SIBBALD, (SIR) ROBERT, an
eminent physician, naturalist, and antiquary, was descended of the ancient
family of the Sibbalds of Balgonie in Fife. He received the principal part
of his education, particularly in philosophy and languages, at the
university of Edinburgh. Having completed himself in these branches of
learning, he went to Leyden to study medicine, and in 1661, he obtained
there a doctor’s degree. On this occasion he published an inaugural
dissertation entitled, "De Variis Speciebus." Sir Robert immediately
afterwards returned to his native country, and took up his residence in
Edinburgh, from which, however, he occasionally retired to a rural retreat
in the neighbourhood of the city, where he cultivated rare and exotic
plants, and pursued, undisturbed, his favourite study of botany. The
reputation which he soon afterwards acquired procured him the honour of
knighthood from Charles II., who also appointed him his physician, natural
historian, and geographer-royal for Scotland. In this capacity he received
his majesty’s commands to write a general description of the whole kingdom,
including a particular history of the different counties of Scotland. Of
this undertaking, however, the only part which he ever executed was the
History of Fife, published in 1710, a work of very considerable interest,
and replete with curious antiquarian information. A new edition of this
book, which had become exceedingly scarce, was published at Cupar in Fife in
1803.
In 1681, Sir Robert became a
member of the Royal College of Physicians, then first incorporated, and in
three years afterwards, he published a learned and elaborate work, on which
twenty years had been employed, entitled "Scotia Illustrata, sive Prodromus
Historiae Naturalis Scotiae," folio. A second edition of this valuable work,
also in folio, was published in 1696. One part of the Scotia Illustrata, is
devoted to the indigenous plants of Scotland, and amongst these there appear
some rare species, one of which was subsequently called Sibbaldia, by
Linnaeus, in honour of its discoverer. For some of the opinions expressed in
this work on the mathematical principles of physic, Sir Robert was violently
attacked by Dr Pitcairne, in a tract more remarkable for the severity of its
satire than the fairness or solidity of its arguments, entitled, "De Legibus
Historiae Naturalis," Edinburgh, 1696.
In 1694, this ingenious and
versatile author published an interesting work on Zoology, entitled "Phalainologia
nova, or Observations on some Animals of the Whale genus lately thrown on
the Shores of Scotland." This was followed by "The Liberty and Independency
of the Kingdom and Church of Scotland asserted from Ancient Records," in 3
parts, 4to, 1704; and in the same year in which his history of Fife
appeared, he published another work, entitled "Miscellanea quaedam eruditae
Antiquitatis."
Besides these works Sir
Robert wrote a great number of learned and highly ingenious treatises and
essays for the Royal Society, chiefly on subjects connected with the
antiquities of his native country. These were collected and published after
his death under the title of "A collection of several Treatises in folio,
concerning Scotland, as it was of old, and also in later times," by Sir
Robert Sibbald, M.D., Edinburgh, 1739. In his antiquarian researches he was
greatly assisted by Sir Robert Gordon of Straloch, the first native of
Scotland who turned his attention to the illustration of the antiquities of
his native country. The subject of this memoir was the next. It is recorded
of Sir Robert Sibbald, and by himself, that when the earl of Perth was
chancellor of Scotland, the latter pressed him with much urgency and great
perseverance to come over to the Roman catholic faith. For some time, Sir
Robert says, he resisted all his grace’s arguments and entreaties, but at
length found himself all at once convinced by the reasoning of the
chancellor. Under this sudden sense of error, and in the fulness of his
new-born contrition, he rushed, with tears in his eyes, into the arms of his
converter, and formally embraced his religion. Soon afterwards, remaining
still steady in the faith, he accompanied his lordship to London, and
resided with him there for one winter. The long and frequent tastings,
however, and extremely rigid discipline to which he was now subjected,
induced him to reconsider the points of controversy between catholicism and
protestantism, and the result was that he discovered he had done wrong in
deserting the latter, and with a heart once more filled with contrition, he
returned to his original faith. It may not be without its effect on those
who shall consider this circumstance as an instance of weakness in Sir
Robert Sibbald’s character, to learn, that Dr Johnson entertained a very
different opinion of it. The great moralist considered it as an honest
picture of human nature, and exclaimed, when the subject was discussed in
his presence, "How often are the primary motives of our greatest actions as
small as Sibbald’s for his re-conversion." Sir Robert Sibbald wrote several
other works, and promoted the establishment of a botanical garden at
Edinburgh. He died about the year 1712. |