Sketches of early Scottish alchemists / by John Small.

  • Small, George.
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sketches of early Scottish alchemists / by John Small. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    writings of the most celebrated alchemists. In it Michael, while he expresses his belief in the existence of the Lapis Philosopliorum^ chiefly endeavours to show the creative power of the sun and moon upon gold, and speculates as to the reducing of that metal to its first materials. He cautiously records his belief that the great difficulty in raaking gold was the want of a proper place for so doing, because gold being a perfect body requires an appropriate place for its generation, “Quia aurum eo quod ipsum est corpus perfectum requirit sibi proprium locum suse generationis, videlicet ventrem terrse vel venas, sicut vinum ventrem vitis, ergo non potest fieri nisi in proprio loco.” While the alchemical labours of Michael Scot may thus after all have been limited to vague theories and conjectures, the investigations of sub¬ sequent Scottish inquirers assumed a more practical character, and the experiments of King James the Fourth amply sustained the reputation of the art. King James IY. and the Abbot of Tungland. King James IY. was a monarch who, during the time he swayed the sceptre of Scotland (1488-1513), enjoyed the affections of his people in a remarkable degree. His mind was acute, and while he excelled in all warlike exercises and manly accomplishments, he was a zealous patron of learning, and did all that lay in his power to promote the arts and sciences. Among his other accomplishments he conceived that he possessed, and not improbably actually did possess, considerable skill in surgery and medicine, and it is stated by Lindsay of Pitscottie that “ he was weill learned in the airt of medicine and was ane singular guid chirurgiane; and thair was nane of that profession if they had any dangerous cure in hand but would have craved his adwyse.” It is not surprising that to a monarch of such tastes the art of alchemy should have possessed the greatest attractions. The King was aided in his scientific labours by John Damian, a foreigner of pleasing address and great ingenuity, who in 1501-2 held an appointment in the royal household as a physician. Bishop Leslie says that he was an Italian. In one of the poems of Dunbar he is stated to have been a native of Lombardy, and to have practised surgery and other arts in France before his arrival in Scotland.