chap. 160. "If perchance, O Lord, Thou deniest to me a martyr's death, at least I beg that Thou mayest grant me grace to die in tears, and with regret at dying, for love of Thee, my Lord and my Creator." And so Raymond arrived at Bugia; but he did not stay there long, for he went over to Tunis, where he went about preaching, and at the same time wrote many works, such as "Del amor y del honor," "De Deo et Mundo," and "De Majori Fine Intellectus Amoris et Honoris," dedicated to Alcadius, the Mahometan high priest. From some cause, he now returned to Bugia, where he continued to preach, in defiance of the resistance previously shown to him on the occasion of his former visits. He did not long escape the fury of the people. They turned him forth from the town, and beat him and stoned him. On the following night-for so says the account of Nicholas de Pax, Bovillus, and others some Genoese merchants, amongst whom were Stephen Colon and Luis de Pastorga, coming from the coast of Tunis, perceived a large light, in the form of a pyramid, which seemed to rise up out of large stones. They anchored there, and on reaching the shore, found the body of Raymond, still sensible. They instantly begged the body from the authorities, and having received permission, took it on board ship, and continued their journey homeward. Raymond was treated well by all, but, two days afterwards, died from the effects of his injuries, on arriving at Portopi, near Palma, the port of Majorca. His death took place, according to some, on the 3rd July, 1315; to others, 30 June, 1315. Be that as it may, he was eighty years of agea man who had devoted all the latter portion of his life to a good work; but, despised by all in his lifetime, he died poor, disheartened, and discouraged by the failure of his enterprise, only to be venerated after his death by all who knew him or read his numerous works. The Genoese arrived at Palma, and anchored in the bay, in order to get some supplies before proceeding on their journey. Proud to be the possessors of the body of the blessed Raymond, they said nothing of it to the citizens, but wished to convey the corpse to Genoa. As they, however, prepared to depart, the ship would not proceed further, and, in great alarm, they were eventually obliged to make public the sad news of their freight, and give up the body to the authorities. Then the viceroy, and the nobility, and the principal inhabitants, accompanied by the jurats and the clergy, formed a procession, and conveyed the corpse to the church of Sta. Eulalia, and laid it in the ancestral chapel of San. Marco. The Franciscans, however, soon begged the body, as Raymond was a member of their order, and placed it in the church of San Francisco. His tomb lies in a chapel on the north side of the nave, and is a fine Gothic structure. Grotesque animals support seven niches, the respective canopies of which are formed by two angels in each, holding crowns, on which are carved types of astrology, geometry, music, arithmetic, rhetoric, logic, and grammar. An illustration of the tomb is given in Mut's "History of the Kingdom of Majorca," edited by Sres. Bover and Moragues. On Monday, the 5th of December, 1611, a special visit was made to the chapel containing his body, in order to identify it for the purpose of canonisation. The syndic from Rome, and the authorities of Palma, in the presence of witnesses duly appointed, proceeded in procession, and, having arrived at the chapel, caused the marble sepulchre to be opened, and then the wooden coffin which was deposited therein. Having exhumed the relics, they carried them in procession to the high altar, singing the "Deus tuorum militum." A dense crowd now formed around them, so that they were obliged to order the people to leave the church. The doctor and others then examined the remains, and declared them to be those of the martyr. Besides a few blows inflicted on the rest of the body, there were four on the head, two of which were, they said, occasioned by stones. One of these was on the forehead, another on the left eyebrow. The other two were swordcuts; one of these was distinguished on the upper part of the head, the other on the os petrosum. That he was venerated at an early period is shown by the fact, that in the Dominican convent at Palma, now destroyed, was found a book entitled "Ars Metaphysicalis," in which is inserted the "Officium Gloriosi et Sanctissimi Martyris Magistri Raymundi Lullii." But it was not long before the doctrine of his works was called in question. This opposition was headed by the Dominicans. This order denied the doctrine of the immaculate conception, which the Franciscans stoutly defended. The inquisitor at that time was one Nicholas Aymerich, who belonged to the former order, and so he formally complained of Raymond Lull as a heretic. The relations of Raymond then complained to John of Aragon, who caused an examination to be made by the inquisitors of Barcelona, and twelve other doctors in theology, on the 19th May, 1386. By the sentence of the court, Raymond Lull was acquitted from all blame. Another sentence in his favour was delivered at Avignon, under Antonio Riera, of Valencia, in 1395, on the inquiry into the bull of condemnation issued by Pope Gregory XI., which Aymerich alleged to have been issued. This document was, however, no where to be found amongst the archives of the Holy See. However, Sr. Bart. Sureda, canon and dean of the diocese of Majorca, and Vicar-General Juan Figaros, and others, rendered testimony to the fidelity of the copy of this sentence at Avignon; and in 1600, Gregory Fortessa, Vicar-General, and Melchior Trias, notary public of Palma, declared, on royal authority, that this sentence was to be found in a private cabinet of the archives of the University of Majorca. Raymond Lull was a prolific writer, but his works are not so numerous as some of his ardent admirers would wish to believe.' Alfonso de Proaza, in 1515, in a letter to a friar at Sienna, mentions the total number at 488. Mut, in his history, says that Dr. Juan Lobet, who was professor of the art of Raymond Lull, in the University of Majorca, writes word that he has read more than 500; others assert that he wrote 1000; others even 3000 or 4000. Custurer, following the celebrated bibliographer, Don Nicholas Antonio, makes the number 321, and the catalogue, published at Mayence, 313, of which 88 are chemical works, which we shall see reason for excluding from the catalogue. However, in dealing with these high numbers, we must remember that many of his writings are very short, but are put down by authors as separate works. The works of Raymond Lull are thus classed by Alphonso de Proaza. His art, 60; grammar and rhetoric, 7; logic, 23; understanding, 7; memory, 4; the will, 8; morality and polity, 12; jurisprudence, 7; philosophy and physic, 32; metaphysics, 26; mathematics, including works on music, and instruments of music, 19; medicine, 21; chemistry, 49; theology, 153; and spiritual books, 60. We may not accept all these works as genuine, but undoubtedly there still remain the larger portion of Raymond's works only in MS., and this list only serves 1 Chap. viii. 1. He speaks against the success of alchemy. 2. The books attributed to him are dated too late to be consistent with the time of his life. For example, we find, that though he died in 1315, there are works attributed to him dated 1357, 1349, 1333, 1319, in Regno Angliæ sub Roberto Rege," 1355, 1363. &c. 3. He makes mention of Robert or Rupert, king of England during these dates just quoted, as well as Prince Charles, King Edward of Woodstock, and Queen Eleanor. 4. Because at no period of his life can we reconcile a journey to England with other dates already fixed. Translatum fuit præsens Testamentum de linguâ Catholonica, anno gratiæ, 1443, 6 Junii, apud London, in prioratu Sancti Bartholomæi." This cantilena, or poema, upon alchemy, Sr. Rosselló thinks to be the work of Raymond Lull, and deduces the argument from it that he was an alchemist. He gives it in full, and says that the MS. from which he took his copy was in the library of the Balearic Isles, having been taken from the convent of St. Domingo, at Palma, now destroyed. It was on xiv. century paper, and in a book containing the "Desconsuelo," and other works of Raymond, in prose.3 He has no doubt whatever of its authenticity, although it has no date attached to it. But the MS. is incomplete, for in that in the British Museum there are four more stanzas, expressly stating that it belonged to the "Testamentum Novissimum," quoted above, the date of which is incorrect, with the belief that Raymond Lull was the author of it. There are two more arguments to be used against the authorship of these works. One is, the use of the adjective majoricanus, as applied to Raymond, the usual adjective being majoricensis; the other is, the style of these works, which is not the same as that of which there is no doubt. Many of them do not begin with an invocation to God. The reasoning is more at length, and the tables are Who the author of these chemical works was we have no means of determining. We know, however, that they must be very early works after Raymond's death; for they are, apparently, written originally in Catalan, and translated into Latin at a subsequent period. For example, we will quote the concluding words of the "Testamentum Novissimum," according to the MS. in the Sloane collection of the British Museum : less geometrical in form than the "Fecimus Nostrum Testamentum, per Voluntatem de A., in Insula Angliæ in Ecclesiâ Sanctæ Catarina, apud London, versus partem castri ante Thamisiam, regnante Rege Edwardo de Wodestoke, per gratiam Dei, in cujus manus mittimus in custodiam per voluntatem de Apræsens Testamentum, anno post Incarnationem Domini 1332, cum omnibus suis voluminibus, quæ nominata fuerint in præsenti testamento cum Cantilena, quæ sequitur, Alleluia Dei gratiâ. 1 No. 419, folio 55. real works of Lull. The catalogue, published at Mayence, gives the title of a work, being "An History when and why Raymond crossed over into England to Visit King Robert." The work is, unfortunately, not to be found in MS. or in print; but some argument might be made from it as to the probable author of many of these works attributed to Raymond Lull. Many of the poems of Lull are inexpressibly beautiful, rendered 2 P. 305. 3 "La Poesia cuya autenticidad no puede ponerse in duda." 66 more pithy by the force and terseness of the language in which they were written. Of the more beautiful, we may signalise the "Desconort," or Desconsuelo," of which much has been quoted above, and the "Cant d'en Ramon," striking from its simplicity of form and fulness of meaning. This latter poem consists of fourteen stanzas, in which he describes his sin, his conversion, the foundation of the college of Miramar, his prayers to God to aid his endeavours, his conviction that He will come to judge the world who was created to save it: weeping then will be of no avail, pardon for sin must be sought. He also de scribes his discovery of his "Art," to further Christ's cause; how, through the Cross and the Virgin, the queen of sinners, his heart is become a house of loves, and his eyes fountains of weeping between joy and grief; his poverty, and the contempt with which he is visited, no one knowing or loving him; his wish to die in a sea of loves, but first to have aid granted to him in preaching the Gospel, and concludes the poem with a glorification of God. The greatest work of Raymond Lully is, undoubtedly, his "Art," which, though now lost sight of, was, after his death, very famous, and served as a text-book to the schools of Lullistas. Among the more devoted of his followers we find Fr. Bernard de la Vineta, Henricus Cornelius Agrippa, Jordanus Brunus de Noli, Valerius de Valerius, Don Juan Lobet, Canon Antonio Bellver. Many of these wrote commentaries upon some portions of his works. It seems curious that a man who was reckoned illustrious in his lifetime, and was certainly famous, by his works, for many years and in many countries after his death, should have sunk in the present day almost into insignificance. Besides the interest which attaches it 1 Chap. 117, no. 13. 4 Chap. 291, 17. self to his remarkable life, there are good reasons for asserting that, in all probability, Raymond Lull was the inventor of the mariner's compass. But little is known or decided respecting this invention. Flavio Gioja, of Amalfi, however, is most generally spoken of as the originator of this instrument, which has had such a marvellous effect upon commerce and geographical knowledge. Some time before Flavio Gioja flourished, however, we find mention, in Raymond Lull's writings, of the polar direction of the magnet. His book "De Contemplatione," finished at Paris before 1275, especially mentions it. It is important to quote these passages: "Videmus marinarios se dirigere per stellam polarem." Again: "Sicut acus per naturam vertitur ad septentrionem dum sit tacta a magnete.' Again: "Ratione cujus acus se vertit ad rectitudinem aquilonis per tactum magnetis." Again: Sicut acus nautica dirigit marinarios in suâ navigatione. Nam sicut est naturale aeni, Domine, se vertere ad aquilonem per naturam magnetis â qua est tacta." Upon these passages Sr. Don Antonio Pascual observes that they are laid down as facts already known; but any careful reader of Raymond's works will have observed that he often speaks of things as already known for the sake of argument. In his work, "Dels Antichs Comensamens de Astronomia," of which there is a MS. in the British Museum, he alludes in clear language to the virtue of the needle, as well as in his work, "Felix de las Maravelles del Orbe," mentioning especially its pointing to the South Pole-“ Felix, dix lo filosof, l'asaman ha virtut per la qual la agulla se gira a la tresmuntana et à migjorn," &c. The silence of writers about this discovery is an argument in favour of Raymond Lull. But few other 3 Chap. 117, no. 23. • Add. 16,428, folio 57. 2 Chap. 129, no. 19. 5 Add. 16,433, folio 36. claimants have since arisen ; and this may arise from the fact that it was thought to be the invention of a Majorcan soon after Raymond's death, and then, when his work became so hidden from the world, little more could be written about it. At a very early period Italians came to Majorca to study the works of Raymond Lull, and hence Flavio Gioja may have obtained the reputation of the discovery. From the earliest times downwards the Majorcans were great navigators, and contributed as much to the science as to the practice. In 1415, Prince Henry of Portugal founded a school of navigation at Sagres, near Cape St. Vincent, and we are told that he sent to Majorca for a man to teach the art. We are told that the name of this individual was one "James, well-versed in navigation and in the art of making instruments and maps, whom this prince caused to come from Majorca, to teach sciences in an academy which he founded for that purpose." Another edition, however, of the work just quoted, omits the name "James," and merely mentions the man as a Majorcan. There is some reason for supposing Gabriel Valseca to have been the head of the academy. In the possession of the Count de Montenegro, in the villa, called "Raxa," near Palma, is a collection of various objects of antiquity, &c., founded by the late Cardinal Desping. In one of these rooms is a nautical chart by Valseca, which formerly belonged to Amerigo Vespuccio. This map is signed "Gabriel de Valseca, li feta en Malorcha, añy, 1438." All the world, as then known, is correctly marked upon the map, as well the direction of certain winds, and facts relating to the people of the various countries. Communication between people was at that time very slow, and, therefore, it is at least probable that the man who could possess such knowledge as to enable him to draw this chart must have visited some of the countries himself, and probably fitted himself to become the head of Prince Henry's school of navigation. Be that as it may, however, it is certain that the art of navigation was in a high state of cultivation amongst the Majorcans at a very early period, to which, no doubt, the works of Lull had contributed. In the work, above quoted, entitled "Felix de las Maravelles," Raymond Lull distinctly states his belief in the fact that there must be a continent in the other hemisphere opposite to ours. And so also in two passages of the work entitled, Quæstiones per artem Demonstrativam Solubiles. In these passages he states that the flux and reflux of the tide in the great sea, or the Sea of England, as he calls it, owes its origin to the spherical form of the earth, and that the sea would swallow up one piece of land if it had not appetite towards another in the opposite hemisphere. Thus the balance of land and sea is preserved. 3 Señor Rosselló points out a curious coincidence between the name of Christopher Columbus, or Colon and Esteban Colon, who carried the body of Raymond Lull away from Bugia in company with Luis Pastora." These wanted to have carried the body to Genoa, where Raymond had left many of his works and was much held in veneration. It is not without the range of probability that this Stephen or Esteban Colon belonged to the same family as the celebrated Christopher Columbus, and that this latter obtained his idea of founding a new world from the writings of Lull. Anyhow, during Christopher Columbus studies in Portugal, he must have familiarised himself with all that had been written by 1 Hist. des Voyages, La Haye, 1747, vol. i. book i. chap. i. p. 4, note. 2 Folio 47. 3 Nos. 154 & 154-9. 4 Olias Rimadas, p 87, note. |