ABSTRACT
Any interest shown by sixteenth-century Englishmen in the magical Hermetic philosophy that John Dee espoused would have been in private circles since there were no officially sponsored mystical academies comparable, for instance, with BaÏf's in France. There were, however, courtiers like the Earl of Leicester who took an interest in recent philosophical developments and who, as we have seen, supported Dee. John Dee was close to the powerful group of men who were largely responsible for the amazing renaissance in the arts and sciences that took place during Elizabeth's reign. Since he was sought out by so many of the individuals promoting the exciting developments of the English Renaissance and since these people listened respectfully to his views on many subjects, it is not unreasonable to assume that they also heard about his Hermetic philosophy.
