communication from Barwitz to the effect that the Emperor granted him a thousand florins from the estate of Benatky, and Tycho now demanded the money. Mühlstein answered that he had neither got instructions from the Emperor nor from the Treasury, and even if he had, he did not know where to get so much money from, and it would be much better to spend it on improving ponds, stocking the land, &c. He had also to mention that he