John Dee (1527-1608), popularly remembered as an alchemist and spiritualist, was an enthusiastic scholar specialising in mathematics and astronomy, and collected manuscripts, early printed books and scientific instruments. Despite meeting Elizabeth I in person, he never progressed in the Church, and died in poverty. The four selections from his writings reissued here show Dee painstakingly listing his books before a journey to Europe, and appealing to the Queen for help when, after a catastrophic burglary at his library and the destruction of his laboratory equipment, his pay also failed to arrive. J. O. Halliwell (1842) reproduces the full text of Dee's diaries with an index; James Crossley (1851) transcribes Dee's appeals to the Queen; Bailey's book (1880), of which only 20 copies were printed, contains a full commentary on the last five years of the diaries; and M. R. James (1920) researches the fate of Dee's books over the centuries.
John Dee (1527-1608), popularly remembered as an alchemist and spiritualist, was an enthusiastic scholar specialising in mathematics and astronomy, and collected manuscripts, early printed books and scientific instruments. Despite meeting Elizabeth I in person, he never progressed in the Church, and died in poverty. The four selections from his writings reissued here show Dee painstakingly listing his books before a journey to Europe, and appealing to the Queen for help when, after a catastrophic burglary at his library and the destruction of his laboratory equipment, his pay also failed to arrive. J. O. Halliwell (1842) reproduces the full text of Dee's diaries with an index; James Crossley (1851) transcribes Dee's appeals to the Queen; Bailey's book (1880), of which only 20 copies were printed, contains a full commentary on the last five years of the diaries; and M. R. James (1920) researches the fate of Dee's books over the centuries.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Part I. The Private Diary of Dr John Dee, Edited by James Orchard Halliwell: Preface; Dr Dee's diary; Catalogus librorum bibliothecae externae Mortlacensis D. Joh. Dee, Anno 1583, 6 Sept.; Index; Part II. Autobiographical Tracts of Dr John Dee, Edited by James Crossley: Preface; The compendious rehearsall of John Dee; Supplication to Queen Mary; Articles for the recovery and preservation of the ancient monuments; A necessary advertizement; A letter containing a most brief discourse apologetical; Part III. Diary, for the Years 1595-1601, of Dr John Dee, Edited by John Eglington Bailey: Memoir of Dr Dee, 1527-94; The diary for 1595; The diary for 1596; The diary for 1597; The diary for 1598 (Jan.-March); The diary for 1600 (June-Dec.); The diary for 1601 (Jan.-April); Letters by Dr Dee; Additional notes; Part IV. Lists of Manuscripts Formerly Owned by Dr John Dee, with Preface and Identifications by M. R. James: Preface; List A (Corpus Christi College, Oxford, MS 191); List B (Brit. Mus. Add. 35213); List C (Catalogus librorum, Trinity College, Cambridge, O. 4. 20); Other manuscripts which certainly or probably belonged to Dee; List of manuscripts noticed; Additional note.
