weary of his costly proteges, and for their part they secured 

 a more profitable station with the extremely wealthy William 

 von Rosenberg. Their return to Bohemia was conducted 

 " secretely, yet Rudolph heard of it and sent envoys to von 

 Rosenberg to demand their persons, but the powerful noble 

 was bold enough to refuse to surrender them. 



While in Bohemia the artful Doctor deemed it prudent to 

 maintain his friendly relations with Queen Elizabeth and to 

 remind her of his skill in alchemy ; he sent her accordingly a 

 small disc of silver the size of a ducat, which he claimed to 

 have made out of brass cut from a warming-pan, and a few 

 weeks afterward he dispatched the utensil itself, with a 

 circular hole cut the exact size of the silver disc as tangible 

 proof of his claim. By such transparent tricks sixteenth 

 century imposters kept alive a belief in alchemy among 

 persons of real learning and of experience in worldly affairs. 



Meanwhile at von Rosenberg's palatial mansion in Tre- 

 bona, Dee met with great success, converting pewter flagons 

 and brass platters into silver, as attested by expert silver- 

 smiths. At this time Edward Kelley misbehaved shamefully 

 and after a quarrel with Dee, which was quite justifiable on 

 Dee's part, deserted him. The Doctor was in dispair having 

 become dependent on his "skryer" for daily spiritual food; 

 he tried to initiate his youngest son in clairvoyance and 

 consecrated him with solemn ceremonies, but the boy was 

 unable to discern visions, and to hear spirit messages in the 

 Shew-stone. Kelley had anticipated this and after a short 

 absence returned to Dee who welcomed him gladly and 

 granted the profligate his wicked demands. 



After five years absence from England, John Dee received 

 an invitation from the Queen to return. He had saved some 

 money while with Rosenberg and made the land journey in 

 great style, having three coaches for himself and family, 



43 



