JOHN DEE. 
3lD 
• 
authorities necessary to support them, from records, and other authen- 
tic vouchers. These she very graciously received ; and, after dinner, 
the same day conferred with Dee about them, in the presence of some 
of her privy council, and of the lord treasurer Burleigh especially. 
His next employment, of consequence enough to be remembered, was 
the reformation of the calendar, which, though it never took effect 
until the reign of George II. was one of his best performances, ajid 
did him great credit. 
We come now to that period of his life by which he has been most 
known, though for reasons which have justly rendered him least 
regarded. He was certainly a man of uncommon parts, learning, and 
application ; and might have distinguished himself in the scientific 
world, if he had been possessed of solid judgment, but he was very 
credulous, superstitious, extremely vain, and, we suspect, a little 
roguish ; hut we are told that it \vas his ambition to surpass all men 
in knowledge, which carried him at length to a desire of knowing 
beyond the bounds of human faculties. In short, he suffered himself 
to be deluded into an opinion, that by certain invocations, an inter- 
course or communication with spirits might be obtained, from whence 
he promised himself an insight into the occult sciences. He found a 
young man, one Edward Kelly, a native of Worcestershire, ivho was 
already either rogue or fool enough for his purpose, and readily un- 
dertook to assist him, for which he was to pay him fifty pounds per 
annum. Dec. 2, 1581, they began their incantations, in consequence 
of which, Kelly was, by the inspection of a certain table, consecrated 
for that purpose with many superstitious ceremonies, enabled to 
acquaint Dee with what the spirit thought fit to show and discover. 
These conferences were continued for about two years, and the sub- 
jects of them were committed to writing, but never published, though 
still preser\ecl in Ashmole’s museum. 
In the mean time, there came over hither a Polish lord, one Albert 
Laski, palatine of Siradia, a man of great parts and learning and, as 
a late w'riter observes, of large fortune too, or he would not have 
answered their purpose. This noblemati was introduced by the eail 
'of Leicester to Dee, and became his constant visitant. Having him- 
self a bias to those superstitious arts, he was, after much entreaty, 
deceived by Dee into their company, and into a participation of their 
secrets. Within a short time, the palatine of Siradia, returning to 
his own country, prevailed wdth Dee and Kelly to accompany him, 
upon the assurance of an ample provision there; and accordingly 
they went all privately from Mortlake, in order to embark for Holland, 
from whence they travelled by land through Germany into Poland, 
where, Feb. 3, 1584, they arrived at the principal castle belonging 
to Albert Laski. When Laski had been sufficiently amused with their 
fanatical pretences to a conversation with spirits, and was perfectly 
satisfied that they were impostors, he contrived to send them to the 
emperor Rodolph 11. who, being quickly disgusted with their imperti- 
nence, declined all farther interviews. Upon this. Dee applied himself 
to Laski, to introduce him to Stephen, king of Poland ; which accord- 
ingly he did at Cracow, April, 1585. But that prince soon detecting 
his delusions, and treating him with contempt, he returned to the 
