3

"A wood grew up, and the trees were young, and lo! there arose a great Tempest from the North, and the Seas threw out the air that had subtilly stolen himself into them. And the winds were great. And behold there was one Tree which was older than the rest, and had grown longer than that which shot up by him. This Tree could not be moved with the wind, but the Tree that was young was moved to and from with the wind, and strook himself oftentimes upon the stiff-set tree. The Forrester came and beheld, and said within himself, `The force of this wind is great. See this young Tree beateth himself in pieces against the greater. I will go home, and will bring my ground instruments, and will eradicate him, and I will place him farther off. Then if the winds come, he shall have room to move.' But when he came home, the Lord of the Wood seeing him in a readiness with his Mattock and his spade, asked him of his goings, which told the thing in order unto his Master. But lo! his Master rebuked him, and he said thus: `When the winds are not, they increase, they are not hurtful one to the other. Suffer them therefore. When the young Tree taketh roots, and shall look up unto some years, his roots shall link themselves with and under the roots of the greater. Then, though the winds come, they shall not be hurtful one to another, but shall stand so much the more fast, by how much the more they are wrapped together; yea, when the old tree withereth, he shall be a strength unto him, and shall add unto his age as much as he hath added unto his youth.'

"And he ceased to dig.

"Be not you therefore haled in sunder, neither be you offended one at another. Peradventure Reason would set you aside. But God will not. Behold, if you break the yoke that you are in and runne astray, he that erreth shall perish, even so shall he that standeth also be desolate. Love therefore one another, and comfort one another, for he that comforteth his brother comforteth himself....Let youth yield to ripe years...You have vowed that oneof you do nothing without the other's counsel, but you shall not be two counsellors. Let the Doer occupie the superiority. The Seer, let him see and look after the doings of that he seeth, for you are but one body in this work."

In April, Dee and Kelly returned to Cracow. As they were nearing the city they saw a great whirlwind wreathing up the dust and shooting forward in a southerly direction. They found their house let under them to a "forced-in tenant," but as Dee had brought his keys, he effected an entrance, and secured at least a bedstead. By the aid of his lawyer, Mr. Tebaldo, "an ancient practitioner in Polish causes," he obtained a decree against his landlord that without six months' notice he could not be ejected. They took up their abode in the College of Nyepolonize. Laski now joined them in Cracow, and took Dee on May 23 to an audience of King Stephan. Stephan was seated by the south window of his principal audience and banqueting chamber, looking out upon the beautiful new gardens that he was then making. Polite speeches of greeting in Latin passed between the two, but there was scant time for more before the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Secretary, with others, came in, bringing Bills for the King to read and sign. Stephan had small time to spare for visionary alchemists. His very glorious reign was crowded with great achievements. Though a strong Catholic himself, he respected the liberties of his Protestant subjects, won back the Russian provinces for Poland, reformed the universities and established the Jesuits in educational seminaries, and protected the Jews. He died very suddenly about a year after Dee's third interview with him. Dee has the following very valuable note of his death, entered in the diary a few weeks after his arrival at Trebona Castle in 1586: "December 11, Stephan Poloniensis obiit: natus anno 1530, die 13 Januarii, hora quarta mane min 25, in Transylvania. Obiit hora secunda post medium noctem, ut intellexi ex literis Dni Lasky, receptis die 29 per Alexandrum."

Dee also visited Dr. Hannibal (Annibaldus), the famous divine, and discussed iwth him his commentaries on Latin authors - Hermes Trismegistus and Mandellus. He partook of the Communion at the Bernardine convent where the Doctor was a professor. Three times within Easter week did he communicate, "that in all manner of wayes I might have a clean and quiet conscience." On "Easter Monday, very devoutly, in St. Stephan's Church, E.K. received the Communion, to my unspeakable gladness and content, being a thing so long and earnestly required and urged of him by our spiritual good friends." As Dee wrote to Walsingham, "Saul had become a Paul."