style and ostentatiously bestowed gifts on persons likely to 

 gossip about his wealth; upon the occasion of the marriage 

 of one his maid-servants he gave away rings, twisted with 

 three gold wires, to the value of four thousand pounds, 

 which caused the English author and antiquarian, Elias 

 Ashmole, to remark, a century later: "This was highly 

 generous, but to say the truth, openly profuse beyond the 

 modest limits of a sober philosopher." 



The good fortune of Sir Edward culminated with this 

 opportunity of fleecing two wealthy dupes simultaneously, 

 and it terminated suddenly through an unforseen event. A 

 quarrel with one of the Emperor's retainers led to a duel, 

 and unfortunately Kelley slew his antagonist. Rudolph was 

 especially severe towards duellists, and made no exception in 

 behalf of his favorite alchemist. Threatened with the dis- 

 pleasure of a despot, he fled for his life, but was pursued by 

 dragoons, captured and confined in the White Tower on the 

 Hradschin; a short time afterward he was transported to 

 Purglitz and thrust into a horrible dungeon. The miserable 

 man fallen from so high a position, was treated with great 

 severity like a common malefactor ; his food was passed into 

 his cell through a hole in the door, and he was refused the 

 consolation of writing materials and books. But even a 

 worse fate was in store for him ; the Emperor finding him in 

 his power formed the plan of wresting from him the secret of 

 the manufacture of the gold producting powder. Sir Edward 

 was put to torture and while in bodily agony questioned by 

 the Governor of the Castle. A letter dated the eighth of 

 February, 1592, written by the Emperor's secretary to the 

 Governor, "cltscloses the details to be extorted from the 

 wretched prisoner ; the Emperor wished to learn : 



First ; in what way can the four pounds of tincture found 

 at Kelley 's house be purified and used in projections? 



47 



