A LETTER Containing a most briefe Discourse Apologeticall with a plaine Demonstration and feruent Protestation for the lawfull sincere very faithfull and Christian course of the Philosophicall studies and exercises of a certaine studious Gentleman An ancient Seruaunt to her most excellent Maiesty Royall Pro eo vt me diligerent detrahebant mihi To the most Reuerend father in God the Lord Archbishop of Canturbury Primate and Metropolitane of all England one of her Maiesties most honorable priuy Counsaile my singular good Lord. MOst humbly and hartily I craue your Graces pardon if I offende any thing to send or present vnto your Graces hand so simple a discourse as this is Although by some sage and discreet my friends their opiniō it is thought not to be impertinent to my most needfull suites presently in hand before her most excellent Maiesty Royall your Lordships good Grace and other the Right honorable Lordes of her Maiesties priuy Counsaile to make some part of my former studies and studious exercises within and for these 46 yeeres last past vsed and continued to be first knowne and discouered vnto your Grace and other the Right honorable my good Lordes of her Maiesties priuy Counsaile And Secondly afterwardes the same to be permitted to come to publique view Not so much to stop the mouthes and at length to stay the impudent attemptes of the rash and malicious deuisers and contriuers of most vntrue foolish and wicked reports and fables of and concerning my foresaid studious exercises passed ouer with my great yea incredible paines trauels cares and costs in the search and learning of true Philosophie As therein Só to certifie and satisfie the godly and vnpartiall Christian hearer or reader hereof That by his own iudgement vpon his due consideration and examination of this no little parcell of the particulars of my foresaid studies and exercises philosophicall annexed He will or may be sufficiently informed and perswaded That I haue wonderfully labored to finde follow vse haunt the true straight and most narrow path leading all true deuout zealous faithfull and constant Christian students ex valle hac miseriae miseria istius vallis tenebrarum Regno tenebris istius Regni ad montem sanctum Syon ad caelestia tabernacula All thankes are most due therefore vnto the Almighty Seeing it so pleased him euen from my youth by his diuine fauor grace and helpe to insinuate into my hart an insatiable zeale desire to knowe his truth And in him and by him incessantly to seeke and listen after the same by the true philosophicall method and harmony proceeding and ascending as it were gradatim from things visible to consider of thinges inuisible from thinges bodily to conceiue of thinges spirituall from things transitorie momentanie to meditate of things permanent by thinges mortall visible and inuisible to haue some perceiuerance of immortality And to conclude most briefely by the most meruailous frame of the whole World philosophically viewed and circumspectly wayed numbred and measured according to the talent gift of God from aboue alotted for his diuine purposes effecting most faithfully to loue honor and glorifie alwaies the Framer and Creator thereof In whose workmanship his infinite goodnesse vnsearchable wisdome and Almighty power yea his euerlasting power and diuinity may by innumerable meanes be manifested and demonstrated The truth of which my zealous carefull aud constant intent and endeuour specified may I hope easilie appeare by the whole full and due suruey and consideration of all the Bookes Treatises and discourses whose Titles onely are at this time here annexed and expressed As they are set down in the sixt Chapter of an other little Rhapsodicall Treatise intitled The Cōpendious Rehearsall c. writtē aboue two yeares since for those her Maiesties two honorable Commissioners which her most excellent Maiesty had most graciouslie sent to my poore Cottage in Mortlake to vnderstand the matters and causes at full through which I was so extreamely vrged to procure at her Maiesties handes such honorable Surueiors witnesses to be assigned for the due proofe of the contents of my most humble and pitifull supplication exhibited vnto her most excellent Maiesty at Hampton Court An. 1592. Nouemb. 9. Thus therefore as followeth is y e said 6. Chapter there recorded My labors and paines bestowed at diuers times to pleasure my natiue Countrey by writing of sundry Bookes and Treatises some in Latine some in English and some of them written at her Maiesties commandement Of which Bookes and Treatises some are printed and some vnprinted The printed Bookes and Treatises are these following Propaedeumata Aphoristica De praestantioribus quibusdā Naturae virtutibus Aphorismi 120. Anno. 1558. Monas Hieroglyphica Mathematicè Anagogicéque explicata ad Maximilianum Dei gratia Romanorum Bohemiae Hungariae Regem sapientissimum an 1564. Epistola ad eximium Ducis Vrbini Mathematicum Fredericum Commandinum praefixa libello Machometi Bagdedini De superficierum Diuisionibus edito in lucem opera mea eiusdem Commandini Vrbinatis Impressa Pisauri Anno 1570. The Brytish Monarchy otherwise called the Petty Nauy Royall for the politique security abundant wealth and the triumphant state of this kingdome with Gods fauor procuring Anno 1576. My Mathematicall praeface annexed to Euclide by the right worshipfull Sir Henry Billingsley Knight in the English language first published written at the earnest request of sundry right worshipfull Knights and other very well learned men Wherein are many Arts of me wholy inuented by name definition propriety and vse more then either the Graecian or Roman Mathematiciens haue left to our knowledge Anno 1570. My diuers many Annotations and Inuentions Mathematicall added in sundry places of the foresaid English Euclide after the tenth Booke of the same 1570. Epistola praefixa Ephemeridibus Ioannis Felde Angli cui rationem declaraueram Ephemerides conscribendi 1557. Paralaticae Cōmentationis Praxeosque Nucleus quidā 1573 The vnprinted Bookes and Treatises are these some perfectly finished and some yet vnfinished THe first great volume of Famous and rich Discoueries wherein also is the History of King Salomon euery three yeeres his Ophirian voyage The Originals of Presbyter Ioannes and of the first great Cham and his successors for many yeeres following The description of diuers wonderfull Iles in the Northen Scythian Tartarian and the other most Northen Seas and neere vnder the North Pole by Record written aboue 1200. yeeres since with diuers other rarities Anno 1576. The Brytish Complement of the perfect Art of Nauigation A great volume in which are contained our Queene Elizabeth her Arithmeticall Tables Gubernauticke for Nauigation by the Paradoxall compasse of me inuented anno 1557. and Nauigation by great Circles and for longitudes and latitudes and the variation of the compasse finding most easilie and speedily yea if neede be in one minute of time and sometime without sight of sunne moone or star with many other new and needefull inuentions
Gubernauticke anno 1576. Her Maiesties Title Royall to many forrain Cuntries kingdomes and prouinces by good testimony and sufficient proofe recorded and in 12. Velam skins of parchment faire written for her Maiesties vse and at her Maiesties commandement anno 1578 De Imperatoris Nomine Authoritate Potentia dedicated to her Maiesty anno 1579 Prolegomena Dictata Parisiensia in Euclidis Elementorum Geometricorum librum primum secundum in Collegio Rhemensi anno 1550. De vsu Globi Caelestis ad Regem Edoardum sextum 1550 The Art of Logicke in English anno 1547. The 13. Sophisticall FallaciaÌ„s with their Discoueries written in English meter anno 1548. Mercurius Caelestis libri 24. written at Louayn 1549. De Nubium Solis Lunae ac reliquorum Planetarum immò ipsius stelliferi Caeli ab infimo Terrae Centro distantijs mutuisque interuallis eorundem omnium Magnitudine liber 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad Edoardum Sextum Angliae RegeÌ„ Anno 1551. Aphorismi Astrologici 300. anno 1553. The true cause and account not vulgar of Fluds and Ebbs written at the request of the right honorable Lady Lady Iane Duchesse of Northumberland anno 1553. The Philosophicall and Poeticall Originall occasions of the Configurations and names of the heauenly Asterismes written at the request of the same Duchesse Anno. 1553. The Astronomicall logisticall rules and Canons to calculate the Ephemerides by and other necessary accounts of heauenly motions written at the request and for the vse of that excellent Mechanicien Maister Richard Chauncelor at his last voyage into Moschouia anno 1553. De Acribologia Mathematica volumen magnum sexdecim continens libros anno 1555 Inuentum Mechanicum Paradoxum De noua ratione delineandi Circumferentiam Circularem vnde valde rara alia excogitari perficÃque poterunt problemata An. 1556. De speculis Comburentibus libri sex Anno 1557. De Perspectiua illa qua peritissimi vtuntur Pictores 1557. Speculum vnitatis siue Apologia pro Fratre Rogerio Bachone Anglo in qua docetur nihil illum per Daemoniorum fecisse auxilia sed philosophum fuisse maximum naturaliterque modis homini Christiano licitis maximas fecisse res quas indoctum solet vulgus in Daemoniorum referre facinora Anno 1557. De Annuli Astronomici multiplici vsu lib. 2 Anno. 1557. Trochilica Inuenta lib 2 Anno 1558. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib 3 Anno 1558. De tertia praecipua Perspectiuae parte quae de Radiorum fractione tractat libri 3 Anno 1559. De Itinere subterraneo libri 2 Anno 1560. De Triangulorum rectilineorum Areis libri 3 demonstrati ad excellentissimum Mathematicum Petrum Nonium conscripti Anno 1560. Cabalae Hebraicae compendiosa tabella Anno 1562. Reipublicae Britannicae Synopsis in English Anno. 1565. De Trigono Circinóque Analogico Opusculum Mathematicum Mechanicum libri 4 Anno 1565. De stella admiranda in Cassiopeae Asterismo caelitus demissa ad orbem vsque veneris Iterumque in Caeli penetralia perpendiculariter retracta post decimum sextum suae apparitionis mensem Anno 1573. Hipparchus Rediuiuus Tractatulus Anno. 1573. De vnico Mago triplici Herode eóque Antichristiano Anno 1570. Ten sundry and very rare Heraldical Blasonings of one Crest or Cognisance lawfully confirmed to certaine auncient Armes lib. 1. Anno 1574. Atlantidis vulgariter Indiae Occidentalis nominatae emendatior de scriptio Hydrographica quà m vlla alia adhuc euulgata anno 1580. De modo Euangelij Iesu Christi publicandi propagandi stabiliendique inter Infideles Atlanticos volumen magnum libris distinctum quatuor quoruÌ„ primus ad Serenissimam nostram Potentissimamque Reginam Elizabetham inscribitur Secundus ad summos priuati suae sacrae Maiestatis consilij senatores Tertius ad Hispaniarum Regem Philippum Quartus ad Pontificem Romanum anno 1581. Nauigationis ad Cathayum per Septentrionalia Scythiae Tartariae litora Delineatio Hydrographica Arthuro Pit Carolo Iackmanno Anglis versus illas partes Nauigaturis in manus tradita cum admiraendarum quarundam Insularum annotatione in illis subpolaribus partibus iacentium anno 1580. Hemisphaerij Borealis Geographica at que Hydrographica descriptio longè a vulgatis chartis diuersa Anglis quibusdam versus Atlantidis Septentrionalia litora nauigationem instituentibus dono data anno 6583 The Originals and chiefe points of our auncient Brytish Histories discoursed vpon and examined anno 1583. An aduise discourse about the Reformation of the vulgar Iulian yeere written by her Maiesties commandement and the Lords of the priuy Counsaile anno 1582. Certaine considerations and conferrings together of these three sentences aunciently accounted as Oracles Nosce te ipsum Homo Homini Deus Homo Homini Lupus 1592 De hominis Corpore Spiritu Anima siue Microcosmicum totius Philosophiae Naturalis Compendium lib. 1 1591 With many other bookes pamphlets discourses inuentions and conclusions in diuers Artes and matters whose names need not in this Abstract to be notified The most part of all which here specified lie heere before your Honours vpon the table on your left hand But by other bookes and writinges of an other sort if it so please God and that he wil grant me life health and due maintenance thereto for some ten or twelue yeares next ensuing I may hereafter make plaine and without doubt this sentence to be true Plura latent quà m patent Thus far my good Lord haue I set downe this Catalogus out of the foresaid sixt Chapter of the booke whose title is this The Compendious rehearsall of Iohn Dee his dutifull declaration and proofe of the course and race of his studious life for the space of halfe an hundred yeeres now by Gods fauor and helpe fully spent c. To which compendious rehearsall doth now belong an Appendix of these two last yeeres In which I haue had many iust occasions to confesse that Homo Homini Deus and Homo Homini Lupus was and is an ArgumeÌ„t worthy of the decyphering large discussing as may one day hereafter by Gods helpe be published in some maner very strange And besides all the rehearsed books treatises of my writing or handling hitherto I haue iust cause lately giuen me to write publish a Treatise with Title De Horizonte Aeternitatis to make euident that one Andreas Libauius in a booke of his printed the last yeere hath vnduly considered a phrase of my Monas Hieroglyphica to his misliking by his own vnskilfulnes in such matter and not vnderstanding my apt application thereof in one of the very principal places of the whole book And this booke of mine by Gods help and fauour shall be dedicated vnto her most excellent maiesty Roiall And this Treatise doth containe three bookes The first intitled De Horizonte liber Mathematicus Physicus The SecoÌ„d De Aeternitate liber Theologicus Metaphysicus Mathematicus The Third De Horizonte Aeternitatis
liber Theologicus Mathematicus Hierotechnicus ¶ Truly I haue great cause to praise and thanke God for your graces verie charitable vsing of me both in sundry points else also in your fauorable yelding to yea notifying the due meanes for the performance of her Sacred Maiesties most gracious and bountifull disposition resolution and very royall beginning to restore and giue vnto me her Ancient faithfull seruant some due maintenance to leade the rest of my old daies in some quiet and comfort with habilitie to retaine some speedy faire and Orthographicall writers about me and the same skilfull in Latine and Greeke at the least aswell for mine owne bookes and workes faire and correctly to be written such I meane as either her most excellent Maiestie out of the premisses will make choise of or command to be finished or published or such of them as your grace shall thinke meete or worthy for my farther labor to be bestowed on as else for the speedy faire and true writing out of other ancient Authors their good and rare workes in greeke or Latine which by Gods prouidence haue been preserued frō the spoile made of my Librarie of all my moueable goods here c. Anno. 1583. In which Librarie were about 4000 bookes whereof 700. were anciently written by hande Some in Greeke some in Latine some in Hebrue And some in other languages as may by the whole Catalogus thereof appeare But the great losses and dammages which in sundry sorts I haue sustained do not so much grieue my hart as the rash lewde fond and most vntrue fables and reports of me and my studies philosophicall haue done yet do which cōmonly after their first hatching and diuelish deuising immediatly with great speede are generally all the Realme ouerspread and to some seeme true to other they are doubtfull and to only the wise modest discreet godly and charitable and chiefelie to such as haue some acquaintance with me they appeare and are knowne to be fables vntruths and vtterly false reports and sclaunders Well this shall be my last charitable giuing of warning and feruent protestation to my Countrimen and all other in this case Before the Almighty our God and your Lordships good grace this day on the perill of my soules damnation if I lie or take his name in vaine herein I take the same God to be my witnesse That with all my hart with all my soule with all my strength power and vnderstanding according to the measure thereof which the Almighty hath giuen me for the most part of the time from my youth hitherto I haue vsed and still vse good lawfull honest christian and diuinely prescribed meanes to attaine to the knowledge of those truthes which are meet and necessary for me to know and wherwith to do his diuine Maiesty such seruice as hee hath doth and will call me vnto during this my life for his honor and glory aduancing and for the benefit and commoditie publique of this kingdome so much as by the will and purpose of God shall lie in my skill and hability to performe as a true faithfull and most sincerely dutifull seruant to our most gratious and incomparable Queene Elizabeth and as a very comfortable fellow-member of the body politique gouerned vnder the scepter Royal of our earthly Supreame head Queene Elizabeth and as a liuely sympathicall and true symetricall fellow-member of that holy and mysticall body Catholicklie extended and placed wheresoeuer on the earth in the view knowledge direction protection illumination and consolation of the Almighty most blessed most holy most glorious comaiesticall coëternall and coëssentiall Trinity The head of that body being only our Redeemer Christ Iesus perfect God and perfect man whose returne in glory we faithfully awaite and daily do very earnestly cry vnto him to hasten his second comming for his electes sake iniquity doth so on this earth abound and preuaile and true faith with charity and Euangelicall simplicity haue but colde slender and vncertaine intertainement among the worldly-wise men of this worlde Therefore herein concluding I beseech the Almighty God most aboundantly to increase and confirme your graces heauenly wisdome and endue you with all the rest of his heauenly gifts for the relieuing refreshing and comforting both bodily and spiritually his little flocke of the faithfull yet militant here on earth Amen An Epilogue Good my Lord I beseech your grace to allowe of my plaine and comfortable Epilogus for this matter at this time Seeing my studious exercises and conuersation ciuile may be aboundantly testified to my good credit in the most partes of all Christendome and that by all degrees of Nobility by al degrees of the learned and by very many other of godly and Christian disposition for the space of 46. yeeres triall as appeareth by the Recordes lately viewed by two honourable witnesses by Commission from her Maiesty And seeing for these 36. yeeres last past I haue beene her most excellent Maiesties very true faithfull and dutifull seruaunt At whose royall mouth I neuer receiued any one word of reproch but all of fauor and grace In whose princely countenance I neuer perceiued frowne toward me or discontented regard or view on me but at all times fauorable and gracious to the great ioy and comfort of my true faithfull and loyall hart And thirdly Seeing the workes of my handes and wordes of my mouth heere before notified in the Schedule of my bookes and writings may beare liuely witnesse of the thoughts of my hart and inclination of my minde generally as all wise men do know and Christ himselfe doth auouch It might in manner seeme needlesse thus carefully though most briefely and speedily to haue warned or confounded the scornefull the malicious the proud and the rash in their vntrue reports opinions and fables of my studies or exercises Philosophicall but that it is of more importance that the godly the honest the modest the discreet graue and charitable Christians English or other louers of Iustice truth and good learning may hereby receiue certaine comfort in themselues to perceiue that Veritas tandem praeualebit and sufficiently be weaponed and armed with sound truth to defende me against such kinde of my aduersaries if hereafter they will begin afresh or hould on obstinately in their former errors vaine imaginations false reportes and most vngodly sclanders of me and my studies ¶ Therefore to make all this cause for euer before God and man out of all doubt Seeing your Lordships good grace are as it were our high Priest and chiefe Ecclesiasticall minister vnder our most dread and Soueraigne Ladie Queene Elizabeth to whose censure and iudgement I submit all my studies and exercises yea all my bookes past present and hereafter to be written by me of my own skill iudgement or opinion I do at this present time most humbly sincerelie and vnfainedly and in the name of Almighty God yea for his honor and glory request and beseech your