2 A Biography of Edward Kelly, the English Alchemist and Associate of Dr. John Dee Michael Wilding

The errors, distortions, fabrications, and defamations in existing accountsof the life uf Edward Kelly arc too many for individual refutation. Even the mo st responsible commentators and historians have, upon dealing with Kelly, re- pea ted these unsubstantiated and generally derogatory stories. In this article I have sought to assemble most records of his Life that can be verified from contemporary evidence, focussing for reasons of space on the documentary de- tails of everyday life, rather than on the vuluminou:; dialogues with spirits that he undertook for Dee. Edward Kelly was born at Worcester on August l, 1555, at 4 P.M. His surname is sometimes spelled Kelley (it is standardized toKdly thoughout this article), and he also went under the name of Edward Talbot. John Dee recorded Kelly's date of birth in the horoscope he drew up llf his nativity,1 and in the margins of the almanac he used as a diary: Kelly natus hora quana a meridie ut annotatum reliquit pater cjus."! At some point Dcc gave Kelly a copy of an octavo bible printedby Robert Stephens in 1555. It is the only book that Dec records giving to Kelly The coincidence of its publication ·date and Kclly's birth date surely lay behindthe gift, whatever other hope for moral guidance may have been implied. 3 Parishrecords show that Edward Kelly, son of PatrickKdly, was christened on August 2, 1555, at St. Swithin's church, Worcester. He had a sister Elizabeth bom in 1558, and a brother Thomas. Thomas later joined Dee's householdand Dee records his birth date in the diary, October 17, 1565, also at Worcester at four in the afternoon.4 And Dee records, too the birth date of Edward Kelly's wife in his diary: June 23, 1563. "Jane Cooper, now Mystris Kelly, toward evening" (PD, 1-2). She came from Chipping Norton. . Not much is knownof Kdly before he met Dec. Detailsof his education are unknown Neither the Royal Grammar School nor the King's Schooll Worcester, has pupil records from this period. There is a story that hewas at university at Oxford, but it has not been substantiateJ. Anthony aWood records in Atheru:e Oxoniensis that Kelly "being about 17 years of Age, at which time he had attained to a competency of Grammar learning at Worcester and else- where, was sent to Oxford, but to what House I cannot tell. However I have 36 MYSTICALMETALOF GOLD

been informed by an ancient Bachelorut Di\'inity whu in his )·uunger years had and retained strongconnectionsthere, so the story may be aurhcnri..:. uthenticis the...: been an Amanul!nsis to Mr. ThomasAllen ofGloucester Hall that he (Kelly)had tirst conuncntator to identify Kdly with Talbot; with no published records to spent some time in that House whereuplm I, recurring to the matriculation, draw on, he nonetheless knew this detail.9 could not finJ the nameof Kelly, only T albotoflrdand, three of which name The cropping of ears was a standard judicial punishmentin Tudor were students there in 1573, 74, &c .. . This relation being somewhat dubiously but no contemporary record hasbeen discovered ot what crime Kclly was alleged delivered to me, I must tellyou rhar Kclly having an unsettled mind, left Oxon to have committed, or of the execution of such a sentence.10ln Prague in 1593 abruptly, withoutbeing entered into the m.atricula."; Somewhere along the line Christopher Parkins was asked of Kellt "iin the Emperor's name, if I could give Kdly learned fluentLatin. any account of the diminishing of one of his ears.'' 11 Weever may haveexagger- Elias Ashmolerecurded in 1675 that the astrologer "Mr Lilly toldme rhat ated in having both ears lopped, just as later commentatorsexaggerate inhavmg John Evans who first taught him astrology informedhim that he was acquainted Kelly regularly digging up corpses Only one corpse is reported tll have bel.!n with Kdly's sister in Worcester and that she showed him some of the gold her disinterred, and only one car is here said to have been lopped. brother had transmuted and that Kdly was first an apothecary in Worcester.'>c> In 1581 John Deehad begun looking foran assistant to help him consult Lengler du Fresnoy claimed that Kdly was a notary in London, specializing in with spirits. Dce was tifry,tive, a distinguished mathematician, astrologcr, anJ forging ancient title deeds, but nodocumentary evidence is known to exist.i speculative thinker.ll He had the largest private library in Britain butit was not In his ANcientFunerallMonuments (1631) John Weever cites Lucan and enough, Now he wanted direct access to divine knowledge, mediated through Chaucer onthe technique of raising the dead for spiritual prophecy. He then angels, of course. The voluminous records of the spiritual transactions that tells a story of Kdly in Lancashire: resulted from Kdly's partnership with Dee are preserved in manuscripts in the British Library. The major part arc recorded in MS Cotton Appendix XLVI This dialbolical questioning of the dead for the knowledge of future parts I and 2. This was transcribed and published by Mcric Casaubon, as A True accidents was put in practice by the foresaid Kelly; who, upon a certain and Faithful Relation of What Passed for Many Y l!ars Between Dr. )uhn Dee (.-\ night, in the park of Walton le Dale in the county of Lancaster, Mathematician of Great Faml.! in Q. ELizabeth anJ King }ames their Reignes) and with onePaul Waring (his fellow companil>n in such deeds of darkness) Some Spirits: T cmding (hadit succeeded toa General Alteration ofMostStatesand invocated some one of the infernal regiment to know certain passages Kingdomes in the Wurld (London: Printed by D. Maxwell tor T. Garthwait, in the life, as also what might be known by the devil's foresight, of the 1659). 13The records of the initial transactions had become separated from the manner and time of the death of a noble young gentleman, as then in materials Casaubon transcribed, and were acquiredby Elias Ashmole in 1672.14 his wardship. The black ceremonies of that night being ended, Kelly They are now preserved as British Library MS Sloane 3188. They were tran· demanded of one of the gentleman's servants, what corpse was the last scribcd and edited by ChristopherWhitby in a doctoralthesis at the University buried in Law church,yard, a church thereunto adjoining, who told him of Binningham, 1981, John Dee's Actions with Spirir.s: 22 December 1581 to 23 of a poor man that was buried there but the same day. He and the said May 1583.'5 A further episode, preserved in the BodleianLibrary (MS Ashmole Waring entreated this foresaid servant to go with them to the grave of 1790 art. 1), was discovered and translated by C. H. Jostenas "An Unknown the man so lately interred, which he did; and withal did help them to Chapter in the Life of John Dee," Journalofthe Warburg and Courtauld Institutes dig up the carcase of the poor caitiff, whom by their incantations, they 28 (1965): 223--57; EdwarJ Fenton in The Diaries of John Dee 185--89, draws made him (or rather some evil spirit through his organs) to speak, who on a seventeenth-century translation llt this episode (British Library, MS Shxmc deliveredstrange predictions concerning the said gentleman. 3645, fols. 22-38). Some of the materials from the spiritual sessions were tran· I was told thus much by the said servingman, a secondary actor in scribcd and systematized into othermanuscript volumes. to · thatdismal abhorred business, and divers gentlemen, and othersare now Dee's first spiritual experiments were unsatisfactory. He foundan assistant li vingin Lancashire tu whom he has related this story. And the gentle, Barnabas Saul, a preacher and master of arts. In February 1582 Saul was indicted man himself (whose memory I am bound to honour) told me a little but released, "his ·indictment being by law found insifficient at Westminster before his death of this conjuration by Kelly; as he had it by relation Hall," Dee records, though without specifying what the charge was (PD. 1-t; from his said servant and tenant; only some circumstances excepted, Fenton, 24). If it involved summoning up spirits Dce was lucky not to have which_he thought not fitting to come to his master's knowlcdge."8 l been charged too.The project could easily have come toan end. But early in March a new seer was introduced to Dee by a Mr. Clerkson. March 8 "Mr W eeverbegins his accountKelly(otherwisecalled T albot) that famous English Clerksonand his friend came to my house . .. .''The following day, "Friday at alchemist of our times, who tlying out of his own country (after he had lost l dinner time, Mr Clerkson and Mr T albot declared a great deal of Barnabas' hoth his cars at Lancaster) was entertained with Rudolf the second, and last of naughty dealing toward me: as in telling Mr Clerkson ill things of me that J that Christian name, Emperor of Germany." Weever was born in Lancashire should mak[Fenton: "mock" his friend, as that he was weary of me, thatI would MYSTiCAL METAL l)F GOLD

Sl ~ tlatterhis friend the learned manthatI would borrow[Fenton:"bereave") him "I had sight in crystallooftered me, and I saw" (PD, 11; Fenton 13). But thatr orhim. BU[ his friendtoldme, before my wife and Mr Clerkson, that a spiritual seems to have been a rare occasion. His practice now was to put his questions creature told him that Barnabas had censured [Femon: "cosened:] both Mr and the spiritual creatures would answer through Kelly, who saw themin the Clerkson and me. The injuries which this Barnabas had done me divers ways stone. Dee would then write down what was said. The notes were later trans- were very great, etc.(PD, 14-15; Fenton24). Two lines partially erased ini the scribed, and the recordsof these sessionsbound up intobooks.Other manuscript original arc restoredin Fenton'stext: "This learned man after dinner promised books were compiled which abstracted and collated the information given. to do what he could tofurther my knowledge in magic ... with fairies ... A The spiritual dialogues with Uriel, Gabriel, Michael, Raphad, Nalvage, monstrous and hl>rrible lie" (Fenton25 ). Above the deleted entryis written, Die Illis Mapsama, and other angels consist of lengthy instructions in angel . "You · that read this underwritten assure yourself that it is a shameful lie, for magic, warnings of apocalypse,explorations of genealogies,surveys ot the regions Talbot neither studied for any such thing: nor showed himself dishonest in of the world, rebukes to Kelly for privately practicingSatanic magic, and alchem- anything."Above this Dce wrote, "This is Mr Talbot, or that learned man, his ical and spiritual parables. Some of the spirits, like the young girl MaJini (or own writing in my book, very unduly as he came by it" (Fenton, n.l3). 26 Madimi), are amazingly individuared. Kelly's mediumistic powers have been Halliwdl remarked, "There are severalother notices of Talbot erased, but doubted by many commentators,hut if these dialogues were a conscioushoax whetherby him or by the Doctor it is impossible to say, bur most probably the then Kelly should be given due credit as a literary genius. !I tormcr (PD, 15n). The erased entriesrelate mainly to Talbot or to Dee's wife, The spiritual explorations were often interrupted. On March 20, 1582 and are restoredin Fenwn's text 4445, 46, 47, 48, 51, 70 72). Two indicate T albor was instructed, "He must go for the books else they will perish." Dee Dee's doubts about Talbot. May29, 1582, "Iunderstood of EdTalbot his wicked explained in a note: "He meant that my partner EJ. Talbot should go tofetch nature and his abominable lies, etc." July 16, 1582, "I have confirmed that the books from Lancaster (or thereby) which werethe LordMounteagle's books Talbotwas a cosener... " (Fenton, 45, 46). Yet whate\'er doubts Dee had, he which Mr Mortyet 22 William Stanley, third LL>rd Mounteagle, who had continuedro employ T albot and work with him for the next seven years. His has." died the previous year, is presumably meant. He was a member of one those most seriousdoubtis expressed in a note to the recordof thespiritual transac, of powerful, Catholic aristocratic families, around whom plots and suspicionstl ... lur- tionsot March10, 1582, when he recordsthat Talbot told him that originally ished. His grandson William had inherited the courtesy ride but he was only hts comingwas to entrap_me, it I had had any dealing with wicked spirits, as he confessedoftentimesafterand that he was set on, etc."17 Who had set him seven, so the books are unlikely to have been his. The young Mounteagle was on is never recorded. later involved in the failed rebellion of rhe Earl of Essex. He escaped witha The new seer came underthe name l 1f EdwardT albot,but after November fine and became an informer on Catholic conspiracies. It is generally believed 1 582.he is knownas EJward Kclly (or Kellcy). JohnWeever, writing in 1631 that it was he who revealed the Gunpowder plot. Whether or notT Talbot went ot Kelly (otherwise known as Talbot)," is the hrst commemator to identify to Lancaster is unknown. He left rwo days after rhe instruction(PD, 15; Fentlm, Talbot and Kdly. With no published records to draw on at this date Weever's 40) and was back with Dce five weekslater, by April28, without havingobtained identification seems to be from some now unknown personal or anecdotal the books. source. 18 . Ar the end of April 1582, the angel MichaeltL)lJ Talbot that he should On Saturday, March 10, 1582, Dee and his new assistant began their con get married. Talbot was very unhappy ar the instruction. "Very sore disquieted," sultations with spirits, which continued, with interruptions, for seven years. Dee records. According toTalbot, "He said that I must betakemyselt to the Kelly looked intoa "show stone" and saw the spirits. Dee asked the questions. world and forsake the wurlJ. That is that 1 should marry. Which thing todo I Thespirits replied through Kelly Occasionally the spirits appeared outside the have no natural inclination: neither with a safe conscience may I do it, contrary stone, but there was more ofa risk of devilish impostors appearing outside the to my vow and profession."23 On May 4, Talbot left (PD. 15; Femon, 4-l). stone than m u. As R. J. W. Evans writes of Kelly, "his performances at the It is unclear what he meant by his vow and protession. Did he mean he seances suggest at very least thorough familiarity with the technical procedures was forbidden to marry because he was a Catholic priest? What else could he of occultism."19 Nll description of the stone survives, but it seems that Dee had have meant? Was he operating underground in England, under an assumed name more than one. Somedrawings in. the margin of the spiritual records suggest perhaps, put into England from a seminary in Europe? Walsingham's intelligence that they weresphencal balls, and trom evidence in the records we can assume network had intercepted and turned a number of such priests and used them as they were ot crystal. In the British Museum there is a black obsidian mirror of informers on other Catholics. Was Kelly/Talbot one of those? Lancashire, with Mexican originwhich .is said to have belonged to Dee. h is doubtful, however which he is associated in Weever's story and in his proposedvisit for Moun- 10 whetherthis was used in the scrying sessions. teagle's books, was at this timea strongholdof Catholic recusancy. . Dce himself does not seemto have seen or heard thespiritual creatures The date of the marriage is unknown. The earliest mention ofKelly's wife directlyalthough the year bctore, May 25, 1581, he recorded in his diary that is in the spiritual records on April 29, 1583, when Kelly receiveda letter from MYSTICAL METALAL OF UOLD

her. At this point Kelly seemsnot to havebeen living with her but staying was written beforeAshmolc haJ acquired the manuscriptofthe first part of the with Dee at Mortlake. spiritual records, in which the Blockley account is given. Nicolas Lenglet du On July 13, 1582, thename of Talbut appears in Dec's diary for thelast Fresnoy claimed in his Histoire de la Philosophie Hermetique (174 2) that Kelly time: "Mr Talbur cameabout3 of thedock after noon with whomI had some bought the powder and the manuscript for £1 in the _Welsh marchesfrom an words of unkindness; we parted friendly; he saidrhat rhe LorJ Morleyhad rhe innkeeper who had acquired them from the robbers of the tomb ofa bishop in LordMounteaglc his books He promised me some of Dr.Myniver's books" (PD, a neighboring church. 31 There is nl) reason to credit either of these accounts. 16; _Fenton, 45, reads "with whom I had some words of bookdealing: who parted Dee had alchemical laboratories at his house at Mortlake a few miles in friendly terms"). Lord Mounteagle's daughter Elizabeth haJ married EJward upstream of London on the River Thames. He had been emperimentingthere Parker, lOth baron Morley and it was presumably he who now had the books. for twenty years. His library contained some ninety alchemical books andsixty lr is not known who Dr. Mynivcr was, but later in the spiritual transactions alchemical manuscripts, n.1any consisting of more rhan one work. 32 There is a (June 2?, 1584: TFR, 185) Kdly told Dee that he had learned some magic diary of his alchemical experiments for 1581 preserved in the Bodleian Library rituals fromhim. Possibly Mounteagle's books dealt with magic, too. (MS Rawlinson D 241; excerpt in Femon, 308-309), and his private diary indi- When rhc spiritual transactions resume, November 15, 1582, rhe scryeris cates something of his continuing interest in the area in the 1580s. Itis not clear, named EdwarJ Kelly.25 In a spiritual session on November 21, the angelsdeliv- however, whether he was engaged in alchemicalwork with Kdly at this time. ereda stone, ""as big as an egg," which Dce found on the tlul)r of his study.26 Amongfrequent visitors to Mortlake at this time was AJrian Gilbert,half- Atrcr this gitr there arc no recordsof further spiritual conversations for four brother to Sir Waltcr Ralegh and assistant to Mary SiJncy in her alchcmical months. The private diary records that rhe day after the gift Kellyset off to experiments at Wilton House. Adrian and his brother Sir Humphrey Gilbert Londonand rhe followingJay to Blockleyin the Cotswolds, to return within were active in promoting voyages to the Americas, projects in which Dee was ten days (PD, 17; Fenton, 51). But there is no indication that he did return involved. Adrian Gilbert was allowed some participation in rhe sessions wi£h until March thefollowing year, 1583. d1e spirits.33 Hereturned with a Mr. John Huscy of Blockley, with whom he said he Kelly quarrelled with Gilbert, as he did with another visitor, the informer haJ founda_scroll written in strange characters,a powder, and a manuscript Charles Sled. "Serve God and take heed of nettles," a spiritual \'l)icc warned consistingoftwoindividualbookson ditterent subjects, one of them the alchem- ·on April 5, 1583. "This was spoken to Kelly in respect l)f a great anger he was ical boll>k of Duns ran, and the other a bookof hieroglyphics. These were found, in yesternight, by reason that one had done him injury by speech at my table," he said, b)' spiritual directionat Nurthwick Hill near Blockley.27 The powder, Dee records, noting that the person who upset Kellywas Charles Sled. 34 Sled Dee and Kellylater establishedwas the alchemical elixir. Kdly did not immedi- was one of Walsingham's most effective and most treacherous secret agents. He atelyreveal ro Dee rhe tull extent ofthe items found had operated as a spy in Rome in 1579, reponing back on Catholic priestswho A number of manuscripts ascribed to St. Dunstan exist. A copy of the were beingprepared for undercover operationsin England. He had compiled a "TractatusMaximi DominiDunstani Episcopi Cantuarinsis, veri philosophi, Je dossier on nearly three hundred priests, soldiers, merchants, and students he h aJ Lapide philosophorum in the hand ot Arrhur Dee survives in the British Li- met there. After his cover was blown he returned toEngland wherehe continued brary, bound with his "Area arcanorum (MS Sloane 1876). Anhur Dee was his activities for Walsingham. He presented evidence for the state at the trial John Dee's Slln, and ir is possible that this manuscript is a transcription of the of Edmund Campion. The evidence is widely believed tu have been fabricated. same \\'llrk that Kelly discovered, but since the present whereabouts of the Campion was sentenced to death and executed. Sled hung around Dee's world manuscript Kellydiscovered is notknown, it is impossible to be certain.28 for a number of years and was involved in the plundering of his library. Was It has beenspeculated thar the enigmatic Voynich "Roger Bacon" manu- Kelly's rage a psychic recoil from him? Or did Kelly know what Sled was? Was scriptonce. belonging ro the Emperor Rudolf and now preservedin the Beinecke Sled there watching Dee,or Kdly, or both? Was Sled trying toundermine Kelly hbrary at Y ale Uni\'ersiry, was one of Kelly's Blockley discoveries. Dce's son in Dee's eyes by provoking him in some way? Or if Kelly as Tal bot haJ originally Arthur toldSirThomas Brownethat in Bohemia Dee possessed a book, found been set to entrap Dee, did they know each other, Kelly and Sled, from working togetherwitha powder, "cnntaining nothing but hieroglyphics, which book his together in the past, or prcsent?35 father bestowed much time upon: but I could not hear that he could make it Kellyhad a tiery temper, and his relationship with Dee was often stormy.. out."Despiteconsiderable effort and computerassisted decoding applied to the He frequently refused to continue tu scry. Of onesuch occasion,April 20 1583 Voynichmanuscript, still noone has been able to make it out.291 when the stone showedonly a dark cloud, Dce records: In later yyearsvarious other accounts of the acquisition of the powder and themanuscnpt circulated.Elias Ashmole wrote in TheatrumChemicum Bric.anni- This Saturday had been great and eager pangs between E. K.andmJ me: cum that Dee andKelly "were so strangelyfortunate, as ro find a very large while he would utterly discredit the whole process ofour actionsas, to • quantityof rhc elixirinsome parr ofthe ruins ofGlastonbury abbey."30) Bur this be dune by evil and illuding spirits: seeking his destruction. Saying that 42 MYSTICAL METALOF GOLD

he has oftenheretofore been toldthings true, but of illudingdevils: and by JohnBossy tobe a covername forGiordano Brunu) liaised withHcrlc tokeep now, how can this he other, than a mockery, to have a cornered Jack Walsingham informed of Laski's activities.40 Yet another Walsingham agent, cloudtn be! showed him instead of the plain writing which hitherto he the Catholic poet Thomas Watson, applied unsuccessfully to attach himselfto had written l)llt l>f_? And that when they shl>uld do good in deed that Laski's entourage."'41 then they shrank from us. And that he was not thus to lose his time: Laski visited Dee within a fortnight of his arrival--avisit reported on by but that he is to study, to learn some knowledge, whereby he may live: Herle. laski had a particular interest in his own genealogy, and in his chances andthat he was a cumber tll my house, and that he dwelled here as in of acquiring the elective crown of Poland. Dee and Kdly consulted the spints a prison: that it were better for him to he near Corsall plain where he on these topics for him and he participated with them in their spiritual transac- might walk abroad, without danger tobe cumbered or vexed with such tions in June. The young spirit maiden Madimi informed them that Laski was slanderous fellowsas yesterday he was, with one little Ned dwelling at related to the Laceys, the Norman lords of the Welsh marches.42 Laski also theBlack Raven in Westminster: who railedat him for bearing witness consulted with Sir John Feme about his genealogy, bur according to the account ofa bargain made between the same Ned (or Edward) and one Lush, a in Feme's The Blazon of Gentrie (London, 1586) nothing satisfactory resulted. surgeon, whowas nl>\\' fallen in poverty, a very honest man, etc.30 Laski also approached the mathematician and magician Thomas Alien about entering his service in Poland. Allendeclined the offer.43 Bll( forall Kelly'sdoubts and rages hismeJiumistic powers were extraordinary. On June 5, 1583, Dce recorded some disturbing news. "E. K. had been ever On May 5, 1583, Dce _asked the spirits about "the vision which yesternight wa.s since nine of the clock in the morning in a marvellous great disquietness ,,t presented (unlouked tor) to the sight of E. K. as he sat at supper with me, in mind, fury, and rage by reason his brother Thomas had brought him news that my hall, I mean:the appearing ofthe very sea, andmany ships thereon, and a commission was out to attach, and apprehend him as a felon for coining of the cuttingot the head ofa woman, by a tall black man, what are we to imagine money. Secondly, that his wife was gone from Mistress Freeman's house at thereof??" He wastold, "The one, did signify the provision of foreign powers Blockley, and how Mr. Husey had reported him to be a cozener, and had used against the welfareof this land:. which they shall shortly pur in prdctice: the very bitter and grievous reports of him now of late; and that his wife was at other the death of the Queen ot Scots. It is not long unto it."37 home with her mother at Chipping Norton. 44 Dee noted in the margin of his records, "The Queen of Scots to be be- Kelly's reaction is interesting. Wouldn't fear have been the most likely headed." At some later date he added, "So she was, Anno 1587 at Fotheringhay response to the news of an impending arrest for coining money? Perhaps disqui- Castle.Andalsothe same year a great preparationof ships against England by etness of mind implies fear. Bur Dee stresses fury and rage. Is that the reaction the King ofSpainm, the Pope and other princes called Catholic, etc." That was of a man caught out? Or of a man who suspects thathe has been set up? Or is the Spanish Armada of 1588. Kelly had seen into the future. it guilty bluster? It is not clear when the coining was supposed to have occurred. On May 1, 1583, Dee noted in his privatediary the arrival in London of Was it perhaps some old charge that had been helJ over him? The timing of the Polish lordOlbracht Laski--orAlbert a.s the English called him (PD, 20; events is interesting: it occurred two weeks after Laski visited Dee. And the Fenton 78). Laski (1536-1605), the Palatine of Sieradz, a powerful figure in incident itself has strange reverbemtions. Ten years later in Flushing, CHristo- the elections to the Polish throne, had been a major participant in the Polish pher Marlowe was similarly involved in a coining charge that was not all that delegation toFranceafter the election of Henri de Valois. During his visit there it seemed to be, that overlapped with the duplicities of the secret service world he_had married the daughter of the King, Sabine de Seve, his third, and last, around Catholic activists.45 Was this pressure on Kdly to get him to spy on wife. An archetypal Renaissance aristocrat, he was the author of two books in Laski? Coining was a serious charge, the sort of thing that might make a man Latin,one a military treatise, the other on religion and politics. He had travelled want to leave the country. Was the intention behind it to encourage Kelly to widely aroundtheEuropean courts. And he was known as a great patron of commit himself to Laski and so get out of England? So that Burghley would alchenusts, spiritual retormers, and poets. In 1569 he had financed the first have his man in cenrral Europe? Laski had connections nl)[ only with Poland editionof Pardcelsus's Archidoxae Philosophia, book X, annotated by his personal but also with the Habsburgs and the Holy Roman Empire. lt is the timing that physacaan John Gregory Macro and translated by the poet laureate of Silesia encourages the speculation, this dramatic event so soon after Laski had made Adam Schroeter3838 ' contact; the riming, and Kdly's rage, rage at entrapment rather than a fear The English authorities were unable to establish why Laski was visiting of arrest. England, and indeed no certain explanatilln has ever been found. For all his No arrest ever ensued. Were the charges droppedin exchange for a deal? vastlandholdings,laski was impoverishedand one theory is that he hoped for Was the story not true, just a false rumor that his brother Thomas haJ heard? financialbenefitfromDeeand Kelly's alchemical expertise. The English watched Or did Kelly invent the coining charge as a persuasive reason for joining himself him carefully and provided him with a servant, William Herle, who had been and Dee to Laski,seeing in Laski a more substantial form of patronage than a crucial informerin the Ridolfiplot.39' Another spy called Henry Fagot (alleged anything offering in England?46 44 MYSTICAL METALAL OF GOLD

_In_ the margin Deewrote of the charges: "a mere umruth in every part problem was that they habitually intermingledit with disinformation.Another thereof, anJ a malicious lie" (TFR, 6). It is not clear when he added that possibility is that Kelly had prior knowledge that a raiJ was going tt> takeplace. comment noronwhat groundshe made it, whether that is Kdly's rebuttal, or Already back in July 1583 he had delivered the spiritual warning to D~e that based on informationDce was able to obtain through official channels, or just his home would be searched. Did he have other sources of information?Or did a personalconviction But this episode, which appears in the opening pages of he need anything other than a realistic paranoia? Certainly, at some point,or Meric Casaubon's 1659 publication of the spiritual transactions, is undoubtedly points, the Mordake house was raided and some five hundred books plus labora- thebasis tor the subsequent frequently repeated claims that Kelly was convicted tory equipment stolen or damaged. Dee marked the stolen books in a copy ~Jt his ot coining, and suffered ear-cropping as a punishmem. As far as the records go, library catalogue, and described the losses in detail in his Compendious Rehearsal. however, there is no evidence that there was any substance to the charge, or They arrived in Lasko on February 3, 1584 (TFR, 62) and the following that any trial or punishment ensued. It is most unlikely that Dee would not have month settled in Krakow. The spiritual dialogues continued in Poland. They recorded a trial, conviction, orpunishmenr in either the spiritual transactions or were deeply involved in assembling a comprehensive table by which tosummon his private diary, if such had taken place. up angels. The code words were dictated by spirit in reverse, anJ the whole On June 15, 1583, Laski, together with LordRussell and Sir Philip Sidney, process was extremely complex and timc~consuming. lt is not known it they were called in on Dee on his return from his ceremonial visit to Oxford, where he also engaged in alchemical experiments. Kellyalsll cuntinued, as in England, to had been lavishly emertained and heard Bruno debate:47 Four days later, on practice magic on his own, and the spirits often rebuke him for this in the June 19 "the Lord Alhcrt Laski came to me and lay at my house all night" (PD, sessions with Dee. Kelly was also consulted by Laski separately from Dee. He 20; Fenton 9 3 ). And now Dce and Kelly commiued themselves to Lask.i's was to receive $400 a year from Laski, but Lasli, known in Poland as a bottomless service. On September 21, 1583, Dee and his wife, family and servants, and bucket, was short of funds and by 1584 was bankrupt. Dee and Kelly were then Kelly andhis wife leftwith Laski from Gravesendfor Europe. The departure "at directed by spirit to "go to the Emperor,"Rudolf II the Holy Roman Emperor. dead ot night" may have been motivated by a desire for secrecy. At one point They arrived in Pragueon August 9, 1584, and foundaccommodationsin they nearly drowneJ when one of the dinghies was swamped "but in the mean- the house of DrT adeas Hajek, reputedly the senior alchemical adviser to the while E. K. with a great gauntlet emptied most of the water out of the boat, else it must needs havesunk, by all man's reason.'"45 Emperor RuJolf. 49 His house was used for alchemical work and rhe study was adorned with alchemical hieroglyphs and verses. lnstructcd by spirit, Dee wrote No private diary entries of Dee's are known to survive for the next three to Rudolf seeking an audience. Sunday, September 2, the day before Deemet years, from the time oftheir leaving England until their arrival in T rebon in On September 1586, but the spiritual transactions continued unabated, and in their Rudolf, Kelly got splendidly drunk. Dce recorded the occasion in the spiritual records some of the eventsof everyday life are noted. transactions (TFR, 229-30): ll1ey spent four months travelling. Lmding at Brill they went by a small coastal vessel to Haarlem and Amsterdam. Then they proceeded along the Therewas a great disquietnessin E. K. being comehomefrom ourhost's northern edge ofEurope, never tar from the coast, by small boats and by coach house where he had lain all night upon a form, by reason he haJ been and cart. Fmm Dokkum they went to Anjum, Emden, Oldenburg, Bremen, suddenly overcome with wine, which he never was like that before, he Harburg, Hamburg, Lubeck, Wismar, Rostock, and Szczecin, where they arrived said. Yet intending with himself totake heedof beingovershotin drink- on Christmas morning and stayed for three weeks. ing wine, being requested by the hostess to give her a quart of wineup, ll1e spiritual dialogues continued during their travels. In Lubcck, Novem- the good bargain he had in a clockhe bought from her for fiveducats. bc_r 15, Dee receiveda spirit message via Kelly: "Your brother is clapped in In this drinking company was Alexander, LordLaski'sservantant, who prison,how do you like that? Your housekeeper, I mean." Dee's brother,in,law came with us to Prague to whom E. K., when the drink on rhc sudden NicholasFromond was looking after the house at Mordake. "They say that you had overcome him, said he would cut offhis head, andwith his walking havehidden varioussecret things. As for your books, you may go look them at staff touched him fair and softly on the neck, sitting in from ot him. leisure. It may be that your house may be burned fur a remembrance." Eight This Alexander being half drunk himself by and by took thesewords monthslater in Prague August 27, 1584, Dee received letters telling "how Mr in great snuff and went to defend himself and so took his weapon tohim Gilbert, Mr Sled, Mr Andreas Fremo_nshdm my bookseller, used me very ill" and thereupon they caused Alexander to go down andraidedhis library.Is it likely that it the raid had taken place by November no It was supper time and that night l refrained from eating, and onewouldhave writtento Dee before the following August? Is Kelly's spiritual waiting at my lodgingand looking out saw Alexander sitting on the informationmost satistaaorily taken as a prevision? That the spirit in question great stone outside our lodging. I called to him and told him that they seems not to have been a divine one, so Dee suspected at the time, is nut were at supper. He came over tl) me and he had wept much. He com- necessarily a problem; evil spirits could readily impart true information; rhe plained ofKelly's fonner words and thetouch ot the staff, how it was 46 ~1\'STlC:\L METAL OF GOLD A Biugmphy uj EJu·an.1 J:.:~Uy, eh..! En~lish Ak·h~mi:;c

against his credit to rake thatin good part, and spoke many soldiers' danger that might arise it these two should fight, etc. At . the least it terms ofstout words not worthyof recording. would cross all good hope here with the Emperor, etcfor a timetillGod 1 thereuponwentto our host's house tofind out the truth and there redressed it. l found E. K. fast asleep ona form most soundly, for which1 was right After I had brl1ught E. K. to some quietness, by yielding much to St orry And yet better pleased to perceive the words of E. K. which so his humour etc. andsaying little, not long after came my messengerfrom .. moved Alexander, being half drunk, to have been spoken by E. K. when my wife at Krakow, and Hugh my servantwithhim, to my great comfort wine and not wit bore rule. And so I pleaded a long time with Alexander through her letters, and the full satisfying ot me by Hugh myservant ;) that of words spoken so as they were, no such exact accounr was to be knowledge funher than conveniently could be written. Comfortin time given to him; anJ after two hours persuasion caused Alexander to go to of need. bed in our lodging where he used to lie, for he would have gone out to llUr furmer inn in those raging half drunken pangs he was in, which I Dce met with RudolfonSeptember 3 (TFR230). Shortlyaitcrwards, following thought was not good. ... spiritual instructions he wrote to RuJolf that hecouldmake the philosopher's This Monday moming E. K. coming home and seeing Alexander stone (TFR, 243, 246). There is no record llt any further meetmg. RuJl)lt as he came in, said, "They say 1 spoke words which greatly offended you delegated his adviser, Dr. ]akob Kurz, to deal with Dee. When Kurz visited Dee, last night, and that l touched you with my staff, etc. I know nothing of September 26, "Mr Kelly had gotten him into his chamber, not willing to be it," and sh0l>k hands with Alexander in friendly fashion. seen" (TFR, 247). Dee also came to know the Spanish ambassadllr, Don GUlllen "Well," said Alexander, "si fuisset alius, etc." de San Clemenre, a descendant of RamonLull, as he told Dee. The spiritual E. K. came up to me. l told him how sorry I was fur this mischance transactions continued unabated. Records of Dee and Kelly'sother activities for and told him of the watchman perceiving Alexander's disquietmind and this period are slight, but, R.]. W. _Evans stresses, "lt wouldbe false ..to infer hearing his words, they came to me and charged me to have a care of from this that they necessanly remamed out ot touch wtth the court. They the peace-keeping, as they did indeed. And further said that Alexander retumed to Krakow in October and then in December came back t Prague in his rage said that rather, or before he should cut off his head that he where Dee left Hajek's rooms and leased a house in Salt Street not far from the would cut E. K. in pieces. market place in Old Prague (TFR, 354). In Aprill585they returned to Krak6w. As soon as I had expressed that word of this drunken Alexander, April 22, Easter Monday, Dee records that "very devoutly in St Stephen's whlllll now I saw quiet and E. K. also quiet, suddenly E. K. fell into such church, E. K. received the communion, to my unspeakable gladness and content, a mge that he would be revenged on him for so saying and for railing being a thing so long and earnestly required and urged of him by our spiri[Ual on him in the street as he did, etc. good friends." Laski arranged for Dee to meet the King l)f Poland, Step hen Much ado I, Emeric and his brotherhad to stop or hold him from Bathory, and Dee and Kelly held a seance with Stephcn on May 27 (TFR, 404). glling to Alexander with his weapon, etc. At length we let him go in But no patronage seems to have resulted from the encounter. Around this time his doublet and hose without a cap or hat on his head, and into the street they met the theological controversialist Francesco Pucci, who had _followed he hasted with his brother's rapier drawn and challenged Alexander to Socinus to Krakow, and now became a member of Dee's household.,' ln July tight. they returned to Prague. - . But Alexander went"tn.lm him and said, "l will not, Master Kelly, Dee and Kelly's spirit raising activities had come to the attentilm of the 1 will not." Catholic church, and on their return to Prague they were summoned to explain At this E. K. tlli.Jk up a stoneand threw it after him as after a dog, themselves. They delayed responding as long as they could, but finally on March and so came into the house again in a most furious rage that he might 21, 1586, they had an audience with the papal nuncio, Gennanico Malaspina, not fight with Alexander. The rage and fury was so great in worJs and bishop of San Severo. Dee handled the interview tactfully, but then Kelly sug- gestures as might plainly prove that the wicked enemy sought either E. gested that one of the problems with the Catholic church was the poor conduct K.'s own destroying of himsdf, or of me, or his brother, etc. of many of the priests. The nuncio was not amused. Dee was told by "rh~ This may suffice to notify the mighty temptation and vehement secretary of a certain great king," who had been told by the nuncio himself, working of the subtle spiritual enemy Satan wherewith God suffered E. that Kelly's speech had so enraged the nuncio that he was tempted tohavehad K. to be tempted and almost overcome, to my great grief, discomfort and him thrown out of the window. There was something of a tradition ot disposing most great discredit if it should, as the truth was, havecome to the of people by defenestration in Prague. The church authorities had hearJ of the Emperor's understanding, except he had known me well, etc. volumes of spiritual records, and later endeavoredto get Kelly toproduce them, I was in great doubt how God would take this offence and devised withholding confession from him when he refused. On AprillO Dee anJ Kelly with myself how 1 might with honesty be cleared from the shame and received a spiritual instructionto bum their entire records, and Dce recordsthe ! ~lYSTIC:\L ~IETAL OF GOLD A Biob.,raphy of EJu•LtrJ Kelly th e Ak:~mist

receiveda number llf visitors in Trebon induding Laski on a numberof .. occa- occasion of the burning done in the presence l)f Pucci, in meticulous and 58 lengthy detail.52l.)n April 30 the records were miraculously restored, an episode sions, Pucci, Christian Francken, and various emissaries fromEngland. recorded in similar detail (TFR, 418-19). On December 19, 1586, Dee'sdiary records Kelly giving a demonstration gold production. is the first account of his engaging in an Meanwhile Oce and Kellyfound a new patron anJ protectorVilemRozmb- of It alchemical erk, llr William, Lord Rosenberg to give the Germanic form of his name that transmutation. "For the gratification of Mr Edward Garland and Francis, his brother, which Edward was sent to me as messenger fromthe Emperor of Moscow Deegenerally used(TFR, 420). Rozmbcrk, born fifty-one years ea.rlier in 1535, that I should come to him, E. K. made projection with his powder in the was head ofone of the most powerful Bohemian families. He was among Rudolf's proportion of one minim (upon an ounce and a quarter uf mercury) and produced closest associates,and had carried the crown at Rudolf''s coronation in 1575. nearly an ounce of best gold; which gold was afterwards distributed fromthe He was the senior Bohemian official, the burgrave, rhe right hand man of rhe 4 crucible and one part was given to Edward Garland."59 monarchin Bohemian affairs. Rozmberkwas second only ro Rudolf as a patron In later years Dee's son Arthur often told people about the alchemical of alchemists, employing adepts both at his residence, which adjoined Rudolf's transmutations he had observedat this time. One of the people he told was Sir on the Hradschinin Pragueand in his extensive estates in southern Bohemia, Thomas Browne, his neighborin Norwich, andin 1674 Browne sent an account centered on CeskyKrumlO\'. He participated in a number of spiritual sessions of Anhur's recollections to Ashmole: with Dee and Kelly, consulting on, among other matters, his aspimtions to the Polish throneand his plans to marry again. His brother, Peter Vok Ro::mberk Dr Anhur Dce was a young man when he saw this projectionmade in also had alchemical interests. 53 Bohemia, but he was s oinfluencedtherewith that he tell early upon that Bur theCathtllic opposition tDeeand Kdly continued. The new nuncio, study and read not much all his life but books of that subject. Filippo Sega Bishop ofPiacenza, reported on April 29 that Dee and Kelly were I have heard the doctor say that he lived in Bohemia with hi:~ importantand dangerous adversaries: "Giovanni Diietil Zoppo suo compagno father both at Prague and other parts of Bohemia. That Prince or Count sonoin questacortebuon pezofa, et vanno a camino di farsi autori d'una nuova Rozmberk. was their great patron who delighted much in alchemy. l have superstitione, per non dire heresia, sono noti all'imperatore et a tutta la corte." often heard him affirm and sometimes with oaths that he had seenth ("John Dee and his companion the lame one were at this court a good while projection made and transmutation of pewter dishes and flagons into ago, and are on the., way to being the authors of a new superstition, not to say silver which the goldsmiths at Prague bought of them. And that Count heresy, and are known to the Emperorand all of the court,")54 Rozmberk played at quoitswith silver quoits made by projectionas be~ This is the only reference to Kdly's being lame, although on May 23, 1587, fore: that this transmutation was made by a small powdertheyhad which aspirit says "Kelly, I know it is uoublesome for thee to kneel. Sit.";;--55 Whether was found in some old place and a book lying by it containing nothing it was a permanent or temporary condition, or whether Sega was writing meta- but hieroglyphics which book his father bestowed much time upl)n, but phoricallyand comemptuously, is unclear. 1 could not hear that he could make it out. May 29, 1586, succumbing to combined pressure from the papal nuncio, InApril, 1587, Kelly announced that he was unwilling to scryan ylonger Dee Sega, his predecessor Malaspina and the High Steward of Bohemia, George attempted to train his seven,year-old son, Arrhur, as a medium, but Arrhur saw (Jiri) Popel LobL:ovic, Rudolf expelled Dee, Kdly, and their households from little of significance. Kelly joined them in one of these attempts, April 17, theempire on the groundsof necromancy. 56 They stayed firstin Erfurt, but since thesenators refused to let them lease a house there, they moved on to Kassel, and said, where the Landgrave of Hessc-Kassel had his court.57 Pucci attemptedto per- I marvel if you had no apparitionhere, tor 1somewhat thinking ofArthur suade them to follow the nuncio's request that they should go to Rome tobe and his proceeding in the feat of scrying, came here into the gallery, anJ questioned... They_refused, suspecting a trap from which they might not escape I heard you pray. And opening the window I looked out and I saw a and, suspicious of Pucci's role, henceforth began to distance themselves from great number going in and out of this chapel at the little hole in the him. On August 8 Rodolf relented, and allowed them to return to the Bohemian glass window. 1 saw Madini, ll and many others that had dealt with us estatesand towns of CountVilem Rozmberk. Dee and Kelly arrived at T rebon heretofore, but they showed themselves in very tilthy order. And Urid (also known as Wittingau) in southern Bohemia on September 14, 1586 (PD, appeared and justified all to be of God, and good. And therefore I wonder 21; Fenton, 203; TFR, 444). if here you have no show. Perhaps there is something, but Arrhur dL)n ; They settled there for the next two years, though Dee's diary records that not see it (TFR, 2nd pagination, 8). Kelly made a number of trips to Poland to Linz, to Reichenstein in Silesia (whereRo:mberk had laboratoriesin the castle), to Budweis ( Ceske Budejovice Kdly then received a spiritual messagethat he and Deewere to hold their wives to give it its Czechname, 24 kilometres west of Trebon) and to Prague. They in common (TFR, 2nd pagination, 11-12). The wives were unenthusiastic, and 50 ~lYSTICAL METAL OF GOLD A Biography uf Edward Kellyeh~ Engli:;h Akh~mi:;c 51

Kelly madea number offurtherconsultations with spirits. Ashmlllc writes that April 10, Dee records in his diary (PD 27; Fenton 234), "1 writ toMrEJ the angels wc:re so "distasted" with Kelly's "vicious course of life" that they Kellyand to Mistress Kelly two charitable letters, requiring at theirhands mutual "would discharge him from that employmem"-that is, scrying--but this inter~ chariry." April 12, "My wife churched, and we . received the communion." pretation is not home out by the spiritual records. Kelly had frequently desired TheoJorus Trebonianus was evidently being treated as Dee's child. And since to cease scrying, and had nllW once again proposed to end this activity. Ashmole the four of them had vowed to tell nobody of the episode why would anyone also wrote that "Kelly perceiving that he should be wholly set aside and become suspectotherwise? It is only Dee's spiritual records that break the vow of secrecy; useless in matter of scrying, he insinuates himself into their company one day anJ Casaubon's transcription of them, followed by later commentators. On May while they were at exercise, and Arthur waiting for a vision, Kelly pretended 22, 1588, Dee records, "Mistress Kelly received the sacrament, and to me· and to see something, llf which he there gives an account: and by this cunning my wife gave her hand in charity; and we rushed not from her" (PD .. 27; artificethat delusive and impure doctrine took place, from whence Or Dee and Femon, 235, reads "and we wished well to her"). It was the anniversary ot the Kelly were induced tl> mix with each others' wives."61 But the evidence of the cross-matching. spiritual records is that Dee was eager for Kelly to help in training Arthur, who On June 13, 1588, FrancisGarland arrived in T rebon with Edmond Cooper was not proving a successful seer, and only too ready to have Kelly resume Mrs. Kelly's brother (PD, 28; Fenton, 235). Had CllOper come to help resolve scrying. the tensions, or to escort his sister hack to England? On October 17. Dee's diary The "cross-matching" seems to have taken place on May 22, 1587, but was records, "Mistress Kelly and the rest rode toward Punchartz in the morning" 02 nut repeatcd. .The following Jay the last known spiritual consultations Dee (PD, 29; Fenton, 237, reads "Mistress Kelly and the rest rode toward Prachatke and Kelly held together are recorded. Years later, back in England, Dee was to to the marriage"). It is the last mention of her in any of Dee's records. But experiment with other scryers. But this is the last known consultation through whether she now left for England, or for Prague, is unknown. the medium of Kelly. Passages of three letters written by Kelly during this period (j une 20 and Fifty~three years later Arthur Dee gave one llf the crystals his father and August 9, 1587, and November 15, 1589) survive.64 They deal with alchemy, Kelly had used to the apothecary Nicholas Culpeper "as a reward for having but it is not known to whom they were addressed. The alchemical activities cured a li\'er complaint of his with the b'l'eatest rapidity, A.D. 1640." According continued. To what degree Kelly and Dee were working separately or together to Culpeper this was the crystal that had been given to Dee by an angel in 1582, now is unclear. There was certainly some cooperation: September 28, 1587, Dee which Dee gave to Kelly, who gave it to Lord Rozmberk but then retrieved it. recorded, "I delivered to Mr Ed. Kelly, (earnestly requiring it as his part) the Culpeper records, "I have USL~ this crystal in many ways and have thus half of all the animal . which was made. lt is to weigh [Fenton, "to wit"] 20 cured illnesses, but with its use a very great weakness always sets in and lethargy ounces: he weighed it himself in my chamber. He bought [Fenton: "brought"] of the body. And further a certain demoniacal apparition which exercised itself his weights purposely for it. My Lord had spoken to me before for some, but Mr to lewdness other depravity with women and girls, to tempt me, but and used Kelly had not spoken" (PD, 24; Fenton, 230). Fenton notes the inclusilm l)t by making the sign of the cross and speaking these words, "Pah Adonai, by thy the symbol for mercury before "animal." strength am I fortified. Phorrh! Phorrh! Haricot! Gambalon!" the apparition On December 12, 1587 there was one those that alchemical used to tly soon or instantly, with noise and evil smell. For these obscenities I have given up the use of the crystal, and to witness these things I have written experimenters often suffered. "After noon somewhat, Mr Ed. Kelly his lamp them on this sheet on the 7th day of March in the year 1651." overthrow [Fenton: "overthrew"), the spirit of wine long [Fenton: "being") spent William Lilly bought the crystal from Culpeper's widow and tried his own too near, and the glass being not stayed with books [Fenton: "bricks") about it, experimentson it with Elias Ashmole. They conjured up "a female devil lewd as it was wont [Fenton: "meant") to be; and the same glass so tlitting on on.: and monstrous," he records, February 10, 1658. The crystal is now in the Well~ side, the spirit was spilled out, and burnt all that was on the table whl!rc it cume collection in the Science Museum, South Kensington.65 stood, linen and written books--as the book of Zacharias with the alkanln The exchange of panners resulted in tensions between the two households, [Fenton: "athanor"] that I translated out of French for some by spiritual could alluded tl• in Dee's diary. And then on February 28, 1588, nine months after not [Fenton: "for him by spiritual commandment"]; Rowlaschy his third bouk the cross-matchingJane Dee gave birth to a boy, who was bapti:ed the following of waters philosophical; the book called Angdicum Opus, all in pictures ofth day. and named Theodorus T rehonianus Dee. Theodorus T rebonianus, the gift eworkfrom the beginning to the end; the copy of the man of Budweis's Conclu- of God at Trebon (PD, 26; Fenton, 233). Was this Dee's child or Kelly's? Did sions for the Transmutation [Fenton has the symbol for mercury;. not "Transmu· anyone everknow for sure? The question is never raised in the diary let alone ration"] of metals; and 40 leaves in quarto, entitled Extractiones Dunstani. which answered. Could Kelly have children anyway? In the spiritual transactions of he himself extracted and noted out of Dunstan his book, and the very book of April 4, 15tH. Kelly was told of his marriage, "barrenness dwells with you," Dunstan was but cast on the bed hard by from the table" (PD. 25; Fenton which could be interpreted as meaning Kelly was sterile. 231-2).65 ~lYSTlCAL ~lETAL L)f GOLD )

h was lllll all \\'llrk anJ ndtensionJanuary 13, 1588, Dce recorded"At dinner and his family left Trebon on March 11, 1589. On April 11 9they rime Mr EdwardKellysenthisbrotherMr Th. K. to me with these words, 'My reached Bremen where they stayed for seven months before departing from brothersays that you study so much, and therefore, seeing it is toolate to go Stadeon November 19, finally arriving back in England on November 22, 1589 today to Krumlov, he wishes you to come to pass the rime with him at play. I {PD, 30-2; Fenton, 239-46). Dce gives an accountof this return journeyin his went after dinner and played, he ;.md I against Mr F. GorelFenton: "Garland"] CompendiousRehearsal and Mr. Rob [Fenton: ''Robert Garland,] till supper time, in his diniRg room: Kelly remained in Bohemia. While underthe patronage ofRozmberk, Kelly and after supper he came and the others, anJ we played there two or three had begun working with some of Rudolf's alchemical projects. Rudulf was as hours, and friendly departed. This was then after the great and wonderful un~ enthusiastic an alchemical experimenter as Ro:mberk. R. J. W. Evans cites a kindness used toward me in taking [Fenton: "bcating'').my man" (PD, 25-6; letterfrom the Emperor tu Rozmhcrk, dated October 27, hut with noyear given, Fcnton, 232-3 ). ,_ which "requests'-in friendly terms-rhar 'Eduardus' he temporarily released The alchemical iKtivirics continued thmugK 1588. February 8, ··~'lr. E. K. from his service thereto come to PragueanJ supervise a great alchemicalwork cU nine of the clock after noon sem t~n me to his laboratory over the gate to which is in progress. RuJolf will nor detain him ('will in nit langer autho.1hcn, sec how he distilled sericonaccording as in time past and of late he heard of als er sdbst begem wird'), but the operation is a difficultone which nceJs expert me out ofRipley." :March 24, "Mr. K. put the glass in dung." May 10, "E. K. assistance: 'das Hocchststuck dar.:u mangdt, Jer mercurius Sl)lis, an dem die sa(h diJ open the great secret to me, God be thanked!, August 24, (in Latin) "I nit kan vertertigt werden, halt derhalhcn fur guet das der EJuard dersdhst hie her saw the divine water, hy rhe demonstration of the magnificent master and my khamb, disem manglen zu helffen.' "70 incomparablefriend Mr Ed Kellybefore midday: in the space of three hours." Kelly now gained the Empcmr Rudolf'sfavur, was accepted as a citizenof December 7, (in Greek characters)"Great friendship pmmised for money and Bohemiaand granted a patent of Imperial nubility, equires aurari. He became two ounces ofthe thing." December 18, "Mr Edward Kelly gave me the water, Sir Edward Kelly. Dce wrote to Walsingham on August 20, 1589, that Kelly mercury, all 30 oz. Water, earth anJ all" (PD, 26-30; Fenton, 233-7). was "now in most favourable manner created a Baron of the kingdum of Bohem- - In November 1587 Francis Garland had brought a letter fur Dee from mia; with the grant of a coat ofarms: as I have seen in a large seal, being a lion EJward Dyer in England (PD, 24; Fenton, 231 ). The courtier and poet Edward rampant with [the lion of England] in a bordure, with the year on the seal, vi Dyer, knighted in 1596 but at this time still plain Mr. Dyer, had stood as 1573, and a motto round it. According tothe records Kdly claimed relation- godfather to Arthur Dee in 1579. He had studied alchemy under Dee with ship to the ancient Irish nobiliry: "Edward Kelly, bornan Englishman, of the Philip Sidney.6«1 He had retained his interest in the subject, and in the mid knightly kin and house called lmamyi in the county of Cunaghaku in the 1570s he had assayed fur Walsingham a sample of the ore Frobisher had brought kingdom of lreland."72This claim has generally beendiscountedas a fabrication back from NorthAmerica, bdieving it was gold. Dyer had demonstrated that by Kelly. But drawing on the Irish geneal,lgical compilationAn Leabhar Muinh- it was not. In Europe in 1588, Sargent writes, "he could not resist the temptation n~ach, Liam Mac Coil has shown that these genealogies "make the Ui Chcallaigh tu continue his joumey and investigate the alchemical labours of Kelly in per~ (O'Kelly, Kelly) descendants of Maine. The Ui Mhainc {Hy~Many, lm.any) held sun ... 67 Was it simple temptation, or was he under instructions from Elizabeth, territory in Connaught, more precisely in east Galway and south Roscommon. h or Burghley, or Walsingham? He arrived in Prague, paid an official visit to the would have been quite normal and proper, therefore-orthography and phrasing Emperor RuJolf, and then came to Trebon on July 20. Two days later Dee aside-for someone called Kelly to say that he was uf the noble 'house of lmamyi records, in a mixture of Latin, English, and Greek characters, that "Oyer did in the countyof Conneghaku' and only a little exhibitionistic. "il injure me unkindly," bur the following Jay reconciliation was effected by the The Bohemian ennoblement occurred some time after Dee's departure but mediation of Kdly. Dyer left on August 9 (PD, 27-8; Fenton, 235-6). before the end of June, 1589. Ro:mherk is said to have given Kelly two fiefs In Nu\'embcr 1588 Dee wrote to Queen Elizabeth, congratulating her l>n with their villages near Jilove-Libcrice and Nova Liben.i-4 Vladimir Karpenko the English victory over the Spanish armada, and promising to return. He writes writes that while at T rebon, Kdly "received or purchased 'me small castle, nin~ of "finding our duty concurrent with a most secret beck of the said gracious villages, and two houses in Prague. "71 Princess L'lJy Opportunity, now to embrace, and enjoy, your most excellent In June 1589 Kelly wrote to LorJ Burghlcy about alleged treason by CHristo- royal Majesty's high favour, anJ gracious great clemency, of calling me, Mr pher Parkins. The British Library preserves Kelly's letter (MS Lansduwnc 61, Kdly, and our families hllme, intoyour British earthly paradiseand monarchy fol. 64)16 and a letter from Dee on the same topic (MS Lansdowne 61 art. SS, incomparahle.''NI Was Eli:abeth summoning them back so that their alchemical ful. 159). experiments could proceedin England, and supplement the English coffers? Had Kelly reported "That fourteen Jays befme-the feast l>f Pentacost last, that Garland reported the alchemical transmutation he had observed on his previous oneParkins, born in England and now a Jesuit came from Rome tll the city of visit? Had Dyer been sent on a mission? Prague in Bohemia. And there coming into an inn, where the saiJ Sir E. K. ~IYSTlCAL METAL OF GOLD

was, anJ uttering Jivers noveltiesamong others he plainly (but as it were in So if Kelly deal Christianly wid1 time all will be well. Bur if he be a nevil il great secrecy) opened tl) the said Sir E. K. this horrible conspiracy against meaningman as common fame reportswhat conjuring will be sufficienttomake her Majesty: him deal sincerely: specially if he follow the counsel of his friends and ghostly fathers the Jesuits, who have vowed their endeavour to trouble this estate and 1. Thattherewere nowseven such ways l)r means, concluded and all well#wishers" (Public Record Office, SP 12/231, fol. 22). agreed upon by the Pope and his confederatesfor the murdering of the Parkins had been at school at Winchester with Thomas Watslm, the Wal- Queen, that if the first, second, third, fourth and fifth failed, yet were singham agent who had offered his services to Laski. ln 1566, aged 19, Parkins the (plots] ere. in such sort· to be executed, that the sixth or seventh had entered the Society of Jesus at Rome. He had been an eminent professor should take effect: yes, if all the devils in hell thereunto say nay. among the Jesuits for many years, bur gradually became distanced from them 2. And further Parkins declared, that those ways and means were In the mid-1580s he proved himself useful to Burghley, intervening to save by him and his cohercnts to be .executed against her Majesty's own Burghley's grandson from trouble after some indiscreet expression of Protestant person, for the performance whereof he declared also, that he would opinions on a visit to Rome. Parkins is said to have returned toEngland with funhwith go into England by the way of D.mzig. And so from thence, the young William Cecil, who recommended him to his grandtather. In 1:>b I in the habit of a merchant, into England. Parkins was still described in the government's list of recusants abroad as a 3. That when the said Sir E. K. d~larl!d the same strange news to Jesuit, resident in Prague. What inspired Kelly's letter is unknown. Had he been the Lord Ro:mhcrk, Viceroy of Bohemia, the said Rozmberk told Sir fed misinformation? Was he trying to present himself as usefulto the govern- Edward d1at the said Parkins was the right hand, or chief man ro rhe ment? Or was he trying to pre-empt any reports Parkins may have made about King of Spain and rhe Pope, in all their treacherous l!nterprises against him? Parkins seems to have been imprisoned on his return to England, but was England. rcgularly employed on diplomatic missions after this, and in 1591 was made 4. Ar rhe same rime anJ instant the said Rozmberkshowed unto ambassador to Denmark and given an annuity of 100 marks. Whether he had Sir E. K. a letter, written by one of the chief of the states of the Low been an English agent beforehandor whether he was recruited after a softening Countries with the Emperor, requesting the Emperor to be a means to ·up spell in prison is unclear. take up the matter between them and the King ofSpain. And also Dee had expected Kelly to meet him in Bremen and return toEngland requestingthis Emperor to send them some aid to help them away with with him. He wrote to Mr. justice Young, August 20, 1589, that he feared he the English that were in those provinces. would have .. w endure this Breamish habitation this winter, because I hear no 5. That the said Sir Edwardat his faithful disclosing those things word of Sir EJ Kelly's approaching" (SP 15/31, fol. 35). Nuvember 3, old style (thus by divine providence come to his knowledge) to these subscribed he records in his diary, "I resolved to go into England, hoping to meet Mr gentlemen, did funherml>re much marvel and wonder, how it was possi# Edward Kelly ar Stadegoing also into England; and that I suspected upon Mr ble that the stmngers of the Low Countries, dwelling in England, would Secretary Walsingham's letters" (PD, 32; Fenton, 241). Back at MortlakeJanu- or could lend and send untothe Emperor or King of Spain a million of ary 23, 1590, (Fenton, 247, has December 23, 1589), Oee wrote, MrThomas gold at any time or times, to his or their helps: which he of his certain Kelly came from Brainford;put me in good hope of Sir Edward Kelly's returning" knowledge assured to be done. But he well hoped, that the treason (PD, 32). But he never saw Kelly again. therein by this time was come to the knowledge of some of her Majesty's And now Sir Edward flourishedas one of Rudolf's favorites. His alchemical most honourableprivy council. transmutations were widely reported. Ashmole records in Thearrum Chemicum We Roben Tatton and George Leicester, gentlemen, do witness Brirannicum: "I have received it from a credible person, that one Broomfield these anicles and the effect of every part of them to have been declared and Alexander Robertstold him they had often seenSirEd Kelly make projec- unto us, and Edmond Hilton, servant to the right worshipful John Dee, tion, and in particular upon a piece of metal cut out of a warming pan, and Esq, by the within named Sir E. K. at our being with him at T rebon in without SirEdward's touching or handling it, or melting the metal (only warm- Bohemia in the end of June last, 1589. ing it in the fire) the elixir being put thereon, it was transmuted into pure silver: the warming-pan and this piece of it was sent to Queen Elizabeth by her Leicesterwas presumably the Georgc Leicester who was victualler l)f her Majes- ambassador who then lay at Prague, that by fitting the piece intl) the place ty's garrisons in the Low Countries. whence it was cut out, it might exactly appear to be one part of that warmmg- ·Parkins wrote to Walsingham May 12, 1590, complaining about the trouble pan. The aforesaid person has likewise seen in the hands of one Mr Frye and Kclly's report cau~d him. "Right hlmorablc Sir, it has ht!en some comfort unto Scroope, rings of Sir Edward Kdly's gold, the fashion of which was only gold me tu understand by your letter, that my trouble is prolonged, by looking for wire, twisted thrice about the finger; and of these fashioned rings, hc gaveaway.\ ·'\ , an answer from Sir Edward Kclly, who has been conjured to deal hereinsincerely. to the value of £4000 at the marriage of one of his servant maids. This was A Biogrl.lphy uJ EdwarJ ~dly, thl.! Engli.sh .~lh~mi.st ) ' 56 ~lYSTlC.-\L METAL OF GOLD

your mind draws )'l)U toward your gracious sovereign; whom above.. \·~ al highly generous hur t say truth he was openly profuse, beyond the modest worldly Majesties you desire ltoserve and please which intent you also1 limits ,,t a sober philosopher. Wund repeats the story in Athenae Oconiensis desire me to further .... And yet nevertheless, l would not haveyou adding the derail that the ambassadorwas Lord Willoughby.77 ignorant, that sundry men, being not acquainted with these your faithful R. J. W. Evans cites other reports that circulated through Europe The offers and purposes, let not in some sort, since it is seen that you came Bohemian adept Matthias Erbinaus von Brandau wrote around 1630 that he had seen Kelly's tincture, and that Kelly could produce the Mercurius Solis in not with Mr Dyer, to divine variously of your stay, some saying that you no more than fifteen minutes. Another occasion is reported by Gasscndus at do forbear to come, because you cannot performthat indeed whichhas Dr.Hajek's house, where with the infusion of a single small drop of red liquid, been reported of you. Some that you are enticed (by such as bearnot Kellytransmuted a pound of mercury into gold. Rudolf used Hajek to test out the Queen nor this realm any good will), not to come tu beneht her the credentials ofalchemists before taking them into his service. This occasion Majesty. Some allege that your own profession tl"t religion dues not &.~gr&.:~ may have been such a test, one which Kelly passed successfully. Nicolas Bamaud, with ours here. Yea smue that malicillusly are Jispllsed, say, that )'tlU .. m.: who was living at Hajek's house is variously reported to have observed or an impostor [and a deceiver-dek~d) with your sophistications. participated in one ofKelly's transmutations. A number of Bohemian manu- scripts ofthe sixteenth and seventt.!enth century contail1 alchemical recipes lt is clear from Burghley's letter that QueenEli:abeth had requestedhim towrite which an: ~scribed !o Kellyi and a Hungarian alchemist claimed to be reiterating to Kelly, and that she herself had alreadywritten. "lam expressly commandedby the true wtsJmn ot Sr. Dunstan which Kelly had rediscovered and transmitted her Majesty to require you to have regard to her honour and according tothe throughRudolf.1:1 . tenor of her former letters, to assure yourself, to be singularly favouredj yea. in On October I, 1589 Edward Dyer left London on a secret mission to respect, of the benefits that ynu may, by the gifts that God has given, bring to persuade Kelly to rerum to England with his alchemical expertise. Burghley her Majesty, to be honoured, to the comfort oyourself and all yours." He received reports on Dyer's progress from Thomas Bodley at The Hague (SP 84/ concluded with thanks to Kclly "for the mnuntain, or rock that you sent .•and 35, f,)ls. 27-28) and William Milwardeat Stade (SP 82/3, tol. 116). On March was safely brought to me from Stade which I will place in my house whereI 7, 1590, an English merchant at Hamburg, William Fowler, reported to Burghley do bestow other rare things of workmanship, and shall be a memorial of your "upon my late travel in the countries of Deutschland and Bohemia for her kindness. Wishing I might enjoy some small receipt from you, that might comfort Majesty's .service": my spirits in mine age, rather than my coffers with any wealth: for l esteem health above wealth." And cominguntothe city ofPrague met with the worshipful Mr Kelly The "mountain or rock" that Kelly sent to Burghlc)' was probably a German whomafterhis triendly entertainmentand at my departure from thence, Handsteine, a model of a mountain madt.! up of assays of ore, stone and crystals delivered unto me a box with the ore and order of the silver mines, for showing in section the layout of the mine workings with miners at their different to deliver unttl ynur honour with this letter here enclosed ... not tasks. Burghley was knownto have an interest in mechanical devices andnovel- dtlubting with God's help but that he himself will be here very shortly, ties, which he kept, together with an exhaustive collection of maps, ·in the as he fully intended at my coming away. Mr Dyer is gone unto him, and cabinets in his studies and gallt.!ries.~ has been now there a month from Stade, and is looked for daily. I hope Burghley's letter to Kelly scrupulously avoiJs mentioning alchl;!my. Presum- they will come together, God grant they may, tor he is a good subject ably this was in case the letter was intercepted. The matter was judgcd to be;t and to be accounted of. sensmve one. Burghley was certainly deeply interested and followed up his inquiries through other means. The British Library document uf February2 23 The letteris preservedin Ashmole's papers in the Bodleian Library (MS Ash- 1590 (MS Lansdowne 846, fols. 216-17) containing the copy ot a patent ur lllt>lc 1788, t~1b. 159-60). According to Dee's diary, Dyer had returned to Lon- knighthood granted by Rudolph to Kelly may well bt! a resplmse to such in~uir- don by March 14; Dee received a letter from Kelly March 17 (PD, 33i ies. On March 8, 1590, at the end of a long letter to Sir Horati\., Palavicin-•. Fenton, 247). Burghley writes, again unspecifically, "l pray you learn what you can,h\)\\. Sir Queen Elizabeth's most senior statesman, William Cecil, lord Burghley, Edwd. Kelly's profession may credited" (SP 81/6, fols. 7-8). the lord treasurer, now wmte directly to Sir Edward. An undated dmft of a letter be Palavicino was a financier whose fortune was based on the Europea.. m ndum survives in the British Library (MS Lansdowne 103 no. 73, fol. 211).79 He monopoly. From to he was the English government's fiancial agent thanked Kelly ft>r his letter received via Dyer and noted 1580 1592 in European dealings. He worked closely with Burghley, providing a conduit.. ;! that you Cllllfess t.t desire to return to ynur native countl)'i which is very finance for diplomatic, t!spionage, and other expenditures, and he was a hi~h- commendable in you. Ipercei\'e also by your own words, expressly, that level source of infonnation for Burghley and Walsingham.~1 r. A Biography of EJwurJ Kdly, tll!! Engli.sh Akh!!mi.st 58 ~IYSTlCAL ~tETAL OF GOLD

A knight I am and sworn to promote virtue and chivalry which I will &11_ July 13, 1590, Dee records in his diary "l went to the Archbishnp llf perform by all endeavour {God helping me) to the uttermost. Canterbury: talked with him boldly ofmy right to the parsonages; and to the But if it may please my most gracious sovercign and country to treatise ofSir Edward Kdly's Alchemy" (PD, 35; Fenton, 249). Was Dee claim, redress the injuries done against me heretoforeand to call me home to to ing some rights a work of Kelly's, or was it a matter of ownership of a the like honour; assuring me of so much lands of inheritance by year h, manuscript? l11e following year Raph Rabbards organized the publication of the serve her, as I shall leave behind me in Bohemia for her; then will 1 first edition of GeorgeRipley's TheCumpound of Alchemy. Among the prefatory declare myself openly. take lea\·e of his Majesty and kingdom andrcr .... tr essays and verses .. of other notablewriters" appeared the poem "Sir E. K. Con, home to her highness. cerningthe Philosopher'sStone written to his especial good friend, G.S. Gent." Dce also contributed a prefatory poem to the hook, "J. D. Gem: in praise of the KellyJoes not specify the! "injuries done against me heretofore but they could author and his work ... so he may well have been involved in arranging the be the ear lopping or the coining charge. publication of the poem hy Kdly. Kelly's"especial good friend G. S. Genthas On August 10, 1590, Kelly wrote replying taturthcr letterfrom Burghley not been identified. "I am not so mad to run away from my present honour and lands toshow for Kellyrepliedto Burghley from Prague, July 24, 1590 (SP 81/6, tols. 56-7). a new. Satis est per virtutem moxi qua per dedeam vincere.: . . To deal plainly Kellyrefuted "whatsoever has been spoken of me and by whom l know not but I find myself wdl at ease. And can well content myself withmypresent state am assured that no man has commission to repeat any words formally from me and will not remove but upon greater reasons than I yet find (SP 81_/6_. fol. b_' ). in England to that pretended effect, Mr Dyer I!XCepted who has done the! part Sir Horatio Palavicino responded to Burghley s request for information. of a faithful subject and told a truth such as none of these blabbers shall ever about Kelly by forwarding a long, rambling letter Puc.ci had sent him from overthrow." He went on to add that Prague on August 25. 1590 (SP 81/6, fols. 68tt). Puccireported thathhaJ broken with Kelly, finding him "ever more inconstant m matters ot religionanJ . such as reward me t~,r my faithful service are not to he counted enticers piety and knowing him in matters of friendship long in promisesand. word:. but neither is my discretion so Wl!ak as to apply any service! to the enl!mies short in deeds, finding him over long months and years vain and intolerably of her Majesty or my native country which hitherto l doubt not but that haughty." Pucci went on to complain that Kelly owed him money, and to I have well avoided ... I protest before God the true and sincere love, describe a quarrd that haJ developed between Kelly and Count Scotto.The Jury and o~.Jience that l do and always shall bear to her sacred Majesty quarrel, he reported, had been started by Kelly"who wrotethat hehad it from and the honour of my country; and so an end for this. trustworthy persons that Scotto was speaking untlattenngly ot him anwas Wdl a word or two with those that find fault with my rdigion. lf threatening to beat him up, whereby if such was the casehe ordered . hun to they be such as love God themselves, care for honesty, hate pride and indicate the place and the time so that he might respond with weaponinhand covetousness and the filthy sin of lechery: if they prefer not the court . . . . Suffice it to know for the moment that the quarrd in my opinioncannot before their conscience and Machiavd's doctrine before the word of God have an early end without bloodshed, and that all in all I don't believethere i then am I of them. And hope shall well conform with their religion, etc. much to chose between them. s But now I sing of amts and the man. And under your correction my Count Scotto, the Italian alchemist, was a sinister figure Also knownn as good lord say whatsoever he be in England that is not ashamed to report Scoto or Scota or Scotta or Scotti, and variously given the first name Geronimo that I am an imposter I will not be abashed to say that he is a knave or Alessandro or Giovanni, he had arrived in Prague earlier that year. 1590, and that he lies in his throat and will maintain it with my sword upon and seems to have played a part in the events that precipitatedKdly's downfall 11 his carcase wheresoever I can or shall tind it abroad. will gladly and in 1591. } . maliciously tread it Jown at home. Once again Edward Dyer was sent to deal directly with Kelly. He. arrived~.:..l (He went on to explain his situation in Bohemia.] Being in security, in Prague early in October 1590. He presented his papers to the ministers of and that in a country full of peace and liberty. seised in lands of inheri, state, but the political climate was uneasy and he lett rap1Jly. He wrote t t ranee yielding £1500 yearly, incorporated to the kingdom in the second Burghley October 31, .. 1 used all my best means to h.ave gotten .some medicine order, of some expectation and use more than vulgar, of his Majesry•s to have satisfied her Majesty by her own blisstul sight: but SirEJ feared to privy council (notwithstanding not yet sworn for the love I bear unto consent thereto, lest the report thereof being blown over, it migh,t he an occasion my sacred Queen and country), chief regent in and over all the lands to kindle jealousy here, whereof he being now of the Emperors pnvy council anJ affairs of the Prince Ro:mherk: I cannot see how 1 might easily or he has more regard than in time past" (SP 82/3, tol. 134). . ) . The same day, October 31, Kelly wrote to Burghley fwm Prague (S1 ~ i 1 honestly depart, much less so steal away, for why such properties belong to a paltry minded man and to him that knows not the use of honour. 6, fol. 76): 60 l\IYSTICAL l\IETAL OF GOLD A Biugmphy uf EJu·arJ Kdly, th~ En~li.sll :\ldt~mist ol

V cry gla~l I am rhat her royal Majesty has seen anJ likcJ these my lasr Kdly put of the base metal into the crucibleandafter it was se a little lerrcrs. AnJ am wdl pleased also, that you account yourself therein fully upon the fire and a very small quantity ot medicineput in andstirred saristieJ. Bur whereas you move me (as from her Majesty) to make some with a stick of wood, it came fllrth in great proportion perfectgold to demonstration in the principal point (as it pleases you to term it) of my the touchto the hammer, tothe test. science, to the end her Majesty might be rhe better satisfied, and for the My lord archbishop said, "You had need take heedwhat you say, so doing promise me (in her Majesty's behalt) gracious favour, increase Sir Edward Dyer, for here is an infidel at the board." . of honour and living, I thus answer: if her highness had specified any Sir Edward Dyer said again pleasantly, "I would have looked foran particular by her gracious own direct or indirect lcner, wherein her infidelsoonerin any place than at your grace's table." satisfactionhad consisted it should have taken such performance as the "What say you, Dr Brown?" says the bishop. . desires of so great a Majesty, and the show of my real love and loyalty Dr Brown answered, after his blunt and huddlmg manner, "The towards her might any way require. But because your lordship's letters gentleman has spoken enough for me." are too weak in that behalf, and for that the proceedings are so entangled "Why," says the bishllp, "What has he said?" . . with the tossing of some worthy man's well known and unstainable "Marry," says Dr Brown, "he said, he. would not havebelieved it. credit, I thought it tit to take a pause until I learn from her Majesty except he had seen it, as no more will I." t~>rmally wherein I might honourably serve and satisfy her gracious high· ness abrtlad, being settled and contented already with sufficient reputa· 1Jn February 18, 1591, Kdly wrote to Burghlcy, mentioning "I had forgottenh • tion and living. let you understand in my last letter that I wouldshortly sendyouthatsome good thing you desired tor you[r) health (Bnush Library MS Lan~do~\tk. bb, Dyer returnedto Prague in November. Accordingto Sargent, Dyer found Kelly ~o. 58, fols. 164--65). In May 1591 Burghley ~wte agam tu Kdly: a Jratr ot the so deeply involved with the Emperor that he could not have left the Empire letter survives (MS Lansdownc 103, no. 72): even had he wished to. "Whence came the original suggestion one cannot say, but between the two, Kdly and Dyer, they hit upon an ingenious solution. Since I have cause to thank you, and so I do very heartily for your good, kind Kclly could not carry away his secret, it was proposed that Dyer should enter letter sent to me by our countryman, Mr Roydon: who makes suchgood into collaboration on the experimems, with the expectation that Dyer should report of you, (as dues every other man that has had a conversation\nrh eventually learn the method of tr.msmutatiun for himself. Dyer was delighted you), as that I am comforted to hear their reports. Ye~ I have the same with the pruspect. Edward Dyer accordingly established himself in Kelly's house· mingled with some grief, that none of them can g1vc me .any good hnld, and under Kdly's tutelage plunged into the mysteries of alchemical labour. assurance of your return hither; the thing most earnestly desired of all TI1c whole winter was given 0\"er to the pursuit. "114 well disposed personsto the Queen's Majesty, and to theircountrymen h seems unlikely that Kclly would have shared his secrets. But they cer· . .. And I hope to hear from you to have something ot your approbationill, tainly did work together. Kelly later recalled this period in a letter to Dyer, to strengthen me afore the next winter against my old enemythe gout September 14, 1595 (Bodlcian LibratyMS Ashmole 1420, p. 328): "Yea, honor· which is .ratherfed by a cold humour than a hot, and principallyby a able sir, you know very well, what delight we took together, when fmm the rheumatic head, which l also think receives his imperfectionfrom a metals simply calcined into powder after the usual manner, distilling the liquor stomach not fully digesting the food received. But to affirm whatI take to the most direct cause is, oppression with attairs and lack ot liberty so prepared with the same we convened appropriate bodies (as our astronomy be infcritlr teaches) into mercury their first matter." againstthwhich no medicinal receipt canserve. And yet I will beglad to make use of any you will send me, wtth your assurance that lt shall Dyer's invoh·emcnt with Kelly is the subject of lllle of Francis Bacun's Apophthegms: do me no harm.

Matthew Roydon, who had delivered Kelly'sletter fromPrague was like Dyer Sir Edward Oyer, a grave and wise gentlemandid much believein Kelly a poet and a member of the Sidncy circle. He wroteanelegy o.n Sidney's:~ death, the alchemist that he did indeed the work, and made gold: insomuch "A Friend's Passion for his Astrophel." He was a tricnd of ChristopherMarlowe tha£ he wcm into Germany where Kdly then was, to inform himself and Gcorge Chapman, he was linked with Lord Strange and Ralegh's "School fully thereof. After his rerum, he dined with my lord of Canterbury, of Night," and he is generally believed to have been part of Walsingham':~ an where at that was at the table Brown the physician. They fell 87 time Dr Burghley's dintelligencenetworks. . . . . , in talk of Kclly. Sir Edward Dyer, turning to the archbishop said, "l do Was Elizabeth's senior statesman really discussing his gout with Kelly? assure your grace, that that I shall rdl you is truth, I am an eyewitness Would a political figure reveal a disabling sicknessby letter, so readily inter- thereof; and if I had not seen it, I should nor have believed it. I saw Mr ceptible, to an expatriate alchemist who refused to return home?Or is the ~lYSTICAL METAL OF GOLD 63

letter offeringcodedpolitical speculations?Is the rheumatic head Rudolf, rhe But Burghley did concede that doubts had beenexpressed.Somepeople impertecdy digesting stomachRudolf's advisers, and rhe lack of liberty a com- hewrote, "seeming to think the actionimpossible to pertorm, wh1ch is reported ment onBohemian attairs? And does that imply rhar Kelly was operatingas an ofSir Edw. K., conceive that they which make report of their own excellence agent for Burghley in Prague, "a highly-placed asset in the courr of Emperor by settingtransmutation of metals into gold by him Jll notwithstandingcontend Rudolf,"as Charles Nicholl asserts, with rhe known agent Roydon acting as with the reporters that they are deceived; and so may be to us." And Burghley courier?89 concludedthat, if Dyer was unable to persuade Kellyto return, ·"I must certainly RobertHookecertainly thoughtso. He speculated that Dee'sentirespiritual think that he cannot perform that which you conceive of him, but that by some records were coded accounts ot political events: "And when he returned, he left cunning, or, as they say, legerdemain, both you and all others have been de- Kelly with the Emperor who for several years after kept correspondence with ceived, as the wisest in Venice were the las! year: or else 1 must in my heart Dr_ Dce here, which might possibly continue toexecute the same design; Kdly (which I would be most lothto do) condemn him, as an unnatural bom man beingnowgrownSir Edward Kelly, and thEmperor's chymist. And in probabil- to his country, and a very disloyal subject to a most virtuous godly lady, his e Or Dee mighthave sufficiently furnished him wirh cryptography enough to sovereign." And he concluded with the request that "if you cannut obtainSir send what intelligences he pleased, without suspicion, which was easily con- Edw. Kelly's rerum personally, yet that you would, tor maintenance l>t your ceivedunder any other feigned story." In probability, perhaps; but Hooke never credit, procure some small, though very small portion of thepowderto make offers~ny examplesof thealleged cryptographs decoded. Nonetheless, the specu- demonstration in her Majesty's own sight ot the perfecnon ot h1s knowl- lauon _1s not an 1mposs1ble one. _The third volume ofTrithemius' Steganographia, edge .... I wish he would, in some secret box, send toher Majestyfor a token ostensibly a sequence of tables tllr summoning up spirits, has now been revealed some such portion as might be to her a sum reasonable to detray her. charges to be a work of cryptobrraphy. This was the book rhat Dee had tried to acquire for rhis swnmer for her navy which is now preparing to the sea to withstand in 1563 forBurghley (SP 12/27 fol. 63).1i'l rhc strong navy of Spain, discovered upon· rhe coasts between Britanny anJ Cornwall within these tw days. But wishers oand woulders were never good On May 12, 1591, Burghley wrote at length to Dyer:~ householders." There are various highly colored thoughunauthenticated Czech storiesof I have received your two letters; the one of the 15th, the other ut the Kelly at the height of his success. Josef Svatek, writing in the 1890s, has him 16th. By both which I perceiveyou hold fast your first opinion of Sir buying a brewery, mill,and property in Kiloveandgradually gaining a monopoly Edward Kelly, namely, as you write, forthat worthy truth in him at the over rhe food trade in the district, raising prices, ignoringthe protestingpopu- highest point that has been before you reported: and rherero you add in lace. When he was not on his estates he was in Prague; indulging in orgies of the same letter, that for his pertect love towards her Majesty you think wine and women. lvan Svitak attributes Kclly's undoubted wealth to his re- rhere cannot be found better in any man; move me to expect cerrainly processing waste from the J ilove mines, retrieving gold by the use of mercury by your meansa perfectresolution in Sir Edward K. wirhour all scruples Reputedly Kelly bought a house in Dobytcitrh, the _Cattle Market, in which to return to h1s nativecountry; to honour her Majesty, as a loyal natural none other than Dr. Faust was supposed to have hved. He is said to have subject, with the fruits of such great knowledge as God has given him. been less thanenthusiastic about the various other travelling alchemists who converged on Prague. Mamugnano he kept at a distance. Similarly, when Mi- Burghlcy was at pains tll refute some chael Sendivogius arrived in 1590, Kelly is said to have lodged him in one of his houses at Jilove to prevent his becoming a rival for Rudolf's patronage." light and very false rumours carried thither; the falsehouJ ofsome of Events now took a dramatic turn as Rudolf ordered Kelly's arrest. The them beingbyme even at rhis present discovered, that my Lord Chancd- earliest report is in "The true copy of a letter written from Frankfurt, the l 5th lor [SirChnstopher Hatton] showed me in a letter from you brought of May," 1591, now in the British Library.'13 John Strype attributed it tn "an with mine wherein you wrote, that Sir Edw. K is informed that my English merchant, as it seems, at Frankfurt, ""~• presumably becausetheopening LordChancellor has utteredJivers reproachful speeches even afore her paragraph declares, "To Prague I came on the 28th Apnl, makingmy journey MaJesty: whereot my lord is notably wronged. For on my faith I never so as I might fall in with the end of the Leipzig mart because of the occasion heard my lorduse any evil words of him: and he himself, upon the receipt for Frankfurt with the merchants of Cologneand Strasbourg." This attribution of your letterhas and does avow it upon his faith and honour, and so has never been disputed. However the letter is most probably fmm HenryWot- has protested aforeher Majesty; and that he never uttered any reproach- ton. lr is written to Edward Wotton, his half brother, with whom he frequently ful words, e1thcr atore her Majesty or out of her presence. Which also her corresponded, and the rderence in it to Boughton House shows a familiaril) Majesty in my hearing has confirmed, never to have heard his lordship to with that family hume ofthe Wottons, where Henry and Edward were brought havedepravedhim. up. The known timetable of Wouon's travels supports the conjecture. Logan ~IYSTlC.-\L ~lETAL OF GOLD 65

Pearsall Smith writes rhar "at rh~ end ofApril, 1591, Wottonleft Viennaand The tumult being ovt:r, what should be the cause was the next wenttu Prague; andin Juneofthis yearwe finJ him again at Frankfurt, where question. To be weighty and heinous it was Clmj~ctur~J. beca~se it was he seemsto have arrived before the end of May, and where,as he writes to contrary ro the Emperor's humour and course ot the house of Austria Bllltius, he haJ sufferredfrom a severeand expensive illness of a month's dura~ to proceed in criminal matterseither so violentlyor so generally,That tion." Thelatest biographer llf Wotton,GeraldCurzon,accepts my identifica- it touched the Emperor's own person was manifestedby keeping it close tion of Wottonas the author.'~; at least by interpretation received no otherwise. The causesgiven forth were these. Some said it was for debt, which though it were probably At my first coming, I W

Itturned outto be a false report. Whoeverwas hanged, it was nor Kdly. Bur Since which time as I Jl) learn Scottohimselfis fledsoas no perso.n the threat ot such a fate remainedfor him. can say how or whither. Farther at this time I cannot write. But J\) send Thomas Webbe was despatched with letters from Queen Elizabeth to this lerr~r to your lordship by a gentleman one of Sir Edward Kelly's ensure the release of Dyer, who was said to be under house arrest.97 Webbc men and was prisoner amongst therest for the same and who perhaps reportedback to Burghley, June 26 (British Library, MS Lansdowne 68, no. 93, can certify your honour moreat large of all courses hitherto passed. tols. 210-11)): Thereis more information in a letter from Thomas Page, catalogued in the It is fora truth reported thatSir EJward Kelly was accused by one Scotto Public RecordOffice under July 2, 1576, though from the eventsdescribed the to the Emperor.The effect ofhis accusation is uncertain, yet some report year is clearly 1591 (SP 12/108.fol. 119). From this account it emerges [h ..t was that he should practice to poison the Emperor, and others rhar it therehad been attempts to involve"Sir Edward Kdly for the working him to was for debt. Upon which his accusation the Emperor sent for him thrice, be a favourer of theattemptof a true discovery for China or the Nonh and Sir EdwardKelly always excusing himself that he was not well, and went East part thereof otherwise called Cathay, which enterpriseof him greatlycom- not. Bur that night he had word at midnight that he was to be appre- mended, but nor allowing the weakness of theauempr, persuaded rhe contrary,, hended the next morning, and so instantly departed with one man to- and it became to be suspendedupon betterdeliberation, as also his own secret wards the LordRozmberk. Thenext day somewhat early the Emperor business, somethingfor the better furthering thereof in rime." It was one ul sent his guard forhim in great number who brought with them not only those schemes of explorationand trade in which Dce had been involved. Perhaps chains or fetters but irons of torture. And findingthat he was departed the English hoped to draw on Kelly'snew found wealth to invest in it. Rudolf's they searched his house, broke open his doors, thrust their halberds suspicions that Kelly was still dealing with the English is confirmed, and the through his beds or in any place where it might be supposed he might speed with which Pagegot out of Praguesuggests things may not have been be hid, apprehending his brother and using much violence, in leading utterly above board. Page offers another account of the reason for Kelly'sarrest. him to prison pinnacled like a thief, and there left in chains with all the "Lies here verytit matter to allege for his going to the Lord RozmberL: concerning rest of his servants. And a great guard was left over the Lady Kelly and a cozening practised by a Portingal [a Portuguese) with certain cups of polished Mr Dyer, who since has answered such objections as has been laid to . horn resembling agate, and sold for agate by this same Portingal to Sir E. K. td him Jivers times and as I hear thrice in one day, yet now I hear that Mr the value of 14 thousand dollars, th~ one half whereof Sir E. K. paid him, the Dyer is more favoumbly entreated and is in another lodging where he rest to be paid within a short space, which timeexpiredthePortingal demanded goes not out: neither can I certify unto your honour that he is restrained payment bur Sir E. K. deferred him, for rhar h~ perceived theplot laid to deceive neither shall I be able to certify unto your honour of the particularities him, which nor yet ripe would nor fear to prove it, expecting the coming ofthe of Mr Dyer's trouble until I shall have spoken with himself. Lord Rozmberk to the town, who in respect he is viceroydoes determine all Bur to proceed with Sir Edward Kdly's apprehension, as I do cer- controversies in the kingdom, the Portingal importuned his payment. Sir E. K. tainly understand more thus. Departing early he went six Dutch miles delayed him, still expecting the Lord Rozmberk coming, for that their term wa~ towards the Lord Rozmberk to a certain town under his jurisdiction then to be holden, who falling sick came not. This payment was urged still by where he being weary and without suspect he reposed himself after dinner the Portingal in theend by the meansof theSpanish ambassador anJ the papal ona bed and slept. In which time the Emperor's guards entered, rook legate. The Emperor was possessedwith the Portingal's plaint, and as Sir E. K himentreated him very ill, cur his doublet open with a knife, searching was certified, had grantedto send for him with summons, it should seemhe prevented by departing before it came hastening to the Lord Rozmberk to himand toldhim they were by the Emperor's commandment to carry hun back agam, dead or alive, which they cared nor, and so prisonered complain him of his wrong, but this the least of many practised against him contrary whereof the Lord Rozmberk had promised by oath when he tirsr estab- he was carriedback again to a castle about of tive miles from Prague, . lished him with the Emperor." wherehe ts closely L:ept, without any manner of access to him. But he Page goes on to give assurance that Rudolf haJ indeedcreated Kelly proved that he was going to th~ Lord Rozmberkand that the Lord Rozmberksent for him and that hewas expected at thesame rime by his subject, a lnighr of the Empire anJ one of his privy council, the theLord Rozmberk. At which time theLord Rozmberk was sick which truth whereofis nor receivedalmost with any in EnglanJ, bur l have caused him to be somewhat long ere he came to the castle in which this reason ro leadme that it is true by an incident that happenedat d time all Sir EdwardKelly's lands and goods were seized totheEmperor's banquet whither it pleased Sir E. K. to carry me with him, Mr Dyer,,also behalf:but since the Lord Ro:mberk's coming all his men were enlarged, present, by the secretary uf the Emperor,who coming in rhe latter end hunself better entreated, only deprivedof his liberty and fri~nds. thereof, saluted all thecompany but notSir E. K., but began to take 70 ~lYSTlCAL l\IETAL l1F GL)LD A Biography of Edward Kelly, the EnglishAlchemist

exception that he deserved tobe lllllrc regarded with Sir E. K. in that July 30, "reconciliation betweenMr Dyer and me solemnized the afternoon on hehaddone.him afavour in the quick dispatch uf a matterwhich passed Friday, and on Saturday (the 31st) all day till my going by [Fenton: "to"] ... his placebcmg secretary whereto Sir E. K. answered that . in that he at Mr Webbe's lodging at Rochester House" (PD, 38-9; Fenton, 253). sought tu teach him manners, he could not be spared, but must tell him Meanwhile Kelly languished in prison. In 1592 Vilem Rozmbcrk died. Kelly he did but his duty to the Emperor. The matter still aggravated with was now without his prime protector. The English government continued to many other words by the secretary, Sir E. K. bade him remember he maintain an interest in the case. Christupher Parkins reponed back to Sir Robert spakc to a councillorof the Emperor, with such other dignities before Cecil, Burghley's second son, who was now running intelligence operations,in named, .if notheshould knowit with the price of his life in these express leuers of July 18 and 20, 1593 (SP 81/7, fols. 140, 143-4): words (ifnot) per deum actum est dete, whereupon the secretary fled led the table. The Emperor acquainted herewith, the secretary was Of Kelly's skill I tind here in Prague three opinions. The tirst is that he chastised and reconciledhimself to Sir E. K., all which I write in confir- makes neither gold, neither in truth transmutation of metals, but only mation of the truth that the Emperor has gracedhim with these dignities that he has a new r.ue kind of juggling, whereby he seduces some wise uf hunuur. But yet within this business there was, as after appeared, men to believe what is not, as common jugglers deceive common people. purposedpracticeby the secretary to drawhim within compass uf treason, Others think this opinion too austere, esteeming that he makestrue informing.as it is by their laws treason for any of them to report the transmutation of metals yet in such sort that he has thereby loss anJ no meetmg ot each otherin council, and the secretary asked him at his first commodity. The ground of this opinion is that he has been apprehended meeting if he knew him not, who knew him no otherwise but by meeting for debt, whereby he is esteemed to want and have need. him in council, which, if he had expressed, he had beenwithin compass, Others also think this opinion of little belief, and they esteem that but this not growing current it should seem they have practiced some Kelly can do what he will. And that this show of need and want is other course_to bring him within breach of their laws, by colour whereof unto him voluntary and not necessary, standing upon general point of they might torce from him what God has blessed him with, I mean the reputation and comempt of dross. Men of this opinion be accounted philosopher'sstone which_ he possesses without question to the contrary, simple. And those best men about the Emperor be uf the second opinion. withwhich knowledge, it Godshould permit, he is able to perfect all This much of his opinion. the imperfectmetal in theworld, which for my part I do not at all marvel This is his state. After he had been proved tdally with jewelsof at but hold it asnaturalsecret which God has reserved to be imparted great importance showing that he had will tu buy now uf one, and now unto the true faithfullabourers and delighted in his work not delighting of another, taking them upon credit, and pawning them to the Jews for the world but contemplating his divinity and unsearchable works. present money, and redeeming sometimes the jewels of one with the jewels of another as each one urged him, and thereby giving some con- The Fuggcr banking house also carefully monitored the case. Gold manufactur- tent to each one at sundry times, by seeing their jewels in his hands ing touched un their professional interests. May 8, 1591, a correspondent re- forthcoming, at the length some got their jewels from him again, others portedKdly's arrest and imprisonment: "He was not evenalloweda bread knife whose jewels lay irredeemable with the Jews, urged him tu their utter- everythingwas taken away. His servants are still here under restraint. But his most, and at the length being altogether without satisfaction they com- wifeand otherwomenare L:ept under arrest at home. It would appear that there plained to the Emperor who called Kelly before him. He excused himself IS somethmg behindall this, we do not yet know what." A letter on May 14 by sickness, yet in the night he hurried toward Rozmberk, anJ it is reported"The English akhemist who has recently been taken to Purglitz as a thought to seek some remedy to uphold his creditors. prisoner appeared to be in the depthsof despair these latter days and refused The Emperor forthwith had intelligence that his excuse of sickness to partake of food, so that it was teared he might die." There were further letters was not sincere, whereupon adjoining some offences that had passed on May21_, June 30, andJuly 2, the latter reporting that Kdly was imprisoned before, the Emperor sent to apprehend him in his voyage, the which w as with no airbut that whichcomes through a hole, through which he can reach performed accordingly. And Kelly apprehended was by the Emperor's forhis food bit bybit ... . On examining the accounts of Rozmberk it was found order led to the castle called Purglitz four miles from Prague where he that the Englishman had cost him over three hundred thousand florins. It is is now detained. amazingthat. thesenoblemen have allowed themselves to be duped in such a The former offence is this. Kelly having made many petty proofs• ll fashion. He is said to have cost the Emperor near on a thousand Rhenish no gain, had made a solemn promise long since of a grand proofthe guilders." which should be with Caesar's great advantage, but delaying from time Dyer was allowed toreturn toEngland with Webbein July 1591. Dee notes to time about the effect it was agreed of a peremptory day, and thatmore in his diary, July 28, "Mr Dyer sent me 20 angels by Mr Thomas Webbe," and than once, Kelly ever failing and finding some general sleeveless excuse, MYSTICAL~lETAL OF GOLD A Biography ofEdward Kellythe EnglishAlchemist 73)

1 yet Caesar in themean season cherished and countenanced him well, But Kaplicky's novel is a work ofromantic fictiun and not generally histori- daily more and more by this good dealing encouraged to stand upon cally reliable. 100 111 points ot reputationyet nothing was performed of him accordingly, so Kelly now begins to feature in the literary rccord. l GabrielHarveywrites that this order of offence joined with the suit of his creditors, and his ii1 Pierce's Supen ..•rogation (1593), "I wondered tohear that Kelly had gottenthe declining has been the cause of his imprisonment. And now Caesar Golden Fleece, and by virtue thereof was suddenly advancedinto so honourable otters him his enlargement prescntly when he has made his grand proof. reputation with the Emperor's Majesty; but would have wonderedmoreto have He standing upon his reputation, answers that he will not so disgrace seen a work of supererogarion from Nashe: whose wit must not enter the lists his cunning tomake any proof until he be fully at liberty. So he remains of comparison with Kelly's alchemy: howsoever he would seem to have the in hllld upon these terms. green lion, and the tlying eagle in a box. Bur Kelly will bid him lookto the swollen toad and the dancing fool. Kelly knows his luteof wisdom, and uses his Parkins reported that his informationcame from the emperor'scouncillors.The renns of art. "102 Thomas Nashe himself refers to Kdly in Have With You to also showed him a letter Kelly Saffron-Walden (1596). Lull and Paracelsusare called upon, which provokesthe response, "Let him call upon Kelly,who is better than them both; and for the said her Majesty wrote untohim, whereinhe was required to come home spirits and souls of the ancient alchemists,he has them so close imprisonedin and advance his own country with his skill, with divers promises. In the the fiery purgatory of his furnace, that tor the wealth ofthe King ot Spain':;:, same letterthey said there were certain words written with her Majesty's lndies, it is not possible to release or gct the third part ot a nit of any one of 101 own hand, thewhich they showed unto me, and required of me if I could them to help any but himself." · In Ben Jonson's TheAlchemist (1610)_ Sir givejudgement of them, signifying if Kelly did interpret them too much Epicure Mammon refers to Subtle as ''A man, the emperor/Has courted, above to his advantage. And at length they required of me in the Emperor's Kelly: sent his medals, I And chains, to invite him" (Act 4scene 1, 89-91) _. .., name,if I could give any account of the diminishing of one of his ears, In Hudibras (1663), the Worcestershire poet Samuel Butler cites the intrigues or ofhis good or evil behaviour in England. Whereunto I answered, that between Dee and "Kelly, I Lescus and th'Emperor"(2. 3. 237-8).1"105 I might seem an unfitman to talk of Kellywithout some affection, who Kelly was finally rdeased by Rudolf. Edward Suliarde reported back to has so grievously and falsely oftended me, yet setting aside all passion, England from Padua, July 3, 1593 (SP 8511, fol. 158) "there_is now news that being required in the name of such a monarch, I would refer what I Kelly is set at liberty and in great favour again, but not of sufficientcredit until knew onlyupon the ground of common report. And so I did. the next post." Suliarde's infonnation may havebeen premature. September 9, Abraham Faulkon wrote from Bohemia to Richard Hesketh in Lancashire.,"As Unfortunately Parkins does not report what he said in response to the emper- concerning Sir Edward Kelly, his delivery has been the 16th day of October or's enquiries. new style, and is in good health, both fat and merry. Thomas Kdly took me Back _in England, Parkins wrote enigmatically to Sir Robert Cecil, Novem- along with him at Leben, where I was three days by his honour, and received ber 20, 1593,"For that I think her Majesty will have no mention made of me very couneously, and must sit at table, both dinner and supper, what guests Kclly's matter that is now dead, I will attend the occasion well to bury it."99 soever his honour had, and promiscd whatsoever has not been done his honour _ Kelly'sdealings with the Portuguese jewellers are also reported in a letter would do.. At my being at Lebcn, his honour did fish a pond, and gave me good from Seth Cockes, July 28, 159.3 (SP fol. 154) who says he passed on the 8011, store of fish home with me likewise. "106 informationto Parkins: "I find by those that were thoroughly acquainted with Puzzlingly, this letter dated September refers to Kdly's releasein October many ot his shifts, that the philosopher's stone been nothing else than the has But Dee also gives an October release date: his diary records "the news ofSir provision of 6,000 ducats of the Baron of Rozmberk, together with an extraction Edward Kelly's liberty" on Decembcr 5, and he noted it retrospectivdy for jewels which by the credit he had by the Lord Rozmberk he took up ofcertain October 4, 1593, old style, which correlates closely with Faulkon's October16 ofa Portingaland French jewellerout of thc which being pawned to the Jews new style (PD, 46--7; Fenron, 262-3). December 9, 1593 Seth Cocks reported he distilled to the value of 16,000 ducats, whereof he melted many and sent from Padua, "Mr Kdly is discharged of his long imprisonment and in great credit the wedges to be sold to the goldsmith, which gave such opinion of his skill with the Emperor" (SP 8511. tol. 163). that it was _thought therc would nor be lead enough in the country for the On August 28, 1593, Burghley had despatched a letter to Kellyby J courier operationot his powder, and rhus he lived for a while in liberty." called William Hall. The record of the despatch survives in the Cecil collection Czechaccountsby]osef Svatek and Vaclav Kaplicky, havc Kelly impris- at Hatfield, but the contents of the letter are unknown. It has been suggested oned for killingan officialof Rudolf'scourt, Georg or ]an or ]iri Hunkler,in a that William Hall was an alias used by none other than William Shakespeare duelin 1591. Hunkler had been inquiring about the cropping of Kelly's ears. on secret service work, and that the message involvedcommunicationsto Kelly 74 ~lYSTlCAL METAL OF GOLD A Biugruphy <:>f EJU>arJ Kdly, eh~ English Akhl.!misL 75

in connectiun with the Heskcth conspiracy, anotherdoomed attempttu create Henry Lcigh had served as a courier for leners between Burghlcy and Kelly a Catholicuprising in Britain. 107 anJ Dyer in August and October 1590. "His lodging was wont to be about Sir RobertCecil_ had devised a scheme to test the loyaltyof Lord Strange, Holborn bridge;" the Earl of Huntingdon infonued Sir Robert Cecil. 111 He m.ay who was suspected ut Roman Catholic sympathies. A letter was to be sent to well be the Harry Lee who offered Kelly an annuity of forty pounds a year, him by one of the exiled English papists living in Prague, calling fur a Catholic referred to in Kelly's argument with Dce, June 29, 1583 (TFR, 28). Being insurrection. If Strange failed tu report the letter, his treachery could be assumed. mentioned in Stephenson's intercepted correspondence caused Leigh consider- RichardHesketh had been living in Prague for three years; returning to England able trouble, and in December 1593 he wrote the earl of Hunringdon an account m September 1593, he stopped at the White Lion Inn in Islington on his way of his acquaintance with Kelly and Stephenson at the time of Kelly's arrest: from Prague to Strange's seat in Lancashire, and was given the letter by "Mr Hickman," possibly Dee's formershyer, Bartholomew Hickman, or his brother. First, I, the said Henry, do confess that after I had overspent my whole Hesketh delivered it to Strange who reported it to the Queen. Hesketh was estate in Her Majesty's service, without any recompense, and by the arrested in October, and hanged, drawn, and quartered at St Albans on Novem, bcr 29. cause of my fortune was driven to go to Prague, to seek some favt.lur of Sir Edward Kelly, I did there see the said Thomas Stephenson in the Since Kdly had been under arrest and in jail frum May 1591 until mid, company of one Richard Tankard, an Englishman, who did Jivers time:! October1593, his participation in the Hesketh affair, whether as conspira, active resort to Sir Edward Kelly's house. And not long after the surprising of tor, provocateur or informer, is unlikely. The names of KellyLady Kelly, and Sir Edward Kelly and all the Englishmen that were then at Prague, it his brother Thomas certainly recur in letters intercepted in the ensuing investi, was my chance to meet the said Stephenson upon Prague bridge, where gation They were clearly acquainted with participants in the conspiracy. But he began to dissuade me from that melancholy wherewith it seemedto there is nothing to suggest any direct involvement by them in the affair. him I was oppressed, offering unto me all love and service to steal me October 15, 1593, Richard Hesketh wrote from imprisonment to Lord in that so dangerous a time for all Englishmen.... All which his cour- Cobhamor Sir Rubert Cecil: "Besides it were convenient to understand whether tesy and offers of friendship at that time I was content to accept ot, the Mr Dyerunderstand of my imprisonment or not, for if it be bruited amongst his menor followers,they will straight write to my Lady Kdly or Mr ThomasKelly, rather for that Mr Dyer was then closeprisoner, with whom l could inrespect of that I toldyour honour the other day, and then the goldsmith wiJl have no conference, nor receive direction what I might best doforthe know it, anJ he will tell the Father Jesuit, and the Jesuit the Cardinal, so shall furtherance of Her Majesty's service in that behalf. And I thought ir not your honour never have them, which would be a great hindrance to the satisfac, amiss to entertain him at that time, as well for my own safety and liberty, tion of )'our honour in my behalf. If Mr Dyer, nor his, have written nothing, it as also to understand by him from time to time the proceedings in Sir were good they should not, under your Honour's favours." 1()! Edward Kelly's case with the Emperor, for that one Methur and one On December 8, 1593, a Jesuit priest in PragueThomas Stephenson, wrote Aquensis, which were in the college with him, were confessors and to Richard Hesketh. In the course of his letter he remarked, "Our Lord send us special intlamers of the Poples, the great family of Bohemia, against Sir a King, and some more comfort after so many surging waves. Mr Thomas is in Edward Kelly, and the said Poples were as it were in sinu Caesaris; so as l health. I have been with him twice. Sir Edward is at Leben, not yet in his purposed by that means to await the best opportunity to do Her Majesty's tlower. Mr Hammon is become a new man, and I hope will continue. Commend service ... I was almost in despair of any comfort in mine own counrry. me to your good bedfellow, though unacquainted. I beseech you deliver my and as it were plunged in the depths of desolation abroad by the change letter ll> Mr leigh. "ll'IY Mr. Thomas may have been Thomas Kelly, Mr. Hammon of Sir Edward Kelly's fortune, having then neither money nllr means to may be John Hammond, (see note 130 inf.), and Sir Edward is certainly Kelly, maintain me, yet even at that time when all Englishmen in Prague were now at liberty on his Leben estate. in prison and none durst speak .... . Stephenson wrote to Henry Leigh the same day. "Courtesy compels me to As touching the contents of the letter sent frum Stephenson tome, wnre, and our old acquaintance moves me continually to remember you: I which it has pleased your Honour to show me, I trust to discharge myself, marvelled ofyour so sudden departure from us, without any further notifying for though I cannot let or prevent any man to write to me, yet doesthe your meaningbut you, I doubt not, did all for the best, and so, as I understand, very first part give testimony to the world that he had nut any way lt has fallenout, and wrote of you from London, that you were become a good bewitched or entangled me with any covenants of secret love l)f inter- subject for the current time. However it be, no tales, nor talk nor flying words course of friendship, for that he seems to complain I left him suddenly shall make my will to shrink, so longas I live I will not leave dearly on you to and unsatisfied, without taking my leave of him, which is a sound argu- think. I desire heartily to see you. Sir Edward is at Leben, and was delivered ment of the little account and small regard I gave to his charming, for (WO mt.mths ago."110 . in very truth when I had wrought him so far as I could in Sir Edward 76 ~lY~TlCAL ~IETAL OF GOLD A Biugral'hy of EJuurJ J..:dly, th~ English Ak:h&:misc 7 7

Kelly'scase I lefthim and all his 'accomplices' with theirtrash to them, patronagehimself? Or was he in need of assistance?Scptemhcr 14,Kelly wrote selves; and according to my Jury I returned to serve my natural prince to Oyer, recalling their experiments: "Yea, honorahlc sir, you know very well, anJ my country. what delight we took together"(MS Ashmolc 1420, p. 328}. But Kelly was soon imprisoned a second time. His offence, according to Leigh wentonto conclude,"And whereas the said Stcphcnson does open his IvanSvitak, was that on November l, 1596, back in court, he woundedthough pack ot occurents as to Sir Edward Kdly's liberty he and all men know it was did not kill, George Hunkler, assistant of the alchemist SchalJ Schwerter. This the only matter I managed or dealt in, in those parts."112 was "the immediate cause, of the arrest: but Svitak at the same time has Kelly Leigh wrote a further letter February 21, 1594, protesting his innocence, imprisoncdfor debt and his estate confiscated by "a corrupt anJ influentialman to Sir Robcrt Cecil. In a postscripthe remarks, "In the very last of Stephenson's Krystof Zelinsky zc Sebuzina ... 117 · letter mention is made of a letter he received from Mr H. from his house in He was imprisoned at Most (also known as Brux), andJuring this period Lancashire, which I forgot to explain in my answer delivered to my lord of composed his alchemical treatise The Stone of the Philosophers, which he wrote HumingJon. It seems to me that the letter came from one Mr Hesketh, a in Latin and dedicated to RuJolf; the opening refers to having "already twice Lancashire man, which was at Prague the same time that I was there, and was suffered chains and imprisonment in Bohemia."118 The alchemist Oswald visited familiar with Stephensonbut I have not seen him these two years almost."113 him in jail "apparently in the hope of some enlightenment over the Secretum Leigh admits to having "seen" Hesketh in Praguethough does not indicate solutionis. , 119 Michael Scndivogius is said to have bought one ofhis estates which whether he ever spoke to him. He met the priest Stephenson through Richard Lady Kelly sold to raise money. 110 Some details of Kelly's finances and the Tankard, a goldsmith, whu knew Kdly. But there is no evidence that Kelly ever disposal of his property at this time survive in Czech archives.1121 met Hcsketh, or, indeed, Stephenson. Kelly was in jail for most of the period The end, like the beginning, remains obscure. Dee's diary recordsNovem- ot Hesketh'sresidence in Prague.The mentions of him in the imercepted corre, ber 25, 1595, "news that Sir EJward Kdly was slain" (PD. 54; Fenton, 277). spondence need suggest no more than his imprisonment had been a cause celebre But the modem historianof the emperor's court, R. J. W. Evans, cites a docu- and his release a matter of continued interest to the English community in ment indicating that Kellywas definitely alive on May 22, 1597, at the castle 12 Prague. There is no substantiation to Charles Nichull's claim that "this dac, of Most. Borbonius thought he was still active in I 598. ! A number of stories monic tigure [E. K.] was undoubtedly involved with the Catholic plotters in record that trying to escape from the castle he fell and broke his leg; some Prague."114 accounts say he died from his injuries; Kaplicky writes that, badly injured he Dce's correspondencewith Kdly resumed now Kclly had been set at liberty, took poison and died on November 1, 1597. and his diary records letters to Kelly lln March 28 and September 18, 1594, and According toJohn Weever, Queen Elizabeth sent "Captain Peter Gwynne from Kelly on November24, 1594 (PD, 48, 50, 51; Fenton, 265, 267, 268). He with some others, to persuade him to return back to his own nati\'e home, also records, May 18, 1594, "Her Majesty sent me again the copy of the letter which he was willing to do: and thinking to escape away in the night, by stealth, of E. K. with thanks" (Fenton, 265; PD, 49, has "G. K."); it is unclear whether as he was clambering over a wall in his own house in Prague (which hears his this is the copy of a letter from Kelly to the Queen or to Dee. The contents of name to this day, and which sometime was an old sanctuary), he fell downfrom these letters arc not disclosed and Kelly's activities Juring this time are un, the battlements, broke his legs, and bruised his body; of which hurts a while known. According to lvan Svitak, however, Kelly, released from imprisonment, after he departed this world."123 was hghting in Peter Rozmberk's anny against the T urksin the summer of 1594 Ashmole records in 1652 that Kdly "was clapped up again into prison and near Komarno.115 attempting to make his escape out of a high window, by the tearing of his sheets, English intelligence continuedto monitor Kelly. Scth Cocks wrote to Sir which were tied together to let him Jown, he (being a weighty man) fell and RobertCecil from Krakow April 8, 1595, "I am now within these two Jays to broke his leg anJ thereof died, (TCB, 483). Arrhur Dee gave a more detailed depart hence and mean to pass by Pmgue, because I will see Sir Edward Kelly, account to Sir Thomas Brownc, who conuuunicated it to Ashmole in 1674: who they say enjoys his formerfavour with the Emperor" (SP 88/1, fol. 221). In May 1595 another English secret agent was in Prague. He went under the He said also that Kdly dealt not jusdy by his . father and that he went name of John Snowden, but he had been born John Cecil in Worcester in 1558, away with the greatest part of the powder and was afterward imprisoned three years after Kelly was bornthere. 116 Was this a childhood acquaintance of by the Emperor in a castle from whence attempting an escape down the Kelly's sent to make contact?Or someone with a shared background which he wall he fell and broke his leg and was imprisonedagain. That his father could use to ingratiatehimself? Or someone on an entirely separate operation? Or John Dee presented Queen Eli:abcth with a little of the powder, who On August 12, 1595, Dee records "I received Sir Edward Kelly's letters of having made trial thereof attempted to get Kelly out of prison. Andsent the Emperor's, inviting me to his service again, (PD, 53; Fenton, 275). Kclly, some to that purpose who giving opium in drink unto the kccpcrs, land it appears, was accepted by the Emperor once more. Was he now able to offer them so fast asleep that Kelly found opportunity to attemptan escapeand A Bioj.'l·ujJhy uf EJlmrJ Kdly, th.: E ngli.sh .-\k·h.:mi.st t..IYSTIC.-\L METAL OF GOLD

whose special care 1 h<1J been. Heaven gave me a step-father,. and him therewere horses ready lll carry him away! But the business unhappily I loved as a second father, but death took him. A brother remainedh • succeededas is before declared.124 me; yet insatiable death cut him down in the flower ofyouth. Kelly was survived by his wife, Lady Joanna Kdly (d. 1606) and two step- Anepitaph by Nicolaus Maius onLady Joanna'sdeathalso referstoherm.lrn.• ; ...: children, a son Jllhn FrancisWcston (1580-1600) and a daughter, Elizabeth toKelly, making it clear he was the "philosopher," and confirms that shewas Weston (1582-l612). Elizabeth achieved considerable fame as the Latin poet Westonia.125 ofEnglish birth. In the spiritual transactionsof April 4, 1587, the lack of children in Kdly's I, Joanna, who had wife to the philosopherKelly, marriage to )oan Cooper is discussed. Kdly was tolJ "barrenness dwells with been Buffeted by the changing fortunes of the world rest here. you, because you did neglect me and take a wife to yourself contrary to my The greater the cross bore, the greater the patient commandment .... Therefore you shall have the womb which you have barren I endurance, The greater the glory in Heaven. . and fruitless to you because you have transgressed that which I commanded 1 England gaveme a native land, Bohemian soil a grave ... , ·" you." Nowhere in Dee's private Jiary or in the spiritual transactions is there any reference tl> JoanCooperhaving been married before or having any children, Maiusalso wrote an enitanh on Westoniaherself. He was one ofa number of either by Kelly or by any previousrelationship. The step-children are never men- W . tioned. members of the Dee and Kelly world who were known to estonia. he .1 :. a However, the editl>rs of Elizabeth Weston'sCollected Writings accept that knew Edward Dyer and she wrote two name day poemsfor Jindrich: Pisnice, Kelly'swife Juan Cooper had been previously married. powerful political tigure, the deputy chancellor, whose nieceLudmillahad mar- ried Kelly's brother Thomas in 1587. Another connectionwtth Deeand Kelly Parish recordsshow that John Wessone and Joane Cowper were married is a poem Elizabeth wrote to one of her teachers, John Hammond. She also on 29 June 1579 at Chipping Nonon, Oxfordshire.... A son of this wrote verses to Peter Vok Rozmberkand to the alchenust Oswald Croll,who.. I unil1n, John, was christened on 23 July 1580, and Elizabeth, daughter of asked her to compose a poem which he included in his Basilica Chymica . "John Weston," was christened some time later, seemingly between 4 Of Kelly's own writinbrs, the poem, "Sir E. K. Concerningthe Philosophers March and 31 October 1581. John Weston, "clark," was buried on 6 Stone written to his especial good friend, G.S. Gent.," tirst published among May 1582. the prefatory essays and verses to Raph Rabbards' edition of George. Ripley's A week before Weston's burial, Edward Kelley ... reportedthat the The Compound of Alchemy (London: Thomas Orwin, 1591) was reprintedto- Archangel Michael had told him that he must marry; this injunction gether _with a longer poem, "Sir Edward Kelle's Worke," i~1 Elias Ashmole's was repeated on May 4th. Shortly thereafter, Kelley married the recently Theatrum Chemicum Britannict'm (London, 1652). Excerpts fromKdly s letters widowed)ane Cooper Weston. appear in Tractatus Duo Chemici Singulares et Breves (Geismar, 1647).1~1 The: The following year, Dee and Kelley left with their wives (but appar- most substantial collection of work ascribed to Kelly is Edouandi Kellaei Angle enrly without the two young Weston children, who are not mentioned Tractatus Duo Egregii De IApide Philosophorum, Una Cum Theatro Astronomiae in Dee's diary account of the voyage, and who presumablystayed behind Terrestri, published posthumously in Hamburg in 1676 "per Gothotredum Schul- with their maternaland paternal grandmothers for the time being, as tzen It contains, in Latin, The Stone of the Philosophers, The HumiJ Path ur Weston'ss elegy forher mother would suggest) ... it seems likely that the Discourse on the Vegetable Menstruum of Satum, and The Theatre of Terrestrial...d frequentclaims by her admirers that Westonia came from a glorious and Astronomy, and brief excerpts from three letters of 1587 and 1589. The editor noble family were based on the grandeur and pretensions ofthe Kelley J. L. M. C., has not been identitied._132 A translation of the volume byA. E. houshold in its heyday, and not on any family connexions of "John Waite was published in 1893 and frequently reprinted as Edward Kelly The Weston, dark" whose memory had died with him in Chipping Nonon.116 Englishman's Two Excellent Treatises On The Philosopher's Stone Together With 1 The Theatre of Terrestrial Astronomy. H ElizabethWestonrefers to Kellyin a Latin poem, published in Prague in 1606, that she wrote on the death of her mother,127 "Upon the death of the noble and high-born woman Lady )oanna, widow of Sir Edward Kelly of I many, distin- guished and well-born knight, councillor of his sacred imperial Majesty, a most Notes honoured and beloved mother, her daughter poured fonh the following elegy": 1. Oxford,BodleianLibrary,MSAshmole1788fol.~4_0. Reproducedby Elias When I was an infant uf barely six months, 1 suffered the wound of my in Theatrum Chemicum Brittannicum (London:J. Grismondfor Nash Bro ooke, lt))_. father's loss; and shortlyafterwards the loss of my two grandmothers, facsimile repr., New York: Johnson Reprint Corp., 1967}, 479. A Biugruphy of EJU'urJ 1-..:t!Uy, [he English :\k:lu!mi.lC ~1 ~lYSTICAL ~lETAL OF GOLD

12. On Dec sec Charkmc Fdl Smith,Jolm D~c 1527-1608 (LlmJlm: Cunst.1bl..:, b~ :Ji . 2. Jam.:s l )r~har\1 Halliwdl, ..:J., Th.: Pril'UU Diury uf Dr John D.:.: ~.mJ eh.: Cacalogue uf r~rcr ]. French, John Dce: The World of an Eli:~akchan M.:tgu.s (Lo~\dlm: R.~utldt: .. his Library ofM.nut:icrif•ts (lonJl1n: Camd~n Sllcicry, 1ti42), Rd~rrcd tu henceforth l. and Kcgan Paul, 1972); Nicholas H. Clulce, John D&:/.s Natunll Phi~up~y: ~t.!t;. • .:.;~. as PD . Dc~'s Jiary ~mries arc found in the margins of two almanacs pr~servcd in Science and Religion (LonJon and New York: Routledg~. 19~8); BcnJanun \\~>ull..:') . the BuJI~ian Library: the Eph ..>tn ..>ric.ks of Stadius for 1554-1600 (Cologne, 1570) The Queen's Conjuror: the Science anJ Magic of Dr. D~.: (LonJ\m: Hlrp~:rLullu~ . (MS Ashmole 487), anJ the Epli4.'1lk.'1W of Magius f\,r 1581-1620 (Vcnic~ 1582) 2000). - l lx k . h l . (MS Ashmule 488). A new tra~ription by EJward Fenton, The Diuries of John Dee ll Referred to henceforth as TFR. Elias Ashmol~'s Cllp)· llt t 1is ~ ll1- Wlt 1t:.,ann,•l,,- ( Charlbury: D.ty Buuks, 1998), restores material omitted by Halliwell anJ corrects tions and corrections is prcserv~d in rh~ Bodlcian Libra[)', ~tS Ashmulc SoO. mistranscripriuns he maJc; it is referred to hencefonh as Fenton. H. Josten, Ashrnok, 1:185. . . , . _ _ , _ _ 1 , , 3. Se~ ]ulian Robcns and Andrew G. Watson, John Dee's Library Cacalogue (London: 1i Christuphcr Whitby, John o~c·s Acuons w&th SJmm: 22 D.:L~IIlb&!r l)dl tu --' ~L) The Bibliugr.Iphical Society, 1990), item 1099, and p. 96n. 1583. 2 vols. (New YorL:: Garland Publishing, 191:)8) · . . _ -l. PD. 2. The parish records are reptlned in Susan Bassnctt, "Revising a Biogmphy: A 16. These are the Liber mystc!Tiurum, sextus et sancms; 48 Ck.a·&:s 1.mgdlCLU!; L&bl!r ~~l..:ll[ l~ New Interpretation of the Life of Elizabeth Jane Weston (Wcstonia), Based on her auxilij & victoriae rerrc.stris; De heprarchia mystica; T ulmla bonorum angdurum; Flllili- Autubingmphical Poems on the Occasion of the Death of her Mother, "Cahit.>rs menta' in\'Ocationum. (British Library, MS Sloane 78, 2575, 2599, 318ti, Jlti?, 3t;>l , Elisubt?rhains 37 (April1990): 3. Tcn miles south of Worcester is Upton,upon,Sevcm. 3678, MS Add. 36674, fols. 167-88; Bodlcian Libr~ry, ~~~ Aslunulc 1790, t(1l:.. '-t- Dce was gin!n the reclllry there in 1553, and it was one of his basic sources of 56· 422; 1790, art. 2) Som~ of the mat~rial is pubhshcd m Robert ~umcr, eJ., Th .. incumc. There is nll reCllrd that he ever went there; the parish providt:d a living, H~pcarchia Mystica of John Dce (Edinburgh: Magnum Opus... He _~mcuc Sourccw,.rk, but he felt nu l•hligation to live in it. Ht: may have visitl..J Worcester. His library 1983; 2nd ed., Wdlinglxuough: Ayuarian Press, 191:)6); Gcottrcy Jamcs, cJ., Th ~ contain~ a Cl•rv of At:thicus lsh:r's Cusmographia given him, he noted inside it, by Enochian Magic of Dr John Dce (1984; St Paul, MN: Llewdyn, 1994), a_n~l o.. ,n...~IJ Juhn Pt..Jder, a Jean at Worcester Cathedml, on February 21, 1566. But there is no C. LaycocL:, The Compfe[e Enochian Dictionary: A Dictiunary of the Ang.:~c Lln~l~o.t .~..: evidence that he L:nt:w Kdly from Worcester. as Revealed tu Dr John Dee and Edu•ard Kdky (1978; York Beach, ME: W~tser, 1994). ). Wl1lld, Arhenae Oxon~nsis. 2 vob. (London: R. Knapkx:L:, D. Midwinter and J. See Clulee,John Dee's Natural Philosophy, 204, 296-7,306-7. TonSl1n, 1721), 1: 279. A misreading of Anthony a Wotld's text seems to lie behind 1i. British Library, MS Sloan~ 3188, fol. 9r; Whitby, 2:18. _ the claim that Kdly h..J ~n an arnanuensis to Thomas Allen. It was Wood's ld. It is possible to deduce from Dce's diary and spiritual rr.msac_u .. ,ns that T albut \\.1 ~ informant who was the amanuensis. Gloucester Hall is now Worcester College. Kdly but Dee's diary was not published until 1842. Whcn Menc Cal)aulx~n publl:.h..:J b. Bodldan Libmry, MS Ashmole 1790, fol. 58, printed in C. H. josten, ed., Elias a large pan uf the spiritual transactions in 1659 he was not aware ot _t~e earl~..:~ Aslunule 1617-1692: His AurobiugrL!fJhical and Hisrorical Notes, His Correspondence materials dealing with the scryer unJcr the name nf T albut; those manul)cnptl) \H:r\: and otht.>r CmltL>tnpumry Soam:es Rdating w his Life and Work, 5 vols. (Oxford: lost from view until Elias Ashml1le acquired them in 1672. . __ _ , Clart:ndun Press, 1968), 4:1436. 19. R. J. W. Evans, RuJolf 11 and his World: A Study in lncdkctual HISWT)' 1)/()-loL. 7. Nicolas lenglct Ju Frc:;noy, Histoire de la Philusop~ H~'Tlllicique, 1 vols. (Paris: Cous, corr. eJ. (Oxford: ClarcnJon Press, 1984). 226. , .. telier, 1742; facsimile repr. Hildcshdm: George Olrns, 1975), 1:306-07. 20. On the show stones, see Hugh Tait, "'The Devil's L(lllking-Glass : The ~l : ~.:~~ - •1 8. Jolm Wcever, And4?nt Fun'->r.aU ~lonum~'lllS (London, 163 l), 45-46. AccorJing to Speculum of Dr John Dce," in Warren Hunting Smith, cd.~ H~~.~e~ \X-~a~~~ : - \\ m..:r · Graham Phillips and Manin Kcatman, The! Shthspeare Conspiracy (London: Arrow, Politician, Connoisseur (New Haven anJ London: Yall! Umverstty Pr~:,:,, .19o7_). ~),, . · · C L Wht.tby "]llhn Det: and Renaissance Scrying," Bulleun oj eh.: So.:-ld:· 1995), 151, for this oft'i!nce "Kdly was hauk.J before the local squire Thomas lang, scrymg sec . . , ·-'~ . . j tun. Fortunately, langton was a friend of Lord Strange, whose father, as Earl of of Renaissance Studies 3 (1985): 25-35; Thcodore ~ste~man, Crysuu _azmg: ·~ ~[u :· ~rby, was lord Lieutenant of the County. Strange intervened to free Kdly and the in the History, Distribution, Theory anJ Practice oj Skrymg (London: Rtd~r~ 1-J.i). two men lx-came llCcult colleagues. Strange was infatuated by KcUy's unholy activi, 21 . For discussions of the sessil1ns, see E. M. Butler, The M1ch uf ~ Maglt:i ( ~amh:J.;..: · ties, and SlJ\lll the pair were experimenting with alchemy." No evidence is given for Cambridge University Press, 194ti}; E. M. Butler, Ricual Magu: (CarnbnJ~c: C..im- this claim, and it is unlikely that Weever would not have mentioned a court appear, bridge University Press, 1949), 258-81; I. R. F. CalJcr, "John ~e SruJ1cJ a:. .m ance if there haJ been one. On langton's friendship with Strange, and funher English Neoplatonist," 2 vols. (Ph. D. thesis, The Warburg _ lnsut~te, ~.. hu_\·c~~lt) unsuppt,ncd S(X>culariuns about Kelly in Lancashire, see Charles Nicholl, A Cup of of London, 1952); Waync Shurnaker, "John Dcc's Convcr~atlll_ns wtth :,pm:., m Neu·s: The! Life ufThutnas Naslk! (wndon: Roudedge and Kcgan Paul, 1984), 193-4. Renaissance Curiosa, Medieval and Renaissance T cxts anJ Studlcs, 8 (Bmghamt- ~ n. Di.!~'s Dd: <~ub 9. On W~ver's Lancashire conncailms, see E. A. J. Honigman, Shakespeare: The Lose NY: MRTS, 1982), 15-51; Clulce, John Natural Philosophy, 203-30; \'e41rs (Manchester: Manchester Uni\'. Press, 1985), 6-7, 50-58. E. Harkness, "Shows in the Showstllnc: A Theatre of Alchemy and Arl-..:alyr3..: u-, 10. T. R. Nash, Hiswry and Antiquities of Worcestc!Tshire, 2 vols. (London, 17ti1 ), 2: H6, the Angel Conversatinns of John Dce ( 1527-1608/9)," ~e~sanc&: Qu.. tr~rl; 4'J _ has Kelly in the pillory at Lancaster tor forging some ancient title det:Js. Lenglt:t du (1996): 707-37; Stephen Clucas, "'Non e:,t le~endum st:~ tns~tcenJum M.llutn ;. ln: spectival Knowledge and the Visual Logic ot John Dee s ~l)sr.:nurum .. u. Fresnoy has him lnsing his ears in London on a similar charge (1:307). Others claim Uba Alison Adan1S and Stanton J. Lindcn, eJs., Emblems unJ Alchemy. Ula:.gll\\. EmH.:~H he was convicted of coining. No c\·idcncc has been adduced for any of these asser- Studies, 3 (Glasgow: Glasgow Emblem Studies, 1998), 109-32; De~r;.th l-iar~ _,_,..: ,. tions. John Dee's Conversations with Angels : Cubalu, Alchemy and the EnJ oJ Nucurl! (L.ioll· 11 . Parkins's lener rt:(ll1rting this inyuil)' is in tht: State Papers in the Public Record bridge: Cambridge University Press, Office, Kew (SP 81/7, t'l"lls. 143-4). 2000). o2 ~lYSTIC.-\L ~lETAL OF GOLD

)6. ~IS Shme 3l8ti, 91r; Whitby, 2:339-40. ''CL)t:.all plain" is pn.:sumably th~ Cd ~ ­ 11 Briri~h Library, ~IS Sh!n~ Htiti, 1~,1. 24v,25r; Whitby, 2: 7ti-9. tol. 23. ~IS Shutc 31t>d, t~1l. 39v; Whitby, 2:126. wolds. H. MS S1uanc 3188, ti.1l. 98v; Whitby, 2:367. 37. MS Sloane 3188, ful. l04r; Whitby, 2:389-90. 38. La:;ki St:e Konstanty Zantuan, "Olbracht Laski in Eli:ahdhan EngbnJ: :\n 25. MS Sluane 3188, t'l1l. -Hr; Whitby, 2:138. On Ep- soJe in the Hiswry of Culture," Ret·ieu• {1968): 3-22; Evans, R•i.LiJ 26. MS Sluanc 3188, fol. 59v; Whitby, 2:218. Polish 13,4 27. MS Sloane 3188, ti.1l. 61r; Whitby, 2:220. u. 219-20. ,-. H. On Herle, see Haym:s, hwisibk Puu·er, 5-9, 16; Jnhn Bu:,:;y, Giunlano Bruno th..: 28. LynJy Abraham, cJ., :\nhur ~l!, f.lSckulu.\ Chemi(US, ur Ch~mi ..· tll Culk(tiuns, trans. .mJ (New Haven and London: Yalt: University Prt:ss, 1991), 26-H. Elias Ashmult:, English Rt:naissanct: Hermcticism, 6 (New \'ork and London: Oar, Embassy Affair 101-04; Alison Plowden, Eli~ubt!than &n·ic.! (Hemel Ht:mpsteaJ: Har- land Publishing, 1997), lxi,lxii. The Sc.:cret vester Wheatsheaf; New York: St Martin's Press, 1991), Curtis Brcight. 29. See Robcn S. Brumbaugh, "The Vtlynil:h 'R~_lgcr Bacon' Cipher Manuscript: DeLiph, 25-29; C. erL.J Maps nf Stars," Joumal of the \\:'arburg and Courtduld lnstitur.:s 39 ( 1976): 139-50. Suweillance. 106--{)7, 242, 256, 277 . Arrhur's comments are in :\shmole's papers in the BoJlcian Library, MS Ashmole .;J. Bossy, Giordano Bru1w, 22-7. The ptlSSibility thWilliam Backhouse Catholic be st:nt secretly into England, and he formed a connt:ctit..lll \\ iLh (MS Ashmnle 1790, t~1ls. 60-1, primed in Justt:n 2:603-5). Another version told Walsingham when the latter was ambassador in Paris. His pllt:lll lvldilxcus i~ an ckgy him hy William Lilly is r~::wrded in MS Ashmole 421, fols. 220v,22l, and published for Walsingham. Jailt:d for killing an inn-keeper's son who was having a hglu with in William Lilly, History of His Lij~ and Tinll!s (London, 1822), 225--6. Ashmole Christopher Marlowe, he was acquittt:d on the gwunds of sdf-deti::nce. His as:.o.R:ia.- anached no credence hl the stories, nor need we. tion wilh Marlowe and Walsingham is generally tak~::n tll indicate that he was u111.: Se~ ll . Lcnglct du fresnuy, 1:307-10. The story is repeated in Louis figuicr, L'Alchimic et of the lauds secret agents. Charles Nicholl, The R.:dwning: The Munlor u] b AL:himis~s. 3rd cd. (Pari:., 1860), 232ff. and in A. E. Waite, ed., Edward KeUy, Chriswp/k..>r ~tirwe (London: ]onarhan Cape, 1992). Thr with Th.! 42. MS Sloane 3188, fl)b. 107r,10Mv; Whitby, 403--6; TFR, 1, 22, 25. Theutre of TL'TTl!srriul Astronomy (1893; rcpr., larbrs: Banton Press, 1991), xvii-xix. -43. On Laski's approach to Allen SI!\! Anthony a Wt..M.ld, Ath ...'llcl4: Oxonicnsis, \'1..11. l. 12. Sec Julian Rohcns and Andrew G. Watson, John Dee's Library Cutalogue, 34-5. cols. 574-5. 33 . On Adrian Gilhcrr and Mary Sidney, see John Aubrcy, Aubn ..ry's Brief Li\'I!S, cd. 44- TFR, 5-6. The name llt Freman and Frccman(s) recurs in sixtt:t:nth-cemury Bl, 'ckl..·y Olh·er LaWSlln Dick (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1982), 220. Dee had instructed records. See H. E. M. lcdy, Bh:kky Through Twdw Centuries: Amwls of u CucsuuiJ Mary's brother, Philip Sydney, in alchemy; see Thomas Moffet, Nobilis, ar A View Parish (Aldburgh, Norfl>lk: Erskine Press, 1988), 27, .35-37, 43, 48, 51, 56. oj tlk! Lije and Ol!ath of a Sidn'"'Y, cd. and trans. Virgil B. Hdtzel and Hoyt H. 45. See Nicholl, A Cup of Neu•s, 194-98, and Th.! Reckoning, 234-39. Huds.1n (San t.larino: Huntingtun Libr<1ry, 1940), 75. Ralegh, as Aubrey and Lucy 46. Clulee, John Ol!e's Natural Philosophy, argues thar Kdly manipulated the spiritu.Jl Hutchins.ln n -cord,.. was actively involved in alchemical experiments; see Lyndy dialob'Ues "to draw Dee away from England, breaking his ties with his llltUC ~l>b..:r Abraham, Man•eU und Al-henty (Ald~::rshot: Sctllar, 1990), 2-3. On Humphrcy Gil, scientific work.. The key clement in this was the appearance of Albrecht Laski" ( 1';)7) . ben's rropllSC!d American scttlt:mcnt see R. B. Merriman, "Some Notes on the 4 7. For an account of LasL:i's visit to Oxford see Raphad Holinshed, Holinshed' s ChrtJJ.i- · T rcatment uf dtc English Catholics in the Reib'll of Elizabeth," American HistoricaJ des of England, Scotland und lrdand, 6 vols. (London: J. JohnSlm, 1808), 4:j07--6. Rcvieu•, 13 (1907--8): 480-500. On Ralcgh's acquaintanceship with Dee, see Wool, anJ J. G. Nichols, Th.! Prugrcssl!s and Processimu of Queen Elizah.!th, 2 vols. (Lund.. n , ley, The l,Ja«!L'n's Conjuror, 309-11, and Ralt:igh Trevelyan, Sir Walrer Rakigh (Lon, 1823), 2:398-411. On Bruno's Oxford debates, set: Robert McNulty, "Brunl) .1t Ox· don: Pcnb'ltin, 2003), passim. ford," R~..>naissancc News, 13 (1960): 300-5; on Bruntl's ac4uaintanct: with SiJn~:y, H. MS S1uanc 3188, fol. 77v; Whitby, 2:294. to whom he dedicated a number of bt.M.1ks, see Frances Yates, Giordanu Bnmo i.mJ th.: 35. On Sl\..J sec Rohcns and Wats.1n, John Dce's Ubrury, 51-2; Alan Haynes, lm·isibk Hennetic Tradition (L.md~..m: Ruuti~:Jgt: & Kegan Paul, 1964). Despite their sim1l.u Ptm'L'T: The Eli~c:tbl!chan Sct.Ter &n·kc 157~1603 (Struud, UK: Alan Sutton, 1992), interests, there is nu rt:cord that Bruno ever met Dt:e or Kdly, t:ither in Engl.mJ ..11 37, 3~; Evclyn Waugh, EJmunJ Campion, 3rd ed. (Ltmdon: L.1nb'11\ans, 1961), this time or later in Europe. 108, lt\8. On Walsingham's intelligence operations, see Curtis Breight, Sunoeillana, 48. PO, 21; Fenton, 100; TFR, 33. Kdly's departure trnm England may bt: an ·'~~pr.•pr< . itl· Milir.,rism unJ Drama in rh.: Eli~ab.?chan Era (London: Macmillan; Nt:w York: St point to note d1at the various grotesque acti\·ities in Lundnn attributed tu Kd~y 111 Martin's Pre:,:;, 1996), 24-25, 101-10, 278. Brdght argues that Wabingham was P~ter Ackroyd's ntlVd Th.! HoUS\! of Doctor Dee (Llltdtm: Hamish Hanulton, I ':N)) Burghl!!y's protege, selcctul tu run the surveillance operations established by Bur, are without any basis in the historical record. Nll l~:ss fantastic is the ~ummlming ur ghley, and that Burghll!y resumL.J Ctlntrnl after Walsingham's death in 1590. Dee of Kelly's spirit in Umht:rto Eco's novel, Foucault' s Pendulum ( 1988; Lmdt~n: Ph.:.!J, ,r. was aS!olx:iateJ with buth Burghlcy anJ Walsingham. On WalsinJ!ham's connections 1990), 591-92 (chapter 113). with [lL"t:, see C.myers RcaJ, Mr s~lTetury \t'alsingham and rh.: Pulic~ of Quet.>n Efiza, ~9. TFR, 212. On Haj~:k, see Evans, Rudolj 11, 152, 203-04, 222. b.:th, 3 \'ob. (Cambridg~: HarvarJ University Pr~ss. 1925), 3:4Q.k15, 434-35. 50. Evans, Rudolf ll, 223. 1 ! ~lYSTIC.-\L ~lETAL l)f Gl)LD A Bio&rruJ>hy of EJm.trJ Kdly, £h~ Engli:sl1 .-\l •.:h~mis£

51. Un Pu.:.:i :.~~ LJN ll; Fr;m.:~:.-=• 1 l'u.:(i, L!u.:r.:, JtJ~:wn.:nci .:c c.:scimoniun~.:, cJ. L. Firpo 65. Ft:ntllll idl!ntities Rlm:laschy as Philippus Rouilla~~hus (242 n. 15). D\!c's t,h_,, , anJ R. Piartuli, 2 \·ul:.. (Flnrcncc, 1')55-59); L. Firpo, "John Dcc, ~i\!n:iatu, n\!- catalugue lists a copy of the tirsr Frt:nch eJitillll ut Dcnis Za..:airc's OpttS(ul.: Tld- gromanrc e av\·cnrurier,,," Rin,zsdm.:mo 3 (1952): 25~i; anJ Miriam Eliav-FdJon, EXLelknt de la vraye PhilusupM! nuturclk J.:s Mecuux (Antwerp, 1567), and a m•mu · "Sc.:rer S,lCit:lies, Uwpias anJ Pea.:c Plans: The CaS\! of Fmnccsco Pucci," Juumal script also in French. (See Rubcrts and Wats.m, John Dee's Librury Cacalugu.:, ih.:m, uf M.:Ji.:ml unJ R.:nuis.SUJ'II:'l! .Studies l4 (1984 ): 13'}-58. 1546, M50.) Possibly it was this larrer manuscript that was d\:stroyeJ. In hi:. Ji.tr~ 52 . The vi\·id accmmr ut this exrra,,rJinary episode, prescrvcJ in the &x.lleian Library fur July 31, 1590, Dee recorJs "I gan: Mr Richard CanJish the wpy of Zach..1nu:.· (MS A~hmulc 17')0 art. 1, t~1b. l-19), was discover~ anJ u-.mslatcd from rhe Latin twdve leners, wrinen in French with my own hanJ; and he promisd me, bd.or.: hy C. H. Jostcn as "An Unknnwn Chapter in the Lite of John Dee," Joumal of db! my wife, never tu Jisclusc to any that he harh it; anJ that if h!.! dil.! bctorl! m~: hl \Vurburg and Courc.mfd lnscinucs 28 ( 1965): 223-57. A sewntL-emh-cemury transla- will restore it again tu me: bur if I die before him, that he shall Jdivcr it tll l1l1t: ••I ri,m is prescrvcJ in the British Library, MS Sluane 36i5, fuls. 12-38, and is drawn my sons, most tit [Fenwn: "apt") amung them to have it" (PD, 35; Fcmun, 2 52; ,,n h)' Fenton, 1ti5-'Jl. Halliwell's text has "Paracdsus" f,.,r "Zacharius"). 5 ). On Vilc!m Ru:mbcrL:, sec hans, RuJolf 11, 64-8, 212-16. On Peter VoL: Ro:mbcrk, oo. See Moffet, Nobilis, or A Vicu.• uJ the Life and D.:ai.h of a SiJll.:). 7 5. ibiJ, H0-43. LlsL:i al~, aspirnl hl the p,,li:.h thwne. Neither Will> succ\!ssful. 67. Sargenr, DyL'T, 102. ·· H. Evr the tr.ms1ation.) 66. The lener is prt:S\!rn:J in the British Library (~IS Harkian bY86 art. 2~) an~l rul 55. TFR, 26(2nJ paginatinnJ. lished in Henry Ellis, ed., Ori&rinul l...:tc..!rs of Emin.:m Uc.:rary M.:n oJ Ut.: 16m. 17!1 ~ 56. TFR, 4N; E,·ans, RuJulf 11, 223. and 18th Cencurk!s (LonJon, 1843), 45-46. 57 . TFR. 42'), 434. Further Jetai1s in l]ulcc, John D.:/s Nucur,ll Phi~Jsuphy, 226, 300 n. o9. In Crossley, Auwbiogruphiad Tracts, 32-34. 78. The Landgravc at rhis time w~ Wilhdm. His sun Morit: had srrong alchcmkal 7u. Evans, Rudolf 11. 226. inrcrc:.ts. See Bru.:c T. ~lumn, Th.: Alch.:Jni·,d World of the Gt."nlUJil Court: Occult 71. Public RecorJ Otlice, SP 15/31, td. i5, primcJ in j,1hn Stryp~:, .-\JilL.Ih uJ rlt.: R.:J .. nn.. · PIUlosoph:y und Chl.'lnil:al Medicine in tit.? Cirtk uj Moritz of HesSL'll ( 1572-1632) (Stutt- tion, 4 vols. (OxforJ, 1824), vol. 3, pr. 2, 133. Strype ( 132-33) yu,,tc:. Sl.)nlc ..:.)m · gart: Fr-.m: Sreincr Verlag, 1991 ). On Dce and the Landgtave see Abraham, ed., ments of Dee's earlier in this letter whkh he raL:cs as rderring ru Kelly, bur they in Arrhur Dce, Fczsciculus Chcmicus, lxiii. fact refer to an unidentitieJ person in the Luw Countries whnm Dl!c haJ sp..mcJ a ~ 5~ . Evans, Ra.dtdf ll, 216, 225; PD, 21-.30; Fem,,n, 203-39. Fcnron's transcription of a potential agent for Walsingham. See als.1 British Library, MS LmsJ,>wnc 846. l,,b the Jiary renJcr:, rhe names of visitnrs more accur.udy than Halliwdl. 216-7, containing the copy of a patent of L:nightholx.l grantcJ by RuJolph to 1-:cll) . in a letter of February 23, 1590. 5'). PD, 22; Femon, 204. Translation fr,,m the Latin in Ra1ph Sargem, At the Coun uj i2. Snemy C.:skt od kta 1526 (Prague, 1877-1910), 7, n~l. 412 (158')), .:ilcJ in h .• n' Qu.:l?n Eli~dbcch : Thc Lij~ anJ Lyrics of Sir Edu:ard Dy.:r (New YorL:: Oxt"l1rd Unin:rsity Rudolf 11, 226n. Press, 1935), 102. Dce refers tu the Tsar's invitation in hi:. Com~nJious Rehcarsul, 73. Liam Mac COil, "Kdley of lmamyi," LmlJ,m Reti.:u· uJ lluuks 2J, 10 (May 24, 2~\~l) printed in Jamcs Crossley, eJ., Tracts (Manchester: Aucobiugraphicul of Dr John De.: 4. My colleague the late B. K. Martin came tu a similar Clmclusi.m fwm lu:. examm.l- Chetham &x:icty, 1851 ), ~'). The text of the invitation is primcJ in Richard tion of the Irish recorJs. HaL:luyt, Jlrindpul Nul'iguciuns, 12 ,.l>ls. (Glasg,>w, 1903), 3:+15--48. H . Angdo Maria Ripdlino, Mugic Pr,~guc, rrans. D.aviJ Ncwt,ln t-.brindli, cJ. ~1~-:h.,~l sren, Ashmuk, Henry Hdm (London: Picador, 1995), 97. 4:1371-73 anJ in Keynes, Brou1te, 4:29~. Other accounts by Arrhur Oee arc in 75. Vladimir Karpenko, "Bohemian Nobiliry anJ .A.khcmy in the Sc~unJ Half , •I 'L~ MS Aslunl>le 1768, ti.1l. 153, printl..J in Josten, 2:755 and Kcynes, 4:293; ;md in Sixteenth Century: Wilhdm of Rosenberg anJ T w,, Akhcmi:.t:.," Cwult.1 P.,l lliO..l BoJidan Library MS Ballard 14, fuls. 13-14v, primed in Josten, 4:1757. On Arrhur n.s. 15,2 (1996): 14. Dec, S\!e LynJy Abr..iliam, "Arthur Dce, 1579-1651: A Life," Cauda Pal'Onis, n.s., 76. Published in Strype, Annals, Vl>l. 4, 1-2. For ParL:ins, :.cc DNll. 13,2 (l9'Ji): 1-14 (rcprimcJ in this cnllection), and rhe intwducrion to Lyndy 77. Theanum Ch&!micum Britanninmt, 4814i2; Arh.:JW4: Oxonk!nsis, l:2o0. :\nhur 1 \.: ~ Ahraham, eJ., Arthur ~c. Fusciculus Ch.?micus. in a letter to Mr. A1Jrich in Norwich, l6i9, also Lites Ll>rJ Willoughby a:. a \l.llll.:> ~ ol. MS BallarJ H. ti.1ls. 13-l4v, primeJ in Jnsten, Ashnwle, 4:1758. of transmutations in Bohemia (information from Stcphcn Clucas, Birkbcd. c .. ,ll..:~.: , 62. Fcnwn, 223; Sllllle passage:, fmm the spiritual records omiueJ by Ca:.aub,m are London University). Dee's assistam Barthol,uncw HicL:man, who rcp1a.:cJ Kdl; ·" primeJ in Fcnton, 224. Fcnron 241 n. I, suggests that the "cross-matching" was Dee's scrycr back in England, ldt Dec's M:rvkc tor Lord Willnughby on l.k(clllh.:r rerx:areJ. The epis.~e has ~en uSt:J as the subject tor a play, The Alchemical Wcdding 2, 1594 (PD, 51; Fenron, 268). by Stcphcn L,,we, hrst pcrt,•rmcd in Britain at the Salisbury Playhouse in May 1998. 7ti. Evaru;, Rudolf Jl, 226; Waite, EJu•,,rJ J.;dl)·, xxxv; Ja.:yucs van Lcnncp. Alr.-i; .. ~ (RcvieweJ in The \X'e.:kly Tckgraph, 356 (May 20-May 26, 1998): 24.) ContriblCtion a l'hiswire de l'arc alchimique (Brussd:.: CreJit Cummunal, I Yl:l5 ), 22-t. 6 3. Culpcpcr's anJ Lilly's accuunts of experiments with Dee's crystal are r..:puneJ in 79. Published in Srrype, Annals, vol. 4, 4-6. Burghlcy's corresponJt:nce with Kdl·, , .. John Applcby, "Anhur L"\.-e and Johann\!s Banfy Hunyades: Further lnfunnatilm on discussed brietly in Cunycrs R..:aJ, Lord Burghky unJ (Ju.:cn Elizabcth (L~mJ,lt1: J• •li.l· rht:ir Alchemical and Pn,fcssional Activities," Ambix, 24 (1977): 96-109. than Cape, 1960), 474-76. 8u. See B. W. Bt:ckingsale, Burghl.:y: Tudor Swtcsmun 1520-15')8 (Ll1nJun: ~l.i..:n.tiL ·. b4. They arc primed in EJuudrJi Kdlci Angli Tractatus Daw Egregii De I...apidc Philosopho- New York: Sr Manin's Press, 1967), 261. mm, Unu Cum The.um Asrrunimia! TL'TTcstri, ed. J. L. M. C. (Hamburg: GorhotreJus 81. On Palavidn,>, see Lawrence Stone, An Eli~ub.:[lwn : Sir Hmuio PuLLt.:m., l'-):.;1. rJ Schulr:en, 1676), 40-42; translatcJ in Waire, Eduurd 51-53. K.:Uy, Clarendon Press, 1956 ). bo MYSTlC.-\L l\IETAL OF GOLD

1 8 I am grardul h1 Su:anne Ki~rno.m tur the tran:.lation trom the Italian. ':1~ . Srryp.:, Annals, vol. 3, pr. 2, l.H. 83. o,~ s~olto, sec ~ipd~inu, 1vL:lgic Pragt~. 103; Tl4! FuggL"T N!!WS,UttL"TS (s!!..:onJ Sl!rics) ~S . Logan Pcarsall Smith, cd., The Lif!! u1ld L:u.:rs of Sir Henry \X ·ouun, 2 ,·ub. (Oxr •. rJ: lJl!mg Ll Furdh.or Sd.:cuon from llu: F1tgga Papers SpeciaUy R4t..>rring to Qul!t!ll Eliz~ch Clarendon Press, 1907), 1:16-17. (The lcucr under Jiscussi•Hl is ndt induJcJ i11 w~ ;\lattt!r.s Rdu~~ng to England ~Uling ~ Years 1568- 1605, Here Published for the this collection.) Gerc1ld Cur:on, \t-'uttun and His ~'orlJs: Spying, Sci.:n.:t! ..nul Vent:ti..41l Flr.st Tnnt!, cd. \ 1ctnr von Klarv.·1ll, trans. l. S. R. Bym~ (Londlm: John Lan~. The Intrigues (Philadelphia: Xlibris, 2004 ), H. ~odlc\:,Hcad, 1926), 203, 208. R. J. W. E\'an.s, RuJulf 11, speculates about "Odoardus 'io. Webbe was one of Burghley's couriers. In 1593 he was ~hargL·J with wining, i.inJ Sclltus. •~he aud~ur of th~ Vienna ~anuscript, Speculum Alcl4!mit-.e, dedicated to pardoned in 1594; set! Nichull, Th.! ReLkuning, 259, 387n, ciring PRO SP l2/2.H Rudl>lt:_ Scl>tus 1s another unidcntiheJ, tleeting figure-his Christian name seems no. 20. This is presumably the Mr. Webbe who, l"ke lll)tes, was commirreJ h) rh~ most ohcn tn be rccl•rd~d as Alessandro and his origins as halian" (210); "there are Marchelsea, December 24, 1593, whom ht! visits there janual')· 26, 1594 and of wl1lllll two scparmc qucstim1s h~re: whether Kdly and the so-call~d 'Scono' were one and he writes March 10, "upon a tlight l)f fear because of Mr Wcbhc's sending inr me t.> the :.ll, T_l4! Reckoning, 259. Nkholl Ji:.cusses Roydon's gll\'crnm~m work and assu- JJ0. Joscf Svarek, "Anglicky akhymisra Kdly v Cecha~h." in Obra-v ~ kulwmi.:h .l.;J"' Clatll.ms wuh Marluwe, ibid., passim. -ceskych (Prague, 1891) 1:147-48, drcd in Ripdlino, 98; Vadav Kaplicly, :llul . 89. R•• ~rt Hnuke, Tl4! Postlucmow; Wurk.s (lonJun: Richard Wailer, 1705; facsimile Alch:Ytnisucv, IT14! Life uf an Alchemist} (Pra~uc, 1980). I am grateful tu VlaJium r~rr., London: ~rank Cass, 1971 ), 206. I have modernized the spelling. Whitby Klima for locating anJ translating material frum Kaplicly's text. (1:1~) e~a~uncs the cryptugraphic claims and is sceptical. So was lsaac D'lsr.Jdi, 101. Sec Stantlm J. LinJcn, Darkt! HiL."Tugliphi.:ks: Alchemy in English Lir.:r.uur~ jimn Cf4.,,. Am~JUUt!s ~J Uf4.'Ttltlcrc (1840; London and New Yorl: Georgc Roudedge, n.d.), "The ea w the Re.storlltion (lt!xington: Univ. Press of Kcntucly, 1996), ti7, 88, 126, 2;,5 . ~c~lr Philosopher, Or Dee," 343-4. Secret service work by Dee and Kelly is assumed 287,290,311 n. 42. m. R1chard Deacon, John Det!: &ientist, Geograph.."T, Astrologt."T and SeLTet Agem w 101. Alexander B. Gmsart, ed., Tht! 'X-'ork.s ufGubrid Hart't!Y, 3 ,.,1ls. (lllnJnn: Th~ Hurh Eli~~rh I (L.~nJl,n: ~reJ~rick Muller, 1968.) Finn evidence is ine\'itably lacking. Library, 1884). 2:6t)-69. For ~~e decl"'ldlll~ ot Sc.:ganographia, see Thomas Ernst, "Schwar:weissc Magie. Der 103. The Works of Thomas NtlSh.:, cd. Runald B. ~kKcrr.>w, 5 n•ls. (lllnJ.m: SiJ~w~..:k ~hlusscl zum dntten Buch der Steganugraphia des Tritht!mius," Dt.qllmis 25,1 ( 1996); and jacks.)n, 1905), 3:52. Nichnll suggests in Tl4! Rt!..:kouing (Jti6n) that "there ,trc J u~ Reeds, "S...•lveJ: The Ciphers in Bool Ill ofTrithemius' Sc.:ganographia," Crypw.- allusions to Kdly in Nashe's burlc~ue of the 'cunning man' in Tenors uj llu: !\i;_;hr ~Jgkl 22.4 (1998); W.>~.lllt!y, The Q1~en's Conjuror, 72-81. (Nashe, I: 363-67)." \)0. (British Lihr.Jry, MS Cl[tun Lib. Titus ll). Published in Stn'J"lt! Annuls ,· 1 3 pt 2, 617-20. ., • • 0 . • . IJ4. G. A. Wilkcs, ed., Tl4! Compb.: Plays oj B.:n )onson, 4 vnls. (Oxt~1rJ : CbrenJ.. n Press, 1982), 3:307. John RcaJ suggcsrcd that "the characters of Subrl~..> and Fa.:~: 91. The reference fll V~nicc is hl the acti\'itics there of the alchemist Mamug, may have het!n a reflection uf Or Dee and his as::.ociate, Edward Kclly, whl1sc J.:~.-:..1: n~nn-Marco AnhlniO Br.Ji-:adini-which were later bclie\'ed lll be fr.Judulent. Sec and deaths wt!re frt!sh in men's memories at the time when Jonson was writing d1c R1pdlino, MLlgic PrLJg~~, 103; Th.! Fu~"T Neu.•skfk."TS, Being a St!k.:tion of Unpubli.sl4!d play" Oohn Rt!ad, The Alcl4!mist in Life, Liu.-,·uturt! utld Art (194 7; repr. Largs: B.ltH<~la Lt!tter~ from me Correspondents of~ House of Fuggcr During the Years 1568-1605, Press, 19901, 42. H(>wcver, in his later study Through Akh..!my to Ch.!misrry (I •)57 ; ed. Victor \'on Klarwill, trans. Pauline de Chary (London: John Lme, The BoJley repr. -Kila, MT: Kessing~r Publishing, n.d.) Read remarkcJ, "Ot the thr~..>~ hkd} Head, 1924), 140-43, 146, l4M, 149-50. originals, jllhn Dee, EJward Kdly, and Simon Forman ... all the cviJcncc l' -' inr ~ lJ2. Joscf Svatek, "Anglicly alchymista Kdly v Cedkich," in Obru::zy z kulumlkh dijin to Fonnan as the 'akhemist' whom Jnnson had in: mind" (75). ~e~kyL~ (Pr-4,rttc, . 189.1), 1.:142-47, and "Akh}·mie v Cechach :a doby Rudolfa 11," 105. Samuel Butler, HuJWras, ed. John Wilder:. (Oxt~nd: Clarendon Prc~:.. 19oi ). ~..:...: ibiJ ·• ... :48-51, cueJ m R1pellino, Magk: Prague, 97, 99, 103. lvan Svitak, "John Dce Linden, Darke Hk"Togliphicks, 285, 287, 90. and Edward Kclley," Kusmus (T~ Journal of Cz!!chslol•ak und Cmtral European Studies) 106. Historical MamlS4..Tipts Commissiun: Cakndar oJ llu: .\lunu.sl.TiJ>t.s oi Th.: .\L.11.1.. . : "; 5 (1986): 134. lvan Svitcik, Kou~dnik z Lmdyna: John Dee " Cecach, 1584-1598 Salisbury presen,ed at Harfidd Huus.:, Part IV, 366. (Prabrue, 1994); lvan Svitak, Sir Edu.ourd Kellry: ct!sky rytir 1555-1598 (Pra •ue 107. Phillips and Keatman, The ShukesJ>eare Con.spir~y. 158ft. Wllulky, Th ..: )....;:•·-··· : 1994), cirL.J in Wnulley, The Qu.:en's Conjuror. On Sc:ndivo~ius in Prague see ~1~ Conjuror, 315-17. hans, Rudolf 11, 211. ' 108. Historical M •.musn ·iJJt.s Commission: CaknJur of dta.: fo.lwut.so·ipts uJ Th..: .\t_.r+•··' ; '} l. MS LansJuwne 68 nu. 85, l~>ls. 192-5, publi:.heJ in Stl')·pc, Annuls, Vl)l. 3, pt. Salisbury pres.!n'cd ac HutfidJ Hmt.st!, Parr IV, .3&9. . 2, 621-25. 109. Ibid .. 424. ~lYSTIC.-\L METAL OF GOLD A Biogruphy uf Etltmrtl ~dly , rh~ English .-\kh(!mist

110. lhiJ., -!24-25. 132. The tide page of Waite, EJu·urJ Kclly, rcaJs "N,l\v tlr:.t publi:.hl!d t•1r rh..: bcn~tu 111. lhiJ., -!98, -lit-~-7'). of the sons of Hermes by]. L M. C. (That is, John Lilly anJ Mcric Casauhon)." 112. lhiJ., -!50--51. This iJentification has n.-, crellibility. Ferguson suggests jllhann Langc McJicina~.: 113. lbiJ., 481. CanJiJatus (Bibliotheca Ch!.!mk:a, 2: 8). The treatise on the Philosllpher's Swnc 1 H . Nichull, A Ci1j1 11i N~u · s, 192-9-!. Se~ als,, Nidhlll, Th.: N!!L·kuning, 258-60, 386~7 . which Kdly deJicateJ to Rud,,1f first appeareJ in a collectinn cditeJ by Pcrrxu.s, (Ju..:~!n's Woullt:y, Th.: Cmjurur, lhJtcs how members of the conspiracy were knl.lWn Drey V ortreffliche und nvch nit! im Druck geu..'t.!sclll? Ch)'misch.! Bikh.!r a1s . . . (Ill) D.:..s tll Lnnh Kdly anJ Occ, 315-17. Weltberilhm~n Engelliitu.l-'fs Edoardi Kella.d aussfuhrlicher Trw:uu &m Ku)SL'T Rudolphu 115. S\'it;ik, "j.-1hn anJ EJwarJ Kdley,"l37. Del· tugeschriebc...>Jl, publisheJ in Hamburg by juhan Nauni.an, 1670, reprinted by Gon- 116. Haynt:s, lnl'isili! PoU'I.!T, 1.33-.H. fried Liebe:t!it, 1691 (Bibliutheca Chemicu, 1:226-27, 437-38; Ev ..m:., Rud,llf 11 , 117. Svit cxcapkJ 122. E\'ans, RuJulf 11, 227. in this ankle; the full texts are given in my Raising Spirits, Making GulJ, Su;apping Anci~m 123. Wccwr, Funcr<1ll MuiiUIIk'IICs, 45-46. Wives: Tit.! Tr~ Adwmures oJ Dr John D~e and Sir Edu:urd K.:Uy (Nottingham: 12-l. MS Ashmole 1788, t~1ls. 151r- 152; josten, Aslunt,l..:, 4:1372-73 anJ 1-:cyn~.:s, Shoestring Press, 1999). Texts anJ digests uf the State Papers can be f,,un..i in Brouon.:, -! :296-98. CalendaT of Sea~ Papers Dom~stk:.&.'Ties, of the Rcigns of Edward VJ, Mary, Eli~ab.:ch . 12 5. Sec Susan Bassnett, "Re,·i:.ing a Bi,1graphy: :\ New inrerpr~.:tati~m ut the lite ,1t 1547-1580, ed. Robert Lemon (lonJon, 1856); Cul'ltdar of Swcc Paf>L'TS Dun~ttstk: Eli:aheth Jane Wcstlln," (n,ltl! 4), 3. L.mise Schldner, "Eli:ahl!th Westllll, Akhl!- Series, Elizubeth and }an~tts I, Addcnda 1580-1625, ed. Mary Ann Everen Grt!cn mist's Step#D.lUght~r anJ Published Poet," Cauda Pat•mlis: Sucdi.!:s in HL'11nl.!ticism, (Lond,ln, 1872); Calendar oJ Scare Papers Forei&Tfl Serics, of the Reign oJ Eli~(Weth . n.s., 10 (1991): 9, 14. anJ Louisc Schlciner, Tudor and SuUin Wum~n Writers vol. 21, pt. I, )lH~tt 1586-)ul~tt 1588, ed. Sophie Crawford L,1mas (londm1, 1927); (Bh)mington: Indiana Uni\·l!rsiry Press, 1994). On Wcswnia's poems, see also j. Cakndar of Scat~ Pc!pers Foreign &Tics of the Reign of Eliz.ubcth, vol. 23, January-) aJ) W. Binns, lmelkcu"-'l Culcuro? in Eli~abethan and)ucobean England: The Latin \t'rirings 1589, ed. Richard Bruc~ W emham ( LonJon, 19 50); List and Anuly:sis of Swtl.! Pap.:r~ of Ute Age (LeeJs: Francis Caims, 1990), 110--14. Foreign Sc..-ries Elizabeth I Prcsert.'o?d in the Public Record Office, vol. 1 , AII&'11Sl 12b. Eli::abeth Jane Weston, Collecccd Writings, eJ. DonalJ Chcncy anJ BrcnJa M. 1589-}une 1590; vol. 2, July 1590--May 1591, eJ. Richard Bruce Wemham (llm· Hnsington, with the assistance of D. K. Money (Tomnro: University of Toronto don, 1964, 1969). Crown copyright material fwm the Public Rccllrd Ofu~c. Press, 2000), xii. The sources Citl..J are W. P. W. Phillmore, ed., Ol.ford Parish Kew-(SP 81/6, t~1ls. 7-8), (SP 81/7, ttll. 140), (SP 81/7, fllls. 143-4) anJ (SP RcgistL-rs. Marriag.:s, ml. 1 (LonJun, 1909), 4; Jack Howard#Drake, Ol.ford Church 82/3, fol. 134 )-is rcpmJuceJ by permission of the Conrr.,ller of Her Majc:.ry' ~