John Case and Aristotelianism in Renaissance England 0773510052

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JOHN CASE AND ARISTOTELIANISM IN RENAISSANCE ENGLAND

This perceptive study of John Case, teacher of philosophy at Oxford from the mid-1560s until his death in 1600 and author of expositions of Aristotle which became standard textbooks of the time, focuses on his intellectual and cultural milieu and reveals how Case represents the intellectual awakening of Renaissance England. Dr. Schmitt shows that Case was heir to both the traditions of scholastic interpretation of Aristotle and the newer humanistic currents, that his Aristotelianism was strongly eclectic, and that he drew heavily upon Renaissance Neoplatonic and other intellectual traditions in compiling well-rounded philosophical manuals adapted to his age. Schmitt argues that, even though Case was the prime representative of peripatetic thought during Elizabeth's reign, he forged strong links with leading figures in such areas of English culture as drama, literature, art, and music, as well as with important ecclesiastical and political figures. He also contends that Aristotelian philosophy had a much more central position in England than has been previously admitted. Case's position in the scholastic revival which marked late sixteenth­ and early seventeenth-century English intellectual life is charted, and the historical reality of this revival is firmly established. Charles B. Schmitt is a member of the Warburg Institute at the University of London.

McGILL-QUEEN'S STUDIES IN THE HISTORY OF IDEAS

Richard H. Popkin, Editor

5

JOHN CASE AND ARISTOTELIANISM IN RENAISSANCE ENGLAND

Charles B. Schmitt

McGill-Queen's University Press Kingston and Montreal

©McGill-Queen's University Press 1983 ISBN 0-7735-1005-2 Legal deposit 2nd quarter 1983 Bibliotheque nationale du Quebec Printed in Canada

Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Schmitt, Charles B. John Case and Aristotelianism in Renaissance England (McGill-Queen's studies in the history of ideas, ISSN 0711-0995; 5) Bibliography: p. Includes index. ISBN 0-7735-1005-2 1. Case, John, d. 1600. 2. Philosophy, English - 16th century. 3. Aristotle Influence. I. Title. II. Series. c82-095272-9 B785.c44 192

An earlier version of Chapter V appeared in Annals of Science 33( 1976): 543-59, and parts of Chapter IV, Section VIII have been adapted from an article which appeared in S. Bertelli and G. Ramakus, eds., Essays Presented to Myron P. Gilmore (Florence: La Nuova Italia, 1978). The author gratefully acknowledges the permission granted by the relevant publishers to use the material here.

To John, Thomas, and Elizabeth

Contents

Preface

IX

Plates

Xll

Abbreviations

xv

Introduction 3 I Aristotelianism in England 13 II The Life and Works of John Case 77 III John Case and His Intellectual Milieu 106 IV Case's Eclectic Aristotelianism and Its Historical Context 1 39 V John Case on Art and Nature 191 VI Conclusion 217 Appendices I Logic Books Printed in England before 1620 II John Case's Will III John Case's Letters IV The Apologia academiarum V Prefatory Letters and Liminary Verses to Case's Works VI The Title Page of the Lapis philosophicus VII Case's Tabula: "U trum arte chymica verum aurum fiat?" VIII The Authorship of The Praise of Musicke

225 230 2 37 246 251 2 53 2 55 256

Bibliography

2 59

Index

2 95

Preface

rather inconspicuously, in 1973 as a brief chapter in a book I was proposing to do on Renaissance Aristotelianism. A few months after I began to write a chapter on John Case, who was to be my representative of English Aristotelianism, it became obvious that it would be somewhat uncongenial to compress him into twenty-five or thirty pages. Indeed, it has ultimately proven difficult to do him justice in a study ten times that length. In beginning to work on Case I was unaware of the richness of his life and thought and of the extent to which the Aristotelian tradition in Renaissance England had been neglected by earlier scholars. Consequently, this modest book has taken much more time and energy than I had anticipated. Moreover, in the final analysis it must be considered as merely the beginning of a comprehensive attempt to understand John Case's position in Elizabethan England and the general position of Aristotle in the English cultural life of the time. In undertaking this study I was surprised to discover that our comprehension of so many aspects of Elizabethan intellectual history is at present in such a rudimentary state. My sketch certainly cannot fill this gap in our knowledge, but I hope that it at least calls attention to it. Though primarily concerned to present John Case as a figure worthy of study in his own right, I have found it necessary to add a rather lengthy prefatory chapter, in which I attempt to establish a more general context for the understanding of the development of Aristotelianism as a whole in Renaissance England. Particularly in Chapter I-but also to some degree in the volume as a whole-I have tried to suggest a framework within which to interpret certain aspects of the intellectual history of Elizabethan England. I know very well that THIS WORK BEGAN,

Preface

X

the view I present goes counter to most of what has been written on the subject, including what has been published by many distinguished scholars, for whose work I have very high respect indeed. Nonetheless, after spending several years investigating the relevant sources and comparing them with my general knowledge of European Renaissance thought, I have concluded that much that has been written on Aristotelianism in Renaissance England misses the mark. When I had completed the penultimate draft of this study, there appeared a significant article by J.K. McConica, 1 which I have been unable to take fully into account. The conclusions of his paper are similar to mine in some respects, and it has served as a fillip to the final efforts to prepare my book for the press. Like most authors, I am probably more cognizant of the shortcomings of this book than are potential reviewers. Again, like most authors, I do not intend to describe the book's failings in detail. I merely say that there should have been at least two further chapters: one on Case's views on education, centring on the Apologia academiarum, and another on his political philosophy, focusing on the Sphaera civitatis. After serious consideration I have decided to leave these subjects aside for the time being, hoping that perhaps other scholars more qualified than I might undertake the task. Indeed, both topics are so important that each may deserve monographic treatment in its own right. My volume begins the serious investigation of the two subjects mentioned in the title, but it makes no claim to completeness. In preparing this book I have made more than ordinary use of the good offices of many friends and colleagues, particularly for the fields of English history and literature, in which I am a neophyte. I should like to express my gratitude to the following, who helped me in a variety of ways: Jennifer Ashworth, M. Feingold, J.Z. Freeman, J.F. Fuggles, A. Davidson, A.T. Grafton, Lisa Jardine, P.O. Kristeller, J.M. Levine,J.K. McConica,J.E. McGuire, Edith Sylla, D. P. Walker, and the late Frances Yates, who unfortunately did not live to see the publication of the volume. B. P. Copenhaver's careful reading of the entire typescript saved me from errors and infelicities of expression. Sarah Hutton has shared my interest in Case for some years, and she has consistently aided me in my study of him. L.V. Ryan placed at my disposal his deep and broad knowledge of Case and his intellectual milieu. Besides giving me the benefit of his knowledge of the Latin 1.

McConica, "Humanism and Aristotle."

Preface

XI

culture of Elizabethan England, J.W. Binns was also kind enough to make many suggestions for the improvement of the typescript. Research on this subject was materially aided by grants from the American Philosophical Society, the J.S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and the Warburg Institute. A visiting research fellowship at Merton College, Oxford, made it possible for me to work on materials in Oxford at some leisure; J.R.L. Highfield and A.D. Pagden helped to make my stay at Merton as rewarding as it was. I am also indebted to C. Webster for arranging for me to present an earlier version of some of the material appearing here in a series of public lectures at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, as well as for other kindnesses. Most of the work necessary for this study was done in the British Library, Bodleian Library (thanks go especially to Ruth Vyse for help in using the Oxford University Archives), Institute for Historical Research Library, and Warburg Institute Library. Among the numerous other libraries used special mention should be made of the Library of St. John's College, Oxford; the University Library, Cambridge; the Library of the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, London; the Dr. Williams Library, London; the Library of University College, London; and the University of London Library. I am indebted to the University Library, Leiden, for sending me photocopies of materials in their possession. The Bodleian Library and St. John's College, Oxford have graciously allowed me to repro­ duce material in their possession for Plates 1 and 3. Acknowledgement is made to the Keeper of the Archives, University of Oxford, for allowing me to consult relevant material in the Archive. Finally, I should like to thank J. B. Trapp for his continuing sympathetic help and for providing an atmosphere at the Warburg Institute that is most congenial for research. By publishing this work I hope to suggest that the Aristotelian tradition is also part of the classical tradition. In conclusion let me note that more time than expected has passed between the completion of this book and its appearance in print. I have profited from the opportunity to bring the bibliography up to date and to make several modifications and additions to the text. In substance, however, the book remains little changed from the version finished in 1 979·

London September 1982

C.B.S.

1.

Portrait of John Case (By courtesy of the President and Fellows of St. John's College, Oxford)

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