-besides those abilities, a very noble and
plentiful estate, and the ancient interest of his predecessors--many
invitations from Queen Elizabeth to change his country recreations and
retirement for a court life:--offering him a knighthood, and that to be
but as an earnest of some more honourable and more profitable employment
under her; yet he humbly refused both, being a man of great modesty, of
a most plain and single heart, of an ancient freedom, and integrity of
mind.'

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 16: Edwards, _Lives of the Founders of the British Museum_
(London, 1870), p. 426.]

DR. DEE, 1527-1608

Dr. John Dee, 'that perfect astronomer, curious astrologer and serious
geometrician,' as he is styled by Lilly, was born in London on the 13th
of July 1527. He was the son of Rowland Dee, who, according to Wood, was
a wealthy vintner, but who is described by Strype as Gentleman Sewer to
Henry VIII. In his _Compendious Rehearsal_ Dee informs us that he
possessed a very fine collection of books, 'printed and anciently
written, bound and unbound, in all near 4000, the fourth part of which
were written books. The value of all which books, by the estimation of
men skilful in the arts, whereof the books did and do intreat, and that
in divers languages, was well worth 2000 lib.'; and he adds that he
'spent 40 years in divers places beyond the seas, and in England in
getting these books together.' He specially mentions 'that four written
books, one in Greek, two in French, and one in High Dutch cost 533 lib.'
His library also contained a 'great case or frame of boxes, wherein some
hundreds of very rare evidences of divers Irelandish territories,
provinces and lands were laid up; and divers evidences ancient of some
Welsh princes and noblemen, their great gifts of lands to the
foundations or enrichings of Sundry Houses of Religious men. Some also
were there the like of the Normans donations and gifts about and some
years after the Conquest.' Dee, in a letter from Antwerp to Sir William
Cecil, afterwards Lord Burghley, dated February 16, 1563, also states
that he had purchased a curious book (probably a manuscript),
_Steganographia_, by Joannes Trithemius, which was so rare that '1000
crowns had been offered in vain' for a copy. Dee placed his library in
his house at Mortlake, Surrey, and so great was its repute, that on the
10th of March 1575, Queen Elizabeth, attended by many of her courtiers,
paid him a visit for the pu