The Private Diary of Dr. John Dee | Page 8

my man had the great fall of the ladder, hora 10 fere mane. Dec.
8th, I sent a letter to Mr. Kylmer. Dec. 22nd, my Lord Chanceler's
sonne, Mr. Bromley, and Sir William Herbert cam to me. Helen Cole
was payd her wages and reckening tyll this Christmas, and so
discharged my servyce, being newly recovered of her ague. Her desyre
was to go to her frendes.
1582. Jan. 11th, Robert Gardener desired my leave to go dwell with Sir
William Herbert, hora 12. Jan. 16th, Mistris Harbert cam to Essexe. Jan.
17th, Randal Hatton cam home from Samuel's father at Stratton Audley.
Jan. 22nd, Arthur Dee and Mary Herbert, they being but 3 yere old the
eldest, did make as it wer a shew of childish marriage, of calling ech
other husband and wife. Jan. 22, 23rd. The first day Mary Herbert cam
to her father's hous at Mortlak, and the second day she cam to her
father's howse at Estshene. Jan. 23rd, my wife went to nurse Garret and
payd her for this month ending the 26 day. Jan. 27th, Barnabas Sawl his
brother cam. Feb. 12th, abowt 9 of the clok, Barnabas Saul and his
brother Edward went homward from Mortlak: Saul his inditement
being by law fownd insufficient at Westminster Hall: Mr. Serjeant
Walmesley, Mr. Owen and Mr. Hyde, his lawyers at the bar for the
matter, and Mr. Ive, the clerk of the Crown Office, favouring the other.
Feb. 20th, Mr. Bigs of Stentley by Huntingdon and John Littlechild
cam to me. I receyved a letter from Barnabas Saul. Feb. 21st, Mr.
Skullthorp rod toward Barnabas. Feb. 25th, Mr. Skulthorp cam home.
Payd nurse Garret for Katharin tyll Fryday the 23 day, vjs. then
somethyng due to nurse for iij. pownd of candell and 4 pownd of sope.
March 1st, Mr. Clerkson browght Magnus to me at Mortlak, and so
went that day agayn. March 6th, Barnabas Saul cam this day agayn
abowt one of the clok and went to London the same afternone. He
confessed that he neyther hard or saw any spirituall creature any more.

March 8th, Mr. Clerkson and his frende cam to my howse. Barnabas
went home agayn abowt 3 or 2 clok, he lay not at my howse now; he
went, I say, on Thursday, with Mr. Clerkson. March 8th, coelum ardere
et instar sanguinis in diversis partibus rubere visum est circa horam
nonam noctis, maxime versus septentrionalem et occidentalem partem:
sed ultra capita nostra versus austrum frequenter miles quasi
sanguineus. March 9th, Fryday at dynner tyme Mr. Clerkson and Mr.
Talbot[v] declared a great deale of Barnabas nowghty dealing toward
me, as in telling Mr. Clerkson ill things of me that I should mak his
frend, as that he was wery of me, that I wold so flatter his frende the
lerned man that I wold borow him of him. But his frend told me, before
my wife and Mr. Clerkson, that a spirituall creature told him that
Barnabas had censured both Mr. Clerkson and me. The injuries which
this Barnabas had done me diverse wayes were very great. March 22nd,
Mr. Talbot went to London, to take his jornay.
[Footnote v: Just above this relation some one has written, "you that
rede this underwritten assure yourselfe that yt is a shamfull lye, for
Talbot neither studied for any such thinge nor shewed himselfe
dishonest in any thinge." Dr. Dee has thus commented upon it:-- "This
is Mr. Talbot or that lerned man, his own writing in my boke, very
unduely as he cam by it." There are several other notices of Talbot
erased, but whether by him or by the Doctor it is impossible to say, but
most probably the former.]
April 16th, Nurse Garet had her 6s. for her month ending on the 20th
day. April 22nd, a goodly showr of rayn this morning early. May 4th,
Mr. Talbot went. May 13th, Jane rod to Cheyham. May 15th, nocte
circa nonam cometa apparuit in septentrione versus occidentem
aliquantulum; cauda versus astrum tendente valde magna, et stella ipsa
vix sex gradus super horizontem. May 20th, Robertus Gardinerus
Salopiensis lætum mihi attulit nuncium de materia lapidis, divinitus sibi
revelatus de qua.... May 23rd, Robert Gardener declared unto me hora
4½ a certeyn great philosophicall secret, as he had termed it, of a
spirituall creatuer, and was this day willed to come to me and declare it,
which was solemnly done, and with common prayer. May 28th, Mr.
Eton of London cam with his son-in-law Mr. Edward Bragden, as

concerning Upton parsonage, to have me to resign or let it unto his said
son-in-law, whom I promised to let understand whenever myself wold
consent to forego it. June 9th, I writ to the Archbishop of Canterbury a
letter in Latin: Mr. Doctor