Reputation and significance John Dee

1 reputation , significance

1.1 calendar
1.2 voynich manuscript
1.3 works
1.4 artefacts

reputation , significance

about ten years after dee s death, antiquarian robert cotton purchased land around dee s house , began digging in search of papers , artifacts. discovered several manuscripts, records of dee s angelic communications. cotton s son gave these manuscripts scholar méric casaubon, published them in 1659, long introduction critical of author, true & faithful relation of passed many yeers between dr. john dee (a mathematician of great fame in q. eliz. , king james reignes) , spirits. first public revelation of dee s spiritual conferences, book extremely popular , sold quickly. casaubon, believed in reality of spirits, argued in introduction dee acting unwitting tool of evil spirits when believed communicating angels. book largely responsible image, prevalent following 2 , half centuries, of dee dupe , deluded fanatic. around same time true , faithful relation published, members of rosicrucian movement claimed dee 1 of number. there doubt, however, organized rosicrucian movement existed during dee s lifetime, , no evidence ever belonged secret fraternity. dee s reputation magician , vivid story of association edward kelley have made him seemingly irresistible figure fabulists, writers of horror stories , latter-day magicians. accretion of false , fanciful information dee obscures facts of life, remarkable in themselves. nothing promote christian leanings: dee looked angels speak him how might heal deep , serious rifts between roman catholic church, reformed church of england , protestant movement in england. queen elizabeth used him court astronomer on number of occasions not solely because practised hermetic arts, because religious , learned man whom trusted.

a re-evaluation of dee s character , significance came in 20th century, largely result of work of historians charlotte fell-smith , dame frances yates. both writers brought focus parallel roles magic, science , religion held in elizabethan renaissance. fell-smith writes: there perhaps no learned author in history has been persistently misjudged, nay, slandered, posterity, , not voice in 3 centuries uplifted claim him fair hearing. surely time cause of universal condemnation should examined in light of reason , science; , perhaps found exist in fact far advanced in speculative thought own age understand. result of , subsequent re-evaluation, dee viewed serious scholar , book-collector, devoted christian (albeit during confusing time faith), able scientist, , 1 of learned men of day. personal library @ mortlake largest in country (before vandalized), , created @ enormous , ruinous personal expense; considered 1 of finest in europe, perhaps second of de thou. being astrological , scientific advisor elizabeth , court, advocate of colonisation of north america , visionary of british empire stretching across north atlantic.

dee promoted sciences of navigation , cartography. studied closely gerardus mercator, , owned important collection of maps, globes , astronomical instruments. developed new instruments special navigational techniques use in polar regions. dee served advisor english voyages of discovery, , selected pilots , trained them in navigation. believed mathematics (which understood mystically) central progress of human learning. centrality of mathematics dee s vision makes him extent more modern francis bacon, though scholars believe bacon purposely downplayed mathematics in anti-occult atmosphere of reign of james i. should noted, though, dee s understanding of role of mathematics radically different our contemporary view. dee s promotion of mathematics outside universities enduring practical achievement. of writings, dee chose write in english, rather latin, make writings accessible general public. mathematical preface euclid meant promote study , application of mathematics without university education, , popular , influential among mecanicians : new , growing class of technical craftsmen , artisans. dee s preface included demonstrations of mathematical principles readers perform without special education or training.

during 20th century, municipal borough of richmond (now london borough of richmond upon thames) honoured john dee naming street near mortlake, lived, dee road after him.

calendar

dee friend of tycho brahe , familiar work (translated english ward , assistant, thomas digges) of nicolaus copernicus. many of astronomical calculations based on copernican assumptions, never openly espoused heliocentric theory. dee applied copernican theory problem of calendar reform. in 1583, asked advise queen new gregorian calendar had been promulgated pope gregory xiii october 1582. advice england should accept it, albeit 7 specific amendments. first of these adjustment should not 10 days restore calendar time of council of nicaea in 325 ad, 11 days, restore birth of christ. proposal of dee s align civil , liturgical years, , have them both start on 1 january. perhaps predictably, england chose spurn suggestions had papist origins, despite merit may objectively have, , dee s advice rejected.

voynich manuscript

he has been associated voynich manuscript. wilfrid michael voynich, bought manuscript in 1912, suggested dee may have owned manuscript , sold rudolph ii. dee s contacts rudolph far less extensive had been thought, however, , dee s diaries show no evidence of sale. dee was, however, known have possessed copy of book of soyga, enciphered book.

works


monas hieroglyphica, 1564
preface billingsley s euclid (billingsley s translation of euclid s elements), 1570
general , rare memorials pertayning perfect arte of navigation, 1577
on mystical rule of 7 planets, 1582–83

artefacts

objects used dee in magic, in british museum.

the british museum holds several items once owned dee , associated spiritual conferences:

dee s speculum or mirror (an obsidian aztec cult object in shape of hand-mirror, brought europe in late 1520s), subsequently owned horace walpole. jennifer rampling has claimed dee never owned object. item residing in british museum first attributed dee horace walpole. lord frederick campbell had brought round piece of shining black marble in leathern case walpole in attempt ascertain object s provenance. according walpole, responded saying oh, lord, man in england can tell you! dr. dee s black stone . there no explicit reference mirror in of dee s surviving writings. provenance of museum s obsidian speculum, crystal ball, in fact dubious.
the small wax seals used support legs of dee s table of practice (the table @ scrying performed).
the large, elaborately decorated wax seal of god , used support shew-stone , crystal ball used scrying.
a gold amulet engraved representation of 1 of kelley s visions.
a crystal globe, 6 centimetres in diameter. item remained unnoticed many years in mineral collection; possibly 1 owned dee, provenance of object less of others.

in december 2004, both shew stone (a stone used scrying) formerly belonging dee , mid-17th century explanation of use written nicholas culpeper stolen science museum in london; recovered shortly afterwards.