Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Scott, Patrick

by William Arthur Shaw

SCOTT or SCOT, PATRICK (fl. 1620), author, followed James I from Scotland into England on his accession. In June 1618 he was engaged in the work of raising voluntary gifts for the supply of the king's exchequer by threatening divers persons with prosecutions for usury (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1618, p. 538). Six years later (August 1624) James I wrote a letter of recommendation on his behalf (ib. clxxi. 37). He would appear, from the general tone of his works, to have occasionally acted as tutor to Prince Charles. In 1623 and 1625 he appears to have been in Amsterdam, and to have observed closely the life of the separatist churches there (Hanbury, Memorials, i. 473). Scot's writings are remarkable for liberality of sentiment. They are:

1. ‘Omnibus et singulis affording matter profitable for all men, necessarie for every man, alluding to a father's advice or last will to his sonne,’ London, 1619; (dedicated to King James and Prince Charles). At the end are some verses, ‘ad serenissimam Magnæ Britanniæ Annam reginam defunctam.’ The work was rearranged and revised as ‘A Father's Advice or Last Will to his Son,’ London, 1620.
2. ‘Calderwood's Recantation, or a Tripartite Discourse directed to such of the Ministrie and others in Scotland that refuse Conformitie to the Ordinances of the Church,’ &c., London, 1622 (epistle to the reader dated from Amsterdam, 29 Nov. 1622).
3. ‘The Tillage of Light, or a True Discoverie of the Philosophical Elixir commonly called the philosopher's stone,’ London, 1623 (dedicated to John, marquis of Hamilton, ‘your devoted servant’).
4. ‘Vox Vera, or observations from Amsterdam examining the late insolencies of some pseudo-puritans separatists from the church of Great Britaine,’ London, 1625.

[Authorities as in text; Scot's Works.]

W. A. S.