Robert Grosseteste as an Observer

Author(s): E. G. R. Taylor
Source: Isis, Vol. 55, No. 3 (Sep., 1964), p. 342
Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of The History of Science Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/228576 .
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342

JUNE GOODFIELD AND STEPHEN TOULMIN

visited was only a stone's throw away from this square. By this time, we were
informed, the house and laboratory are completely deserted and the man in
question is dead. It is nevertheless a curious fact that Holmyard never
mentions having seen specimens of the qattdra. A Moroccan alchemist might
have been expected to possess one: so far as we were able to determine,
it is the only traditional piece of distilling apparatus in common use in
the country. Certainly during the seven weeks we spent at Fez we found
no evidence of any other type of still.

ROBERT

GROSSETESTE

AS AN OBSERVER

By E. G. R. Taylor
In his article on Grosseteste's scientific works (Isis, 1961, 52: 381-402),
Richard C. Dales, discussing the section
De accessione et recessione maris, quotes
Grosseteste as saying " ships in the sea
are more elevated in the time of rise
than of fall " and " experience also tells
us that in the time of rise, the water is
found to be hotter than in time of fall."
These are said to be examples of " flaand
grantly inaccurate observation"
Grosseteste is stigmatized as " evidently
not a great observer." But the opposite
is the case. Both statements were common knowledge in the estuarine ports
of Britain, particularly in the port of
London. Salt water comes flooding in
at high tide, and owing to its greater
density the ship's displacement is reduced. But at low water the fresh river
water has replaced it, and the ship
" rides lower." Moreover, every swimmer knows that sea-water is normally
*

warmer than the water of a swift running river, so that the temperature
changes with the tides. Grosseteste, of
course, knew only the facts, and not the
explanations.
Roger Bacon also exemplifies the conscholars had
tention that medieval
more practical knowledge than commentators usually realize. In Chapter
V of Part III of the Opus Majts, when
discussing the tides, he indicates clearly
that he is aware of the " establishment
of the port," which was three hours
in the ports of the Atlantic margin of
Europe as far north as South Britanny,
"High tide NE-SW " as the sailors
would say, using the rhumbs as a clock
face: " Low tide SE-NW." Bacon, of
course, cannot explain this correctly,
but quotes Averroes on the similarity
of the
quarters
opposite
between
celestial sphere.

Lon-don.

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