"Isaac the Alchemist: Chapter 1 of the 2024 Holiday Trilogy"

“Isaac the Alchemist: Chapter 1 of the 2024 Holiday Trilogy”


**Isaac Newton: The Alchemist, Theologian, and Mathematical Genius Behind the Sciences**

Upon the passing of Sir Isaac Newton on 20 March 1726 (Old Style) — or 31 March 1727 (New Style) — he stood as arguably the most renowned natural philosopher and mathematician across Europe. Celebrated as the cornerstone of modern science, his intellectual contributions spanned from mastering celestial mechanics to articulating the laws governing motion and gravity. Even those who contested his “action-at-a-distance” notion, including Cartesians and Leibnizians, could not contest his mathematical excellence. Newton’s death signified the conclusion of an epoch in which he had deeply shaped the fields of physics, mathematics, and astronomy. Nevertheless, discoveries made posthumously revealed a profound mystery: this progenitor of rational science had committed much of his existence to endeavors that, in contemporary evaluation, straddle the boundaries of mysticism.

### A Legacy of Scientific Brilliance

Newton’s stature is anchored in three primary intellectual pillars:

1. **The Principia Mathematica (1687)**: This monumental work laid the groundwork for classical mechanics, merging celestial and terrestrial physics under a unified mathematical paradigm. It was revised multiple times (1713, 1726), and its impact reached well into the 19th century.

2. **Opticks (1704)**: A conclusive treatise on light and color, this publication scrutinized the essence of light, refraction, and the spectrum of rainbows through a corpuscular theory of light (later replaced by wave theory in the 19th century).

3. **Calculus**: Independently formulated in the late 1660s, Newton’s contributions to calculus (or the “method of fluxions”) delivered the most potent mathematical instrument of his era, though his rivalry with Leibniz over precedence became contentious and fractious. Interestingly, Newton seldom applied his version of calculus in the *Principia*, preferring classical geometry instead.

At the time of his passing, Newton had also held the position of President of the Royal Society for over two decades, transforming it into the preeminent scientific institution of his time, while overseeing the Royal Mint for thirty years, directing a substantial recoinage effort with great diligence. Despite facing financial ruin during the South Sea Bubble (losing £20,000—an astronomical amount), he ultimately passed away prosperous, awarded a state funeral and interment among monarchs in Westminster Abbey.

### The Posthumous Discovery of Newton’s Alternate Lives

Although he published minimally during his lifetime, Newton bequeathed an astonishing array of unpublished manuscripts. The revelations that surfaced posthumously were astonishing. Apart from his extensively examined mathematical and scientific writings, he amassed over four million words on theological topics, delving into issues like Bible chronology, the prophecies of Daniel, the Temple of Solomon, and critiques of the Catholic Church. Even more astonishing was his dedication of up to one million words to alchemy.

Newton’s explorations in alchemy were far from a mere pastime. Between the 1660s and 1690s, he deeply engaged with the intricate traditions of alchemy. He established a laboratory at Trinity College for experimentation and painstakingly studied the works of alchemists such as George Starkey (writing under the name *Eirenaeus Philalethes*). Despite alchemy’s waning reputation by the late 17th century, Newton maintained a profound commitment to its objectives, including the pursuit of the Philosopher’s Stone—a legendary substance believed to grant everlasting life and convert base metals into gold.

### Newton the Alchemist: Mysticism or Science?

Newton’s alchemical endeavors were pursued with the same scientific precision he applied to physics. However, they demonstrate a marked departure from the rational persona later biographers portrayed. Alchemy during Newton’s lifetime was not entirely pseudoscientific; it was evolving into modern chemistry (a transformation often termed “chymistry”). Furthermore, Newton was not isolated in his alchemical explorations. Fellow intellectuals, including Robert Boyle, Gottfried Leibniz, and John Locke, also engaged in its secrets.

Newton perceived alchemy as a pathway to unveil nature’s concealed mechanisms, mirroring his quest to reveal the forces that govern the universe. Scholars like William R. Newman argue that Newton’s alchemical pursuits were thorough and not merely “magic” as once posited by skeptics. Certain concepts derived from his alchemical investigations even impacted his optical experiments. For example, he equated the decomposition and reformation of white light using a prism to Robert Boyle’s chemical examinations of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), illustrating how specific substances could be broken down and subsequently recombined.

### Controversy and Criticism Posthumously

Newton’s writings on alchemy and theology astonished many later followers, particularly during the rationalist and Victorian eras. The physicist David Brewster, a figure in Newton’s 19th-century biographical discourse,