The Alchemical Patronage of Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley

of the Frobisher ore, as proof that Cecil was involved in an obviously alchemical scheme. 9
Unfortunately, Harkness‘ identification is incorrect, as da Trento was, in fact, a former
agent of the Cardinal of Lorraine, who wisely moved to England after providing Cecil with
confidential information. 10 The meeting probably related to the 1577 letter he wrote to the
Queen accusing the Earl of Leicester of murdering his wife. 11
No other historian has studied Cecil‘s links to the three Frobisher voyages in any
detail; his biographers barely mention the project. This was possibly due to Cecil‘s
ambiguous role, as he became involved in the scheme as one of many prominent Court
investors, rather than as the primary promoter. He is however, known to have promised
£400 towards the enterprise, and clearly believed that Frobisher‘s ore would provide a
handsome profit. Cecil demonstrated a significant interest in the metallurgical aspect of the
project, and had a diagram of the alchemist Burchard Kranich‘s furnace drawn for him
(image 2). He was also the key Court figure in arranging the construction of works in
Dartford, where the ore was to be smelted. The Frobisher voyages are therefore an
important case study of Cecil‘s willingness to utilise alchemy to aid the English economy.
In October 1576 Frobisher returned from his first voyage to what is now known as
Frobisher Bay in the north-east of Canada. His intention had been to discover the north-
west passage to the mythical spice islands of Asia. Thwarted by arctic weather and hostile
natives, he presented his principal sponsor, the London merchant Michael Lok, with only a
piece of black ore ―as great as a halfpenny loaf‖. 12 It is uncertain why Lok chose to have
the ore assayed. The explanation of George Best, a member of the crew, seems rather
fanciful. According to Best, Lok gave a piece to his wife, which
9 Ibid., pp. 174-75.
10 SP 12/111/2; N. M. Sutherland, The Massacre of St. Bartholomew and the European Conflict 1559–1572, London,
1973, p. 113.
11 The letter also accuses Leicester of being involved in a number of other traitorous plots. ‗A long and
fantastical invective against, and accusation of, several great persons for treason; sent to the Council, by Jo.
Baptista, an Italian‘, BL, Lansdowne Vol /99 f.96; , Frederick Chamberlain, Elizabeth and Leycester, London,
1939, p. 18.
12 Michael Lok., May 1579, TNA, SP 12/131/20.
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