Elementary arithmetic, with brief notices of its history... by Robert Potts.

2

LOGARITHMS.

Holy Book; as to this houre (praised be the Lorde), I have bin doing
at al such times as conveniently I might have occasion."
It is not known how long he remained a student at St. Andrew's;
it is certain he had left before 1588, when his contemporaries were
admitted to the degree of Master of Arts. It is probable that under the
advice of his uncle he proceeded to the eminent schools of learning in
the Low Countries, and to the University of Paris, where he had the
advantage-of hearing the most distinguished men of that age, and among
them Peter Ramus, the eminent mathematician, who was one of the
-victims at the massacre of St. Bartholomew. It is not known whether
the troubles in his own country, or the state of affairs on the continent,
were the causes which led to the return of John Napier to his home,
probably in 1571, as it appears that his first marriage took place in
1572, and by his first wife he had one son and one daughter. Some
time after the death of his first wife he married again, and had a
second family of five sons and four daughters. Some of his sons
became distinguished, and such were his daughters, that it is reported
of them, "that they were all blessed with honourable or respectable
marriages."
John Napier, firmly devoted to the Protestant cause, was ever
loyal to his sovereign. Hie lived apart from the intrigues and plots
of the Papists, though connected with them by his second marriage;
and in the midst of his mathematical lucubrations and theological
studies, was always ready to take his part in public duty. In
1584 King James made his first determined attack on the privileges
of the Church, and his duplicity and inconsistent conduct caused great
troubles to the Church while beset by powerful eneinies from abroad.
In. the memorable year 1588 Napier was chosen one of the Commissioners to the General Assembly called together at Edinburgh
under circumstances the most alarming for Church and State. On
this occasion his mind seems to have been much agitated, as will
appear from the following extract from the preface to his " Plain
Discovery:"This new insolence of Papists, arising about the 1588 year of
God, and dayly incresing within this iland, doth so pitie our hearts,
seeing them put more trust in Jesuites and Seminarie priests, than in
the true Scriptures of God; and in the Pope and King of Spaine,
than in the King of kings; that to prevent the same, I was constrained of compassion (leaving the Latin) to haste out in English this
present worke, almost unripe, that thereby the simple of this iland
may be instructed, the godly confirmed, and the proud and foolish
expectations of the wicked beaten downe."
The destruction of the Invincible Armada had not entirely discouraged the King of Spain in his designs against Britain. For in
the year after, the Duke of Parma supplied a large sum of money
to the Papist party in Scotland, and a plot was contemplated that
30,000 men from Spain should land on the west coast of Scotland,
march to Carlisle, and invade England, leaving 5,000 Spaniards with
the leaders in Scotland. The plot was frustrated when it was nearly
ripe for execution.
After this event Napier was sent as the chief of a mission to
deliver to the King in person a petition from the General Assembly
for the punishment of the rebels, the safety of the Church, and the
quieting of the public mind.