great hinderers of the prosperous estate of any commonwealth, to knaw vpon the leaf or flower of his commendable fame; who would take very quickly an occasion (by the forefronts of bookes garnished with his BRYTISH NAME,) to fall to a fresh pang of enuious busiosity, impudent arrogancy, and dogged malicious speeches vsing and vttring against the Ientleman, who (vndoutedly) wisheth euil to none. And (perhaps) though it were very good matter, that should by him be contriued and written, and vnder his name be published: yet they would (in perusing it) either peruert their own judgements of it, through their vnquieted and mere malicious fantazie, wilfully bent against him; or, rather in dede, through their own great ignorance would verify the prouerb, Scientia non habet Inimicum, nisi Ignorantum: as they did by his Monas Hieroglyphica*, dedicated to the late Emperor Maximilian, wherein the Queene her most excellent Maiestie can be a sacred witness (as I haue heard) of the strange and vndue speeches deuised of that hieroglyphicall writing.

Or, if they liked the matter, they would say, that such a Treatise (vnder his name published) is not, or was not of his owne compiling and ordring, as Author thereof, but that some other inan, now liuing, or long since dead, was the

* A° 1564.

VOL. II.

T

only

only and first Author of such a good Treatise. And that manner of malicious iniury hath bin very notably done vnto him for these many yeres past, about his booke intituled Propedeumata Aphoristica; and is yet scarse ceased in all eorners (for it is backbiting worke, and seeketh corners.) For some men, (and they such, who ought to have bin honest and discreet, as they are, or were accounted learned) haue very enviously fathered it upon the excellent Gerardus Mercator Rupelmundanus, (yet liuing at Daysburgh) as to be the only and true Author of those Aphorismes. But afterward, when that was found a peuish fable; then vpon oue Vrso (who liued many hundred yeres since) was all the commendation bestowed for that Aphoristicall worke contriuing, And then agayne, after that, vpon one Alkabitius: And at length, with shame enough (but more will follow) being driuen from these mere enuious and spitefull false deuises; yet (most obstinately and impudently) they still auouch to diuers Ientlemen, and certaine Noble Men, that some other, or (in effect) any man els, was the author thereof; 1ather than they would honestly acknowledge the truthes of only this Ientleman his peculiar industry, and no small skill vsed in the contriuing and framing of that booke; containing the chief Crop and

*

*A 1558 in July first printed.

Roote,

Roote, of ten yeres his first Outlandish and Homish studies and exercises philosophicall: as partly. in the Preface thereof, to the reader is specified; but more habundantly and purposely hath that point bin* proued and testified to some, who were (before) fowly infected with the sklanderous opinion, that one Vrso was the author of it, and not this honest Brytish Ientleman; as at another tyme, will be made more euident: when a ful declaration, in more conuenient place, may be made, of the mere malicious, very rash, and · Brutish Censure of a certain Doctor, (yet liuing) who lately endeuored himself to perswade some right worshipful Ientlemen, that it were good and behoofull for this Common Wealth, if the sayd Philosopher, were banished this land for

euer; bicause, said this Doctor, (but most vn"truly, as is now very euident to thousands of

men of this kingdom, and other) that to no man

' of this realm, he did at any tyme, or yet doth, or will communicate any part of his learned ta"lent, by word or writing; but is wholy addicted

to his priuate commodity, only auancing by his "own studies and practises very secret." That doctor, his name shall not here by me be dis closed for that he hath (vpon honest repentance, for his so iniurious and dammageable in

* A° 1574 in Aug. at Mortlach.

T 2

tent)

tent) receined his sentence of free forgiuenes, on the presence of worshipfull witnes yet aliue.

And when, likewise, the perfect declaration may more aptly be had, of the most Judas like pranke, of an other Doctor; who (in the tyme of this Brytan Innocent his captiuity and somewhat before the day of his enlarging by letters sent to his keper from the right honorable Priuy Counsail, to KING PHILIP and QUEENE MARY) did, very earnestly sollicite with the Lord Chauncelor, (with whom he could do very much) and with the Bishop of London, (whom also he could half perswade) that it were requisite and justice, that the sayd Brytan Captiue were not set at liberty at all, but should be forthwith committed to PERPETUAL PRISON; and that, vpon such respects as he most vnchris

*A 1575 in March at Mortlach.

The true copy of these letters sent to D. Boner, Bishop of London.

After our harty commendations to your good L. the King and Queenes Maiestics pleasures is, you shall cause John Dee, com◄ mitted to your L. custody, to be brought before some Muster of the Chauncery, and there bound to be of good abearing, and forth comming when he shall be called for, betwixt this and Christmas next, and therùpon to set him at libertie. Whereof we pray you not to faile. And so we bid the same hartily farewell. From Greenwich, the xxix of August, 1555

Your L. louing frendes.

Ste. Winton, Cancell. W. Rochester. Thomas Ely. Jo. Bourn. John Baker. Francis Engerfield. E. Waldegrave.

tainlike

tianlike and maliciously had deuised, and uery impudently vpon his credit with them (such as it was) would haue forced to preuaile. But God would not suffer the sayd courteous Captiue his great freendship and humanity, a few yeres before, vsed toward that doctor (in Paris) so to be requited with worse then ingratitude.' Besides, that the sayd Captiue could neuer (nor yet can) be duly charged, with any word or deed, vttred or done, contrary to the performance of his duty toward his Soueraigne and the higher powers.

And though I here omit many other great iniuries done unto him, about the bereauing him, of the true and due title and interest, in and to his own works, writings, and inuentions, in other places recorded (and among that sort, omitting that foule iniury done to him by one Joannes Franciscus Offhuysius, whose booke De Diuina Astrorum facultate, was of this Brytan Philosopher, his inuention, chiefly: as may be made euident, both by the matter therein contayned, being compared to his Propædermata Aphoris

tica.

And also, by the said Franciscus his daily familiar letters, solliciting and requesting those

*

お

and

* As may sufficiently appeare by these few places taken out of some of his letters.