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LORD BURGHLEY'S MEMORIAL CONCERNING DR. JOHN DEE'S OPINION ON THE REFOR-MATION OF THE CALENDAR.

I have perused Mr. Dee's booke concerning his opinion for the reformation of the old Romaine Calender, and I have conferred also by speche with him at good length thereain, and I find his judgment resolute for the error and inconve-nience to have yt continued; but he differeth in the quantetie of the error, for he hath made manie proofes by demonstration astronomically, that the superfluous nombre of daies to be abridged are xj. wheare the Gregorian judgment maketh them to be but x. I am not skillfull in the theoreekes to de-sernn the pointes and minutes, but yet I am inclined to thinke him in the right line, for I find he maketh his roote from the vearie point of the nativitie of Christ in the meridian of Beth-lem; and the Romaines have made theire roote from the time of the Councell of Nice, and, according to that, theire maie mainteine theare opinion. But by Mr. Dee, yt appeareth the error in computation grewe betwixt the radix of Christes Nativity and the celebration of the Nicene Councell, which he proveth by a great nombre of good authorities, such as I think the Romanistes cannot denie. It weare good in mine opinion (wheareunto he also consenteth), that by hir Majesties order sum skillfull men in this science, as Mr. Digges and others, to be called owt of the Universities, might peruse his worke, and conferr the thinges by spech; and though he dis-covereth the x. daies to be insufficient, yet he yeldeth for con-formitye with the rest of the world to assent to the reforma-tion of our Engleshe calender, with the abridgment of x. daies onelie; so as the trewthe be denounced to the world that yt ought to be xj. daies, hoping that the trewthe will drawe the Romanestes and other parties of Christendom to take owt of their Calender hereafter the said odd daie.

Theare appeareth great cawse to have this conference acce-lerated, for that it is requisite, for a secrett matter, to be reformed before November; so as either everie moneth from Marche till November maie beare equall defalcation, or els sum one moneth maie beare the whole. Thus much have I thought good briefuelie to deliver you mine opinion.