3

On Christmas Day he first slept in his own house at Mortlake, and beheld for himself his ruined and rifled library, with its precious books and instruments missing. He himself was in dire straits. He had little left him save his wife and children, and some still faithful friends. He took the house over as a tenant from his brother-in-law, Fromond, and settled down in the old quarters. Adrian Gilbert was the first visitor, generously offering "as much as I could require at his hands, both for my goods carried away, and for the mynes." Very soon Thomas Kelly arrived and followed suit by offering the loan of £10 in gold; he afterwards "sent it me in Hungary new duckettes, by John Croker the same evening. He put me in good hope of Sir Edward Kelly his returning."

A second daughter was born, and christened at Mortlake, on March 5. The name given her was Madinia, suggested by the busy little spirit who had been so helpful at her first coming. The child was christened at Mortlake on the 5th, Sir George Carew as godfather, Lady Cobham and Lady Walsingham, godmothers. Letters came from Kelly by Garland in March, and replies were despatched by Thomas Kelly in April. Dee is careful to give his former skryer his full title: - "Sir Edward Kelly, Knight, at the Emperor's Court at Prague." "Francis Garland was by, and Mr. Thomas Kelly, his wife. God send them well thither and hither again."

On Lady Day, the children begin to go to school with Mr. Lee at Mortlake. "I gave him his house rent and forty shillings yerely for my three sons and my daughter. The house rent was allmost 4s. yerely, of Mr. Fisher his new house." Arthur was now ten, Katherine nine, Rowland seven and Michael five. The youngest boy, Theodore, born at Trebona February 28, 1588, was rather more than two. Dee notes that he was "wened" on August 14, 1589. Katherine was not long under the Mortlake schoolmaster, for on May 21 "my dowghter was put to Mistress Brayce at Braynford [Brentford], hir mother and Arthur went with her after dynner." On April 15, he writes of his neighbour and friend, the Vice-Chancellor: "Good Sir Francis Walsingham died at night hora undecima." Burleigh was the only one of the old friends left. He records an interesting visit from "the two gentlemen, the unckle, Mr. Richard Candish, and his nephew, the most famous Mr. Thomas Candish, who had sayled round abowt the world." Cavendish was a Suffolk man. His wonderful voyage occupied two years and nearly two months. He died at sea within a couple of years from Dee's note. The uncle Cavendish interested himself with the Queen and the Archbishop to obtain for Dee the Provostship of Eton. This, too, fell to the ground, and Cavendish considerately sent him a hogshead of claret. He also lent or gave money to Dee and his wife, in all £302: in "ryalls and angels." Dee gave him in return one of his most valued treasures - an alchemical work: -

"A copy of my Paracelsus, twelve lettres, written in French with my own hand, and he promised me before my wife never to disclose to any that he hath it; and that if he dye before me he will restore it agayne to me; but if I dy befor him that he shall deliver it to one of my sonnes, most fit among them to have it. Theoddor had a sore fall on his mowth at mid-day."