The Private Diary of Dr. John Dee | Page 2

for the notices which it preserves of several
middle-age treatises not now extant. He is said to have expended on
this collection the sum of three thousand pounds, a very large sum in
those days for a person of limited income.
J. O. H. 35, Alfred Place, March 15th 1842.

DR. DEE'S DIARY.
1554. Aug. 25th, Barthilmew Hikman born at Shugborowh in
Warwikshyre toward evening. My conjecture, uppon his own reporte of
circumstances. Oct. 25th, D. Daniel Vander Meulen Antwerpiæ, mane
hora quarta.[a]
[Footnote a: It is almost unnecessary to observe that this and the
following are notes of nativities. They are not for the most part
contemporary notices, but apparently inserted at various times by Dee
when professionally consulted as an astrologer.]

1555. April 22nd, Jane Fromonds borne at Cheyham at none. Aug. 1st,
Ed. Kelly natus hora quarta a meridie[b] ut annotatum reliquit pater
ejus. Oct. 12th, the Lord Willughby born hora septima mane, ante
meridiem, Lat. 51° 30', at Wesell in Gelderland.
[Footnote b: "Anno 1555, Aug. 1, hora quarta a meridie Wigorniæ
natus Dominus Edouardus Kelæus," MS. Ashm. 1788, fol. 140, where
there is a horoscope of this nativity in the handwriting of Dr. Dee.
Ashmole, in his MS. 1790, fol. 58, says "Mr. Lilly told me that John
Evans informed him that he was acquainted with Kelly's sister in
Worcester, that she shewed him some of the gold her brother had
transmuted, and that Kelly was first an apothecary in Worcester."]
1557. July 30th, Mr. Arundell of Cornwayle natus circa [horam]
quartam a meridie.
1558. Dec. 14th, Mary Nevelle, alias Mary Lewknor, borne inter 11 et
meridiem mane, by Chichester.
1560. July 8th, Margaret Russell, Cowntess of Cumberland, hora 2 min.
9 Exoniæ mane.
1561. Aug. 14th, Mr. Heydon, of Baconsthorp in Norfolk, hora noctis
11½ natus in comitatu Surrey.
1563. March 23rd, Mr. William Fennar a meridie inter horam
undecimam et duodecimam nocte. June 23nd, Jane Cooper, now
Mystris Kelly, toward evening. Sept. 28th, Mr. John Ask ante meridiem,
by York six myle on this syde; Elizabeth Mownson, circa horam 9
mane, soror magistri Thomæ Mownson et uxor magistri Brown.
1564. Mrs. Brigit Cooke borne about seven of the clok on Saynt
David's Day, which is the first day of March, being Wensday; but I
cannot yet lerne whether it was before none or after. But she thinketh
herself to be but 27 yeres old, anno 1593, Martii primo, but it cannot be
so. June 20th, Mr. Hudson, hora septima ante meridiem. Aug. 21st,
Wenefride Goose, inter 9 et 10 a meridie by Kingstone.

1565. Sept. 12th, John Pontoys, inter 9 et 10 ante meridiem prope
Stony-Stratford; puto potius hora 8 min. 43. Oct. 17th, Thomas
Kelley[c] hora quarta a meridie at Wurceter. Dec. 21st, Mr. Thomas
Mownson at 11 of the clok in the morning.
[Footnote c: The brother of the celebrated astrologer before
mentioned.]
1568. July 14th, William Emery born at Danbery in Essex paulo post
undecimam horam noctis. Sept. 24th, Margaret Anderson mane inter 7
et 8.
1571. Samuel Swallow borne at Thaxstede in Essex Feb. 15 ante
meridiem, inter horam undecimam et duodecimam, forte hora media
post undecimam.
1575. July 31st, Simeon Stuard natus ante diluculum per horam 11½ at
Shinfelde; his grandfather by the mother was Dr. Huyck the Quene's
physicien.
1577. Jan. 16th, the Erle of Lecester, Mr. Phillip Sydney, Mr. Dyer,
&c., came to my howse.[d] Jan. 22nd, The Erle of Bedford cam to my
howse. Feb. 19th, great wynde S.W., close, clowdy. March 11th, my
fall uppon my right nuckul bone, hora 9 fere mane; wyth oyle of
Hypericon in 24 howres eased above all hope: God be thanked for such
his goodness of his creatures! March 24th, Alexander Simon the
Ninivite came to me, and promised me his servise into Persia. May 1st,
I received from M. William Harbert of St. Gillian his notes uppon my
Monas.[e] May 2nd, I understode of one Vincent Murfyn his
abhominable misusing me behinde my back; Mr. Thomas Besbich told
me his father is one of the cokes of the Court. May 20th, I hyred the
barber of Cheswik, Walter Hooper, to kepe my hedges and knots in as
good order as he sed them than, and that to be done with twise cutting
in the yere at the least and he to have yerely five shillings, [and] meat
and drink. June 10th, circa 10, a shower of hayle and rayne. June 18th,
borrowed £40 of John Hilton of Fulham. June 19th, I understode of
more of Vincent Murfyn his knavery; borrowed £20 of Bartylmew
Newsam. June 20th, borow £27 uppon the chayn of golde. June 26th,

Elen Lyne gave me a quarter's warning. June 27th, showrs of rayne and
hayle. Aug. 19th, the Hexameron Brytanicum[f] put to printing.
[Footnote d: