AUBREY'S 'BRIEF LIVES'

ANDREW CLARK

VOL. II.

HENRY FROWDE, M.A.

PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK

PRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
BY HORACE HART, M.A.
PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY

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[A]Mr. Ingelbert was the first inventer or projector of bringing the water from Ware to London[1] called Middleton's water. He was a poore-man, but Sir Hugh Middleton[2], alderman of London, moneyed the businesse; undertooke it; and gott the profit and also the credit of that most usefull invention, for which there[3] ought to have been erected a statue for the memory of this poore-man from the city of London.—From my honoured and learned friend Mr. Fabian Philips, filiser of London, etc., who was in commission about this water.

[4]At Doctors Commons is 'argent on gules a mayd stark naked with a chaplet in her hand dexter.' The name I could never learn, till by chance, in Hampshire, by a courtier. It is the coate of Dr. Innocent, deane of Paule's and master of St. Crosses, tempore Henrici VII. Borne at Barkehamsted, Hertfordshire; where he built [Pg 2]a free-schole, where this coat is in severall places. 'Tis endowed with 500li. per annum for 120 scholars from any part of England. The Visitor is the Warden of All Soules, Oxon.

[5]Mr. Henry Isaacson was secretary to Lancelot Andrews, lord bishop of Winton. Was borne in this parish (of St. Katharine Coleman) anno Domini 1581; christned—ex registro[I.]—Septemb. 17^th; and buried in this church. He died about the 7th of December, 1654. He had severall children: four sonnes still living, one is a minister at Stoke neer Ipswych in Suffolk.

In the chancell here[6] I find this inscription, on a marble grave-stone, viz.:

[7]Memorandum:— Bourman, Dr. of Divinity, of Kingston upon Thames, did know Mr. Isaacson, and told me that he was a learned man, which I easily believed when I heard he was secretary to that learned prelate, who made use of none but for merit. The Dr. told me that when he presented his Chronologie to his majestie King Charles the first, 'twas in the matted gallery at White-hall[III.]. The presently discerned the purpose of the treatise, and turned to his owne birth; sayd the King, 'Here's one lye to begin with.' It seemes that Mr. Isaacson had taken it out of ... (a foreigner), who used the other account. Poor Mr. Isaacson was so ashamed at this unlucky rencounter, that he immediately sneak't [Pg 3]away and stayd not for prayse or reward, both which perhaps he might have had, for his majestie was well pleased with it. He wrote severall little bookes, besides his Chronologie: quaere of the minister's wife (his niece) their titles. He was of Pembroke-hall, in Cambridge. He was there about Master of Arts standing.

Sir,

I find that my grandfather dyed in St. Cathrin Coleman's parish London, the 19^e January, 1620, and to my best rememberance upon his gravestone in the chancell it was ingraven that hee had lived in the said parrish 58 yeares. He fined for not serving the office of shereif of London, being chosen in the yeare 1618.

My father died in St. Cathrin Coleman's parrish above-said about the 7^e of December, 1654, which is neare 34 years after my grandfather's death. I calculate from the tyme of his birth to my grandfather's death to bee 39 yeares: ad[10] the 34 yeares after my grandfather's death to the 39 before: 39 + 34 makes 73 yeares his age—which all the familie agree that hee was seaventy three yeares of age when hee died, soe that hee was borne in anno 1581. Borne in anno 1581, dyed aged 73, makes 1654 the yeare when he dyed. And in all probabillity hee was borne in St. Kathrin Coleman's parrish, my grandfather having lived soe long tyme there: the church booke, if extant, will soone resolve yow—I never heard any thing to the contrary.

My brother William Isaacson could more exactly give you an account of the degrees he tooke, if any, but the University was Cambriege and the College Pembrooke-Hall. I thinke I have heard hee was Mr. of Arts standing, but am somthing uncertayne of this.

Rand. Isaacson.

Fifeild,
the 21^e Aprill 1681.

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[11]In the table of benefactors in the Church of St. Catherine Colman, viz.—

'1620: Mr. Richard Isaacson'—the chronologer[12]—'2 li. 12s. per annum to the poor.'

'Pray search that booke[13], and see if you can find the ballad, or verses, on the coronation of king James—

[14]Dr. Jaquinto: physitian to pope ..., then to king James[15]. He went into the marshes of Essex, where they putt their sheep to cure them of the rott, where he lived sometime purposely to observe what plants the sheep did eat, of which herbs he made his medicine for the consumption, which Mr. E. W.[16] haz.

[17]Judge Jenkins, prisoner in the Tower of London, Windsor, etc., yeares, for his loyalty. He would have taken it kindly to have been made one of the judges in Westminster Hall, but would give no money for it, [so[18] the Lord Chancellor Hyde never preferred him].

He was of very good courage. Rode in the lord Gerard's [Pg 5]army in Pembrokeshire, in the forlorne-hope, with his long rapier drawne holding it on-end.

Obiit Dec. 3, anno Domini 1663; sepult. at Cowbridge church in the south aisle in Glamorganshire. No remembrance yet (1682) set up for him.

[Quaere[19] Sir Robert Thomas whereabout in the church or chancell.]

[20]David Jenkins hath writt a learned treatise of the lawe, in folio, of cases twice judged (quaere nomen); and an 'opusculum' (Lex terrae, etc.) in 16mo.

Borne at ... in Glamorganshire. He was of Edmund Hall. Afterwards of Graye's inne. One of the judges[21] in South Wales. Imprisoned a long time in the Tower, Newgate, and Windsore. Was the only man that never complied. Dyed about 1665, at Cowbridge in Glamorganshire.

He marryed Sir John Aubrey's sister.

[22]David Jenkins, judge, was borne at Hensol, the place where he lived, in the parish of Pendeylwyn in com. Glamorgan. He was reciting this verse out of Ausonius, not long before he dyed, to Sir Llewellin Jenkins:—

Et baculo innitens, in qua reptabat arena.

Scripsit Opuscula, contayning severall little treatises, viz. Lex terrae, etc.; Rerum judicatarum censurae octo, in folio; praeter alias ejusdem naturae ineditas.

He was one of the judges of the Carmarthen, Cardigan, and Pembrokeshire circuit before the wars. In the warres he was taken prisoner at Hereford. Long time prisoner in the Tower, Newgate, Wallingford, and Windsore. Never submitted to the usurping power (I thinke, the only man). All his estate was confiscated; and was always excepted by the parliament in the first ranke of delinquents.

In his circuit in Wales at the beginning of the warres, he caused to be indicted severall men of those parts (that [Pg 6]were parliament, etc. engaged against the king) for highe treason; and the grand jury indicted them. Afterwards, when he was prisoner in Newgate, some of these grandees came to him to triumph over him, and told him that if they had been thus in his power, he would have hanged them. 'God forbid els!' replied he—which undaunted returne they much admired.

The parliament intended to have hanged him; and he expected no lesse, but resolved to be hangd with the Bible under one arme and Magna Charta under the other. And hangd he had been, had not Harry Martyn told them in the house that

Sanguis martyrum est semen ecclesiae,

and that that way would doe them more mischiefe. So his life was saved, and they removed him out of the way to Wallingford Castle.

He dyed upwards (something[23]) of fowrscore yeares of age at Cowbridge in the county of Glamorgan,[24] on St. Nicholas day, November[25] the sixth, 1663; and in that church lyes buried, yet without a monument, but I thinke my cosen intends one.

'Tis pitty he was not made one of the judges of Westminster-hall for his long sufferings; and he might have been, he told me, if he would have given money to the Chancellor—but he scornd it. He needed it not, for he had his estate againe (1500 li. per annum), and being old and carceribus confractus. Mr. T. H., Malmesburiensis, told him one day at dinner that 'that hereafter would not shew well for somebodie's honour in history.'

[26]Sir Llewellin Jenkins remembers himself kindly to you. He hath made a very fine inscription (which is an abstract of his life) in laxe Iambiques for judge David Jenkins. I would have him send it to you, but he is too modest.

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[27]Sir Lleuellin Jenkins, knight, was borne at Llantrithid in the countie of Glamorgan, anno domini....

His father (whom I knew) was a good plaine countreyman, a coppyholder of Sir John Aubrey, knight and baronet (eldest son of Sir Thomas), whose mannour it is.

He went to schoole at Cowbridge, not far off.

David Jenkins, that was prisoner in the Tower (maried a sister of Sir John Aubrey), was some remote kin to him; and, looking on him as a boy towardly, diligent, and good, he contributed something towards his education.

Anno Domini 164<1>, he was matriculated of Jesus College in Oxford, where he stayed till (I thinke) he tooke his degree of Bac. Artium.

About that time Sir John Aubrey sent for him home to enforme his eldest sonne Lewis Aubrey (since deceased, 1659) in grammar; and that he might take his learning the better, he was taught in the church-house where severall boyes came to schoole, and there were 6 or 7 gentlemen's sonnes (Sir Francis Maunsell, bart.; Mr. Edmund Thomas; Mr. ... ...) boarded in the towne. The young gentlemen were all neer of an age, and ripe for the University together; and to Oxford they all went under Mr. Jenkins' care about anno 1649 or 50, but by reason of the disturbances of those times, Sir John would not have his sonne of any college. But they all studyed at Mr. (now Sir) Sampson White's house, a grocer, opposite to University College. Here he stayed with my cosen about 3 yeares or better, and then, in anno 165- (vide Mr. Hobbes' de Corpore, 'twas that yeare), he travelled with my cosen and two or 3 of the other gentlemen into France, where they stayd about 3 yeares and made themselves masters of that language.

He first began[28] the Civill lawe, viz., bought Vinnius on Justinian, 1653[29].

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When he brought home Mr. Lewis Aubrey, he returned to Jesus College (quaere, if he was of the foundation).

After his majestie's restauration Dr. Maunsell was restored to his principallship of that house, but being very old and wearie of worldly cares, he kept it not long, before he resigned it to Mr. Jenkins.

Gilbert Sheldon, archbishop of Canterbury, and Sir John Aubrey were co-etanei, and contracted a great friendship at Oxon in their youth, which continued to their deaths. In the troublesome times after Dr. Sheldon was expelled, he was a yeare (I thinke) or two with Sir John at Llantrithid, where he tooke notice of the vertue and assiduity of the young man Mr. Jenkins. After the king's restauration Sir John Aubrey recommended Mr. Jenkins to him; made him. Anno <1668> he was archbishop of Canterbury: Sir Meyric, LL.D. and Judge of , dyed, and the archbishop conferred that place on Mr. Jenkins.

Anno ... he had the honour of knighthood.

Anno 1673, was sent with Sir Joseph Williamson, plenipotentiaries, to Nemeghen: I remember that very time they went away was opposition of Saturn and Mars. I sayd then to the earl of Th that if that ambassade came to any good I would never trust to astrologie again.

Anno 167- sent ambassador to ..., from whence he returned anno 16[79/80].

March 25, 1680, he was made Principall Secretary of Estate.—When I came to wayte on him to congratulate for the honour his majestie had been pleased to bestowe on him, he recieved me with his usuall courtesie, and sayd that 'it had pleased God to rayse-up a poore worme to doe his majestie humble service.'

He haz a strong body for study, indefatigable, temperate and vertuous. God blesse him.

When Mary the queen-mother dyed at Paris, the king of Fraunce caused her jewells and treasures to be locked up and sealed. His majestie of Great Britaine sent Sir[Pg 9] Llewellin (which is Leoline in Latin) to Paris concerning the administration [1668[30]].

[31]It pleased God at Whitsuntide last to bereave me of a deare, usefull, and faithfull friend Mr. Johnson who had the reversion of the place of Master of the Rolles; who generously, for friendship and neighbourhood sake (we were borne the same weeke and within 4 miles and educated together), gave me the graunt to be one of his secretaries—which place is worth 500 li. per annum. He was a strong lustie man and died of a malignant fever, infected by the earl of Abington's brother, making of his will. It was such an opportunity that I shall never have the like again.

[B]George Johnson, esq., borne at Bowdon parke, March the sixth 1625/6; respondet that he remembers his mother sayed 'twas just at noone. His mother was three dayes in labour with him.

Fever at Bowdon about 1669; quaere R. Wiseman.

Fever, most dangerous, at London Nov. and Dec, 1677.

Burghesse of Devises, 166-; made one of the judges of Ludlow, ...; maried about 1660; reader of the Middle Temple,....

Mr. Vere Bertie[32] was his chamber-fellowe in anno 1655, the wintertime, which was his rise.

My honoured and kind friend George Johnson, esq., died at his house at Bowdon-lodge, of an ague and feaver on the 28th of May[33] at 10^h A.M., being Whit-munday,

cujus animae propitietur Deus.

His death is an extraordinary losse to me, for that had he lived to have been Master of the Rolles I had been one of his secretarys, worth 600 li. +:—sed fiat voluntas Domini.

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He went from London the Monday before; came home Tuesday; ill that night. Thursday pretty well. Fell ill again of an intermitting fever and died.

[34]Inigo Jones' monument[C]—this tombe is on the north side of the church, but his bodie lies in the chancell about the middle. The inscription mentions that he built the banquetting howse and the portico at St. Paule's.—Mr. Marshall in Fetter lane tooke away the bust, etc. here to his howse, which see. Quaere Mr. Oliver + de hoc.

[35]Inigo Jones: vide epitaph at Mr. Marshall's.

Mr. Oliver, the city surveyor, hath all his papers and designes, not only of St. Paul's Cathedral etc. and the Banquetting-house, but his designe of all Whitehall, suiteable to the Banquetting house; a rare thing, which see.

Memorandum:—Mr. Emanuel Decretz (serjeant painter to King Charles 1st) told me in 1649, that the catafalco of King James at his funerall (which is a kind of bed of state erected in Westminster abbey, as Robert, earl of Essex, had, Oliver Cromwell, and general Monke) was very ingeniosely designed by Mr. Inigo Jones, and that he made the 4 heades of the Cariatides (which bore up the canopie) of playster of Paris, and made the drapery of them of white callico, which was very handsome and very cheap, and shewed as well as if they had been cutt out of white marble.

[36]... Jones, B.D., obiit at the house of Charlton, esq.; buried the 8th of October, Sunday, 1682, at East Barnet in Middlesex: [student[37] sometime of Ch. Ch.; master ...].

[38]Mr. Benjamin Johnson[D], Poet Laureat;—I remember when I was a scholar at Trin. Coll. Oxon. 1646, I heard Dr. Ralph Bathurst[E] (now deane of Wells) say that Ben Johnson was a Warwyckshire man—sed quaere. 'Tis agreed that his father was a minister; and by his epistle dedicat.[IV.] of 'Every Man ...' to Mr. William Camden that he was a Westminster scholar and that Mr. W. Camden was his school-master.

[Anthony[39] Wood in his Hist. , lib. 2, p. 273, sayes he was borne in Westminster: that (at riper yeares) after he had studied at Cambridge he came of his owne accord to Oxon and there entred himselfe in Ch. Ch. and tooke his Master's degree in Oxon (or conferred on him) anno 1619.]

His mother, after his father's death, maried a brick-layer; and 'tis generally sayd that he wrought sometime with his father-in-lawe[40] (and particularly on the garden-wall of Lincoln's Inne next to Chancery-lane—from old parson Hill, of Stretton, Hereff., 1646), and that ... ..., a knight, a bencher, walking thro' and hearing him repeat some Greeke verses out of Homer, discoursing with him, and finding him to have a witt extraordinary, gave him some exhibition to maintaine him at Trinity college in Cambridge, where he was ... ... (quaere).

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Then he went into the Lowe-countreys, and spent some time (not very long) in the armie[41], not to the disgrace of ..., as you may find in his Epigrammes.

Then he came over into England, and acted and wrote, but both ill, at the Green Curtaine, a kind of nursery or obscure playhouse, somewhere in the suburbes (I thinke towards Shoreditch or Clarkenwell)—from J. Greenhill.

Then he undertooke againe to write a playe, and did hitt it admirably well, viz. 'Every man ...' which was his first good one.

Serjeant John Hoskins, of Herefordshire, was his father. I remember his sonne (Sir Bennet Hoskins, baronet, who was something poeticall in his youth) told me, that when he desired to be adopted his son: 'No,' sayd he, ''tis honour enough for me to be your brother; I am your father's son, 'twas he that polished me, I doe acknowledge it.'

He was (or rather had been) of a clear and faire skin; his habit was very plaine. I have heard Mr. Lacy, the player, say that he was wont to weare a coate like a coach-man's coate, with slitts under the arme-pitts. He would many times exceed in drinke (Canarie was his beloved liquour): then he would tumble home to bed, and, when he had thoroughly perspired, then to studie. I have seen his studyeing chaire, which was of strawe, such as old woemen used, and as Aulus Gellius is drawen in.

When I was in Oxon, bishop Skinner (of Oxford), who lay at our College, was wont to say that he understood an author as well as any man in England.

He mentions in his Epigrammes a sonne that he had, and his epitaph.

Long since, in King James' time, I have heard my uncle Danvers say (who knew him), that he lived without Temple Barre, at a combe-maker's shop, about the Elephant and Castle. In his later time he lived in Westminster, in the house under which you passe as you goe out of the churchyard into the old palace; where he dyed.

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He lies buryed[V.] in the north aisle in the path of square stone (the rest is lozenge), opposite to the scutcheon[42] of Robertus de Ros, with this inscription only on him, in a pavement square, of blew marble, about 14 inches square,

O RARE BENN IOHNSON

which was donne at the chardge of Jack Young (afterwards knighted) who, walking there when the grave was covering,[43] gave the fellow eighteen pence to cutt it.

His motto before his (bought) bookes was, Tanquam Explorator. I remember 'tis in Seneca's Epistles.

He was a favourite of the Lord Chancellor Egerton, as appeares by severall verses to him. In one he begges his lordship to doe a friend of his a favour.

'Twas an ingeniose remarque of my lady Hoskins, that B. J. never writes of love, or if he does, does it not naturally.

He killed Mr. ... Marlow, the poet, on Bunhill, comeing from the Green-Curtain play-house.—From Sir Edward Shirburn.

[45]Ben Johnson:—Ben Jonson had 50 li. per annum for ... yeares together to keepe off Sir W. Wiseman of Essex from being sheriff. At last king James prickt him, and Ben came to his majestie and told him he 'had prickt him to the heart' and then explaynd himselfe (innuendo Sir W. W. being prickt sheriff) and got him struck off.

Vide his Execration against Vulcan. Vide None-such-Charles. When B. J. was dyeing king Charles sent him but X li. Quaere T. Shadwell pro notes of B. J. from the duke of Newcastle; and also quaere Thomas Henshawe (as also de saxis in Hibernia). Quaere my lord Clifford of the gentleman that cutt the grasse under Ben Jonson's [Pg 14]feet, of whom he sayd 'Ungratefull man! I showed him Juvenal.'

[46]B. Jonson; one eye[47] lower then t'other and bigger. He tooke a catalogue from Mr. Lacy of the Yorkshire words[48]—his hint to Tale of a Tub for the clownery.

[49]Ben Johnson had one eie lower than t'other, and bigger, like Clun, the player: perhaps he begott Clun. He tooke a catalogue from Mr. Lacy (the player) of the Yorkshire dialect[50]. 'Twas his hint for clownery to his comoedy called The Tale of a Tub. This I had from Mr. Lacy.

[51]King James made him write against the Puritans, who began to be troublesome in his time.

A Grace by Ben Johnson, extempore, before King James.

The king was mighty enquisitive to know who this Raph was. Ben told him 'twas the drawer at the Swanne tavernne, by Charing-crosse, who drew him good Canarie. For this drollery his majestie gave him an hundred poundes.

[52]This account[F] I received from Mr. Isaac Walton (who wrote Dr. John Donne's &c. Life), Decemb. 2, 1680, he being then eighty-seaven years of age. This is his owne hand writing.

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[53]Ffor yo^r ffriend's que. this:

I only knew Ben Johnson: but my lord of Winton knew him very well, and says he was in the 6º, that is the vpermost fforme in Westminster scole. At which time his father dyed, and his mother marryed a brickelayer, who made him (much against his will) to help him in his trade. But in a short time, his scole maister, Mr. Camden, got him a better imployment, which was to atend or accompany a son of Sir Walter Rauleyes in his travills. Within a short time after their returne, they parted (I think not in cole bloud) and with a loue sutable to what they had in their travills (not to be comended); and then, Ben began to set up for himselfe in the trade by which he got his subsistance and fame. Of which I nede not giue any account. He got in time to haue a 100 li. a yeare from the king, also a pention from the Cittie, and the like from many of the nobilitie, and some of the gentry, w^h was well payd for loue or fere of his raling in verse or prose, or boeth. My lord of Winton told me, he told him he was (in his long retyrement, and sicknes, when he saw him, which was often) much aflickted that hee had profain'd the scripture, in his playes; and lamented it with horror; yet, that at that time of his long retyrement, his pentions (so much as came yn) was giuen to a woman that gouern'd him, with whome he liud and dyed nere the Abie in West mimster; and that nether he nor she tooke much care for next weike, and wood be sure not to want wine; of which he vsually tooke too much before he went to bed, if not oftner and soner. My lord tells me, he knowes not, but thinks he was borne in Westminster. The question may be put to Mr. Wood very easily vpon what grownds he is positiue as to his being borne their? he is a friendly man and will resolue it. So much for brave Ben. You will not think the rest so tedyus, as I doe this.

Ffor yo^r 2 and 3º que. of Mr. Hill and Bilingsley, I doe nether know, nor can learn any thing worth teling you.

[54]For y^r two remaining que. of Mr. Warner and Mr.

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Harriott, this:—Mr. Warner did long and constantly lodg nere the water-stares or market in Woolstable (Woolstable is a place or lane not far from Charing Crosse, and nerer to Northumberland howse). My lord of Winchester tells me he knew him, and that he saide he first fownd out the cerculation of the blood, and discover'd it Do^r Haruie (who said that 'twas he (himselfe) that found it), for which he is so memorably famose. Warner had a pention of 40 li. a yeare from that earle of Northumberland that lay so long a prisner in the Towre, and som alowance from Sir Tho. Alesbery with whome he vsually spent his sumer in Windesor park, and was welcom, for he was harmless and quet. His winter was spent at the Wolstable, where he dyed in the time of the Parliament of 1640, of w^ch, or whome, he was no louer.

Mr. Harriott; my lord tells me, he knew him also: that he was a more gentile man, then Warner. That he had 120 li. a yeare pention from the said earle (who was a louer of ther studyes) and his lodging in Syon howse, where he thinks, or beliues, he dyed.

This is all I know or can learne for yo^r friend; which I wish may be worth the time and treble of reading it.

J. W.

Nou^er. 22, 80.

I forgot to tell, that I heard the sermon preacht for the lady Danuers, and have it: but thanke y^r ffriend.

[55]John Kersey, borne at Bodicot in Oxfordshire neer Banbury, anno domini 1616. Scripsit;—Arithmetique, 8vo; and two volumes of Algebra, folio.

Obiit in Shandos street, London, neer St. Martin's lane, anno domini 167-. He died of a consumption.

He did survey.

[56]Ralph Kettle, D.D., praeses Coll. Trin. Oxon., was borne at in Hertfordshire.

The lady Elizabeth Pope brought him in to be a scholar of the house at eleaven yeares of age[G] (as I have heard Dr. Ralph Bathurst say).

I have heard Dr. Whistler[57] say that he wrote good Latin, and Dr. Ralph Bathurst (whose grandmother, ... Villers, he maried), that he scolded the best in Latin of any one that ever he knew. He was of an admirable healthy constitution.

He dyed a yeare + after I came to the Colledge, and he was then a good deale above 80 (quaere aetatem), and he had then a fresh ruddy complexion. He was a very tall well growne man. His gowne and surplice and hood being on, he had a terrible gigantique aspect, with his sharp gray eies. The ordinary gowne he wore was a russet cloath gowne.

He was, they say, white[58] very soon; he had a very venerable presence, and was an excellent governour. One of his maximes of governing was to keepe-downe the juvenilis impetus[VI.]. He was chosen President anno Domini <1598/9> the second after the foundation of the College.

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He was a right Church of England man, and every Tuesday, in terme time, in the morning, the undergraduates (I have forgott if baccalaurs) were to come into the chapell and heare him expound on the 36 Articles[59] of the Church of England. I remember he was wont to talke much of the rood-loft, and of the wafers: he remembred those times. On these dayes, if any one had committed a fault, he should be sure to heare of it in the chapell before his fellow collegiates.

[60] these days, he would be sure to> have at him that had a white cap on; for he concluded him to have been drunke, and his head to ake. Sir[61] John Denham had borrowed money of Mr. Whistler, the recorder[62], and, after a great while, the recorder askt him for it again. Mr. Denham laught at it, and told him he never intended that. The recorder acquainted the President, who, at a lecture in the chapell, rattled him, and told him, 'Thy father,' (judge[63]) 'haz hanged many an honester man.' In my time, Mr. Anthony Ettrick and some others frighted a poor young freshman of Magd. Hall with conjuring, which when the old Dr. heard of: on the next Tuesday, sayd he, 'Mr. Ettrick'—who is a very little man—'will conjure up a jackanapes to be his great-grand-father.'

He sawe how the factious in religion in those dayes drew, and he kept himselfe unconcerned. W. Laud, archbishop of Canterbury, sent him one time a servant of his with venison, which the old Dr. with much earnestnes refused, and sayd that he was an old man, and his stomach weake, and he had not eaten of such meate in a long time, and by no meanes would accept of it; but the servant was as much pressing it on him on the other side, and told the President that he durst not carry it back[64] againe. Well, seing there was no avoyding it, the President asked the [Pg 19]servant seriously, if the archbishop of Canterbury intended to putt in any scholars or fellowes[65] into his College?

Mr. ... ... one of the fellowes (in Mr. Francis Potter's time) was wont to say, that Dr. Kettel's braine was like a hasty-pudding, where there was memorie, judgement, and phancy all stirred together. He had all these faculties in great measure, but they were all just so jumbled together. If you had to doe with him, taking him for a foole, you would have found in him great subtilty and reach: è contra, if you treated with him as a wise man, you would have mistaken him for a foole. A neighbour of mine (Mr. La St. Low[H]) told me he heard him preach once in St. Marie's Church, at Oxon. He began thus: 'being my turne to preach in this place, I went into my study to prepare my selfe for my sermon, and I tooke downe a booke that had blew strings, and look't in it,[66]and 'twas sweet Saint Bernard. I chanced to read such a part of it, on such a subject, which haz made me to choose this text——.' I know not whether this was the only time or no that he used this following way of conclusion:—'But now I see it is time for me to shutt up my booke, for I see the doctors' men come-in wiping of their beardes from the ale-house.'—(He could from the pulpit plainly see them, and 'twas their custome in sermon to go there, and about the end of sermon to returne to wayte on their masters).

He had two wives, if not three, but no child (quaere). His second wife was a Villiers, or rather (I thinke) the widowe of ... Villers, esq., who had two beautifull daughters, co-heires. The eldest, whom severall of good estate[67] would gladly have wedded, he would needs dispose of himselfe, and he thought nobody so fitt a husband for this angelique creature as one Mr. Bathurst, of the College, a second brother, and of about 300 li. per annum, but an indifferent scholar, red fac'd, not at all handsome.

[Pg 20]

But the Doctor's fashion was to goe up and down the college, and peepe in at the key-holes to see whether the boyes did follow their books or no. He seldome found Bathurst minding of his booke, but mending of his old doublet or breeches. He was very thrifty and penurious, and upon this reason he caried away this curious creature. But she was very happy in her issue; all her children were ingeniose and prosperous[68] in the world, and most of them beautifull.

About ... (neer 70 yeares since, I suppose,) one Mr. Isham (elder brother to Sir Justinian Isham), a gentleman-commoner of this howse, dyed of the small pox. He was a very fine gentleman, and very well beloved by all the colledge, and severall of the fellowes would have preacht his funerall sermon, but Dr. Kettle would not permitt it, but would doe it himselfe; which the fellowes were sorry for, for they knew he would make a ridiculous piece of worke of it. But preach the Dr. did: takes a text and preaches on it a little while; and then takes another text, for the satisfaction of the young gentleman's mother; and anon he takes another text, for the satisfaction of the young gentleman's grandmother. When he came to the panegyrique, sayd he, 'He was the finest, swet[69] young gentleman; it did doe my heart good to see him walke along the quadrangle. Wee have an old proverbe that Hungry dogges will eate dirty puddings; but I must needes say for this young gentleman, that he always loved[VII.] sweet'—he spake it with a squeaking voice—'things,'—and there was an end.

He observed that the howses that had the smallest beer had most drunkards, for it forced them to goe into the town to comfort their stomachs; wherfore Dr. Kettle alwayes had in his College excellent beer, not better to be had in Oxon; so that we could not goe to any other place but for the worse, and we had the fewest drunkards of any howse in Oxford.

[Pg 21]

He was constantly at lectures and exercises in the hall to observe them, and brought along with him his hower-glasse; and one time, being offended at the boyes, he threatned them, that if they would not doe their exercise better he 'would bring an hower-glass two howers long.'

He was irreconcileable to long haire; called them hairy scalpes, and as for periwigges (which were then very rarely worne) he beleeved[71] them to be the scalpes of men cutt off after they were hang'd, and so tanned and dressed for use. When he observed the scolars' haire longer then ordinary (especially if they were scholars of the howse), he would bring a paire of cizers in his muffe (which he commonly wore), and woe be to them that sate on the outside of the table[I]. I remember he cutt Mr. Radford's[72] haire with the knife that chipps the bread on the buttery-hatch, and then he sang (this is in the old play—Henry VIII<'s time>—of Grammar[73] Gurton's needle)

'Mr.[J] Lydall,' sayd he, 'how doe you decline tondeo? Tondeo, tondes, tonedi?'

One time walking by the table where the Logick lecture was read, where the reader was telling the boyes that a syllogisme might be true quoad formam, but not quoad materiam; said the President (who would putt-in sometimes), 'There was a fox had spyed a crowe upon a tree, and he had a great mind to have him[74], and so getts under the tree in a hope, and layes out his tayle crooked like a horne, thinking the crowe might come and peck at it, and then he would seise him. Now come we' (this[75] was his word), 'I say the foxe's tayle is a horne: is this a true proposition or no?' (to one of the boyes). 'Yes,' [Pg 22]sayd he (the Dr. expected he should have sayd No; for it putt him out of his designe); 'Why then,' said he, 'take him and toot him'; and away he went.

He dragg'd with one (i.e. right[76]) foot a little, by which he gave warning (like the rattlesnake) of his comeing. Will. Egerton (Major-Generall Egerton's younger brother), a good witt and mimick, would goe so like him, that sometime he would make the whole chapell rise up, imagining he had been entring in.

As they were reading of inscribing and circumscribing figures, sayd he,'I will shew you how to inscribe a triangle in a quadrangle. Bring a pig into the quadrangle, and I will sett the colledge dog at him, and he will take the pig by the eare; then come I and take the dog by the tayle, and the hog by the tayle, and so there you have a triangle in a quadrangle; quod erat faciendum.'

He preach't every Sunday at his parsonage at Garsington (about 5 miles off). He rode on his bay gelding, with his boy Ralph before him, with a leg of mutton (commonly) and some colledge bread. He did not care for the countrey revells, because they tended to debauchery. Sayd he, at Garsington revell, 'Here is Hey for Garsington! and Hey for Cuddesdon! and Hey Hockly! but here's nobody cries, Hey for God Almighty!'

Upon Trinity Sunday (our festival day) he would commonly preach at the Colledge, whither a number of the scholars of other howses would come, to laugh at him. In his prayer (where he was of course to remember Sir Thomas Pope, our founder, and the lady Elizabeth his wife, deceasd), he would many times make a willfull mistake, and say, 'Sir Thomas Pope our Confounder[77],' but then presently recall himselfe.

He was a person of great charity. In his college, where he observed diligent boyes that he ghessed had but a slender exhibition from their friends, he would many times putt money in at their windowes; that his right hand [Pg 23]did not know what his left did.[78]Servitors that wrote good hands he would sett on worke to transcribe for him and reward them generosely, and give them good advise. Mris. Howe, of Grendon, sent him a present of hippocris, and some fine cheese-cakes, by a plain countrey fellow, her servant. The Dr. tastes the wine:—'What,' sayd he, 'didst thou take this drinke[79] out of a ditch?' and when he saw the cheese-cakes:—'What have we here, crinkum, crankum?' The poor fellow stared on him, and wondered at such a rough reception of such a handsome present; but he shortly made him amends with a good dinner and halfe-a-crowne. The parsonage of Garsington (which belongs to the college) is worth ... per annum, and this good old Doctor, when one of his parish[80], that was an honest industrious man, happened by any accident to be in decay and lowe in the world, would let his parsonage to him for a yeare, two, or three, fourty pounds a yeare under value.

In his younger yeares he had been chaplain to Bilson, bishop of Winton.

In August, 1642, the lord viscount Say and Seale came (by order of the Parliament) to visit the colleges, to see what of new Popery they could discover in the chapells. In our chapell, on the backside of the skreen, had been two altars (of painting well enough for those times, and the colours were admirably fresh and lively). That on the right hand as you enter the chapell was dedicated to St. Katharine, that on the left was of the taking our Saviour off from the crosse. My lord Say sawe that this was donne of old time, and Dr. Kettle told his lordship 'Truly, my Lord, we regard them no more then a dirty dish-clout'; so they remained untoucht, till Harris's time[81], and then were coloured over with green. The windowes of the chapell were good Gothique painting, in every columne a figure;—e.g. St. Cuthbert, St. Leonard, St. [Pg 24]Oswald. I have forgott the rest. 'Tis pitty they should be lost. I have a note of all the scutcheons in glasse about the house. 'Twas pitty Dr. Bathurst tooke the old painted glasse out of the library. Anciently, in the chapell, was a little organ over the dore of the skreen. The pipes were, in my time, in the bursery.

[82]Memorandum:—till Oxford was surrendred we sang the reading psalmes on Sundayes, holy-dayes, and holy-day eves; and one of the scholars of the house sang the ghospell for the day in the hall, at the latter end of dinner, and concluded, Sic desinit Evangelium secundum beatum Johannem (or etc.): tu autem, Domine, miserere nostri.

He sang a shrill high treble; but there was one (J. Hoskyns[K]) who had a higher, and would play the wag with the Dr. to make him straine his voice up to his.

[83]Memorandum:—there was in my time a rich pall[84] to lay on a coffin, of crimson velvet, with a large plaine crosse on it of white silke or sattin.

[85]'Tis probable this venerable Dr. might have lived some yeares longer, and finisht his century, had not those civill warres come on: which much grieved him, that was wont to be absolute in the colledge, to be affronted and disrespected by rude soldiers. I remember, being at the Rhetorique lecture in the hall, a foot-soldier came in and[86] brake his hower-glasse. The Dr. indeed was just stept out, but Jack Dowch[L] pointed at it. Our grove was the Daphne for the ladies and their gallants to walke in, and many times my lady Isabella Thynne[VIII.] would make her entrey with a theorbo or lute played before her. I have heard her play on it in the grove myselfe, which she did rarely; for which Mr. Edmund Waller hath in his Poems for ever made her famous. One may say of her as Tacitus sayd of Agrippina, Cuncta alia illi adfuere, praeter animum honestum. She was most beautifull, most humble, charitable, etc. but she [Pg 25]could not subdue one thing. I remember one time this lady and fine Mris. Fenshawe[IX.] (her great and intimate friend, who lay at our college), would have a frolick to make a visitt to the President. The old Dr. quickly perceived that they came to abuse him; he addresses his discourse to Mris. Fenshawe, saying, 'Madam, your husband[M] and father I bred up here, and I knew your grandfather; I know you to be a gentlewoman, I will not say you are a whore; but gett you gonne for a very woman.' The dissolutenesse of the times, as I have sayd, grieving the good old Doctor, his dayes were shortned, and dyed anno Domini 1643, and was buried at Garsington: quaere his epitaph.

Seneca's scholar Nero found fault with his style, saying 'twas arena sine calce: now Dr. Kettle was wont to say that 'Seneca writes, as a boare does pisse,' scilicet, by jirkes.

I cannot forget a story that Robert Skinner, lord bishop of Oxford, haz told us:—one Slymaker[N], a fellow of this College long since, a fellow of great impudence, and little learning—the fashion was in those dayes to goe, every Satterday night (I thinke), to Joseph Barnes' shop, the bookeseller (opposite to the west end of St. Mary's), where the newes was brought from London, etc.—this impudent clowne would alwayes be hearkning to people's whisperings and overlooking their letters, that he was much taken notice of. Sir Isaac Wake, who was a very witty man, was resolved he would putt a trick upon him, and understood that such a Sunday Slymaker was to preach at St. Mary's. So Sir Isaac, the Saterday before, reades a very formall lettre to some person of quality, that cardinal Baronius was turned Protestant, and was marching with an army of 40,000 men against the Pope. Slymaker hearkned with greedy eares, and the next day in his prayer before his sermon[O], beseeched God[87]'of his infinite mercy and goodnesse to give a blessing to the army of cardinall Baronius, who was turnd Protestant, and now[Pg 26] marching with an army of forty thousand men,' and so runnes on: he had a Stentorian voice, and thunderd it out. The auditors all stared and were amazed: ... Abbot (afterwards bishop of Sarum[88]) was then Vice-cancellor, and when Slymaker came out of the pulpit, sends for him, and asked his name: 'Slymaker,' sayd he; 'No,' sayd the Vice-canc., ''tis Lyemaker.'

Dr. Kettle, when he scolded at the idle young boies of his colledge, he used these names, viz. Turds, Tarrarags (these were the worst sort, rude rakells), Rascal-Jacks, Blindcinques, Scobberlotchers (these did no hurt, were sober, but went idleing about the grove with their hands in their pocketts, and telling the number of the trees there, or so).

[89]To make you merry I'le tell you a story that Dr. Henry Birket[90] told us tother day at his cosen Mariet's, scilicet that about 1638 or 1640 when he was of Trinity College, Dr. Kettle, preaching as he was wont to doe on Trinity Sunday, told 'em that they should keepe their bodies chast and holy: 'but,' said he, 'you fellows of the College here eate good commons and drinke good double-beer ... and that will gett-out.' How would the good old Dr. have raunted and beat-up his kettle-drum, if he should have seen such luxury in the College as there is now! Tempora mutantur.

[91]Ludolphus van Ceulin was first, by profession, a fencing-master; but becomeing deafe, he betooke himselfe to the studie of the mathematiques wherin he became famous.

He wrote a learned booke, printed at ... in 4to of the proportion of the diameter of a circle to the peripherie: before which is his picture, and round about it in the compartiment are swords and bucklers and holberts, etc.,—weapons: the reason wherof I understood not till D^r. John Pell gave the aforesaid account, who had it from Sir Francis Godolphin, who had been his scholar as to fencing and boarded in his house.

He dyed at Leyden anno ..., aetat. 56, as I remember (vide); and on his monument, according to his last will, is engraved the proportion abovesayd, which is....

[92]My lodging is at the George Inne in Little Drury lane, very early or late, or at other times at Mr. Samuell Eyres his chamber at Lincolne's Inne or at Mr. John Hancock's chamber in the Middle Temple—Ric. Kitson.

Direct your letter in the country to me at my house in Amesbury neere Salisbury, Wiltes.

[Pg 28]

I use to be at Salisbury Tuesdayes and Saturdayes weekely—R. K.

[93] author of the battaile of Lepanto[94] hangd at Tyburne; he was reduced to such necessity.

The lord Burleigh, when he read Knolls' Turkish history was particularly extremely pleased at the discription of the battail of Lepanto; sent for Knolles, who told him an ingeniose young man came to him, hearing what he was about, and desired that he might write that, having been in that action. I thinke he has taught schoole about Sandwych.

My lord hunted after him, and traced him from place to place, and at last to Newgate. He was hanged but a 14 night before. He unluckily lost a good opportunity of being preferred— Mr. Smyth, Magd. Coll.

[95]John Lacy, player, of the King's house, borne at ... neer Doncaster in Yorkshire. Came to London to the ... playhouse, 1631. His master was.... Apprentice (as were also ... and Isaac) to Mr. John Ogilby.

B. Jonson tooke a note of his Yorkshire words and proverbes for his Tale of a Tub, several 'Gad kettlepinns!'

1642 vel 3, lievetenant and quartermaster to the lord Gerard[96]. Vide Dr. Earles' Character of a Player.

He was of an elegant shape, and fine[97] complexion.

His majestie (Charles II^d) haz severall pictures of this famous comoedian at Windsore and Hampton Court in the postures of severall parts that he acted, e.g., Teag, Lord Vaux, the Puritan.

He dyed of.... He made his exit on Saturday September 17th 1681, and was buryed in the farther [Pg 29]churchyard of St. Martyn's in the fields on the Monday following, aged....

Scripsit these comoedies: that is to say,

...
...

[98]Edward Lane, who wrote against ... Du Moulin[P]: the title of his booke is ..., London, printed for W. Crooke, A.D....

In a letter from him to Mr. Crooke, thus, viz.:—

'As to the postscript of your letter, wherein I am desired to give an account of my academicall education, etc., know that in the yeare 1622, after I had been brought up to some learning in Paule's Schoole, London, I was admitted into St. John's Colledge, in Cambridge, where the president was my tutor; and after I had duely performed all that was required of me both in College and Schooles, I tooke my degree there of Master in Arts in the yeare 1629. And ten yeares after that, viz. in the yeare 1639, I was admitted ad eundem gradum in the university of Oxford. In the yeare 1630, my Lord Keeper Coventrey gave a little vicarage in Essex, called North Strobury; and in the yeare 1635 his good Lordship removed me to the place where I now am. This I concieve is all that is now enquired of me by you.—The Lord give me grace so to number my dayes that I may apply my heart better then I have yet donne to Spiritual Wisdome.

Good sir,
I am your true friend and servant,
Edward Lane.'

Sparsholt, Hants.
Novemb. 16, 1681.

[99]Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley in com. Oxon was a gentleman of a good estate, and a strong and valiant person.

He was raunger of Woodstocke parke, and (I have heard my old cosen Whitney say) would many times in his younger yeares walke at nights in the parke with his keepers.

Sir Gerard Fleetwood succeeded him in this place[X.]; as his nephew Sir William Fleetwood did him, and him the earl of Rochester.

This Sir Henry Lee's nephew and heire (whom I remember very well; he often came to Sir John Danvers') was called Whip-and-away. The occasion of it was thus:—this old hero declining in his strength by age and so not being able to be a righter of his owne wronges as heretofore—

Ovid. Metamorp. lib. xv, fab. 3 —

some person of quality had affronted him. So he spake to Sir Henry Lee his heire to lie in wayte for him about the Bell Inne in the Strand with halfe a dozen or more lustie fellowes at his back and as the partie passed along to give him a good blow with his cane and whip and away, the tall fellowes should finish the revenge. Whether 'twere nicety of conscience or cowardice, but Sir Henry the younger absolutely refused it. For which he was disinherited, and setled his whole estate upon a keeper's sonne of Whitchwood-forest of his owne name, a one-eied young man, no kinne to him, from whom the earle of Lichfield[100] now is descended, as also the lady Norris and lady Wharton.

[Pg 31]

He was never maried, but kept woemen to reade to him when he was a bed. One of his readers was parson Jones[101] his wife of Wotton. I have heard her daughter (who had no more witt) glory what a brave reader her mother was and how Sir Harry's worship much delighted to heare her. But his dearest deare was Mris. Anne Vavasour. He erected a noble altar monument of marble (☞ see it) wheron his effigies in armour lay; at the feet was the effigies of his mistresse Mris. Anne Vavasour. Which occasioned these verses:—

Memorandum: some bishop did threaten to have this monument defaced (at least to remove Mris. A. Vavasour's effigies).

[103](1) Old Sir Henry Lee[104] of Ditchley, com. Oxon.

(2) Sir Henry Lee, whom they called Whip-and-away, was cosen-german to the other Sir Henry; he dyed a batchelor, sine prole.

Old Sir Henry Lee, knight of the Garter, and was supposed brother of queen Elizabeth. He ordered that all his family should be christned Harry's.

This account I take from my lady Elizabeth viscountesse Purbec, the eldest daughter of Sir John Danvers, sister to the lady Anne Lee.

[111]Mr. William Lee, A.M., was of Oxon[112] (I thinke, Magdalen Hall[Q]). He was the first inventor of the weaving of stockings by an engine of his contrivance. He was a Sussex man borne, or els lived there. He was a poor curate, and, observing how much paines his wife tooke in knitting a payre of stockings, he bought a stocking and a halfe, and observed the contrivance of the stitch, which he designed in his loome, which (though some of the appendent instruments of the engine be altered) keepes the same to this day. He went into France, and there dyed before his loome was made there. So the art was, not long since, in no part of the world but England. Oliver Protector made an act that it should be felonie to transport this engine. Vide Stowe's Chronicle and Baker's Chronicle, if any mention of it. This information I tooke from a weaver (by this engine) in Pear-poole lane, 1656. Sir John Hoskyns, Mr. Stafford Tyndale, and I, went purposely to see it.

[113]W. Lilly— donne by himselfe penes Mr. Elias Ashmole.

[114]Mr. W. Lilly obiit at his house in Hersham, Thursday, June 9, and is to be buried at Walton chancel[115] this day, scil. June 10, 1681. He was borne on May day 1601[116]: had he lived till next May he had been full fourscore. He setled his estate at Hersham, 200 li. per annum, on ... Whitlock, esqre, sonne of the Lord Commissioner Whitlock[117] (who was his great patrone).

[118]Mr. William Lilly, astrologer: he wrote his owne life very largely, which Elias Ashmole, esq., hath. Memorandum he predicted the great comete which appeared in anno Domini[119] 168<0>, in his almanack 1677, which was the last that he wrote himselfe with his owne hands; for afterwards he fell blind. Memorandum, to bind up the almanack aforesayd with other 8vo pamphlets, for 'tis exceeding considerable.

[120]Ne oblivione contereretur urna
Gulielmi Lillii
astrologi peritissimi
qui fatis cessit
V^to Idus Junii anno Christi Juliano
MDCLXXXI
Hoc illi posuit amoris monumentum
Elias Ashmole,
armiger.

On a black marble (good marble; 7 li.[121]) gravestone in the middle towards the north wall of Walton-on-Thames .

[Pg 34]

Quaere—he wrote his own life which Mr. Ashmole hath and is dedicated to him.

[122]Father Franciscus Linus, i.e. Hall, was borne in London—which captain Robert Pugh, è Societate Jesus, assured me, who was his great acquaintance.

He was of the Societie of Jesus and lived most at Liège, where he dyed....

He writt a learned discourse, de coloribus, which Sir Kenelm Digby quotes with much praise in his philosophie.

He printed a discourse of dialling in 4to, Latin, and made the Jesuits College there the finest dialls in the world, which are described in that booke. The like dialls he made (which resemble something a ... of candlesticks) in the garden at Whitehall, which were one night, anno Dni. 167- (4[123], as I take it), broken all to pieces (for they were of glasse spheres) by the earl of Rochester, lord Buckhurst, Fleetwood Shephard, etc., comeing in from their revells. 'What!' said the earl of Rochester, 'doest thou stand here to ... time?' Dash they fell to worke. Ther was a watchman alwayes stood there to secure it.

He wrote a piece of philosophy in Latin in 8vo, called....

He had great skill in the optiques, and was an excellent philosopher and mathematician, and a person of exceeding suavity, goodnes, and piety, insomuch that I have heard father Manners, è Soc. Jes., say that he deserved canonisation.

Memorandum—he writ a little tract, about halfe a sheet or not much more, of Transubstantiation, proveing it metaphysically and by naturall reason—which I have seen.

[124]Franciscus Linus (Hall), Jesuite, at Leige. He told me he was born in London; see more in my memorandums of him to Mr. Anthony Wood.

Sir Kenelme Digby, in his booke of bodies, in the chapter of colours, speakes with a very great respect of Mr. ... Hall.

[Pg 35]

He writ and published a prety little booke in 8vo (or lesse) of natural philosophy—quaere nomen.

[125]Sir Matthew Lister was born at Thornton in Craven in Yorkshire. His nephew Martin Lister, M.D., R.S.S.[126], from whose mouth I have this information, tells me he was of Oriel College in Oxon; he thinkes he was a fellowe.

He built that stately house at Ampthill in Bedfordshire (now the earle of Alesbury's). He sent for the architects from Italie.

He died at Burwell neer Lowth in Lincolnshire about 1656 or 1657, aged 92 yeares.

He was physitian to queen Anne (queen of king James). See the list of the names of the physitians before the London dispensatorie; as I remember, he was then president of the Physitians' College at London.

He printed nothing that Dr. Martin Lister knowes of (Sir Matthew Lister bred him up).

[127]Mr. Wyld sayes Sir Matthew Lister built the house for Mary, countesse of Pembroke. He was her surveyour, and managed her estate[128]. The seat at Ampthill is now in the possession of the earl of Alesbury, whose grandfather (the earl of Elgin) bought it of the countesse of Pembroke.—That he was president of the Physitians College appeares by the dedication of the London dispensatory to him, being then president.

[129]1582: Almanack, supputated specially for the elevation and meridian of London but may generally serve for all England—by Evans Lloyd, student in Astronomie.

'Tis dedicated 'To the right honourable Sir Thomas Bromley, Lord Chancellour of England, and one of her majestie's most honourable privy councell.' He concludes [Pg 36]thus:—'Your honour's most humble and dutifull, Evans Lloyd, late student in Oriall Colledge in Oxford.'

[130]Martin Lluellyn was borne on Thursday the 12 of December 1616, a quarter befor 11 of clock in the night, the moon newly entred into Capricorn and near the full in Gemini. He was the seventh son, without any daughter between. He was christned on the 22 day of December at Litle St. Bartholomeu's church near Smithfeild, London: buried in the left chancel of Wicombe church near the wall.

[131]He lies interred in the middle of the north aisle of the chancell, towards the step or elevation, of Chipping Wickham in the county of Bucks, under a fair black marble gravestone.

[132]Sir James Long, baronet:—I should now be both orator and soldier to give this honoured friend of mine, 'a gentleman absolute[133] in all numbers,' his due character.

Only son of Sir W. L.; borne at South Wraxhall in Wilts. Westminster scholar; of Magd. coll. Oxon; Fisher there. Went to France. Maried anno ... D.[134] Leech, a most elegant beautie and witt, daughter of Sir E. L., [Pg 37]25 aetat. In the civill warres, colonel of horse in Sir Fr. Dodington's brigade. Good sword-man; horseman; admirable extempore orator pro harangue; great memorie; great historian and romanceer; great falkoner and for horsemanship; for insects; exceeding curious and searching long since, in naturall things.

Oliver, Protector, hawking at Hownselowe heath, discoursing with him, fell in love with his company, and commanded him to weare his sword, and to meete him a hawkeing, which made the strict cavaliers look on him with an evill eye.

Scripsit 'History and Causes of the Civill Warre,' or 'Reflections' (quaere); 'Examination of witches at Malmesburie.'

[135]Richard Lovelace[R], esq.: he was a most beautifull gentleman.

Ovid. Metamorph.[136] fab. 5 (Echo), lib. III.

Obiit in a cellar in Long Acre, a little before the restauration of his majestie. Mr. Edmund Wyld, etc. have made collections for him, and given him money.

One of the handsomst men of England. He was of ... in Kent, 500 li. per annum and + (quaere E. W.).

He was an extraordinary handsome man, but prowd. He wrote a poem called Lucasta[XI.], 8vo, printed London by Thomas Harper to be sold at the Gun in Ivy lane, 1649[137].

He was of Glocester hall[138], as I have been told.

[Pg 38]

He had two younger brothers, viz. colonel Francis Lovelace, and another brother that died at Carmarthen (prout per poema).

George Petty, haberdasher, in Fleet Street, carried xxs. to him every Monday morning from Sir ... Many and Charles Cotton, esq., for ... (quaere quot) moneths, but was never repayd[S].

[139]Mr. Cyprian Lucar[T] published a very profitable treatise in 4to for young beginners in the Mathematicks, intituled

'Lucar solace, divided into fower bookes, which in part are collected out of diverse authors in diverse languages, and in part devised by Cyprian Lucar, gentleman. Imprinted at London by Richard Field anno Domini 1590.'

It is dedicated 'to the right worshipfull his brother-in-law Maister William Roe, esquier, and alderman of the honorable citie of London.' This dedicatory epistle is a well writ and close stile. He expresseth himselfe short and cleare and to have been a publick-spirited and a good man as well as learned and ingenious. He dates it 'From my house in London the 1 day of May in the yeare of the creation of the world 5552, and in the yeare of our redemption 1590.'

The contents of the four bookes of Lucar Solace:—

'The first book containeth definitions of divers words and terms, names and lengthes of divers English measures, the true difference between an acar of land measured[Pg 39] with a pearch of 12 foot, 18 foot, 20 foote, or 24 foote in length, and an acar of land measured with a pearch of 16 foot and an halfe foote in length, names and types of divers geometrical instruments, names and dwelling places of workmen which can make and doe sell such instruments, meanes to discerne whether or no the edge of a ruler is right, and infallible instructions by which an ingenious reader may readily measure upon any smooth table, drummes head, stoole or other superficies measurable lengths, bredthes, heights, and depthes, apply known lengthes, bredthes, heights, and depthes to many good purposes, know recorded heighthes, lengthes, and bredthes of some famous monuments in Sarum, in Westminster and in the honorable citie of London, know the antiquitie of the sayd citie of London, draw the true plat of any place, make a fit scale for any platt or mappe, reduce many plats into one fair mappe, reduce a mappe from a bigge forme to a lesse forme, and from a lesse forme to a bigge forme, and learne to know the commodities and discommodities of places.

[140]'The second book sheweth how an ingenuous person may measure a right-lined distance between any two places described in a mappe, how he may measure the circuite and superficiall content of any described peece of land, how he may find the centre of any polygonon equiangle figure, how he may find the center of any circle, how he may make by a part of the circumference the whole circumference agreeing unto that part, how he may bring any right lined figure into triangles and how he may know what number of angles in a right-lined figure are equall to any certain number of right angles.

'The third book instructeth the reader to make any triangle, square, or long-square, to erect a plumbe line upon any part or point of a line, to divide any circle into divers numbers of equall parts, to make any polygonon equiangle figure, to make an egge-forme figure, to know when a figure is inscribed within another figure or circum[Pg 40]scribed about another figure, to inscribe certain rightlined figures within certain other rightlined figures, to circumscribe certain rightlined figures about certain other rightlined figures, to divide a right line into so many equall parts as he will, to tell whether a thing seen afar off doth stand still, goe from him, or come towards him, to draw a line equall to any assigned arch-line or to the whole circumference of any assigned circle or to any assigned part of a circle, to draw a circular line equall to any assigned right line, to separate, lay out, and inclose within a long square, one, two or three acars of land by diverse waies from any peece of ground adjoyning, to change a figure of one forme into an equall figure of another appointed forme, to make a right line angle equall to a right line angle given, to draw a parallel to a right line given, and to cube any assigned sphere.

'The fourth booke teacheth the reader to know fruitfull barren and minerall grounds, growthes ages and solid contents of trees, and where a good air is. It doth also teach the reader to build for the preservation of health, to make a tunnell of a chimney so as no smoak shall annoy him in his house, to fell timber and make sound boords for buildings, to sink a well in due time and in a place where water may be found, and to know whether a new found spring of water will drie up in a hot and dry summer; also it sheweth how water in a shallow well is more wholesome than water in a deep well, how every well ought to be uncovered[141]and often times drawn drie, how the use of water is necessary, how divers sorts of water have divers qualities, how there are divers meanes to trie among many sorts of water which water is best, how great store of water may be thrown out of a new-devised squerte upon any fired house or other thing, how water may be brought in pipes or in gutters within the ground to any appointed sesterne, how the depth of any sea may be found, how the force of running waters which weare away land may be broken; how wet grounds and[Pg 41] bogges may be drained, and how by the art taught in these 4 bookes the ingenuous reader may devise new workes, strange engins and instruments not only for private pleasure but also for sundry purposes in the common-wealth.'

Memorandum:—in the XXIII chapter of the third booke of Lucar Solace, in the beginning of the chapter, he quotes the 67 chapter of his booke ☞ intituled Lucar appendix, which I never saw.

[142]I will enquire at Lyte's-Cary when Henry Lyte[143], esq., dyed.—He translated Dodantus' Herball, and writt a little pamphlet, which I have, called 'The light of Britaine, being a short summary of the old English history,' dedicated to queen Elizabeth.

He began the genealogy of king James, derived from Brute; which his eldest son Thomas Lyte, of Lyte's-Cary aforesaid, finished, and presented to king James. It is most rarely donne and exquisitly limmed by a limmer—all the kings' pictures, etc. King James, after it had hung some time at Whitehal, ordered him to have it[144]again and to gett ingraved, which was donne. Mr. Humble of Pope's-head alley had the plates before the fire: I hope [Pg 42]they are not lost—it is most curiously donne, by Hole. It is as big as the greatest map of England that ever I sawe. Mr. Camden much admired, and at the foot writt 6 or 8 verses with his owne hand:—

etc.—which I have forgott.

T. Lyte writt the best print hand that ever I yet sawe. The originall, which is now in the parlour at Lyte's-Cary, was writt with his hand, and limmed by a famous artist.

[145]They[146] both lye buried in a burying place belonging to them in the church at Charlton Makerell in Somersetshire.

[147]Henry Lyte lived to the age of 78, and was buried in the north aisle of the church of Charlton Makarell in Somersetshire anno 1607—which aisle belongs to Lyte's-Cary.

[148]Mr. Isaac Lyte, of Easton-Piers, my honoured grand-father, was born there March XIX, 1576; hora ignoratur. Baptizatus March XIX, 1576—ex registro.

Obiit Febr. 21, 1659, die Martis[149], circiter horam quartam mane.

Mris Israel Lyte, my honoured grandmother, died Febr. 24, 1661/2, inter horas 3 et 4 P.M.

[150]☞ Captain Robert Pugh[151] assures me that Sir John Mandeville, the famous traveller, lyes buryed at Liege in Germany, with which note amend lib. B[152], where I thought he had been buryed at St. Alban's abbey church as [Pg 43]Mr. Thomas Gore told me. But I thinke I remember something writt of him there in a table on a pillar or wall: but he was there borne (as in his life).

[153]Mr. ... Markham: he wrote of husbandry and huswifry, 4to; of horsemanship, 4to; of the art of shooting with the long bow, 8vo; etc.—quaere.

He was a Nottinghamshire gentleman. His brother Sir Gryffin Markham was servant to the emperor ..., and did deserve well of him.

This ... Markham, the writer, dyed poor.—Old Jack Markham (late gentleman-usher to the queen) from whom I have these informations told me he hath given many a crowne.

[154]William Marshall, sculptor, natus Oct. 7, horâ 0 min. 23 P.M., 1606.—Conjunction of Mercury and Leo made him stammer.

[155]Sir Henry Martin, LL.D., was borne at Stoke-Poges in the countie of Bucks; his father a copy-holder there of about 60 li. per annum. He was formerly a fellow of New Colledg, Oxon. He left his sonne 3000 li. per annum.

[156]H. Martyn.—his father has a handsome monument at Becket in Berks which he purchased of Sir ... Essex.

[157]Henry Martin, esq., son and heir of Sir Henry Martin, knight, Judge of the Arches, was borne at .

Henry, the son, was of the university of [158]>; travelled France, but never Italie. His father found out a rich wife for him, whom he married something unwillingly. He was a great lover of pretty girles, to whom he was so liberall that he spent the greatest part of his estate.

When he had found out a maried woman[159] that he liked (and he had his emissaries, male and female, to looke out) he would contrive such or such a good bargain, 20 or 30 li. per annum under rent, to have her neer him. He lived from his wife a long time. If I am not mistaken shee was sometime distempered by his unkindnesse to her.

King Charles I had complaint against him for his wenching. It happened that Henry was in Hyde-parke one time when his majestie was there, goeing to see a race. The king espied him, and sayd aloud, 'Let that ugly rascall be gonne out of the parke, that whore-master, or els I will not see the sport.' So Henry went away patiently, sed manebat alta mente repostum. That sarcasme raysed the whole countie of Berks against him[160]: he[161] was as far from a Puritane as light from darknesse. Shortly after[162], (1641) he was chosen knight of the shire of that county, nemine contradicente, and proved a deadly enemy to the king.

He was a great and faithfull lover of his countrey, and never gott a farthing by the Parliament. He was of an incomparable witt for reparte's; not at all covetous; humble, not at all arrogant, as most of them were; a great [Pg 45]cultor of justice, and did always in the house take the part of the oppressed.

Anno 1660 he was obnoxious for having been one of the late king's judges, and he was in very great danger to have suffred as the others did (he pleaded only the king's Act or Proclamation at Breda, which he shewd in his hand), but (as he was a witt himselfe) so the lord Falkland saved his life by witt, saying, 'Gentlemen, yee talke here of makeing a sacrifice; it was the old lawe[163], all sacrifices were to be without spott or blemish; and now you are going to make an old rotten rascall a sacrifice.' This witt tooke in the house, and saved his life.

He was first a prisoner at the Tower; then at Windsore (removed from thence because he was an eie-sore to his majestie etc.); from thence to Chepstowe, where he is now (1680). During his imprisonment his wife relieved him out of her joincture, but she dyed....

His stature was but midling; his habit moderate; his face not good. Sir Edward Baynton was wont to say that his company was incomparable, but that he would be drunke too soon.

His speeches in the house were not long, but wondrous poynant, pertinent, and witty. He was exceeding happy in apt instances. He alone haz sometimes turned the whole house. Makeing an invective speech one time against old Sir Henry Vane, when he had don with him, said, But for young Sir Harry Vane——and so sate him downe. Severall cryed out—'What have you to say to young Sir Harry?' He rises up: Why! if young Sir Harry lives to be old; he will be old Sir Harry! and so sate downe, and set[164] the house a laughing, as he oftentimes did.—Oliver Cromwell once in the house called him, jestingly or scoffingly, 'Sir Harry Martin.' H. M. rises and bowes, 'I thanke your majestie, I alwayes thought when you were king, that I should be knighted.'—A godly member made a motion to have all profane and unsanctified persons expelled the Houses. H. M. stood [Pg 46]up and moved that all the fooles might be putt out likewise, and then there would be a thin house.—He was wont to sleep much in the house (at least dog-sleepe): alderman Atkins made a motion that such scandalous members as slept and minded not the businesse of the house, should be putt-out. H. M. starts up—'Mr. Speaker, a motion has been to turne out the Nodders; I desire the Noddees may also be turnd out.'—H. M. sayd that he had 'seen the Scripture fulfilld—Thou hast exalted the humble and meeke; thou hast filled the emptie with ... things, and the rich hast thou sent emptie away.'—See a pretty speech of his in print about the comeing in of the Scotts to assist and direct us.

[165]Henry Martyn made the motion in the house to call the addressers to account (viz. those that addressed to Richard Cromwell, Protector, to stand by him with their lives and fortunes), and that all the addressers that were of it (of the house) might be turnd[166] out as enemies to the commonwealth of England and betrayers of their trust to bring in government by a single person. Had not Dick Cromwell sneak't away, then it is certaine that the Rump would have cutt-off his head, as I am well assurd from a deare friend[167] of mine.

Memorandum that Dr. Wilkins (who[168] maried his[169] aunt) was very instrumentall in perswading persons of quality and corporations to addresse: but what did it signifie?

Henry Martin, esq.; 'you[170] have already made your little less.'

His short lettre to his cosen Stonehouse of [Radley[171]] by Abingdon that 'if his majestie should take advice of his gunsmiths and powder-men he would never have peace'—from Sir John Lenthall: as also of his draweing [Pg 47]the remonstrance of the Parliament when 'twas formed a commonwealth—within five or six lines of the beginning he sayes 'restored to it's auncient goverment[172] of a commonwealth.' When 'twas read Sir Henry Vane stood up and repremanded and 'wondred at his impudence to affirme such a notorious lye.' H. M., standing up, meekely replied that 'there was a text had much troubled his spirit for severall dayes and nights of the man that was blind from his mother's womb[173] whose sight was restored[174] at last,' i.e. was restored to the sight which he should have had.

[175]Insert the song of

'Oliver came to the House like a spright' etc.

Obiit at Chepstowe, a prisoner, September ... (about the middle) anno Domini 1680.

He was very hospitable and exceeding popular in Berks, the whole countie.

Memorandum when his study was searcht they found lettres[XII.] to his concubine, which was printed 4to. There is witt and good nature in them.

Becket in the parish of Shrineham, his chiefe seate: in the Vale of White-horse: now major Wildman's.

[177]Richard Martin[U] was borne....

Insert here his picture[V] which I sent to Mr. A. Wood[W].

He was of the ancient familie of the Martins of Athelminston in the countie of Dorset, a very faire seate. The [Pg 48]name was lost about 50 yeares since by a daughter and heire, who was maried to ... Bruen, who had a daughter and heire maried to Sir Ralph Banks, who sold it to Sir Robert Long (1668). In the church are severall noble monuments. Their crest is an ape; men use to say 'a Martin ape.'

(In queen Elizabeth's time, one Penry of Wales wrote a booke[XIII.] called Martin Marprelate, on which there was this epigram:—

He was a very handsome man, a gracefull speaker, facetious, and well-beloved. I thinke he dyed of a merry symposiaque.

He was recorder but a moneth before his death[178].

These verses were written on his Bible:—

J. Hoskyns.

He is buried in the north side of the Temple church, where is a faire monument of him kneeling, with this inscription, made by his friend serjeant Hoskyns:—

Salve Lector.

Vale Jurisconsulte.

[Pg 49]

Ben Johnson dedicates his comoedie called the Poetaster to him:—

'A thankefull man owes a courtesie ever, the unthankefull but when he needes. For whose innocence, as for the author's, you were once a noble and timely undertaker to the greatest justice of this kingdome.'

Died of a symposiaque excesse with his fellow-witts[X]. Was not recorder above a quarter of a yeare: quaere Sir Hoskins.

[Pg 51]
[Pg 52]
[Pg 53]

[201]Mr. Andrew Marvell: his father was minister of ... (I thinke, Hull: quaere) ..., he was borne.

He had good grammar-education: and was after sent to ..., in Cambridge.

In the time of Oliver the Protector he was Latin Secretarie. He was a great master of the Latin tongue; an excellent poet in Latin or English: for Latin verses there was no man could come into competition with him. The verses called The Advice to the Painter were of his making.

His native towne of Hull loved him so well that they elected him for their representative in Parliament, and gave him an honourable pension to maintaine him.

He was of a middling stature, pretty strong sett, roundish faced, cherry cheek't, hazell eie, browne haire. He was in his conversation very modest, and of very few words[202]: and though he loved wine he would never drinke hard in company, and was[XIV.] wont to say that, he would not play the [Pg 54]good-fellow in any man's company in whose hands he would not trust his life.

He kept bottles of wine at his lodgeing, and many times he would drinke liberally by himselfe to refresh his spirits, and exalt his muse. I remember I have been told (Mr. Haake and Dr. Pell) that the learned ... (an High-German) was wont to keep bottells of good Rhenish-wine in his studie, and when he had spent his spirits he would drinke a good rummer of it.

James Harrington, esq. (autor Oceanae), was his intimate friend. John Pell, D.D., was one of his acquaintance. He had not a generall acquaintance.

He wrote The Rehersall transprosed, against Samuel Parker, D.D.; Mr. Smirke, (stich't, 4to, about 8 sheets); The naked Trueth.

Obiit Londini, Aug. 18. 1678; and is buried in St. Giles church in-the-fields about the middle (quaere iterum) of the south aisle. Some suspect that he was poysoned by the Jesuites, but I cannot be positive.

I remember I heard him say that the earle of Rochester[203] was the only man in England that had the true veine of satyre.

He[204] lies interred under the pewes in the south side of Saint Giles' church in-the-fields, under the window wherein is painted in glasse a red lyon, (it was given by the inneholder of the Red Lyon Inne in Holborne) and is the ... window from the east. This account I had from the sexton that made his grave.

[205]My brother Tom searcht the register of Wilton from the beginning and talk't with old men. Philip Massinger was not buried there; but his wife dyed at [Pg 55]Cardiffe in Wales, to whom the earl of Pembroke payd an annuity.

[206]This day I searched the register of St. Saviour's, Southwark, by the playhouse then there, vulgo St. Mary's Overy's; and find Philip Massinger buryed March 18th, 1639. I am enformed at the place where he dyed, which was by the Bankes side neer the then playhouse, that he was buryed about the middle of the Bullhead-churchyard—i.e. that churchyard (for there are four) which is next the Bullhead taverne, from whence it has its denomination. He dyed about the 66th yeare of his age: went to bed well, and dyed suddenly—but not of the plague.

[207]He stood candidate for[208] the laurell after B. Jonson; but Sir William Davenant caried it—

manet alta mente repostum,

perhaps.

A great acquaintance of Tom Chaloner. Would, when inter pocula, speake slightingly of the Trinity.

Shammed[209].

Amicus: Sir Richard Fanshawe. Mr. Decretz heard (was present at) the debate at their parting before Sir Richard went to the king, where both camps were most rigorously banded[210].

Clap. Came of his death after drinking with his chin tyed with his cap (being fatt); suffocated.

Quaere Anthony Wood pro epitaph[211], etc.

Lord Chief Justice Vaughan, amicus—verses.

His translation of Lucan's excellent poeme made him in love with the republique, which tang[212] stuck by him.

In the Session of Poets by Sir John Suckling:—

'There was Lucan's translator too.'

[213]Thomas May, esq., a handsome man, debaucht ad omnia; lodged in the little[214]by Canon-rowe, as you goe through the alley. Translated Virgil's Georgiques. Writt:—Breviary of the historie of the Parliament of England (London, 1650; reprinted 1680, 8vo.); History of the victorious Edward IIId., in English verse, by Charles I's speciall command (8vo, 1639); and also Henry İİd., in English verse, both in 8vo.

[215]As to Tom May, Mr. Edmund Wyld told me that he was acquainted with him when he was young, and then he was as other young men of this towne are, scil. he said he was debaucht ad omnia: but doe not by any meanes take notice of it—for we have all been young. But Mr. Marvel in his poems upon Tom May's death falls very severe upon him.

He was choaked by tyeing his cap.

That of Lucan is true, scil., that it made him incline[216] to a republic.

He was of the Sussex Mayes, as appeares by his coate of armes: but where borne or of what university I know not, and cannot enquire.

Dr. Triplet's monument is set up[217] where his stood. Thomas May's inscription was, after it was pulled downe, in St. Bennet's chapell, i.e. where the earl of Middlesex's monument is: but perhaps now converted to some use.

[Pg 57]

[218]By[219] Camden:—

Quem Anglicana respublica
habuit vindicem,
ornamentum literaria,
secli sui vatum celeberrimus,
deliciae futuri,
Lucanus alter plus-quam Romanus,
historicus fidus,
equitis aurati filius primogenitus,
Thomas Maius
H. S. E.
Qui paternis titulis claritatis suae
specimen usque adeo superaddidit
ut a supremo Anglorum senatu
ad annales suos conscribendos
fuerit accitus.
Tandem, fide intemerata Parlamento
praestita, morte inopina
noctu correptus, diem
suum obiit
Id. Nov.
Anno[220] libertatis { humanae } restitutae { MDCL.
                            { Angliae    }                    { II.
Aetatis suae LV.
Hoc in honorem servi tam
bene meriti
Parlamentum Reipublicae Angl.
P. P.

Dr. Triplet's monument now stands in the place where this did.

This was a very fine monument of white marble. This inscription I had much adoe to find out, after severall enquiries severall yeares. It is putt upside downe in the chapell where the earle of Middlesex tombe is.

His coate is 'gules, a fess inter six billets or.'

[Pg 58]

[221]Mr. Nicholas Mercator[Y]: his father was ... ... Philip Melancthon was his great-grandmother's brother.

He is of little stature, perfect; black haire, of a delicate moyst curle; darke[222] eie, but of great vivacity of spirit. He is of a soft temper, of great temperance (amat Venerem aliquantum): of a prodigious invention, and will be acquainted (familiarly) with nobody. His true German name is Nicolas Kauffman, i.e. chapman, i.e. Mercator.

The first booke he printed was his Cosmographia, at ..., where he uses his German name, 'qua sternitur fundamentum Trigonometriae sphericorum, Logarithmicae, Astronomiae sphaericae, Geographiae, Histiodromiae gnomonicae; a Nicola Kauffman, Holsato-Dantisc., Anno MDCLI.'

Nicolai Mercatoris in Geometriam introductio brevis quâ magnitudinum ortus ex genuinis principiis et ortarum affectiones ex ipsa genesi derivantur, printed at London 1678, before a little booke of Euclid's Elements demonstrated after a new method.

Astronomia[Z], printed at London, 167-.

Logarithmotechnia; the first part printed with ... of Slusius, anno Domini, 166-: the second part of it, being 8 sheets 4to, lyes in the hands of Mr. Moyses Pitts and is a most admirable piece.

Astrologia: unprinted: in 4to, altogether after a new manner and on other principles.

A treatise of musique[AA], in 4to, inch + thick[223], unprinted.

Memorandum:—Mr. Nicholas Mercator made and presented to King Charles the 2^d a clock ('twas of a foote diameter) which shewed the inequality of the sunn's motion from the apparent motion, which the king did understand by his informations, and did commend it, but he never had a penny of him for it.

Well! This curious clock was neglected, and somebody of the court happened to become master of it, who under[Pg 59]stood it not; he sold it to Mr. Knib, a watch-maker, who did not understand it neither, who sold it to Mr. Fromantle (that made it) for 5 li. who askes now (1683) for it 200 li.

Anno 1682, mense Febr., Mr. N. Mercator left London; went with his family to Paris, being invited thither by Monseigneur Colbert.

Nicholas Mercator, Holsatus, mathematicus, obiit Parisiis, 4to Januarii 1686/7: he went to Paris (being invited thither by Monseigneur Colbert) the 30th of November, 1682:—from his son, David Mercator.

[224]Christopher Merret, M.D., of the College of Physicians, London, was borne in Winchcumbe in Gloucestershire, 1614, Feb. XVI about XI at night.

[225]Scripsit against the apothecaries, etc.

[226]Thomas Merry[XV.], esq., was born at ... in Leicestershire. His father or grandfather was one of the clarkes of the green-cloth.

He was disciple to Sir Jonas Moore; became an excellent [Pg 60]logist. He had donne all Euclid in a shorter and clearer manner than ever was yet donne, and particularly the tenth booke: I have seen it. But he never stitch't it up; and, after his death, when I came to enquire for it, it was disparted like Sibyllae folia, and severall of the papers lost. I got what I could find and brought them to the Royal Society, where they were committed to Mr. Paget to peruse, but they were so imperfect (he said) they were not fit to be printed. What is become of them now God knowes.

[228]Thomas Merry, esq., a great algebrist and a great Whig, dyed at Westminster Octob.... 1682, and lies in the vault of his grandfather at Waltham-Stowe in Essex.

[229]From Dr. Hugh Chamberlayn, M.D.—that King James took a moiety of the profitts of the New River from Sir Hugh Middleton. Some say 'twas in consideration of money advanced by the king; but this is not certain. He did indeed reconvey this back to him and his heires, etc., for a rent of 500 li. per annum, which is duly payd, but I think graunted him from his majestie.

[230]This Sir Hugh Middleton had his picture in Gold-smyths' hall with a waterpott by him, as if he had been the sole inventor. Mr. Fabian Philips sawe Ingolbert[231] afterwards, in a poore rug-gowne like an almesman, sitting by an applewoman at the Parliament stayres.

[232]Memorandum that now (1681/2) London is growne so populous and big that the New River of Middleton can serve the pipes to private houses but twice a weeke.—quod N. B.

[233]Quaere Christopher Milton, his brother, of the Inner Temple, bencher[234].

[241]Mr. John Milton was of an Oxfordshire familie.

His grandfather, ..., (a Roman Catholic), of Holton, in Oxfordshire, neer Shotover[242].

His father was brought-up in the University of Oxon, at Christ Church, and his grandfather disinherited him because he kept not to the Catholique religion[XVIII.]. So therupon he came to London, and became a scrivener (brought up by a friend of his; was not an apprentice), and gott a plentifull estate by it, and left it off many yeares before he dyed.—He was an ingeniose man; delighted in musique; composed many songs now in print, especially that of Oriana[XIX.].

[243]I have been told that the father composed a song of fourscore parts for the Lantgrave of Hess, for which highnesse sent a meddall of gold, or a noble present. He dyed about 1647[244]; buried in Cripplegate church, from his house in the Barbican.

[245]His son John was borne in Bread Street, in London, at[246] the Spread Eagle, which was his house [he had also in that street another house, the Rose; and other houses in other places].

He was borne anno Domini ... the ... day of ..., about ... a clock, in the....

[247]☞ Quaere Mr. Christopher Milton to see the date of his brother's birth.

[248][John Milton[249] was born the 9th of December, 1608, die Veneris[250], half an hour after 6 in the morning.]

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[251]Anno Domini 1619, he was ten yeares old, as by his picture; and was then a poet.

His school-master then was a Puritan, in Essex, who cutt his haire short.

He went to schoole to old Mr.[252] Gill, at Paule's schoole. Went, at his owne chardge[253] only, to Christ's College in Cambridge at[254] fifteen, where he stayed eight yeares at least[255]. Then he travelled into France and Italie ( had Sir H. Wotton's commendatory letters). At Geneva he contracted a great friendship with[256] the learned Dr. Deodati of Geneva:—vide his poems. He was acquainted[257] with Sir Henry Wotton, ambassador at Venice, who delighted in his company. He was severall[XX.] yeares beyond sea, and returned[258] to England just upon the breaking-out of the civill warres.

[259]From his brother, Christopher Milton:—when he went to schoole, when he was very young, he studied very hard, and sate-up very late, commonly till 12 or one a clock at night, and his father ordered the mayde to sitt-up for him, and in those yeares (10) composed many copies of verses which might well become a riper age. And was a very hard student in the University, and performed all his exercises there with very good applause. His first tutor there was Mr. Chapell; from whom receiving some unkindnesse[XXI.], he was afterwards (though it seemed contrary to the rules of the [Pg 64]college) transferred to the tuition of one Mr. Tovell, who dyed parson of Lutterworth.

[260]He went to travell about the year 1638 and was abroad about a year's space, cheifly in Italy.

Immediately after his return he tooke a lodging at Mr. Russell's, a taylour, in St. Bride's churchyard, and took into his tuition his sister's two sons, Edward and John Philips, the first 10, the other 9 years of age; and in a year's time made them capable of interpreting a Latin authour at sight, etc. And within three years they went through the best of Latin and Greec poetts[261]—Lucretius and Manilius[XXII.], of the Latins; Hesiod, Aratus, Dionysius Afer, Oppian, Apollonii Argonautica, and Quintus Calaber. Cato, Varro, and Columella De re rustica were the very first authors they learn't.—As he was severe on one hand, so he was most familiar and free in his conversation to those to whome most sowre in his way of education. N.B. he made his nephews songsters, and sing, from the time they were with him.

[262]He maried his first wife[XXIII.] Powell, of Fosthill, at Shotover, in Oxonshire, anno Domini ...; by whom he had 4 children. hath two daughters living: Deborah was his amanuensis (he taught her Latin, and to read Greeke[263] to him when he had lost his eie-sight, which was anno Domini ...).

[She[264] went from him to her mother's at ... in the [Pg 65]king's quarters, neer Oxford], anno Domini ...; and wrote the Triplechord about divorce.

[265]Two opinions[266] doe not well on the same boulster. She was a ...[267] royalist, and went to her mother to the king's quarters, neer Oxford. I have perhaps so much charity to her that she might not wrong his bed: but what man, especially contemplative, would like to have a young wife environ'd and storm'd by the sons of Mars, and those of the enemi partie?

[268]His first wife (Mrs. Powell, a royalist) was brought up and lived where there was a great deale of company and merriment[269]. And when she came to live with her husband, at Mr. Russell's, in St. Bride's churchyard, she found it very solitary; no company came to her; oftentimes heard his nephews beaten and cry. This life was irkesome to her, and so she went to her parents at Fost-hill. He sent for her, after some time; and I thinke his servant was evilly entreated: but as for matter of wronging his bed, I never heard the least suspicions; nor had he, of that, any jealousie.

[270]He had a middle wife, whose name was (he[271] thinkes, Katharin) Woodcock. No child living by her.

[272]He maried his second[273] wife, Elizabeth Minshull, anno ... (the year before the sicknesse): a gent. person, a peacefull and agreable humour.

He was Latin secretary to the Parliament[274].

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[275]His sight began to faile him at first upon his writing against Salmasius, and before 'twas fully compleated one eie absolutely faild. Upon the writing of other bookes, after that, his other eie decayed.

[276]His eie-sight was decaying about 20 yeares before his death: quaere, when starke[277] blind? His father read without spectacles at 84. His mother had very weake eies, and used spectacles presently after she was thirty yeares old.

[278]After he was blind he wrote these following bookes, viz. Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Grammar, Dictionarie (imperfect)—quaere +.

[279]I heard that after he was blind that he was writing a Latin Dictionary (in the hands of Moyses Pitt[280]). Vidua affirmat she gave all his papers (among which this dictionary, imperfect) to his nephew, a sister's son, that he brought up, ... Philips, who lives neer the Maypole in the Strand (quaere). She has a great many letters by her from learned men, his acquaintance, both of England and beyond sea.

He lived in several places, e.g. Holborne neer King's-gate. He died in Bunhill, opposite to the Artillery-garden wall.

He died of the gowt[281] struck in, the 9th or 10th of November, 1674, as appeares by his apothecarye's booke.

He lies buried in St. Giles's Cripplegate, upper end of chancell at the right hand, vide his gravestone[282].—Memo[Pg 67]randum his stone is now removed; for, about two yeares since (now, 1681), the two steppes to the communion table were raysed. I ghesse John Speed and he lie together.

His harmonicall and ingeniose soul did lodge[283] in a beautifull and well-proportioned body:—

In toto nusquam corpore menda fuit.

Ovid. <1 Amor. 5, 18.>

[284]He was a spare man. He was scarce so tall as I am—quaere, quot feet I am high: resp., of middle stature.

He had abroun[285] hayre. His complexion exceeding[286] faire—he was so faire that they called him the lady of Christ's College. Ovall face. His eie a darke gray.

[287]He had a delicate tuneable voice, and had good[288] skill. His father instructed him. He had an organ in his howse: he played on that most.

[289]Of a very cheerfull humour.—He would be chear-full even in his gowte-fitts, and sing.

He was very healthy and free from all diseases: seldome tooke any physique (only sometimes he tooke manna): only towards his latter end he was visited with the gowte, spring and fall.

He had a very good[290] memorie; but I beleeve that his excellent method of thinking and disposing did much to helpe his memorie.

[291]He pronounced the letter R (littera canina) very hard—[292]a certaine signe of a satyricall witt—from John Dreyden.

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[293]Write his name in red letters on his pictures, with his widowe, to preserve.

[294]His widowe haz his picture, drawne very well and like, when a Cambridge schollar.

She has his picture when a Cambridge schollar, which ought to be engraven; for the pictures before his bookes are not at all like him.

[295]His exercise was chiefly walking.

He was an early riser (scil. at 4 a clock manè); yea, after he lost his sight. He had a man read to him. The first thing he read was the Hebrew Bible, and that was[296] at 4 h. manè 1/2 h. +. Then he contemplated[297].

At 7 his man came to him again, and then read to him again, and wrote till dinner: the writing was as much as the reading. His (2) daughter, Deborah, could read to him Latin, Italian and French, and Greeke. maried in Dublin to one Mr. Clarke (sells[298] silke, etc.); very like her father. The other sister is (1) Mary, more like her mother.

After dinner he used to walke 3 or four houres at a time (he alwayes had a garden where he lived); went to bed about 9.

Temperate man, rarely dranke between meales.

Extreme pleasant in his conversation, and[299] at dinner, supper, etc.; but satyricall.

[300]From[301] Mr. E. Philips:—All the time of writing his [Pg 69]Paradise Lost, his veine began at the autumnall aequinoctiall, and ceased at the vernall (or thereabouts: I believe about May): and this was 4 or 5 yeares of his doeing it. He began about 2 yeares before the king came-in, and finished about three yeares after the king's restauracion.

In the 4th[302] booke of Paradise Lost there are about six verses of Satan's exclamation to the sun, which Mr. E. Philips remembers about 15 or 16 yeares before ever his poem was thought of. Which verses were intended for the beginning of a tragoedie which he had designed, but was diverted from it by other businesse.

[303][Whatever[304] he wrote against monarchie was out of no animosity to the king's person, or owt of any faction or interest, but out of a pure zeale to the liberty of mankind, which he thought would be greater under a fre state than under a monarchiall goverment. His being so conversant in Livy and the Roman authors, and the greatness he saw donne by the Roman common-wealth, and the vertue of their great commanders[305] induc't him to.]

[306]From Mr. Abraham Hill:—Memorandum: his sharp writing against Alexander More, of Holland, upon a mistake, notwithstanding he had given him by the ambassador[XXIV.] all satisfaction to the contrary: viz. that the booke called 'Clamor[307]' was writt by Peter du Moulin. Well, that was all one; he having writt it, it should goe into the world; one of them was as bad as the other.

[308]Memorandum:—Mr. Theodore Haak, Regiae Societatis Socius, hath translated halfe his Paradise Lost into High Dutch in such blank verse, which is very well liked of by Germanus Fabricius, Professor at Heidelberg, who sent to Mr. Haak a letter upon this translation:—'incredibile est quantum nos omnes affecerit [Pg 70]gravitas styli, et copia lectissimorum verborum,' etc.—vide the letter.

[309]Mr. John Milton made two admirable panegyricks, as to sublimitie of witt, one on Oliver Cromwel, and the other on Thomas, lord Fairfax, both which his nephew Mr. Philip hath. But he hath hung back these two yeares, as to imparting copies to me for the collection of mine with you[310]. Wherfore I desire you in your next to intimate your desire of having these two copies of verses aforesayd. Were they made in commendation of the devill, 'twere all one to me: 'tis the ὕψος that I looke after. I have been told 'tis beyond Waller's or anything in that kind.

[311]Quaere his nephew, Mr. Edward Philips, for a perfect catalogue of his writings. Memorandum, he wrote a little tract of education.

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[314]Quaere Mr. Allam, of Edmund-hall, Oxon, of John Milton's life writt by himselfe[315]: vide pagg....

[316]He was visited much by learned ; more then he did desire.

He was mightily importuned to goe into France and Italie. Foraigners came much to see him, and much admired him, and offer'd to him great preferments to come over to them: and the only inducement of severall foreigners that came over into England, was chiefly to see Oliver Protector, and Mr. John Milton; and would see the house and chamber wher he was borne. He was much more admired abrode then at home.

His familiar learned acquaintance were Mr. Andrew Marvell, Mr. Skinner, Dr. Pagett, M.D.

Mr. Skinner, who was his disciple.

John Dreyden, esq., Poet Laureate, who very much admires him, and went to him to have leave to putt his Paradise Lost into a drama in rhymne. Mr. Milton recieved him civilly, and told him he would give him leave to tagge his verses.

His widowe assures me that Mr. T. Hobbs was not one of his acquaintance, that her husband did not like him at all, but he would acknowledge[317] him to be a man of great parts, and a learned man. Their interests and tenets did[318] run counter to each other; vide in Hobbes' Behemoth.

[319]G. M[320]. was borne at ... in Devon (vide Devon in Heralds' Office), a second son of ..., an ancient [Pg 73]familie, and which had about Henry 8's time 10,000 li. per annum (as he himselfe sayd).

He was a strong, lusty, well-sett young fellow; and in his youth happened to slay a man[XXVI.], which was the occasion of his flying into the Low-countries, where he learned to be a soldier.

At the beginning of the late civill warres, he came over to the king's side, where he had command (quaere in what part of England).

Anno ... he was prisoner in the Tower, where his semstres, Nan Cl (a blacksmith's[XXVII.] daughter), was kind to him; in a double capacity. It must be remembred that he then was in want[XXVIII.], and she assisted him. Here she was gott with child. She was not at all handsome, nor cleanly. Her mother was one of the five woemen barbers.

Anno ... (as I remember, 1635) there was a maried woman in Drury-lane that had clapt (i.e. given the pox to) a woman's husband, a neighbor of hers. She complained of this to her neighbour gossips. So they concluded on this revenge, viz. to gett her and whippe her and ...; which severities were executed and put into a ballad. 'Twas the first ballad I ever cared for the reading of: the burden of it was thus:—

Vide the Ballad-booke[321].

Anno ... her brother, T Cl, came a ship-board to G. M. and told him his sister was brought to bed. 'Of what?' sayd he. 'Of a son.' 'Why then,' sayd he, 'she is my wife.' He had only this child.

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Anno.., (I have forgott by what meanes) he gott his libertie, and an employment under Oliver (I thinke) at sea, against the Dutch, where he did good service; he had courage enough. But I remember the sea-men would laugh, that in stead of crying Tack about, he would say Wheele to the right (or left).

Anno 16.. he had command in Scotland (vide his life), where he was well beloved by his soldiers, and, I thinke, that country (for an enemie). Oliver, Protector, had a great mind to have him home, and sent him a fine complementall letter, that he desired to come into England to advise with him. He sent his highnesse word, that if he pleased he would come and waite upon him at the head of 10,000 men. So that designe was spoyled.

Anno 1659/60, Febr. 10th (as I remember), being then sent for by the Parliament to disband Lambert's armie, he came into London with his army about one a clock P.M.[XXIX.] He then sent to the Parliament this letter, which[322], printed, I annex here. Shortly after he was sent for to the Parliament house; where, in the howse, a chaire was sett for him, but he would not (in modestie) sitt downe in it. The Parliament (Rumpe[XXX.]) made him odious to the citie, purposely, by pulling down and burning their gates (which I myselfe sawe). The Rumpe invited him to a great dinner, Febr. ... (shortly after); from whence it was never intended that he should have returned (of this I am assured by one of that Parliament). The members stayd till 1, 2, 3, 4 a clock, but at last[Pg 75] his excellency sent them word he could not come: I beleeve he suspected some treacherie.

You must now know that long before these dayes, colonel Massey, and Thomas Mariett, of Whitchurch in Warwickshire, esqre, held correspondence with his majestie, who wrote them letters with his owne hand, which I have seen. Both these were now in London privately. Tom Mariett laye with me (I was then of the Middle Temple); G. M. lay at Draper's hall[323] in Throckmorton-street. Col. Massey (Sir Edward afterwards), and T. Mariett every day were tampering with G. M., as also col. Robinson (afterward Liewtenant of the Tower: whom I remember they counted not so wise as King Salomon); and they could not find any inclination or propensity in G. M. for their purpose, scil. to be instrumentall to bring in the king. Every night late, I had an account of all these transactions abed, which like a sott as I was, I did not, while fresh in memorie, committ to writing, as neither has T. M.[XXXI.]: but I remember in the maine, that they were satisfied he no more intended or designed the king's restauration, when he came into England, or first came to London, then his horse did. But shortly after finding himselfe at a losse; and that he was (purposely) made odious to the citie, as aforesayd—and that he was a lost man—by the Parliament; and that the generality of the citie and country were for the restoring the king, having long groaned under the tyranny of other governments; he had no way to save himselfe but to close with the citie, etc., again. Memorandum that Thredneedle-street was all day long, and late at night, crammed with multitudes, crying out A free Parliament, a free Parliament, that the aire rang with their clamours[324]. One evening, viz. Feb.... (quaere diem) he comeing out on horseback[325], they were so violent that he was almost afrayd of himselfe, and so, to satisfie them (as they use to doe to importunate children), Pray be quiet, yee shall have [Pg 76]a free Parliament. This about 7, or rather 8 as I remember at night. Immediately a loud holla and shout was given, all the bells in city ringing, and the whole citie looked as if it had been in a flame by the bonfires, which were prodigiously great and frequent and ran like a traine over the citie, and I sawe some balcone's that began to be kindled. They made little gibbetts, and roasted[326] rumpes of mutton; nay, I sawe some very good rumpes of beefe[327]. Healths to the king, Charles II, were dranke in the streets by the bonfires, even on their knees; and this humor ran by the next night to Salisbury, where was the like joy; so to Chalke, where they made a great bonfire on the top of the hill; from hence to Blandford and Shaftesbury, and so to the Land's-end: and perhaps it was so over all England. So that the return of his most gracious majestie was by the hand of God[XXXII.]; but as by this person meerly accidentall, whatever the pompous History in 8vo. sayes (printed at ... opposite to St. Dunstan's church: quaere if not writt by Sir Thomas Clargies, brother to her Grace, formerly an apothecary; and was physician to his army, and 1660 was created M. Dr., who commonly at Coffee-houses uses to pretend strange things, of his contrivances, and bringing-on of his brother-in-lawe to ...).

Well! A free Parliament was chosen, and mett the ... of.... Sir Harbottle Grimston, knight and baronet, was chosen Speaker. The first thing he putt to the question was, 'Whether Charles Steward should be sent for, or no?' 'Yea, yea,' nemine contradicente. Sir John Greenvill (now earle of Bathe) was then in towne, and posted away to Bruxells; found the king at dinner, little dreaming of so good newes, rises presently from dinner, had his coach immediately made readie, and that night gott out of the king of Spaine's dominions into the prince of Orange's country, I thinke, Breda[XXXIII.].

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Now, as the morne growes lighter and lighter, and more glorious, till it is perfect day, so[329]it was with the joy of the people. Maypoles, which in the hypocriticall times, 'twas ... to sett-up, now were sett up in every crosse-way: and at the Strand, neer Drury-lane, was sett-up the most prodigious one for height, that (perhaps) was ever seen; they were faine (I remember) to have the assistance of the sea-men's art to elevate it; that which remaines (being broken with a high wind anno ..., I thinke about 1672) is but two parts of three of the whole height from the grownd, besides what is in the earth. The juvenile and rustique folkes at that time had so much their fullnesse of desires in this kind, that I thinke there have been very few sett-up since. The honours conferred on G. M. every one knowes.

His sence might be good enough, but he was slow, and heavie. He dyed anno ... and had a magnificent funerall, suitable to his greatnesse. His figure in his robes was very artificially donne, which lay in a catafalco under a canopie, in or neer the east end of Westminster abby, a moneth or 6 weekes. Seth Ward, lord bishop of Sarum (his great acquaintance), preached his funerall sermon, which is printed for.... His eldest brother dyed sine prole, about the time of the King's returne. His other brother, [330]> was made bishop of Hereford. G. M. and his duchess dyed within a day or two of each other. The bishop of Sarum told me that he did the last office of a confessor to his grace; and closed his eies, as his lordship told me himselfe.

Some moneths before G. M.'s comeing into England, the king sent Sir Richard Grenvill (since earl of Bath) to him to negotiate with him that he would doe him service, and to correspond with him. Said he, 'If opportunity be, I will doe him service; but I will not by any meanes have any correspondence[331] with him'; and he did like a wise man in it; for if he had he would certainly have been betrayed.

'Twas shrewd advice which Wyld, then [Pg 78]Recorder of London, gave to the citizens, i.e. to keep their purse-strings fast; els, the Parliament would have payed the army and kept out the king.

He was first an ensigne, and after a captain, in the Lowe-countreys, and for making false musters was like to have been ... which he afterward did not forget:—from major Cosh.

This underneath was writt on the dore of the House of Commons.

Memorandum:—Mr. Baron Brampton hath invited me to his chamber to give me a farther account of generall Monk.—I[332] let slip the opportunity, and my honoured friend is dead.

[333]Sir Jonas More: vide[334] Φ, p. 128. Sciatica he cured it, by boyling his buttock. The D.[335] Y. said that 'Mathematicians and physicians had no religion': which being told to Sir Jonas More, he presented his duty to the D. Y.[336] and wished 'with all his heart that his highnesse were a mathematician too': this was since he was supposed to be a Roman Catholic.

[337]He was a clarke under Dr. Burghill, Chancellor of Durham. Parson Milbourne, in the Bishoprick, putt him upon the Mathematiques, and instructed him in it. Then he came to the Middle Temple, London, where he published his Arithmetique, and taught it in Stanhop-street. After this, gott-in with the lord Gorges, earle of Bedford, and [Pg 79]Sir Thomas Chichiley, for the surveying of the fennes:—from captain Sherbourne.

Mr. ... Gascoigne (of the North, I thinke Yorkeshire), a person of good estate, a most learned gentleman, who was killed in the civill warres in the king's cause, a great mathematician, and bred by the Jesuites at Rome, gave him good information in mathematicall knowledge. Pray inquire of our friend, Mr. Ralph Sheldon, for as many memorialls of him[AB] as you can: he was one of the most accomplisht gentlemen of his time.

[338]Sir Jonas Moore[AC] was borne at Whitelee in Lancashire, towards the bishoprick of Durham. He was inclined to mathematiques when a boy, which some kind friends[339] of his (whom he mentions in the preface of his first edition of his Arithmetique, dedicated to ... about 1647, and Edmund Wyld, esq.), and afterwards Mr. Oughtred, more fully enformed him; and then he taught gentlemen in London, which was his livelyhood.

When the great levell of the fennes was to be surveyed, Mr. Wyld aforesaid who was his scholar and a member of Parliament was very instrumentall in helping him to the employment of surveying it, which was his rise, which I have heard him acknowledge with much gratitude before severall persons of quality, since he was a knight, and which evidenced an excellent good nature in him.

☞ Memorandum:—when he surveyed the fennes, he observed the line that the sea made on the beach, which is not a streight line (quaere what line?), by which meanes he gott great credit in keeping-out the sea in Norfolke; so[340] he made his bankes against the sea of the same line that the sea makes on the beach; and no other could doe it, but that the sea would still breake-in upon it.

Memorandum:—he made a modell of citadell for Oliver Cromwell, to bridle the city of London, which Mr. Wyld has; and this citadell was to have been the crosse building of St. Paule's church.

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Upon the restauration of his majestie he was made Master Surveyor of his majestie's ordinance and armories.

A.D. 167- he received the honour of knighthood. He was a good mathematician, and a good fellowe.

He dyed at Godalmyng, comeing from Portsmouth to London ..., and was buried Septemb. 2^d 1679, at the Tower Chapell, with sixtie peices of ordinance (equal to the number of his yeares). He was tall and very fat, thin skin, faire, cleare grey eie.

He alwayes intended to have left his library of mathematicall bookes to the Royall Societie, of which he was a member; but he happened to dye without making a will, wherby the Royal Societie have a great losse.

His only sonne, Jonas, had the honour of knighthood conferred upon him, August 9, 1680, at Windsor; 'his majestie being pleased to give him this marke of his favour as well in consideration of his owne abilities, as of the faithfull service of his father deceased' (London Gazette, no. 1537)—but young Sir Jonas, when he is old, will never be old Sir Jonas, for all the Gazette's elogie.

Memorandum:—speake to Sir Christopher Wren to gett the wooden sphaere that was made for Prince Henry by Mr. Wright, out of young Sir Jonas Moore's handes, into the king's again.

I remember Sir Jonas told us that a Jesuite (I think 'twas Grenbergerus, of the Roman College) found out a way of flying, and that he made a youth[341] performe it. Mr. Gascoigne taught an Irish boy the way, and he flew over a river in Lancashire (or therabout), but when he was up in the ayre, the people gave a shoute, wherat the boy being frighted, he fell downe on the other side of the river, and broke his legges, and when he came to himselfe, he sayd that he thought the people had seen some strange apparition, which fancy amazed him. This was anno 1635, and he spake it in the Royall Societie, upon the account of the flyeing at Paris, two yeares since. Vide the Transactions.

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I remember I have heard Sir Jonas say that when he began mathematiques, he wonderfully profited by reading Billingesley's Euclid, and that 'twas his excellent, cleare, and plaine exposition of the 4^th proposition of the first booke of the Elements, did first open and cleare his understanding: quod N.B.

[342]Sir Robert Moray, knight:—he was of the ancient family of the Morays in Scotland. He was borne ... (as I take it, in the Highlands), anno domini.... The Highlanders (like the Swedes) can make their owne cloathes; and I have heard Sir Robert say that he could doe it.

He spent most of his time in France. After his juvenile education at schoole and the University he betooke himselfe to military employment in the service of Lewis the 13th. He was at last Lieuetenant-Colonel to.... He was a great master of the Latin tongue and was very well read. They say he was an excellent soldier.

He was far from the rough humour of the camp breeding, for he was a person the most obliging about the court and the only man that would doe a kindnesse gratis upon an account of friendship. A lacquey could not have been more obsequious and diligent. What I doe now averre I know to be true upon my owne score as well as others. He was a most humble and good man, and as free from covetousness as a Carthusian. He was abstemious and abhorred woemen. His majesty was wont to teaze at him. 'Twas pitty he was a Presbyterian.

He was the chiefe appuy of his countreymen and their good angel. There had been formerly a great friendship between him and the duke of Lauderdale, till, about a yeare or two before his death, he went to the duke on his returne[Pg 82] from Scotland and told him plainly that he had betrayed his countrey.

He was one of the first contrivers and institutors of the Royall Societie and was our first president, and performed his charge in the chaire very well.

He was my most honoured and obligeing friend, and I was more obliged to him then to all the courtiers besides. I had a great losse in his death, for, had he lived, he would have got some employment or other for me before this time. He had the king's eare as much as any one, and was indefatigable in his undertakings. I was often with him. I was with him three houres the morning he dyed; he seemed to be well enough[343]. I remember he dranke at least 1/2 pint of faire water, according to his usuall custome.

His lodgeing where he dyed was the leaded pavillion in the garden at Whitehall. He dyed suddenly July 4^th about 8 hours P.M. Aº.D. 1673. Had but one shilling in his pocket, i.e. in all. The king buryed him. He lyes by Sir William Davenant in Westminster abbey.

He was a good chymist and assisted his majestie in his chymicall operations.

[344]Sir Thomas More[AD], Lord Chancellour:—his countrey-howse was at Chelsey, in Middlesex, where Sir John Danvers built his house. The chimney-piece of marble in Sir John's chamber, was the chimney-piece of Sir Thomas More's chamber, as Sir John himselfe told me. Where the gate is now, adorned with two noble pyramids, there stood anciently a gate-house, which was flatt on the top, leaded, from whence is a most pleasant prospect of the Thames and the fields beyond. On this place the Lord Chancellour More was wont to recreate himselfe and contemplate. It happened one time that a Tom of Bedlam came-up to him, and had a mind to have throwne him from the battlements, saying [Pg 83]'Leap, Tom, leap.' The Chancellour was in his gowne, and besides ancient, and not able to struggle with such a strong fellowe. My lord had a little dog with ; sayd he 'Let us first throwe the dog downe, and see what sport that will be'; so the dog was throwne over. 'This is very fine sport,' sayd my lord, 'let us fetch him up, and try once more.' While the madman was goeing downe, my lord fastned the dore, and called for help, but ever after kept the dore shutt.

Memorandum that in his Utopia his lawe[345] is[XXXV.] that the young people are to see each other stark-naked before marriage. Sir Roper, of ... in[346] Eltham in Kent, came one morning, pretty early, to my lord, with a proposall to marry one of daughters. My lord's daughters were then both together a bed in a truckle-bed in their father's chamber asleep. He carries Sir into the chamber and takes the sheet by the corner and suddenly whippes it off....[347] Here was all the trouble of the wooeing.—This account I had from my honoured friend old Mris. Tyndale, whose grandfather Sir William Stafford was an intimate acquaintance of this Sir ... Roper, who told him the story.

This Sir Roper (from whom[348] is descended the lord Tenham) had in one piece, drawne by Hans Holbeine, the pictures of Sir Thomas More, his lady, and all his children, which hung at his house aforesaid in Kent: but about 1675 'twas presented as a raritie to King Charles II and hangs in Whitehall.

His discourse was extraordinary facetious. Riding one night, upon the suddaine, he crossed himself majori cruce, crying out[XXXVI.] 'Jesu Maria! doe not you see that prodigious dragon in the sky?' They all lookt-up, and one did not see it, nor the tother did not [Pg 84]see it. At length one had spyed it, and at last all had spied. Wheras there was no such phantôme; only he imposed on their phantasies.

After he was beheaded, his trunke was interred in Chelsey church, neer the middle of the south wall, where was some slight monument[XXXVII.] erected, which being worne by time, about 1644 Sir ... Laurence, of Chelsey (no kinne to him), at his own proper cost and chardges, erected to his memorie a handsome faire inscription of marble.

His head was upon London bridge: there goes this story in the family, viz. that one day as one of his daughters was passing under the bridge, looking on her father's head[349], sayd she, 'That head haz layn[350] many a time in my lapp, would to God it would fall into my lap as I passe under.' She had her wish, and it did fall into her lappe, and is now preserved in a vault in the cathedrall church at Canterbury. The descendant of Sir Thomas, is Mr. More, of Chilston, in Herefordshire, where, among a great many things of value plundered[351] by the soldiers, was his chap, which they kept for a relique. Methinks 'tis strange that all this time he is not canonized, for he merited highly of the church.

Memorandum:—in the hall of Sir John Lenthall, at Bessils-Lye in Berks, is an original of Sir Thomas and his father, mother, wife, and children, donne by Hans Holbein. There is an inscription in golden letters of about 60 lines, which I spake to Mr. Thomas Pigot, of Wadham College, to transcribe, and he has donne it very carefully. Aske him for it. Vide Mr. Thomas Pigot, in part[352] iii.

Memorandum:—about the later end of Erasmus's Epistolae, Antverp edition, pag. 503, 504, 505, is an epitaph for Sir Thomas More, and another for his lady.

[Pg 85]

Memorandum:—Sir Thomas More's father had a countrey house at Gubbins in Hertfordshire, which is in the familie still, who are still Catholiques; whether he was borne there or no, non constat:— Seth Ward, episcopus Sarum.

[353]Educatus in aula cardinalis Morton, prout in Utopia pag. 49, 50.

Sir John Lenthall at Besilslye haz a rare and large picture of Hans Holbein's painting in his hall there, where are the figures, as big as the life, of Sir Thomas and his father (a judge) and mother, wife and children, and a long inscription, which gett Mr. Pigot to transcribe, for it begins to be defaced.

Sir Thomas More, knight: Quaestiones duae:—

Memorandum:—his folio, English.

Epigrammata, 16mo.

Utopia.—Vide in Utopia his titles of civis Londiniensis and vicecomes Londiniensis.

His behaviour on the scaffold.

[354]☞ See about the later end of Erasmus' Epistolae (in the Antverp edition, 8vo, 'tis in pagg. 503, 504, 505) an epitaph made for Sir Thomas More, and another for his wife (as I thinke, never set up). But be sure to obtaine a copie of the inscription under his picture and of his family at Basilleigh, which Mr. Thomas Pigot hath, and he only can help you to it. Therin are remarques of that family nowhere els to be had.

[355]Mr. Launcelot Moorhouse, minister of Pertwood (40 li. per annum), about 6 miles from Kilmanton, a very learned man, and a solid and profound mathematician, wrote against Mr. Francis Potter's booke of 666, and falls upon him, for that 25 is not the true roote, but the propinque root; to which Mr. Potter replied with some sharpnes, and that it ought not to be the true roote, for this agrees better with his purpose. The manuscript pro and con Mr. Morehouse gave to Seth Ward, bishop of Sarum, 1668; together with a MS. in folio (in French) of legues between ... king of England and ... king of France, and a prophecy concerning England, curiously written in Latin verse, one sheet in 4to, which he rescued from the tayler's sheeres.

Mr. Moorhouse (of Cambridge) is dead and left his many excellent mathematicall notes to his ingeniose friend, John Graunt, of Hindon.

He writt in 4to de Quadratura Circuli; wherin is a great deale of witt and learning; but at last Dr. Davenant (his neighbour) evinced him of his paralogisme. I would have it printed (for it is learnedly[356] donne) to show where and how great witts may erre and be decieved.

He was a man of a very searching witt, and indefatigable at solving a question, as I have heard Dr. Edward Davenant oftentimes say.

He was either of Clare-hall or King's Colledge. Westmoreland by birth. Curate at Chalke to Mr. Waller. He was preferred by bishop Hinchman to Little Langford, where he dyed about 1672.

[357]The life of Sir Thomas Morgan will be printed in about three weekes time by....

From Mr. Howe:—

[Pg 87]

[Clarissimo fortissimoque Thomae Morgano, equiti aurato, imperatorum hujus aetatis facile principi.

[359]Sir Thomas Morgan:—Sir John Lenthall told me that at the taking of Dunkyrke, Marshall Turenne, and, I thinke, Cardinall Mezarine too, had a great mind to see this famous warrior. They gave him a visitt, and wheras they thought to have found an Achillean or gigantique person, they sawe a little man, not many degrees[360] above a dwarfe[361], sitting in a hutt of turves, with his fellowe soldiers, smoaking a pipe about 3 inches (or neer so) long, with a green hatt-case on. He spake with a very exile tone, and did cry-out to the soldiers, when angry with them, 'Sirrah, I'le cleave your skull!' as if the wordes had been prolated by an eunuch.

He was of meane parentage in Monmouthshire. He went over to the Lowe-Countrie warres about 16, being recommended by some friend of his to some commander there, who, when he read the letter, sayd, 'What! has my cosen ... recommended a rattoon to me?' at which he tooke pett, and seek't his fortune (as a soldier) in Saxon Weymar.

He spake Welch, English, French, High Dutch, and Lowe Dutch, but never a one well. He seated himself at Cheuston, in Herefordshire.

[Pg 88]

[362]Sir Thomas Morgan: quaere Dr.[363] Jones.—Quaere Mr. Howe at Peter Griffiths', in Yorke buildings, neer the staires: he was his secretary and haz his memoires.—Quaere Mr. Jones for a copie of Sir Thomas Morgan's epitaph.—He lies buried in St. Martyn's church -fields, London: quaere if his tombe is erected. Obiit about 1679.

[364]Thomas Morgan:—vide Mr. Howe at Mr. Griffyn's howse in York buildings, below Mi. Kent, next house but one or two to the water: he was his secretary and has his memoires. Quaere Mr. Jones for the copie of his epitaph. He lies interred in St. Martin's church: quaere if his tombe is erected. Obiit about 1679.

[365]Mariana Morgan, ... daughter of major Morgan of Wells, was borne there, New Yeare's Eve's eve, XX yeares since next New Yeare's Eve, about 5 or 6 a clock P.M. She is a swidging lustie woman.

[366]William Morgan, first son of captain William Morgan, was borne at Wells, the 6th of November, Saterday morning, something before day. When he dyed he was 22 and as much as from the time of his birth. He dyed last Xtmas, viz. 1674, the Fryday after XII day[367]. Memorandum in 1670 he was very like to dye of a feaver. Anno ..., he maried (I think not much above a yeare before his death). Anno ... he dyed.

[368]Thomas Morgan, second sonne, natus ibidem, September 14, 1657 (about midnight, his mother thinkes). He was idle and unfortunate, and dyed 167-. Seemed to have Saturne much his enemie.

[369]Cardinal Morton:—lettre from A. Ettrick, esq., 9 July 1681:—'The grant of Morton's coate was not to the cardinal, but I beleeve he like other great new clergie-men tooke the libertie to use what coate he pleased; but about the 7th of Henry VIII <1515>, the coate is granted by three heralds to one of the same family with a gratis dictum recital in the grant of a descent of a pretty many auncestors ingraffing him into the family of Bawtry (vide [370] of Bawtry) in Yorkshire. This Sir Edward Bysh shewed me in the Heralds' Office.'—Quod vide.

Vide Utopia, pp. 49, 50, an immortall elogie; Sir Thomas More in aula ejus educatus.

[371]In my last I gave you some memoirs of cardinall Morton, and that the tradicion of the countrey people in Dorset, when I was a schooleboy there at Blandford, was that he was a shoe-maker's son of Bere in com. praedict.: but Sir William Dugdale ... sayes 'by no meanes I must putt in writing hear-sayes.'

His coate is this[372], 'quarterly, gules and ermine, in the first quarter a goat's head erased ...': which something resembles the shoemakers' armes, who give 'three goates' heades,' as you may see in the signe without Bocardo.

This coate of Moreton is in the west chamber of the Katherine-wheele Inne at Great Wiccomb in Bucks, with (as I remember) the cardinall's cappe.

[373]... Muffett, M.Dr., lived in his later time at Bulbridge (at the west end of Wilton—it belongs to the [Pg 90]earle of Pembroke) at the mannor-house there, which is a faire old-built house. This Bulbridge is adjoyning to Wilton; the river[374] only parts it.

At this place he dyed and lyes ☞ buryed at Wilton, but no memoriall of him—vide the Register.

The earl of Pembroke's steward told me that he findes by the old bookes and accounts that a pension of ... was payd him yearly. He was one of the learnedest physitians of that age. He writt a booke in Latin in folio de insectis which Dr. John Pell told me (quaere) heretofore was first begun by a friar.... There was printed, long since his death, his booke Of Meates (in quarto, English), about 1649. Vide; I have it.

[375]... Mouffet:—quaere brother[376] Tom; vide the register at Wilton; write to Mr. Gwyn[377] de hoc.—Thomae Moufeti, Londinatis, Opera sumptibus Theodori de Mayerne edita, 1634.

[378]Mr. ... Munday, a merchant, was a great traveller, and travelled from Archangel to the East Indies by land. He wrote Memoires of all his journeys, a large folio, wherein he had draughts of their cities, habits[379], customs, etc.

He had a great collection of natural rarities, coynes, prints, etc.

Mr. Baker[380] knew him.

He died at Penrhyn in Cornwall about 20 yeares since. Quaere for them[381].

[382]Mr. Robert Murray is a citizen of London, a milliner, of the company of cloathworkers. His father, a Scotch[Pg 91]man; mother, English. Borne in the Strand, Anno Dni. 1633, December; christened 12^th.

The penny-post was sett up anno Domini 1680, Our Lady day, being Fryday[383], a most ingeniose and usefull project. Invented by Mr. ... Murray[384] first, and then Mr. Dockery[385] joyned with him. It was set up Feb. 1679/80.

Mr. Murray[386] was formerly clarke to the generall company for the revenue of Ireland, and afterwards clark to the committee of the grand excise of England; and was the first that invented and introduced into this city the club of commerce consisting of one of each trade, whereof there were after very many erected and are still continued in this city. And also continued[387] and sett-up the office or banke of credit at Devonshire house in Bishopsgate Street without, where men depositing their goods and merchandize were furnished with bills of current credit on 2/3 or 3/4 of the value of the said goods answering to the intrinsique value of money, whereby the deficiency of coin might be fully subplyed: and for rendring the same current, a certaine or competent number of traders (viz. 10 or 20 of each trade, wherof there be 500 severall trades within the citty) were to be associated or formed into such a society or company of traders as might amongst them compleat the whole body of commerce, whereby any possest of the said current credit might be furnisht amongst themselves with any kind of goods or merchandise as effectually as for money could do elsewhere.

[388]Dr. Richard Napier[AE]:—he was no Doctor, but a divine (rector Lindfordiensis) and practised physick—natus Maii 4, 1559, 11 h. 4´ P.M. in urbe Exoniae.

[Pg 92]

[389]Dr. Napier was uncle and godfather to Sir Richard Napier.

[390]Yesterday I was with Mr. Elias Ashmole, who tells me that Sir Richard Napier[AF] was of Allsoules, and about 1642.

I writt to you from Mr. Ashmole in a former letter[AG] that Sir Richard Napier is buryed at Lindford, but died at Besels-leigh; but before he came thither, he lay at an inne at ..., where, when the chamberlain brought him up to his chamber, and the Dr. look't on the bed and saw a dead man lye in or on the bed—'What!' sayd he, 'do you lodge me where a dead man lies?' Sayd the chamberlain, 'Sir, here is no dead man.' The Dr. look't at it again, and saw it was him selfe. And from thence he went (ill) to Besil's-leigh and died.

[391]On Sunday last I dined with Mr. Ashmole, who bids me answer you[AH] positively that Sir Richard Napier never did write anything, and sayes he haz acquainted you thus much before by letter.

[392]Sir William Neale, knight, skowt-master generall to king Charles the first, died on the 24th of March last 1690/1, in Grayes Inne lane, being 81 yeares old. He was buried, according to his desire, in Convent-garden church, and lies at the west dore, first by the christning pew. When he died, he was the oldest field-officer of king Charles the first.

He was not lesse than 6 foot high: very beautifull in youth—I remember him: and of great courage, but a great plunderer and cruell.

He lived in towne ever since the Plott, and that worthy generous gentleman Edmund Wyld, esq., was much supporting to him. His mother and Sir William were cosens german. But for these 5 yeares last past his gowtes etc. emaciated him extremely; so that he did often put me in mind of that of Ovid. Metamorph. <XV. 229>,

He died poenitent.

He was the grandsonne of ... Neale, esq., of Wollaston near Northampton, who maried one of Sir Edmund Conquest's sisters, of Houghton-Conquest, Bedfordshire. Sir Francis Clarke of Houghton-Conquest aforesaid (father of Mr. Edmund Wyld's mother, a daughter and heir) maried another sister of Sir Edmund Conquest.

Sir William maried major-generall Egerton's sister, by whom he had issue William, a lusty stout fellow, of the guards, who died about the abdication, and two daughters.

[393]The father of ... Neile, archbishop of Yorke, was a tallow-chandler in Westminster—from old major Cosh.

[Pg 94]

[394]I have sent now to Sir Paul Neile, whose father was archbishop of Yorke, for his sonne. Memorandum:—a better-natured man[395] never lived: for his worth Dr. Wallis can better characterise him than I can.

[396]William Neile, esq., gentleman of the privy chamber in ordinary to king Charles the 2nd, eldest son to Sir Paul Neile, eldest son to the archbishop of Yorke, was borne at Bishops-thorpe (a house belonging to the archbishops of Yorke) neer Yorke, December the seventh, 1637; and dyed at his father's howse in White Waltham in Berkshire, August 24th, 1670, and is buried in White Waltham church. Enquire of Dr. Wallis of his rare invention, which he has printed in one of his bookes: never before found out by man.

[397]Dr. Newton, now parson of Rosse in Herefordshire, told me that he was of Edmund hall: yet living; and lives-like, for when his stomach is out of order, he cures himselfe by eating a piece of hott roast beefe off the spitt.—[398]Dr. J. Newton:—he told me he was borne in Bedfordshire, but would not tell me where.

[399]... Newton, D.D., minister of Ross, dyed there on Christmas day 1678, and buried in the chancell at Rosse neer the middle of the south wall. He was against learning of Latin in a mathematicall school.

[400]John Norden—from Mr. Bagford, a good antiquary, Mr. Crump's acquaintance.

He lived at Fulham, and (perhaps) died there.

[Pg 95]

He made mappes of Middlesex, Hartfortshire, Surrey, and Hampshire, and also Cornwall; and he did not only make the mappes aforesaid but hath writt[401] descriptions of them, which Mr. Bagford hath, in quarto. The description of Cornwall (I thinke) was not printed; but Dr. Gale of Paule's schoole hath it in manuscript, quod N.B.

He printed a booke called a Preparative to Speculum Britanniae, in 8vo; item, his Travellers Guide, in 4to.

Mr. Morgan, the herald painter, gives us an account in his Armorie, that he had, in his custodie, Kent, Essex, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, and Hants.

In the end of Mr. Gregorie's posthumous workes, he gives us an account of the excellency of Mr. Norden's mappes, and Saxton's too.

His dialogues I have, in 4to, printed first, 1610; dedicated to Cecil, earle of Salisbury, whose servant he was, (I suppose) steward or surveyor.

Sometime or other I will looke into the church at Fulham: he died ('tis thought) in King James the first raigne.

Mr. Wood! pray add this to the rest of the lives.

[402]Captain Roger North was brother to lord North. He was a great acquaintance of Sir Walter Ralegh's and accompanied him in his voyages. He was with him at Guiana, and never heard that word[403] but he would fall into a passion for the miscariage of that action.

He was a great algebrist, which was rare in those dayes; but he had the acquaintance of his fellow-traveller Mr. Hariot.

He and his voyages are much cited in.... Voyages in Latin in folio (quaere nomen libri a domino J. Vaughan[404]).

He was a most accomplished gentleman.

[Pg 96]

He died in Fleet Street about anno Domini 1656 or 57, and buryed....

He had excellent collections and remarques of his voyages, which were all unfortunately burnt in Fleet Street at the great conflagration of the city.—From my Sir Francis North, Lord Chiefe Justice of the Common Pleas, his nephew, and Edmund Wyld, esq., who knew him very well.

He dyed about the time of the fire (?); quaere iterum.

This family speakes not well of Sir Walter Raleigh, that Sir Walter designed to breake with the Spanyard, and to make himselfe popular in England. When he came to ..., he could not show them where the mines of gold were. He would have then gonne to the king of France (Lewis XIII), but his owne men brought him back.

[405]Capt. North—quaere if of Oxon[406]: I thinke of University College.

[407]Mr. Thomas North, that translated Plutarch's Lives (my lord chief justice[408] tells me) was great-uncle to his grandfather.

[409]Mr. Richard Norwood:—where he was born I cannot yet learn.

Norwood is an ancient family: about 300 yeares since St. Low maried with a daughter and heire of them and quarters the coate in the margent[410]. They flourish still in Gloucestershire, the mannour of Lakhampton belonging to them.—'Tis probable that this learned Norwood was that countreyman.

In his Epistle to the Reader before his Trigonometrie:—

My edition is the third, 1656; and there hath been one since.

The Seaman's practice, containing a fundamental probleme in navigation experimentally verified, namely, touching the compasse of the earth and sea, and the quantity of a degree, in our English measure; also an exact method or form of keeping a reckoning at sea in any kind or manner of sayling, with certain tables and other rules usefull in navigation; as also the plotting and surveying of places, the latitude of the principal places in England, the finding of the currents at sea and what allowance is to be given in respect of them, by Richard Norwood, reader of the Mathematicks, London, 1655, 4to—dedicated to Robert, earle of Warwick.

He, at his owne chardge, measured with a chaine from Barwick to Christ Church (he sayes he came up in ten or eleven dayes) in order to the finding the quantitie of a degree, and so the circumference of the earth and sea, in our known measures—July 1, 1636.

He also published a treatise of the modern way of fortification, 163-, in 4to.

By a letter from Nicholas, earle of Thanet, to me, concerning his purchase in the Bermudas, not dated, but writ about 1674 or 5—thus:—'as to old Mr. Norwood, to whom the Royal Society would send some quaeres, is lately dead, as his sonne informes me, who lately went captaine in that ship wherein I sent my gardiner and vines to the Bermudas. He was aged above 90.'

[411]Trigonometrie, both plain and sphaerical, by Richard Norwood, reader of the Mathematicks. 'This seaventh edition being diligently corrected; in divers difficult places explained; new table of the starres' right ascentions and[Pg 98] declinations added; and the whole worke very much enlarged by the author himselfe.' Printed for William Fisher at the Postern gate neer the Tower, etc., 1678.

'To the Reader. If any man thinke it should be a hinderance to them who have been at the chardge to print that which Mr. Briggs hath begun upon that subject, he may be pleased to take notice that though we both handle the same thing, yet it is in a different manner, and there is scarce any one proposition handled by us both; besides his is in Latine, mine in English. Towerhill, anno 1631, November 1.'

[412]From Fabian Philips, esq.:—

Mr. attorney-generall Noy was a great lawyer and a great humorist. There is a world of merry stories of him.

A countrey-fellow of Cumberland[413]....

He would play at spanne-counter with the taverne-barre-boy.

A countrey clowne asked for a good inne, and he bids him ride into Lincoln's Inne, and asked if his horse went to hay or to grasse.

He caused the breeches of a bencher of Lincolne's Inne to be taken-in by a tayler and made him beleeve that he had the dropsie.

One time he mett accidentally with Butler[414], the famous physitian of Cambridge, at the earle of Suffolke's (Lord Treasurer[415]). They were strangers to each other, and both walking in the gallerie. Noy was wearied, and would be gonne. Butler would know his name. Noy had him to the Peacock Taverne in Thames Street, and fudled all that day.

Another time Noy and Pine of Lincolne's Inne went afoot to Barnet with clubbes in their hands, like countrey[Pg 99]fellowes. They went to the Red Lyon inne; the people of the house were afrayd to trust them, fearing they might not pay.

[416]Ex registro Brandford, thus:—'William Noy, the king's attorney, buried August the 11th day, 1634.' Buried under the communion table, not alter-waies, in the chancell at New Brentford in the county of Middlesex, under a stone broken; brasse lost and inscription.

[417]Mr. John Ogilby[AI] natus[418] November 17, 5^h 15´ mane, 1600.

[419]John Ogilby, esq., was borne at ... (quaere Mr. John Gadbury[AJ]) in Scotland, November ..., 1600, Scorpione ascendente. He was of a gentleman's family, and bred to his grammar.

[420] would not tell where in Scotland he was borne: quaere. He sayd drollingly that he would have as great contests hereafter for the place of his birth as of Homer's: but he made this rythme:—

[422]Mr. Gadbury sayes that Mr. Ogilby told him (he was very sure) that he was borne either in or neer Edinburgh. Sed tamen quaere de hoc of Mr. Morgan his grandson.

[423]Mr. John Ogilby, borne ... in Scotland, of a gentleman's family; bred a scholar. In[424] his youth bred to dancing at London: which he afterwards professed. His father spent his estate and fell to decay; and J. O. by his [Pg 100]owne industry[XXXVIII.] at or about the age of 12 or 13, he relieved his parents.

[425]His father[AK] had spent his estate, and fell to decay, and was a prisoner in the King's Bench, whom, together with his mother, his son relieved by his owne industry, being then but about the age of 12 or 13 yeares. By the advantage of his sonne's industry, he raysed a small summe of money, which he adventured in the lottery for the advancement of the plantation in Virginia, anno ... and he gott out of prison by this meanes. His motto (of his lott) was,

It so happened that he had a very good lott, that did pay his debts.

[426]John (the son) bound himselfe apprentice to one Mr. Draper[427], who kept a dancing-schoole in Grayes-Inne-Lane, and in short time arrived to so great excellency in that art, that he found meanes to purchase his time of his master and sett up for himselfe.

When the duke of Buckingham's great masque[428] was represented at court (vide Ben Jonson), anno ... (quaere), he was chosen (among the rest) to performe some extraordinary part in it, and high-danceing, i.e. vaulting and cutting capers, being then in fashion, he, endeavouring to doe something extraordinary, by misfortune of a false step when he came to the ground, did spraine a veine on the inside of his leg, of which he was lame ever after, which gave an occasion to say that 'he was an excellent dancing master, and never a good leg.'

He taught 2 of the lord Hopton's (then Sir Ralph) sisters to dance, then at Witham in Somersetshire; and Sir Ralph [Pg 101]taught[429] him to handle the pike and musket, scil. all the postures.

[430]Anno[431] ... (the yeare before lord Strafford went to Ireland[432], Deputie) he kept a dancing school in the Black-Spread-Eagle Court (then an inne) in Grayes Inne lane. Mr. John Lacy, the player, from whom I take this information, was his apprentice.

[433]In the yeare ..., he went over into Ireland to Thomas, earle of Strafford, Lord Liuetenant there, and was there enterteined to teach in that family. And here it was that first he gave proofs of his inclination to poetry, by paraphrasing upon some of Æsop's fables. (He writt a fine hand.) He had[434] a warrant from the Lord Livetenant to be Master of the Ceremonies for that kingdome; and built a little[435] theatre in St. Warburgh street, in Dublin. It was a short time before the rebellion brake out, by which he lost all, and ran thorough many hazards, and particularly being like to have been blow'n-up at the castle of Refarnum neer Dublin.