The History of Chemistry, Volume 1 (of 2) — John Shaqi
The History of Chemistry, Volume 1 (of 2)Thomson, Thomas
History
The History of Chemistry, Volume 1 (of 2)
Thomson, Thomas
Chemistry -- History
4. Raymond Lully is said to have been a scholar and a friend of
Roger Bacon. He was a most voluminous writer, and acquired as high a
reputation as any of the alchymists. According to Mutius he was born
in Majorca in the year 1235. His father was seneschal to King James
the First of Arragon. In his younger days he went into the army; but
afterwards held a situation in the court of his sovereign. Devoting
himself to science he soon acquired a competent knowledge of Latin and
Arabic. After studying in Paris he got the degree of doctor conferred
upon him. He entered into the order of Minorites, and induced King
James to establish a cloister of that order in Minorca. He afterwards
travelled through Italy, Germany, England, Portugal, Cyprus, Armenia
and Palestine. He is said by Mutius to have died in the year 1315, and
to have been buried in Majorca. The following epitaph is given by Olaus
Borrichius as engraven on his tomb:
Raymundus Lulli, cujus pia dogmata nulli
Sunt odiosa viro, jacet hic in marmore miro
Hic M. et CC. Cum P. cœpit sine sensibus esse.
M C C C in these lines denote 1300, and P which is the 15th letter of
the alphabet denotes 15, so that if this epitaph be genuine it follows
that his death took place in the year 1315.
It seems scarcely necessary to notice the story that Raymond Lully
made a present to Edward, King of England, of six millions of pieces
of gold, to enable him to make war on the Saracens, which sum that
monarch employed, contrary to the intentions of the donor, in his
French wars. This story cannot apply to Edward III., because in 1315,
at the time of Raymond’s death, that monarch was only three years of
age. It can scarcely apply to Edward II., who ascended the throne in
1305: but who had no opportunity of making war, either on the Saracens
or French, being totally occupied in opposing the intrigues of his
queen and rebellious subjects, to whom he ultimately fell a sacrifice.
Edward the First made war both upon the Saracens and the French, and
lived during the time of Raymond: but his wars with the Saracens were
finished before he ascended the throne, and during the whole of his
reign he was too much occupied with his projected conquest of Scotland,
to pay much serious attention to any French war whatever. The story,
therefore, cannot apply to any of the three Edwards, and cannot be
true. Raymond Lully is said to have been stoned to death in Africa for
preaching Christianity in the year 1315. Others will have it that he
was alive in England in the year 1332, at which time his age would have
been 97.
The following table exhibits a list of his numerous writings, most of
which are to be found in the Theatrum Chemicum, the Artis Auriferæ, or
the Biblotheca Chemica.
1. Praxis Universalis Magni Operis.
2. Clavicula.
3. Theoria et Practica.
4. Compendium Animæ Transmutationis Artis Metallorum.
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