“Author Cui Nomen Hermes Malavici” New Light on the Bio-Bibliography of Michael Maier (1569–1622)

Abstract

The panacea first advertised in 1610 in a book called Medicinae chymicae et veri potabilis auri assertio became famous among proponents of chymi-atria all over Europe as aurum potabile Anglicanum, but as aurum putabile it was ridiculed by its adversaries. The author of the Assertio, Francis Anthony (1550-1623), is styled doctor of philosophy and medicine on the title-pages of his works, but even in his own days was considered a quack by conservative physicians. Modern historiography, following more or less the verdict of Anthony’s contemporary critics, has not been much kinder to this «chemical empiric with no medical qualifications».³ It had to be conceded, however, that Anthony at least knew fairly well how to further his own cause. For example, in 1616 he set about to prove the curative effect of his «drinkable gold» in another treatise, so he had the book published in both a Latin and a vernacular version,⁴ obviously trying to reach the largest number of readers possible.

Revised and expanded version of the paper «Michael Maier, Humanist, Physician, Chymicus (1569-1622): Some New Bio-bibliographical Material» read at the Colloqium on «Alchemy and Chemistry in the XVI and XVII Centuries» held at the Warburg Institute, London, 26–27 July 1989.

Acknowledgement: for relevant information, the authors are much indebted to a number of colleagues, librarians and archivists both in and outside Europe. We thank them all for their kind support, in particular the late W. Batschelet-Massini, H. Broszinsky, C. Gilly, B. Hvidt, B. T. Moran and J. Telle. We are also obliged to the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for generously granting financial aid, which for three years supplied the means necessary to our research.