They answered, they did verily believe she might. Hereupon the Empress commanded the Fly-men to ask some of the spirits, whether they would be pleased to give her a visit? This they did; and after the spirits had presented themselves to the Empress, (in what shapes or forms, I cannot exactly tell) after some few compliments that passed between them, the Empress told the spirits that she questioned not, but they did know how she was a stranger in that world, and by what miraculous means she was arrived there; and since she had a great desire to know the condition of the world she came from, her request to the spirits was, to give her some information thereof, especially of those parts of the world where she was born, bred, and educated; as also of her particular friends and acquaintance: all which, the spirits did according to her desire. At last, after a great many conferences and particular intelligences, which the spirits gave the Empress, to her great satisfaction and content; she enquired after the most famous students, writers, and experimental philosophers in that world, which they gave her a full relation of: amongst the rest she enquired, Whether there were none that had found out yet the Jews’ Cabbala? Several have endeavoured it, answered the spirits, but those that came nearest (although themselves denied it) were one

Dr. Dee, and one Edward Kelly, the one representing Moses, and the other Aaron; for Kelly was to Dr. Dee, as Aaron to Moses; but yet they proved at last but mere cheats; and were described by one of their own countrymen, a famous poet, named Ben Jonson, in a play called, The Alchemist , where he expressed Kelly by Capt. Face, and Dee by Dr.

Subtle, and their two wives by Doll Common, and the Widow; by the Spaniard in the play, he meant the Spanish Ambassador, and by Sir Epicure Mammon, a Polish Lord. The Empress remembered that she had seen the play, and asked the spirits, whom he meant by the name of Ananias? Some zealous brethren, answered they, in Holland, Germany, and several other places. Then she asked them, who was meant by the Druggist? Truly, answered the spirits, we have forgot, it being so long since it was made and acted. What, replied the Empress, can spirits forget? Yes, said the spirits; for what is past, is only kept in memory, if it be not recorded. I did believe, said the Empress, that spirits had no need of memory, or remembrance, and could not be subject to forgetfulness. How can we, answered they, give an account of things present, if we had no memory, but especially of things past, unrecorded, if we had no remembrance? Said the Empress, by present knowledge and understanding. The spirits answered, that present knowledge and understanding was of actions or things present, not of past. But, said the Empress, you know what is to come, without memory or remembrance; and therefore you may know what is past without memory and remembrance.