Gabriel Plattes (c.1600–1644) was an English writer on agriculture and science, and also now recognised as the author of the utopian work Description of the Famous Kingdome of Macaria, often attributed to Samuel Hartlib under whose name it was published.
[1] He was one of the earliest advocates in England of an improved system of husbandry, and devoted time and money to practical experiments.
A Discoverie of Infinite Treasure[2] was an early work in the fields of chemistry, metallurgy and geology.
According to Allen Debus Plattes was heavily influenced by William Gilbert and the theory of magnetism.
He was not, however, a sceptic; but raised also the issue of motivation in the search for transmutation into gold and the losses of the adept.