Page 33 - Scottish Alchemists

Robert Napier.

The second son of John Napier of Merchiston, by his second marriage,
was Robert Napier of Culcroich, Drumquhannie, and Bowhopple, who was
born about the year 1590. It was to him that his distinguished father left the
care of his younger children, and the editorial charge of his unpublished
works. He accordingly, in conjunction with Oxford’s greatest mathematician,
Henry Briggs, published his father’s Logarithmorum Canonis Constructio,
and wrote the preface in Latin, a language of which he was thoroughly
master. He also wrote a treatise on alchemy, which is still preserved in
manuscript in the charter-chest of the present Lord Napier, and which has
been fully described by Mr Mark Napier in his excellent life of his great
ancestor.

The title of this singular work is ‘The Revelation of the Mystery of the
Golden Fleece, or Philosophical Analysis whereby the marrow of the true
Hermetic Intention is made manifest to such of my posterity as fear God -
Robert Napier, Author.’

Its motto is-
“Orbis quicqiud opum vel habet medicina salutis
Omne Leo Geminis suppeditare potest.”

The Golden Fleece was a favourite title with the alchemists, and was
given to several of their treatises. As they were always ready to attribute
some secret meaning to the names they employed, they conceived that the
Golden Fleece, which it was the object of Jason and the Argonauts to carry
off with Medea from Colchis, was a treatise on gold-making, written on
hides. That a work containing secrets so highly prized by its author was
never printed is explained by the following solemn instruction given by
Napier to his son :- “This booke to remain in my charter- chest, and not to
be made known to any, except to some neir friend, being a scholler, studious
of this science, who feares God, and is endewed with great secrecie not to
reveal and mak commone such misteries as God has apointed to be keipit
secrit among a few in all ages whoes harts are upright towards God, and not
given to worldly ambitione or covetousness but secretly to do gud and help

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