Thomas Vaughan
Thomas Vaughan (1621–1666) was a notable Welsh alchemist, mystic, poet, and philosopher, renowned for his works published under the pseudonym "Eugenius Philalethes," which translates to "well-born lover of truth." Born in Breconshire, Vaughan was the twin brother of poet Henry Vaughan and hailed from influential Welsh families. His educational journey began at Jesus College, Oxford, where he earned a B.A. in 1642, later becoming a rector before his eviction in 1650, likely due to political circumstances.
Vaughan's interests in alchemy and mysticism led him to study under prominent figures like Thomas Henshaw and Sir Robert Moray, eventually securing a position working for King Charles II. His literary contributions include several philosophical texts and translations related to alchemical thought, with a focus on the interconnectedness of the universe and its elemental forces. Tragically, Vaughan's life was cut short during an alchemical experiment, marking the end of a prolific engagement with mystical philosophy and science. His complete works were later compiled and published, reflecting the rich tapestry of his intellectual pursuits.
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Thomas Vaughan
Poet
- Born: 1621
- Birthplace: Newton-on-the-Usk, near Llansaintffraid, Breconshire, Wales
- Died: February 27, 1666
- Place of death: Albury, near Oxford, England
Biography
Thomas Vaughan, well-known alchemist, mystic, poet, and philosopher, wrote many of his works under the pseudonym “Eugenius Philalethes,” the “well-born lover of truth.” He was born in 1621 at Newton-on-the-Usk near Llansaintffraid in Breconshire, the twin brother of the poet Henry Vaughan. Through his parents, Denise Morgan and Thomas Vaughan, a local justice of the peace, Vaughan was descended from two powerful Welsh families, the Vaughans of Tretower and the Somersets of Raglan.
Probably the twins were the oldest surviving children of the family; a younger brother, William, died in 1648. The twins were educated from 1632 to 1638 by Matthew Herbert, a schoolmaster, clergyman, and relative of the family. In 1638, Vaughan entered Jesus College at Oxford University, presumably with Henry, although no records exist of Henry’s matriculation. Thomas received a B.A. in 1642. According to some accounts, Vaughan also received an M.A. and became a Fellow at Jesus College, but again no records prove this. He was ordained and appointed rector of the parish church at Llansaintffraid about the year 1645.
In 1650, Vaughan was evicted from his place at the church. Although the eviction may have been primarily political in motivation, Vaughan did write regretfully in a notebook of his excessive drinking. He returned to Oxford to study alchemy, but was caught up in the civil war and served in the Royalist army, apparently rising to the rank of captain before being captured and briefly imprisoned.
Soon afterward, Vaughan moved to London. On September 28, 1651, he married a woman named Rebecca from Bedfordshire who aided him in his alchemical research; however, she died on April 17, 1658, and the couple had no children. In Oxford, Vaughan’s best friend had been Thomas Henshaw, with whom he studied alchemy. He at some point also became acquainted with Sir Robert Moray, one of the founders of the Royal Society. Obtaining a position working for King Charles II, Vaughan left London for Oxford in 1665; while he and Moray were conducting chemical experiments in a rectory close to Oxford, Vaughan suddenly died on February 27, 1666, either by inhalation of deadly fumes or (as some sources report) by an explosion during an experiment.
Highly mystical in nature, Vaughan’s writing presents the universe as a living entity filled with mysterious elemental forces accessible by alchemical research—by no means an uncommon view at the time. His first books, Anthroposophia Theomagica: Or, A Discourse of the Nature of Man and His State After Death, Grounded on his Creator’s Proto- Chemistry and Verifi’d by a Practicall Examination of Principles in the Great World, Anima Magica Abscondita: Or, A Discourse of the Universall Spirit of Nature, Magia Adamica: Or, The Antiquitie of Magic, Lumen de Lumine: Or, A New Magical Light, and The Man-Mouse Taken in a Trap, were all published in 1650, the year of Vaughan’s eviction from his parish church; he also translated the Confessio Fraternitatis and Fama Fraternitatis of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood into English in 1652, even though Vaughan himself insisted he was not a Rosicrucian. Most of his later writings were likewise philosophical in nature; he also published several individual poems, but only a few were collected in a single late volume along with his brother’s last work. His total output is today available in a scholarly edition published in 1984.