Mysteriorum Pragensium Liber Primus (Prague), part 8 of 8 (2–8 Oct. 1584)

Tuesday, Octobris 2. Mane hora 9. † Pragae.

Δ. Orationibus finitis, ad Deum, &c. Deus in adjutorium nostrum intende, &c.

E. K. Here they be.

Δ. Gratia Dei, patris, & filii, & Spiritus Sancti, sit super nos nunc & semper & in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Δ. They paused, before they spake, very long.

Δ. Perhaps they expect our answer, as concerning our cleansing and abstaining from sins: Herein I crave at Gods hands his grace and mercy, and intend and desire both to be purged, and also to abstain not onely 40 dayes, but all my life, to the best of my ability, &c.

Gab...... Puris habemus omnia, Immundis nihil.

Δ. I beseech you for God his sake, & per viscera misericordiae Altissimi, that you would declare uuto us a certain remedy of my wife her disease, &c.

Gabr...... When thy wife was a milkie substance, growing by the perfection of the place, and influence radical, (which onely, is the gift of the Sun) then, was not the Matrix, or bag of Nature (wherein she encreased) perfect, or of sufficient retention: By reason of a feaver going before the conception: So that, the Angelical administration, generally containing, the vessel of life, for the proportion of the world, entred by force of their Order immediately, before the [Δ]inward parts, were established in their nutriment and proportion.

For, so, the soul is sent in, to Δ. Of Jane my wife.

Which is the cause, that the second vessel, and lowest of nature (for, your terms I must use) is so thin, and tyed short, that it is not able to keep in, or retain, the simile and quidditie of her own substantial being and seed.

Wherefore, when the rest of her digestions (according to her age and natural strength) fulfil their offices, by degree to be received into that receptacle; then, doth the force of nature quail: and by the subtilty of the principle, or matter ejected, (which seeketh to take up on every center a dwelling place,) the guts and passages, are offended and scalded with an intemperate heat: the most subtile and sharpest part, being of a most penetrating vertue: (and therefore seeking passag) mixeth her self with the excrements, where resting, she turneth unto her first form, which is blood: Whose Quintessence worketh, in her own property and beginning, and forceth the [1] excrement stercoral many times to become bloody, the other part being more heavy, notwithstanding unapt to descend, (Quia natura quaerit omne suum) becometh corrupted; and so by vertue of nature, is cast out as an [2] excrement, being blood and matter.

But I tell thee, that so long as Nature was in the lowest degree, and the sperm kept more near together, by reason of the spiritual heat in youth, it was not faulty in her:

But in her sixteenth year, when they were more heavy and sought issue and descension, then began Nature to feel the effect, in the places, and vessel, which is the ground of her retention, the chief basis and mother of her dwelling.

Behold now, being faetive, and the force of heat drawn to the nutriment of the Creature; Moreover the other part Active compelled into a nearer place, by the impediment of imagination, bringeth great danger now, by reason that Nature is become very weak, and not able to make excremental expulsion.

But do […] thou think that there is a remedy to this disease?

Δ. Yea verily, through the wisdom and mercies of the Highest.

Gabr...... I have taught the disease; I will go and see if there be a remedy.

Δ. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, be merciful to my wife and me, and send her remedy and cure of her grief.

E. K. Here he is.

Gab...... Come again after Diner.

Δ. We had been sent for to diner, twice or thrice before. So we went.

Δ. Misericordiae Dei sint super nos.

Amen.

After Diner, circa horam 1.

Δ. We resorted to the Mystery: and shortly, they appeared both.

E. K. Here they be both.

Δ.

Gab...... Take pure wheat, a pinte: one Pheasant-Cock alive, an eleven ounces of Masculine Amber (which is the white Ambe) an ounce and a quarter of Turpentine.

Δ. Of washed Turpentine?

Gab...... Turpentine that is washed loseth his vertue.

Break the Cock in pieces with a pestel, (his feathers pluckt off) pound the Amber small.

Put all this into a gallon of red wine.

Δ. May we take the red wine of this Country?

Gab...... I. Distill them, with a fire of the second heat.

[Δ. I beseech you, how long shall they stand in steep?

Gab...... As thou wilt.]

Still it again the second time, (the feces being cast awa) And adde something more to the fire, so that it be a quarter toward the third.

Let her fast forty hours from meat: And let her divide the Medicine into three parts.

The first part, let her drink (being milk-warm) by little and little.

The second part, let her make a sawce of, for five or six meales.

The last part, let her use in Absconditis: And she shall have health.

Δ. I beseech you, in how many dayes compass would you have this to be done?

Gab...... It is no question: the necessity of the thing teacbeth.

Δ. As concerning the Infant, what state is it in?

Gab...... Shut thy mouth: Seek not.

Δ. I am contented.

Δ. As concerning a Pheasant-Cock, I know not how or where to get it.

Gab...... All the creatures of the world, else, help not. I have taught, take thou care.

Δ. The thanks, honour, and praise, be to the Highest, and I thank you for your charity and good will, to impart these things unto me.

Gab...... You shall have no more, at me, until you be repentant, and reconciled: and are made apt for my School.

E. K. You might give this Table vertue to cure her, or cure her with some one thing, or simple, if you be good Angels.

Gab...... Vnto us, the vertue of Gods Creatures are known: which we may open unto you: and the power of giving vertue is in God: Therefore cease thy malitious tongue.

E. K. His malitious tongue against God his good Angels.

I have no more.

E. K. They are gone.

Δ. Deo Omnipotenti, Optimo & Maximo sit omnis laus honor & gloria: nunc & semper.

Amen.

Thursday, Octobris 4. Mane, hora 10.¼ circiter. † Pragae.

Orationibus variis ad Deum, & pro pane quotidiano jam in tempore necessitatis, finitis, &c. apparitio facta est.

E. K. Here is he, that is covered with the Scarf.

Δ. It was a parcel of my prayers to God

Δ. Misericordias Domini in aternum cantabo, qui me sub alia suis illaesum servavit, servat, & servabit.

Uriel...... Hear, O thou, [Δ] that sayest, (if I have put my trust in the) hear me, If that thou hadst taried at home, and wanted my admonishment, thy children had been scattered, thy wife had ended her dayes with sorrow: and lo, the birds of the air had rested on thy carkase. If thou wast held by the hand, and attended on, by heavenly Pilots, when the Seas would have swallowed thee, and Satan […] power over thee; If poison had prevailed, wherewith thy meat was often times sawced. If the continual rage of Satan and the world had overthrown thee. Then had not I been thy God, neither had done well unto thee. But out of all these I have led thee, as a father doth his child from danger, And from many more scourges and adversities unknown to thee, but ready to afflict thee. […] to, thou sayest unto me, If: What hast thou done for me, or added unto my name? What hast thou lost that I have not given thee? or what canst thou have, that I pluck hack? Hear my voice. He that loveth the world, loveth not me; for what I do I do: and what I am, I am: And I made nothing without a cause. Thou hast not yet begged for my name, neither hast been imprisoned for my sake; But I have turned the prison from thee, and have opened unto thee my mysteries. I say unto thee, I am the beginning, and an undefiled Spirit, and there is no riches that is without me. If I should not suffer thee to be proved, Then were thou not for me; For, those that are mine, taste tribulation: But when Satan hath spent his whip; If thou be found faithful, I will place my covenant with thee and thy children, And I will be revealed unto them, unto the end of the world. Silver and Gold I give not; But my blessing, is above the substance of the Earth. Dayes there be, that thou must drink of gall, and a time cometh, when thou shalt drink wine. In the mean season, those that give unto thee, I will mnltiply all they have with blessing a thousand fold; for those that give unto thee, I will give unto them; And those that pluck back from thee, I will also pluck back from them. Those that are of me, have no spot; for I am all beauty.

E. K. But will you give us meat, drink, and cloathing?

[…] ad Cor. Epist. 1. cap. 15. versu 51. & 52 Ecce mysterium vobis […]: Non […] quidem obdormiemus: sed omnes […]: […], &c.

The Commission, and manner of prophesying against the incredulous.

There shall come a time, (if you dwell together and love me) that in the twink of an eye, you shall breath your last, and live again: and I will kick under my feet all the proud Nations of the Earth:: for my day is at hand. But I am a jealous God: Be therefore faithful. If I send thee forth, and they hear thee not: or measure thee, as a shadow, at noon dayes, Go unto the mountains and take up stones and break them in pieces with a mighty pestel, cast them against the windes, and into the four parts of the Earth. And say, Thus and thus be it unto them: Thus and thus let the Lord work for me: and thy prophesie shall be true, and it shall come to passe that thou sayest.

So likewise if they hear thee, do unto them, that my blessing may also be known.

Δ. Lord, what shall I do, if they hear me?

Uriel...... Do unto them the signs of good; as it shall come into thy mind.

I come again.

E. K. He is gone.

Δ. I thank thee O God, for this great comfort: my heart is greatly refreshed therewith: Thou art my God.

Δ. We read over the premisses.

E. K. He is here again.

Why dost thou [E. K.] seek to flee from me, aud secretly puttest into thy heart, &c.

Δ. He spake divers things to E. K. which chiefly concerned himself: and he would not utter them as now: But he told me, That he was determined to have sold his cloths, and with as much speed as he could, with his wife, to have gone to Hamburgh, and so to England, &c. If his wife would not go, that he would.

Uriel...... Hear me, There is not any one, more strong, more rich, or more friendly, than I, &c.

Δ. He spake much again to E. K. of himself, which he expressed not.

E. K. It is true, I will follow God; but I doubt that you are not of God.

Uriel...... I will shew you the water: do what you list. I say unto thee [Δ] Take not thy wife Jane with thee, least thou have a new sorrow.

Three of you shall go, The fourth, [T. K.] (which is [E. K.] his brothe) shall be a servant to his house.

I can well keep it.

Vriel our House-keeper. A. L. Against Laskie his enemies as in the former practice was taught.

But when thou comest into Poland, be not known. Lead out Lasky by the hand, and bring him hither, and prophesie against his enemies, that I may break them in pieces: and may be mindful of my Covenant.

He hath much need of Counsel.

I am with you.

E. K. He is disappeared.

Δ. Deo nostro, Domino nostro & Sanctificatori nostro Omnipotenti, aeterno, & misericordi sit omnis laus, gratiarum actio, honor & gloria nunc & semper.

Amen.

Fryday, Octobris 5.

At afternoon came one of Doctour Curtz his servants from his Master to tell me, that his Master would come to me to morrow in the morning about seven, eight, or nine of the Clock, as I would, &c.

Saturday, Octobris 6. Manè.

Before seven of the Clock I thought good rather my self to go to Doctour Curtz, then to suffer him to come to me so far, and that for divers causes: So I went to him, and came before he was ready. At his being ready he came forth, but nothing with so chearfull a countenance to welcome me as he did at the first: I conjectured that he suspected that I would take his words in evil part, which he had to say to me from the Emperour, which (after I had somewhat spoken of the book that I lent him, and some other, that had written somewhat of such matter of division of superficies, and he had told me that this my book was the most excellent in that Argument, and so made a pause, he began in this sort in two parts to divide his speech, and said that Caesarea sua Majestas quantum ad sua peccata (per me reprehensa) solet Confessionarium adhibere tempore & loco opportunis, neque diffidere illum de Misericordia divina; Quantum autem ad me attinebat, paratam esse suam Caesaream Majestatem mihi gratificari & benefacere in quacumque re quae illius subjiceret Authoritati: I hereupon answered, and said: Doteo verba mea in alio sensu intellecta vel concepta fuisse à sua. Caesarea Majestate quàm intelligi vel concipi debebant. Non enim me ejus fieri Consessionarium cupiebam, sed peccata ejus ex coelo reprehensa fuisse, hoc illi significare jubebar, ut feci: unde ille consolationis plus haurire poterat, quam ex consilio alicujus sui amici vel […] sui, peccata ejus redarguentis, Domini enim Dei eximium declarabat favorem, &c. […] verò ad illam quam mihi offerebat sua Majestas Caesarea gratiam, humillimè acceptabam. […] verò quod desiderem titulo Philosophi & Mathematici Caesarei insigniri causa est multiplex; tum respectu secreti mei servitii erga Caesarem, sub eo praetextu caelandi quam majoris authoritatis & […] Caesarianos & Anglos meos, ne vel illis hic nugas agere videar, & nullius esse […], vel istis […] viderer aptus, contra quem suam invidiam & maledicentissimam, ut incepere, exercerent linguam impune, &c. […] igitur D. Curtzium ut Caesaream suam Majestam admoneret de indebitae interpretatione illorum verborum quibus vitia ejus redarguebantur, &c. Then he spake of the second Letters to the Emperour, the effect whereof he had heard at my hands, and had sent on Michaelmas even to the Emperours Majesty, a note and advise of them, as he now said. And did wish that they had been delivered before the Emperour had resolved on the former answer: Those Letters (said I) are in the Ambassadours of […] hands; and if he will not deliver them to day, I will fetch them for you: If you do (said he) I will deliver them […] way, for at eighth of the Clock […] shall have me in the Ritter stove, or hear of […] there. Then (said I) I will straight way go to the Ambassadour.

I went unto the Ambassadour of Spain, and reported all that had passed between me and D. Curtz. He said, that by reason of his divers affairs he had not good opportunity, never since the receipt of my Letters to go to the Emperours Majesty: But that this day he determined to deliver my Letters with his own hand unto his Majesty: so with thanks given to his honour I departed: I went to the Ritter stove (or Chamber of presence) where I found none of the Guard, but very many sitting without. In the stove were three, or four, of which one went straight way into the privy Chamber, and by and by D. Curtz came out from the Emperour unto me, I asked him if he had told the Emperour of my grief conceived of his misunderstanding my words: he said, I, and that the Emperour […] it not in evil part, and so of divers other things we had talk walking up and down together about a quarter of an hour: Among other things I told him that the Lord Ambassadour would deliver my Letters himself to the Emperours Majesty, so I departed, and he returned back to the Emperour into the privy Chamber.

Sunday, Octobris 7. Mane hora 7.

I sent to the Lord Ambassadour his house, and there I learned that the Ambassadour had yesterday delivered my Letter to his Majesty: And that answer was to be expected by D. Curtz.

After Dinner I went to Doctor Curtz home to his lodging, and he had nothing as yet to say of the Letter delivered by the Lord Ambassadour: But we fell to other talk, and I told him plainly, that I had not hitherto lived obscurely, neither without care of my good fame and name, maintaining, and increasing; therefore if here for my sincere dealing […] should seem to be despised, or not regarded, or to be but a trifler, my thought I should have great injury: And sure I was that the Emperours Majesty was much ruled by him, and as he did frame his judgement, so did his Majesty very oft resolve in such matters as mine; wherefore if I were not used in my causes as was reasonable, and for the Emperours honour it should not be laid to any other mans charge but to his, &c. He promised that he would deliver all in the best words he could, in friendly sort, &c. After this he shewed divers his labours and inventions, Mathematical, and chiefly Arithmetical Tables, both for his invention by squares to have the minute and second of observations Astronomical, and so for the mending of Nonnius his invention of the Quadrant dividing in 90. 91. 92. 93. &c. I then opened to him my secret of my glasse, for battering in a dark night, &c. He said that conclusion would be very acceptable to his Majesty, I told him that the glasse was at Cracovia, and his Majesty should see it by Gods leave.

After this I told him that I would full fain have a Pasport, or safe conduct to passe quietly and safely in any of the Emperours Dominions. He thought his Majesty would willingly grant that, and willed me to write three, or four lines as I would have it, and he informed me thus:

Caesaream suam Majestatem humillimè or at Joannes Dee Anglus, serenissimae suae Majestatis Devotissimus servitor, ut pro sua majori in Itineribus per amplissimum suae Caesareae Majestatis Imperium conficientis securitate, literas salvi passus fibi concedere dignaretur.

Joannes Dee.

At my coming home, I bethought me that I would gladly, the said Pasport, safe Conduct, or Letters of passage, more ample and beneficial; as for my wife, children, family, servants, and goods whatsoever, and for one whole year to dure from the date of these presents thus.

Wednesday, On Monday morning 8. Octobris.

Sacram suam Caesaream Majestatem humillimè orat, serenissimae suae Majestatis Devotissimus servitor Joannes Dee Anglus, ut eidem Joanni pro seipso, uxore sua, liberis suis, familia sua, servitoribus, Ancillis suis & suppellectili sua quacunque sua sacra Caesarea Majestas favorabiles & gratiosas suas liter as salvi quieti & liberi transitus per omnes & quascumque amplissimi Majestatis suae Caesareae Imperii partes viasque, & pro integri anni (proximè post datam praesentium sequenti) tempore quocumque, clementèr concedere dignaretur.

Anno 1584. Oct. 8.

Joannes Dee.

Monday, Octobris 8.

I went to Mr. Doctor Curtz, with these last Letters fair written, and I found him to be at the Hoff rate Camer in Counsel: and so awaiting till they rose (half an hour after 8. of the Clock) he came out with my Letters in his hand, which I left yesternight with him. I shewed him these last written: And he said they use to limit no time, but to make them indefinite. So he took the last, and I had the former Letters back again. He went with them into the privy Chamber, he said, I should not need to send for the Letters, but he would send them home by his man, and I went from him toward the Ambassadour Don Gulielmo de Sancto Clemente, whom I found coming with the Ambassadour of Spain (who came three, or four dayes before, to give the golden Fleese to the Emperour) and the Marshall of the Court to go to the Emperour presently to have audience: And as I stood in the Court of the Ambassadours lodging, and they three on hors-back coming, the Ambassadour my friend did put off his Cap, so did the new Ambassadour and Marshal twice very […] to me. I saw it was no time to offer speech to the Ambassadour; now of my giving thanks, taking leave, and requiring his pleasure toward the Lord Laskie: so following them to the Court, I passed for ward home toward my Lodging.