The construction of the wonderful canon of logarithms

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INTRODUCTION.
John Napier was '^^
the eldest son of Archibald Napier
and Janet Bothwell. He was born at Merchiston, near
Edinburgh, in 1550, when his father could have been
more than sixteen.
Two months previous to the death of his mother,
little
which occurred on 20th December 1563, he matriculated
as a student of St Salvator's College, St Andrews.
While there, his mind was specially directed to the study
and searching out of the mysteries of the Apocalypse,
the result of which appeared thirty years later in his first
published work, A ' plaine discovery of the whole Revelation
of St John.'
Had he continued at St Andrews, his name would
naturally have appeared in the list of determinants for
1566 and of masters of arts for 1568. It is not, however,
found with the names of the students who entered
college along with him, so that he is
See note, p. 84, as to spelling of name.
believed to have left
b 4 the