Maitland Club > Works of Sir Thomas Urquhart

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Lorenzo el real. Of those and many other mental abilities of that nature, he gave
after that most excellent proofs, both at Rome, Naples, and Venice.
That most learned Latine book in folio, treating of all the mathematical arts and
sciences, which was written by that Scotish gentleman Sempil, resident in Madrid,
sheweth that Scotish spirits can produce good fruits even in hot climates.
Another named Gordon, of the Scotish nation likewise, wrote a great Latin book
in folio of chronology, which is exceeding useful for such as in a short time would
attaine to the knowledge of many histories.
Another Gordon also beyond sea, penned several books of divinity in an excellent
stile of Latin. Of which kinde of books, but more profoundly couched, another Scot
named Turneboll, wrote a great many. These four eminent Scots I have put toge-
ther, because they were societaries by the name of Jesus, vulgarly called Jesuits ;
some whereof are living as yet, and none of those that are not, dyed above fourteen
years ago.
Methinks I were to blame should I in this nomenclature leave out Dempster, who
for his learning was famous over all Italy, had made a learned addition to Rossinus,
and written several other excellent books in Latin ; amongst which, that which doth
most highly recommend him to posterity, is the work which he penned of five thousand
illustrious Scots, the last liver whereof, as is related in the 213. page of this book,
dyed above fifty yeers since ; for which, together with the other good parts wherewith
he was endowed, himself was truly illustrious.
Balfour, a professor of philosophy in Bourdeaux, wrote an excellent book in Latine
upon the morals ; so did another of the Scotish nation, named Donaldson, upon the
same very subject, and that very accurately. Primerose, a Scotish man, who was a
preacher in French at Bourdeaux, and afterwards became one of three that preached
in the French church at London, wrote several good books both in Latin and French.
Doctor Liddel penned an exquisite book of physick, and so did Doctor William Gor-
don, and both in the Latine tongue ; which two Doctors were for their learning re-
nowned over all Germany. Pontaeus, a Scotish man, though bred most of his time
in France, by several writings of his obvious to the curious reader, gave no small tes-
timony of his learning.
There was a professor of the Scotish nation within these sixteen yeers in Somure,
who spoke Greek with as great ease as ever Cicero did Latine, and could have ex-
pressed himself in it as well and as promptly as in any other language ; yet the most
of the Scotish nation never having astricted themselves so much to the propriety of
words as to the knowledge of things, where there was one preceptor of languages
amongst them, there were above forty professors of philosophy ; nay, to so high a
pitch did the glory of the Scotish nation attaine over all the parts of France, and for
so long time together continued in that obtained hight, by vertue of an ascendant the
French conceived the Scots to have above all nations, in matter of their subtlety in