Re: VMs: Re: VMs, RuggWatch

[Clay Holden <cholden@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 7/22/04 8:05 PM, "Chris Gross" <cgross@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> A few more points about Edward Kelly:
> 
> As far as I can tell, neither Kelly nor Dee practiced alchemy (their
> experience was second-hand).

With all due respect, this statement is incorrect. While Dee was evidently
more interested in philosophical alchemy, judging from his library, his
private diaries (not just the published ones) record numerous incidences of
his performing practical alchemical work at leaast as far back as the early
1570s, both on his own and later with Kelley.

He imported alchemical vessels and chemicals from Europe, and by the early
1580s had three alchemical laboratories on his property in Mortlake. I don't
have all the references from manuscripts available (nor the time to dig them
out), but there are a number. For example, incidences of Dee and Kelley's
alchemical work are noted by Dee in diaries now found in Bodleian Library
Ashmole MS 488, from January 1586, and September 1586 through January 1587.
According to Nicholas Clulee, Dee also kept a diary of his alchemical
laboratory work between June and October of 1581 (Bodleian Library, MS
Rawlinson D 241).

> There are some alchemical
> treatises attributed to Dee, but they show signs of having been copied
> from other books-- if Dee actually wrote
> them, it may have been an attempt to condense all this information into
> an easily-managable form.

Dee's "Monas Hieroglyphica" shows signs of having been copied from other
books? The mind boggles at this concept... ;-)

To be fair, the work you are evidently referring to here, published as "The
Rosie Crucian Secrets of John Dee" is very clearly not his work, but a much
later manuscript cobbled together by one "Peter Smart", who was responsible
for several other works of a similarly dubious character.

Best wishes,

Clay

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