William Barclay (writer) facts for kids
William Barclay (born around 1570, died around 1630) was a Scottish writer and doctor. He is known for his interesting ideas on many different subjects.
His Life and Work
William Barclay was born in Scotland around 1570. He was the brother of Sir Patrick Barclay. William studied medicine, but he became famous for a pamphlet he wrote in 1614. This pamphlet was called Nepenthes, or the Vertues of Tobacco.
Barclay studied at the University of Louvain with a famous scholar named Justus Lipsius. Lipsius thought very highly of Barclay. He even said that if he were dying, he would pass his writing pen to Barclay. Barclay also helped with Lipsius's edition of Tacitus, a famous Roman historian, in 1599.
While at Louvain, William Barclay earned degrees in arts and medicine. He later became a professor in Paris. After working as a doctor in Scotland for a short time, he went back to France to teach again in Nantes.
His Writings
Barclay's most famous work was Nepenthes, or the Vertues of Tobacco. He wrote this for his nephew, Patrick. In this pamphlet, Barclay praised tobacco. He believed it could help cure many illnesses if used carefully. He also wrote poems about tobacco, calling it a "heavenlie plant" and "the hope of healthe."
About two years after Barclay's pamphlet came out, King James of Scotland and England shared his own strong opinion. He published a famous work called A Counterblaste to Tobacco. King James strongly disagreed with smoking. He described it as unpleasant to see and smell, and harmful to the body.
Barclay also wrote other books and speeches. Some of his other works include:
- Oratio pro Eloquentia (A Speech for Eloquence), published in Paris in 1598.
- Callirhoe, commonly called the well of Spa, or the Nymphe of Aberdene resuscitat, published in 1615 and again in 1670. This book was about a famous well in Aberdeen.
- Apobaterium, or Last Farewell to Aberdeen, though no copies of this book are known to exist today.
- Judicium de Certamine G. Eglisemmii [Eglisham] cum G. Buchanano pro Dignitate Paraphraseos Psalmi ciiii., published in London in 1628. This was a judgment on a debate about a psalm.
