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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In the mean time, <strong>Cecil</strong> had lost patience with Robert Smith. After claiming some<br />
initial success in negotiations with the Marquis <strong>of</strong> Brandenburg (in which he had allegedly<br />
obtained ―two writinges under his hand and seale concerning the materialls‖) Smith‘s<br />
efforts came to nothing. 207 He soon fell out with his supposed broker, a Mr. Southwell,<br />
who had him arrested then deported. 208 <strong>Cecil</strong> wrote to Smith admonishing him for having<br />
deceived the Queen. In a clear demonstration <strong>of</strong> his previous knowledge <strong>of</strong> the scheme he<br />
recalls that<br />
I did frendly warne you before you departed <strong>of</strong> practising in these your idle<br />
conceites upon princes, and especially upon her majesty your soveraigne 209<br />
Arguing that ―exposing them to a comon tender‖ when the materials were known to be <strong>of</strong><br />
no value ―in no wase wer honorable to be doone in hir majesties nam‖, <strong>Cecil</strong> suddenly<br />
developed doubts about the morality <strong>of</strong> the entire scheme. 210 <strong>Cecil</strong> expressed particular<br />
displeasure at Smith‘s procuring <strong>of</strong> £50 from Ferrers and charging it to his account. 211<br />
Nevertheless, if Smith could<br />
precisely and upon you uttermost peril undertake within a shorte tyme ...<br />
[to] accomplyshe you[r] promise as yt is already sett downe under your<br />
hand, whereupon you maie return without hazard or despleasure. 212<br />
It is clear from the tone <strong>of</strong> his letter that <strong>Cecil</strong> had no great hopes <strong>of</strong> this happening. 213<br />
Smith procrastinated in Germany and attempted to redeem himself by selling the materials<br />
to the Duke <strong>of</strong> Brunswick, a prominent supporter <strong>of</strong> chemical medicine. 214 Heavily<br />
indebted, Smith eventually heeded Ferrers‘ calls to return to Stade, where he was arrested<br />
and sent to England. 215<br />
Hearing <strong>of</strong> Peterson‘s complaints and exasperated with Smith‘s empty promises,<br />
<strong>Cecil</strong> directed Ferrers to deliver the materials to Peterson and to retrieve the bond given for<br />
207 <strong>Cecil</strong> to Robert Smith, 4 October 1595, TNA, SP 12/254/4.<br />
208 Ibid.<br />
209 Ibid.<br />
210 Ibid.<br />
211 Ibid.<br />
212 Ibid.<br />
213 <strong>Cecil</strong> to Thomas Ferrers, 16 November 1595, in Roberts (ed.) CMS, Vol. 5: 1591-1595, p. 458.<br />
214 Hugh Trevor-Roper, Europe’s Physician: <strong>The</strong> Various Life <strong>of</strong> <strong>Sir</strong> <strong>The</strong>odore de Mayerne, New Haven, 2006, p. 22.<br />
215 Thomas Ferrers to <strong>Cecil</strong>, 18 May 1596, TNA, SP 12/257/89.<br />
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