The Alchemical Patronage of Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley
The Alchemical Patronage of Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley
The Alchemical Patronage of Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>Cecil</strong> and the Queen‘s demands that he return to England, he argued that as at his<br />
ennoblement he had been sworn to promote virtue and chivalry, he could not in good<br />
conscience leave his imperial honours. That was, unless<br />
yt may please my most gracious Soverayne and Country to redres the<br />
Injuries done against me heret<strong>of</strong>ore. And to call me home to the like honor.<br />
Assuring me <strong>of</strong> so much Lands <strong>of</strong> inheritance by yere to serve her, as I shall<br />
leave behynde me in Bohemia for her: <strong>The</strong>n will I declare my self openly 128<br />
In his next letter <strong>of</strong> 10 August 1590, Kelley declared his terms even more openly; unless<br />
<strong>Cecil</strong> and the Queen promised him equivalent wealth and lands in England, ―I am not so<br />
madd to runne awaye from my present honor and lands‖. 129 Noting that as ―your<br />
L[ordship] maketh mutch <strong>of</strong> the tryfle i sent you [presumably the Handstein]: I will shortly<br />
present you with som better thinge‖, Kelley then took his leave <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Lord</strong> Treasurer. 130<br />
If Kelley‘s abruptness <strong>of</strong>fended <strong>Cecil</strong>, he got no hint <strong>of</strong> this in the <strong>Lord</strong> Treasurer‘s<br />
replies. A 31 October 1590 letter to <strong>Cecil</strong>, expressed Kelley‘s pleasure that <strong>Cecil</strong> and the<br />
Queen had been well contented with his letters. 131 However, Kelley remained adamant that<br />
the Queen and <strong>Cecil</strong>‘s vague promises were insufficient and that he would prefer to<br />
―honorably serve and satisfy her gracious highnes abrode, being settled and contented<br />
allready with sufficient reputation and lyvinge‖. 132 If <strong>Cecil</strong> was discouraged by Kelley‘s<br />
obstinacy, Edward Dyer‘s enthusiastic reports retained his interest. By October 1590 Dyer<br />
had once again travelled to Bohemia to convince Kelley to return on <strong>Cecil</strong>‘s behalf. With<br />
increasing hostility towards the English in Prague, Dyer found that Kelley declined his<br />
efforts to obtain ―some medecyne to have satisfyed her majesty by her own blisfull sight‖,<br />
supposedly because Kelley feared raising suspicions about his loyalty in the notoriously<br />
unstable Emperor. 133<br />
128 Ibid. ff. 57r-58v.<br />
129 Kelley to <strong>Cecil</strong>, 10 August 1590, TNA, SP 81/6 f.66r.<br />
130 Ibid.<br />
131 Kelley to <strong>Cecil</strong>, 31 October 1590, TNA, SP 81/6 f.79r.<br />
132 Ibid.<br />
133 Edward Dyer to <strong>Cecil</strong>, 31 October 1590, TNA, SP 82/3 f.134r.<br />
97