A handsome volume from the library of the Earls of Macclesfield, including John Dee's General and rare memorials pertayning to the perfect arte of navigation. Kindly donated by Mr Brian Fenwick-Smith (BA 1959), June 2009.

The Library is extremely fortunate to have received this highly significant volume through the generosity of Mr Fenwick-Smith, a member of the College. The volume, which has been placed in the Upper Library, contains five printed works, of which the jewel is a copy of John Dee's General and rare memorials pertayning to the perfect arte of navigation, published in London by John Day in September 1577. Dee acted as advisor to a number of Elizabethan explorers, including John Davis and Humphrey Gilbert, and advised Elizabeth I on her rights over foreign lands, emanating from her alleged descent from the Trojan Brutus and King Arthur. In his General and rare memorials, Dee urged the establishment of a strong navy to defend the country and aid expansion. This message is backed by the magnificent pictorial title-page, designed by Dee himself, showing Elizabeth at the helm of the ship of Christendom, with ships and armed men defending the land. Perhaps as few as fifty copies of this work were printed, and Dee's editorial control over his text is apparent in manuscript corrections in his own hand. Dee was an alumnus of St John's and this year marks the 400th anniversary of his death. The acquisition of this work is thus of double significance to the College.

In addition to Dee's work, the volume contains copies of Henry Hexham's A briefe treatise of the founding, making and practise of ordnance (London, 1641), with engravings and an apparently unique cancel title-page; of Johann Sturm's Scientia cosmica (Altdorf, 1670), with plates; of Caspar Bussingius's Mathematica universa (Hamburg, 1695); and of William Lloyd's Series chronologica (Oxford, 1700), which records victors at the Olympic and other ancient games.