BARCLAY, William, M. D. was the brother of Sir Patrick Barclay of Tolly,4 and was likewise related to his learned namesake mentioned in the next article. This latter fact is ascertained by the hendecasyllables subjoined to his notes on Tacitus, and bearing the subsequent inscription: "Nobili et clarissimo viro Guil. Barclay cognato meo, pro explicate Taciti Agricola, Joannes Barclay Guil. F. scripsi." The writer of these verses, we may remark, must then have been only seventeen years of age. Barclay prosecuted his studies in the university of Louvain under Justus Lipsius, a great master of Roman
literature; and to him this distinguished professor has addressed two of his printed letters.5 He describes himself as A. M. and M. D.; but where he took those degrees we are not informed. Having been appointed a professor in the university of Paris, he there taught humanity for several years, and acquired a considerable share of reputation by his talents and learning. He afterwards visited his native country, where he appears to have followed the medical profession; but it may be inferred from Dempster's brief notice, that, in consequence of his adherence to popery, his situation was rendered uncomfortable by the clergy, and having returned to France, he resumed his former occupation at Nantes in Bretagne.6 The same literary historian mentions, that, at the period of his writing, Barclay was residing in Scotland, and, according to his information, was pursuing the practice of physic.
The following is a list of all the publications of Dr Barclay with which we are acquainted.
1. Guilielmi Barclay Oratio pro Eloquentia. Ad v. cl. Ludovicum Servinum, Sacri Consistorii Regii Consiliarium, et in amplissimo Senatu Parisiensi Regis Advocatum. Paris. 1598, 8vo.
2. C. Cornelii Taciti Opera quæ exstant, ad exemplar quod J. Lipsius quintum recensuit. Scorsim excusi commentarii ejusdem Lipsii meliores plenioresque cum curis secundis, et auctoriolo non ante adjecto. Guil. Barclay Præmetia quædam ex Vita Agricola libavit. Adjuncti sunt indices aliquanto ditiores. Paris. 1599, 8vo.—Ménage, in his Remarques sur la Vie de Pierre Ayrault, p. 230, has ascribed these Præmetia to the civilian, and the same error has been committed by other writers.
3. Nepenthes, or the Vertues of Tabacco. By William Barclay, Mr of Art, and Doctor of Physicke. Edinb. 1614, 8vo.—This tract is dedicated to the author's nephew, Patrick the son and heir of Sir Patrick Barclay of Tolly; and the dedication is preceded by "A merie Epistle of the Author to the Printer," who is no other than "good Master Hart." To this worthy friend he makes the following communication: "If I find favour in this essay, I shall send you shortly, Godwilling, a scholasticall subject, and a curious little worke, fit onely for those which aspire to the top of Pindus. The one wil bring to your shop the common sort of people, the other the most learned." At the end of the tract he has inserted six little poems, the first of which is addressed to Alexander Craig.
4. Guil. Barclay, Amœniorum Artium, et Medicinæ Doctoris, Judicium de Certamine G. Eglisemmi cum G. Buchanan, pro Dignitate Paraphrasesos Psalmi ciii. Non violandi Manes. Adjuncta sunt, Eglisemmi ipsum Judicium, ut editum fuit Londini, typis Eduardi Aldæi, an. Dom. 1619; et, in gratiam studiosæ juventutis, ejusdem Psalmi elegans paraphrasis Thomæ Rhædi. Lond. 1620, 8vo.—Dr Eglisemmi, like a fair as well as a bold critic, exhibited his own verses in competition with those of Buchanan,
1 Sebastian Brandt, doctor of laws, was born at Strasburg about the year 1458. He studied in the university of Basel; and after having publicly taught there, as well as in his native city, he became syndic of Strasburg, where he died in the year 1520. (Adami Vite Germanorum Jurisconsultorum et Politicorum, p. 5. edit. Francof. ad Moen. 1706, fol.) He is extolled by his contemporary Trithemus as "utriusque juris professor insignis, et tam in divinis Scripturis, quam aliis secularis literature disciplinis egregie doctus, potenter non mediocriter callens, ingenio subtilis, eloquio disertus, consilio ac actione præcipuus." (De Scriptorum Ecclesiasticis, f. ccii. a. edit. Paris. 1512, 4to.) His writings embrace a considerable variety of subjects. We have a copy of one of his professional works, entitled Titulorum omnium Juris tam Civilis quam Canonici Expositiones. Lugduni, 1608, 8vo.
2 See Dr Ebert's Allgemeines bibliographisches Lexikon, Band i. S. 230.
3 Warton's Hist. of English Poetry, vol. iii. p. 74.
4 Dr Barclay has himself mentioned the place of his birth. "Nam Collonia (sic castrum vocatur in quo primum terram tetigi) sita est in littore quod tam vasto atque aperto mari pulsatur." Quo loco, ut obiter dicam, non pauca sunt vestigia veterum bellorum, cum Anglis præsertim. Est in eodem littore, in territorio gentis Barclayane, portus quidam, qui nostra lingua Auld-beaven appellatur." (Præmetia, p. 561.)
5 Lipsii Epist. select. cent. iii. ep. xxxiii. Epist. cent. ad Germanos et Gallos, ep. lvi.
6 "Inde in Scotiam profectus aliquantisper substitit, donec ministri illi Sathanæ magna eum molestia afficientes solum vertere coegerunt, qui in Galliis iterum docere bonas artes sustinuit Nanneti in Britannia Minore." (Dempster. Hist. Ecclesiast. Gentis Scotorum, p. 120.)
Barclay, and had no reason to congratulate himself on the issue. He was likewise assailed by another learned physician, Arthur Johnston, who, in two sarcastic and elegant poems, treated his case as one of decided insanity.
5. Guil. Barclaii, M. D. Poemata. Delitiae Poetarum Scotorum, tom. i. p. 137.—These poems only occupy four pages and a half. (x.)