William Lilly's History of His Life and Times, from the Year 1602 to 1681Lilly, William
Religion
William Lilly's History of His Life and Times, from the Year 1602 to 1681
Lilly, William
Astrologers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Astrology; Lilly, William, 1602-1681
I was well acquainted with the Speculator of John a Windor, a scrivener,
sometimes living in Newbury. This Windor was club-fisted, wrote with a
pen betwixt both his hands. I have seen many bonds and bills wrote by
him. He was much given to debauchery, so that at some times the Daemons
would not appear to the Speculator; he would then suffumigate:
sometimes, to vex the spirits, he would curse them, fumigate with
contraries. Upon his examination before Sir Henry Wallop, Kt. which I
have seen, he said, he once visited Dr. Dee in Mortlack; and out of a
book that lay in the window, he copied out that call which he used, when
he invocated--
It was that--which near the beginning of it hath these words,
_Per virtutem illorum qui invocant nomen tuum_,
Hermeli--_mitte nobis tres Angelos, &c_.
Windor had many good parts, but was a most lewd person: My master Wright
knew him well, and having dealing in those parts, made use of him as a
scrivener.
Oliver Withers, servant to Sir H. Wallop, brought up John a Windor's
examination unto London, purposely for me to peruse. This Withers was
Mr. Fiske's scholar three years more or less, to learn astrology of him;
but being never the wiser, Fiske brought him unto me: by shewing him but
how to judge one figure, his eyes were opened: He made the Epistle
before Dr. Neve's book, now in Mr. Sander's hands, was very learned in
the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew tongues.
Having mentioned Dr. John Dee, I hold it not impertinent to speak
something of him; but more especially of Edward Kelly's Speculator.
Dr. Dee himself was a Cambro Briton, educated in the university of
Oxford, there took his degree of Doctor; afterwards for many years in
search of the profounder studies, travelled into foreign parts: to be
serious, he was Queen Elizabeth's intelligencer, and had a salary for
his maintenance from the Secretaries of State. He was a ready witted
man, quick of apprehension, very learned, and of great judgment in the
Latin and Greek tongues. He was a very great investigator of the more
secret Hermetical learning, a perfect astronomer, a curious astrologer,
a serious geometrician; to speak truth, he was excellent in all kinds of
learning.
With all this, he was the most ambitious person living, and most
desirous of fame and renown, and was never so well pleased as when he
heard himself stiled Most Excellent.
He was studious in chymistry, and attained to good perfection therein;
but his servant, or rather companion, Kelly, out-went him, _viz._ about
the Elixir or Philosopher's Stone; which neither Kelly or Dee attained
by their own labour and industry. It was in this manner Kelly obtained
it, as I had it related from an ancient minister, who knew the certainty
thereof from an old English merchant, resident in Germany, at what time
both Kelly and Dee were there.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account