Born in the village of Cleish, north of Dunfermline

Matriculates at the University of St Andrews

Studies at the Scots College, Rome

Travels to Venice

Applies for a licence to print a Latin dictionary at Venice

Studies law at Padua for 2 years, followed by 4 years of medicine

Becomes royal interpreter to Philip III of Spain and begins teaching Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic to the monks of the Escorial

Serves as unofficial librarian to the collections at the Escorial. Catalogues the library's extensive Greek holdings. Revises and annotates Arabic collections 

Copies an Arabic-Latin translation of the Quran now preserved at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan 

Leaves the Escorial for Italy, where he serves as interpreter at Turin for Carlo Emanuele I, duke of Savoy

Moves to Milan, where he pursues scholarship at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, which had been founded in 1607 by Cardinal Borromeo. Several manuscripts survive at the Ambrosiana which once belonged to Coville, including his translations of the Church Fathers, notes on Hebrew lexis, and the Latin translation of the Quran that he copied at the Escorial

Died of a fever at the house of Cardinal Borromeo, founder of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana. On his deathbed, Colville informed the cardinal that he had visited almost every library in Europe.