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SInce this Preface was written, and almoſt printed, I was ſhewed a Book, entituled, Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, &c. by Elias Aſhmole Eſq; and in ſome Annotations there, at the end, an account concerning Dr. Dee and Edw. Kelley, (there ſtiled Sir Edward Kelley) out of a Diary of Dr. Dees, all written with his own hand: As I do not queſtion the Gentlemans fidelity in this buſineſs, ſo I make as little queſtion but Dr. Dee's own hand will be found to agree in all matters of Fact both here and there, if any ſhall take the pains to compare. And it may be the Reader may receive ſome further ſatisfaction in ſome particulars by his labor, which is the reaſon that I mention the Book here, being but lately come to my knowledge; His Judgement either concerning Dr. Dee, or Kelley, I meddle not with; and it may be, had he ſeen what is here to be ſeen, he would have been of another opinion in ſome things Here is enough, I am ſure, to ſatisfie any man that is not very much preoccupied, or otherwiſe engaged by particular ends. As for thoſe Reports concerning Kelley, (ſome whereof concern Dr. Dee alſo) he tells us of, as I believe him, that he hath heard ſo, ſo I muſt (and may truly) profeſs, that I have met with far contrary, and in my judgement, and by this account here given us by Dr. Dee, much more probable And particularly, that Kelley was put in Priſon by the Emperor, for a notable Chymical cheat that he had put upon him; the particulars whereof, though they were fully related unto me, yet I will not adventure upon, leſt I miſtake in ſome terms of art, or petty circumſtance of ſact. And let the Reader judge by that account, Dr. Dee (who beſt knew) doth give us here throughout the whole Book of this Kelley, whether Wevers Story in his Funeral Monum. pag. 45, 46. of damnable Necromancy, and other Diabolical Conjuration, practised by Kelley in Lancaſhire, be not (beſides what is there ſaid and atteſted) much more probable, then any thing that hath been or can be ſaid by others, to his juſtification or commendation: Which indeed doth make Doctor Dee's caſe altogether inexcuſable, that believing and knowing the man to be ſuch a one, he would have to do with him, and expected good by his Miniſteries; but that the Doctor his Faith, and his intellectualls (through Gods juſt judgement, as we have ſaid) were ſo much in the power and government of his Spirits, that they might perſwade him to any thing, under colour of doing ſervice unto God, yea had it been to cut his own Fathers throat, as we ſee in the Relation, that they perſwaded him to lie with another mans Wife, and proſtitute his own to a vile, and, by himſelf belived, Diabolical man.

Beſides, I have been told by many, that Dr. Dee, very poor and every way miſerable, dyed at Mortlack, here about London, which doth not ſeem to agree with the report in thoſe Annotations: But enough of them: Neither indeed have I ſaid any thing at all of purpoſe to oppoſe the Author, but to give this further ſatisfaction to the Reader, or rather to the truth, which I thought I was bound to do.

The paſſage in Wevers Funeral Monuments, pag. 45, 46. concerning Kelley, for their ſatisfaction that have not the Book, is this; Kelley, (otherwiſe called Talbot) that famous Engliſh Alchymiſt of our times, who flying out of his own Countrey (after he had loſt both his ears at Lancaſter) was entertained by Rodolph the ſecond, and laſt of that Chriſtian name, Emperor of Germany; for whom Elizabeth of famous memory, ſent (very ſecretly) Captain Peter Gwyn, with ſome others, to perſwade him to return back to his own Native home, which he was willing to do; and thinking to eſcape away in the night, by ſtealth, as he was clammering over a Wall in his own Houſe in Prague (which bears his name to this day, and ſometimes was an old Sanctuary) he fell down from the Battlements, broke his leggs, and bruiſed his body, of which hurts within a while after, he departed this World.

Sed quorſum hæc? you will ſay: Then thus, This Diabolical queſtioning of the dead, for the knowledge of future accidents, was put in practice by the ſaid Kelley, who upon a certain Night, in the Park of Walton in le dale, in the County of Lancaſter, with one Paul Waring, (his fellow-companion in ſuch Deeds of darkneſs) invocated ſome one of the Infernal Regiment, to know certain paſſages in the life, as alſo what might be known by the Divels foreſight, of the manner and time of the death of a Noble yong Gentleman, as then in Wardſhip. The Black Ceremonies of that Night being ended, Kelley demanded of one of the Gentlemans ſervants, what Corſe was the laſt buryed in Law Church-yard, a Church thereunto adjoyning, who told him of a poor man that was buryed there but the ſame day: He and the ſaid Waring, intreated this foreſaid ſervant to go with them to the Grave of the man ſo lately interred, which he did; and withal, did help them to dig up the Carcaſe of the poor Catiff, whom by their Incantations, they made him (or rather ſome evil Spirit through his Organs) to ſpeak, who delivered ſtrange Predictions concerning the ſaid Gentleman. I was told thus much by the ſaid Serving-man, a Secondary Actor in that diſmal abhorred buſineſs; and divers Gentlemen and others are now living in Lancaſhire, to whom he hath related this Story. And the Gentleman himſelf (whoſe memory I am bound to honor) told me a little before his death, of this Conjuration by Kelley, as he had it by relation from his ſaid Servant and Tenant, onely ſome circumſtances excepted, which he thought not fitting to come to his Maſters knowledge.