Elizabeth Jane Weston
Elizabeth Jane Weston (1581 - 1612) was an English poetrist.
Biography
Early life
Elizabeth was born to Jane Cooper in England, and became the stepdaughter of Edward Kelley. Elizabeth's family and Kelley's colleague John Dee moved to Prague in 1587 at the request of Count Rudolf II.[1]
At some point, her brother John Francis revealed that their stepfather "communicated with angels" via a "crystal ball". A few days afterwards, Elizabeth sneaked into John Dee's room and opened his armoire, grabbing the crystal ball wrapped in cloth. As soon as she unwrapped it, though, John caught her and took back the crystal ball.[1]
Two years later, they still lived in Prague. One night, when Elizabeth was ill, she noticed her stepfather's door open and took a peak inside. She saw him reading a strange book, and he sprankled red powder over something; Kelley grinned as he had created a clump of gold. Elizabeth was spooked when she heard Kelley's voice become deeper and heard him speak a strange language, and hurried back to bed.[1]
Another day, she overheard her stepfather and John speak. While Kelley insisted on using the book, saying they could do much more than simply create gold, John warned him that the book would destroy him. Some time afterwards, Kelley and John got into a fight, which resulted in her aunt crying and Elizabeth being dragged downstairs, upon being discovered.[1]
A few more days afterwards, John announced his departure and said farewell to Elizabeth's mother, before going to Kelley's room and stealing the book. Elizabeth caught John stealing it, but he explained that it was for her father's benefit.[1]
Encounter with the Golem
While Elizabeth was hardly offered the freedom to play outside, Kelley sometimes took her to Prague Castle. On one such occassion, Kelley spoke with an elderly gentleman about a monstrous, giant "being"; a killer targetting noblemen and alchemists.[1]
On Elizabeth's tenth birthday, Kelley took Elizabeth with him to his workshop in Prague Castle, where she was amazed by all the items that she found inside. Later that night, a man interrupted her father's work to say that the Emperor summons his alchemists. Kelley secretly took Elizabeth along to the meeting, where she heard a council of alchemists talking about the monster.[1]
The alchemists left the castle before dawn, and were escorted by guards. However, while they were on their way, Elizabeth bumped into an "invisible wall", quickly noticing the silhouette of a giant, with the letters "EMET" branded on its forehead. The monster claimed to be called "Golem", and said that she had just saved her father's life. Golem proceeded to run towards the river and jumped in it, but the guards could find no sight of him, as the river was perfectly still.[1]
Kelley's arrest
In May of 1591, Kelley was arrested. Three years later, he was released, but Elizabeth and her mother never spoke about it. After he was released, Elizabeth and her mother realized that Kelley had gone crazy and he distanced himself from them. One day, Elizabeth found her stepfather sitting on the ground, howling. She hurried towards him, and he grabbed her hand, digging his nails into it. He opened his other hand, revealing the red dust that he used to create the gold many years before, and said that he could not do it without the book John Dee took from him.[1]
However, after having failed to produce gold in three years, Rudolf II once again ordered his arrest and sent his guards to his home. As the officer tried to reason with Kelley, Kelly jumped at him and clawed at his face, but Kelley and his family were nonetheless imprisoned in Hněvín Castle.[1]
At age 16, many of the guards took an interest in Elizabeth, but it was never mutual. One day, while being outside, she noticed a cross on the castle's tower; however, she quickly realized that it was her own stepfather, who was asking a "Divine Messenger" to "free him" and to "guide his fall". He jumped off the tower, and while Elizabeth was supporting his broken body, he drew his last breath.[1]