Various overtures appear to have passed now for some years between Dee
and queen Elizabeth, intended to lead to his restoration to his native
country. Dee had upon different occasions expressed a wish to that
effect; and Elizabeth in the spring of 1589 sent him a message, that
removed from him all further thought of hesitation and delay. He set
out from Trebona with three coaches, and a baggage train correspondent,
and had an audience of the queen at Richmond towards the close of that
year. Upon the whole it is impossible perhaps not to believe, that
Elizabeth was influenced in this proceeding by the various reports
that had reached her of his extraordinary success with the
philosopher's stone, and the boundless wealth he had it in his power
to bestow. Many princes at this time contended with each other, as to
who should be happy enough by fair means or by force to have under his
control the fortunate possessor of the great secret, and thus to have
in his possession the means of inexhaustible wealth. Shortly after
this time the emperor Rodolph seized and committed to prison Kelly,
the partner of Dee in this inestimable faculty, and, having once
enlarged him, placed him in custody a second time. Meanwhile Elizabeth
is said to have made him pressing overtures of so flattering a nature
that he determined to escape and return to his native country. For
this purpose he is said to have torn the sheets of his bed, and
twisted them into a rope, that by that means he might descend from
the tower in which he was confined. But, being a corpulent man of
considerable weight, the rope broke with him before he was half way
down, and, having fractured one or both his legs, and being otherwise
considerably bruised, he died shortly afterwards. This happened in
the year 1595.

Dee (according to his own account, delivered to commissioners