John Jonston or Johnston ( pl, Jan Jonston; la, Joannes or or ; 15 September 1603– ) was a Polish scholar and physician, descended from

Scottish nobility The concept of the Scottish Noblesse, a class of nobles of either peerage or non-peerage rank, was prominently advocated for by Sir Thomas Innes of Learney during his tenure as an officer of arms. Innes of Learney believed that Scottish armigers ...

and closely associated with the Polish magnate Leszczyński family.

Life

Jonston was born in Szamotuły, the son of Simon Johnston, who had emigrated to the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...

from

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

. Jonston's early education was sponsored by one of his two paternal uncles who had come to the Commonwealth with his father. From 1611 Jonston attended the school of the

Bohemian Brothers , image = AgnusDeiWindow.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , caption = Church emblem featuring the Agnus Dei.Stained glass at the Rights Chapel of Trinity Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States , main_classification = Proto-Prot ...

Ostroróg Ostroróg (german: Scharfenort) is a town in Szamotuły County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 1,993 inhabitants (2004). History Ostroróg was first mentioned in 1383. It was granted town rights before 1412. There was a hospital in t ...

, then the ''Schoenaichianum'' in Bytom, and from 1619 the '' gymnasium'' in

Toruń )'' , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = POL Toruń flag.svg , image_shield = POL Toruń COA.svg , nickname = City of Angels, Gingerbread city, Copernicus Town , pushpin_map = Kuyavian-Pom ...

Royal Prussia Royal Prussia ( pl, Prusy Królewskie; german: Königlich-Preußen or , csb, Królewsczé Prësë) or Polish PrussiaAnton Friedrich Büsching, Patrick Murdoch. ''A New System of Geography'', London 1762p. 588/ref> (Polish: ; German: ) was a ...

. As a

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

, he could not attend the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Jagiellonian University. Consequently he earned his first degree at the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

(1622–25; M.A., 1623), where he studied

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

scholastic philosophy Scholasticism was a medieval school of philosophy that employed a critical organic method of philosophical analysis predicated upon the Aristotelian 10 Categories. Christian scholasticism emerged within the monastic schools that translate ...

, and

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

. His sponsors included the

Primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter including ...

of All Scotland,

John Spottiswood John Spottiswoode (Spottiswood, Spotiswood, Spotiswoode or Spotswood) (1565 – 26 November 1639) was an Archbishop of St Andrews, Primate of All Scotland, Lord Chancellor, and historian of Scotland. Life He was born in 1565 at Greenbank in ...

. In 1625 Jonston returned to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Until 1628 he was a private tutor in the household of the Kurtzbach-Zawadski family in

Leszno Leszno (german: Lissa, 1800–1918 ''Lissa in Posen'') is a historic city in western Poland, within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seventh-largest city in the province with an estimated population of 62,200, as of 2021. Previously, it ...

, where he was an active member of the Czech Brethren community. Around 1625-28 he published ''Enchiridion historiae naturalis'', which in 1657 would be translated into English. In 1628 Jonston traveled to the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

(

Wittenberg Wittenberg ( , ; Low Saxon: ''Wittenbarg''; meaning ''White Mountain''; officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg (''Luther City Wittenberg'')), is the fourth largest town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Wittenberg is situated on the River Elbe, north o ...

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...

Franeker Franeker (; fry, Frjentsjer) is one of the eleven historical cities of Friesland and capital of the municipality of Waadhoeke. It is located north of the Van Harinxmakanaal and about 20 km west of Leeuwarden. As of 1 January 2014, it had 12 ...

) to resume his studies. He attended the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...

, where he studied

botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

and

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...

and the Universities of Frankfurt,

and

Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wi ...

matriculating Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...

in 1630. That year he was offered a chair of philosophy at Deventer but declined it, preferring to return to the Commonwealth to become once again a private tutor. This time he took up a post with Rafał Leszczyński,

voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the ...

of Bełz, where he tutored his son, Bogusław Leszczyński. In 1632 Jonston travelled abroad with Bogusław and several other Commonwealth magnates' sons. Their first stop was in

(1632), followed by

and

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

all, that same year, where Jonston published his ''Thaumatographia naturalis''. In 1634 they visited

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, returning to Leiden, where Jonston received an M.D. degree; soon afterward he would receive a second M.D. degree (''

ad eundem Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

'') from Cambridge. That year he also received a

Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

from both those universities, for his dissertation ''De febribus'' (On

Fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature set point. There is not a single agreed-upon upper limit for normal temperature with sources using val ...

s). Bogusław, Jonston and the others toured Europe until 1636, returning to Poland upon news of Bogusław's father's death. Jonston returned to Leszno, remaining a Leszczyński retainer, in whose service he had the title of ''Archiater et Civitatis Lesnensis Physicus Ordinarius''. In Leszno he was employed at the Leszno gymnasium, where he was a friend of

Comenius John Amos Comenius (; cs, Jan Amos Komenský; pl, Jan Amos Komeński; german: Johann Amos Comenius; Latinized: ''Ioannes Amos Comenius''; 28 March 1592 – 15 November 1670) was a Czech philosopher, pedagogue and theologian who is considere ...

, who was another important member of the school's faculty. In 1642 Jonston once again turned down an offer to chair a department abroad (this time, that of medicine at Frankfurt). That same year, his ''Idea universae medicinae practicae'' was published in

(it would be translated into English in 1652). Jonston would turn down further offers from

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...

and Leiden. In 1652 he purchased (or inherited) an estate at Ziebendorf (now Składowice) near Legnica. In 1665, following the Polish-Swedish War (

The Deluge The Genesis flood narrative (chapters 6–9 of the Book of Genesis) is the Hebrew version of the universal flood myth. It tells of God's decision to return the universe to its pre- creation state of watery chaos and remake it through the microc ...

), which worsened public attitudes toward the Commonwealth's Protestants, he retired from Leszno to his newly bought estate. He remained there for the rest of his life. He died at Legnica around 1675.

Works

* ''Historiae naturalis de quadrupedibus libri, cum aeneis figuris, Johannes Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1657). * ''Historiae naturalis de insectis libri II, de serpentibus et draconibus libri II, cum aeneis figuris, Joh. Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (Ad Moenum 1653; reissued J. J. fil. Schipper, Amsterdam, 1657, reissued 1665). * ''Historiae naturalis de insectis libri III, de serpentibus et draconibus libri II, cum aeneis figuris, Joh. Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (deux parties en un volume, J. J. fil. Schipper, Amsterdam, 1657, reissued 1667). * ''Historiae naturalis de exanguibus aquaticis libri IV, cum figuris aeneis, Joannes Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1657, reissued 1665). * ''Historiae naturalis de piscibus et cetis libri V, cum aeneis figuris, Johannes Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1657). * ''Historiae naturalis de avibus libri VI cum aeneis figuris Johannes Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1657). * ''De Communione veteris Ecclesiae syntagma, ex bibliotheca Johannis Jonstoni,...'' (Elsevir, Amsterdam, 1658). * ''Johannis Jonstonii,... de Festis Hebraeorum et Graecorum schediasma'' (V.J. Trescheri, Bratislava, 1660). * ''Naeukeurige Beschryving Van de Natuur der Vier-voetige dieren, ... en Draken''. Dutch translation by M. Grausius of the ''Historiae naturalis ...'' libri I-VI (I. I. Schipper, Amsterdam, 1660). Some copies with contemporary hand-coloured engravings exist. * ''Magni Hippocratis,... Coacae praenotiones, graece et latine... cum versione D. Anutii Foesii,... et notis Joh. Jonstoni,...'' (Elsevir, Amsterdam, 1660). * ''Idea hygieines recensita, libri II. Johannes Jonstonus,... cum cura revidit'' (V.J. Trescheri, Jena, 1661, reissued 1667). * ''Notitia regni mineralis, seu Subterraneorum catalogus, cum praecipuis differentiis'' (V.J. Trescheri, Leipzig, 1661). * ''Notitia regni vegetabilis, seu Plantarum a veteribus observatarum... in suas classes redacta series'' (V.J. Trescheri, Leipzig, 1661). * ''Dendrographias, sive historiae naturalis de arboribus et fructicibus, tam nostri quam peregrini orbis, libri decem, figuris aeneis adornati, Johannes Jonstonus,... concinnavit...'' (M. Meriani, Frankfurt, 1662). * ''Historiae naturalis de serpentibus, libri II, Joannes Jonstonus,... concinnavit'' (J. J. Schipperi, Amsterdam, 1667). * ''A Description of the Nature of Four-footed Beasts'' (London, 1678). An English translation of ''Historiae naturalis de quadripedibus'', with 80 engraved illustration

*

Notes

External links

*
bio at Galileo Project
accessed on February 24, 2006
Zoologica

Göttingen State and University Library The Göttingen State and University Library (german: Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen or SUB Göttingen) is the library for Göttingen University as well as for the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and is the state li ...

as Jan Jonston ''Historiæ Natvralis'' volumes *Jonstonus, Joannes (1649
''Historiæ naturalis de piscibus et cetis libri V.''
-

Linda Hall Library The Linda Hall Library is a privately endowed American library of science, engineering and technology located in Kansas City, Missouri, sitting "majestically on a urban arboretum." It is the "largest independently funded public library of scien ...

*Jonstonus, Joannes (1650
''Historiæ naturalis de avibus libri VI''
-

*Jonstonus, Joannes (1650
''Historiæ naturalis de quadrupetibus''
-

*Jonstonus, Joannes (1653
''Historiæ naturalis de insectis. Libri III. de serpentibus et draconib., Libri II''
-

*Jonstonus, Joannes (1602
Inscriptiones historicae regum scotorum, continuata annorum serie a Fergusio primo regni conditore ad nostra tempora
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jonston, John 1603 births 1675 deaths Alumni of the University of St Andrews People from Szamotuły Polish people of Scottish descent Polish Calvinist and Reformed Christians Polish naturalists 17th-century Polish physicians 17th-century Polish botanists Polish entomologists

Life

Works

See also

Notes

External links