After revealing his plans to his wife and having fixed the probable
duration of construction at seven years, he set to work, but never
neglected his trade which always remained his chief occupation.
Eisinga also played his part in social life.
In 1776 he became Collector for the Poor and an officer of the Civic
Guard.
In 1777 he was elected a member of the Town
Council and Excise Collector for spirits and harbour dues. In 1778 he
became a Guardian of the Poor. He appreciated these appointments as
marks of distinction and trust and discharged them with care, but they
took a good deal of his leisure.
Nevertheless he completed his Planetarium, in 1781. A few years later
he made an exact description with drawings of the clockwork for the use
of his children, so that after his death the Planetarium could be kept
going. Alas, sooner than he could have expected his construction came to
a standstill.
Since 1780 there had been continuous disturbances and troubles caused by political differences and civil
discord. These came to a climax in 1787. Franeker became a centre of
such troubles, in which armed malcontents united against the authority
of the Stadtholder
Eisinga, the quiet burgher who since 1777 had
been a member of the Town Council, got mixed up in the conflict against
his will and could only preserve his liberty by taking |
