The Alchemical Patronage of Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley

alchemical knowledge than his geographical expertise. 162 During his travels Eden would
certainly have associated with the other prominent alchemists whom the Vidame
patronised. Jaques Gohory, author of several Paracelsian and alchemical tracts, including
an edition of the medieval alchemical poem Livre De La Fontaine Perilleuse (1572), dedicated
to the Vidame, shared common interests with Eden. 163 As well as advocating Paracelsian
medicine as the heir to the alchemical tradition of Roger Bacon, Gohory was fascinated
with the New World, writing the first treatise on tobacco and translating an Italian account
of the conquest of Peru. 164 The association of alchemy with other forms of natural
knowledge was not uncommon in sixteenth century Europe.
During his employment by the Vidame, Eden kept in contact with both Cecil and
Thomas Smith. Their correspondence was almost entirely related to Eden‘s alchemical
interests and experiments. In October 1565 Eden wrote to Cecil to tell him ―that of late
there passed by us frome the [presumably French] courte a Spaniard, a gentelman, and
learned, named Don Francisco Tiburino‖. 165 The Spaniard told him that he had seen one of
the King‘s physicians reading a occult book, written by an Englishman, although he could
not name the title or author. The text which the Spaniard had quoted to Eden ―sound to
me so strange that I coulde imagen none other but that it shuld be the booke of Roger
Bacon‖ though Eden remained uncertain about the author, so he thought he would inform
Cecil, ―who I suppose maye sooner knowe the truth of this thing than I‖. 166 That Eden,
who by this stage had known Cecil for over twenty five years, thought that Cecil would
take the time from his many duties to hunt down a book of occult philosophy further
reveals Cecil‘s contemporary reputation.
162 Vidame de Chartres to Sir William Cecil, 3/3/1565, in Joseph Stevenson (ed.), CSPF 1564-5, London,
1870, p. 310 .
163 Denis I. Duveen, Bibliotheca alchemica et chemica: An Annotated Catalogue of Printed Books On Alchemy, Chemistry
and Cognate Subjects In The Library of Denis I. Duveen, London, 1965, p. 262.
164 Astor Lenox, Bulletin of the New York Public Library, Vol. 3, New York, 1899, p. 18.
165 Richard Eden to William Cecil, 12 October 1565, TNA, SP 70/80/123.
166 Ibid. Although Eden attributes the authorship of the book to Roger Bacon, based on his description of its
content it seems possible that it may have been a copy of John Dee‘s Monas Hieroglyphica published the
previous year.
43