Essex, Earl

The character of Subtle might be based on Simon Forman, who is mentioned by name in another of Jonson s plays. Forman, born in 1552, seems to have been a medical quack who sold love philters as a sideline. He was fined several times for pretending to cure the ill and was also sent to prison a number of times. In 1594 he began to tell fortunes and to experiment with transmutation. He attracted several wealthy customers, mostly women. Once he was asked to provide philters to the countess of Essex, who wanted to divorce her husband and win the love of the earl of Somerset. These facts came out during the murder trial of a woman who had acted as a go-between on behalf of the countess. 

Wood, Athenae Oxonienses, ii. 373-4 Ashmole, ed. Josren iv. 1809. Wood concluded that this was probably the John Davis who eventually entered the service of the earl of Essex. One John Davis, probably the navigator, skried for Gabriel Harvey Webster, Alchemical and Paracelsian Medicine , 312. Davis the navigator was associated with John Dee and might have stolen some of his books Julian Roberts and Andrew Watson tds.),John Dees Library Catalo e 32,34. 

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