Human From John Aubrey's Brief Lives.
JOHN AUBRY
John Dee From John Aubrey's Brief Lives.
Edited by R Barber, Boydell Press, 1982
I have left about 1674 with Mr Elias Ashmole
three pages in folio concerning him.
The father of this John Dee was a vintner
in London (from Elias Ashmole who has it
from this Dee's grandson. Memorandum: Mr
Meredith Lloyd tells me that his father was
Roland Dee, a Radnorshire gentleman, and
that he has his pedigree, which he has promised
to lend to me. He was descended from Rees,
prince of South Wales. My great-grandfather,
Williarn Aubrey (LLD), and he were cousins,
and intimate acquaintance. Mr Ashmole has
letters between them, under their own hands,
viz one of Sr Williarn Aubrey to him (ingeniously
and learnedly written) touching the Sovereignty
of the Sea, of which John Dee wrote a book
which he dedicated to Queen Elizabeth and
desired my great-grandfather's advice upon
it. Dr Aubrey's country-house was at Kew,
and John Dee lived at Mortlake, not a mile
distant. I have heard my grandfather say
they were often together.
Arthur Dee, MD, his son, lived and practised
at Norwich, an intimate friend of Sir Thomas
Browne, MD, who told me that Sir Williarn
Boswell, the Dutch ambassador, had all John
De&s manuscripts: ask his executors for
his papers. He lived then somewhere in Kent.
Ask A. Wood for the manuscripts in the Bodleian
library of Doctor Gwyn, wherein are several
letters between him and John Dec, and Doctor
Davies, of chemistry and of magical secrets,
which my worthy friend Mr Meredith Lloyd
has seen and read: and he tells me that he
has been told that Dr Barlowe gave it to
the Prince of Tuscany.
Meredith Lloyd says that John Dee's printed
book of spirits is not above the third part
of what was written, which were in Sir Robert
Cotton's library; many whereof were much
perished by being buried, and Sir Robert
Cotton bought the field to dig after it.
Memorandum: he told me of John Dee conjuring
at a pool in Brecknockshire, and that they
found a wedge of gold; and that they were
troubled and indicted as conjurers at the
assizes; that a mighty storm and tempest
was raised in harvest time, the country people
had not known the like.
His picture in a wooden cut is at the end
of Billingsley's Euclid but Mr Elias Ashmole
has a very good painted copy of him from
his son Arthur. He has a very fair, clear
sanguine complexion (like Sir Henry Savile);
a long beard as white as milk. A very handsome
man.
Old goodwife Faldo (a native of Mortlake
in Surrey), aged eighty or more (1672), did
know Dr Dee, and told me he died at his house
in Mortlake, next to the house where the
tapestry hangings are made, viz west of that
house; and that he died aged about sixty
or more, eight or nine years since, and lies
buried in the chancel, and had a stone
(marble) upon him. Her mother tended him
in his sickness. She told me that he did
entertain the Polish ambassador at his house
in Mortlake, and died not long after; and
that he showed the eclipse by means of a
camera obscura to the said ambassador. She
believes that he was eighty years old when
he died. She said, he kept a great many stills
going; that he laid the storm by magic: that
the children dreaded him because he was accounted
a conjurer. He recovered the basket of clothes
stolen when she and his daughter (both girls)
were negligent: she knew this
A daughter of his (I think Sarah) is married
to a flax-dresser in Southwark: ask for her
name.
He built the gallery in the church at Mortlake.
Goody Faldo's father was the carpenter that
worked on it.
A stone was on his grave, which is since
removed. At the upper end of the chancel
then were steps, which in Oliver's days were
levelled by the minister, and then it was
removed. The children when they played in
the church would run to Dr Dee's grave stone.
She told me that he forewarned Queen Elizabeth
of Dr Lopez' attempt against her
(the doctor betrayed it, beshit himself).
He used to distil eggshells, and it was from
hence that Ben Jonson had his hint of the
alchemist, whom he meant.
He was a great peacemaker; if any of the
neighbours fell out, he would never let them
alone till he had made them friends.
He was tall and slender. He wore a gown like
an artist's gown, with hanging sleeves, and
a slit.
A mighty good man he was.
He was sent ambassador for Queen Elizabeth
(she thinks) into Poland.
Memorandum: his regaining of the plate for
a certain gentleman's butler, who coming
from London by water with a basket of plate,
mistook another basket that was like his.
Mr J. Dee bid them go by water on such a
day, and he would see the man that had his
basket, and he did so. But he would not get
lost horses, though he was offered several
angels (pieces of money). He told a woman
(his neighbour) that she laboured under the
evil tongue of an ill neighbour (another
woman) who came to her house, who, he said,
was a witch.
From John Aubrey's Brief Lives. (Edited by
R Barber, Boydell Press, 1982)
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