I answered with a firm “Yes!” She fixed me with a seaching look as I continued, “Whatever way I choose to spend my life in, I am on a journey of discovery to the land of fulfilment, and shall continue it for as long as these eyes can see the sun. And wherever I strike land, I will raise the flag of my last love and take possession of my Green Land, just as Duke William of Normandy did when he swept across the sea and conquered England.”
The Queen did not answer. I did not challenge her silence, but I could see her pride was provoked, and I could understand why she resorted to scorn to defend herself:
“Be that as it may, good Master Dee, it nevertheless gives Us great satisfaction to hear that thy commerce with the world above has not been without its earthly rewards. We hear that these unworldly beings have revealed to thee the philosopher’s stone and the secret of the preparation of the tincture for making gold.”
I was no little astonished at this revelation, for I had kept my alchymical experiments hidden from everyone and could not understand how the Queen had come to hear of them. Nothing daunted, however, I answered frankly, for I suddenly saw the opportunity of solving all my difficulties. I told Her Majesty, therefore, that so far all my efforts to transmute metals had been vain and that my sole earthly reward had been the loss of my fortune.
At that Elizabeth seemed to respond as if her heart, usually so cold, had been touched by human feeling, and she asked me if I needed help from her privy purse.
I did not want to appear before her as a beggar, and so I answered with the last remnants of my pride that I would not abuse my Mistress’ favour, but that I would remember her words should my need become greater. – – –
Now we have finally escaped the bustle of the city and are back in the peace and quiet of Mortlake where I can resume my alchymical experiments.
I did not have to wait long for further misfortune: during one of the experiments the whole laboratorium exploded. It was a miracle that I myself was unharmed, but there are wide cracks in the castle walls and it has so aroused the superstitious hate of the peasants that I hourly expect some kind of attack, for they have sent word that they will no longer suffer the Devil to remain in their midst. – My time here is almost over.
The Green Angel heaps promise upon promise, each one more definite, more confident than the other: all approaches its final fulfilment, it says. But we all know that help is too late; our ruin is imminent.
We had a final discussion of the situation with Kelley and came to the conclusion that we should not use any more of the red powder to make gold to pay for our needs, but should leave the country as quickly as possible and head for Bohemia where we could take up our work again under the protection of the Emperor Rudolf, himself a famous adept of the royal art, as were many of his noble friends; we had all the more prospect of success as we would be able to give the suspicious Habsburg a demonstration of the transmutation of metals before his very eyes, thanks to the remaining few grains in St. Deniol’s ivory spheres. There in Prague we would have to make one final effort to discover from the book how to prepare the Stone, which would put an end to all our misery and open up the path to glory and fortune. There is no doubt at all that a successful alchymist enjoys much more favourable conditions in Prague than in England with its ungrateful Queen.
With my wife Jane I spent a long time weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of the step, for it was a wrench for me near to my sixtieth year to have to flee my native land once more; but the Green Angel had given the order to leave England for the Emperor Rudolf’s court in such promising terms that I resolved to hesitate no longer. As if heaven itself wanted to give me a sign that I had made the right choice, yesterday I received a letter from Prince Lasky in Poland in which he invited me in the most flattering terms to stay with my wife, and Kelley as his guest on his estates for as long as it should please us. He would of course bear the cost of the journey, and beyond that he offered me a generous salary. My pleasure in the letter was short-lived: the very next morning there were notes threatening to set fire to the castle and murder us all nailed to the door. That is too much; I cannot endanger the lives of my loved ones. Should I call on the magistrates for help? There would be no point, they would leave me in the lurch. I sense only too clearly that behind the peasants’ uprising powerful enemies are concealed who wish me evil and seek my ruin. I must take the initiative myself! – – – No money has come from Lasky,and the situation has worsened, so that I have had to approach Elizabeth for help through Leicester’s mediation. What more do I care! I have no pride left to lose. I will not be responsible for the murder of my wife and child! – – –
A messenger came from Elizabeth today and brought me forty gold nobles and a note wherein she answers my complaint that both our house and our lives are insufficiently protected: her power, she says, is no more
