Longueville, who gives the letter, has strangely
failed to identify Sandy with the famous Richard
Napier, parson, physician, and astrologer, of the
well-known familyof Napierof Merchistoun. His
fathvi, Alexander Napier, was often known as
" Sandy " ; and the son held the alternative names
also. Great Lindford is two and a half miles from
Gothurst ; and it is possible that Protestant friends,
perhaps Laud himself, urged on the good parson
the duty of looking after the young Catholic gentle-
man. Sandy (Napier) was also probably his mother's
medical adviser : he certainly acted as such to some
members of her family. A man of fervent piety —
his " knees were horny with frequent praying," says
Aubrey — he was, besides, a zealous student of al-
chemy and astrology, a friend of Dee, of Lilly, and
xvi INTRODUCTION^
of Booker. Very likely Kenelm had been entrusted
to Allen's care at Oxford on the recommendation of
Sandy; for Allen, one of his intimates, was a serious
occultist, who, according to his servant's account,
"used to meet the spirits on the stairs like swarms
of bees." With these occupations Napier combined
a large medical practice in the Midlands, the pro-
ceeds of which he gave to the poor, living ascetically
himself. His favourite nephew, Richard Napier the
younger, his pupil in all these arts and sciences, was
about the same age as Kenelm, and spent his holi-
days at Great Lindford. The correspondence went
on. Digby continued his medical observations
abroad ; and after his return we find him writing to
Sandy, communicating "some receipts," and ask-
ing for pills that had been ordered. Thus we have
arrived at the early influences which drew the young
Catholic squire towards the art of healing and the
occult sciences. The latter he dabbled in all his
life. In the former his interest was serious and
steadfast.
He remained out of England three years. From
Paris the plague drove him to Angers, where the
appearance of the handsome English youth caused
such commotion in the heart of the Queen Mother,
Marie de Md;dicis, that she evidently lost her head.
His narrative of her behaviour had to be expurgated
when his M^^ioirj- were published in 1827. He fled
these royal attentions ; spread a report of his death,
and made his way to Italy. His two years in Flor-
ence were not all spent about the Grand-ducalCourt.
His mind,keen and ofinfinite curiosity, was hunger-
INTRODUCTIOCSC xvii
ing after the universal knowledge he aspired to ;
and Galileo, then writing his Dialogues in his re-
tirement at Bellosguardo, could not have been left
unvisited by the eager young student. In after
years, Digby used to say that it was in Florence he
met the Carmelite friar who brought from the East
the secret of the Powder of Sympathy, which cured
wounds without contact. The friar who had re-
fused to divulg-e the secret to the Grand Duke con-
fided it to him — of which more hereafter.
Page 3
Presented as published in 1910. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Longueville, who gives the letter, has strangely failed to identify Sandy with the famous Richard Napier, parson, physician, and astrologer, of the well-known familyof Napierof Merchistoun. His father, Alexander Napier, was often known as " Sandy " ; and the son held the alternative names also. Great Lindford is two and a half miles from Gothurst ; and it is possible that Protestant friends, perhaps Laud himself, urged on the good parson the duty of looking after the young Catholic gentleman. Sandy (Napier) was also probably his mother's medical adviser : he certainly acted as such to some members of her family. A man of fervent piety — his " knees were horny with frequent praying," says Aubrey — he was, besides, a zealous student of alchemy and astrology, a friend of Dee, of Lilly, and
xvi INTRODUCTION
of Booker. Very likely Kenelm had been entrusted to Allen's care at Oxford on the recommendation of Sandy; for Allen, one of his intimates, was a serious occultist, who, according to his servant's account, "used to meet the spirits on the stairs like swarms of bees." With these occupations Napier combined a large medical practice in the Midlands, the proceeds of which he gave to the poor, living ascetically himself. His favourite nephew, Richard Napier the younger, his pupil in all these arts and sciences, was about the same age as Kenelm, and spent his holidays at Great Lindford. The correspondence went on. Digby continued his medical observations abroad ; and after his return we find him writing to Sandy, communicating "some receipts," and asking for pills that had been ordered. Thus we have arrived at the early influences which drew the young Catholic squire towards the art of healing and the occult sciences. The latter he dabbled in all his life. In the former his interest was serious and steadfast.
He remained out of England three years. From Paris the plague drove him to Angers, where the appearance of the handsome English youth caused such commotion in the heart of the Queen Mother, Marie de Md;dicis, that she evidently lost her head. His narrative of her behaviour had to be expurgated when his Memoirs were published in 1827. He fled these royal attentions ; spread a report of his death, and made his way to Italy. His two years in Florence were not all spent about the Grand-ducalCourt. His mind,keen and ofinfinite curiosity, was hunger-
INTRODUCTION xvii
ing after the universal knowledge he aspired to ; and Galileo, then writing his Dialogues in his retirement at Bellosguardo, could not have been left unvisited by the eager young student. In after years, Digby used to say that it was in Florence he met the Carmelite friar who brought from the East the secret of the Powder of Sympathy, which cured wounds without contact. The friar who had refused to divulg-e the secret to the Grand Duke confided it to him — of which more hereafter.