Time Slideth Gently
SIR KENELM DIGBY. By R. T. Petersson. (Cape, 25s.) THERE have been forty books, articles and essays about Sir }.s- Digby, Mr. Petersson tells us, including four full-length graphies in' the last sixty years. Even this fifth life is not Ora:, for Mr. Petersson reveals that another 430 pages of Digby ,scripts have been discovered by an Italian scholar, who is 5i with the sixth. Sir Kenelm would not have been surprise' this attention from posterity; but does he really deserve it? Id Undoubtedly he was versatile. Amateur scientist; priva`o Commissioner of the Navy; Chancellor to Queen Henrietta Ntabri Papist, Anglican, Papist again; amateur diplomat : DigbY ts,,p known for marrying 'that celebrated beauty and courtesan, ' Venetia Stanley,' and apparently making a virtuous wonla!i:o her. He once contemplated establishing an anti-papal Cat",el church in England; after rallying Roman Catholics for Chativo at the beginning of the civil war, he later conducted the friend negotiations with Oliver Cromwell on their behalf. All his scheao, like his search for the philosopher's stone, failed. His fe115's papists thought him a bungler, says Mr. Petersson; ottlefol dangerous and meddlesome intriguer. Digby was the etc'
amateur in an age of increasing specialisation. oo
This life is competently done. Mr. Petersson's backgad comment is never distinguished, but there is—as Charles about his wife—nothing about it positively to shock one, the statement that it was the practice of the Long Parliaalf,:, to burn libraries. But it is a biography, not a study of Pig thought. It may well be that Digby's thought does not elese serious study. But some historians have assessed his Placc,r the history of biology fairly high; Mr. Petersson tells us .'it■ without indicating their reasons. Yet unless this aspect of PIO is examined, there seems little point in retelling the story of Ills 0; • To the layman it appears difficult to underestimate Pit; importance. Can we be solemn about a man who cured it170, lion by toad ashes; warts ,by washing the hands in moonbe'tid ague by putting the patient's nail-clippings in a linen bag „td round the neck of an eel? Smallpox scars were to be preveic by a dose of sheep dung in sack; ulcers by crabs' eyes in .0g, vinegar. It is hardly surprising that `after two or three talc,Iticir of the latter remedy, 'patients would resolve to contintle.d'efo• ulcers.' Digby's only apparent successes were achieved by accl of! Thus his famous sympathetic powder, which healed 'in a j short time all kinds of hurts which are not mortal' workeu,0 because the powder was applied to a garment stained with b',0 from the wound than because Sir Kenelm advised discar',0 all the traditional salves, keeping the wound clean, and lea' it alone.
Mr Petersson defends Digby by arguing, truly enotIV. pot Bacon and Boyle made some ludicrous scientific gLICSSCS' by they also made great contributions to their subject. Did Digo: Evelyn, Newton and' Boyle thought little of him. Sir Kell was a foundation member of the Royal Society. but took no significant part in its activities. The day of the credulous amateur was over. From all his voluminous writings, there appears to be only one quotable phrase, the exile's vision of little England, where time slideth more gently away than in any part of the world.'
CHRISTOPHER HILL
Previous page
