Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Chester, Robert (fl.1182)
CHESTER, ROBERT (fl. 1182), astronomer and alchemist, took his name from the place of his birth. Trained in the ordinary learning of his time, he turned aside from it to pursue mathematical studies, in which he gained a high reputation. Of his numerous writings Leland mentions 'De Astrolabio' as giving proof of an acute understanding. His conjecture that it was written during the reign of Richard II. is erroneous. A translation by Chester from Arabic into Latin of an alchemistical treatise by 'Morienus Romanus' bears the date 11 Feb. 1182. It exists in a manuscript of the thirteenth century in the Bodleian (Cod. Digb. 162, f.23) and has been printed several times, namely, at Paris in 1564 with the title 'Morieni Romani, quondam eremitae Hierosolymitani, de re metallica, metallorum transmutatione, et occulta summaque antiquorum medicina Libellus praeter priorem editionem accurate recognitus.' This, then, was not the first edition. Again, at Basle in 1593, in the collection 'Artis auriferae quam Chemiam vocant' (ii. 25-54), and at Geneva in 1711, in Manget's 'Bibliotheca Chemica Curiosa' (i. 509). In a brief translator's preface 'Robertus Castrensis' admits the disqualifications for his task of youth and imperfect latinity. The Bodleian contains two other manuscripts assigned to Chester; the first is entitled 'De diversitate annorum ex Roberto Cestrensi super Tabulas Toletanas' (Cod. Digb. 17, f. 156, written about 1370); and the second is the second part of an astronomical work, 'que videlicet ad meridiem urbis Londiniarum iuxta Al Batem Saracensem summam per Robertum Cestrensem contexitur' (Cod. Savil. 21, ff. 86-95).
[Leland's Commentarii de Script. Brit. p. 430 (ed. 1709); Bale's Script Brit. Cat xi. 52; Pits, De Angliæ Scriptoribus, p. 900; Tanner's Bibl. Brit.; Macray's Cat. Cod. MS. Bibliothecæ Bodleianæ, pars mona; Bernard's Cat. Libr. MS. Angliæ et Hiberniæ, p. 300; information kindly supplied by Mr. R. L. Poole of Oxford.]