30 LETTERS ON SCIENTIFIC SUBJECTS. 



LORD BURGHLEY'S MEMORIAL CONCERNING 

 DR. JOHN DEE'S OPINION ON THE REFOR- 

 MATION OF THE CALENDAR. 



[MS. Lansd. No. 39, Art. 14, Grig.] 



I have perused Mr. Dee's booke concerning his opinion for 

 the reformation of the old Romaine Calender, and I have 

 conferred also by speche with him at good length thearein, 

 and I find his judgment resolute for the error and inconve- 

 nience to have yt continued ; but he differeth in the quantetie 

 of the error, for he hath made manie proofes by demonstration 

 astronomicall, that the superfluous nombre of daies to be 

 abridged are xj. wheare the Gregorean judgment maketh 

 them to be but x. I am not skilfull in the theoreekes to de- 

 sernn the pointes and minutes, but yet I am inclined to thinke 

 him in the right line, for I find he maketh his roote from the 

 vearie point of the nativitie of Christ in the meridian of Beth- 

 lem ; and the Romaines have made theire roote from the time 

 of the Counsell of Nice, and, according to that, theie maie 

 mainteine theare opinion. But by Mr. Dee, yt appeareth 

 the error in computation grewe betwixt the radix of Christes 

 Nativity and the celebration of the Nicene Counsell, which 

 he proveth by a great nombre of good authorities, such as I 

 think the Romanistes cannot denie. It weare good in mine 

 opinion (wheareunto he also consenteth), that by hir Majesties 

 order sum skilfull men in this science, as Mr. Digges and 

 others, to be called owt of the Universities, might peruse his 

 worke, and conferr the thinges by spech ; and though he dis- 

 covereth the x. daies to be insufficient, yet he yeldeth for con- 

 formitye with the rest of the world to assent to the reforma- 

 tion of our Engleshe calender, with the abridgment of x. daies 

 onelie ; so as the trewthe be denounced to the world that yt 

 ought to be xj. dayes, hoping that the trewthe will drawe the 

 Romanestes and other partes of Christendome to take owt of 

 their Calender hereafter the said odd daie. 



Theare appeareth great cawse to have this conference acce- 

 lerated, for that it is requisite, for a secrett matter, to be re- 

 formed before November; so as either everie moneth from 

 Marche till November maie beare equall defalcation, or els 

 sum one moneth maie bear the whole. Thus much have I 

 thowght good briefuelie to deliver you mine opinion. 



