“O dear Sir, nobody can save me but you O God, my God. I shall be murdered unless you save me.” - William Chaloner to Isaac Newton.
Everyone knows that Sir Isaac Newton was a scientific genius. But very few people are aware of his appointment as head of England's treasury and the lengths he took to capture the conspirators responsible for the collapse of the currency system.
By order of the king, Newton applied his talent for deduction in successfully apprehending members of numerous counterfeiting rings. He employed a vast network of spies to haunt taverns and prowl less desirable establishments. Newton himself searched the more dismal streets of London looking for clues, and on one occasion, by mere chance, overheard a man whose bragging led to the arrest and conviction of the most talented counterfeiter of the age... Newton's own nemesis William Chaloner.
By all respects William Chaloner was as much a genius in the science of metallurgy as Newton. In his youth Chaloner apprenticed as a blacksmith which is undoubtedly where he developed his early interest and skill in manipulating metal compounds. As his techniques advanced, so did the amount of false coins put into circulation. (Which ultimately resulted in the devaluing of metal currency across the kingdom.) The effect hurt every gentleman's pocket, except for his own.
Newton understood the complexities of chemically binding metal to metal and the skill it took to arrive at the ideal consistency with every batch. He too was impressed by Chaloner's work. But to be compared with another man, criminal or otherwise, was more than he could bare. Newton's spite went beyond anything to do with the Mint.
By the time Newton became involved with the treasury Chaloner already had a long history of talking his way out court convictions. But now he was up against Newton. Chaloner put up his customary good fight, but Newton had an ace in the whole...or three to be exact. He tracked down and enlisted the aid of witnesses whom Chaloner had, at one time or another, double-crossed. They happily obliged Newton giving testimony of Chaloner's offenses against them.
The testimonies ultimately clinched the win for Newton and Chaloner was sentenced to hang. Chaloner exclaimed his innocense, but those who had authority to change his fate turned him a deaf ear, including Newton. This time his silver tongue could not save him.
Chaloner was taken to Newgate prison to await his punishment. After taking the sacrament he was led to the Tyburn Tree (gallows) where, to every spectator's amusement, he dangled and danced the "hangman's dance" for several minutes before finally succumbing to suffocation. Though, many a man attended the event... Newton did not show. It was his final bitter way of saying Chaloner was never his equal.
Note: In those days wealthy men paid the hangman to make their death come quickly. Ironically for him, Chaloner now had no money to pay him.
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In the late 1600's certain scientific experiments were seen as witch craft and banned by the church. Alchemy at that time was one of those practices and Newton was obsessed with it. Had he been careless, Newton could have hung just as easily as Chaloner did.
One other theory as to why Newton was so resolute in finding and convicting Chaloner was so that he could legally confiscate Chaloner's notes on metallurgy. Newton had secretly been trying to turn various metals into gold, but had failed.
Beyond the gold, though, was an even greater prize which Newton coveted; immortality. The turning of a metal into gold was thought to be the next to the last step necessary for achieving a concoction called "the elixir of life." Legend boasts that it could make a man immortal.
Many of Newton's notes on the subject are written in code. Some have been deciphered, but largely the meaning of the notes written in symbols remains elusive. The one about the lion is thought to be the key to solving Newton's formula for the "elixir."
Newton died in old age. And, though not through any potion, he eventually did became immortal through his legacy as the father of physics and as one of the greatest minds that ever lived.
By order of the king, Newton applied his talent for deduction in successfully apprehending members of numerous counterfeiting rings. He employed a vast network of spies to haunt taverns and prowl less desirable establishments. Newton himself searched the more dismal streets of London looking for clues, and on one occasion, by mere chance, overheard a man whose bragging led to the arrest and conviction of the most talented counterfeiter of the age... Newton's own nemesis William Chaloner.
By all respects William Chaloner was as much a genius in the science of metallurgy as Newton. In his youth Chaloner apprenticed as a blacksmith which is undoubtedly where he developed his early interest and skill in manipulating metal compounds. As his techniques advanced, so did the amount of false coins put into circulation. (Which ultimately resulted in the devaluing of metal currency across the kingdom.) The effect hurt every gentleman's pocket, except for his own.
Newton understood the complexities of chemically binding metal to metal and the skill it took to arrive at the ideal consistency with every batch. He too was impressed by Chaloner's work. But to be compared with another man, criminal or otherwise, was more than he could bare. Newton's spite went beyond anything to do with the Mint.
By the time Newton became involved with the treasury Chaloner already had a long history of talking his way out court convictions. But now he was up against Newton. Chaloner put up his customary good fight, but Newton had an ace in the whole...or three to be exact. He tracked down and enlisted the aid of witnesses whom Chaloner had, at one time or another, double-crossed. They happily obliged Newton giving testimony of Chaloner's offenses against them.
The testimonies ultimately clinched the win for Newton and Chaloner was sentenced to hang. Chaloner exclaimed his innocense, but those who had authority to change his fate turned him a deaf ear, including Newton. This time his silver tongue could not save him.
Chaloner was taken to Newgate prison to await his punishment. After taking the sacrament he was led to the Tyburn Tree (gallows) where, to every spectator's amusement, he dangled and danced the "hangman's dance" for several minutes before finally succumbing to suffocation. Though, many a man attended the event... Newton did not show. It was his final bitter way of saying Chaloner was never his equal.
Note: In those days wealthy men paid the hangman to make their death come quickly. Ironically for him, Chaloner now had no money to pay him.
************************************************
In the late 1600's certain scientific experiments were seen as witch craft and banned by the church. Alchemy at that time was one of those practices and Newton was obsessed with it. Had he been careless, Newton could have hung just as easily as Chaloner did.
One other theory as to why Newton was so resolute in finding and convicting Chaloner was so that he could legally confiscate Chaloner's notes on metallurgy. Newton had secretly been trying to turn various metals into gold, but had failed.
Beyond the gold, though, was an even greater prize which Newton coveted; immortality. The turning of a metal into gold was thought to be the next to the last step necessary for achieving a concoction called "the elixir of life." Legend boasts that it could make a man immortal.
Many of Newton's notes on the subject are written in code. Some have been deciphered, but largely the meaning of the notes written in symbols remains elusive. The one about the lion is thought to be the key to solving Newton's formula for the "elixir."
Newton died in old age. And, though not through any potion, he eventually did became immortal through his legacy as the father of physics and as one of the greatest minds that ever lived.
