The Alchemical Patronage of Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley

eighteenth century cataloguer of the Lansdowne manuscripts judged Thynne a madman. 183
However, through his astrological interpretation of Cecil‘s crest as ―the golden sheife,
supported with the two honorable lyons of jupiter & luna, therein representinge unto mee
ye majesty of ye golden phebus [sun]‖, Thynne referenced his earlier astrological and
alchemical discourse, and thereby revealed the occult nature of his potential service. 184
While we cannot definitively identify the nature of Thynne‘s proposed occult
services, there are indications that Thynne was referring to the alchemical ‗Voarchadumia‘
in which he had previously professed his skill. Thynne promised that in return for his
freedom, Cecil could ―bee partaker of that simple treatice which I have longe tyme since
dedicated unto your honor‖, which he could no longer undertake, as ―my foortune may not
beare it‖. 185 This is significant as Frederick Fernivall has postulated that Thynne‘s growing
interest in alchemy in the 1570‘s contributed to his poverty. 186 Thynne claimed to be
―famuliar in practice‖ with alchemy and the pursuit commonly impoverished those with
chemical aspirations. 187
Evidently Thynne‘s alchemical allusions intrigued Cecil enough to procure his
release within three months. 188 Thynne, along with ―the Reliques of my spoyled Librarie‖,
moved into his cousin‘s Longleat House. 189 Although Thynne‘s debt had forced him to sell
off a significant proportion of his books, he retained a sizeable library, some of which still
remains at Longleat House. These almost exclusively consist of alchemical and astrological
works including Ripley‘s Compendium of Alchemy, Thomas Norton‘s Ordinal of Alchemy, and
Joanne de Anglia‘s obscure Stella Alchymiae. 190
183 H. Ellis and F. Douce (eds.), A Catalogue of the Lansdowne Manuscripts in the British Museum: With Indexes of
Persons, Places and Matters, London, 1819, p. 43.
184 Thynne to Cecil, 19 March 1576, BL Lansdowne, Vol. 21, No. 58.
185 Ibid.
186 Furnival (ed.), Animaduersions, p. cxiv.
187 Francis Thynne, ‗A Treatise on the Philosopher‘s Stone‘ (copy dated 9 September 1573), reproduced in
Fernivall, Animadversions, p. cxiv .
188 Francis Thynne wrote to his cousin Sir John Thynne ―From my cousin Becher‘s‖ 6 June 1576, quoted in
Fernivall, pp. lvii-lviii.
189 Francis Thynne to Lord Cobham, 8 January 1579, reproduced in Fernivall, Animadversions, p. lxi.
190 Historical Manuscripts Commission, Third Report of the Royal Commission on Historical Manucripts, Appendix,
London, 1872, p. 186.
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