John Dee straddled the worlds of science and magic just as they were becoming
distinguishable. One of the most learned men of his age, he had been invited to
lecture on advanced algebra at the University of Paris while still in his early
twenties. Dee was an ardent promoter of mathematics and a respected
astronomer, as well as a leading expert in navigation, having trained many of
those who would conduct England's voyages of discovery.
Simultaneously with these efforts, Dee immersed himself in the worlds of magic,
astrology and Hermetic philosophy. He devoted much time and effort in the last
thirty years or so of his life to attempting to commune with angels in order to
learn the universal language of creation and bring about the pre-apocalyptic
unity of mankind. A student of the Renaissance Neo-Platonism of Marsilio Ficino,
Dee did not draw distinctions between his mathematical research and his
investigations into Hermetic magic, angel summoning and divination. Instead he
considered all of his activities to constitute different facets of the same quest:
the search for a transcendent understanding of the divine forms which underlie
the visible world, which Dee called "pure verities".
In his lifetime Dee amassed one of the largest libraries in England. His high
status as a scholar also allowed him to play a role in Elizabethan politics. He
served as an occasional adviser and tutor to Elizabeth I and nurtured
relationships with her ministers Francis Walsingham and William Cecil. Dee also
tutored and enjoyed patronage relationships with Sir Philip Sidney, his uncle
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, and Edward Dyer. He also enjoyed
patronage from Sir Christopher Hatton.