The Alchemical Patronage of Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley

depryved of his libertye and frends‖. 160 Webbe also reported that whilst Dyer had initially
been put under house arrest, his treatment had supposedly improved. It is likely that
Webbe had obtained more politically sensitive information, as he sent the letter via one of
Kelley‘s servants, who could, Webbe assured Cecil, provide more details on events. 161
An unsigned note, catalogued in Cecil‘s records as ―some necessary queries relating
to the state of Sir Edward Kelley‖, clearly written shortly after Kelley‘s arrest, gives further
evidence as to the nature of Cecil‘s concerns. 162 Although the author recognised that the
―cheife point upon which all those matters do depend is whether the transmutation so
famouslye spoken of be trewe or no‖, it was also important to ascertain the alchemist‘s
intentions if his escape had succeeded: ―whether his journey were intended for England or
otherwise for his owne private purpose‖. 163 The author assumed that if Kelley had been
attempting to flee to England, then Cecil would still be interested in his services, and either
he or Edward Dyer would have to arrange the alchemist‘s release.
Unable to procure Kelley‘s return to England, Cecil‘s informants went looking for
others who may have obtained the alchemist‘s secret. It was noticed that an Englishman,
Thomas Page, had recently returned from Prague, and had brought alchemical equipment
back with him. Cecil demanded to know if Kelley had divulged his secret to Page. Page
assured the Lord Treasurer that he had not brought back philosophical mercury, a
preparative to the philosopher‘s stone, but merely ―mercury the lyke wherof every shop
doth afford‖. 164 As proof he sent a small sample to Cecil for examination. Page knew of
Cecil‘s hopes of alchemical success, and assured him that if ―I had any lyttle quantetye of it
wherewith to present her majesty y[our] Lordship should most wyllingly have had the
160 Ibid.
161 Ibid.
162 Anon. to Cecil, undated, BL, Lansdowne Vol. 68, no. 110.
163 Ibid.
164 Thomas Page to Cecil, 3 July 1591, TNA, SP 12/239/76.
103