BEYOND

LOGARITHMS
& BONES
A short history of
John Napier and his legacy

GARY SEATH

1
Preface Contents Page

Welcome to Beyond Logarithms & Bones. Genesis

The purpose of this book is to provide a very short, historical account of the life and legacy of Chapter 1: The Early Years 5
John Napier (1550-1617) and has been produced in support of a wider programme of activities to Chapter 2: European Adventure 7
commemorate 400 years since his death.

The Genesis, Transition, Creativity and Legacy themes are supported by images which capture colour-
ed powders striking a pale background. The acute sense of impact and vibrant colour represent the Transition
illumination of mathematical and scientific fields of inquiry which, thanks to John Napier’s vision
and ingenuity, advanced humanity’s understanding of the world, the planets and stars. Throughout Chapter 3: A Return to Conflict 10
this book, a series of references have been included as a means to provide the reader with expert Chapter 4: Family Dynamics 12
commentary in support of what has been written by the author. Chapter 5: Sixteenth Century Problem Solving 13
Chapter 6: Eccentricity, Witchcraft & Hidden Treasure 15
The references have been cited from the following publications:

Flesh and Bones by Francis Shennan

Creativity
The Life & Works of John Napier by Brian Rice, Enrique Gonzalez-Velasco Chapter 7: Religious Apocalypse 18
and Alexander Corrigan Chapter 8: Machines of War 21
John Napier by Lynn Gladstone-Millar Chapter 9: Logarithms & the Pace of Discovery 23
Chapter 10: Rabdologiae 26

The Author also wishes to thank Dr Garry Tee, Department of Mathematics & Department of
Computer Science at Auckland University, New Zealand for his expertise and support.
Legacy
Chapter 11: A Legacy Begins 34

Appendices 38
er
Napi
n
Joh

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 Chapter 1: The Early Years
“The world into which John Napier was born was uncertain and dangerous. In the
years leading up to his birth, the stage was set for the unfolding of the terrible
drama which was to grip Scotland during most of the decades of his life and which
was to put in peril the chances of fulfilling his great potential.”
The Reformation acquired the hearts and minds of many within sixteenth
century Scotland. As a sovereign state in its own right, King James V
refused to follow Henry VIII, King of England, in converting Scotland
to Protestantism and attempted to ban the distribution of Lutheran
script. His death in December 1542 removed a critical obstacle to the
movement’s progress in Scotland.

The one week old daughter of King James V, Mary (Queen of Scots),
was crowned Queen of Scotland in September 1543 at Stirling Castle.
Her mother, Mary of Guise, was appointed as Regent and the crowning
of a minor in Scotland was viewed by Henry VIII as an opportunity to
seize control in the North. By virtue of Scotland’s alliance with France,
troops were sent to Scotland in anticipation of aggressive action from
the south.

GENESIS
Henry VIII invaded Scotland several times in an attempt to force the Henry VIII
marriage of his son, Prince Edward, to the infant Queen Mary, a period
which is known as the Rough Wooing. The catastrophic defeat incurred by the Scottish at the Battle
of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547 led to the infant Queen Mary leaving Scottish shores for France, which led to
further political and social chaos.

Amidst the backdrop of uncertain, dangerous times, John Napier was

born in the medieval tower house of Merchiston Castle in 1550, the
exact date of his birth is unknown. He was born into a
family of wealth and privilege which owned considerable lands in
Scotland, including Merchiston, Blairnavaidis, the Isle of Inchmone,
Edinbellie, Gartness, Pultrielands, Ardewnan, Calziemuck and Auchinlesh.
Members of the Napier family held important positions of influence
within Edinburgh, including The Governor of Edinburgh Castle and the
Lord Provost. Behind the relatively safe walls of Merchiston Castle, the
young John Napier lived with his father Archibald, the Seventh Laird
of Merchiston, mother Janet Bothwell and siblings Francis and Janet.

Very little is known regarding John Napier’s early years but it is most
likely he received private tuition at Merchiston Castle, which was a
common educational route for one of noble birth to receive prior to a
Battle of Pinkie Cleugh university education and further study in Europe.

In 1563 John Napier, aged thirteen, enrolled at the University of St Andrews where he attended
St. Salvator’s College and lodged with the college’s principal, John Rutherford. At that time it was not
unusual for someone so young to matriculate at university and determinant students, what would be
described as an undergraduate today, could graduate at the age of fifteen.

4 5
“For the young Bejans the curriculum was daunting.
They were immediately plunged into the study of rhetoric and logic, Chapter 2: European Adventure
and after this metaphysics, physics and the ethics of Aristotle.” [1]
“For whatever reason, perhaps the learning of the Greek language, perhaps more
Within three months of beginning his studies, John Napier experienced the general academic frustration, perhaps a consequence of his mother’s death, or
tragedy of the sudden loss of his mother. Despite such a devastating setback perhaps simply following the common practice for the sons of families of standing
for one so young, the situation provided an opportunity to immerse himself to complete their studies in Europe, he left the university prematurely and we lose
in day-to-day life at St Salvator’s, which was overseen by academic staff and Napier once again, and certainly to parts of continental Europe.”
senior students. On a weekly basis, students engaged in sports and theological
debates presided over by one of the school Masters. There is no record that John Napier progressed to a second year at the University of St Andrews.
Historians tend to agree that he left from Leith for Europe in 1564 to continue his studies, but his
Aristotle
“The disputants were exorted to avoid altercation usually practised in destination uncertain.
schools and not to bite and devour one another like dogs; but to behave
as men desirous of mutual instruction, and as the servants of Christ, who “When Adam Bothwell, the Bishop of Orkney, had advocated a period of study abroad for his
ought not to strive, but to be gentle to all.” nephew, he knew very well that this might mean a separation of several years for John and
his family, and therefore much anxiety. The safe arrival of correspondence could never be
By the time John Napier had the opportunity to participate in theological guaranteed, and any news of a traveller’s well-being or otherwise was hard to come by. On
debate at the University of St Andrews, Scotland was a protestant country. the continent, as at home, people ran the daily risk of catching smallpox, typhoid, malaria and
The Scottish Parliament’s decision to adopt protestant doctrine in August the plague. Life expectancy was short everywhere.”
1560, without doubt, encouraged many spirited debates at St Salvator’s
influencing, in turn, the young Bejans greatly as they keenly absorbed Travelling abroad in the sixteenth century was a very dangerous proposition. Travellers faced the
interpretation, argument and counter-argument. The sermons delivered perils of the sea, disease and pirates as well as the threat of highwaymen along continental routes
by Christopher Goodman from St Salvator’s pulpit introduced the topic of towards established towns. It is very likely that John Napier would not have travelled alone to Eu-
religious apocalypse to the young John Napier, who later acknowledged his rope and was accompanied by a servant, to look after his possessions, and a tutor to negotiate
John Knox influences in developing his own passions on the subject. customs and study arrangements.

There has been much speculation as to where John Napier may have visited and whether he enrolled
in a course of academic study in Europe. In the 1930’s, W.R. Thomas conducted an investigation
and made inquiries at Bordeaux, Paris, Geneva, Basel, Amsterdam, Marburg and Jena. His research
proved unsuccessful as no matriculation record was found.

Me
rch
isto
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ast s
le ari
ofP
ap
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entu
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16t

1 Bejan was the title attributed to a first year student at St Salvators

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“The person that Napier’s father was most likely to consult on the matter of where
to send John was his judicial colleague, Thomas Craig, who had recently returned
from a period of study in Paris. He may also have approached the literary personage,
George Buchanan, who had taught in Paris.”

The University of Paris (College de la Sorbonne) was an established, well respected academic
institution whose reputation alone attracted students from across Europe. The reputational capital,
as well as the prestige of further study at the College de la Sorbonne, may have proved sufficient
reason for Archibald Napier to send his young son to Paris. However, given the Napier family’s alle-
giances to the protestant faith, France was a catholic country and in a state of civil war at the time
John Napier left Scotland for Europe. That said, significant gains had been made by the Protestant
Huguenots both in Paris and within the academic institution.

“There were amazingly few places in Europe at that time where classical Greek could
be studied. Basel had only two Greek scholars and Geneva more than two.
In England and France, what Greek scholarship there was often tended to be poor.”

Had theology proven the focus for John Napier’s visit to

Europe, the university at Geneva would have provided the expert
tutelage in Greek necessary to understand religious text. The
spread of Calvinism during the sixteenth century led to many
European followers pouring into Geneva, which had voted to leave
the guardianship of the Roman Catholic Church in the 1530’s. John
Calvin later established a Theological Academy in Geneva which

TRANSITION
provided an academic and theological grounding for the training of
ministers, lawyers and doctors.

John Calvin
pe
Euro
of It is also believed that Christopher Goodman
ap
r yM spent a number of months in Geneva, prior to his
ntu
th Ce time at St Salvator’s. In Geneva, the university’s
16
principal Greek teacher was Franciscus Portus,
who was highly regarded in Europe. Geneva proved
a popular academic destination during this time
for Scottish students, many of whom lodged with
Henry Scrimgeour, a Scottish Professor of the Arts,
during their studies.

Historians also suggest John Napier may have

visited a number of further countries within
Europe during this time, including Holland, Italy and
Germany. An accurate record of John Napier’s
european movements may never be found but it
is certain that the experience provided a thorough
grounding in philosophy, theology, mathematics
and science as well as exposure to the Renaissance
arts, culture and customs.

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Chapter 3: A Return to Conflict Thus, John Napier returned to a Scotland in a state of
civil war where troops loyal to Mary Queen of Scots were
resolutely defending Edinburgh Castle from troops loyal to the
Historians generally agree that John Napier returned to Scotland in 1571, aged twenty-one infant King James VI. The Napier family home at Merchiston
years. Scotland was engulfed in one of its darkest periods in history where the glowing embers of Castle was situated along Ediburgh’s southern approach and
conspiracy, murder and rivalry of the past ten years served to fuel the inferno of the Marian Civil War. of key strategic importance in terms of supplies and
The return of Mary Queen of Scots to Scotland in 1561 served to heighten tensions between the movement of troops. Despite Archibald Napier’s reluctance
catholic and protestant faiths. In the spirit of diplomacy, the catholic Mary Queen of Scots vowed to to involve his family in the fighting, his allegiances were
tolerate Protestantism as the officially adopted religion of Scotland, a gesture which served to quell questioned by both sides during that time and his movements
a modicum of the tension. were restricted by the newly appointed regent, the Earl of
Her decision to marry Lord Darnley in 1565 proved Moray. It is, therefore, most likely that Archibald Napier remained
highly unpopular, and a rebellion of Protestant Lords at Merchiston Castle during the times of the Marian Civil War
was led by the Earl of Moray. The rebellion was defeat- but whether or not his family remained with him, is uncertain.
ed and the Earl of Moray fled in exile to England. Lord
Darnley’s hedonistic lifestyle, plotting and promiscu- An outbreak of the plague had also reached Edinburgh in 1568
ous nature was no secret within court and it was of The Earl of Moray
and continued to claim victims, which suggests that it is likely
little surprise that the marriage deteriorated rapidly. that the Napier family moved to their estates in Lennox or Men-
Lord Darnley subsequently forfeited many royal priv- teith to minimize exposure. Life within the city walls was brutal during the time of the plague. By
ileges and lost considerable face when David Rizzio order of the city’s council, families affected by the plague had to leave their property, taking all
was preferred as Royal Secretary. Many believed that their possessions to the Burgh Muir, which lay adjacent to Napier Lands. Historians report that the
Mary Queen of Scots arrival in Leith in 1561
David Rizzio had significant influence on Mary Queen boundary walls were laden with the dead and dying.
of Scots, and supposedly played an instrumental role in the subsequent proposal of a parliamen-
tary bill in 1566 to confiscate the lands belonging to the Earl of Moray and his fellow conspirators Troops loyal to the infant King James VI were garrisoned at Merchiston Castle as a means to prevent
involved in the rebellion, an action which had fatal consequences for Rizzio. vital supplies reaching the Queen’s supporters in the city of Edinburgh. In May 1572, a unit of the
Queens’ troops led by Captain Scugall, advanced from the city and laid siege to Merchiston Castle.
“On Saturday 09 March, three days before the bill was due to go to Parliament, Mary The outbuildings and castle were captured but dogged resistance prevented the tower from being
was at supper in her apartments at Holyrood with a dozen relations and friends, taken. As momentum was lost, the Queen’s troops burned the outbuildings in an attempt to break
including Rizzio. A group of armed men, led by Darnley and Lord Ruthven, broke in, ley the resilience of the defenders. Having been alerted to the siege, a large contingent of the King’s
arn
dragged Rizzio from the room and stabbed him fifty-six times.” D troops rode from Leith, led by the Laird of Blairwhain. The relief force, having negotiated its way
L ord
through cannon fire from Edinburgh Castle to reach Merchiston Castle, successfully drove them
The Earl of Moray returned to Scotland two days later alongside back into the city. Captain Scugall was fatally wounded during the withdrawal.
a number of his fellow Lords, who threatened further acts of
aggression if the parliamentary act should be passed. Mary The Queen’s troops returned to Merchiston Castle in June, led by the Earl of Huntly and support-
Queen of Scots chose to pardon the 1565 rebels in an ed by an artillery battery. The timing of the attack proved opportune as many of the King’s troops
attempt to avoid further violence and bloodshed. However, the were engaged at the siege of Niddrie-Seyton Castle, which left Merchiston Castle vulnerable to
nobles involved in the murder of David Rizzio, would not avoid attack. Extensive damage was inflicted on Merchiston Castle leading to structural decimation
punishment. and the collapse of battlements. During the attack, forty cattle and sheep were rounded up by the
Queen’s forces as a means to bolster depleting supplies. The attack proved highly successful and what
Lord Darnley was murdered at Kirk O’ Field on 10 February 1567 remained of the defensive force inside Merchiston Castle entered into negotiations with the Earl of
in mysterious circumstances. It has been reported that an explo- Huntly to agree an honourable withdrawal. However the defenders at Merchiston Castle were gifted
sion took place but Lord Darnley was found outside, strangled. some much need respite from the most unlikely of sources.

The Earl of Bothwell was believed to be conspirator in chief “According to contemporary accounts a crowd of such country people remained in the
with regards to the murder of Lord Darnley. Within three area gathered, drawn by the noise. The attackers thought they were reinforcements
months of Lord Darnley’s death, Mary Queen of Scots married of the King and sent their artillery back to Edinburgh.”
the Earl of Bothwell. The marriage proved hugely detrimental
to Mary Queen of Scots, who lost the support of the Scottish nobility and was now considered a A short time after the withdrawal of the artillery, a considerable number of the King’s Calvary
co-conspirator in the murder of her late husband, Lord Darnley. As a result, Mary Queen of Scots returned to Merchiston Castle from Niddrie-Seyton who engaged and forced back the remaining
was forced to abdicate her throne and was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle and her infant son, infantry. Merchiston Castle remained in the hands of troops loyal to the infant King James
James VI, was crowned King and the Earl of Moray appointed as Regent. VI for the remainder of the conflict, which ended in a victory for the King’s supporters in 1573.

10 11
Chapter 4: Family Dynamics Chapter 5: Sixteenth Century Problem Solving
Amidst the backdrop of civil war, plague, conspiracy and murder, John Napier returned to changes It is inevitable that John Napier travelled to Merchiston Castle as
in dynamics within his immediate family. Archibald Napier had received the Order of Knighthood in well as other estates belonging to his family on a regular basis
1565 and had completed two terms as Deputy Justice to the Earl of Argyll, Hereditary Justice - General and engaged in a diverse body of work. By virtue of overseeing
of the Kingdom of Scotland. However, by the time civil war broke out in Scotland in 1568, Archibald’s the management of the Pultrielands (Poultry Lands), John Napier
reluctance to provide a definitive show of allegiance put him in a precarious position. His reticence was appointed the King’s Poulterer. An annual gift of the finest
led to suspicion and loss of favour, particularly with the Earl of Moray, Regent to King James VI, who specimens were made to the King and it is reported that John
restricted his movements to Merchiston Castle for the greater part of the Marian Civil War. Archibald Napier famously saved one particular black cockerel from its
Napier remarried during this time and had chosen his cousin, Elizabeth Mowbray of Barnbougall, as inevitable fate and chose to keep it as a pet.
his wife.
“One amusing tale about this pet (cockerel) was that he used it to trap
It is widely held that John Napier returned from Europe to assist with the management of his a thief in the household. He told his servants that his bird could tell
family’s estates. At that time a decision was made to marry Elizabeth Stirling of Keir whose honesty from dishonesty, and would crow when a thief stroked its
father, Sir James, had served alongside Archibald Napier at the Courts of Justice. A marriage neck. He then sprinkled soot all over the cockerel, tied it up in a dark
contract was drawn up which invested John Napier with the baronies of Edinbellie-Napier and room, and instructed all of his servants to go in one by one and stroke
Merchiston, and the title The Fear of Merchiston. In addition to the aforementioned lands, ownership John Napier’s Black Cockerel the bird. The thief was soon found out, for he was afraid to stroke it,
of the family lands of Merchiston, Pultrielands, half the lands of Ardewnan and a third of the lands of and was the only one to come out with clean, but guilty hands.”
Auchinlesh were also transferred. The marriage was suspended until the cessation of the conflict and a
Royal Charter was granted to John Napier and Elizabeth Stirling in October 1572. John and Elizabeth John Napier demonstrated a novel, ingenious approach to problem solving through his duties and
Napier married and took up residence in Gartness, Stirlingshire in 1573, where a new home was resolving conflict with his peers. A specific example includes an argument with the Laird of Roslin,
built which included a spacious garden and orchard. Their son Archibald was born at Gartness in whose pigeons were landing on John Napier’s Merchiston lands and eating the grain.
1576 and a daughter, Jane, soon followed.
“Napier said he would get the better of him. Roslin scoffed. Was it sorcery, the household and neighbours
thought, that made the pigeons the next day reel about on the ground, unable to fly away from Napier’s
John Napier settled into married life at the family estate in Gartness,
servants grasping hands? Not a bit of it. Napier had soaked peas in wine and spread them all over the
Stirlingshire. He assisted his father with the management of the
field. The pigeons loved the peas, but drunken pigeons cannot fly.”
day-to-day running of the family’s estates, its servants and tenants
as well as the protection of its boundaries. It is believed that John Agriculture had suffered greatly during the time of civil war in Scotland and this had led to a deficit
Napier began work in earnest with regards to mathematical and of vital grains, including corn, maize and barley. Established agricultural techniques, passed down
theological investigation at Gartness, and spent many hours deep in through generations of experience, now proved ineffective and a succession of poor harvests led to
study within the rich, vibrant and stimulating colours of the Gartness starvation, suffering and hardship. John Napier played an important role with regards to introducing
Estate courtyard and orchard. a series of agricultural innovations in an attempt to turn the tide.

Historians have indicated that establishing the optimum sensory en- The Archimedes Screw, an irrigation tool
vironment for academic study was very important to John Napier. For attributed to the Greek philosopher during his
Elizabeth Napier
instance, the continued cascade of a stream at the bottom of the orchard time in Egypt in the third century BC, comprised
proved to be of little distraction to Napier, whereas, the intermittent sounds emanating from the a wooden screw, placed inside a tight-fitting
village mill did prove disruptive. As a result, John Napier often asked the mill owner to cease cylinder. The handle of the screw was turned,
activities whilst he was engaged in his investigations and development of theory. through either manpower, wind or cattle, as a
means to draw water through the cylinder from
Elizabeth Napier sadly died in 1579, aged just twenty-seven years old. Within a few years, John the earth. John Napier devised an improved
Napier remarried and had five sons and daughters with his new wife, Agnes Chisholm, daughter version of the Archimedes Screw which, thanks
of Sir James Chisholm of Cromlix. Agnes was a second cousin to John Napier’s first wife, Elizabeth to a monopoly granted by the King, provided
as well as second cousin to his father, Archibald Napier. Like his father, John Napier had married a cheap, manageable solution for many who
into a family with strong allegiances to the catholic faith. His father in law, Sir James Chisholm of worked the land during that time and beyond. An illustration of the Archimedes Screw
Cromlix, later played a significant role in the conspiracy of the Spanish Blanks which was an attempt by
Scottish catholic Earls to encourage Spanish intervention to quell protestantism in Scotland in 1593.

12 13
“A colonel McKenzie, who had done some research into Napier’s work, discov-
ered that while stationed in India in 1786 the form of Archimedes Screw used Chapter 6:
by the natives of the Portuguese colony of Goa was based on Napier’s version.
He concluded that one of Napier’s machines, or a description of it, had been Eccentricity, Witchcraft & Hidden Treasure
taken out to the subcontinent by Portuguese merchants.”

In 1598 John Napier worked alongside his son, Archibald, to publish a detailed set of instructions Demonstrating novel and ingenious approaches to problem solving and displaying eccentric person-
concerning the distribution of salts to various varieties of soil. The publication named Archibald as ality traits served only to arouse suspicion within sixteenth century Scottish society. Many of John
the author, who was granted a patent from King James VI, but it is generally believed that much of Napier’s eccentricities were perceived by nobles, simple towns’ folk and tenants alike as evidence
the extensive research had been carried out by his father. to suggest John Napier was engaged in witchcraft, the black arts and necromancy. Furthermore, his
tendencies of wearing elaborate, long dark gowns and skull caps, spending long periods alone and
“Clearly much thought and experimentation had gone into the patent to prove pacing up and down paths for long periods of time added further fuel to the fires of suspicion.
its efficacy so it is doubtful that Archibald, who was only 23 years old at the
time, was responsible for this.” “He used frequently to walk out in his night-gown and cap. This, with some things
which to the vulgar appeared rather odd, fixed on him the character of a warlock.
The application of salt required careful, measured application and it was believed to encourage It was firmly believed, and currently reported, that he was in compact with the
optimal conditions within the soil in order to yield greater quantities of grains and grass. Farmers devil; and that the time he spent in study was spent in learning the black art, and
were encouraged to apply the salts to their fields no later than 11 November, a day referred to as holding conversations with Old Nick.”
Martinmas (the festival of St Martin) in the publication, to provide adequate time for the salt to inter-
act with the soil. The salts were also applied to pasture lands where cattle had dropped their dung Arousing suspicion of witchcraft was a dangerous proposition in the sixteenth century and, at times,
as a means to ensure they would return to pasture once the grass had returned. little or no evidence was required to impose a penalty of death by burning at the stake. It is without
question that John Napier flirted perilously close to the mark by exhibiting eccentric tendencies,
however, he wasn’t formally accused or brought to account under the charges of witchcraft.

“However, like many of his well-educated contemporaries Napier did

practice alchemy, something that was considered perfectly legitimate
at the time and openly acknowledged.”

A reputation for sorcery may have, perhaps, provided sufficient motivation for Robert Logan of
Restalrig to approach John Napier in 1594 for assistance in finding hidden treasure. Robert
Logan, who had been denounced as an outlaw and had frequently escaped both punishment and
retribution, was in possession of Fast Castle located on the east coast of Scotland where he believed
undiscovered treasures lay.

16th Century Artistic Interpretation

14 15
“This leaves us with the mystery of why a man of Napier’s distinction should wish to
be associated with a man of Logan’s notoriety. The lure of money, especially as there
was no guarantee of reward, does not seem sufficiently strong. A more likely reason for
Napier would have been the opportunity to see if he really did have the power to divine
hidden objects. Knowledge rather than gold would be the temptation.”

It is uncertain that John Napier was aware of Robert Logan’s reputation at the time the contract
was signed by both parties. Napier was contracted to use his powers of sorcery as a means to find
the treasures believed to be hidden within Fast Castle in return for a third of the fortune and safe
passage back to Edinburgh.

“As the written contract remained in existence, its terms could not have been fulfilled.
This would mean their arrangement probably ended in one of three ways: that Napier
did not make the dangerous journey to Logan’s clifftop fastness, that he did so but the
contract was breached in some other way, or that having done his part Napier found
Logan’s notion of compensation to be unsatisfactory.”

ast
le
CREATIVITY
tC
Fas

16 17
Chapter 7: Religious Apocalypse Discovery, John Napier identified the Pope as the Antichrist and the Roman and Islamic empires
represented the wicked kingdoms on earth as well as the true enemy of true Christians. Many
significant historical milestones pertaining to the wicked kingdoms were interpreted by John Napier
“The Plaine Discovery itself is to modern eyes a curious mixture of bigotry, scholarship and humility… to represent the opening of the seals and the sounding of the trumpets as described by St John.
The subject of the book, the biblical Apocalypse attributed to the apostle St John, is so obscure that even
Calvin had admitted that he could not understand it.” St John introduced the subject of the seals in the fifth chapter of Revelations and described a scroll
presented to Christ in heaven with seven seals which indicated a series of events leading to the day
John Napier’s long-held interest in the subject of religious apocalypse culminated in the publica- of God’s judgement on earth. According to St John, the opening of the first four seals dispatched the
tion of Plaine Discovery of the Whole Revelation of St John in 1593. It was published at a time when Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse with the sole purpose of inflicting religious deception, war, famine
protestantism in England and Scotland faced significant threats from abroad and closer to home. and pestilence.
“So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who
The Spanish Armada attempted to sat on it was death, and Hades followed with him. And power was
transport troops to England in 1588 given to them over a fourth of the Earth, to kill with sword, with
as a means to remove Elizabeth I from hunger, with death and by beasts of the earth.”
the throne and reinstate Catholicism.
The Spanish Armada was successfully
defeated following a series of naval
engagements. However, the 1592
Spanish Blanks Conspiracy, which
involved a number Scottish nobles
conspiring to support an invasion of
thirty-thousand Spanish troops to
land on the west coast of Scotland,
contributed to a continued sense
Defeat of the Spanish Armada
of suspicion and tension. It is most
likely that such events would have served to stoke existing fires of contempt within John
Napier, who was deeply committed to the protestant faith and vehemently critical of Catholicism.

“Denunciation and vilification of the papacy and its church were

the most dominant themes of Plaine Discovery. Every part of the
work was loaded with anti-Catholic language and imagery, from the
dedicatory and introductory epistles to the tables that summarised the
revelation and the poems included by Napier.”
‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’
Within Plaine Discovery of the Whole Revelation of St John, Victor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov
John Napier presented thirty-six propositions based on his
interpretations of the prophecies within the Book of John Napier referred to the baptism of Christ in 29 AD and the writing of the four gospels by Mat-
Revelations, which he substantiated further with commentary and thew, Mark, Luke and John as the historical references for when the first four seals were opened.
historical notes of proof cited from the Bible. He used his According to Napier, such references were ‘acts of divine mercy’ served upon Christians prior to the
interpretations and historical notes of proof to construct a detailed corruption, suffering and persecution carried forth by the Four Horsemen. John Napier described the
timeline towards the day God will serve his judgment, leading to the rise of Nero and his infamous persecution of Christians as the two historical notes of reference for
destruction of the world and the creation of a new heaven and the opening of the fifth and sixth seals. The opening of the seven seals marked, as Napier believed,
earth. Within the Book of Revelations, St John described the the beginning of a great antichristian darkness. The end of the Roman Emperor Vespasian’s rule
opening of seven seals, the sounding of seven trumpets and a in 71 AD, during the period described as the Flavian Dynasty, was the historical note of proof that
period of four jubilees. In Plaine Discovery, John Napier matched Napier believed indicated the opening of the seventh seal, when a period of suspended persecution
Front Cover of Plaine Discovery
events in history to definitively state how long the seals, against Christians began.
trumpets and jubilees lasted.
“The period denoted by the trumpets was the longest in Christian history and was concerned
According to Napier, the seven seals were opened in turn in seven year intervals, angels primarily with the corruption of the church and growing dominance of the papacy as the Anti-
sounding their trumpets every 245 years and a period of jubilee would last 49 years. In Plaine christ, ending with a new hope that came in the form of the Protestant Reformation.”

18 19
Throughout the period of the seven trumpets, John Napier continued to refer to the persecution of
Christians at the hands of the Roman Empire as well as the corrupting influence of the Papacy as Chapter 8: Machines of War
well as the rise of Islam in the East within his historical notes of proof. In Plaine Discovery, Napier
referred to the Papacy as Gog and Islam as Magog and made his first reference to Islam in the third “It is a measure of the diversity of Napier that while he was seeking
proposition. inspiration to foretell the end of God’s world in the Plaine Discovery, he was
“The star and locusts of the fifth trumpet, are not the great Anti- also concerning himself with inventing machines of war.”
christ and his clergy, but the dominator of the Turks and his army,
who began their dominion in Anno Christi 1051.” At the same time as John Napier’s Plaine Discovery of the Whole Revelation of St John was published in
1593, revelations regarding the Affair of the Spanish Blanks were revealed. The attempt by Scottish
The seventh trumpet heralded the great turning point according Catholic Earls to gain support from the Spanish King to quell Protestantism in Scotland, sparked a
to John Napier, who referred to Protestant Reformation activ- renewed sense of fervour in terms of papist conspiracies.
ities in 1541. It is unclear what specific activities John Napier
referred to, which can be said for several of his historical notes It is unclear when John Napier began working on his designs, or if the impending threat of
of proof within Plaine Discovery, but historians believe his inter- a second Spanish invasion was indeed the catalyst, but he submitted a list of inventions to the
pretations alluded to the establishment of the movement and Government titled Secrett inventionis, profitabill and necessary in the defence of this lland, and
its prominent figures. withstanding Strangers, enemies of God’s truth and religion in 1596. He described methods of
harnessing the sun’s power as a weapon using parabolic mirrors and detailed blueprints of what we
“The period of the four jubilees, occurring every 49 years, was regard today as a tank, submarine and an artillery cannon as a means to repel enemy attacks from
special for Napier’s scheme because it represented a shift from al- land and sea.
legorical interpretations about historical and contemporary events
to predictions about the future. It was the most positive period for
Napier because it included the victory of god’s true church over the ‘The Seven Trumpets of the Apocalypse’
church of the Antichrist.” Albrecht Durer

According to John Napier, the period of the first jubilee began in 1541 and referred to the
Reformation as the historical note of proof in which he believed the truth was brought to light with
regards to the Gospels. Napier believed the second jubilee began in 1590, just three years prior to
publishing Plaine Discovery. In the Book of Revelations, St John described hearing an angel declare
that Babylon would be destroyed and John Napier interpreted this to mean the fall of Rome. Within
his commentary, Napier also referred to the recent defeat of the Spanish Armada and the succession
of France’s first protestant King, Henry IV, as acts of divine providence which indicated God’s favour
towards the protestant faith.

“Napier’s fascination with mathematics found an outlet in his calculations of

the approximate date of the end of the world, based on numbers and various
books of the Bible and the Talmudic Prophecy of Elias.”

According to his research, John Napier believed the world would endure
for a total of six thousand years, in three cycles of two thousand years
under the Law of Nature, Mosaic Law and the Law of Christ. Napier referred An illustration depicting the theory of using the sun and
to Matthew 24:22 as a means to propose that it was God’s will to shorten parabolic mirrors to repel an attack from the sea
the final period of two thousand years to spare suffering on earth.
The second Spanish Armada never set sail for British shores, and John Napier’s weaponry remained
“And except those dayes shulde be shortened, there shulde no flesh be as drawings and descriptions which, upon his instructions, were destroyed a short time after his
King Henry IV of France saued: but for the electes sake those dayes shalbe shortended.” [2] death. Legend has it, however, that Napier constructed a prototype of his tank which was buried
on the lands at Gartness. In a tract titled Discovery of a Most Exquisite Jewel, written by Sir Thomas
Therefore, John Napier predicted that the world would end in 1688 upon the completion of the fourth Urquhart of Cromarty in 1652, it is suggested that John Napier successfully tested one of his
jubilee period of 49 years. weapons.

2 Mathew 24:22

20 21
“He had the skill to frame an engine which, by virtue of some secret springs,
inward resorts, with other implements and materials fit for purpose, enclosed Chapter 9: Logarithms & the Pace of Discovery
within the bowels thereof, had the power to clear a field of four miles
circumference of all living creatures exceeding a foot in height that should be Discovering the fastest sea routes to the spice islands had been of significant importance to
found thereon, howsoever near they might be to one another; by this machine European countries such as Spain and Portugal during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
alone, to kill 30000 Turks without the hazard of one Christian. Of this it is said Christopher Columbus led a fleet of three ships, the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria on an expedition to
that (upon a wager) he gave proof upon a large plain in Scotland, to the pioneer a new, shorter route to Asia in 1492 and a successful circumnavigation of the world was
destruction of a great many herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, whereof some achieved by Ferdinand Magellan in 1522.
were half a mile distant from others on all sides and some a whole mile.”
Knowledge and progressive theories, within the field of astronomy had also progressed rapidly
during this time. Nicholas Copernicus described how the earth moved around the sun in 1543,
John Napier kept many of his designs private, which were burned a short time before his death in
through his publication On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres and many of his theories were
1617. According to Sir Thomas Urquhart, John Napier was asked why he wished to keep his designs
developed further by Kepler, whose 1609 publication New Astronomy presented his first and second
secret, by an old acquaintance, a short time before his death in 1617.
laws of planetary motion.

“His answer was that for the ruin and overthrow of man there were too many As the gateways to the world and the stars were explored through scientific study and expedition,
devices already framed, which if he could make to be fewer he would with all dated navigational methods and long, complicated calculations threatened both the momentum
his might endeavour to do; and that therefore seeing the malice and rancour and accuracy of discovery. This is particularly pertinent to the aforementioned 1492 expedition led
rooted in the heart of mankind will not suffer them to diminish, by any new by Christopher Columbus who, upon arrival in the Bahamas, incorrectly identified the landmass as
conceit of his the number of them should never be diminished.” [3] Japan and proceeded to incorrectly identify China when he had actually reached Jamaica.

“In the field of mathematics, Napier’s discovery was momentous. Although the naviga-
tors on the great voyages now taking place had quadrants for their charts instead of the
astrolabe which Columbus had used, they still had to calculate enormous, cumbersome,
error-prone calculations to find out exactly where they were. The invention of logarithms
released the navigators from all of this. For them and for the architects, merchants,
bankers and most of all the astronomers life was changed completely - and immediately.
When Kepler, the Imperial mathematician at Prague in 1601, calculated the orbit of the
planet Mars without the benefit of logarithms, it took him four years.”

John Napier published Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descriptio in 1614, which included ninety pages
of logarithmic tables as well as thirty-seven pages of instruction to make the process of carrying
out long, complicated calculations easier. The publication was published in Latin, which was the
common language used by academics at the time. The system Napier described focused on a
relationship between arithmetical and geometric progressions which produced a series of logarithms
and anti-logarithms.

Presented below is a table of logarithms (top row) and anti-logarithms (bottom row) to illustrate the
concept in a very basic sense. The table of logarithms and anti-logarithms can be used to work out a
series of multiplication and division calculations as well as a method to identify the square, square
root and cube of numbers.

To calculate 16 x 64, the anti-logarithms 16 and 64 are identified and represented by the logarithms
4 and 6. The logarithms are added together to make 10 and the answer 1024 is provided.

4+6

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 4 8 16 32 64 128 256 512 1024

3 Sir Thomas Urquhart: quoted from ‘John Napier’ - Lynne Gladstone-Miller

22 23
A logarithm is the power to which a base number must be raised to achieve a desired result. The Having read Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descriptio Henry Briggs, Professor of Mathematics at
logarithmic formula derives from the exponential formula f(x) = bx, where b represents the base and Gresham College, travelled from London to Edinburgh to visit John Napier in 1615. The discussions
x is the power. The following table represents an exponential function with a base two system. which were held focussed on revising and simplifying logarithms to Log10 (1) = 0. Having agreed
upon this revision, Briggs completed his revised tables in 1624, which are what we call the Common
Logarithmic Table today.
x -2 -1 0 1 2 3
This book will now use the table of Common Logarithms as a means to demonstrate how to multiply
f(x) 1/4 1/2 1 2 4 8 and divide using logarithms, which have been reduced to two decimal places.

To provide an example, when 8 = f(x) it would read 8 = 2³.

N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
The logarithmic formula f(x) = log bx enables us to express the same solution but in a different way. Log 0.00 0.30 0.47 0.60 0.69 0.77 0.84 0.90 0.95 1.00 1.04
Using the same example as before, the formula now reads log28 = 3.

Therefore, returning to the earlier calculation 16 x 64 = 1024, the solution can be expressed using
either the exponential and logarithmic formula: MULTIPLICATION

Exponential Formula: 1024 = 210 To multiply using Logarithms the following formula is used:
Logarithmic Formula: Log2 1024 = 10 Log (AB) = Log A + Log B

The above tables and formulae utilise two as its base number, which can be expressed as 2n. This In this example we shall identify the solution to 5 x 2 using logarithms, expressed in the formula:
theory was introduced in a 1544 publication titled Arithmetica Integra, written by a German Monk Log (5x2) = Log 5 + Log 2
and Mathematician called Michael Stifel. However, 2n presents a significant problem because the Log (5x2) = 0.69 + 0.30 = 0.99
common ratio of the geometric progression is spaced too far apart and, therefore, provides
insufficient scope to multiply numbers out with the arithmetical and geometric progression. Because 0.99 is > log 9 (0.95) and < log 11 (1.04) the solution log 10 is identified,
and the answer is 10.
“It was the genius of Napier that would overcome this problem. The Descriptio gave us the
finished table of logarithms at the end of two books on the mathematics of the subject.” DIVISION

What John Napier introduced through Mirifici Logarithmorum To divide using logarithms the following formula is used:
Canonis Descriptio was a series of logarithmic tables which Log (A/B) = Log A - Log B
utilised the decimal point to express a number closer to one
as its power base, which was 0.9999999 (rn). By doing so In this example we shall identify the solution 10 / 2 using logarithms, which can be expressed as:
extended the range of factors exponentially and its subsequent
Log (10/2) = Log 10 - Log 2
impact and application to science, exploration and commerce
was colossal. Log (10/2) = 1.00 - 0.30 = 0.70
Because 0.70 is > log 4 (0.60) and < Log 6 (0.77) the solution Log 5 is identified, and the answer is 5.
“Napier knew about the use of the decimal point. It had been
introduced before in several parts of the world and its use had been
explained by Simon Stevin (1548-1620), of Bruges, in his book
La Thiende (“The Tenth in Flemish”) of 1585. But his notation for
Logarithms were used as a means to carry out multiplication, division as well as a method to
decimal fractions was exceedingly cumbersome, and so almost
identify the square, square root and cube, cube root, etc until the development of electronic
no use was made of Stevin’s version of the decimal fractions.
calculating devices during the twentieth century.
Napier’s consistent and clear use of it in the Constructio may have
contributed to its subsequent popularity.”
Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis
Descriptio

24 25
Chapter 10: Rabdologiae To calculate 4 x 243 using Napier’s Bones, the heading rods two, four and three are placed
together and the multiplication rod is placed to the left of the aforementioned. A series of numbers are
presented along the fourth column of the heading rods and the various numbers, within the confines
Despite the academic acclaim attributed to Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descripto, John Napier of the brackets, are added together to provide the answer, which is 972.
published Rabdologiae in 1617 as a means to assist in making mathematics accessible to wider
audiences. The publication introduced a series of mathematical innovations, designed to simplify
Multiplication Rod Heading Rods
calculations, which included Calculating Rods, Promptuary device and Local Arithmetic system.

CALCULATING RODS
1 2 4 3
His system of rods were colloquially named Napier’s Bones because the earliest versions were
made of ivory and resembled skeletal fingers. Napier’s new system was widely adopted and proved 2 0/4 0/8 0/6
complex calculations could be accomplished correctly without advanced knowledge and put to
3 0/6 1/2 0/9
common use. John Napier’s calculating rods are four-sided with a series of heading numbers and their
respective multiples are organised vertically in diagonal segments. Because the rods are four-sided 4 0/8 1/6 1/2
John Napier devised a basic rule that opposite heading number must equal nine. A multiplication rod
completes the set as a means to facilitate the process of executing the process of calculation. 5 1/0 2/0 1/5

6 1/2 2/4 1/8

7 1/4 2/8 2/1

8 1/6 3/2 2/4

9 1/8 3/6 2/7

0/8 1/6 1/2

8+1=9 6+1=7 2

A replica set of Napier’s Bones

26 27
PROMPTUARY The figure below illustrates how the values from Napier’s Bones are transferred to a Promptuary
paradigm. In this example, the two rod of Napier’s Bones has been used to generate the values of the
“The instrument consists of two sets of flat strips, one set Napier called the second direct square strip of the Promptuary.
number or vertical strips and the other the aperture or horizontal strips.
The multiplicand is laid out vertically with number strips and the multiplier horizontally
with the aperture strips. The desired product is then read out through the apertures.”
B C D
2 (a)
Napier’s Promptuary is an ingenious adaptation of his calculating rods which converted his
rectangular, vertical arrangement of values of Napier’s Bones into the structure of a square. The
squares were engraved onto two highly contrasting subset strips, titled direct and transverse, which 0(B) 4(b) E F a
used a series of letters as a reference to position the numbers and apertures correctly.
G H b
0(C) 6(c)
The direct strips uses the lowercase letters a-i (red) to assign unitary value and the same in upper
case letters (blue) to represent value in tens.
0(D) 8(d) I c d

B C D e f
1(E) 0(e)

1(F) 2 (f) g h i
E F a
G H b 1(G) 4(g)

d 1(H) 6(h)
I c
e f 1(I) 8(i)

g h i
0 0 0
Figure 1: Napier’s Square

1 1 2
1 1 4

1 6 8

0 2

4 6 8

Figure 2: Formulation of a direct strip

28 29
The system is used to determine the positioning of the transverse strip’s aperture windows which

serve to mask over the direct strips to present the solution. Figure 3 below demonstrates how the
fifth vertical position of Napier’s Bones presents the positioning of the aperture windows of the fifth
transverse strip of the Promptuary.
1

2 (a)

0(B) 4(b)

0(C) 6(c) E
0
0(D) 8(d)

1(E) 0(e)

1(F) 2 (f)
e Figure 4: Producing a solution using the Promptuary
1(G) 4(g)

1(H) 6(h) LOCAL ARITHMETIC

1(I) 8(i)
“Local Arithmetic, another ingenious invention of Napier, is the art of calculating by means of counters
properly placed on a chess board or similar table.”
Figure 3: Formulation of a transverse strip

Local Arithmetic, as John Napier conceded, was created for mere amusement rather than
significant mathematical breakthrough. Within the method, Napier described moving counters
on a chess board as a means to carry out addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and the
The final illustration demonstrates the configuration of both direct and transverse strips to extraction of roots. The board includes a lateral (right) and inferior (left) margin based on arithmetical
provide a solution. In this example, the previous direct and transverse formulations have been brought geometric progression, described by Napier as local numbers. In the example below the margins
together and the basic calculation of 5 x 2 has been calculated using the Promptuary. The employ a progression focused on base two numbers, i.e. 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and so on.
direct strips are configured vertically and the transverse strips horizontally to provide the solution.
Therefore, when the fifth transverse strip masks over the two direct strip, the solution of ten is 16384 8192 4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32
presented through the apertures.
8192 4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16

0 0 0 4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8

2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4

1 1 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4 2

E 2
1 1 4 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1

Figure 5: An adapted example of Napier’s Local Arithmetic Board
1 6 8

e 0 2 In the example below, the multiplicand (24) and the multiplier (36) factors are broken down in to
base two progressions. The multiplicand is broken down using the lateral (right) margin and the

multiplier uses the inferior (left) margin. Based on the local arithmetic progression, the largest
number which does not exceed twenty-four must be identified. In this case it is the number sixteen
4 6 8
and an ‘1’ mark is placed to the right of the margin next to the sixteen place setting.

30 31
The sixteen is then subtracted from twenty-four which leaves eight and a further ‘1’ is marked
next to the eight place setting to the right of the margin. Because eight subtracted from eight
leaves zero, ‘o’ markings are placed in the fourth, second and first place settings to the right of the
margin. Having completed this part of the process the binary code ‘11000’ has been created down
the side of the lateral margin, which is the number twenty-four. A similar process is applied for the
multiplier, which focuses on the inferior margin. The lowest number which does not exceed thirty-six is
thirty-two and a marker is placed below its place setting. The process continues in the same fashion
to the multiplicand and the binary code ‘100100’ is presented, which is the number thirty-six.

16384 8192 4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 0

8192 4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 1

4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 1

2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4 0

1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 0

512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1 0

1 0 0 1 0 0

Figure 6: Plotting of binary points to the Local Arithmetic Board

LEGACY
The sixteen is then subtracted from twenty-four which leaves eight and a further ‘1’ is marked
next to the eight place setting to the right of the margin. Because eight subtracted from eight
leaves zero, ‘o’ markings are placed in the fourth, second and first place settings to the right of the
margin. Having completed this part of the process the binary code ‘11000’ has been created down
the side of the lateral margin, which is the number twenty-four. A similar process is applied for the
multiplier, which focuses on the inferior margin. The lowest number which does not exceed thirty-six is
thirty-two and a marker is placed below its place setting. The process continues in the same fashion
to the multiplicand and the binary code ‘100100’ is presented, which is the number thirty-six.

16384 8192 4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 0

8192 4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 1

4096 2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 1

2048 1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4 0

1024 512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 0

512 256 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1 0

1 0 0 1 0 0
Figure 7: Placing of counters on the Local Arithmetic Board

512 + 256 + 64 + 32 = 864

32 33
 er
epl
Chapter 11: A Legacy Begins es K
ann
Joh ASTRONOMY

“I have not done perfectly as I would, It is believed that Johannes Kepler first read Mirifici Logarithmorum
but zealously as I could.” [4] Canonis Descriptio in 1617, who had recently moved to Prague
as a result of his appointment as Imperial Mathematician. He
inherited the task of completing the Rudolphine Tables, which was an
BURIAL PLACE early astronomical log of the position of the stars and planets. This
task relied heavily upon identifying an effective, reliable method of
executing long calculations and, using logarithms, Kepler completed
It is widely reported that John Napier experienced poor
the Rudolphine Tables in 1627. Kepler later published his own
health for a number of years prior to his death on 04
logarithmic theories and tables in 1624, titled Chilias Logarithmorum.
April 1617, and it is suspected that he suffered signif-
icantly from gout. The burial place of John Napier re-
mains a mystery today and historians have identified
two potential locations. A number of the Napier family SLIDE RULE
are buried at St Giles and the Napiers of Merchiston and
Around the same time as Kepler was working on his planetary tables, logarithms were being used as
Wrighthouses coats of arms appear on a commemo-
a means to devise primitive forms of what is described as a Slide Rule today. In 1620, Edmund Gunter
rative stone describing the church as the family burial
applied John Napier’s logarithms to a two foot rule, which was developed further by William Oughtred
place. Understandably, some may assume John Napier
who introduced the concept of logarithmic scales which could slide independently. The Slide Rule
may have been buried there. However, a treatise pub-
continued to be developed and variations were used throughout the twentieth century. The slide
lished by James Hume of Godscroft in 1636 claimed
rule was used extensively by organisations such as NASA, whose engineers used the device to make
John Napier was buried at St Cuthbert’s Church, which
calculations as a means to build rockets and plan the mission which landed Apollo 11 on the moon.
was Napier’s parish church and where he served as an
Elder for most of his adult life.
CALCULATING MACHINES
LOGARITHM METHODOLOGY Rabdologiae inspired others in the field of science and mathematics to design their own calculat-
ing devices based on Napier’s ingenious Bones, Promptuary and Local Arithmetic inventions. Wilhelm
Schickhard, a German professor of Hebrew and astronomy, successfully invented his Calculating
“Some years ago my father, of ever venerated memory,
Memorial Plaque at St Cuthbert’s Clock device in 1623, which utilised a system of calculating cylinders based on Napier’s Bones. The
published the Description of the Canon of Wonderful Loga-
device added and subtracted six-digit numbers and a bell was attached to indicate an overflow of
rithms; but the construction and method of generating it he, for certain reasons , was unwilling to commit
capacity. Shickhard’s original model was destroyed as a result of a workshop fire but his designs
to types, as he mentions of the seventh and the last pages of the Logarithms, until he knew how it was
were found during the nineteenth century.
judged of and criticised by those who are versed in this department of letters.

“But since his death, I have been assured from undoubted authority that this new invention is much thought EDINBURGH NAPIER UNIVERSITY Me
rch
MERCHISTON CAMPUS isto
of by the most able mathematicians, and that nothing would delight them more than if the construction nC
am
of his wonderful canon, or so much at least as might to illustrate it, were published for the benefit of the Merchiston Tower was saved from demoli- pu
s
world.” [5] tion in 1958, restored and integrated as part
of a campus for a new college named after
John Napier’s logarithmic methodology was published in 1619 by his son, Robert, which was John Napier. In 1964, Napier Technical Col-
titled Constructio. Robert Napier worked alongside Henry Briggs on the project, who added his own lege opened its doors to 800 students which
commentary to the publication. Briggs was an English mathematician, who visited Napier in 1615 offered courses including coppering, cabinet
and 1616, and later developed a common logarithm system. making, boat building, chemistry and engi-
neering. Today, Edinburgh Napier University is
Robert also collected many of his father’s mathematical notes and papers, which were later home to over 19,500 students from over 140
published under the title De Arte Logistica by his descendant, Mark Napier, in 1839. countries and Merchiston Campus is the base
for the school of Arts and Creative Industries,
Computing and Engineering. Facilities include 500 PC Computing Centre, state-of-the-art music
studios as well as industry standard tv, radio and newsroom studios. Merchiston Tower houses a
bust of John Napier and a replica set of Napier’s Bones and Promptuary.
4 John Napier: quoted from ‘John Napier’ - Lynne Gladstone-Millar
5 Robert Napier: quoted from ‘John Napier’ - Lynne Gladstone-Millar

34 35
Conclusion Appendix 1: ‘A Cosmos of Numbers’
Ingenuity, vision and wisdom, light years ahead within the cosmos of numbers, symbols and Alexander McCall Smith has written a specially commissioned poem for Edinburgh Napier
sequence. University’s John Napier 400 Commemorative Programme, titled ‘A Cosmos of Numbers’.

John Napier’s ingenious invention of logarithms decoded previously unexplored complexities within
mathematics and inspired contemporaries, as well as future generations, to pursue and realise their He would not have imagined
own academic achievements in many fields of scientific inquiry. His later introduction of a series of That we, his successors in the city,
calculating devices ensured mathematics was applied to common use and enabled the development Would be here at all –
of entrepreneurialism. He thought the world
And all it contained, known and unknown,
Napier’s dedication to the protestant faith is well-documented and it is suggested by some Would end long before this –
historians that he considered Plaine Discovery of the Whole Revelation of St John as his finest work. He
He calculated the date, the very year,
remained dedicated to his parish of St Cuthbert’s, where he served for many years as a Church Elder,
which is believed to be his final resting place. Furthermore, his passion for theology may provide an Seventeen hundred, or thereabouts,
important clue as to where he visited in Europe during his formative years. When prophecy would come to pass;
In that calculation, fortunately,
The times in which John Napier lived were tumultuous, dark as well as sinister and many of his He was wrong; we are here
lesser-known inventions, including his machines of war and Archimedes Screw and Common Salts, And his house still stands,
were borne out as a direct response to impending invasion from the Catholic Spain as well as Surrounded by a different
infertile lands as a result of years of civil war and English conquest. Myth, mystery and intrigue are Sort of energy: young people
commonly associated with the man behind logarithms, whose eccentric behaviour led many within Beginning something important –
sixteenth century Scottish society suspecting him of being involved in the occult, witchcraft and
Their future, under his eye.
necromancy. There is no evidence to support this theory and John Napier was never brought to trial
under the charge of witchcraft. What he did was extraordinary:
A man who worked by himself
Today, logarithms are an integral part of science, engineering and computing, thanks to the vision A stranger in a cosmos of numbers,
of John Napier and his legacy. Logarithms and calculating devices are embedded within the mael- But guided by the desire
strom of accelerated culture and, like the oxygen we breathe, a thorough understanding of the To understand, to make sense
scientific composition is unnecessary in order to benefit from its application. The life of John Napier Of the complex mathematics
was extraordinary, it was a life beyond logarithms and bones. That lies beneath everything –
Our firmament, our sky,
The particles that make
Our interior selves; all
Depend on numbers
To stay together, to move
In their proper orbit;
This man, this mapper of shape,
Looks down at us from
Monument and portrait,
Understands and appreciates
The university that proclaims his spirit,
That adds up and multiplies
That human curiosity at the heart,
At the numbered centre of our world.

36 37
Appendix 2: Napery Theory Appendix 3: Napier Coats of Arms
Clan Napier is one of the smallest clans in Scotland, with This coat of arms would have been used by John Napier
no known septs or dependent names. The Napier name and his descendants up until 1701. The basic arms of
has been recorded in documents in Scotland as early as a red saltire and four roses, with straight edges, are
the 12th century and the common spelling of Napier those of the Celtic Earls of Lennox. Note that this par-
has been used since the late 17th century. Several alter- ticular coat of arms has engrailed, jagged edges on the
native spellings were used prior to that point, including saltire which represents the arms of a second son.
Naeper, Naiper and Napeir. Where the Napier name de-
rives from remains a mystery and many theories have
been presented.

The Napery Theory believes that the Napier name may

derive from a time when surnames were first used
around the beginning of the 12th century, which were
attributed to an individual based on territory, occupa-
tions and patronymics as well as nicknames, personal
traits and religious festivals. In the English Dictionary In 1701, the Napier of Merchiston coat of arms was
Napery has two definitions, one of which states ‘The amended to recognise the fact that the 6th Lord Napi-
charge or custody of the royal linen; the position of office of Naperer’. Therefore, it is proposed that er was actually the son of Scott of Thirlestane who,
the name Napier derives from a time a descendant held a position within a Royal Household as the therefore, changed his name to Napier. To signify the
Keeper of the Royal Linen. change the arms of Scott of Thirlestane were incorpo-
rated to the engrailed, red saltire and rose of the Earls
of Lennox.
“Suppose a son of one of the Earls of Lennox in the 12th century, was given the position of
“Napper” (napkin bearer) or “Keeper of the Linen” in the royal household, it is quite possible
that he might call himself “Lennox le Napper”, or something similar, which in time could have
become just Lennox Naper and eventually just Naper. It is reported that early Napiers did call
themselves Lennox alias Napier. It is as good a theory as any other one.” [1]

1 Clan Napier Website

38 39
 Napier.ac.uk/SpecialCollections
© 2017 Edinburgh Napier University. All rights reserved