6

The one to appear was Uriel, the Spirit of Light. On the 14th, the angel Michael appeared, and gave Dee a ring with a seal. Only on two other occasions does a tangible object pass between them. Dee was overjoyed at the success of his new "speculator" or "skryer"; the sittings were daily conducted until March 21, when the medium was overcome with faintness and giddiness, and Michael, who was conversing with him, bade them rest and wait for a quarter of an hour. The next day, Talbot departed from Mortlake, being bidden by Michael to go fetch some books of Lord Monteagle's which were at Lancaster, or thereby, and which would else perish.

He returned before long, and all through April, instructions were being given at the sittings for the future revelations. elaborate preparations were needed, and they were describedin minute detail.

By April 29, a square table, "the table of practice," was complete. It was made of sweet wood, and was about two cubits high ("by two cubits I mean our usual yard"), with four legs. On its sides certain characters, as revealed, were to be written with sacred yellow oil, such as is used in chruches. Each leg was to be set upon a seal of wax made in the same pattern as the larger seal, "Sigilla AEmeth," which was to be placed upon the centre of the table, this seal to be made of perfect, that is, clean purified wax, 9 inches in diameter, 27 inches or more in circumference. It was to be an inch and half a quarter of an inch thick, and upon the under-side was to be a figure as below.



Figure goes here

The upper side of the seal was engraved with an elaborate figure obtained in the following manner. First, a table of forty-nine squares was drawn and filled up with the seven names of God - "names not known to the angels, neither can they be spoken or read of man. These names bring forth seven angels, the governors of the heavens next unto us. Every letter of the angels' names bringeth forth seven daughters. Every daughter bringeth forth seven daughters. Every daughter her daughter bringeth forth a son. Every son hath his son."

The seal "was not to be looked upon without great reverence and devotion."

It is extremely curious and interesting to relate that two of these tablets of wax, "Sigillum Dei," and one of the smaller seals for the feet of the table, with a crystal globe, all formerly belonging to Dee, are still preserved in the British Museum, having come there from Sir Thomas Cotton's library, where the table of practice was also long preserved.

The spirits were kind enough to say: "We have no respect of cullours," but the table was to be set upon a square of red silk as changeable (i.e., shot) as may be, two yards square, and a red silk cover, with "knops or tassels" at the four corners, was to be laid over the seal, and to hang below the edge of the table. The crystal glove in its frame was then to be set upon the centre of the cover, resting on the seal with the silk between.