Such historians as mention the existence of the latter are even a little doubtful how to spell his name. This, however, does not matter much—nay, at all, for it is probably not that to which he was born. Briefly6 the following is his record as far as can be discovered. He was born in 1555 to parents living in Worcester, who having tried to bring him176 up as an apothecary7, sent him to Oxford8 when he was seventeen years of age. There he was entered at Gloucester Hall, under the name of Talbot. As however three men of that name were in the Hall at the same time, it is doubtful what family can claim the honour of his kinship. His college life was short—only lasting9 a year—and inconspicuous. “He left,” we are told, “abruptly.” Then, as if to complete the purely11 educational phase of his existence, he was for a while an attorney, eking12 out the tenuity of his legal practice by aid of forgery13. Thus full-fledged for his work in life, he made his first properly-recorded appearance in the pillory14 in 1580, for an offence which is variously spoken of as forgery and coining. At any rate his ears were cropped off, a loss which necessitated15 for prudential reasons his wearing a skullcap for the remainder of his days. This he wore with such conspicuous10 success that it is said that even Doctor Dee, who was his partner for nearly seven years, did not know of his mutilation. Kelley’s next recorded offence was one which in a later age when subjects for dissection16 (necessary for purposes of education in anatomy) were difficult to obtain, was popularly known as “body-snatching.” The commission of this offence though a serious breach17 of the law, came to be regarded as a necessary condition of study; and even if punishment was meted18 out, it was not looked upon as dishonour19. But in Kelley’s case the offence was committed not for the purpose of177 scientific education but for one of sorcery. It took place in Walton-le-dale in Lancashire, where Kelley dug up a body buried on the previous day, for purposes of necromancy20, which, it will be remembered, was, as the etymology21 of the word implies, divination22 by means of the dead.
From this time on, he seemed to see his way clear to the final choice of a profession. He had tasted crime and punishment, and considered himself well qualified23 to accept the risks as well as the benefits; and so chose fraud as his life work. He was still under twenty-five years of age when he began to look about him for his next means or occasion of turning his special talents to profit. After some deliberation he fixed24 on the existence and qualities of the famous (as he had then become) Doctor Dee, and carefully commenced operations. He called on the mathematician25 at his house at Mortlake and made his acquaintance. Dee was naturally impressed by the conversation and ostensible26 qualities of the young man, who had the plausibility27 of the born rogue and laid himself out to captivate the old man, more than double his companion’s age and worn by arduous28 study. He fostered all Dee’s natural weaknesses, humoured his fads29, was enthusiastic regarding his beliefs which he appeared to share, and urged on his personal ambitions. The belief in occultism which the philosopher cherished in secret, though he had openly and formally repudiated30 it a dozen years before in his preface to178 Sir Henry Billingsley’s translation of Euclid, gave the parasitic31 rogue his cue for further ingratiating himself, and before long he entered Dee’s service at an annual salary of fifty pounds. His special function was that of “skryer,” which was his own or Dee’s reading of “seer.” His contribution to the general result was to see the figures which did—or did not—appear in the so-called “magic” crystal, an office for which his useful imagination, his unblushing assurance, and his utter unscrupulousness eminently32 fitted him. In fact he was in his designs of fraud a perfect complement33 of the simple-minded scientist. Of course as days went on and opportunities offered themselves, through Dee’s growing madness and Kelley’s social enlargements, the horizon of chicanery34 widened. This was largely assisted by the opportune35 arrival in England of the Palatine Albert Laski in 1583. Laski was just the man that Kelley was waiting for. A rich man with a taste for occult science; sufficiently36 learned to keep in touch with the theories of occultism of that time; sufficiently vain to be used by an unscrupulous adventurer who tickled37 his intellectual palate whilst he matured his frauds upon him.
Kelley having worked on Dee’s feelings sufficiently to secure his acquiescence38, procured39 that Laski should be allowed to aid in such operations and experiments as appealed to him. The result was that the Palatine took the two men with him, promising40 a free field for them both, each according179 to his bent41. At Prague, in 1583, Laski presented Dee and his companion to the Emperor Rudolph II. Encouraged by the royal approval, Dee looked for a longer sojourn42 in eastern Europe, and brought thither43 his wife and children from Poland, where he had left them at Laskoe, the seat of the Palatine. Later on, in 1585,—again through the influence of the credulous44 Laski—Dee with his companion was presented to Stephen, King of Poland. Stephen was much interested, and attended a séance that he might see the spirits of which he had heard so much. He saw too much, however, as far as Kelley was concerned, for he penetrated45 the imposture46. Thereupon Kelley, unequal to carrying on the business single-handed, for he dared not let Dee’s eyes be opened and he knew he could not induce him to be other than a blind partner, contrived47 that a new confederate should be added to the firm. This was one Francis Pucci, a Florentine, possessed48 of all the address and subtlety49 of his race. But after the experience of a year he was removed on suspicion of bad faith. Before that year was out, the Bishop50 of Piacenza, Apostolic Nuncio at the Emperor’s Court, had a decree issued that the two Englishmen should quit Prague within six days. From Prague they went to Erfurt, in Thuringia; but despite letters of recommendation from high quarters the Municipal Authorities would not allow them to remain. So they moved on to Hesse-Cassel and thence to Tribau180 in Bohemia, where the fraud of making spirits appear was renewed. In 1586, it was intimated to Dee that the Emperor of Russia wished to receive him in that country. He would receive a fee of two thousand pounds per annum and would be treated with honour; but the scholar did not see his way to accept the flattering offer. At Tribau, Kelley experimented, but unsuccessfully, with some powder found at Glastonbury, Dee’s young son being the medium. It was noticeable that whenever Dee or his family failed in these experiments, Kelley always succeeded. At this stage Kelley, who was a man of evil life, fell madly in love with Dee’s wife. He was married himself, but that did not seem to matter. His own wife was ugly and unattractive, whereas the second Mrs. Dee was well-favoured and winning. In the madness of his lust51 he tried to work on the husband’s credulity by telling him that it had been conveyed to him through angels that it was the Divine wish that the two men should hold their wives in common. Dee was naturally sceptical and annoyed, and his wife was furious. Kelley, however, was persistent52, and stuck to his point so stedfastly that after a while the woman’s resolution began to give way, and for a time some sort of working arrangement came about. Kelley’s story, as elaborated to his partner, was that at Tribau, in 1587, the crystal showed him a vision of a naked woman who conveyed to him the divine message. To Dee’s unhinged181 mind this seemed all natural and correct—probably even to the suitable costume adopted by the angelic messenger: so the worthy53 doctor gave way. After a time however the matron recovered her sanity54, and the vulture and the pigeon parted. Dee gave up to his late partner all the “tools of trade” and “properties” of the fraud, and the two never met again.
Kelley went to Prague where he was thrown into prison in 1589. He remained in durance for four years after which he was released. From thence on till 1595, he became a vagabond as well as a rogue, and wandered about Germany. He again fell into the hands of Rudolph, to be again imprisoned55 by him. He was killed whilst making a desperate effort to escape.
There seems to be no record of Edward Kelley—or Talbot—having been knighted, no authority save his own wish for the use of the title. It may of course be possible that he was knighted by the Emperor in some moment of absurd credulity; but there is no record of it. He had no children.
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1
gallows
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| n.绞刑架，绞台 | |
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felon
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| n.重罪犯；adj.残忍的 | |
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repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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specious
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| adj.似是而非的；adv.似是而非地 | |
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rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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apothecary
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| n.药剂师 | |
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Oxford
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| n.牛津（英国城市） | |
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lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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eking
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| v.（靠节省用量）使…的供应持久( eke的现在分词 )；节约使用；竭力维持生计；勉强度日 | |
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forgery
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| n.伪造的文件等，赝品，伪造（行为） | |
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pillory
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| n.嘲弄；v.使受公众嘲笑；将…示众 | |
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necessitated
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| 使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dissection
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| n.分析；解剖 | |
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breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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meted
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| v.（对某人）施以，给予（处罚等）( mete的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dishonour
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| n./vt.拒付（支票、汇票、票据等）；vt.凌辱，使丢脸；n.不名誉，耻辱，不光彩 | |
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necromancy
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| n.巫术；通灵术 | |
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etymology
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| n.语源；字源学 | |
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divination
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| n.占卜，预测 | |
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qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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mathematician
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| n.数学家 | |
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ostensible
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| adj.(指理由)表面的，假装的 | |
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plausibility
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| n. 似有道理, 能言善辩 | |
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arduous
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| adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的 | |
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fads
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| n.一时的流行，一时的风尚( fad的名词复数 ) | |
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repudiated
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| v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务） | |
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parasitic
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| adj.寄生的 | |
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eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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complement
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| n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足 | |
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chicanery
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| n.欺诈，欺骗 | |
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opportune
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| adj.合适的，适当的 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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tickled
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| （使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐 | |
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acquiescence
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| n.默许；顺从 | |
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procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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credulous
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| adj.轻信的，易信的 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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imposture
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| n.冒名顶替，欺骗 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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subtlety
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| n.微妙，敏锐，精巧；微妙之处，细微的区别 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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51
lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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52
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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53
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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54
sanity
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| n.心智健全，神智正常，判断正确 | |
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imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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