Achievements John Dee

a chart johannes trithemius s steganographia in hand of john dee copied entire manuscript in 1591


thought

dee influenced hermetic , platonic-pythagorean doctrines pervasive in renaissance. believed numbers basis of things , key knowledge. hermeticism, drew belief man had potential divine power, , believed divine power exercised through mathematics. ultimate goal bring forth unified world religion through healing of breach of catholic , protestant churches , recapture of pure theology of ancients.

advocacy of english expansion

from 1570 dee advocated policy of political , economic strengthening of england , imperial expansion new world. in manuscript, brytannicae reipublicae synopsis (1570), outlined current state of elizabethan realm , concerned trade, ethics , national strength.

his 1576 general , rare memorials pertayning perfect arte of navigation first volume in unfinished series planned advocate rise of imperial expansion. in highly symbolic frontispiece, dee included figure of britannia kneeling shore beseeching elizabeth i, protect empire strengthening navy. dee used geoffrey s inclusion of ireland in arthur s imperial conquests argue arthur had established british empire abroad. further argued england exploit new lands through colonisation , vision become reality through maritime supremacy. dee has been credited coining of term british empire, however, humphrey llwyd has been credited first use of term in commentarioli britannicae descriptionis fragmentum, published 8 years earlier in 1568.

dee posited formal claim north america on of map drawn in 1577–80; noted circa 1494 mr robert thorn father, , mr eliot of bristow, discovered newfound land. in title royal of 1580, invented claim madog ab owain gwynedd had discovered america, intention of ensuring england s claim new world stronger of spain. further asserted brutus of britain , king arthur madog had conquered lands in americas , therefore heir elizabeth of england had priority claim there.