The Arch Conjuror of England: John Dee

Description

Outlandish alchemist and magician, political intelligencer, apocalyptic prophet, and converser with angels, John Dee (1527–1609) was one of the most colorful and controversial figures of the Tudor world. In this fascinating book—the first full-length biography of Dee based on primary historical sources—Glyn Parry explores Dee’s vast array of political, magical, and scientific writings and finds that they cast significant new light on policy struggles in the Elizabethan court, conservative attacks on magic, and Europe's religious wars. John Dee was more than just a fringe magus, Parry shows: he was a major figure of the Reformation and Renaissance. Contents List of Illustrations Preface chapter 1. A World Full of Magic chapter 2. The Rays of Celestial Virtue chapter 3. Conjuring the Future chapter 4. A Royal Occult Institute chapter 5. The Kabbalah of Creation chapter 6. ‘The Great Conjuror’ chapter 7. Hunting for the Philosopher’s Stone chapter 8. War Amongst the Alchemists chapter 9. Recovering the Lost Empire chapter 10. ‘More is hid, than uttered’: The Philosopher’s Stone and Empire chapter 11. Rehabilitating ‘The Arch-Conjuror’ chapter 12 .Defending Elizabeth against the Dark Arts chapter 13. ‘The winking eye of Achitophel’ chapter 14. ‘Misbegotten time’: Reforming the Calendar chapter 15. Called to a King’s Office: Laski and the Second Coming chapter 16. ‘Chief Governor of our Philosophical proceedings’ chapter 17. The Magnificent Master Alchemist chapter 18 .The Counter-Revolution Against Magic chapter 19. Conjuring up a Spanish Conquest chapter 20. Checkmate: Exiling the Conjuror to Manchester chapter 21. Demonising the Exorcists Further Reading Abbreviations Notes Index