John Davidson (1857 – 1909) was a Scottish poet, playwright and novelist, best known for his ballads. In his series of "Testaments" — The Testament of a Vivisector (1901), The Testament of a Man Forbid (1901), The Testament of an Empire Builder (1902), and The Testament of John Davidson (1908) — he expounded an original philosophy which was at once materialistic and aristocratic. The cosmic process, as interpreted by evolution, was for him a fruitful source of inspiration.