The Alchemical Patronage of Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley

conviction regarding the reality of alchemical transmutation requires further study.
Thorough examination of alchemical themes and symbolism within Elizabethan art and
theatre would also be informative. From the spiritual alchemy of William Shakespeare‘s
Prospero, to Ben Jonson‘s alchemical charlatans Subtle and Face, alchemy was a popular
theme amongst early modern dramatists. The extent to which these themes either reflected
or satirised elite attitudes remains largely unexamined. Also, this thesis has focussed on the
English elite in the Elizabethan period, and there is ample further scope for research on
alchemical belief both elsewhere in sixteenth century England and at other levels of society.
Alchemical patronage in Elizabethan England depended, as it did in France and the
Holy Roman Empire, on a unified and metaphoric understanding of nature. This thesis
has demonstrated that Cecil shared this understanding, and therefore his attempts to utilise
alchemy were part of a rational and cohesive system of patronage. Although on a personal
level Cecil maintained an interest in alchemical theory, as Queen Elizabeth‘s chief
government minister his patronage of alchemy was selective, moderated by a desire to
strengthen and stabilise the realm and increase its wealth. Those alchemists who could
demonstrate a significant potential value in their work, benefited from this desire.
Throughout his career Cecil therefore continued to view alchemy as a legitimate solution to
both personal and national maladies.
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