From the substance of
these authorities, the reader is presented with the
following sketch. The first chapter in Hearne's publication,
which treats of the "entrance and ground plot of his first
studies," informs us that he had received his Latin
education in London and Chelmsford: that he was born in
July, 1527, and at 15 years of age was entered at the
University of Cambridge, 1542. In the three following years,
"so vehemently was he bent to study that, for those years,
he did inviolably keep this order; only to sleep 4 hours
every night; to allow to meat and drink (and some refreshing
after) 2 hours every day; and of the other 18 hours, all
(excepting the time of going to, and being at, divine
service) was spent in his studies and learning." In May,
1547, after having taken his Bachelor's decree, he went
abroad. "And after some months spent about the Low
Countries, he returned home, and brought with him the first
astronomer's staff in brass, that was made of Gemma Frisius
devising; the two great globes of Gerardus Mercator's
making, and the astronomer's ring of brass, as Gemma Frisius
had newly framed it." Dee's head now began to run wild upon
astronomy, or rather astrology; and the tremendous
assistance of the "occult art" was called in to give effect
to the lectures which he read upon it at home and abroad.
"He did set forth (and it was seen of the University) a
Greek comedy of Aristophanes, named, in Greek, [Greek:
eirene], in Latin, _Pax_; with the performance of the
_Scarabaeus_ his flying up to Jupiter's palace, with a man
and his basket of victuals on his back: whereat was great
wondering and many vain reports spread abroad of the means
how that was effected. In that college (Trinity, for he had
now left St. John's), by his advice and endeavours, was
their Christmas magistrate first named and confirmed an
EMPEROR." The first emperor of this sort, (whose _name_, it
must be confessed, is rather unpopular in a University) he
takes care to inform us, "was one Mr. Thomas _Dun_, a very
goodly man of person, stature, and complexion, and well
learned also." Dee afterwards ranks these things among "his
boyish attempts and exploits scholastical." In 1548 he was
made Master of Arts, and in the same year "went over beyond