DEE (John)

, a famous mathematician and astrologer, was born at London 1527. In 1542 he was sent to St. John's College, Cambridge. After five years close application to study, chiesly in the mathematical and astronomical sciences, he went over to Holland, to visit some mathematicians on the Continent; whence, after a year's absence, he returned to Cambridge, and was there elected one of the Fellows of Trinity College, then first erected by King Henry the 8th. In 1548 he left England a second time, his stay at home being rendered uneasy to him, by the suspicions that were entertained of his being a conjurer, arising chiefly from his application to astronomy, and from some mechanical inventions of his.

He now visited the university of Louvain; where he was much caressed, and visited by several persons of high rank. After two years he went into France, and read lectures, in the college of Rheims, upon Euclid's Elements. In 1551, he returned to England, and was introduced to King Edward, who assigned him a pension of 100 crowns, which he afterward relinquished for the rectory of Upton upon Severn. But soon after the accession of Queen Mary, having some correspondence with her sister Elizabeth, he was accused of practising against the queen's life by enchantment: on which account he suffered a tedious confinement, and was several times examined; till, in the year 1555, he obtained his liberty by an order of council. |

When Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne, Dee was consulted concerning a propitious day for the coronation: on which occasion he was introduced to the queen, who made him great promises, which were but ill performed. In 1564, he made another voyage to the continent, to present a book which he had dedicated to the Emperor Maximilian. He returned to England the same year; but in 1571 we find him in Lorrain; where, being dangerously ill, the queen sent over two physicians to his relief. Having once more returned to his native country, he settled at Mortlake in Surry, where he continued his studies with much ardour, and collected a great library of printed books and manuscripts, with a number of instruments; most of which were afterward destroyed by the mob, as belonging to one who dealt with the devil.

In 1578, the queen being much indisposed, Mr. Dee was sent abroad to consult with German physicians and philosophers (astrologers no doubt) on the occasion; though some have said she employed him as a spy; probably he acted in a double capacity. We next find him again in England, where he was soon after employed in a more rational service. The queen, desirous to be informed concerning her title to those countries which had been discovered by Englishmen, ordered Dee to consult the ancient records, and to furnish her with proper geographical descriptions. Accordingly, in a short time, he presented to the queen, at Richmond, two large rolls, in which the discovered countries were geographically described and historically illustrated. His next employment was the reformation of the calendar, on which subject he wrote a rational and learned treatise, preserved in the Ashmolean library at Oxford.

Hitherto the extravangancies of our eccentrical philosopher seem to have been tempered with a tolerable proportion of reason and science; but henceforward he is to be considered as a mere necromancer and credulous alchymist. In the year 1581 he became acquainted with one Edward Kelly, by whose assistance he performed divers incantations, and maintained a frequent imaginary intercourse with spirits and angels; one of whom made him a present of a black speculum (a polished piece of cannel-coal), in which these appeared to him as often as he had occasion for them, answering his questions, &c. Hence Butler says, Kelly did all his feats upon The devil's looking-glass, a stone. Hudibras.

In 1583 they became acquainted with a certain Polish nobleman, then in England, named Albert Laski, a person equally addicted to the same ridiculous pursuits: he was so charmed with Dee and Kelly, that he persuaded them to accompany him to his native country; by whose means they were introduced to Rodolph king of Bohemia; who, though a credulous man, was soon disgusted with their nonsense. They were afterward introduced to the king of Poland, but with no better success. Soon after this they were entertained at the castle of a rich Bohemian nobleman, where they lived for some time in great affluence; owing, as they asserted, to their art of transmutation by means of a certain powder in the possession of Kelly.

Dee, now quarrelling with his companion, quitted Bohemia, and returned to England, where he was once more graciously received by the queen; who, in 1595, made him warden of Manchester college, in which town he resided several years. In 1604 he returned to his house at Mortlake, where he died in 1608, at 81 years of age; leaving a large family and many works behind him.

The books that were printed and published by Dee, are, 1. Propœdumata Aphoristica, &c. in 1558, in 12mo. —2. Monas Hieroglyphica ad Regem Romanorum Maximilianum; 1564.—3. Epistola ad eximium ducis Urbini mathematicum, Fredericum Commandinum, prefixa libello Machometi Bagdadini de Superficierum Divisionibus &c; 1570.—4. The British Monarchy, othcrwise called, The Petty Navy Royal; 1576.—5. Preface Mathematical to the English Euclid, published by Henry Billingsley, 1570: certainly a very curious and elaborate composition, and where he says, many more arts are wholly invented by name, definition, property, and use, than either the Grecian or Roman mathematicians have left to our knowledge.—6. Divers and many annotations and inventions dispersed and added after the 10th book of English Euclid; 1570.—7. Epistola prefixa Ephemeridibus Joannis Feldi à 1557, cui rationem declaraverat Ephemerides conscribendi.—8. Parallaticæ Commentationis Paxeosque Nucleus quidam; 1573.

This catalogue of Dee's printed and published works is to be found in his Compendious Rehearsal &c, as well as in his letter to Abp. Whitgift: and from the same places might be transcribed more than 40 titles of books unpublished, that were written by him.