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The Queen's Conjurer: The Science and Magic of Dr. John Dee, Adviser to Queen Elizabeth I

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In 1527, when England was sharing with the rest of Europe the boom in art and learning called the Renaissance, was born Dr. John Dee, about whom history has yet to decide. He has been regarded as an intellectual giant, a genius of languages, a dupe, a fraud, and a prophetic mystic, among other things. A new biography, _The Queen's Conjurer: The Science and Magic of Dr. John Dee, Adviser to Queen Elizabeth I_ (Henry Holt) by Benjamin Woolley, shows how he was all of this and more. It is a clear biography of a fascinating figure, and an examination into the way of thought of Dee's times.

Dee first came to the attention of the larger world when at the age of nineteen, as a student in Cambridge, he mounted a play by Aristophanes, _Peace_, which calls for a giant dung beetle to fly the hero up to the palace of Zeus. Calling upon his passion for mathematics, before there were stage tricks such as projectors, lighting, motors, or fog machines, Dee indeed made a giant beetle fly around the main hall of Trinity College. He astonished the audience, and no one knows how he did it, but some suspected black magic, a suspicion that was forever to taint him. Woolley shows that although Dee was a serious astronomer and chemist, he was also an astrologer and alchemist, but also shows how magic pervaded Renaissance thought. What really makes Dee extreme is his close association with "scryvers," spiritual mediums who gazed at crystal balls to consult with spirits. The scryver most associated with Dee, because of almost twenty years of joint work together, was Edward Kelley, a histrionic and demanding seer whom Dee originally distrusted and then began to use to lay a foundation for a system of occult knowledge. Kelley would look into Dee's crystal balls and report the visions; Dee could never see them, but he took down voluminous notes and tried to make sense of them. He worked for years on understanding the strange pre-Babel language the spirits were supposed to be showing.

Power and riches eluded Dee, however much of the language he came to understand. He and Kelley were astonishingly busy, pulled by their language researches, divining for treasure, and pursuing various occult projects. Dee did astrological consultations all his life, earning some money thereby. He constantly sought some sort of sinecure within Elizabeth's court, and only intermittently was successful. In 1589, after six years in Europe, Dee returned to his home near London and found it in ruins, with his huge library and collections of scientific equipment stolen. His reputation had been stolen, as well.

Woolley proves himself a guide who can benefit us by his meticulous research. Dee left many intimate records, not only of all the things the spirits revealed to him, but of his daily activities, his wife's menses, the couple's copulations, his dreams, and more. Woolley has intimately described the mystical foolishness as well as the scientific practicality of a mysterious man who ought to be better known as a significant intellectual figure.

Benjamin Woolley's 'The Queen's Conjurer' is the most recent attempt to present the life of the English Enigma, Dr. John Dee. Dee is an interesting character and one that has sadly been much maligned over the centuries. Since his death in 1608, he has largely been dismissed at best as an sorcerer and black magicican and, at worst, as a credulous old fool dabbling in astrology and necromancy. Today, despite his prominent historical role in Elizabethan politics and his great contibutions to many fields, he is hardly remembered at all. This book tries to alleviate that problem.

Wolley's work is well-researched and attempts to shed light on Dee's life and his many accomplishments as not only an occultist, but also as an astronomer, mathematician, explorer, and spy. Dee was a product of the Renaissance and devoured knowledge and information. He was an avid bibliophile, a voracious author of various works on astronomy, astrology, mathematics, occult philosophy, and was well-respected by many prominent people at the court of Queen Elizabeth. The Queen herself counted herself one of Dee's benefactors and visited him numerous times at his home at Mortlake, taking a genuine interest in his many magical and mathematical works. Today he is largely remembered for his works concerning "Enochian" or Angel Magic, due to the fact that these are the bulk of his writings that have survived the flames of history. Most of the second half of this book is concerned with Dee's European adventures with the mysterious scryer Edward Kelly, who is largely regarded by history as a charlatan and a rake. Kelly is a shadowy and intriguing figure and we get some insight into his character and motivations but he is never truly revealed to us, perhaps he never will be. In the end, Dee finds that despite a lifetime of great works and accomplishments, he is viewed with mistrust and suspicion by the general public and has lost favor with the new court of King James I. He dies a tired and broken man, and history would continue to tarnish his great name until well into the 20th century.

The Queen's Conjurer is a very readable account of a great and fascinating man.

I have always found Dr. John Dee to be one of the most intriguing characters of Elizabethan times. Yet, there seemed to be so little information available about him, only bits and pieces and rumors- often spread by his enemies. Here is a most satisfying biography that not only gives you a complete look at the Doctor's life, but is also supplemented with a wealth of associated detail and historical background. This book turns Dee from a shadowy character to a real man, a great man.

What comes across is the amazing breadth and depth of Dee's interests and scholarship. He was already famed for his remarkable intellect and ability as a student at Cambridge. At a time when most scholars barely processed a reading knowledge of bad Latin, he mastered classical Greek to be able to read the forgotten works of Plato and Pythagoras. He was a personal friend and correspondent to the great men of the age such as Tycho Brahe and Mercator. Dee himself was famed as a great mathematician in Europe (at a time when simple trigonometry was almost unknown in England.) He was offered high positions at the great courts of Europe, but turned these offers down out of a deep seated desire to raise up his country of birth to be their eventual global equal (at this time England was a poor, backward, weak backwater.) Indeed, the first conception of a British Empire, founded upon a strong Royal Navy, was first expounded by Dee.

John Dee was as close to modern scientist as existed in the 16th century. He independently came to the conclusion that bodies of unequal weight fall at the same rate- before Galileo. He was recognized as England's top expert on optics and lenses. He was recognized as one of the top experts on navigation and chart making of his day. He kept detailed astronomical observations that even Tycho Brahe admired. He based his astrological work upon the heliocentric "heresy" of Copernicus. He was an expert in geology and ores and leased his own tin mine. He also collected the biggest research library of the age in Mortlake, which was a gathering place of the greatest minds of England and the continent. In short- Dee was a competent expert in several areas of natural philosophy and applied technology. He believed in detailed observation and record keeping- in both natural, and supernatural, phenomena.

The thing is, Dee believed his accomplishments in the more material and practical sciences to be among his lesser accomplishments. Like Newton after him, his real passion was with the deepest cosmic and spiritual secrets. This led to his fame as an astrologer, and an alchemist, and a cabalist. Dee's passion was to discover the ancient, true, original religion of mankind, the "prisci theology." That is why he could walk easily among both Protestants and Catholics- he ultimately considered both of their dogma's to be equally absurd. Dee had a much more open mind that the "scientists" of later centuries- he studied all unknown forces, natural or supernatural. This was why be studied and practiced natural magic (Agrippa's three books were always open upon his desk for quick reference.) He knew that hidden currents influenced the day-to-day world, and he documented his observations even if he couldn't explain them in terms of material cause and effect. This also led to his interest is scrying and the use of natural sensitives to communicate with spirits. It should be noted, that no one at this time doubted the existence of such spirits- it was as self evident as the existence of God. In fact, many powerful lords of the day employed seers and scryers, including the earls of Leicester, Pembroke, and Northumberland.

All in all, you come away with a renewed respect for Dee. You realize that his only fault was to be born in a society of petty, ignorant, lesser men. It was they that libeled and slandered his image and painted him as a superstitious conjuror. Indeed, the only real mistake that the good Doctor made was to outlive his beloved queen and protector.

For 25 years I have read & collected everything on John Dee I could find, even to the point of ordering the Sloan MSS fron the British museum. My only complaint about this effort is that it wasn't longer. It reads like a novel. This is the daily life of one of the most fascinating people in British history. Occultists will get clarity on the nature of the Angelic workings, Alchemists get a glimpse of the nature of the craft, students of history are drawn into the gritty reality of fifteenth century Europe. This book carried me through from beginning to end in only two sittings. I couldn't put it down. Well done Woolley!

Benjamin Woolley in The Queen's Conjurer (The Science and Magic of Dr. John Dee, Adviser to Queen Elizabeth I) looks at the life of Dr. Dee. He was a fascinating man of his times who was a part of the Elizabethan court and involved in or aware of most of the advances in general science, geography (particulary cartography), and astronomy. He was also involved with what are considered more occult activities in our times such as alchemy, astrology and talking with spirits (with the assistance and possibly under the influence of Kelley, an interesting character in his own right). Dr. Dee would not have seen the differences so sharply between science and the occult as we do now and it is interesting watching his pursuits shift smoothly from one to the other. The book is a straight forward narrative history of this man and it is, therefore, as fascinating as Dr. Dee was. Those looking for a more in-depth look at science or the occult in Renaissance England will be dissappointed, though. The book touches on many topics, such as the tantilizingly brief discussion of spys in the England of Elizabeth, that are not drawn out further than their point of contact with John Dee. It is a good, nicely written examination of one man of his time not a look at one man through the complexities of his time. It will entertain the reader looking for information on this fascinating individual and, hopefully, will lead one to read more about this interesting period of English history.

Dr. John Dee is now considered to be the English Renaissance man. This was not always the case, however, because his first biographers, as the author of this fine biography points out, were either `hard-headed rationalist or muddle-headed mystics.' In present time, researchers and historians agree that Dee was a true Renaissance man because he sought to connect or reconcile rationalism with magic, science and the supernatural. This was not unusual for the time. Copernicus cited the mystic Hermes Trismegistus in his Magnum Opus, proposing the heliocentric universe. Isaac Newton began his career as an alchemist, before moving on to modern methods of pure science. John Dee was the most important scientists of the Elizabethan age. But this is only a somewhat recent recognition because throughout the ages he was considered a charlatan, crook, blockhead and "companion of hellhounds". Benjamin Woolley's fine biography combines history, science, espionage and common sense and attempts to answer how a man of genius that had such a major influence in mathematics, astronomy, cartography, navigation and science in general, could die a pauper and in obscurity.

In 1659, a scholar by the name of Meric Casaubon copied and published a collection of Dee's documents, which contained the recordings of spiritual conversations with angels and archangels, and other dialogues, which could be interpreted dubious at best. After the publication Dee's reputation as a credible philosopher went steadily down hill and has taken centuries to recover. Woolley has done some fine research, using Dee's actual diaries, and has painstakingly pieced together his life and career.

The Elizabethan age was a turning point in Western history. The Reformation was essentially a battle for power and knowledge and a bloody war in the name of religion. But it also set the stage for the Enlightenment, and Dr. John Dee was a precursor to the Age of Reason. He was a man of `science', collecting and studying every ancient text he could get his hands on, (his library is the stuff of legend) but rational knowledge, he truly believed, would only take him so far - he desired heavenly knowledge and wisdom. And it is possible that his spiritual researches into the divine nature could have been the cause of his downfall. Dee did not seek worldly gain, riches and material pleasure; his only desire was to attain the secrets of the Holy. Did he pay the ultimate price for this activity?

~The Queen's Conjurer~ is not a dense historical text, but an informative and enlightening piece of research. It casts some light on an intriguing figure, removing him from modern occult history and in to the mainstream.

John Dee, the English mathematician and astrologer, was famous throughout Europe for his brilliance. Queen Elizabeth I visited his house many times. And Rudolph II, the Holy Roman Emperor, welcomed his visits. Yet Dee died destitute despite his fame and brilliance.

His steep decline is a fascinating story, which Benjamin Woolley tells very well. He could have made a better job of his tale, though, if he had compared Dee's fate with that of his friend John Field, the English mathematician and astronomer.

Instead, Woolley dismisses John Field with a couple dozen words.

In 1555 Queen Mary had both men thrown in jail, in the same cell, as Woolley mentions. She suspected them of heresy because of Dee's work with magic.

There was some risk that Queen Mary would burn both of them at the stake, as heretics. Instead, she let them go, but their fates were very different. She deprived John Dee of his post as rector of Upton, which he never regained. And, although Woolley doesn't mention it, Queen Mary knighted John Field in 1558 for his contributions to astronomy.

Sir John Field, known in his time as "The English Astronomer," computed and published an astronomical ephemeris for the year 1557, based on the Copernican heliocentric system. This was the first publication in England of any document that directly claimed that the Copernican heliocentric system correctly described our solar system. It was a risky business for John Field and he could have been burnt at the stake for it.

John Dee contributed a forward to John Field's ephemeris of 1557, in which he claimed credit for persuading John Field to compute his ephemeris. Then, as Woolley says, John Dee dropped form sight for six years. Sir John Field, on the other hand, steadily continued to compute and publish ephemerises for 1558, 1559 and 1560.

Sir John lived in comfort and died owning much land and a hundred pounds sterling. He was ancestor of Cyrus Field, who laid the Atlantic telegraph cable and of Marshall Field, the Chicago department store magnate.

Woolley has it that John Dee was the sole author of Sir John Field's ephemeris of 1557. In this he very much disagrees with J.L.E. Dryer, author of A History of Astronomy from Thales to Kepler, who mention Dee's forward to the 1557 ephemeris but credits Sir John with sole authorship of the actual ephemeris.

Curiously, Woolley cites another of Dryer's books, Tycho Brahe: A Picture of Scientific Life and Work in the Sixteenth Century. He does not cite Dryer's A History of Astronomy from Thales to Kepler. Perhaps he has not read it.

Buy his book anyhow. It's a fascinating work.

John Dee, the English mathematician and astrologer, was famous throughout Europe for his brilliance. Queen Elizabeth I visited his house many times. And Rudolph II, the Holy Roman Emperor, welcomed his visits. Yet Dee died destitute despite his fame and brilliance.

His steep decline is a fascinating story, which Benjamin Woolley tells very well. He could have made a better job of his tale, though, if he had compared Dee's fate with that of his friend John Field, the English mathematician and astronomer.

Instead, Woolley dismisses John Field with a couple dozen words.

In 1555 Queen Mary had both men thrown in jail, in the same cell, as Woolley mentions. She suspected them of heresy because of Dee's work with magic.

There was some risk that Queen Mary would burn both of them at the stake, as heretics. Instead, she let them go, but their fates were very different. She deprived John Dee of his post as rector of Upton, which he never regained. And, although Woolley doesn't mention it, Queen Mary knighted John Field in 1558 for his contributions to astronomy.

Sir John Field, known in his time as "The English Astronomer," computed and published an astronomical ephemeris for the year 1557, based on the Copernican heliocentric system. This was the first publication in England of any document that directly claimed that the Copernican heliocentric system correctly described our solar system. It was a risky business for John Field and he could have been burnt at the stake for it.

John Dee contributed a forward to John Field's ephemeris of 1557, in which he claimed credit for persuading John Field to compute his ephemeris. Then, as Woolley says, John Dee dropped form sight for six years. Sir John Field, on the other hand, steadily continued to compute and publish ephemerises for 1558, 1559 and 1560.

Sir John lived in comfort and died owning much land and a hundred pounds sterling. He is an ancestor of Cyrus Field, who laid the Atlantic telegraph cable and an ancestor of Marshall Field, the Chicago department store magnate.

Woolley has it that John Dee was the sole author of Sir John Field's ephemeris of 1557. He lists Dee as the sole author in the bibliography of this book, The Queen's Conjuror. In this he very much disagrees with J.L.E. Dryer, author of A History of Astronomy from Thales to Kepler, who mention Dee's forward to Field's 1557 ephemeris and credits Sir John Field with sole authorship of the actual ephemeris.

Curiously, Woolley cites another of Dryer's books, Tycho Brahe: A Picture of Scientific Life and Work in the Sixteenth Century. He does not cite Dryer's A History of Astronomy from Thales to Keple. Perhaps he has not read it.

Buy his book anyhow. It's a fascinating work.

John Dee was an amazing man: astrologer, astronomer, alchemist, linguist, cryptographer, mathematician, geographer, and either a tremendous con man or (more likely) the unwitting dupe of a tremendous con man; this book is surprisingly flat, by comparison. The tone is pretty calm and straightforward, and Woolley leaves out some of the more outlandish things I've heard about Dee, and normally those would be positive qualities in a biography. But for a biography of a life as bizarre as Dee's it feels a bit wanting; for example, the visions of his associate, the fraudulent Edward Kelley, are reported in some detail, with only the occasional aside that, of course, Kelley must have been making it all up, but Dee believed them and this book is about Dee so we won't go into that. For instance, Kelley disliked his wife and lusted after Dee's, and so convinced Dee that the spirits commanded them to sleep with each other's wife; Woolley reports that Dee was troubled by this, but doesn't really make you *feel* his trouble.

Another minor fault with the book is that it's not well suited to reading up on just one phase of Dee's life: the chapters aren't in strict chronological order and are untitled: so a chapter on a new topic will overlap the previous chapter a bit, but being untitled you don't know what the new topic is without reading it. At least the index is good. (Three or four chapters at a time are grouped together in sections, and the sections do have titles. Not terribly informative titles, like "The Flight of the Dung Beetle" on his childhood and early education, or "The Long Journey" which is *not* about his several-year trip to Poland and Bohemia.) Also, Woolley's subtraction isn't always accurate: several chapters begin along the lines "It was the year 15xx, and Dee was y years old," only he wouldn't have been y.

Still, Dr. Dee was this really amazing guy and Woolley's research is good, and even the flat style can't make this a bad book.

Inn the Middle Ages, there are few men we can look at who would be quite as enigmatic, well-versed and controversial. Possesing a 'hidden' relationship (one that was generally frowned upon by courtiers of the time) with the Queen of England as advisor, astrologer, teacher and confident, Doctor John Dee made more enemies than he did friends.

This is a well-researched book that avoids speculation. The author's sources are vast and acceptable. Dee comes to life with his wife and collegues, travelling across a quickly changing political climate located in Western Europe of the time. This book is enriching, entertaining, and informative.