The life and times of Dr John Dee

Thurſday, Septembris 27. † Pragæ. Mane : About 7. of the clock came Dr. Curtz his ſervant from his Maſter to tell that his Maſter would come unto me at 9 of the clock.

At 9 of the clock came Dr. Curtz on horſeback to me, to my lodging (at Doctor Hageck his houſe by Bethleem) my wife he ſaluted, and little Katharine, my daughter. Mr. Kelly had gotten him into his chamber, not willing to be ſeen. After he was come up into my little Study, and there ſet, in Mr. Kelly his uſual place, and I in mine; I began to complain of the great injury done unto me here; for I came as a ſin- cere and faithful ſervitour of the Emperour his Majeſty, intending all goodneſſe and honour unto him: no hindrance, loſſe or hurt; neither came I propter divitias Cæſaris mihi colligen- das, as I ſaid expreſſely unto his Majeſty. I was, before I came hither, of good name and fame, both in this Court, and all Europe over, As you your ſelf Mr. Doctor (quoth I) can bear me witneſſe: and other in this Court divers: And that here my name and fame ſhould ſuf- fer ſhipwrack, where I thought I had been in, a ſure Haven of my principal Patrone: My thinketh that great injury is done unto me: I know no means how to help it, but to give you warning of the envious malitious backbiters that alſo are about this Court, that as you find occaſion, you might encounter with this evil, and foul monſter, in ſo mighty a Princes Cauſe intruding it ſelf. The Doctor ſeemed not to know what I meant. I told him, that at a Noble-mans Table, There was, of great account, who ſaid, that there was an Engliſhman, come to the Emperours, A bankrupt Alchimiſt, a Conjurer, and Necromantiſt: who had ſold his own goods, and given the Lord Laſkie the money: and that he had beguiled him: and that now he would fain get ſome of the Emperour his money from him, &c. The Doctor ſeemed greatly to miſlike theſe ſlanderous words, and ſaid, that he never heard of any ſuch; with ſome few words more, of thewicked manner of backbiters. After this, as concerning the report making to the Emperour, of that I had ſhewed unto him, at his houſe, (as before is noted) he ſaid that he had made a plain and ſincere report. Whereunto the Emperours Majeſty, had (as yet) given no anſwer. And to be plain with you (ſaid he) his Majeſty thinketh them almoſt either incredible, or impoſſible: and would have ſome leaſure to conſider of them: and is deſirous to have the ſight of thoſe Latine A- ctions you ſhewed me, or a copy of them, and eſpecially, of that, which containeth a para- phraſis of the Apoſtolical Creed. I anſwered, that my Books I would not deliver out of my hands: And as for a Copy of them, I would (at leaſure) write it, that his Majeſty might have it. And then I told him farther, that becauſe it was ſo long before I heard any word of him, I had letters ready to ſend to the Emperours Majeſty, to have farther declared my mind unto him, and I declared unto him the tenor of them: and he told me that about three of the clock after noon, his man ſhould go to the Court, and if then I would ſend them, his man ſhould carry them. I anſwered that I would expect a day or two for the Emperours return hither. After this we talked of ſome Mathematical matters: And I ſhewed him the little Book de ſuperficierum diviſionibus, ſet forth by me and Commandinus, printed at Pezaro in Italy. He ſaid that he never ſaw it before: I bad him then take it with him to peruſe: and that if I had another Copy, I would give it him; but I had none other but that. I ſhewed him alſo the Propædeamata Aphoriſtica de præſtantioribus quibuſdam Natare virtutibus, which he had never ſeen before. After this, with mutual curteſies offered on both parts (after the manner of the world) he took his horſe, and returned homeward.