glories of the reign of Elizabeth, and the evidences of her unrivalled
talents. The queen and her favourite, the earl of Leicester, received
him with every mark of courtesy and attention, and, having shewn him
all the wonders of her court at Westminster and Greenwich, sent him to
Oxford, with a command to the dignitaries and heads of colleges, to
pay him every attention, and to lay open to his view all their rarest
curiosities. Among other things worthy of notice, Alaski enquired for
the celebrated Dr. Dee, and expressed the greatest impatience to be
acquainted with him.

Just at this juncture the earl of Leicester happened to spy Dr. Dee
among the crowd who attended at a royal levee. The earl immediately
advanced towards him; and, in his frank manner, having introduced him
to Alaski, expressed his intention of bringing the Pole to dine with
the doctor at his house at Mortlake. Embarrassed with this unexpected
honour, Dee no sooner got home, than he dispatched an express to the
earl, honestly confessing that he should be unable to entertain such
guests in a suitable manner, without being reduced to the expedient of
selling or pawning his plate, to procure him the means of doing so.
Leicester communicated the doctor's perplexity to Elizabeth; and the
queen immediately dispatched a messenger with a present of forty
angels, or twenty pounds, to enable him to receive his guests as
became him.

A great intimacy immediately commenced between Dee and the stranger.
Alaski, though possessing an extensive territory, was reduced by the
prodigality of himself or his ancestors to much embarrassment; and on
the other hand this nobleman appeared to Dee an instrument well
qualified to accomplish his ambitious purposes. Alaski was extremely
desirous to look into the womb of time; and Dee, it is likely,