mission, as he called it, and only awaited the auspicious time
when his spiritual instructors should point out another seer in Kelly's
room, from whom he had been long separated. Though now in his
seventy-first year, he was not deterred from making another attempt to
reach the goal of his ambition. Such is the folly and madness of these
enthusiasts, that, let them be never so often foiled in their inordinate
expectations, yet does it in no wise hinder, but, on the contrary, sets
them more fully on their desire. Casaubon, in his preface to the account
of Dee's intercourse with spirits, gives a strange instance of their
infatuation. He says:--

"In the days of Martin Luther, there lived one Michael Stifelius, who
applying to himself some place of the Apocalypse, took upon himself to
prophesy. He foretold that in the year of the Lord 1533, before the 29th
of September, the end of the world and Christ's coming to judgment would
be. He did show so much confidence that, some write, Luther himself was
somewhat startled at the first. But that day past, he came a second time
to Luther, with new calculations, and had digested the whole business
into twenty-two articles, the effect of which was to demonstrate that
the end of the world would be in October following. But now Luther
thought that he had had trial enough, and gave so little credit to him,
that he (though he loved the man) silenced him for a time, which our
apocalyptical prophet took very ill at his hands, and wondered much at
his incredulity. Well, that month and some after that over, our prophet
(who had made no little stir in the country by his prophesying) was cast
into prison for his obstinacy. After a while Luther visited him,
thinking by that time to find him of another mind; but so far was he
from acknowledging his error, that he downright railed at Luther for
giving him good counsel. And some write, that to his dying day (having
lived to the age of eighty years) he never recanted."

These air-built hopes and projects may in some sort account for the
readiness with which Dee admitted the stranger after hearing his
message. It seemed to be the very echo of his own thoughts, floating on
their dark current, which it quickened by some unknown and mysterious
impulse.

The Doctor was sitting in a high and curiously-wrought chair, cushioned
with black leather, gilt and ornamented after the antique fashion. His
upper garment was of black serge, the neck and breast fu