The John Bargrave Collection

Some four yeers after I settled here [in October 1662], Doctor Andrew Balfour came home, and about a yeer therafter came to Edinburgh. I was acquainted with him in France, and we were allyed. He was a man of ane excellent witt, and who had improved himself by his travells for 14 yeers.* He had severall tymes travelled over France, and had been a yeer in Italy, and seen all the rarities there, and conversed with the men eminent for learning. He had attained much knowledge of the naturall history, and provided himselfe well with books of that nature. I came by conversation with him to know the best writters on that subject. I had from my settlement here, a designe to informe myself of the naturall history this country could affoord, for I had learned at Paris that the simplest method of Physick was the best, and these that the country affoorded came neerest to our temper, and agreed best with us, so I resolved to make it part of my studie to know what animalls, vegetables, mineralls, metalls, and substances cast up by the sea, were found in this country, that might be of use in medicine, or other artes usefull to human lyfe, and I began to be curious in searching after them and collecting them, which I continued to do ever since.” (Sibbald, Autobiography,20-21)