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
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Dyer remained in Prague through the winter <strong>of</strong> 1590-91 and worked alongside<br />
Kelley in an attempt to learn his alchemical secrets. 134 If Kelley could not be convinced to<br />
return, surely he would be willing to teach Dyer his process, thereby allowing England the<br />
benefits <strong>of</strong> alchemical transmutation. Kelley later recalled their collaboration:<br />
what delight we tooke together, when from the Mettall simply calcined into<br />
powder after the vsuall manner, distilling the Liquor so prepared with the<br />
same we converted appropriat bodies (as our Astronomie inferious<br />
teacheth) into Mercury the first matter 135<br />
If <strong>Cecil</strong> had wanted someone to learn the secret from Kelley for England‘s benefit, Dyer,<br />
with his alchemical experience gained under Dee, would have been the obvious choice.<br />
On 1 May 1591 <strong>Cecil</strong> once again wrote to Kelley, this time stressing the medical<br />
potential <strong>of</strong> Kelley‘s alchemical skills. <strong>Cecil</strong> requested that Kelley send him ―some thing <strong>of</strong><br />
your operation to strengthen me afore the next wynter against myne old ennemye the<br />
goute‖. 136 Wilding argued that this may have been a coded message; that a prominent<br />
political figure would be unlikely to reveal a disabling illness via easily intercepted letter. 137<br />
Interpreting <strong>Cecil</strong>‘s complaints as referring to the political situation in the Holy Roman<br />
Empire, Wilding proceeds to speculate about the possibility <strong>of</strong> Kelley acting as a spy in the<br />
Imperial Court. 138 This interpretation is unconvincing. Most <strong>of</strong> Europe knew that <strong>Cecil</strong><br />
suffered from gout—endemic throughout the upper strata <strong>of</strong> European society—as<br />
demonstrated by the <strong>of</strong>fers <strong>of</strong> cures that <strong>Cecil</strong> received from throughout Europe.<br />
If <strong>Cecil</strong> coded any sort <strong>of</strong> message within the letter, it seems more likely that he was<br />
attempting to disguise an appeal for alchemical gold as a less politically sensitive plea for<br />
alchemical medicine. Without the trustworthy Dyer as a courier, the possibility <strong>of</strong><br />
interception would have concerned <strong>Cecil</strong>. <strong>Cecil</strong> certainly skirted around any direct mention<br />
<strong>of</strong> transmutation, writing in more general terms about ―the satisfaction <strong>of</strong> us all here that<br />
134 Sargent, <strong>The</strong> Life and Lyrics, p. 112.<br />
135 Kelley to Dyer, quoted in Sargent, p. 112.<br />
136 <strong>Cecil</strong> to Kelley, May 1591, BL, Lansdowne Vol. 103, No. 72, (Lansdowne Vol. 104, No. 56 is identical<br />
without a concluding sentence begging Kelley to use his gift for the benefit <strong>of</strong> his own country rather than<br />
for strangers).<br />
137 Wilding, ‗A Biography <strong>of</strong> Edward Kelly‘, pp. 61-62.<br />
138 Ibid.<br />
98