Marginalia, Scholarship & Reception
61 source documents in the Digby corpus
The source corpus for this project comprises over forty documents spanning primary texts by Digby himself, modern biographies, scholarly articles, and reference materials. These sources range from the seventeenth century to the present day and cover Digby's biography, his Mediterranean voyage, his alchemical and philosophical work, his place in Stuart court politics, and the tantalising connection between his circle and the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili.
The corpus divides broadly into primary sources -- works written by Digby or transcribed from his manuscripts during or shortly after his lifetime -- and secondary sources, which include modern biographies, journal articles, and reference works that interpret and contextualise his life. The most important primary sources are the Private Memoirs (Loose Fantasies), the Journal of a Voyage into the Mediterranean, and The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Opened. The most important secondary source is Joe Moshenska's A Stain in the Blood: The Remarkable Voyage of Sir Kenelm Digby (2016), which provides the fullest modern account of the 1628 voyage and its context.
Every claim in the database is linked to at least one citation, and every citation traces back to a specific source document and location within that document. This provenance chain ensures that the site's content can be checked against the original scholarship and that the boundary between source evidence and editorial interpretation remains visible.
Digby was a prolific writer, and several of his works survive in both manuscript and printed form. The Private Memoirs (Loose Fantasies), written aboard ship at Milos in August 1628 and first published in 1827, is the primary source for the memoir episodes on this site. The Journal of a Voyage into the Mediterranean, a day-by-day naval record of the 1628 voyage, was published by the Camden Society in 1868 and provides the factual backbone against which the romance of the Memoirs can be measured.
The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Opened (1669), published posthumously by his steward George Hartmann, collects recipes gathered from courts and kitchens across Europe. Digby's Chymical Secrets (1682) records alchemical and pharmaceutical recipes. His letters, collected in part by Vittorio Gabrieli as 'A New Digby Letter-Book' in the National Library of Wales Journal (1955-58), preserve intimate correspondence including the anguished letters written after Venetia's death.
Among Digby's philosophical works, the Two Treatises (1644) on the nature of body and soul represents his major contribution to natural philosophy, while his Observations on Spenser (1643) and Observations upon Religio Medici (1643) show his characteristic method of reading literary and devotional texts through philosophical and alchemical lenses. The Bibliotheca Digbeiana (1680), the catalogue of his library, documents the extraordinary range of his reading.
| Title | Author | Year | Type | Journal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [ANZ Journal of Surgery 2011-apr 04 vol. 81 iss. 12] Sir Kenelm Digby (1603–1665)_ diplomat, entrepreneur, privateer, duellist, scientist and philosopher{Sam A. Mellick}(2011 April 04)[10.1111_j.14... | Sam A. Mellick | 1603 | ANZ Journal of Surgery | |
| [Isis 1957-sep vol. 48 iss. 3] The George Sarton Memorial Issue __ Sir Kenelm Digby_ The Ornament of England (1603-1665)by R. T....{Review by_ Dorothy Stimson}(1957 September) | Review by_ Dorothy Stimson | 1603 | Isis | |
| [Notes and Records _ the Royal Society journal of the history of science 1960-jul 31 vol. 15 iss. 1] Sir Kenelm Digby, F.R.S. (1603-1665){Fulton, J. F.}(1960 July 31) | Fulton, J. F. | 1603 | Notes and Records _ the Royal Society journal of the history of science | |
| [Notes and Records _ the Royal Society journal of the history of science 1960-jul vol. 15] Sir Kenelm Digby, F.R.S. (1603-1665){John F. Fulton}(1960 July) | John F. Fulton | 1603 | Notes and Records _ the Royal Society journal of the history of science | |
| Digby, Kenelm (1603–1665){Cunning, David (author)}(2016 January 5, Cambridge University Press) | Cunning, David | 1603 | ||
| Laura Georgescu_ Han Thomas Adriaenssen - The Philosophy of Kenelm Digby (1603–1665) (2022, Springer) | 1603 | |||
| Kenelm Digby - Private Memoirs of Sir Kenelm Digby, Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King Charles the First (1827, Saunders and Otley) | 1827 | |||
| Private Memoirs of Sir Kenelm Digby, Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King Charles the First | Kenelm Digby | 1827 | ||
| [Notes and Queries 1851-jan 11 vol. s1-III iss. 63] Poems discovered among the papers of sir kenelm digby{H. A. B.,}(1851 January 11) | H. A. B. | 1851 | Notes and Queries | |
| [Notes and Queries 1852-aug 21 vol. s1-VI iss. 147] Was Sir Kenelm Digby a painter _{T. R. P.,}(1852 August 21) | T. R. P. | 1852 | Notes and Queries | |
| [The North American Review 1875-oct vol. 121 iss. 249] An Introduction to the History of the Law of Real Propertyby Kenelm Edward Digby{Review by_ H. C. L.}(1875 October) | Review by_ H. C. L. | 1875 | The North American Review | |
| [The Library vol. s1-V iss. 1] Sir Kenelm Digby and the Ancient Relations between the French Libraries and Great Britain(1893) | 45560882 | 1893 | ||
| [Historische Zeitschrift vol. 72 iss. 1] Sir Kenelm Digby et les anciens rapports des bibliothèques françaises avec la Grande-Bretagneby L...{Review by_ Herm. Haupt}(1894) | Review by_ Herm. Haupt | 1894 | ||
| [Notes and Queries 1895-jul 27 vol. s8-VIII iss. 187] Sir Kenelm Digby and the Green Glass Manufacture{Hulme, E. Wyndham}(1895 July 27) | Hulme, E. Wyndham | 1895 | Notes and Queries | |
| [Harvard Law Review 1899-apr 25 vol. 13 iss. 1] An Introduction to the History of the Law of Real Property. With Original Authoritiesby Kenelm Ed...{Review by_ R. G. D.}(1899 April 25){32195994} libge | Review by_ R. G. D. | 1899 | Harvard Law Review | |
| [The Scottish Historical Review 1908-apr vol. 5 iss. 19] Marshal Turenneby Kenelm Digby{Review by_ G. S. Gordon}(1908 April) | Review by_ G. S. Gordon | 1908 | The Scottish Historical Review | |
| [The Scottish Historical Review 1911-apr vol. 8 iss. 30] The First Duke and Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyneby Kenelm Digby{Review by_ W. G. Blaikie Murdoch}(1911 April) | Review by_ W. G. Blaikie Murdoch | 1911 | The Scottish Historical Review | |
| [The English Historical Review vol. XXXIV iss. CXXXV] XV. Sir Kenelm Digby to the Earl of Leicester{DIGBY, KENELME}(1919) | DIGBY, KENELME | 1919 | ||
| [ANZ Journal of Surgery 1939-jul vol. 9 iss. 1] SIR KENELM DIGBY AND HIS "_CHOICE RECEIPTS"_.{Russell, K. F.}(1939 July) | Russell, K. F. | 1939 | ANZ Journal of Surgery | |
| [Journal of the American Medical Association 1939-aug 26 vol. 113 iss. 9] Sir Kenelm Digby_ Writer, Bibliophile and Protagonist of William Harvey(1939 August 26) | 48403001 | 1939 | Journal of the American Medical Association | |
| [Modern Language Notes 1942-apr vol. 57 iss. 4] Kenelm Digby&_039_s "_ Thuscan Virgil "_{Chandler B. Beall}(1942 April) | Chandler B. Beall | 1942 | Modern Language Notes | |
| [Chymia 1949-jan vol. 2] Sir Kenelm Digby, Alchemist, Scholar, Courtier, and Man of Adventure{Wyndham Miles}(1949 January) | Wyndham Miles | 1949 | Chymia | |
| Sir Kenelm Digby, Alchemist, Scholar, Courtier, and Man of Adventure | Wyndham Miles | 1949 | Chymia | |
| [British Journal of Medical Psychology 1956-sep vol. 29 iss. 3-4] SIR KENELM DIGBY ON ‘FOLIE A DEUX’. AN HISTORICAL NOTE{GREENBERG, H. PHILLIP _HUNTER, RICHARD A. _MACALPIN, IDA}(1956 September)[10... | GREENBERG, H. PHILLIP _HUNTER, RICHARD A. _MACALPIN, IDA | 1956 | British Journal of Medical Psychology | |
| [Notes and Queries 1970-jan 01 vol. 17 iss. 1] SIR KENELM DIGBY IN HAWTHORNE&_039_S “THE MAN OF ADAMANT”{GALLAGHER, EDWARD J.}(1970 January 01) | GALLAGHER, EDWARD J. | 1970 | Notes and Queries | |
| [The Thoreau Society Bulletin 1971-fal iss. 117] JOHN EVELYN, SIR KENELM DIGBY, AND THOREAU&_039_S VITAL SPIRITS{Michael West}(1971 Fall) | Michael West | 1971 | The Thoreau Society Bulletin | |
| [Ambix 1973-nov vol. 20 iss. 3] Studies in the Natural Philosophy of Sir Kenelm Digby Part II. Digby and Alchemy{Dobbs, Betty Jo}(1973 November) | Dobbs, Betty Jo | 1973 | Ambix | |
| Studies in the Natural Philosophy of Sir Kenelm Digby Part II: Digby and Alchemy | Betty Jo Dobbs | 1973 | Ambix | |
| [Ambix 1974-mar vol. 21 iss. 1] Studies in the Natural Philosophy of Sir Kenelm Digby Part III. Digby&_039_s Experimental Alchemy—The ...{Jo Dobbs, Betty}(1974 March) | Jo Dobbs, Betty | 1974 | Ambix | |
| Studies in the Natural Philosophy of Sir Kenelm Digby Part III: Digby's Experimental Alchemy | Betty Jo Dobbs | 1974 | Ambix | |
| [The Chesterton Review vol. 11 iss. 3] Chesterton and Kenelm Henry Digby{Morris, Kevin L. _,}(1985, Philosophy Documentation Center) | Morris, Kevin L. | 1985 | ||
| [The Seventeenth Century 1988-mar vol. 3 iss. 1] MODES OF SELF-REPRESENTATION HERBERT OF CHERBURY, KENELM DIGBY, PEPYS{SHARROCK, ROGER}(1988 March) | SHARROCK, ROGER | 1988 | The Seventeenth Century | |
| [Recusant History 1991-may vol. 20 iss. 3] Kenelm Henry Digby and English Catholicism{Morris, Kevin L.}(1991 May) | Morris, Kevin L. | 1991 | Recusant History | |
| [Notes and Queries vol. 46 iss. 1] UNNOTICED WORDS AND SENSES FROM SIR KENELM DIGBY{HALL, ROLAND}(1999) | HALL, ROLAND | 1999 | ||
| [Journal for the History of Astronomy 2006-nov vol. 37 iss. 4] A Letter from William Gascoigne to Sir Kenelm Digby{Sellers, D.}(2006 November) | Sellers, D. | 2006 | Journal for the History of Astronomy | |
| [Science in Context 2007-jan 30 vol. 20 iss. 01] Composite Substance, Common Notions, and Kenelm Digby&_039_s Theory of Animal Generation{Blank, Andreas}(2007 January 30) | Blank, Andreas | 2007 | Science in Context | |
| [The British Journal for the History of Science 2007-sep 25 vol. 41 iss. 2] Romancing the salve_ Sir Kenelm Digby and the powder of sympathy{HEDRICK, ELIZABETH}(2007 September 25) | HEDRICK, ELIZABETH | 2007 | The British Journal for the History of Science | |
| [The British Journal for the History of Science 2008-jun vol. 41 iss. 2] Romancing the Salve_ Sir Kenelm Digby and the Powder of Sympathy{Elizabeth Hedrick}(2008 June) | Elizabeth Hedrick | 2008 | The British Journal for the History of Science | |
| Romancing the Salve: Sir Kenelm Digby and the Powder of Sympathy | Elizabeth Hedrick | 2008 | The British Journal for the History of Science | |
| [Huntington Library Quarterly 2011-jun vol. 74 iss. 2] Sir Kenelm Digby and the Power of Sympathy{Seth Lobis}(2011 June) | Seth Lobis | 2011 | Huntington Library Quarterly | |
| [Notes and Queries 2011-apr 15 vol. 58 iss. 2] Sir Kenelm Digby&_039_s Conspicuous Revisions of &_039_Concerning Spencer&_039_{Remien, P.}(2011 April 15) | Remien, P. | 2011 | Notes and Queries | |
| Sir Kenelm Digby (1603-1665): diplomat, entrepreneur, privateer, duellist, scientist and philosopher | Sam A. Mellick | 2011 | ANZ Journal of Surgery | |
| Sir Kenelm Digby and the Power of Sympathy | Seth Lobis | 2011 | Huntington Library Quarterly | |
| [ANZ Journal of Surgery 2012-mar 21 vol. 82 iss. 4] There is still the best of reasons for all of us to be grateful to Sir Kenelm Digby{Thomas K. F. Taylor}(2012 March 21){21661589} l | Thomas K. F. Taylor | 2012 | ANZ Journal of Surgery | |
| [Ambix 2013-feb vol. 60 iss. 1] Sir Kenelm Digby and His Alchemical Circle in 1650s Paris_ Newly Discovered Manuscripts{Principe, Lawrence M.}(2013 February) | Principe, Lawrence M. | 2013 | Ambix | |
| Sir Kenelm Digby and His Alchemical Circle in 1650s Paris | Lawrence M. Principe | 2013 | Ambix | |
| Sir Kenelm Digby&_039_s Interruptions_ Piracy and Lived Romance in the 1620s{Moshenska, Joe (author)}(2016) | Moshenska, Joe | 2016 | ||
| A Stain in the Blood: The Remarkable Voyage of Sir Kenelm Digby | Joe Moshenska | 2016 | md | |
| Sir Kenelm Digby's Interruptions: Piracy and Lived Romance in the 1620s | Joe Moshenska | 2016 | ||
| [Notes and Queries 2017-jul 27 vol. 64 iss. 3] ‘The thrid wch doth my painefull life sustaine’_ A New Poem by Kenelm Digby{Begley, Justin}(2017 July 27) | Begley, Justin | 2017 | Notes and Queries | |
| [Journal of Early Modern Studies vol. 8 iss. 1] Common Conceptions and the Metaphysics of Material Substance_ Domingo de Soto, Kenelm Digby and J...{Adriaenssen, Han Thomas _,}(2019, Philosophy Doc... | Adriaenssen, Han Thomas | 2019 | ||
| [Journal of the History of Philosophy vol. 57 iss. 1] Between Atoms and Forms_ Natural Philosophy and Metaphysics in Kenelm Digby{Adriaenssen, Han Thomas_ de Boer, Sander}(2019){80290934} libgen | Adriaenssen, Han Thomas_ de Boer, Sander | 2019 | ||
| [Vivarium 2020-apr 15 vol. 58 iss. 3] Kenelm Digby on Quantity as Divisibility{Pécharman, Martine}(2020 April 15) | Pécharman, Martine | 2020 | Vivarium | |
| The Philosophy of Kenelm Digby (1603-1665) | Laura Georgescu, Han Thomas Adriaenssen | 2022 | ||
| A Stain in the Blood_ The Remarkable Voyage of Sir Kenelm Digby | epub | |||
| Cast of Characters and Key Figures in Sir Kenelm Digby's Life | xlsx | |||
| Kenelm Digby - The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened | txt | |||
| The HP of Ben Jonson and Kenelm Digby | pptx | |||
| The Remarkable Voyage of Sir Kenelm Digby | md | |||
| The Remarkable Voyage of Sir Kenelm Digby | ||||
| The Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, Ben Jonson, and Kenelm Digby | James Russell | pptx |