Wilhelm Adolf Scribonius

Wilhelm Adolf Scribonius (* 1550 in Marburg ; † December 1600 in Korbach ) was a philosopher , physician and teacher . He also appeared as a witch theorist .

Life

Wilhelm Adolf Scribonius (= Latinized form of 'Schreiber') is said to have been born in Marburg around 1550 . In any case, it is certain that he received his doctorate from the Philipps University of Marburg . Afterwards he taught philosophy , especially logic , in Marburg for a while before he went to Korbach in 1581 . Here he took on the task of leading the third grade of the grammar school founded two years earlier in Korbach and, above all, of teaching logic.

Scribonius' wish to go to Korbach is evidently related to the fact that he was a follower of Petrus Ramus . Because it was precisely in Korbach that they had resolved to teach his teachings, and as early as 1580 they tried to get Rudolf Goclenius the Elder to teach . Ä. to bring them to the new grammar school, since it was considered well versed in Ramismus; this intention failed of course because of the veto of the Landgrave of Hesse. So Scribonius could be sure that he was allowed to represent Ramistic theses in school lessons. Perhaps Rudolf Goclenius even recommended Wilhelm Adolf Scribonius to the school, because it is assumed that both were friends; in any case, it is certain that they knew each other.

In addition to logic, Scribonius also temporarily taught physics and ethics at the Korbach grammar school.

Since at that time the salary of a teacher was not or only barely sufficient to afford a certain standard of living , Scribonius worked as a medical student and as a general practitioner in Korbach.

Since Scribonius stayed in Korbach until his death, although he was never married, it can be assumed that he found a home here.

Work and meaning

The work of Wilhelm Adolf Scribonius is relatively extensive. He wrote medical, philosophical, scientific and theological writings. In most of his writings, however, he tried - regardless of the topic - either to explain or to continue or to apply the teachings of Petrus Ramus . So he can be considered a staunch supporter of Ramism .

Below are some examples of his writing activity:

His most important work in the field of philosophy

• His most important philosophical work is entitled Triumphans Logica Ramea , in which he turns to the logic of Petrus Ramus. But, although the title suggests something else, he not only praises them, but even tries to supplement them and to correct them in some cases. From this it becomes clear that Scribonius is not only a 'follow-up' for the ideas of others, but also tries to develop further, independent ideas and to present them plausibly.

Examples of fonts for school teaching

• In 1585 his scientific work Rerum naturalium doctrina methodica appeared , which has to be regarded as a didactically structured work simply by its clear structure and the use of illustrations. He not only explains the history of the development of the natural sciences very clearly, but also reflects critically on the state of knowledge of his own time. The fact that this text must be a textbook is also shown, for example, by the fact that it presents theories that he has presented in more detailed, more scientifically designed works in a summarized, simpler form.
• From 1596 there is the small theological text Idea Sacrosanctae Theologiae .

Examples of scientific writings

• In his astronomical books Isagoge Sphaerica Methodice Proposita (1581) and Disciplina Sphaerica Methodice Tradita (1591) he argues that the theory of the stars, planets, moons etc. is the most important part of physics .

Medical works

• A small handbook on combating the plague shows that he felt very much like a Korbacher : concerns and a short report on the horrific plague of the 97th and ongoing 98th year. Publicated for the benefit of the laudable common city of Corbach . He advised his roommates to try to contain the disease by burning fires and throwing them into these herbs. However, whether the Korbach people felt that the learned advice of Scribonius was helpful in view of the fact that in 1597, according to the church register, around 500 people, in 1598 around 180 people and in 1599 almost 150 people died from the plague, must remain open - after all, a clear decline in the death rate is discernible.
• With the medical writing Idea medicinae secundum logicas theses acc. de inspectione urinarum contra eos, qui ex qualibet urina de quolibet morbo judicare volunt etc. , which appeared in Lemgo in 1584 and then again a year later in Basel, it achieved quite a reputation in the field of medicine. Here he attacks uroscopy based on Galen's model and Arabic medicine .

The witch theorist Scribonius

The witch's bath in a section from the title page of the witch's tract by Hermann Neuwalt , Helmstedt 1584

Since 1583 Scribonius worked as a witch theorist . In doing so, he dealt almost exclusively with the claim and proof that the implementation of the old divine judgment of the water test , which in connection with the persecution of witches was often referred to as the witch's bath , was lawful and above all effective. To this day he is considered to be the most vehement defender of this witch trial , which received more official rejection than any other element of the witch trials . Almost all followers of the witch doctrine , to which Scribonius is to be counted, reject the legality of the water test. However, it enjoyed great popularity among the lower courts and among the people. Scribonius now wanted to give the whole thing a learned foundation, whereupon many scholars argued against him. His Marburg colleague - and possibly also a friend - Rudolf Goclenius was one of the first to oppose him in a paper. Other authors followed later, such as B. Hermann Neuwalt or Johannes Ewich . Hardly any author, who even marginally touches on the subject of the witch's bath, fails to refer to Scribonius, and that has remained so to this day - also in the context of the processing of the history of the witch hunt.

How Scribonius just came up with the subject of witch baths , he describes in his first, still quite small, paper on this problem, namely in the Sendbrieff / Wilhelm Adoph Scribonij von Marpurg / Von inquiries and probes of sorceresses through cold water. : "Wolweise and well-learned Herr Burgermeister / When I arrived at Lemgow on the fifth and twentieth day of the autumn month / when you came to Lemgow / two day after / on Michaelmas evening / on the advice of the council / three gnats because of their various and terrible abuse with Feuwer von life brought to death. On the same evening there are again three / so of the above mentioned as jr fellows and rotters / picked up by the city servants / and placed in jail / but the following day / almost at two o'clock in the afternoon / they are in front of the city gate / to do more research on the truth / tied on the water / stripped off the clothes / in the following way, however, the tying was struck: the right hand was tied to the left big toe / and again the left hand was tied to the right big toe / so that she was even with her whole body rain did not condense / then in the presence of several thousand people / they were thrown into the water / and each of them painted three times / but like a block of wood or a block above / and no one went under. "

At first he himself was “extremely surprised by this new use” that was used here in Lemgo , especially since it was “unheard of in other parts of Germany”. He tried to find out the reasons and causes for this custom on site, “but I have not been able to learn anything certain / I have understood / the saying goes more / it is this use outside of a lot of people's experience and warned / seemed summer / that all of them so witches and sorceresses / are / or are suspicious of a number of reports / as if they are devastating the same art / and are part of the crowd / in this way to be examined / and those who swim above / are considered guilty / but who sink / be innocent and without fail. ”But then his interest was aroused, probably also by the request of the“ Wolwise and highly educated Mr. Burgermeister / in the presence of other gentlemen of the old council ”, whether Scribonius could tell them something about the cause of this phenomenon.

Even after he has dealt intensively with the matter, he has to admit that "the matter is especially wonderful and strange". Nevertheless, he by no means believes "that it was created in such a way / that we cannot reasonably grasp it with ours."

First of all, he mentions who has already dealt with this phenomenon after his research.

• From the group of witch theorists , he can refer to Johann Weyer , who refuses the water test . However, Scribonius sees "no certain proof / so that he will defend and shield his opinion."
• In the field of legal writings, he has apparently been very successful in his search. Above all, he seems to have found medieval and late medieval texts that show him the connection between the witch bath and the divine judgment of the water test.
• He can even cite the ancient writer Plutarch as an informant: “Furthermore, Plutarchus reports / that there are a number of people living in the Insula Ponto / who know the forbidden and supernatural art of magic completely / but are now discovered / they are a figure of a horse in one eye / in the other two eyeballs / which cannot be sunk under the water either way / whether they are made more difficult with armor and covered. "

He does not seem to be entirely satisfied with the evidence and explanations found for the phenomenon of the water sample, because in the following section of his letter he sets out to support the whole thing with his own philosophical and scientific considerations. However, he does this under the premise that the contents of the witchcraft doctrine and the generally accepted conception of the shape, power and appearance of the devil are correct. This becomes clear, for example when he argues as follows:

• "So I conclude / that from the moment the sorceresses announce and socialize with the devil / ire create previous properties / stand and lose their inner form / are they even different people than they were before / get a new shape. So it is true that the witches can be described / that they are Leuth / who of the devil / who owned them / have their share. Because the evil angel / the one spirit and ruler in the air / [...] / has taken over the heart and other limbs of the women / that he is essentially spreed out by the whole substance and all of its parts [...]. "

In the end - as was actually to be expected from the few passages cited here - he comes to the following result: "That is why I do not see / what incongruous thing is coming out of it / when I say / the witches are made easy by the clergy (I mean Teuffelish but) or pulled up by the air / or received on top of the water […]. ”Why the devil however allows that 'his witches' are identified in this way and then burned is quite simple:“ Because no mortal person the devil are spirits / or can see their substance / because they are invisible and incomprehensible / as if the devil has made this use of purgation as it were a convenient and convenient means / which the people can see / thus nevertheless / because his being and body are hidden / his will and advertising will be revealed. "

"After diligent consideration of these things all too often", Scribonius comes to the following results: "Wolwise and highly learned Lord Mayor / it is impossible / that one should despise this eternal use at Lemgow / with the inquiries of the sorceresses through the cold water and consider it void."

(Quotations come from a copy of the University Library of Marburg: Sendbrieff / Wilhelm Adoph Scribonij von Marpurg / From inquiries and probes of the sorceresses through cold water (1583), in: Hermann Neuwald, report from research / prob and recognizing the sorceresses through cold water which Wilhelm Adolph Scribonij rebuttal / and of origin / nature and truth of this […] purgation is traded […] , in: Abraham Sauer (ed.), Theatrum de veneficis. That is: Von Teuffelsgepenst, magicians and examples / warden / credible / old and new scribes / what has been disputed and held by such people at all times / with special diligence [...] reveal. [...] , Frankfurt a. M. 1586, pp. 230-235.)

References

Scribonius represented his theses in several writings:

• De Sagarum Natura et Potestate, deque His Recte Cognoscendis et Puniendis , Lemgo 1583.
• Sendbrieff / From inquiries and probes of sorceresses through cold water (1583), in: Abraham Sauer (Hrsg.), Theatrum de veneficis , Frankfurt a. M. 1586. (Represents the German translation of the aforementioned writing!)
• De Sagarum natura et potestate, deque his recte cognoscendis et puniendis Physiologia. Ubi de purgatione earum per aquam frigidam. Contra Joannem Ewichium in Republica Bremensi, & Her. Neuwaldum in Academia Helmstatiensi Doctores Medicos & Professores , Marburg 1588. http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db//0002//bsb00028819/images/
• Responsio ad examen ignoti patroni veritatis de purgatione Sagarum per aquam frigidam , Frankfurt a. M. 1590.

literature

• Otto Liebmann :  Scribonius, Wilhelm Adolf . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 33, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1891, p. 488.
• G. Kleinwegener, The witch trials of Lemgo , masch. Diss. Jur., Bonn 1954.
• Diana Kremer, “On inquiry and trial of sorceresses through cold water”. Wilhelm Adolph Scribonius from Marburg and Rudolf Goclenius from Korbach on the legality of the "water test" in the context of the witch hunt, in: Geschichtsblätter für Waldeck, Vol. 84, 1996, pp. 141–168.
• Wolfgang Medding, Korbach. The history of a German city , Korbach 1988.
• G. Wilbertz, G. Schwerhoff, J. Scheffler (Eds.), Witch persecution and regional history. The Grafschaft Lippe in comparison , Bielefeld 1994 (= studies on regional history 4; contributions to the history of the city of Lemgo 4).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ German first edition of this refutation: Report of research / prob vnd knowledge of sorceresses through cold water / In which Wilhelm Adolph Scribonii reiterated opinion / and of origin / nature and truth of this and other purgation is traded. Useful and necessary to know for all authorities and rulers. Designed and given by Hermannum Neuwalt der Artzney Doctorn and Professorn in the Julius Vniuersitet. But now translated from Latin into German / by M. Heinricum Meybaum in the Julius Vniuersitet Poëseos vnd Historiarum Professorem , Helmstedt, Jacob Lucius the Elder 1584
2. ↑ response to H. Pistander, exams Epistolæ Et De Partis Physiologiæ Examine Sagarum per aquam frigidam; à Gvilhelmo Adolpho Scribonio, Medicinæ & Philosophiæ Doctore, diversis temporibus in lucem editarum: Concinnatum à quodam Ignoto Patrono Veritatis […] , Frankfurt a. M. 1589

Web links

• http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/exhibns/damnedart/