r 1573), the latter 36 (ending with the
year 1592), in number. Anno 1563, Julii ultimo, the Earl of
Leicester and Lord Laskey invited themselves to dine with
Dee in a day or two; but our astrologer "confessed sincerely
that he was not able to prepare them a convenient dinner,
unless he should presently sell some of his plate or some of
his pewter for it. Whereupon," continues Dee, "her Majesty
sent unto me very royally within one hour after forty angels
of gold, from Sion; whither her Majesty was now come by
water from Greenwich." A little before Christmas, 1599, Dee
mentions a promise of another royal donation of
100_l._--"which intent and promise, some once or twice
after, as he came in her Majesty's sight, she repeated unto
him; and thereupon sent unto him _fifty pounds_ to keep his
Christmas with that year--but what, says he, is become of
the other fifty, truly I cannot tell! If her Majesty can, it
is sufficient; '_Satis, cito, modo, satis bene_, must I
say.'" In 1591, his patroness, the Countess of Warwick, made
a powerful diversion at Court to secure for him the
mastership of St. Cross, then filled by Dr. Bennet, who was
to be made a bishop.--The queen qualified her promise of
Dee's having it with a nota bene, _if he should be fit for
it_. In 1592, the Archbishop of Canterbury openly "affirmed
that the mastership of St. Crosse was a living most fit for
him; and the Lord Treasurer, at Hampton Court, lately to
himself declared, and with his hand very earnestly smitten
on his breast used these very words to him--'_By my faith_,
if her Majestie be moved in it by any other for you, I will
do what I can with her Majestie to pleasure you therein, Mr.
Dee.'" But it is time to gratify the BIBLIOMANIAC with
something more to his palate. Here followeth, therefore, as
drawn up by our philosopher himself, an account of

DEE'S LIBRARY:

"4000 _Volumes_--printed and unprinted--bound and
unbound--valued at 2000 _lib._

1 Greek, 2 French, and 1 High Dutch, volumes of MSS., alone
worth 533 _lib._ 40 years in getting these books together."

Appertaining thereto,

_Sundry rare and exquisitely made Mathematical Instruments._

_A radius Astronomicus_, ten feet long.

_A Magnet Stone, or Loadstone_; of great virtue--"which was