The Alchemical Patronage of Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley

them. For it seems that by this stage, despite their previous interest, ―hir majesty hath bene
informed credibly, [that] they are of no vaulewe‖. 196
The Court therefore decided to on-sell the materials to a gullible buyer. Robert
Smith travelled to Germany, hoping to sell them to the Marquis of Brandenburg. A copy
of Smith‘s instructions remains in the state papers. Whilst they are not signed, Cecil‘s later
reference to Smith having received a ―fewe articles for your better direction from me‖,
implies that he probably composed the instructions. 197 Upon reaching Berlin, Smith was to
find a buyer as soon as possible, using as cover the pretence of searching for a German
alchemical expert to assess the worth of Peterson‘s materials. If Smith could not conclude
his negotiations within six months, he was to tell Peterson that the expert had fallen ill and
that another two months would be required until a decision could be made. The entire
venture had a distinct air of subterfuge, with Smith ordered to
in the whole course of your proceeding herin use all secrecy and discreation
that yt maie not be conceived or imagined that the Queens majesty hath any
furder intereste in the said materiales than as a princesse to whome they
were once tendered for ther rarenesse and pretended pretiable qualitie 198
Smith was explicitly instructed not to give the buyers any indication of interest from either
the Queen or her Council; the matter was supposedly dealt with by a secretary to whom
Smith was deputed. 199 As no one sufficiently expert could be found within England, the
materials were ostensibly being sold off to others with more relevant expertise.
On 15 March 1595, two days after Smith received his instructions, Sir Thomas
Wilkes, clerk of the Privy Council and former ambassador to France, wrote to the London
based governor of the Merchant Adventurers of Stade. He sent with his letter the three
glass vessels of alchemical materials and asked for them to be forwarded to the company in
Stade and kept safe until further orders. If Peterson should request the materials or the
196 Cecil to Robert Smith, 4 October 1595, TNA, SP 12/254/4.
197 Ibid.
198 Anon. to Robert Smith, 13 March 1595, TNA, SP 12/251/57.
199 Ibid.
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