The poet Claudian (365-408 A. D.) wrote a short idyll on the attractive virtue of the lodestone and its symbolism; St. Augustine (354-430), in his work De Civitate Dei, records the fact that a lodestone, held under a silver plate, draws after it a scrap of iron lying on the plate. Abbot Neckam, the Augustinian (1157-1217), distinguishes between the properties of the two ends of the lodestone, and gives in his De Utensilibus, what is perhaps the earliest reference to the mariner’s compass that we have. Albertus Magnus, the Dominican (1193-1280), in his treatise, De Mineralibus, enumerates different kinds of natural magnets and states some of the properties commonly attributed to them; the minstrel, Guyot de Provins, in a famous satirical poem, written about 1208, refers to the directive quality of the lodestone and its use in navigation, as do also Cardinal de Vitry in his Historia Orientalis(1215-1220); Brunetto Latini, poet, orator and philosopher, in his Trésor des Sciences, a veritable library, written in Paris in 1260; Raymond Lully, the Enlightened Doctor, in his treatise, De Contemplatione, begun in 1272, and Guido Guinicelli, the poet-priest of Bologna, who died in 1276. The authors of these learned works were too busy with the pen to find time to devote to the close and prolonged study of natural phenomena necessary for fruitful discovery, and so had to content themselves with recording and discussing in their tomes the scientific knowledge of their age without making any notable additions to it. But this was not the case with such contemporaries of theirs as Roger Bacon, the Franciscan, and his Gallic friend, Pierre de Maricourt, commonly called Petrus Peregrinus, the subject of the present notice, a man of academic culture and of a practical rather than speculative turn of mind. Of the early years of Peregrinus nothing is known save that he studied probably at the University of Paris, and that he graduated with the highest scholastic honors. He owes his surname to the village of Maricourt, in Picardy, and the appellation Peregrinus, or Pilgrim, to his having visited the Holy Land as a member of one of the crusading expeditions of the time. In 1269 we find him in the engineering corps of the French army then besieging Lucera, in Southern Italy, which had revolted from the authority of its French master, Charles of Anjou. To Peregrinus was assigned the work of fortifying the camp and laying mines as well as of constructing engines for projecting stones and fire-balls into the beleaguered city. It was in the midst of such warlike preoccupations that the idea seems to have occurred to him of devising a piece of mechanism to keep the astronomical sphere of Archimedes in uniform rotation for a definite time. In the course of his work over the new motor, Peregrinus was gradually led to consider the more fascinating problem of perpetual motion itself with the result that he showed, at least diagrammatically, and to his own evident satisfaction, how a wheel might be driven round forever by the power of magnetic attraction.

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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Pierre de Maricourt, a prominent figure in the 13th century, penned the groundbreaking work 'The Letter of Petrus Peregrinus on the Magnet, A.D. 1269,' which delves into the realm of magnetism and its properties. In this informative text, de Maricourt displays a keen understanding of science and engineering for his time, as he uncovers the intricate behavior of magnets and their polarity. Written in the form of a letter, the book showcases a unique blend of scholarly analysis and practical observations, making it a valuable contribution to the study of magnetism in the medieval era. With its lucid explanations and empirical evidence, the work stands as a testament to de Maricourt's intellectual prowess and inquisitive spirit, setting the stage for future advancements in the field of physics and magnetism. Overall, 'The Letter of Petrus Peregrinus on the Magnet, A.D. 1269' is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of science and the evolution of magnetic theory, offering a fascinating glimpse into the scientific achievements of the medieval period.