Re: fate of Jacobus's writings

[Jorge Stolfi <stolfi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

    > [stolfi:] Fell-Smith reports that on Feb-Mar 1585 Jane Dee
    > demanded that Dee and Kelley ask the spirits advice on how to
    > make ends meet, lest they be forced to pawn their "house
    > ornaments".

    > [Rafal:] If we accept this, then Arthur's testimony of playing
    > with toys of silver becomes even less credible.
    
I gather that their fortunes were quite variable. The above episode
is from about 6-7 months after Dee and Kelley arrived in Prague.
They had recently moved out of Hajek's house to another one "near 
the Market Place in Old Prague", which he had rented for 70 thalers
a year.  This was a few months before their banishment from Bohemia,
and some 6-7 months before they obtained the patronage of count Rozmberk.

  Money was scarcer than ever. "My wife being in great perplexity,
  requested E.K. and me that the annexed petition might be propounded
  to God and his good angels, to give answer or counsel in the cause."
  Jane's petition set out simply that they had no provision for
  meat and drink for their family, that it "would discredit the
  actions werewith they are vowed and linked unto the heavenly 
  majesty" to lay the ornaments of their house or coverings of their
  bodies in pawn to the Jews, and that the city was full of malicious
  slanders.  Aid and direction are implored how or by whom they are
  to be aided or relieved.  The spirits, while reminding her
  grandlioquently that she is only a woman, full of infirmities, 
  frail in soul, and not fit to enter the synagogue, yet favourably 
  listen, and bid her be faithful and obedient as she is yoked,
  promising that she and her children shall be cared for. Meanwhile
  her husband is to gird himself together and hasten to see Laski and 
  King Stephan.

Jane Dee comes through Dee's diaries as a quite sensible woman.
Indeed, considering all the crazy characters and adventures she had
to put up with, she probably could have taught patience and endurance 
to half the saints in Heavens. Her distress was probably
quite justified.

(The following May, Dee and Kelley did go to see Laski and King Stephan
of Poland, but came back empty-handed:

  Laski urged the King to take the two alchemists into his service
  and give then "a yearly maintenance". In obedience to his
  [angelic] instructors, Dee promises to make the philosopher's
  stone, if the king will bear the charge.  He does not profess
  that he can, but he believes the angels will teach him the secret.
  Stephan was not so sanguigne.  In the King's private chamber,
  a sitting was held, with the crystal set before him, but he
  remained unconvinced. He gave no encouragement, and in August
  the pair, hopeless of patronage from Poland, returned to Prague, 
  where Jane and Joan Kelley, the children and the servants,
  had been left under Edmond Hilton's care.

)

    > [Rafal:] Pelcl in _Abbildungen..._ says: "Seine [i.e. Jacobus's]
    > Werke ueber die Chemie und Kraeuterkunde liegen noch in der
    > Handschrift", which means he was aware of them in late 18th c.
    > in Prague.

That's quite interesting!  We definitely need another Expedition
to Prague...

All the best

--stolfi