Biography John Dee

1 biography

1.1 life
1.2 later life
1.3 final years
1.4 personal life

biography
early life

dee born in tower ward, london, rowland dee of welsh descent , johanna wild. surname dee derived welsh du (black); grandfather bedo ddu of nant-y-groes, pilleth, radnorshire, , john retained connection locality. father roland mercer , gentleman courtier henry viii. john dee claimed descendant of rhodri great, prince of wales , constructed pedigree showing descent rhodri. dee s family arrived in london in wake of henry tudor s coronation henry vii. jane dee daughter of william wild.

dee attended chelmsford chantry school (now king edward vi grammar school) 1535 1542. entered st john s college, cambridge, in november 1542, aged 15, graduating ba in 1545 or 1546. abilities recognised, became original fellow of trinity college, cambridge, on founding henry viii in 1546. @ trinity, clever stage effects produced production of aristophanes peace procured him reputation of being magician clung him through life. in late 1540s , 1550s, travelled in europe, studying @ louvain (1548) , brussels , lecturing in paris on euclid. studied gemma frisius , became close friend of cartographer gerardus mercator , cartographer abraham ortelius. dee travelled extensively throughout europe meeting , working learning other leading continental mathematicians such federico commandino in italy. returned england important collection of mathematical , astronomical instruments. in 1552, met gerolamo cardano in london: during acquaintance investigated perpetual motion machine gem purported have magical properties.

rector @ upton-upon-severn 1553, dee offered readership in mathematics @ oxford in 1554, declined; occupied writing , perhaps hoped better position @ court. in 1555, dee became member of worshipful company of mercers, father had, through company s system of patrimony.

that same year, 1555, arrested , charged calculating having cast horoscopes of queen mary , princess elizabeth; charges expanded treason against mary. dee appeared in star chamber , exonerated himself, turned on catholic bishop bonner religious examination. strong , lifelong penchant secrecy perhaps worsening matters, entire episode dramatic in series of attacks , slanders dog dee throughout life. clearing name yet again, became close associate of bonner.

dee presented queen mary visionary plan preservation of old books, manuscripts , records , founding of national library, in 1556, proposal not taken up. instead, expanded personal library @ house in mortlake, tirelessly acquiring books , manuscripts in england , on european continent. dee s library, centre of learning outside universities, became greatest in england , attracted many scholars.

when elizabeth took throne in 1558, dee became trusted advisor on astrological , scientific matters, choosing elizabeth s coronation date himself. 1550s through 1570s, served advisor england s voyages of discovery, providing technical assistance in navigation , ideological backing in creation of british empire , term first use. dee wrote letter william cecil, 1st baron burghley, in october 1574 seeking patronage. claimed have occult knowledge of treasure in welsh marches, , of valuable ancient manuscripts kept @ wigmore castle, knowing lord treasurer s ancestors came area. in 1577, dee published general , rare memorials pertayning perfect arte of navigation, work set out vision of maritime empire , asserted english territorial claims on new world. dee acquainted humphrey gilbert , close sir philip sidney , circle.

in 1564, dee wrote hermetic work monas hieroglyphica ( hieroglyphic monad ), exhaustive cabalistic interpretation of glyph of own design, meant express mystical unity of creation. having dedicated maximilian ii, holy roman emperor in effort gain patronage, dee attempted present him during time of ascension throne of hungary. work esteemed many of dee s contemporaries, work can not interpreted today without secret oral tradition era.

he published mathematical preface henry billingsley s english translation of euclid s elements in 1570, arguing central importance of mathematics , outlining mathematics influence on other arts , sciences. intended audience outside universities, proved dee s influential , reprinted work.

one of important products of english school first english translation of elements of euclid. translation carried out lord mayor of london sir henry billingsley , not latin translation direct greek. published in 1570 mathematical milestone contained preface copious notes , supplementary material john dee , preface considered 1 of dee’s important mathematical works.

later life

the seal of god , british museum

by 1580s, dee growing dissatisfied progress in learning secrets of nature failing influence , recognition in court circles. failure of proposed calendar revision, imperial recommendations , ambivalent results exploration of north america had brought hopes of political patronage end. result, began more energetic turn towards supernatural means acquire knowledge. specifically, sought contact spirits through use of scryer or crystal-gazer, act intermediary between dee , angels.

dee s first attempts several scryers not satisfactory, but, in 1582, met edward kelley (then going under name of edward talbot disguise conviction coining or forgery), impressed him abilities. dee took kelley service , began devote energies supernatural pursuits. these spiritual conferences or actions conducted air of intense christian piety, after periods of purification, prayer , fasting. dee convinced of benefits bring mankind. (the character of kelley harder assess: have concluded acted complete cynicism, delusion or self-deception not out of question. kelley s output remarkable sheer volume, intricacy , vividness). dee maintained angels laboriously dictated several books him way, through kelley, in special angelic or enochian language.

edward kelley

in 1583, dee met visiting impoverished yet popular polish nobleman albert Łaski who, after overstaying welcome @ court, invited dee accompany him on return poland. prompting angels (again through kelley) , worsening status @ court, dee persuaded go. dee, kelley , families left continent in september 1583, Łaski proved bankrupt , out of favour in own country. dee , kelley began nomadic life in central europe, meanwhile continuing spiritual conferences, dee recorded meticulously in diaries , almanacs. had audiences emperor rudolf ii in prague castle , king stefan batory of poland whom attempted convince of importance of angelic communication. meeting polish king, stefan batory, took place @ royal castle @ niepołomice (near kraków, capital of poland) , later analyzed polish historians (ryszard zieliński, roman Żelewski, roman bugaj) , writers (waldemar Łysiak). while dee accepted man of wide , deep knowledge, mistrusted connection english monarch, elizabeth i. not sure meetings without political ramifications. thought (and still do) dee in fact spy british monarch. nevertheless, polish king, devout catholic , cautious of supernatural media, began meeting(s) affirmation prophetic revelations must in keeping teachings of jesus christ, mission of holy catholic church, , approval of pope.

in 1587, during spiritual conference in bohemia, kelley informed dee angel uriel had ordered men share possessions, including wives. time, kelley had gained renown alchemist , in fact more sought-after dee in regard: line of work had prospects serious , long-term financial gain, among royal families of central europe. dee, on other hand, more interested in communicating angels believed him solve mysteries of heavens through mathematics, optics, astrology, science , navigation. may kelley in fact wished end dee s dependence on him scryer increasingly lengthy , frequent spiritual conferences. order wife-sharing caused dee great anguish, apparently did not doubt genuineness. apparently did share wives. however, dee broke off conferences afterwards. dee returned england in 1589: kelley went on alchemist emperor rudolf ii. 9 months later, on feb. 28, 1588, son born dee s wife, whom dee baptized theodorus trebonianus dee , raised own. possible child kelley s; dee 60 @ time, edward kelley 32.

final years

dee s obsidian aztec scrying mirror



john dee memorial plaque installed in 2013 inside church of st mary virgin mortlake

dee returned mortlake after 6 years abroad find home vandalized, library ruined , many of prized books , instruments stolen. furthermore, dee found increasing criticism of occult practices had made england more inhospitable magical practices , natural philosophy. dee sought support elizabeth, hoped persuade kelley return , ease england s economic burdens through alchemy. appointed dee warden of christ s college, manchester, in 1595. former college of priests had been re-established protestant institution royal charter of 1578.

however, not exert control on fellows of college, despised or cheated him. in tenure, consulted on demonic possession of 7 children, took little interest in matter, although did allow involved consult still extensive library.

he left manchester in 1605 return london; however, remained warden until death. time, elizabeth dead, , james provided no support. dee spent final years in poverty @ mortlake, forced sell off various of possessions support himself , daughter, katherine, cared him until end. died in mortlake late in 1608 or 1609 aged 82 (there no extant records of exact date both parish registers , dee s gravestone missing). in 2013 memorial plaque dee placed on south wall of present church.

personal life

dee married 3 times , had 8 children. first married katherine constable in 1565; died in 1574 , union resulted in no children. second (also childless) marriage unknown woman lasted year until death in 1576. 1577 1601, dee kept sporadic diary (also referred almanac ) of know life during time has been gleaned. in 1578 married 23-year-old jane fromond: dee fifty-one @ time. jane had own connections elizabethan court: lady in waiting elizabeth clinton, countess of lincoln, position gave when married dee. when in 1587, kelley informed dee of angel s wish share wives, jane dee (née fromond) wife dee shared him. although dee complied angel s supposed request while, apparently distressed arrangement , 1 reason why 2 men parted company not long thereafter. believe dee s son theodore, born 9 months later, have been kelley s son, not dee s.

jane died in manchester of bubonic plague , buried in manchester cathedral burial grounds in march 1604. michael, born in prague, died on father s birthday in 1594. theodore, born in trebona, died in manchester in 1601. sons arthur dee , rowland survived him, did daughter katherine companion end . no records exist youngest daughters madinia, frances , margaret after 1604, assumed died in same epidemic took mother. (dee had time ceased keeping diary).

while arthur student @ westminster school, dee wrote letter headmaster echoes worries of boarding school parents in every century. arthur apprentice in of father s alchemical , scientific work, , in fact scryer until kelley came along. arthur went on become alchemist , hermetic author, works published elias ashmole.

as regards dee s physical appearance, antiquary john aubrey gives following description: tall , slender. wore gown artist s gown, hanging sleeves, , slit.... fair, clear sanguine complexion... long beard white milk. handsome man.