Old goodwife Faldo[DR] (a natif of Mortlak in Surrey), 80+ aetatis (1672[801]), did know Dr. Dee, and told me he dyed at his howse in Mortlack, next to the howse where the tapistry hangings are made, viz. west of that howse; and that he dyed about 60+, 8 or 9 yeares since (January, 1672), and lies buried in the chancell, and had a stone (marble) upon him. Her mother tended him in his sicknesse. She told me that he did entertain the Polonian ambassador at his howse in Mortlak, and dyed not long after; and that he shewed the eclipse with a darke roome to the said ambassador[LIX.]. She beleeves that he was eightie years old when he dyed. She sayd, he kept a great many stilles goeing. That he layd the storme Sir Everard Digby. That the children dreaded him because he was accounted a conjurer. He recovered the basket of cloathes stollen, when she and his daughter (both girles) were negligent: she knew this.
[LIX.] A Brief History of Muscovia, by Mr. John Milton, Lond. 1682, pag. 100, scil. 1588. 'Dr. Giles Fletcher went ambassador from the Queen to Pheodor then emperour; whose relations, being judicious and exact, are best read entirely by themselves. This emperour, upon report of the great learning <of> the mathematician, invited him to Mosco, with offer of two thousand pound a-yeare, and from Prince Boris one thousand markes; to have his provision from the emperor's table, to be honourably recieved, and accounted as one of the chief men in the land. All which Dee accepted not.'
He is buried (upon the matter) in the middest of the chancell, a little towards the south side. She sayd, he lies buried in the chancell between Mr. Holt and Mr. Miles, both servants to queen Elizabeth, and both have brasse inscriptions on their marble, and that there was on him a marble, but without any inscription, which marble is removed; on which old marble is signe of two or three brasse pinnes. A daughter of his (I thinke, Sarah) maried to a flax-dresser, in Southwarke: quaere nomen.
He dyed within a yeare, if not shortly, after the king of Denmark was here: vide Sir Richard Baker's Chronicle and Capt. Wharton's Almanac.
[802]He built the gallery in the church at Mortlak. Goody Faldo's father was the carpenter that work't it.
A stone was on his grave, which is since removed. At the upper end of the chancell then were steppes, which in Oliver's dayes were layd plaine by the minister, and then 'twas removed. The children when they played in the church would runne to Dr. Dee's grave-stone. She told me that he forewarned Q. Elizabeth of Dr. Lopez attempt against her (the Dr. bewrayed, —— himselfe).
He used to distill egge-shells, and 'twas from hence that Ben Johnson had his hint of the alkimist, whom he meant.
He was a great peace-maker; if any of the neighbours fell out, he would never lett them alone till he had made them friends.
He was tall and slender. He wore a gowne like an artist's gowne, with hanging sleeves, and a slitt.
A mighty good man he was.