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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<strong>of</strong> a dedicatory epistle to <strong>Cecil</strong>, followed by a lengthy technical treatise on transmutational<br />
and medicinal alchemy.<br />
As most <strong>of</strong> the treatise has been identified as reproducing a range <strong>of</strong> earlier<br />
alchemical authorities, the marginal notes and dedicatory epistle provide more interesting<br />
information on Lock‘s intentions. From the outset Lock made the aim <strong>of</strong> his suit obvious,<br />
to return ―him that now is far away, from his owne native lande, that wolde might gladly he<br />
were there, to labour with his hands‖. 110 A marginal note in the treatise proper firmly<br />
establishes that Lock was referring to his time in Russia.<br />
For when I compiled it I ment to have sent it into Ingland as a present &<br />
mediator to help me home out <strong>of</strong> Russia, wherfor I made it the more darke<br />
that I might the sonner be sente for home for to doe it myselfe 111<br />
This note, one <strong>of</strong> the few that can definitely be ascribed to Lock, also demonstrates that he<br />
had understood that an alchemical treatise, written in obscure language, would be a suitable<br />
gift for <strong>Cecil</strong>. Lock anticipated that <strong>Cecil</strong> would find it sufficiently enticing to bring him<br />
home from Russia to fulfil his ―darke‖ promises. <strong>The</strong> epistle also stressed the need for<br />
<strong>Cecil</strong> to bring Lock back to England to ―put in practise the same things, that are written in<br />
this booke‖. 112<br />
Lock sought to differentiate himself from the other alchemists whom <strong>Cecil</strong> had<br />
patronised. He hoped that <strong>Cecil</strong> would ignore other alchemical proposals and be ―from<br />
evil men protect, That runne abought deceiving such, As in them put there trust‖. 113 Lock<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essed concern at <strong>Cecil</strong>‘s patronage <strong>of</strong> alchemical charlatans who, unlike himself, did<br />
not know ―natures waies‖ or the ―secret workings <strong>of</strong> the [philosopher‘s] stone‖. 114 Like<br />
many alchemists <strong>of</strong> the period Lock tried to separate himself from the stereotype <strong>of</strong> the<br />
alchemical charlatan, arguing that those swindlers did not understand true alchemical<br />
philosophy. However, it also indicates that Lock was aware <strong>of</strong> <strong>Cecil</strong>‘s other alchemical<br />
110 Lock, ‗Dedicatory Epistle‘.<br />
111 Humfrey Lock, Quoted in Grund, ‗―Misticall Wordes and Names Infinite‖‘, Unpublished PhD <strong>The</strong>sis, p.<br />
11.<br />
112 Lock, ‗Dedicatory Epistle‘.<br />
113 Ibid.<br />
114 Ibid.<br />
69