The Alchemical Patronage of Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley

other aspects of medieval knowledge, especially the supposedly scientific fields of
mathematics and optics. 11
In the fifteenth century, King Edward IV‘s (1442–1483) interest in alchemy was
well known. He patronised several prominent alchemists including George Ripley (d.
c.1490) and Thomas Norton (d. 1513). 12 Ripley‘s The Compound of Alchemy, dedicated to
King Edward, would remain hugely influential well into the seventeenth century. 13 Relying
on an Aristotelian understanding of nature to give credence to the reality of alchemical
transmutation, this broadly focussed text covered not only the practical, but also the
religious, moral and political applications of alchemy, demonstrating the already
multifaceted nature of alchemical philosophy. 14
The Renaissance intellectual movement of humanism—beginning in Italy in the
late fifteenth century—increased the prominence of alchemical concepts and combined
them with other forms of occult knowledge. 15 Humanism placed great emphasis on the
recovery of ancient knowledge, uncorrupted by false medieval interpretations and
translations, hence validating the legitimacy of many ancient alchemical texts. 16 Thus when
Marsilio Ficino translated the Hermetic Corpus, an occult collection purportedly written by
the mythical Egyptian priest Hermes Trismegistus, it became incredibly influential as a
source of ancient knowledge. 17 Alchemical knowledge carried with it a certain set of
assumptions complementary to the Renaissance understanding of the world.
Alchemy‘s diverse background created an often contradictory set of beliefs,
allowing proponents to shape their arguments to suit the prevailing philosophical and
political orthodoxy. By associating alchemical ideas with ancient philosophers such as
Aristotle, Plato and the supposed work of Trismegistus, Renaissance philosophers
11 Ibid.
12 Jonathan Hughes, Arthurian Myths and Alchemy: The Kingship of Edward IV, Stroud, 2002, pp. 102-04.
13 Stanton J. Linden, The Alchemy Reader: From Hermes Trismegistus to Isaac Newton, Cambridge, 2003, p. 141.
14 Urszula Szulakowska, ‗The Pseudo-Lullian Origins of George Ripley‘s Maps and Routes as developed by
Michael Maier‘, Cosmos, Vol. 9, 1993, p 177; Stanton J. Linden, The Alchemy Reader, p. 143.
15 Frances Yates, The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age, London, 1979, reprinted 2003, pp.19-26.
16 Ibid.
17 Ibid.
19