Hello, I'm Dr. Anadale from Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Previously, I've reported on my efforts to chase down the origin of this legend that
St. Thomas Aquinas destroyed a robot or android that had been built by Albert the Great.
I've found two new sources that I'd like to share with you today, one from the 20th century
and one from the 17th century.
The first of these I owe to a Youtube commenter, who recommended to me a book by Arthur Waite,
titled Alchemists Through the Ages.
Arthur Waite was a British mystic and occultist; he died in 1942.
He published Alchemists Through the Ages when he was a young man, in 1888.
Here's what he writes about Albert and Thomas.
Michael Maier declares that he received from the disciples of St Dominic the secret of
the philosophical stone, and that he communicated it in turn to St Thomas Aquinas; that he was
in possession of a stone naturally marked with a serpent, and endowed with so admirable
a virtue that on being set down in a place infested with such reptiles, it would attract
them from their hiding places; that for the space of thirty years he employed all his
knowledge as a magician and astrologer to construct, out of metals carefully chosen
under appropriate planetary influences, an automaton endowed with the power of speech,
and which served him as an infallible oracle, replying plainly to every kind of question
which could possibly be proposed to it.
This was the celebrated Androïd, which was destroyed by St Thomas under the impression
that it was a diabolical contrivance.
Waite gives as his source Michael Maier, a German physician and alchemist who died in 1622.
Unfortunately, Waite does not indicate which of Maier's works he's drawing from, and he
lists 18 different works in the bibliography of his book.
So that's going to take some more digging to find the source back in Maier's works.
My second new source was given to me by Pierre Bayle.
His entry in the Historical and Critical Dictionary cites Naudé, and this is Gabriel Naudé,
who died in 1653.
He wrote a book in French, the English translated title of which is The History of Magick, by
Way of Apology for All the Wise Men Who Have Unjustly Been Reputed Magicians, from the
Creation to the Present Age.
This book was published in French in 1625; the English translation I'm drawing from now
comes from 1657.
I'm going to quote extensively from this book, because I really think this is the gold mine
that I've been looking for, giving details about this legend of Albert's android and
its relation to Thomas.
So here we go.
To come then to what is most essential in this Chapter, and to what lies in our power
to deliver this eminent person out of the Quagmire of the Magicians, as we have already
drawn him out of that of the Alchymists.
This were soon done if we would but appeal to the judgment of Anthony de Sienes, and
Father Justinian, who write his Life, or to take witnesses disengag'd from all interest
or passion, Trithemins, and J. Picus of Mirandula, who absolutely clear him from this calumny.
Adding withal, that when it is said that Albertus Magnus was addicted to Magick, it must be
understood of the Natural, for fear lest the false opinion of the contrary, might give
many occasion to imagine that it were unlawful for us to do what he hath done.
But since all these Authorities conclude nothing if some answer be not made to the proofs ordinarily
produc'd to blast his innocence (not to mention that even from his youth, he had
such a particular devotion to the B. Virgin, that she wrought such an
alteration in his mind, that of an unrefin'd
and unpolish'd one, she made it capable of comprehending all things) we are to consider,
that these proofs have no other ground than that of two Books falsly publish'd under his
name, and that Androides, which hath given occasion to thousands of Fables and impertinencies
frequent in Authors.
If after all this Albertus may be charg'd with anything of Magick, it must be on some
other pretence than that of these two books; since it is clear from what has been said,
that he never had any hand in them.
All therefore we have now to do is to refute their errour who are perswaded that brasen
heads made under certain Constellations may give answers, and be as it were guides and
Consellors, upon all occasions, to those that had them in their possession.
Among tehse is one Yepes, who affirms that Henry de Villeine made such a one at Madrid,
broken to pieces afterward by the order of John, King of Castile.
The same thing is affirm'd by Bartholmew Sibilus, and the Author of the Image of the World,
of Virgil; by William of Malmsbury, of Sylvester; by John Gower, of Robert of Lincoln; by the
common people of England of Roger Bacon; and by Tostatus Bishop of Avilla, George of Venice,
Delrio, Sibillus, Regufeus, Deacre and others, too many to mention, of Albertus Magnus; who,
as the most expert, had made an entire man of the same metal, and had spent 30 years
without any interruption in forming him under several Aspects and Constellations.
For example: he made the eyes, according to the said Tostatus, in his Commentaries upon
Exodus, when the Sun was in a Sign of the Zodiack corresponding to that part, casting
them out of diverse Metals mixt together, and mark'd with the Characters of the same
Signs and Planets, and their several and necessary Aspects.
The same method he observ'd in the Head, Neck, Shoulders, Thighs and Leggs, all which were
fashioned at several times, and being put and fastened together in the form of a Man,
had the faculty to reveale to the said Albertus the solutions to all his principal difficulties.
To which they add (that nothing be lost of the story of the Statue) that it was batter'd
to pieces by St. Thomas, meerely because he could not endure its excesse of prating.
But to give a more rational account of this Androides of Albertus, as also of all these
miraculous heads, I conceive the original of this Fable may well be deduc'd from the
Teraph of the Hebrews, by which as Mr. Selden affirms, many are of opinion, that we
must understand what is said in Genesis concerning Laban's Gods, and in the first book of Kings
concerning the Image which Michol put into the bed in David's place.
For R. Eleazar holds that it was made of the head of a male child, the first born, and
that dead-born, under whose tongue they applyed a Lamen of Gold, whereon were engrav'd the
Chracters and Inscriptions of certain Planets, which the Jews superstitiously wandred up
and down with, instead of the Urim and Thummim, or the Ephod of the high Priest.
And that this Original is true and well deduc'd, there is a manifest indicium, in that Henry
d' Affia and Bartholomaus Sibillus affirm, that the Androides of Albertus, and the Head
made by Virgil, were compos'd of flesh and bone, yet not by Nature but by Art.
But this being judged impossible by modern Authors, and the vertue of Images, Annulets,
and Planetary Sigills being in great reputation, men have thought ever since (taking their
opinion from Trismegistus affirming in his Asclepion, that, of the Gods, some were made
by the Soveraign God, and others by men, who, by some Art, had the power to unite the invisible
Spirits to things visible and corporeal, as he is explain'd at large by St. Augustine)
that such Figures were made of Copper or some other Mettal, whereon men had wrought under
some favourable Aspects of Heaven and the Planets.
Which opinion, since it is the more common, it is fit we earnestly buckle with, and shew
that it was not without reason refuted by St. Thomas, William of Paris & Niphus, as
false, absurd, and erronious.
To prove this the more easily we are to presuppose, that speech is the action of some thing that
is living, and is not perform'd but by the voice which is defin'd by St.Thomas, after
Aristotle, Sonus ab ore animalis prolatus.
For it must needs be granted that, if these Heads spoke, it was either because they were
living and animate, or that the Demons spake in them.
If the former, the Soul whereby they did it, must be vegetative, sensitive, or rational.
It could not be vegetative, because, according to the faculties of said Soul; such bodies
should be ranked among Plants, be nourish'd, increase and produce their like.
It could not be sensitive, for that, besides the faculties of the vegetative Soul, it presupposes
two more, which are particular to it, and never granted to those Statues.
Much lesse then can it be rational, unlesse we grant withal, that they could apprehend
the Species of things, discoruse, remember them, and, in a word, be like us.
Moreover, if these Heads and Statutes were really such, that is, living and animate,
it was either by an accidental form or a substantiall; not the first, at least according to the opinion
of all Philosophers, who will never grant, that to discourse, to speak, to teach, to
foresee what is to come, and such effects can depend on an accident, and not on a Substance.
The latter is lesse possible, because such Statues could not receive that substantial
form till they had been devested of what they had before; which there is no colour to imagine
they should have done by a simple transmutation of figure, since the form of the copper and
of their matter was still such as it was wont to be.
Further, I would gladly know, where was their motion, the first indicium of life; where
their senses, the sluces of all knowledge; in a word, (not to ravel our selves into thousands
of difficulties, arising from the original and operation of that Soul) where were the
Parts and Organs necessary for their discourse and ratiocination.
Nor does it availe any thing, to grant that the Damons have spoken in them; for it must
be done either as the Soul does in our Body, by the assistance of its Organs, or as one
should do that answers in a Chest, or some broken pot.
The former way is impossible such Statues being not furnish'd with Muscles, Lungs, an Epiglottis,
and what is requisite to a perfect articulation of the Voice.
The latter is as ridiculous, for, if it be true, why should those men take such pains
to make a Man rather than a Trumpet, or a Head rather than a Bottle, since the Devil
might as well answer by the one as the other, and that if he hath heretofore uttered his
Oracles in Statues, it was to engage men to adore them, to the contempt of their Creator,
whereas there is not the least mention of any Idolatry, in the Stories of this Androides,
and these fine Heads.
So that we may well conclude with the Royal Prophet, The Idols of the Gentiles are Silver
and Gold, they have mouths and speak not, nor is there any breath in their nostrils;
all we have to do (the reasons of Trismegistus being fully refuted by Niphus) being to satisfy
the Authority of Tostatus, one of the most ancient and most authentick Patrons of Albertus's
Androides, that so we may at length give a final sentence against the vanity of all these
Fables and pernicious falsities.
I must indeed confess, that Tostatus was the most learned, nay the miracle, if I may so
expresse my self, of the learned men of his age; since that, being Counsellour to the
King, great Referendary of Spain, and Professour, in Salamanca, of Philosophy, Divinity, Civil
and Canon Law, and all at the same time, he has neverthelesse written such large and laborious
Commentaries, that were we not certain he dy'd at forty, they were enough to perswade
us he had liv'd an entire age.
But when I find him affirming therein many things justly accounted fabulous by the World,
as for instance, what is said concerning the birth of the Prophet Merlin, the Magick of
Virgil, a brasen head that discover'd the Jewes in Spain, a certain earth in Hebron
that was good to eat, the Androides of Albertus Magnus, and abundance of the like, I cannot
but look on them as so many black patches of his humanity; nay, if we appeal to Scaliger,
we must ingeniously acknowledge, that [Latin].
To re-inforce which Argument, if any shall with Aristotle insist, that common report
cannot be absolutely false, and consequently, that so many Authors would not have spoken
of the Androides of Albertus, if something had not been in the wind, I shall finally
answer, That my design is only to shew that he could
not by the help of superstitious Magick, make a Statue that should give him answers in an
intelligible and articulate voice, upon all the doubts and difficulties he propos'd thereto,
as well of things present as to come; and not absolutely so deny that he might compose
some Head or Statue of man, like that of Memnon, from which proceeded a small sound, and pleasant
noise, when the rising Sun came, by his heat, to rarify and force out, by certain small
Conduits, the aire which in the cold of the night was condens'd within it.
Or haply they might be like those Statues of Boetius, whereof Cassiodorus speaking said,
[Latin]; for such I doubt not but may be made by the
help of that part of Natural Magick which depends on the Mathematicks.
It were therefore much more rational thus to interpret whatever hath been said of this
Androides, than to prostitute the reputation of Albertus Magnus, Robert of Lincoln, and
so many other persons of considerable quality to the judgment of certain Authors, who are
so easily carryed away with the slender assurance of a common opinion.
So that is Naude's account of Albert's android and his extensive refutation of these popular
stories about it.
That's a far as I've gotten for right now.
There are some sources that Naude cites that I may chase down in the future.
I hope you've enjoyed listening to this story as much as I've enjoyed telling it.
Thanks for watching today; goodbye.