Dee,forawhile,hadmoreprosperousfortune。Thewarming-panhehadsenttoQueenElizabethwasnotwithouteffect。Hewasrewarded,soonafterKellyhadlefthim,withaninvitationtoreturntoEngland。Hispride,whichhadbeensorelyhumbled,sprangupagaintoitspristinedimensions;andhesetoutforBohemiawithatrainofattendantsbecominganambassador。Howheprocuredthemoneydoesnotappear,unlessfromtheliberalityoftherichBohemianRosenberg,orperhapsfromhisplunder。Hetravelledwiththreecoachesforhimselfandfamily,andthreewaggonstocarryhisbaggage。Eachcoachhadfourhorses,andthewholetrainwasprotectedbyaguardoffourandtwentysoldiers。Thisstatementmaybedoubted;butitisontheauthorityofDeehimself,whomadeitonoathbeforethecommissionersappointedbyElizabethtoinquireintohiscircumstances。OnhisarrivalinEnglandhehadanaudienceoftheQueen,whoreceivedhimkindlyasfaraswordswent,andgaveordersthatheshouldnotbemolestedinhispursuitsofchemistryandphilosophy。Amanwhoboastedofthepowertoturnbasermetalsintogold,couldnot,thoughtElizabeth,beinwantofmoney;andshe,therefore,gavehimnomoresubstantialmarksofherapprobationthanhercountenanceandprotection。
Thrownthusunexpectedlyuponhisownresources,Deebeganinearnestthesearchforthephilosopher’sstone。Heworkedincessantlyamonghisfurnaces,retorts,andcrucibles,andalmostpoisonedhimselfwithdeleteriousfumes。Healsoconsultedhismiraculouscrystal;butthespiritsappearednottohim。HetriedoneBartholomewtosupplytheplaceoftheinvaluableKelly;buthebeingamanofsomelittleprobity,andofnoimaginationatall,thespiritswouldnotholdanycommunicationwithhim。Deethentriedanotherpretendertophilosophy,ofthenameofHickman;buthadnobetterfortune。Thecrystalhadlostitspowersincethedepartureofitsgreathigh-priest。FromthisquarterthenDeecouldgetnoinformationonthestoneorelixirofthealchymists,andallhiseffortstodiscoverthembyothermeanswerenotonlyfruitlessbutexpensive。Hewassoonreducedtogreatdistress,andwrotepiteousletterstotheQueen,prayingrelief。Herepresentedthat,afterheleftEnglandwithCountLaski,themobhadpillagedhishouseatMortlake,accusinghimofbeinganecromancerandawizard;andhadbrokenallhisfurniture,burnedhislibrary,consistingoffourthousandrarevolumes,anddestroyedallthephilosophicalinstrumentsandcuriositiesinhismuseum。Forthisdamageheclaimedcompensation;andfurthermorestated,that,ashehadcometoEnglandbytheQueen’scommand,sheoughttopaytheexpensesofhisjourney。Elizabethsenthimsmallsumsofmoneyatvarioustimes;but,Deestillcontinuinghiscomplaints,acommissionwasappointedtoinquireintohiscircumstances。HefinallyobtainedasmallappointmentasChancellorofSt。Paul’scathedral,whichheexchanged,in1595,forthewardenshipofthecollegeatManchester。Heremainedinthiscapacitytill1602or1603,when,hisstrengthandintellectbeginningtofailhim,hewascompelledtoresign。HeretiredtohisolddwellingatMortlake,inastatenotfarremovedfromactualwant,supportinghimselfasacommonfortune-teller,andbeingoftenobligedtosellorpawnhisbookstoprocureadinner。JamesI。wasoftenappliedtoonhisbehalf,butherefusedtodoanythingforhim。ItmaybesaidtothediscreditofthisKing,thattheonlyrewardhewouldgranttheindefatigableStowe,inhisdaysofoldageandwant,wastheroyalpermissiontobeg;butnoonewillblamehimforneglectingsuchaquackasJohnDee。Hediedin1608,intheeighty-firstyearofhisage,andwasburiedatMortlake。
THECOSMOPOLITE。
Manydisputeshavearisenastotherealnameofthealchymistwhowroteseveralworksundertheabovedesignation。ThegeneralopinionisthathewasaScotsman,namedSeton;andthatbyafateverycommontoalchymists,whoboastedtooloudlyoftheirpowersoftransmutation,heendedhisdaysmiserablyinadungeon,intowhichhewasthrownbyaGermanpotentateuntilhemadeamillionofgoldtopayhisransom。BysomehehasbeenconfoundedwithMichaelSendivog,orSendivogius,aPole,aprofessorofthesameart,whomadeagreatnoiseinEuropeatthecommencementoftheseventeenthcentury。
LengletduFresnoy,whoisingeneralwell-informedwithrespecttothealchymists,inclinestothebeliefthatthesepersonagesweredistinct;andgivesthefollowingparticularsoftheCosmopolite,extractedfromGeorgeMorhoff,inhis“EpistolaadLangelottum,“andotherwriters。
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