George Eglisham (
fl. 1612–1642) was a
Scottish physician and poet although he is best known as the author of a pamphlet he published in 1626, ''
The Forerunner of Revenge
''The Forerunner of Revenge'', also published in Latin and in German as ''Prodromus Vindictæ'', was a pamphlet accusing George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham of having caused the death of King James I of England by poison. It was written by G ...
'', in which he alleged that
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, 28 August 1592 – 23 August 1628), was an English courtier, statesman, and patron of the arts. He was a favourite and possibly also a lover of King James I of England. Buckingham remained at the ...
, poisoned both
James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton
James Hamilton, 2nd Marquess of Hamilton and 4th Earl of Arran KG PC (1589 – 2 March 1625), styled Lord Aven from 1599 to 1604, was a Scottish politician. He was the son of John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Hamilton and Margaret Lyon.
Career
Ha ...
, and King
James VI and I
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
in March 1625.
Life
He was introduced at the age of three to the favourable notice of
James VI of Scotland
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...
by the
Marquis of Hamilton. He was brought up with Hamilton's son (later the 2nd Marquis, d. 1625), who remained his friend and patron. He was sent abroad and studied at
Leyden
Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...
, where he probably obtained his M.D. degree. While there he engaged in a one-sided controversy with
Conrad Vorst, whom he accused of atheism. Eglisham obtained leave from the authorities at Leyden to invite Vorst to a public discussion, but Vorst declined to take up the challenge.
Returning to Scotland, Eglisham was appointed one of the king's personal physicians in 1616, and continued to receive tokens of favour from James, who, according to Eglisham, 'daily augmented them in writ, in deed; and accompanied them with gifts, patents, offices' (Prodromus Vindictæ). But of these honours no record remains.
Proceedings were instituted against Eglisham after his pamphlet against Buckingham, but he had left for
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
. There he remained for some years, perhaps until his death, the date and place of which are unknown. He was apparently still alive in 1642.
However, the statement (
fl. 1612–1642), which appears in both the 1889 and 2004 editions of ''
The Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'', may be incorrect since there is evidence to suggest that Eglisham was murdered in
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
during the period 1626–1628.
Works
He published 'Hypocrisis Apologeticæ Orationis Vorstianæ, cum secunda provocatione ad Conradum Vorstium missa; auctore Geo. Eglisemmio, Scot. Phil. et Medico Vorstium iterato Atheismi, Ethneismi, Judaismi, Turcismi, hæreseos schismatiet ignorantiæ apud illustrissimos ordines accusante,' Delft, 1612. The preface to this work is dated from the Hague, 1 June 1612. In 1618 Eglisham published 'Duellum poeticum contendentibus G. Eglisemmio medico regio, et G. Buchanano, regio preceptore pro dignitate paraphraseos Psalmi civ,' In a dedication to the king he undertook to prove that
George Buchanan
George Buchanan ( gd, Seòras Bochanan; February 1506 – 28 September 1582) was a Scottish historian and humanist scholar. According to historian Keith Brown, Buchanan was "the most profound intellectual sixteenth century Scotland produced." ...
, who died in 1582, had been guilty of 'impiety towards God, perfidy to his prince, and tyranny to muses.' Eglisham gave a pedantic verbal criticism of Buchanan's Latin version of the psalm in question, which he printed in full, with his own translation opposite. Included in the volume are a number of the author's short Latin poems and epigrams. Eglisham vainly appealed to the university of Paris to decide that Buchanan's version was inferior.
He succeeded in attracting notice to himself, and drew from his colleague
Arthur Johnston a mock 'Consilium collegii medici Parisiensis de mania G. Eglishemii,' a Latin elegiac poem republished as 'Hypermorus Medicaster;' and from his friend
William Barclay a more serious judgment on the question at issue, which he decided in favour of Buchanan. Eglisham further published in 1626 'Prodromus Vindictæ,' a pamphlet in which he openly accused
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, 28 August 1592 – 23 August 1628), was an English courtier, statesman, and patron of the arts. He was a favourite and possibly also a lover of King James I of England. Buckingham remained at the ...
of having caused the deaths, by poison, of the Marquis of Hamilton and the late king, and petitioned Charles I and the parliament severally to have the duke put on his trial. A German translation appeared the same year, but the earliest English edition known of the 'Forerunner of Revenge' bears date 1642. A letter of the period mentions the work as an English publication, 20 May 1626.
Family
Eglisham married Elizabeth Downes on 13 September 1617 in
the Clink
The Clink was a prison in Southwark, England, which operated from the 12th century until 1780. The prison served the Liberty of the Clink, a local manor area owned by the Bishop of Winchester rather than by the reigning monarch. As the Lib ...
, and had a daughter.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eglisham, George
17th-century Scottish medical doctors
1612 births
1642 deaths
Scottish poets