The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700
George Ruthven (1546 - 1638)
Physician, surgeon, and apothecary, Ruthven "was a scion of the Gowrie family, and is supposed to have been a son of Patrick, third Lord Ruthven, who fought the Battle of the Bridge of Tay" (Fittis, 298). In 1600, he might also been suspected of involvement in the Gowrie plot (Scott, 84). In 1624, Ruthven was living in the neighbourhood of St John’s Church and was a well-known figure in the community (ibid). Much of what is known about Ruthven is inferred from his friend Henry Adamson's publication The Muses Threnodie. In Adamson's depiction, Ruthven was an authority on local history and antiquities, an avid sportsman, a witty versifier, and a royalist. Adamson (the presumed author of the "Introduction" to his Threnodie) indicates that at that time of publication, in 1638, Ruthven was almost 100 years of age, although John Kerr falls well short of that mark in giving Ruthven's life dates as 1546-1638. The introduction also describes him as "a good man" who "hath been occasion of mirth to many," and a marginal note in the "Third Muse" describes him as "a bonnie little man" (26).What we know of Ruthven's collection derives from Henry Adamson's obscure poem "The Inventarie of the Gabions, in M. George his Cabinet," prefatory to The Muses Threnody. According to the introduction to the poem, Ruthven referred to his cabinet the "Catechrestick name" of "
a peaceable inoffensive man, and addicted to study. He had great knowledge of history, and had the character of being a virtuoso. In his cabinet or museum, he had a large collection of natural curiosities, particularly the preserved bodies and bones of animals of various kinds (84).Scott's source of information is undisclosed, but it must be other than “The Inventarie of the Gabions,” since there is very little clear indication here of the naturalia in his collection, and certainly no preponderance of preserved bodies and bones.
Collector (minor)
Relevant locations: Lived at or near near St. John's Kirk, Perth
Relationships: Henry Adamson (1581-1637) was a friend of George Ruthven
Linked print sources: as Mentioned or referenced by - A History of the Life and Death of John, Earl of Gowrie, With Preliminary Dissertations.
as Mentioned or referenced by - Ecclesiastical Annals of Perth, to the Period of the Reformation.
as Mentioned or referenced by - History of Curling: Scotland's Ain Game and Fifty Years of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.
as Mentioned or referenced by - Old Friends: Essays in Epistolary Parody.
as Mentioned or referenced by - Reliquiae Trotcosienses, or, The gabions of the late Jonathan Oldbuck Esq. of Monkbarns.
as Mentioned or referenced by - Sports and Pastimes of Scotland: historically Illustrated.
as Mentioned or referenced by - The Book of Perth: An Illustration of the Moral and Ecclesiastical State of Scotland Before and After the Reformation.
as Mentioned or referenced by - The Chronicle of Perth: A Register of Remarkable Occurrences, Chiefly Connected With That City, From the Year 1210 to 1668.
as Mentioned or referenced by - The Origin and Growth of the Tradition 'Ecce Tiber! Ecce Campus Martius!' as applied to the Tay and the Inches of Perth.
as Mentioned or referenced by - The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland's Century, 1590-1710.
as Subject of/in a document - Book Memorabilia of the city of Perth: containing, A guide to Perth; Historical memoranda respecting Perth; charters relating to the privileges of Perth; list of the ministers, and rectors of the grammar school and academy: list of the subscribers for building the bridge, and the public seminaries; and the Rev. Alexander Duff's (late of Tibbermuir) Traditional account, in the town of Perth, of the death of John, Earl of Gowrie, and his brother, Mr. Alexander Ruthven, in 1600. Compiled from the best sources of information; chiefly from Mr Cant's notes to The muse's threnodie of Adamson.
as Subject of/in a document - Perth: Its Annals and its Archives.
as Subject of/in a document - The History of Perth, from the earliest period to the present time. With a Supplement, containing the “Inventory of the Gabions,” and the “Muses Threnodie,” by H. Adamson.
as Subject of/in a work of art - Mr George Ruthven's Cabinet of Curiosities.
as Subject of/in a work of art - The Muses Threnodie, or, mirthfull mournings, on the death of Master Gall Containing varietie of pleasant poëticall descriptions, morall instructions, historiall narrations, and divine observations, with the most remarkable antiquities of Scotland, especially at Perth By Mr. H. Adamson..
as Subject of/in a work of art - The Muses Threnodie: or Mirthful mournings on the death of Mr. Gall, containing variety of pleasant poetical descriptions, moral instructions, historical narrations, and divine observations, with the most remarkable antiquities of Scotland, especially of Perth.
References in Documents:
A
a Citizen of
ly
stature, and pregnant wit, much given to pa
stime, as golf, archerie, curling; and Joviall companie. A
man verie kinde to his friends, and a prettie poet in
liberall merriments, and tart satyres; no lesse acquaint
with PhilœnusAcidalian
Dame
For the mourner, he yet lives and mournes: and see
ing he is of purpose to set
forth the webbe of his life,
which is verie long, now almost an hundred elnes,
coun
ting an elne for a year, it is needlesse to speak of him
here, all know him
(that know him) to be a good man;
and hath beene occasion of mirth to many, to
none of
mourning, as
to him. It seemeth
sufficient, untill the time he him
self set out the historie of himself, to set
down here th
inventar of the ornaments of his Cabin, which,
by a Ca
tachrestick name, he usually calleth
This Inventarie we have in a torn, and worn copie,
and in respect there are some lines in it we can not read,
pray thee, gentle Reader, be content of that, that is to
the fore, till we can obtaine from
piece, which was alleaged to be written by
although, in veritie, the Author of this book did write
it, and as I think, not without
advice, and for his friends recreation.
Gabions
in
his Cabinet.
Master
horne
The Oxford Companion to World Mythology
Brown Kennet,
totum, A
aufer, D
deponeand N
nihil. The disk was spun like a top, the player’s fortune being decided by the letter uppermost when the disk fell’ (DOST).
Momusgift did not inlake
inlaik,
v. to be deficient; to come or run short; to be wanting or missing (DOST)
Humanism, Machinery, and Renaissance Literature(CUP, 2004), p. 59.
Pantheon.
shew to underlingsGeorges gabions
teares and mournings,
Amids the giddie course of Fortunes tur
nings,
Vpon his dear friends death,
Where his rare ornaments bear a part, and
wretched Gabions all.
Gabionshelp me him to mone;
of this book
did write the
Pantheon,
which was
fathered on
Divine Weeks. Here Sylvester is deferring to Sidney and his now lost and incomplete translation of the same. Sylvester likens his situation, as the inferior poet and translator, to that of the painters who refused to attempt completion of the painting of Venus that Apelles (widely understood as the greatest painter of Greek antiquity) left unfinished at his death. One of three references Adamson makes to this analogue.
A requiemsing unto that sweetest soul,
Clubs, you must no more prepare.
Loadstonesof
stones.
Burdownyee must bear, not on the flood,
Gabionslesse and more
tended Poet
When he shot
at rivers, used
to say
Have
it the knee of
Oríon.
it the knee of
Oríon
Crœsus
William
of the north
Chattan, and
Kay
thirtie and
thirtie.
where killed
was
Iames the
first
House, or Car
thusian mo
nastery, wher
buried was
the first, was
built by him
BritansIsle
Monsier,
Monsier, the true occasion, will I show.
Robert
Sylvius
Monsier, in hand to take
Monsier, mine heart's so sorie,
king, vve to the tovvn returned,
Monsier, the day is vvondrous fair,
Monsierarise, then ansvvered I, Who's there?
Monsier, the third time did it call.
Monsier, God speed.
Monsier, quoth
Monsier, said he, That's beene a mightie passion,
Master
Monsier, arise: then I awoke,
Woodbind of the wall
Monsier, sith that we have no better,
Creet, and worthie more than he,
Cretiansat their pleasure ly,
enemies of
ties of
land
worthies of
Edward
first; whose vertues great
Defender of the Faith,
God save our goodKing Charles ;
burgh
clowns half
asses.
Monsier, these fellowes stupid,
tale & good
ly man, M.
bonnie little
man.
Echofettred vvas in love,
Galstender minde,
learning.
can do.
Mecaenaslets not Poets die,
Omnis terrayou do call.
Monsier, my good
Geniussayes,
Monsier, but ah, mine heart can scarcelie sober!
Monsier, do not despare;
Monsieryee do far mistake it;
Galssweet words often do me comfort,
Geniustruely doth report
Geniustruely doth it know:
Rosie Crosse;
Masonword, and second sight,
of the bridge
of
Monsier, said
Monsier, I vvill show it you.
Monsierthis storie is too old,
Pights, which stood on
Pightsto brake,
work.
Cunidagbefore:
Castell-gavell, as yet is named.
Agricolawas seene,
Monsier, that we truely can alledge.
Gall
pearles.
Gall
William
Monsier, you vaig.
Monsier, Would you have it mended?
Monsier, be not so much annoy'd,
pelleth the
of
Forth,
renders the
government.
8. pag. 272.
Fortunshaving gain'd a faction,
Fortuneswheele.
ged three
months.
her wals ra
zed.
Fortunesfickle chance?
Edward
the third ta
keth captive
the
takes in
and rebuildes
her wals.
the second
beliggereth
by the
glas
of Rosse
Stuartfirst assayed
Rosse
dered by the
land men kill
a Burges of
by the citi
zens to
building of
the wals.
Monsier, as I have shown,
Monsier, needs none more at all
Burgesses all
chosen men
of greatest
manhood, for
defence of
that strength,
Buch. lib.16.
pag. 593
of the bridge
of
event.
on of the bat
tell.
entereth the
towne too
boldly.
fleeth.
riband.
Religions sake,
Iohnstoun
Monsier, men of renown
Gall
Gall
Monsier, Your antiquitie
Gall
at
the truth.
Speytowre window did behold
"These foxes which do lurke within these holes,
"Delighting in the earth like blinded moles,
"Drown'd in their lusts, and swimming in their pleasures
"Whose God their belly, whose chief joy their treasures;
"Who caused have our death, shall hunded be
"Forth of these dens, some present heere shall see
"The same ere it be long, then shall yee say,
"Its for Gods truth that we have dyed this day.
"And all these sumptuous buildings shall be cast
"Down to the earth, made desolat, and wast:
"This to performe Gods zeale shall eat men up,
"To fill the double potion in their cup:
"The apples then of pleasure, which they loved
"And lusted after, shall be all removed.
"Yea scarcely shall they finde a hole to hide
"Their heads (thus by the Sprite they testified.)
"And in that day true Pastours shall the Lord
"Raise up to feed his flock, with his pure word,
"And make Christs people by peculiar choice
"Dignosce the sheepheards from the hyrelings voice.
chaplan.
Massenor
Dirigédurst sing.
eth, idols are
and religious
places.
Nehushtan.
house thrown
down.
Iohnstons
huntsup.
God save the Companie.
.Saint Iohnstouns Ribands meet for thee
Iohnstons
loup
Empedoclesmay leap in
Aetnaburning,
Cocleshome returning,
description
of two sorts
of arches.
Mylne!
Ladies steps,
on
Inde,
world.
Colossus, and the grove,
Iove,
tombe which hings in airCarian
Cabinetsrich store,
Muses, we do travell more
Excludit sa
nos Helicone
poetasDemo
critus , Ho
nos Helicone
poetas
critus
rat. in arte.
Auroradid inlight the sky.
Gall
Hey the day now dawnes, so was my song,
The day now dawnes, Arise good Master
Monsier, I heare you call:
Hay the day dawnes;
Solsrayes
Heroand
Gall
Monsier, your table hung on
Gall
Monsier, quoth he, I pray thee ease my spleane,
Hay the day now dawnes,then up I got,
Dragon hole,
gowle.
castle.
die
the
cied.
LawTay did vve hye,
Monastries, with Churches fair
Charterhousetoward the southvvest stood,
BlackFriersChurch did stand;
Ladies Church, Saint
pell transpor
ted to
from
Monsier, said
Monsier, if you will try,
Monsier, quoth he,
made idols,
and devils.
nunrie, vvhere the holy sisters
Fratresin their misters.
Isle
ship.
Dickesons
Gall
ing to
not recorded
and why.
Monsier, said he, that's not a thing to grieve at,
Monkstowre, builded round; a wall of power
hall.
.Perths Whithall
Iames the Sixth
was Burges made and Provest;
Burgesoath, and did inrole
the sixth
vest of
Burgesscrole
Parcere subjectis, & debellare superbos.
Monsier, said
Monsier, That point I will not touch,
Gall
Monsier, welcome
Gall
Monsier, come good
Gall
Cabinin a band,
Gabionhints in hand.
Sergeant Majorthey elected,
vertue.
Gall
thren trees.
Monsier, behold these trees, so great and tall
Earne
Pightsgreat Metropolitan,
Pightsin honour of their King,
Iovesbird should soare into the skye,
Bellerophonand
Rocking stone;
Dirt partes Companie.
stone of Bal
vaird.
Phaenixin its kinde,
Etitesratling stone I knocked,
Cabinetcould it conteine!
called Luth
MethvenCastle
Henrieseventh
garet Teu
ther
Iames
Kenmore
Mailer, and came home by
Ovidthus did we declare,
chaire.
Mottorare incisde thereon,
This is the stone, if fates do not deceave,
Where e're its found the Scots shall kingdome have.
Earthen Mount,
Pightswere utterlie undone
Pightsseven times quaild,
Pightsneere
Donskins
castle on
sinoun hill
cave.
Hometo fair;
Homein Heaven,
Gabions, to bemoane:
Gabions, and cry,
Law-Tay, and stay
Gabionsstay,
Cabine, farewell
Gabionsall,
Gall
Monsier, these fellowes stupid,
tale & good
ly man, M.
bonnie little
man.
of the bridge
of
event.