320 
JOHN DEE. 
emperor’s court at Prague, from whose dominions he was soon banished 
at the instigation of the pope’s nuncio, who gave the emperor to un- 
derstand how scandalous it appeared to the Christian world, that he 
should entertain two such magicians as Dee and Kelly ; At this time, 
and while these confederates were reduced to the greatest distress, a 
young nobleman of great power and fortune in Bohemia, and one of 
his pupils, gave them shelter in the castle of Trebona ; where they not 
only remained in safety, but lived in splendour, Kelly, having in his 
possession, as is reported, that philosophical powder of projection, 
by which they were furnished with money very profusely. Some 
jealousies and heart-burnings afterwards happened between Dee and 
Kelly, that brought on at length an absolute rupture. Kelly, how- 
ever, who was a younger man than Dee, seems to have acted a much 
wiser part; since it appears, ' from an entry in Dee’s diary, that he 
was so far intimidated, as to deliver up to Kelly, January, 1589, the 
powder, about which, it is said, he had learned from the German che- 
mists many secrets which he had not communicated to Dee. 
' 
The noise their adventures made in Europe, induced queen Eliza- 
beth to invite Dee home, who in May 1589 set out from Trebona 
towards England. He travelled with great pomp and solemnity, was 
attended by a guard of horse, and, besides waggons for his goods, had 
no less than three coaches for the use of his family; for he had mar- 
ried a second wife, and had several children. He landed at Gavesend 
Nov. 23 : and Dec. 9, presented himself at Richmond to the queen, 
who received him very graciously. He then retired to his house at 
Mortlake; and collecting the remains of his library, which had been 
torn to pieces and scattered in his absence, he sat down to study. 
He had great friends, received many presents ; yet nothing, it seenjs, 
could keep him from want. The queen had quickly notice of this, as 
W'ell as of the vexations he suflered from the common people, w ho per- 
secuted him as a conjurer, which at that time was not a title equiva- 
lent to an impostor. The queen, who certainly listened oftener to him 
than might have been expected from her good sense, sent him money 
from lime to time ; but all w'ould not do. 
At length he resolved to apply in such a manner as to procure some 
settled subsistence ; and accordingly, Nov. 9, 1592, he sent a memo- 
rial to her majesty by the countess of Warwick, in which he very ear- 
nestly pressed her, that commissioners might be appointed to hear 
his pretensions, and to examine into the justness of his wants and 
claims. This had a good effect, for on the 22nd, tw'O commissioners. 
Sir Thomas Gorge, knight, and Mr. Secretary Wolley, were actually 
sent to Mortlake, where Dee exhibited a book containing a distinct 
account of all the memorable transactions of his life, those which 
occurred in his last journey abroad only excepted; and as he 
read this historical narration, he produced all the letters, grants, 
^nd other evidences, requisite to contirni them, and, where these were 
wanting, named living witnesses. The title of this work, the original of 
which still remain^ In the Cotton library, and a transcript of it among 
Dr. Smith’s w ritten collections, runs thus : “ The compendious re- 
hearsal of John Dee, his dutiful declaration and proof of the course 
and race of his studious life for the space of half an hundred years. 
