much in making projections, before they found the true

height of the medicine.*

With this treasure, in

1583, they went to Bohemia

with a Polish nobleman. At Trebona, in the At Trebona, in the presence of

two English gentlemen, sent to Dr. Dee by the Emperor of Muscovia, they made projection with a grain upon an ounce and a quarter of common mercury, and obtained an ounce of pure gold. Ashmole knew people whose friends had seen Sir E. Kelly cut a piece out of a warming-pan, heat it in the fire, and then applying the elixir, turn it to pure silver, which was sent to Queen Elizabeth by the ambassadors at Prague. The same person had seen gold-wire rings made by Sir E. Kelly, who gave away 4000l. worth of them upon the marriage of one of his servant-maids. (Qu. How much did he give the maid as a portion, if he gave 4000l. of trinkets to the guests?)

At Trebona they lived, spending much time endeavouring to discover the great jewel, Kelly frequently visiting Poland in search of celebrated chemists. The two philosophers then fell by the ears, their wives also joining in the quarrel, and, after many reconciliations and disputes, Dee handed over to Kelly his powder, book, and

Lilly's Autobiography; Ashmole's Theatrum Chemicum, p. 481.

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99

glass, and returned to England. At Bremen he presented the Landgrave of Hesse with twelve Hungarian horses, and arrived at Gravesend 26th of November, 1589, having been absent six years.

He was soon after welcomed by the Queen at Richmond, and resided at Mortlake, where Elizabeth frequently visited him, giving him at one Christmas 200 angels, and at another, 100 marks, sending him word to do what he could in alchemy and philosophy, for none should control or molest him. The courtiers, upon this, visited him, and presented him with gifts, Sir Thomas Jones offering him the Castle of Emlyn to dwell in.

His favour was fair at Court, and in 1595 the Queen made him Chancellor of Paul's, and gave him the wardenship of Manchester, where he was much vexed by the turbulent fellows of the college. He kept up a correspondence with Kelly until his death, just as he was on the point of returning to England. Ashmole says his imprisonment arose from the jealous cupidity of the Emperor, his anger, his rage and disappointment.

The Queen consulted him astrologically, and he predicted her death at Whitehall, but she went to Richmond, and there died.

Dee imparted his secret to Alasco, the Prince Palatine of

н 2

Poland; to Puccius, a learned man; Prince Rosenberg,

and King Stephen.

In one of his own works, Dee complains of the damnable slander of those who called him the archconjuror and caller of devils of the whole kingdom.

Dr. Dee's conversations with spirits fill a large folio volume, written, as it would appear, in the utmost sincerity. It contains an account of the stone of vision still existing in some London museum, and which he asserts was the gift of an angel.

His visions were of various characters: some were visible to himself, and some only to Kelly, who appears to have been as rank a cheat as ever preyed upon mankind, and to have made the worthy doctor, with all his wisdom, an easy dupe, vexing him by his demands for more wine and higher wages always at critical moments, threatening to return to England, and finally driving Dee from the Emperor's Court back to his humble home at Mortlake. Sometimes an angel, in the shape of a little child in a shot silk gown, would enter his study, and commence a conversation, but generally the vision appeared in the chrystal, a film gradually clearing from its surface, and various scenes and figures passing across its face.

The first vision was at Leyden, May, 1583, when, according to Kelly, (for the doctor was never favoured

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with the sight,) his faith not requiring such food, the angel, named Madini, came from his oratory, and began playing about his books.* She said she had six sisters, and rejoiced at the name of Jesus, and talked much nonsense about the Plantagenet family. Then appeared in the stone a husbandman clad in red, who prayed in an unknown language.

In the next vision appeared a woman clad in white, having a garland on her head and a precious stone upon her breast. Encouraged by Dee's credulity, Kelly seems to have grown more daring. By January of the next year Kelly saw Ariel standing on his (Kelly's) head; he appeared clad in a long white garment, tied with many girdles; his hair is long, and hangs down; he looks up to heaven, and says, "I am Ariel, the light;" the hand of Him that created heaven and earth, that talked with Esdras, and did comfort him in his affliction, &c. Ariel looks up to heaven, and then, pointing to a Bible, on which the show stone stood, declared the son of Perdition, Antichrist, would be known to the whole world in three years. It then thundered in the stone, and one appeared with fiery teeth, sitting on a judgment seat, with six councillors sitting on each side of him; a stone brighter than fire covered the Judge's head, and his seat was of gold and

*Casaubon's Relation of Dr. Dee, 1659, p. 1.

precious stones.

Ariel then promised to Kelly that he should be a great seer, but heavenly understanding should be sealed from him.

It is possible that Kelly said this to flatter the doctor, who would rejoice in his old adversary being debarred from that spiritual perception which he himself possessed so strongly; while the promise of Kelly's becoming a great seer would, of course, increase his value in Dr. Dee's eyes.

At Cracow a new spirit named Nalsage* appeared to Kelly. He described him as wearing a gown of white silk, with a cape of white fur, and green tassels. His face was like Edward VI.; he held a gold wand in his hand, and stood on a table of mother-o'-pearl, covered with letters, which Kelly spent the day in deciphering, and Dee in piously writing down:

This writing probably gave Kelly time to complete the invention of his vision.

The next day appeared a black hell hound, then a false spirit, with a false table, and lastly, the true Nalsage, who

* Casaubon, p. 73.