Newton’s Alchemy Manuscript Found
The renowned mathematician, scientist, and thinker Sir Isaac Newton, recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to optics, gravity, and the laws of motion, had a clandestine interest. Recovered from the archives of the Royal Society after 70 years, a collection of his notes reveals Newton’s fascination with alchemy and fruitless experiments to transmute lead into gold.
These handwritten notes were found, commenting on the work of renowned alchemists from the seventeenth century and documenting Newton’s own attempts to create precious metals. They will go on exhibit for the first time during the society’s summer science exposition.
The notes were first uncovered after Newton’s death in 1727, but they were never properly documented and were lost following their £15 sale at auction through Sotheby’s in July 1936. After cataloguing the society’s collection of miscellaneous manuscripts, the notes were discovered and, with the assistance of Imperial College’s Newton Project, were identified as the missing papers almost seven decades later.
Newton held an interest in alchemy throughout his career, which he kept concealed during his lifetime. This was because creating gold or silver was considered a crime, as per a law passed by Henry IV in 1404. However, Newton and other scientists of the time, many of whom were fellows of the society, conducted extensive research into alchemy.
It is not straightforward to comprehend what Newton is actually saying, as alchemists were notorious for recording their theories and techniques using symbolic language or code to avoid sharing their knowledge.
One excerpt says: "It is, therefore, no wonder that in their advice lay before us the rule of nature in obtaining the great secret both for medicine and transmutation. And if I may have the liberty of expression, give me leave to assert, as my opinion, that it is effectual in all three kingdoms, and from every species may be produced when the modus is rightly understood; only minerals produce minerals and sic de calmis."
Stephen Cox, the executive secretary of the society, stated, "Such an intriguing find highlights the sheer volume of fascinating materials contained in the Royal Society’s library and archive. Our ongoing duty is to guarantee that the materials we possess are appropriately identified and catalogued. This will enable historians, and the public, to access fully the wealth of papers and artifacts from some of the most celebrated scientists in history. At the summer science exposition, in addition to the many exhibits showcasing today’s cutting-edge science, individuals will uncover displays throughout the building of the legacy that past fellows have left behind, including these papers from Isaac Newton."
John Young, from the Newton Project, stated, "This is a monumental discovery for Newton scholars and historians of science in general. It provides essential proof of the alchemical authors Newton had been reading and the alchemical theories he explored in the last decades of the seventeenth century. The location of this document had not been known since 1936, and it was an exciting experience to see it retained in the Royal Society’s archives."
