Galen : a bibliographical demonstration in the Library of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, December 9th, 1891 / [James Finlayson].
- Date:
- [1892]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Galen : a bibliographical demonstration in the Library of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, December 9th, 1891 / [James Finlayson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
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![by him to be from a commentary by Galen (now lost) on Plato's llepublic. It occurs in this beautiful volume, pre- sented to our University by the King of Spain—Casiri: Biblio- theca Arabico-Hispana Escurialensis: Matriti, 1760; tomus prior, p. 263. The following is a translation from the Latin rendering there: We have known that that sect, called Christians, founded their religion on parables and miracles. We believe, moreover, that they are very little behind the philosophers in moral discipline ; that they practise celibacy, that even many of their women do so; that they love abstemi- ousness in food and drink; that they are assiduous in fastings and in prayers ; that they injure no one ; so that they far surpass the pliilo- sophers both in their endeavours after virtue and in their exercise of it. We view with admiration their pre-eminent excellence in equity, in moral probity, in chastity, and in the true accomplishing of miracles. Passing from Galen's opinions as to Christians and Christianity, let me cany you onwards 1300 years to the earliest translator of his works in this country; I mean the learned Linacre, who founded the College of Physicians in London. I show a facsimile reproduction of his translation into Latin of Galen's treatise De Temperament is, published in Cambridge in 1521. To this reproduction (London, 1881) Dr. J. F. Payne prefixes an interesting account of Linacre himself, from which the following extract is taken: Linacre when advanced in life, his health broken by study and disease, and near his end, took the New Testament in his hand for the first time (although he was a priest), and read the Gospel of St. Matthew to the end of the 7th Chapter (tliat is to the end of the Sermon on the Mount). Hav- ing read it, he threw the volume away with all the strength he could muster swearing, Either this is not the Gospel or we are not Christians. It is possible [says Dr. Payne] that the striking contrast between the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount and the practice of the Christian world has inspired many readers with the same feeling, and it will con- tinue to have the same effect on many more, though they may not happen to give vent to their surprise with the same petulance. One can scarcely speak of Linacre without thinking of Caius who, somewhat later, also translated into Latin some of Galen's works. Dr. Caius, who founded a College in Cam- bridge, was confessedly one of the most learned men of his time, althougli his name is perhaps most generally known as a character in Shakespeare's play of the Merry Wives of Windsor, where he is held up to ridicule as a French simpleton. Galen as a Philosopheb. Galen, we must remember, was a philosopher as well as a physician. Indeed one of his treatises is entitled Quod optimus medicus sit quoque philosophus. He wrote many philosophical works, and his name is perpetuated in Logic in connection with the fourth figure of the syllogism. Some doubt has indeed been expressed as to his being the inventor of this figure, but M. Daremberg says that it is certain that it 6 In Ilistoria Compendiosa Dyiiasliarum, Authore Qregorio Ahnl-rimrnjio, Malaticnsi Medico, edited by Ed. Pocock, Oxon., 1663, p. 78, we find almost the same words ciuoted from Galen, but referred to his commentary on the Phaedo instead of the Republic : Ait etiam in explicatioue suA libri Platonis de moribus cui titulus Phaedo, Videbis populum istum qui Christiavi avvelUntur, disciplinam suam senigmatibus et rairaculis supcr- struxisse neque Philosophis vcris openbus ccdere, contincntiani a.mare, in ieiuniis et orationibus continuos esse, ab injuriis al.f tinerc atque esse inter ipsos homines qui se mulieribus non polluunt'](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21902811_0005.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
