ill. He dyed at Whitehall (I was then there): went out like a spent

candle--died before Dr. Holder could come to him with the sacrament. Quaere his family and coat of arms.

=Sir Henry Savile= (1549-1621/2).

[933]Sir Henry Savill[BF], knight, was borne in Yorkshire (vide A. Wood's _Antiq. Oxon._).... He was a younger (or of a younger) brother, not borne to a foot of land. He came to Merton Coll. Oxon. <1565>; made Warden there <1585>.

He was a learned gentleman, as most was of his time. He would faine have been thought (I have heard Mr. Hobbes say) to have been as great a scholar as Joseph Scaliger. But as for mathematiques, I have heard Dr. Wallis say that he look't on him to be as able a mathematician as any of his time. He was an extraordinary handsome and beautifull man; no lady had a finer complexion.

Queen Elizabeth favoured him much; he read (I think) Greeke and Politiques to her. He was also preferred to be Provost of Eaton colledge <1596>.

He was a very severe governour, the scholars hated him for his austerity. He could not abide _witts_: when a young scholar was recommended to him for a good witt, '_Out upon him, I'le have nothing to doe with him; give me the ploding student. If I would look for witts I would goe to Newgate, there be the witts_[LXXXI.];' and John Earles (afterwards bishop of Sarum) was the only scholar that ever he tooke as recommended for a witt, which was from Dr. Goodwyn, of Christ Church.

[LXXXI.] This I was told[BG] by Robert Skinner, bishop of Oxon, 1646.

He was not only a severe governor, but old Mr. Yates[BH] (who was fellow in his time) would make lamentable complaints of him to his dyeing day, that he did oppresse the fellows grievously, and he was so great and a favourite to the Queen, that there was no dealing with him; his naeve was that he was too much inflated with his learning and riches.

He was very munificent, as appeares by the two lectures he has given of Astronomy and Geometry. Bishop Seth Ward, of Sarum, has told me that he first sent for Mr. Gunter, from London, (being of Oxford university) to have been his[934] Professor of Geometrie: so he came and brought with him his sector and quadrant, and fell to resolving of triangles and doeing a great many fine things. Said the grave knight, '_Doe you call this reading of Geometrie? This is shewing of tricks, man!_' and so dismisst him with scorne, and sent for Briggs, from Cambridge.

I have heard Dr. Wallis say, that Sir H. Savill has sufficiently confuted Joseph Scaliger de Quadratura Circuli, in the very margent of the booke: and that sometimes when J. Scaliger sayes 'A B = C D ex constructione,' Sir H. Savill writes sometimes in the margent, 'Et dominatio vestra est asinus ex constructione.'

He left only one daughter, which was[935]maried to Sir ... Sedley, of ... in Kent, mother to this present Sir Charles Sedley, who well resembles his grandfather Savill in the face, but is not so proper a man.

Sir H. Savill dyed at, and was buried at Eaton colledge, in the chapell, on the south east side of the chancell, under a faire black marble grave-stone, with this inscription:--

* * * * * * * * * *

He had travelled very well, and had a generall acquaintance with the learned men abroad; by which meanes he obtained from beyond sea, out of their libraries, severall rare Greeke MSS., which he had copied by an excellent amanuensis for the Greeke character.

... putt a trick upon him, for he gott a friend to send him weekely over to ... in Flanders (I thinke), the sheetes of the curious Chrysostome that were printed at Eaton, and translated them into Latin, and printed them Greeke and Latin together, which quite spoyled the sale of Sir Henry's.

Memorandum:--he gave his collection of mathematicall bookes to a peculiar little library belonging to the Savillian Professors[BI].

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[BF] Aubrey gives in trick the coat:--'argent, on a bend sable, 3 owls of the field [Savile].'

[BG] Aubrey seems to have had a special interest in this story. He notes it twice in MS. Aubr. 21 (fol. 2, and fol. 4):--'Sir H. Savile--If you'l have witts, goe to Newgate.'

[BH] Leonard Yates, fellow of Merton in 1593, rector of Cuxham, co. Oxon., 1608, died 1662, aged _circ._ 92. His son, John Yates, was M.A. of Trinity in 1639, and probably Aubrey knew him there.

[BI] This Collection was incorporated with the Bodleian in 1884: Macray's _Annals of the Bodleian_, p. 329. Stephen Peter Rigaud (Savilian Professor of Geometry 1810-1827, and of Astronomy 1827-1839) had, in his time, thoroughly examined it, and found many books missing.

=Sylvanus Scory= (15-- -1617).

[936]Sylvanus Scory (quaere if he was not knighted?) was the son and heire of Scory, bishop of Hereford.

His father, John Skory, in the raigne of King Edward the Sixt, was bishop of Rochester, and translated from thence to Chichester, and afterwards to Hereford; 'who departed this life, at his house, at Whitburn, in com. Hereff., 26 Junii, Anno Domini 1585'--this out of an epitaph on his wife Elizabeth, who hath an inscription in St. Leonard's Shoreditch church.

He was a very handsome gentleman, and had an excellent witt, and his father gave him the best education, both at home and beyond the seas, that that age would afford, and loved him so dearly that he fleeced the church of Hereford to leave him a good estate, and he did let such long, and so many, leases, that, as Mʳⁱˢ Masters (daughter of Herbert Westphaling, esq., eldest son and heir to bishop Westphaling, of Hereford) told me, they were not out till about these 60 yeares. To my best remembrance, she told me the estate left him was 1500 _li._ per annum, which he reduced to nothing (alloweing himselfe the libertie to enjoy all the pleasures of this world), and left his sonne so poor, that when he came among gentlemen, they would fancy a crowne or ten shillings[937] for him.

I have heard Sir John Denham say (at Chalke, 1652), that he haz been well enformed that he was the most accomplished gentleman of his time. 'Tis a good testimoniall of his worth, that Mr. Benjamin Johnson (who ever scorned an unworthy patrone) dedicated his ... to him. I have heard Sir John Denham also say that he was the greatest confident and intimate favorite of Monsieur of France (brother to the French king), who was a suitor to queen Elizabeth, and whom her majestie entirely loved (and as a signall of it one time at St. Paule's church, London, openly kissed him in time of divine service) and would have had him for her husband, but only for reasons of state. When her majestie dismissed him, 'twas donne with all passion and respecte imaginable. She gave him royall presents; he was attended to Dover by the flower of the court; among others, by this sparke of whom I now write. When Monsieur tooke his leave of him he told him that though 'twas so that her majestie could not marie him (as aforesayd), yet he knew that she so much loved him that she would not deny him any request, wherby he might honour and benefit a friend; and accordingly writes his love-letter to his mistresse, the queen of England, and in it only begges that single _bôn_[938], to looke upon Mr. Scorie (the bearer) with a particular and extraordinary grace, for his sake; delivered[939] him the letter (and as I take it, gave him a jewell). As Sylvanus returned to London, through Canterbury, the mayer there (a shoemaker), a pragmaticall fellow, examined him, who and whence, etc. and what his business was, and if he had a passe? 'Yes,' quod he, 'I have a passe,' and produces Monsieur's letter, superscribed to her majestie, which, one would have thought, had been enough to have shewen. The mayor presently[940] breakes open the love-letter, and reades it. I know not how, this action happened to take wind, and 'twas brought to court, and became so ridicule that Sylvanus Scory was so laughed at and jeer'd that he never delivered the letter to the queen, which had been the easiest and most honourable step to preferment that mortall man could have desired.

=John Securis.=

[941]I have heard my old great-uncle, Mr. Thomas Browne, say that when he was a school boy there was one Dr. Securis a noted physitian at Salisbury (who was contemporary with this Dr. Mouffett[942]). He writt Almanacks--I have only seen two, which Henry Coley haz, which were for the yeares of our Lord 15[81[943]].

1580, a prognostication for the yeare of our Lord God MDLXXX, made and written in Salisbury by John Securis, Maister of Artes and Physick. London, cum privilegio regiae majestatis.

1581, eodem autore, wherunto is joynd a compendium or brief instruction how to keepe a moderate diet. London, etc.--Vide his preface wherin he speakes ☞ of haile-stones neer Salisbury as big as a child's fist of three or fower yeeres old.

=Dorothy Selby.=

[944]From Mr. Marshall[945]:--

Dedicated to the pious memory of Dame Dorothy Selby [etc.]

She was a Dorcas Whose curious needle turn'd the abused stage Of this lewd world into a golden age: Whose pen of steele, and silken inke, enroll'd The acts of Jona in records of gold; Whose art disclos'd that plott, which had it taken, Rome had triumph't and Britaine's walls had shaken. Shee was In heart a Lydia, and in tongue a Hanna, In zeale a Ruth, in wedlock a Susanna. Prudently simple, providently wary, To the world a Martha, and to heaven a Mary.

=John Selden= (1584-1654).

[946]Mr. John Selden when young did copie[947] records for Sir Robert Cotton--from Fabian Philips.

[948]John Selden, esq., was borne (as appeares by his epitaph, which he himselfe made, as I well remember archbishop Usher, Lord Primate, who did preach his funerall sermon, did then mention scil. as to _spe certae resurrectionis_) at Salvinton, a hamlet belonging to West Terring, in the com. of Sussex.

His father was a yeomanly man, of about fourty pounds per annum, and played well on the violin, in which he tooke delight, and at Christmas time, to please him selfe and his neighbours, he would play to them as they danced. My old lady Cotton[LXXXII.] (wife to Sir Robert Cotton, grandmother to this Sir Cotton) was one time at Sir Thomas Alford's, in Sussex, at dinner, in Christmas time, and Mr. John Selden (then a young student) sate at the lower end of the table, who was lookt upon then to be of parts extraordinary, and some body asking who he was, 'twas replyed, his son that is playing on the violin the hall[LXXXIII.]. I have heard Michael Malet (judge[BJ] Malet's son) say, that he had heard that Mr. John Selden's father taught on the lute. He had a pretty good estate by his wife.

[LXXXII.] She was living in 1646, or 1647, an old woman, 80+.

[LXXXIII.] This from Sir William Dugdale, from the lady Cotton.--Mr. Fabian Philips told me that when J. Selden was young he did copie records for Sir Robert Cotton.

He (vide A. Wood's _Antiq. Oxon._) was of Hart-hall in Oxon, and Sir Giles Mompesson told me that he was then of that house[BK], and that he was a long scabby-pold boy, but a good student.

Thence he came to the Inner Temple. His chamber was in the paper buildings which looke towards the garden, ... staire-case, uppermost story, where he had a little gallery to walke in.

He was quickly taken notice of for his learning, and was sollicitor and steward to the earl of Kent[BL], whose countesse (was) an ingeniose woman....[949] After the earle's death he married her. He had a daughter[950], if not two, by ...; one was maried to a tradesman in Bristowe.... Mris. Williamson, one of my lady's woemen, a lusty, bouncing woman, ... robbed him on his death-bed....

His great friend heretofore was Mr. ... Hayward, to whom he dedicates his _Titles of Honour_; also Ben Johnson.

His treatise that Tythes were not _jure divino_ drew[951] a great deale of envy upon him from the clergie. W. Laud, archbishop of Canterbury, made him make his recantation before the High Commission Court, of which you may have an account in Dr. Peter Heylen's Historie. After, he would never forgive the bishops, but did still in his writings levell them with the presbyterie. He was also severe and bitter in his speeches against ship-money, which speeches see.

He was one of the Assembly of Divines, and Whitlock, in his memoires, sayes that he was wont to mock the Assembly men about their little gilt Bibles, and would baffle them sadly: sayd he, 'I doe consider the original.'

[952] Montague, of Norwich, was his great antagonist; vide the bookes writt against each other.

He never owned the mariage with the countesse of Kent till after her death, upon some lawe account. He never kept any servant peculiar, but my ladie's were all at his command; he lived with her _in Aedibus Carmeliticis_ (White Fryers), which was, before the conflagration, a noble dwelling.

He kept a plentifull table, and was never without learned company. He rose at ... clock in the morning (quaere Sir J. C.[BM]) and went to bed at....

He was temperate in eating and drinking. He had a slight stuffe, or silke, kind of false carpet, to cast[953] over the table where he read and his papers lay[954], when a stranger came-in, so that he needed not to displace[955] his bookes or papers.

He wrote ...: vide A. Wood's _Antiq. Oxon._ for the catalogue of the bookes writt by him.

He dyed of a dropsey; he had his funerall scutcheons all ready ... moneths before he dyed.

When he was neer death, the minister (Mr. Johnson) was comeing to him to assoile him: Mr. Hobbes happened then to be there; sayd he, 'What, will you that have wrote like a man, now dye like a woman?' So the minister was not let in.

He dyed _in Aedibus Carmeliticis_ (aforesayd) the last day of November, Anno Domini 1654; and on Thursday, the 14th day of December, was magnificently buryed in the Temple church. His executors were Matthew Hales (since Lord Chiefe Justice of the King's Bench), John Vaughan (since Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas), and Rowland Jewkes, Esq.: quaere the fourth executor[BN]. They invited all the Parliament men, all the benchers, and great officers. All the judges had[956] mourning, as also an abundance of persons of quality. The Lord Primate of Ireland, Usher, preach't his funerall sermon.

His grave was about ten foot deepe or better, walled up a good way with bricks, of which also the bottome was paved, but the sides at the bottome for about two foot high were of black polished marble, wherein his coffin (covered with black bayes) lyeth, and upon that wall of marble was presently lett downe a huge black marble stone of great thicknesse, with this inscription:

_Heic jacet corpus Johannis Seldeni, qui obiit 30 die Novembris, 1654._

Over this was turned an arch of brick (for the house would not loose their grownd), and upon that was throwne the earth, etc. and on the surface lieth another faire grave-stone of black marble, with this inscription:

I. SELDENVS, I. C. _heic situs est_.

This coate[957] ('..., 3 roses on a fess, between 3 swans' necks, erased, collared' [this is the coate of Baker]) is on the flatt marble; but is, indeed, the coate of his mother, for he had none of his owne, though he so well deserved it. 'Tis strange (me thinke) that he would not have one.

On the side of the wall above, is a faire[958] inscription of white marble: the epitaph he made himselfe as is before sayd, and Marchamond Needham, making mention of it in his _Mercurius Politicus_, sayd 'twas well he did it, for no man els could doe it for him. He was buried by Mr. Johnson, then Master of the Temple, the directory way, where Mr. Johnson tooke an occasion to say[BO], 'a learned man sayes that when a learned man dies a great deale of learning dies with him: then certainly in this,' etc.

[959]JOANNES SELDENUS heic juxta situs, Natus est XVI Decembris, MDLXXXIV, Salvintoniae, Qui viculus est Terring occidentalis in Sussexiae maritimis, Parentibus honestis, Joanne Seldeno Thomae filio, e quinis secundo, Anno MDXLI nato, et Margareta filia et haerede unica Thomae Bakeri de Rushington, ex equestri Bakerorum in Cantio familia, filius e cunis superstitum unicus, aetatis fere LXX annorum. Denatus est ultimo die Novembris, Anno Salutis Reparatae MDCLIV, per quam expectat heic +RESVRRECTIONEM+ Felicem.

He would tell his intimate friends, Sir Bennet Hoskyns, etc., that he had nobody to make his heire, except it were a milke-mayd, and that such people did not know what to doe with a great estate. Memorandum:--bishop Grostest, of Lincoln, told his brother, who asked him to make him a grate man; 'Brother,' said he, 'if your plough is broken, I'le pay the mending of it; or if an oxe is dead, I'le pay for another: but a plough-man I found you, and a plough-man I'le leave you'--Fuller's _Holy State_, p....

He never used any artificiall help to strengthen his memorie: 'twas purely naturall.

He was very tall, I guesse about 6 foot high; sharp ovall face; head not very big; long nose inclining to one side; full popping eie (gray). He was a poet[LXXXIV.], and Sir John Suckling brings him in the 'Session of the Poets.'

[LXXXIV.] He haz a learned copie of verses before Hopton's 'Concordance of Yeares'; before Ben Jonson's Workes; &c.

The poets met, the other day, And Apollo was at the meeting, they say, * * * * * 'Twas strange to see how they flocked together: There was Selden, and he stood next to the chaire, And Wenman not far off, which was very faire, etc.

He was one of the assembly of divines in those dayes (as was also his highnesse ... Prince Elector Palatine[BP]), and was like a thorne in their sides; for he did baffle and vexe[960] them; for he was able to runne them all downe with his Greeke and antiquities.

Sir Robert Cotton (the great antiquary, that collected the library) was his great friend, whose son, Sir Thomas Cotton, was obnoxious to the Parliament, and skulked in the countrey: Mr. Selden had the key and command of the library, and preserved it, being then a Parliament man.

He intended to have given his owne library to the University of Oxford[LXXXV.], but received disobligation from them, for that they would not lend him some MSS.; wherfore by his will he left it to the disposall of his executors, who gave it to the Bodlean library, at Oxon.

[LXXXV.] Memorandum:--Mr. Fabian Philips says that Mr. Selden had given his library to Oxford at first, but that the University had disobliged by not lending him a MS. or MSS.

He understood ... languages:--Latin, Greeke, Hebrew, Arabique, besides the learned modern.

In his writing of ... he used his learned friend, Mr. Henry Jacob, of Merton College, who did transcribe etc. for him, and as he was writing, would many times putt-in things of his owne head, which Mr. Selden did let stand, as he does, in his preface, acknowledge.

In his younger yeares he affected obscurity of style, which, after, he quite left off, and wrote perspicuously. 'Twill be granted that he was one of the greatest critiques of his time.

I remember my sadler who wrought many yeares to that family[961] told me that Mr. Selden had got more by his marriage then he had done by his practise. He was no eminent practiser at barre; not but that he was or might have been able enough; but after he had got a _dulce ocium_ he chiefly addicted himselfe to his more ingeniose studies and records.

I have heard some divines say (I know not if maliciously) that 'twas true he was a man of great reading, but gave not his owne sentiment.

He was wont to say 'I'le keepe myselfe warme and moyst as long as I live, for I shall be cold and dry when I am dead.'

[962]John Selden, esq., would write sometimes, when notions came into his head, to preserve them, under his barber's hands. When he dyed his barber sayd he had a great mind to know his will, 'For,' sayd he, 'I never knew a wise man make a wise will.' He bequeathed his estate (40,000 _li._ value) to four executors, viz. Lord Chiefe Justice Hales, Lord Chief Justice Vaughan, Rowland Jukes, and ... (his flatterer)--from Fabian Philips.

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[BJ] Sir Thomas Mallet, Justice of the King's Bench 1641-45, 1660-63.

[BK] John Selden matric. at Hart Hall Oct. 24, 1600, aged 15. Giles Mompesson matric. at Hart Hall, same day, aged 16.

[BL] Henry Grey succeeded as 7th earl of Kent in 1623, died 1639. His widow Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Gilbert Talbot, 7th earl of Shrewsbury, died Dec. 7, 1651, bequeathing her estate to Selden.

[BM] It is not clear whether this is 'Sir J. C.' or 'Sir J. H.' (in a monogram). If the former, perhaps 'Sir John Cotton'; if the latter, as is more probable, then perhaps Sir John Hoskyns, son of Sir Bennet, p. 223.

[BN] Anthony Wood adds the note: 'Vide Collect. ex Convoc. 1653,' i.e. Wood's own Collections ex reg. Convoc. Oxon. (MS. Bodl. 594): see Clark's Wood's _Life and Times_, i. 187, 209.

[BO] Reported slightly more fully by Aubrey, writing April 7, 1673, in MS. Wood F. 39, fol. 199ᵛ:--'Mr. Johnson, minister of the Temple, buryed him, secundum usum Directory, where, amongst other things, he quoted "the sayeing of a learned man" (he did not name him) "that when a learned man dies, there dyes a great deale of learning with him," and that "if learning could have kept a man alive our brother had not dyed."'

[BP] Charles Louis. 'He received permission from the House of Commons to sit and hear on Oct. 24, <1643>, but does not seem to have actually made his appearance till the 28th: when an address of welcome was made by the Prolocutor, Dr. Twisse, who had been at one time chaplain to the princess , and a reply was made by the prince. Somewhat fragmentary notes of his speech are found in the first volume of the minutes of the Westminster Assembly, which has never been published'--a note kindly sent me by Dr. A. F. Mitchell, Emeritus Professor of Ecclesiastical History in St. Andrews.

=William Shakespear= (1564-1616).

[963]Mr. William Shakespear was borne at Stratford upon Avon in the county of Warwick. His father was a butcher, and I have been told heretofore by some of the neighbours, that when he was a boy he exercised his father's trade, but when he kill'd a calfe he would doe it in a high style, and make a speech. There was at that time another butcher's son in this towne that was held not at all inferior to him for a naturall witt, his acquaintance and coetanean, but dyed young.

This William being inclined naturally to poetry and acting, came to London, I guesse, about 18; and was an actor at one of the play-houses, and did act exceedingly well (now B. Johnson was never a good actor, but an excellent instructor).

He began early to make essayes at dramatique poetry, which at that time was very lowe; and his playes tooke well.

He was a handsome, well shap't man: very good company, and of a very readie and pleasant smooth witt.

The humour of ... the constable, in _Midsomernight's Dreame_, he happened to take at Grendon in Bucks--I thinke it was Midsomer night that he happened to lye there--which is the roade from London to Stratford, and there was living that constable about 1642, when I first came to Oxon: Mr. Josias Howe is of that parish, and knew him. Ben Johnson and he did gather humours of men dayly where ever they came. One time as he was at the tavern at Stratford super Avon, one Combes, an old rich usurer, was to be buryed, he makes there this extemporary epitaph,

Ten in the hundred the Devill allowes, But Combes will have twelve, he sweares and vowes: If any one askes who lies in this tombe, 'Hoh!' quoth the Devill, ''Tis my John o Combe.'

He was wont to goe to his native countrey once a yeare. I thinke I have been told that he left 2 or 300 _li._ per annum there and thereabout to a sister. Vide his epitaph in Dugdale's Warwickshire.

I have heard Sir William Davenant and Mr. Thomas Shadwell (who is counted the best comoedian we have now) say that he had a most prodigious witt, and did admire his naturall parts beyond all other dramaticall writers. He was wont to say (B. Johnson's _Underwoods_) that he 'never blotted out a line in his life'; sayd Ben: Johnson, 'I wish he had blotted-out a thousand.'

His comoedies will remaine witt as long as the English tongue is understood, for that he handles _mores hominum_. Now our present writers reflect so much upon particular persons and coxcombeities, that twenty yeares hence they will not be understood.

Though, as Ben: Johnson sayes of him, that he had but little Latine and lesse Greek, he understood Latine pretty well, for he had been in his younger yeares a schoolmaster in the countrey.--from Mr. ... Beeston[964].

=Ralph Sheldon= (1623-1684).

[965]Ralph Sheldon, of Beoley, esq., natus at Weston, Warwickshire, Aug. 4, 1623, about 5 of the clock in the morning.

Memorandum the plott brake out in Oct. 1678. His house was search't; he disarmed; and afterwards a prisoner at Warwick.

Anno ..., very like to dye of a dropsey--quaere Sir Thomas Millington de hoc.

Faire Madam Frances Sheldon (one of the maydes of honour[966]) was born 24 Febr. at 8 or 9 at night. She was 23 last Febr. (1677/8).

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

This Ralph Sheldon was Anthony Wood's friend: see Clark's Wood's _Life and Times_, ii. 227, iii. 98.

=John Sherburne= (1616-1635).

[967]Sir Edward Shirbourn, knight, natus 18º Sept. A.D. 1616, hora 10 A.M. A little past halfe an hower after was born his twin brother John, who died anno aetatis 19º.

Both were borne before eleaven a clock; both excellent scholars; and excellent poets.

John, before he dyed, translated Ovid's Epistles, and better (I am informed, by Sir Edward, and John Davys of Kidwelly) then any we have in print.

=James Shirley= (1594-1666).

[968]James Shirley:--capt. Shirburne, and Mr. Stanley ( _de vitis philosophorum_, who was his scholar), say that he was of no University: bred a Paule's schole scholar.

He taught in Shoe lane: quaere.

=Thomas Shirley= (1638-1678).

[969]Thomas Shirley[BQ], M.D., of Weston-neston in Suffolk, edidit[BR] 'A true and perfect account of the examination confession tryall and condemnation, and execution of Joan Perry and her two sonnes for the supposed murther of Mr. William Harrison, being one of the most remarkable occurrences that hath happened in the memory of man': Lond., for Rowland Reynolds next Arundel gate opposite to St. Clements Church, 1676, stitch't, 4to.

Vide in Herbert's travells, where are honourable remembrances of his relations in Persia.

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[BQ] Aubrey gives in trick the coat:--'paly of 6, or and azure, a canton ermine.'

[BR] Anthony Wood notes here:--'This was written by Sir Thomas Overbury of Bourton on the hill to Dr. Thomas Shirley.' See Clark's Wood's _Life and Times_, i. 452.

=John Sloper.=

[970]Mrs. Abigail Sloper [Grove] borne at Broad Chalke neer Salisbury, A.D. 1648 (the widowe Chalke sayeth 'twas on a Thursday). She was baptized May 4th, 1648. Goodwife Smyth (then a servant there) sayeth she beleeves she was borne 14 of Aprill. Pride; lechery; ungratefull to her father; maried, ...; runne distracted, ...; recovered,....

John Sloper, my godson, baptized Feb. 7, 1649.

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

John Sloper, father of these two, was vicar of Broad Chalk, Wilts.; see in the life of John Hales.

=Jane Smyth= (1649-16--).

[971]Mris Jane Smyth borne at ... the 15th of April 1649, between fower and 5 a clock in the morning.--She was told on Venus's day, i.e. Fryday[972]: if not so, 'twas on a Tuesday. It was the April after the beheading King Charles the first. It thundered and lightened and the house was on fire then.

My almanac, 1676, says the _natalis_ was the 14th April[973]--quod N.B.: but Mrs. J. S. tells me again 'twas the fifteenth.

About 7 yeares old she lived in Sussex, Redhill, neer which Mr. Bradshaw, schoolmaster, lived--uxores germanorum.

On her trunk is:--

1662, I. Ƨ.

She came the second time to London halfe a yeare before the great plague in 1665.

She was sick of a feaver A.D. 1665; she sayd, not in London.

She was like to dye of St. Anthonie's fire about Michaelmas 1675. Mris Smyth fell sick dangerously of a pleurisie about the first weeke of October 1675. About the latter end of March 1675/6 she had a terrible chronicall disease[974], under which she laboured a 12 month or +. The first weeke in August 1683, in extreme danger of death by a suppression of urine, the ureters being stopped.

[975]Now I conclude with an earnest request that you would please to enquire for a colledge lease, as you did for Edward Shirbourne[976] (whom nobody can find[977]). It is for that obliging body, Mris Smith, that lives with Mr. Wyld. They cohabite, as Mary, countess of Pembroke, with Sir Martin Lister. I owe most of Mr. Wyld's civility from her goodness. And herein you will doe me the greatest kindness that you could imagine, for I am more obliged to her than to anybody. I beseech you, for God's sake, to mind this humble request of mine.

=Charles Snell= (1639-16--).

[978]Charles Snell, armiger, natus December 30, 1639, between 8 and 9 P.M. He maried September 1672.

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

Charles Snell lived near Fordingbridge in Hampshire. He occurs in these 'Brief Lives' and other Aubrey MSS. as a frequent correspondent of Aubrey's on matters astrological.

=John Speed= (1542-1629).

[979]He is in effigie, a faire monument, not much unlike Mr. Camden, in the south side of the chancell of St. Giles Cripplegate[980].

P.M. Charissimorum Parentum

Johannis Speed civis Londinensis, mercatorum scissorum fratris, servi fidelissimi regiarum majestatum Elizabethae Jacobi et Caroli nunc superstitis, terrarum nostrarum geographi accurati et fidi, Antiquitatis Britannicae historiographi, Geneologiae sacrae elegantissimi delineatoris, qui postquam annos 77 superaverat non tam morbo confectus quam mortalitatis taedio lassatus, corpore se levavit July 28, 1629, et jucundissimo Redemptoris sui desiderio sursum elatus, carnem hic in custodiam deposuit, denuò cum Christus venerit recepturus et Susannae suae suavissimae quae postquam duodecim illi filios et sex filias pepererat, annos quinquaginta septem junctis utriusque solatiis cum illo vixerat, liberos gravi et frequenti hortamine ad Dei cultum sollicitaverat, pietatis et charitatis opere quotidiano praeluxerat, emori demum erudiit suo exemplo quae septuagenaria placide in Christo obdormivit, et fidei suae mercedem habuit Martii vicesimo octavo Anno Domini MDCXXVIII.

=John Speidell.=

[981]Mr. ... Spiedell:--he taught mathematiques in London, and published a booke in quarto named Spiedel's Geometrical Extractions (London[982], 163-), which made young men have a love to geometrie.

=Sir Henry Spelman= (1562-1641).

[983]Sir Henry Spelman, knight, borne at ... (quaere Henry Spelman, his grandson).

From Mr. Justice Ball[984] at Windsore:--when he was about 10 or 12 he went to schoole to a curs't schoolmaster, to whom he had an antipathie. His master would discountenance him, and was very severe to him, and to a dull boy he would say _as very a dunce as H. Spelman_. He was a boy of great spirit, and would not learne there. He was (upon his importunity) sent another schoolmaster, and profited very well. I have heard his grandson say, that the Spelmans' witts open late.

He was much perplexed with lawe-suites and worldly troubles, so that he was about 40 before he could settle himselfe to make any great progresse in learning, which when he did, we find what great monuments of antiquarian knowledge he has left to the world. W. Laud, archbishop of Canterbury, had a great esteeme for him, and made him one of the ... of the High Commission Court; yet (he being one that was extreme rigid as to the licensing of bookes, and against any _nouvelle_) hindred the printing of the 2d part of his Glossary, which began at M, where there were three M's that scandalized the Archbishop, viz.--_Magna Charta_; _Magnum Consilium Regis_; and....

From George Lee:--he was a handsome gentleman (as appeares by his picture in Bibliotheca Cottoniana), strong and valiant, and wore allwayes his sword, till he was about 70 or +, when, finding his legges to faulter through feeblenes as he was walking, 'Now,' said he, ''tis time to leave off my sword.'

When his daughter-in-lawe (Sir John's wife) returned home from visitting her neighbours, he would alwaies aske her what of antiquity she had heard or observed, and if she brought home no such account, he would chide her (jestingly).

He lies buried in the south crosse-aisle of Westminster abbey, at the foot of the pillar opposite to Mr. Camden's monument, but without any word of inscription or monument hitherto (1680).[985]I very well remember his penon that hung-up there, but it was either taken downe or fell downe when the scaffolds were putt up at the coronation of his majestie king Charles II.

Sir William Dugdale knew Sir Henry Spelman, and sayes he was as tall as his grandson, Harry Spelman. He haz been told that Sir Henry did not understand Latin perfectly till he was fourty years old. He said to Sir William, 'We are beholding to Mr. Speed and Stowe for _stitching_ up for us our English History.' It seemes they were both taylers--quod N.B.

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

Aubrey notes that he was of 'Cambr.'; and gives in trick the coat:--'sable, 9 plates between two flaunches argent,' and adds, 'the crest is a wyld man.'

=Edmund Spenser= (1553-1598/9).

[986]Mr. Edmund Spencer was of Pembrooke-hall in Cambridge; he misst the fellowship there which bishop Andrewes gott. He was an acquaintance and frequenter of Sir Erasmus Dreyden. His mistris, Rosalind, was a kinswoman of Sir Erasmus' lady's. The chamber there at Sir Erasmus' is still called Mr. Spencer's chamber. Lately, at the College takeing-downe the wainscot of his chamber, they found an abundance of cards, with stanzas of the 'Faerie Queen' written on them.--from John Dreyden, esq., Poet Laureate.

Mr. Beeston sayes he was a little man, wore short haire, little band and little cuffs.

[987]Edmund Spenser:--Mr. Samuel Woodford (the poet, who paraphras'd the Psalmes) lives in Hampshire neer Alton, and he told me that Mr. Spenser lived sometime in these parts, in this delicate sweet ayre; where he enjoyed his muse, and writt good part of his verses. I have said before that Sir Philip Sydney and Sir Walter Ralegh were his acquaintance. He had lived some time in Ireland, and wrote[988] a description of it, which is printed with Morison's History, or Description, of Ireland.

Sir John Denham told me, that archbishop Usher, Lord Primate of Armagh, was acquainted with him, by this token: when Sir William Davenant's _Gondibert_ came forth, Sir John askt the Lord Primate if he had seen it. Said the Primate, 'Out upon him, with his vaunting preface, he speakes against my old friend, Edmund Spenser.'

In the south crosse-aisle of Westminster abbey, next the dore, is this inscription:

[Sidenote: ☞]

'Heare lies (expecting the second comeing of our Saviour Christ Jesus) the body of Edmund Spencer, the Prince of Poets of his tyme; whose divine spirit needs no other witnesse then the workes which he left behind him. He was borne in London, in the yeare 1510, and dyed in the yeare 1596.'

=William Stafford= (1593-1684).

=Robert Stafford= (1588-1644).

[989]William Stafford, of Thornbury in com. Gloc., esq., descended of the family of the duke of Buckingham, was a student of Christ Church, Oxon. Old Dr. Fell[990] was his tutor. About 30 yeares + since[991] he printed a pamphlet, viz. _The reasons of the warre_. I thinke he was a parliament man--but of that party he was. He dyed about May last, 1684, aged ... Thornbury.

[992]Dorothy, sister to William Stafford aforesayd, married to her first husband, Stafford, her kinsman, who was of Exeter Coll., and pupill to Dr. John Prideaulx. He wrote a thin 4to Geographie, which I have read. I remember he begins thus:--

'Indignation made Juvenal a poet and me a geographer.'

=Thomas Stanley= (1625-1678).

[993]Thomas Stanley, esqr., son to Sir Thomas Stanley, born at Cumberlow....

His praeceptor, Mr. William Fairfax, in his father's howse.

Was of Pembrooke hall in Cambridge, where he took the degree of Master of Arts.

Was admitted _ad eundem gradum_ in Oxford.

Writ his poems about the years 1646, 1647.

His History of Philosophy, in the years 1655, 1656.

His Aeschylus about the same time.

Dy'd April 12, 1678. Buried at St. Martin's in the Fields, in the middle isle.

His eldest sonne is Thomas Stanley, esq., of the Middle Temple, jurisconsultus[994]. He hath left two other sonnes, viz. 2. George, 3. Charles.

Thomas Stanley, the sonne, aforesayd, translated Aelian's _Variae Historiae_ at 14 yeares of age. He was also of Pembrooke-hall in Cambridge.

Quaere his sonne pro nativitate patris and also of what age he was when he went to Cambridge.

=Richard Staper= (15--- 1608).

[995]Richard Staper, alderman of London:--On the south wall of St. Martin Outwich church, London, is a faire monument with this inscription, viz.--

Here resteth the bodie of the worshipfull Richard Staper, elected alderman of this citty anno 1594. He was the greatest merchant in his time, the chiefest actor in the discovery of the trades of Turkey and East India, a man humble in prosperity, painfull and ever ready in affaires publique, and discreetly carefull of his private, a liberall howsekeeper, bountifull to the poore, an upright dealer in the world, and a divout aspirer after the world to come, much blessed in his posterity, and happy in his and their allyaunces. He dyed the last June anno Domini 1608.

Intravit ut exiret.

Besides the figures of himselfe and wife are 5 sonnes and 4 daughters. At the top of the monument is a shippe.

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

Aubrey gives in trick three coats:--(1) 'argent, a cross between 4 estoyles sable'; (2) the same; impaling, ..., a cross ...; (3) the coat of the clothworkers' company, viz., a chevron ermine between <2 hauettes> in chief and in base .

=Thomas Stapleton= (1535-1598).

[996]Thomas Stapleton, D.D., e Societate Jesu (vide Anthony Wood's _Antiq. Oxon._) was born at Henford[997] in Sussex, which is about the middle of the river that runnes to Shoreham.

He was formerly of New Colledge in Oxon. ☞ Quaere of attorneys of that countrey if his familie continues[998] in those parts still: and if so, if his picture is there or elswhere; and quaere for it at the Convent at Lovaine where he died. Dr. John[999] Lamphire, principall of Hart Hall, would present it to the Schooles[1000].

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

Thomas Stapleton, of Henfield, Sussex, adm. probationer of New College Jan. 18, 1552/3; adm. Fellow Jan. 18, 1554/5: resigned his fellowship in 1559.

=Thomas Stephens= (1620-16--).

[1001]Mr. Steevens[1002], formerly of Pembrocke College, my old acquaintance there; but formerly at Blandford schole in Dorset, where he was usher about a yeare and by whom I reap't much information: since schoolemaster of Buckingham; and last, of Worcester: a very good and ingeniose person.

=Richard Stokes= (16--- 1681).

[1003] Stokes, M.D.--his father was fellow of Eaton College (quaere if not prebend of Windsor[1004], and if not schoolmaster of Eaton? quaere Christopher Wase de hiis).

He was bred there and at King's College. Scholar to Mr. W. Oughtred for Mathematiques (Algebra). He made himselfe mad with it, but became sober again, but I feare like a crackt glasse: vide my Lives[1005], and Surrey notes[1006]. Edidit Mr. Oughtred's 'Trigonometrie.' Became a Roman Catholique; maried unhappily at Liege, dog and catt, etc. Became a sott. Dyed in Newgate, prisoner for debt, ... April, 1681 (quaere Mr. Everard diem).

=John Stowe= (1525-1605).

[1007]He was of the company of the Merchant Taylors, as by the scutcheon of that company[1008] doeth appeare--quaere +[1009] of that company.

St. Andrewes Undershaft, London, i.e. under, or by, the Maypole, which was anciently called a shaft. It stood over against the west end of the church, where now Mr. Weekes's howse is.

His monument is in effige, sitting with a little table before him, with a booke. He was a handsome sanguine old man. 'Tis well carved (of wood) and painted.

On the north side of the chancel at the upper end[BS]:--

Memoriae Sacrum

Resurrectionem in Christo hic expectat Johannes Stowe, Civis Londinensis, qui, in antiquis monumentis eruendis accuratissima diligentia usus, _Angliae Annales_ et _Civitatis Londini Synopsim_, bene de sua, bene de postera aetate meritus, luculenter scripsit. Vitaeque stadio pie et probe decurso, obiit aetatis anno 80

Die 5 Aprilis 1605.

Elizabetha conjux, ut perpetuum sui amoris testimonium, dolens ...

[1010]Sir William Dugdale told me that speakeing of ... Stowe to Sir Henry Spelman, Sir Henry told him that he had 'stich't us up a historie.' He was a taylor.

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

[BS] Aubrey gives a drawing of the monument. At the top are the arms of the Merchant Tailors' Company, viz. 'argent, a royal tent between two parliament robes gules lined ermine, on a chief azure a lion passant guardant or.' Underneath is 'his effigies.' On the right side, the legend _Aut scribenda agere_ over the figure of his 'Annales of England'; on the left, the legend _Aut legenda scribere_ over the figure of his 'Survey of London.'

=Thomas Street= (1621/2-1689).

[1011]Mr. Thomas Streete[LXXXVI.], astronomer, was borne[BT] in Ireland, his widowe thinkes, at Castle Lyons, March the 5ᵗʰ, 1621.

[LXXXVI.] His astronomical tables are the best that ever were yet made.

Anno 1661 he printed that excellent piece of _Astronomia Carolina_, which he dedicated to king Charles II, and also presented it well bound to prince Rupert and the duke of Monmouth, but never had a farthing of any of them.

Afterwards he published an Appendix to his _Astronomia Carolina_, 4to, which makes it perfect--printed for Francis Cossinet at the Anchor and Mariner in Tower Street, 1664.

Before this appendix he writes thus, scilicet:--

'I doe here think it fitting for once publiquely to propose unto all the world that by the farther blessing of God on my astronomical studies since the publication of my _Astronomia Carolina_ I can discover and demonstrate the never yet discovered art and science of finding ☞ the true longitude, and can make it universally practicable at sea and land with the like ease and certainty as the latitude, and though the failings of severall specious pretenders to this discovery have almost perswaded the world to believe the impossibility thereof, if those that are most concerned herein will accept of it, either upon the same termes which them selves have already offered or other the like just and proportionable considerations, this proposall shall be (God willing) on my part faithfully and according to the attest of competent judges performed; otherwise I intend not to proceed any farther with it.

'THOMAS STREETE.'

[1012]He had the true motion of the moon by which he could doe it--(he hath finished the tables of the moon and also of Mercury, which was never made perfect before)--but two of his familiar acquaintance tell me that he did not committ this discovery to paper: so it is dead with him. He made attempts to be introduced to king Charles II and also to king James II, but courtiers would not doe it without a good gratuitie.

He was of a rough and cholerique humour. Discoursing with prince Rupert, his highnesse affirmed something that was not according to art; sayd Mr. Street, 'whoever affirmes that is[1013] no mathematician.' So they would point at him afterwards at court and say 'There's the man that huff't prince Rupert.'

<_Scripsit:_-->

[1014]Memorial verses relating to the Calendar, 4to.

Some Almanacks, for about three yeares, dedicated to Elias Ashmole, esquire: but was not encouraged for his great paines.--He was one of Mr. Ashmole's clarkes in the Excise office, which was his chiefest lively-hood.

The Planetary Systeme, with a description of the house, (Mr. Morden haz of them)--this was about 1670.

[1015]He hath left with his widowe ( lives in Warwick lane at the signe of the ...) an absolute piece of Trigonometrie, plain and spherical, in MS., more perfect than ever was yet donne, and more cleare and demonstrated.

He dyed in Chanon-row (vulgarly Channel-rowe) at Westminster, the 17th of August 1689, and is buried in the church yard of the new chapell there towards the east window of the chancel, scilicet, within twenty or 30 foot of the wall.

Hee made this following epitaph himself:--

'Here lies the earth of one that thought some good, Although too few him rightly understood: Above the starres his heightned mind did flye, His hapier spirit into Eternity.'

His acquaintance talke of clubbing towards an inscription. No man living haz deserved so well of astronomie.

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

[BT] MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 87, is a lithographed chart for inserting a scheme of nativity, 'sold by George Parker at the Leopard in Newgate Street.' On it Aubrey has put the scheme for the subject of this biography, on the calculation 'Mr. Thomas Street natus March 5ᵗʰ, 1621, at 5ʰ 43´ 12˝ P.M., latitude 51° 46´.' Some notes about astrological conjunctions at various times in his life follow; and the note 'maried at 55ᵃⁿⁿ. 232ᵈⁱᵉˢ.'

=Sir Francis Stuart.=

[1016]This Sir Francis Stuart[1017] was uncle (or great uncle) to the present dutchesse of Richmond.

He was a sea-captaine, and (I thinke) he was one summer a vice or rere-admirall. He was a learned gentleman, and one of the club at the Mermayd, in Fryday street, with Sir Walter Ralegh, etc., of that sodalitie: heroes and witts of that time. Ben Jonson dedicates _The Silent Woman_ to him.

'To the truly noble by all titles Sir Francis Stuart.

'This makes that I now number you not only in the names of favour but the names of justice to what I write, and doe presently call you to the exercise of the noblest and manliest vertue as coveting rather to be freed in my fame by the authority of a judge than the credit of an undertaker.'

=Henry Stubbe= (1631/2-1676).

[1018]Dr. Henry Stubbs, physitian at Warwick, drowned July the middest 1676, riding between Bath and Bristol. Born 1631 Febr.

=Sir John Suckling= (1608/9-1641).

[1019]Sir John Suckling[BU], knight, was the eldest son of Suckling, of the Green Cloath, tempore[1020] ... (I thinke, Car. I). His mother was the daughter of.... He was borne <Febr. 1608/9>.

I have heard Mris Bond say, that Sir John's father was but a dull fellow (her husband, Mr. Thomas Bond, knew him): the witt came by the mother.

Quaere Dr. Busby if he was not of Westminster schoole? he might be about his time. I have heard Sir William Davenant say that he went to the university of Cambridge at eleaven yeares of age, where he studied three or four yeares (I thinke, four). By 18 he had well travelled France and Italie, and part of Germany, and (I thinke also) of Spaine.

He returned into England an extraordinary accomplished gentleman, grew famous at court for his readie sparkling witt which was envyed, and he was (Sir William sayd) the bull that was bayted. He was incomparably readie at repartyng, and his witt most sparkling when most sett-upon and provoked.

He was the greatest gallant of his time, and the greatest gamester, both for bowling[LXXXVII.] and cards, so that no shop-keeper would trust him for 6_d._, as to-day, for instance, he might, by winning, be worth 200 _li._, the next day he might not be worth half so much, or perhaps be sometimes _minus nihilo_. Sir William (who was his intimate friend, and loved him intirely) would say that Sir John, when he was at his lowest ebbe in gameing, I meane when unfortunate, then would make himselfe most glorious in apparell, and sayd that it exalted his spirits, and that he had then best luck when he was most gallant, and his spirits were highest.

[LXXXVII.] He was one of the best bowlers of his time in England. He playd at cards rarely well, and did use to practise by himselfe a bed, and there studyed how the best way of managing the cards could be. His sisters comeing to the Peccadillo-bowling-green crying for the feare he should loose all portions.

Sir William would say that he did not much care for a lord's converse, for they were in those dayes damnably proud and arrogant, and the French would say that 'My lord d'Angleterre ...[1021] comme un mastif-dog'; but now the age is more refined, and much by the example of his gracious majestie, who is the patterne of courtesie.

Anno Domini 163- there happened, unluckily, a difference between Sir John Suckling and Sir John Digby (brother to Sir Kenelme) about a mistresse or gameing, I have now forgott. Sir John was but a slight timberd man, and of midling stature; Sir John Digby a proper person of great strength, and courage answerable, and yielded to be the best swordman of his time. Sir John, with some 2 or 3 of his party assaults Sir John Digby goeing into a play-house; Sir J. D. had only his lacquey with him, but he[1022] flew on them like a tigre, and made them run. 'Twas pitty that this accident brought the blemish of cowardise to such an ingeniose young sparke. Sir J. D. was such a hero that there were very few but he would have served in the like manner.

Anno Domini 163- when the expedition was into Scotland, Sir John Suckling, at his owne chardge, raysed a troope of 100 very handsome young proper men, whom he clad in white doubletts and scarlett breeches, and scarlet coates, hatts, and ... feathers, well horsed, and armed. They say 'twas one of the finest sights in those dayes. But Sir John Menis made a lampoon[BV] of it (vide the old collection of lampoons):

'The ladies opened the windows to see So fine and goodly a sight-a,' &c.

I thinke the lampoon sayes he made an inglorious chardge against the Scotts.

Quaere in what army he was in the Civill Warres.

[1023]Anno ... he went into France, where after some time being come to the bottome of his fund that was left, reflecting on the miserable and despicable condition he should be reduced to, having nothing left to maintaine him, he (having a convenience for that purpose, lyeing at an apothecarie's house, in Paris) tooke poyson, which killed him miserably with vomiting. He was buryed in the Protestants church-yard. This was (to the best of my remembrance) 1646.

His picture, which is like him, before his Poems, says that he was but 28 yeares old when he dyed.

He was of middle stature and slight strength, brisque round eie, reddish fac't and red nose (ill liver), his head not very big, his hayre a kind of sand colour; his beard turnd-up naturally, so that he had brisk and gracefull looke. He died a batchelour.

Memorandum:--he made a magnificent entertainment in London, at ..., for a great number of ladies of quality, all beauties and young, which cost him ... hundreds of poundes, where were all the rarities that this part of the world could afford, and the last service of all was silke stockings and garters, and I thinke also gloves.

Anno Domini 1637 Sir John Suckling, William Davenant, poet laureat (not then knighted), and Jack Young came to the Bathe. Sir John came like a young prince for all manner of equipage and convenience, and Sir W. Davenant told me that he had a cart-load of bookes carried downe, and 'twas there, at Bath, that he writt the little tract in his booke about Socinianism. 'Twas as pleasant a journey as ever men had; in the heighth of a long peace and luxury, and in the venison season. The second night they lay at Marlborough, and walking on the delicate fine downes at the backside of the towne, whilest supper was making ready, the maydes were drying of cloathes on the bushes. Jack Young had espied a very pretty young girle, and had gott her consent for an assignation, which was about midnight, which they happened to overheare on the other side of the hedge, and were resolved to frustrate his designe. They were wont every night to play at cards after supper a good while; but Jack Young pretended wearinesse, etc. and must needes goe to bed, not to be perswaded by any meanes to the contrary. They had their landlady at supper with them; said they to her, 'Observe this poor gentleman how he yawnes, now is his mad fit comeing uppon him. We beseech you that you make fast his dores, and gett somebody to watch and looke to him, for about midnight he will fall to be most outragious: gett the hostler, or some strong fellow, to stay-up, and we will well content him, for he is our worthy friend, and a very honest gentleman, only, perhaps, twice in a yeare he falls into these fitts.' Jack Young slept not, but was ready to goe out as the clock struck to the houre of appointment, and then goeing to open the dore he was disappointed, knocks, bounces, stampes, calls, 'Tapster! Chamberlayne! Hostler!' sweares and curses dreadfully; nobody would come to him. Sir John and W. Davenant were expectant all this time, and ready to dye with laughter. I know not how he happened to gett-open the dore, and was comeing downe stayres. The hostler, a huge lusty fellow, fell upon him, and held him, and cryed, 'Good sir, take God in your mind, you shall not goe out to destroy your selfe.' J. Young struggled and strived, insomuch that at last he was quite spent and dispirited, and faine to goe to bed to rest himselfe. In the morning the landlady of the house came to see how he did, and brought him a cawdle. 'Oh sir,' sayd she, 'you had a heavy fitt last night, pray, sir, be pleased to take some of this to comfort your heart.' Jack Young thought the woman had been mad, and being exceedingly vexed, flirted the porrenger of cawdle in her face. The next day his camerades told him all the plott, how they crosse-bitt him. That night they went to Bronham-house, Sir Edward Baynton's (then a noble seat, since burnt in the civill warres), where they were nobly entertained severall dayes. From thence, they went to West Kington, to parson ... Davenant, Sir William's eldest brother, where they stayd a weeke--mirth, witt, and good cheer flowing. From thence to Bath, six or seven miles.

Memorandum:--parson Robert Davenant haz told me that that tract about Socinianisme was writt on the table in the parlour of the parsonage at West Kington.

[1024]My lady Southcot, whose husband hanged himselfe, was Sir John Suckling's sister, to whom he writes a consolatory letter, viz. the first. She afterwards maried ... Corbet, D.D., of Merton Coll. Oxon[BW]. At her house in Bishop's Gate-street, London, is an originall of her brother, Sir John, of Sir Anthony van-Dyke, all at length, leaning against a rock, with a play[1025]-booke, contemplating. It is a piece of great value. There is also another rare picture, viz. of that pretty creature, Mris Jane Shore, an originall.

When his _Aglaura_ was , he bought all the cloathes himselfe, which were very rich; no tinsill, all the lace pure gold and silver, which cost him ... I have now forgott. He had some scaenes to it, which in those dayes were only used at masques.

Memorandum:--Mr. Snowdon tells me, that after Sir John's unluckie rencounter, or quarrell, with Sir John Digby, wherin he was baffled: 'twas strange to see the envie and ill nature of people to trample, and scoffe at, and deject one in disgrace; inhumane as well as un-christian. The lady ... Moray (quaere) had made an entertainment for severall persons of quality at Ashley (in Surrey, near Chertsey), whereat Mr. Snowdon then was. There was the countesse of Middlesex, whom Sir John had highly courted, and had spent on her, and in treating her, some thousand of pounds. At this entertainment she could not forbeare, but was so severe and ingrate as to upbraid Sir John of his late recieved baffle; and some other ladys had their flirts. The lady Moray (who invited them) seing Sir John out of countenance, for whose worth she alwaies had a respect: 'Well[1026],' sayd shee, 'I am a merry wench, and will never forsake an old friend in disgrace, so me sitt downe by me, Sir John' (said she), and seated him on her right hand, and countenanced him. This raysed Sir John's dejected spirites that he threw his reparties about the table with so much sparklingness and gentilenes of witt, to the admiration of them all.

[1027]Sir John Suckling--from Mr. William Beeston--invented the game of cribbidge. He sent his cards to all gameing places in the country, which were marked with private markes of his: he gott 20,000 _li._ by this way. Sir Francis Cornwallis made _Aglaura_, except the end.

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[BU] Aubrey gives in trick the coat:--'parted per pale gules and argent, 3 bucks or; a crescent for difference,' wreathing it in laurel. On this he notes: (_a_) 'This coat was in his banner when he went into Scotland'; (_b_) 'Suckling of Wotton in Norfolke'; (_c_) 'vide Heralds' Office'; (_d_) 'Memorandum:--this Sir John is not to be found in the <Heralds'> Office: quaere Sir ... Bourman of White Hall.' Dr. Philip Bliss has added also the reference: 'vide part iii, pag. 4b,' i.e. MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 10ᵛ, the passage given _supra_.

[BV] In the letter in which Aubrey speaks of writing this life (_supra_ i. p. 2: MS. Ballard 14, fol. 131) he says:--'I want the scoffing ballad that Sir John Menis made against him, upon his fine troope and his running away. To which Sir John Suckling replyed in another ballad:--

"I prithee, foole, who ere thou bee, That madest this fine sing-song of mee ... a sott ... or els some rebell Scott."

Pray, search Mr. Sheldon's ballad collections for them.'

[BW] Anthony Wood objects here: 'Dr. Corbet married Sir Nathaniel Brent's daughter': see Clark's Wood's _Life and Times_, i. 235.

=Thomas Sutton= (1532-1611).

[1028]... Sutton, founder of the Hospitall[1029]--from old Thomas Tyndale, esq., the father--was first a garrison-soldier at Barwick[1030]. He was a lusty healthy handsome fellowe, and there was a very rich brewer who brewed to the navy, etc., who was ancient and he had maried a young buxome wife.... The old brewer doted on his desirable wife and dies and left her all his estate which was great[1031].

Sutton was a man of good understanding, and improved it[1032] admirably well, but the particular wayes by which he did it I have now forgot; but he was much upon mortgages, and fed severall with hopes of being his heire.

'Twas from him that B. Johnson tooke his hint of the fox, and by Seigneur Volpone is meant Sutton.

The later end of his dayes he lived in Fleetstreet at a wollendraper's shop opposite to Fetterlane, where he had so many great chests full of money that his chamber was ready to groane under it; and Mr. Tyndale, who knew him and I thinke had money of him on mortgage during his lawe-suite (vide the lord Stafford's case in Coke's Reports), was afrayd the roome would fall. He lived to establish his hospitall, and was governor there himselfe. Obiit....

The earle of Dorset (I thinke, Richard) mightily courted him and presented[1033] him, hoping to have been his heire; and so did severall other great persons.

Vide his life in 4to.

=William Sutton= (1562-1632).

[1034]Mr. William Sutton came to Ch. Ch. Oxon at eleaven. He wrote much, but printed nothing but a little 8vo against the Papists.

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

The Matric. Reg. does not bear out the statement as to his age: he appears there as matriculating Nov. 20, 1580, aged 18. He _may_ have previously been chorister. He was elected Student of Ch. Ch. in 1579; took B.D. in 1592; and was Aubrey's schoolmaster at Blandford St. Mary's, Dorsetshire, where he was rector from 1592 till his death.

=Sir Philip Sydney= (1554-1586).

[1035]Sir[1036] Philip Sydney, natus 29 November, 1554, 19ʰ 50´ P.M., Cantiae, polo 51° 52´; ex MSS. Eliae Ashmole[1037], armigeri.

[1038]Sir Philip Sydney[BX], knight, was the most accomplished cavalier of his time. He was the eldest son of the right honourable Sir Henry Sydney, knight of the noble order of the Garter, Lord President of Wales, and Lord Deputie of Ireland, 1570. I suppose he was borne at Penshurst in Kent (neer Tunbridge); vide.

He had the best tutors provided for him by his father that could then be had, as ... Vide my Grammar[BY] notes.

He travelled France, Italie, Germany; he was in the Poland warres, and at that time he had to his page[LXXXVIII.] (and as an excellent accomplishment) Henry Danvers (afterwards earle of Danby), then second son of Sir John Danvers of Dantesey in Wilts, who accounted himselfe happy that his son was so bestowed. He makes mention, in his Art of Poesie, of his being in Hungarie (I remember).

[LXXXVIII.] This my cosen Elizabeth Danvers, now viscountesse Purbec, his niece, has told.

He was not only of an excellent witt, but extremely beautifull; he much resembled his sister, but his haire was not red, but a little inclining, viz. a darke amber colour. If I were to find a fault in it, methinkes 'tis not masculine enough; yett he was a person of great courage. He was much at Wilton with his sister, and at Ivy-church[1039] (which adjoyns to the parke pale of Clarindon Parke), situated on a hill that overlookes all the country westwards, and north over Sarum and the plaines, and into that delicious parke (which was accounted the best of England) eastwards. It was heretofore a monastery (the cloysters remayne still); 'twas called coenobium Edrosium. My great uncle, Mr. Thomas Browne, remembred him; and sayd that he was often wont, as he was hunting on our pleasant plaines, to take his table booke out of his pocket, and write downe his notions as they came into his head, when he was writing his Arcadia, (which was never finished by him).

He was the reviver of poetry in those darke times, which was then at a very low ebbe,--e.g. 'The Pleasant Comoedie of Jacob and Esau,' acted before King Henry VIII's grace (where, I remember, is this expression, that _the pottage was so good, that God Almighty might have putt his finger in't_); 'Grammar Gurton's Needle'; and in these playes there is not 3 lines but there is 'by God,' or 'by God's wounds.'

He was of a very munificent spirit, and liberall to all lovers of learning, and to those that pretended to any acquaintance with Parnassus; in so much that he was cloyd and surfeited with the poetasters of those dayes. Among others[1040] Mr. Edmund Spencer[1041] made his addresse to him, and brought his _Faery Queen_. Sir Philip was busy at his study, and his servant delivered[1042] Mr. Spencer's booke to his master, who layd it by, thinking it might be such kind of stuffe as he was frequently troubled with. Mr. Spencer stayd so long that his patience was wearied, and went his way discontented, and never intended to come again. When Sir Philip perused it, he was so exceedingly delighted with it, that he was extremely sorry he was gonne, and where to send for him he knew not. After much enquiry he learned his lodgeing, and sent for him, mightily caressed , and ordered his servant to give him ... pounds in gold. His servant sayd that that was too much; 'No,' said Sir Philip, 'he is ...,' and ordered an addition.

From this time there was a great friendship between them, to his dying day.

I have heard Dr. Pell say, that he haz been told by ancient gentlemen of those dayes of Sir Philip, so famous for men at armes, that 'twas then held as great a disgrace for a young gentleman[1043] to be seen riding in the street in a coach, as it would now for such a one to be seen in the streetes in a petticoate and wastcoate; so much is the fashion of the times nowe altered.

He maried the daughter of Sir Francis Walsingham, Principall Secretary of Estate (I thinke his only child--quaere), whom he loved very well....

Having recieved some shott or wound in the warres in the Lowe-countreys, where he had command of ... (the Ramikins, I thinke), he contrary to the injunction of his physitians and chirurgions, which cost him his life: upon which occasion there were some roguish verses made.

His body was putt in a leaden coffin (which, after the firing of Paule's, I myselfe sawe), and with wonderfull greate state was carried from ... to St. Paule's church, where he was buried in our Ladie's Chapell: vide Sir William Dugdale's _Paul's_, and epitaph. There solempnized this funerall all the nobility and great officers of Court; all the Judges and Serjeants at Lawe; all the soldiers, and commanders, and gentry that were in London; the Lord Mayer, and Aldermen, and Livery-men. His body was borne on men's shoulders (perhaps 'twas a false coffin).

When I was a boy 9 yeares old, I was with my father at one Mr. Singleton's, an alderman and wollen-draper in Glocester, who had in his parlour, over the chimney, the whole description of the funerall, engraved and printed on papers pasted[1044] together, which, at length, was, I beleeve, the length of the room at least; but he had contrived it to be turned upon two pinnes, that turning one of them made the figures march all in order. It did make such a strong impression on my young[1045] phantasy, that I remember it as if it were but yesterday. I could never see it elswhere. The house is in the great long street, over against[1046] the high steeple; and 'tis likely it remaines there still. 'Tis pitty it is not re-donne.

In St. Mary's church at Warwick is a sumptuose monument of the lord Brooke, round a great altar of black marble is only this inscription:--

'Here lies the body of Sir Fulke Grevill, knight, servant to Q. Elizabeth, counsellor to K. James, and friend to Sir Philip Sydney.'

On a little tablet of wood:--

'England, Netherlands, the Heavens and the Arts Of ... Sydney hath made ... parts; ... for who could suppose, That one heape of stones could Sydney enclose.'

[1047]Sir Henry Sydney, knight of _m._ Mary, daughter of John Dudley, the Garter, and President of | duke of Northumberland, sister Wales. | to Ambrose, earle of Warwick. | +---------------------------+--+------------+-------+-----+---+ | | | | | | 1. Sir Philip _m._ ... daughter 2. Robert, 3. Thomas. Mary. \---/ Sydney | and ... of viscount two sisters, | secretary Lisle, married to | Walsingham: 1616. 2 Mansells of | obiit 22 Sept. Glamorganshire, | 1586. brothers. | Elizabeth, daughter _m._ Roger Manners, earl and heir | of Rutland. | sine prole.

[1048]_Key of Pembroke's Arcadia[BZ]._

Sir,

All the good bodies thanke you for your remembrance, which I ought to have told you sooner if a paine in my head had not hinderd me.

I wishe I could give you the key you desire, but all I know of it is not worth anything; though conversant amongst his relations, could learne noe more then Pamela's being my lady Northumberland[1049], Philo[clea] my lady Rich[1050], two sisters, the last beloved by him, upon whose account he made his _Astrophell and Stella_; Miso, lady Cox, Mopse, lady Lucy, persons altogether unknowne now; Musid[orus] and Pericles, the two ladies' husbands. Lord Ri[ch] being then his friend, he perswaded her mother to the match, though he repented afterwards: she then very young and secretly in love with him but he no consern for her. Her beauty augmenting, he sayes in his _Astrophel and Stella_, he didnt think 'the morn would have proved soe faire a daye.' Their mother[1051] was beautifull and gallant (whether he meant Ginesia by her or noe, I know not); but their father died, they being young. She remaried to Dudley, Leycester and Northumberland, and afterwards to her gentleman of the horse, Sir Cristopher Blunt, which was beheaded with lord Essex. It was thought he meant himself by Amphi[alus] and his lady, Sir Francis Walsingham's daughter and heire, the queen of Corinth. If he did make his owne character high, they sayd Philisides was himself to, but it was all a guesse. He made it young, and diyng desired his folies might be burnt.

Some others I have heard guessed at, but have forgot. Therfore canot satisfie the lady, which I would for your sake.

I give you thankes but shall not want my grandmother's epitaph (which was for a relation of ours heere, who desird it), having found it of your giving.

I knew of my brother's place, but know nothing of his mariyng yett.

My service to your brother. I am sorry all thinges should not answear both your desires.

You have perfectly the good wishes of,

Your humble servant, D. TYNDALE.

[Langton[1052] in Lincolneshire] Feb. 18, 1686/7.

Service to my lady Long. Whye doe you tell us no newes? Does not Mrs. Mason's mar[1053]....

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[BX] Aubrey gives in trick the coat, 'or, a pheon vert [Sydney],' wreathed in laurel (as is his custom for a poet). Dr. Philip Bliss has added the reference 'See part iii ante p. 24 for his birth,' i.e. the horoscope in MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 41ᵛ--_ut supra_ p. 247.

[BY] MS. Aubr. 22: see vol. i. p. 123.

[BZ] This is the title given by Aubrey to D. Tyndale's letter. The letter is inserted between foll. 81, 82 of MS. Aubr. 6. It is addressed--'ffor Mr. John Aubry, to be left at Mr. Hooke's lodging in Gresham Coledge, p. postpᵈ.'

=Sir Robert Talbot= (1641/2-1681).

[1054]Sir Robert Talbot natus 1641/2, Friday, January 21, 14ʰ 0´ 14˝ P.M.

Sent by King Charles 2ᵈ into France to cure Madamosille d'Orleans, May last, 1678.

Oct. 1678, knighted.

A second voyage into France, being sent for by that king, Decʳ. 1678.

Married February 1678/9.

He dyed about September 1681.

[1055]Sir Robert Talbot, ague doctor, natus 21 Januarii 1641/2, 14ʰ 0´ 14˝ P.M.

=John Tap.=

[1056]... Tappe:--he writ a very good Arithmetique for those times, with an introduction to Algebra, in English, in 8vo.

=John Taylor= (1580-1654).

[1057]John Tayler, the water-poet:--his Workes are a fair folio, printed, London, 1630.

was borne in the citie of Glocester:--.... Tayler, a painter, was his brother[1058], who told me thus 23 yeares since (he lives yet at Oxon): and his picture hung in the Schooles gallery.

He came to London and bound himselfe to a water-man, in which capacity he wrote his poems. I have heard Josias Howe, M.A., say that he will choose out 6 verses (quaere) there as good as you will find in any other.

He was very facetious and diverting company; and for stories and lively telling them, few could out-doe him.

Anno 1643, at the Act time, I sawe him at Oxon. I guesse he was then neer 50. I remember he was of middle stature, had a good quick looke, a black velvet, a plush-gippe and silver shoulder-belt; was much made of by the scholars, and was often with Josias Howe at Trinity College.

He had heretofore in the long peace severall figgaries, e.g. he came from London to Salisbury in his skuller. He went so to Calais. He went to Scotland (I think round Great Britaine) _littus legens_ in his skuller.

Ever since the begining of the civill warres he lived in Turne-stile-alley in Long Acre, about[1059] the middle on the east side over against the Goate (now[1060]), where he sold ale. His conversation was incomparable for three or four mornings' draughts. But afterwards you were entertained with _crambe bis cocta_. His signe was his owne head, and very like him, which about 22 yeares since was removed to the alehowse, the corner howse opposite to Clarendon howse. Under his picture are these verses; on one side:--

There's many a head stands for a signe. Then, gentle reader, why not mine?

On the other:--

Though I deserve not, I desire The laurell wreath, the poet's hire.

This picture is now almost worne out.

Obiit ... (about 25 years since): sepult. in the church-yard of St. Martin's-in-the-fields.

[1061]John Taylor, water poet, quaere his _obiit_. Quaere his brother the paynter at Oxon. A W respondet that he haz notes from the paynter who is dead.

=Silas Taylor= (1624-1678).

[1062]Mr. Baker, the printseller, by the Royal Exchange, hath a MS., a thin folio, viz. the description of Harwich and all its appurtenances and antiquities by capt. Silas Tayler.

[1063]Captain Silas Tayler: vide A. Wood's _Hist. et Antiq. Oxon._ He was a captaine in the Parliament army, under col. Massey. He was a sequestrator, in Herefordshire, and had, in those times, great power, which power he used civilly and obligeingly, that he was beloved by all the King's party.

He was very musicall, and hath composed many things, and I have heard anthemes of his sang before his majestie, in his chapell, and the king told him he liked them. He had a very fine chamber organ in those unmusicall dayes. There was a great friendship between Matthew Lock, since organist of the Queen's chapell, and him[LXXXIX.].

[LXXXIX.] M. Lock maryed Mr. Garnon's daughter, in Herefordshire.

His father left him a pretty good estate, but he bought church lands and had the moeity of the bishop's palace, at Hereford, where he layd out much money in building and altering. Col. John Burch[1064] had the other moeity.

The times turning, he was faine to disgorge all he had gott, and was ruined, but Sir Paul Neile got for him the keeper of the King's stores at Harwich, worth about C_li._ per annum.

He was a great lover of antiquities, and ransackt the MSS. of the Church of Hereford (there were a great many that lay uncouth and unkiss).

He also garbled the library of the church of Worcester, and evidences, where he had the originall grant of King Edgar (θαλασσιαρχης) whence the Kings of England derive their right to the soveraignty of the sea. 'Tis printed in Mr. Selden's _Mare Clausum_. I have seen it many times, and it is as legible as but lately written (Roman character). He offered it to the king for 120_li._ but his majesty would not give so much. Since his death, I acquainted the Secretary of Estate that he dyed in debt, and his creditors seised on his goods and papers. He told me that it did of right belong to Worcester Church. I told one of their prebends, and they cared not for such things. I beleeve it haz wrapt herings by this time.

He had severall MSS. by him of great antiquity: one thin 4to. of the Philosopher's Stone, in Hieroglyphicks, with some few Latin verses underneath; the most curiously limned that ever I sawe. His Majesty offered him 100_li._ for it, and he would not accept it. Tell Dr. Crowder[1065] of the deed of king Edgar.

Memorandum:--Capt. Tayler search the Records in the Tower, etc., and retrived some privileges that the borough[1066] had lost, for which the borough ought ever to have his remembrance in esteeme: and tho' he dyed above 100_li._ in their debt, yet the towne lost not by him, for the reason aforesaid.

The history or collection of this ancient borough he pawned a little before his death to Mr. Baker, the printseller by the Old Exchange, for 4_li._ 15_s._ I acquainted Sir Philip Parker, whom the borough uses to choose for their burghesse, to buy it for his borough. He would not lay out so much money, which would doe them more service then all his roast-beefe, wine, and ale at an election.

_Digitus Dei[1067]._ All that family came to unfortunate ends. His eldest sonne, wife, and children, were all burnt in their beds in ... near Lothbury; another son, ...; another son (a dragoon[1068]), a churchyard wall fell on him and killed him.

[1069]He surveyed very ingeniously and carefully the antiquities of Herefordshire, scil. about 3/4 of the county, before the restauration of his majesty. He then left the country and went to his friend, Sir Edward Harley, then governour of Dunkirke, who gave him some command.--These papers[1070] are in the hands of Sir Edward Harley at Brampton-Bryan Castle.

[1071]Silas Domville _alias_ Taylor, comitatus Salopiensis, xviᵗᵒ die mensis Julii anno Domini MDCXXIVᵗᵒ in Harleya natus: in scholis Westmonasteriensi, Salopiensi (Scrobesbyriensi, si placeat), et aliis alumnatus: in tabulis publicis Aulae Novi Hospitii Oxoniensis circa annum MDCXLI conscriptus erat. Anno MDCLX apparatus bellici, armorum, et munimentorum rerum nauticarum Harvici in extrema maritima parte Essexiae pro serenissimo rege Carolo secundo usque adhuc ab anno MDCLXV custos et agens.

Inter alios libros scripsit de terrarum partitione inter liberos secundum tenuram Wallensium, Anglicé the History of Gavel kind, et ad finem ejusdem historiolam quandam ducum Normannorum tempore Henrici primi Latiné scriptam divulgavit, quae vocatur Brevis relatio.... In historia et descriptione comitatus Herefordiensis per quadriennium, immo vero lustrum, enixe laboravit sed nec absolute aut ad plenum perfecit.

[1072]For what other bookes, besides Gavel-kind, I have wrote, as my name for cogent reasons when first printed was not to them because of the nature of them, soe I shall not be soe vaine as now, after soe long a sleep, to awaken them with it.

=Herbert Thorndyke= (16--- 1672).

[1073]Mr. Herbert Thorndyke was borne at ... in Lincolnshire, went to schoole at ... (quaere if at Westminster); ..., was fellow of Trinity College in Cambridge; afterwards prebendary of Westminster[1074].

He was a good poet. I have seen a _poemation_ of his on the death of Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, in Latin hexameters, about 100 verses or better.

He was (as I am enformed by Seth Ward, Lord Bishop of Sarum, and other learned men) one of the best scholars and mathematicians of this age.

He printed ... but he does not write clearly (quaere Dr. Pell de hoc).

Richard Busby, schoolmaster of Westminster, has his MSS.; quaere what they are.

He dyed[1075] , 167<2>; and lies interred in the north-east angle of Westminster cloysters, next to the grave-stone of Nurse, M.D., a piece of a blew marble stone on him but yet no inscription.

He made his own inscription which is mentioned by Mr. Andrew Marvell in his _Rehearsall Transpros'd_, viz.:--

Hic jacet corpus Herberti Thorndike praebendarii hujus ecclesiae, qui vivus veram Reformatae Ecclesiae rationem et modum precibus studiisque persequebatur. Tu, Lector, requiem et beatam in Christo resurrectionem precare.

A parallel written by the bishop[1076] and found under his owne hand and appointed for his epitaph, but I heare that Dr. Lloyd his successor will have it altered to avoyd offence:--

Exuviae[1077] Isaaci, Asaphensis episcopi, In manus Domini depositae, In spem laetae resurrectionis per sola Christi merita. O vos transeuntes[1078] domum[1079] Domini, Domum orationis, Orate pro conservo vestro Ut inveniam misericordiam die Domini. June 30, 1680.

=John Tombes= (1603-1676).

[1080]Mr. John Tombs, B.D. (quaere A. Wood's _Antiq. Oxon._) was borne at Beaudley in Worcestershire; his father was a....

Anno Domini <1617/8> he was admitted at Magdalen-hall, in Oxon. Anno <1621>, A.B.; Anno <1624>, A.M. He read to pupills, and was tutor there to John Wilkins, afterwards bishop of Chester. He was a great master of the Greeke tongue, and the Hebrue he understood well. He alwaies carried a little Greeke Testament about with him; he had almost memoriter. He was an admirable disputant; I remember he was wont to say, that to be a good disputant, 'tis requisite for one to be a good grammarian, as well as logician. I have forgott if he was pupill to the learned Mr. Pemble; but his favourite he was. He was soon taken notice of for his curious searching, piercing witt: he preached somewhere eastwards from Oxon, and had a company[1081] followed him; and 'twas predicted he would doe a great deale of mischiefe to the Church of England, reflecting upon what ... sayes, that the greatest witts have donne the most mischiefe to the Church, introducing new opinions, etc. Anno ... he was vicar of a market-towne[1082] in Herefordshire, where he was very well beloved by his parish, and Sir ... Croftes, eldest brother to the now bishop of Hereford, built a house in Leominster, to live there, to heare him preach. Anno ... he writt ..., 8vo, dedicated to John Scudamore, viscount Slego, baron of ... drum[1083]. Anno 1645, 1646, he was master of the Temple at London, i.e. minister. In 1647 he was supplanted there by parson Johnson. Then he went into his owne country, to Beaudley (a market-towne), at which time Mr. Baxter (his antagonist) preacht at Kitterminster, the next market-towne, two miles distant. They preacht against one another's doctrines, and printed against each other. Mr. Tombes was the Coryphæus of the Anabaptists: both had great[1084] audience; they went severall miles on foot to each doctor. Once (I thinke oftner), they disputed face to face, anno ...; and the followers were like two armies, about 1500 of a party; and truly, at last they fell by the eares, hurt was donne, and the civill magistrate had much adoe to quiet them. About anno 1664 he came to the Act at Oxford (quaere), and did there _in vesperiis_ sett up a challenge to maintaine _contra omnes gentes_ the Anabaptisticall doctrine; but not a man would grapple with him. Now, though _primâ facie_ this might seeme very bold to challenge a whole University, 'twas not so very strange neither, for he came throughly prepared, after 30 yeares' study and thoughts, and most of them surprised.

_Scripsit_....

Dr. Sanderson, lord bishop of Lincolne, and he, had a greate esteeme for each other, so also had Dr. Barlowe (now bishop there). Putting aside his Anabaptisticall positions, he was comformable enough to the Church of England. About 1658 or 9, he maried the widowe of ... Dove, of Salisbury, and went to hear the Common Prayer there, and recieved the Sacraments; and sometimes wayted on bishop Ward, who respected him for his learning. He was thought to be as great a divine as most we had after bishop Sanderson dyed. I remember he never, or seldome, was wont to say Our Saviour Christ, but _My Lord Christ_. He seemed to be a very pious and zealous Christian. I have heard him say (though he was much opposite to the Romish religion) that truly, for his part, should he see a poor zealous friar goeing to preach, he should pay[1085] him respect. He was but a little man, neat limbed, a little quick searching eie, sad, gray. He dyed at Salisbury, May 22, and was buried 25th, in St. Edmund's church-yard, anno Domini 1676, opposite to the steeple, a good distance on the north side. His daughter dyed 7 yeares before him, and haz a grave-stone on her, with an inscription. He lyes there, and in the same stone is since engraven an inscription to the purpose already written of Mr. John Tombes.

[1086]Deare Sir[CA],

According to your desire I have sent you (although long, for it), my cozen Gore and my cozen Gastrell's nativityes; also your brother William who is now in this countrey desired mee to send you up Mr. Francis Potter's place of interment in the church at Killmanton, and the inscriptions on Mr. Tombs' and his daughter's tombston.

I have enquired of Mr. Kent; and hee sayth that Mr. Potter is buryed in Killmanton church, but in what part of the church hee knoweth not.

The inscription on Mr. Tombes his tomb is first:--

'Here lyeth the body of Elizabeth the wife of Mr. Wolston Abbott,'

and under itt this inscription on the same stone:--

'Here the body of Mr. John Tombes, Batchelour in Divinity, a constant preacher of God's word, who deceased the 22ᵈ of May 1676, aged 73.'

I will finish Mr. Penruduck's[CB] genesis as soone as I can; but I am somewhat bussy att present; therefore must begge his pardon.

I will write to H. Coley shortly, for lately I received a letter from him.

Soe in hast I am, Sir,

Your faythfull servant to bee commanded, CHARLES SNELL.

[Sidenote:

Sarum; Saturday, 2ᵈᵒ Aprilis 1618.]

Yesterday the good lord bishop of Sarum arrived att his pallace in the Close.

[1087]To John Aubrey, esq., att Mr. Hooke's chamber in Gresham Colledge with care these present.

London.

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[CA] This letter from Charles Snell to Aubrey is sealed with the following coat:--'... a cross pattée crossed; quartering, ... 3 roses on a fess between 6 martlets.'

Aubrey has on it a jotting 'Memorandum his life as to Dove,' and in MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 15, the note 'Mr. ... Tombes: mend the mistake of ... Dove's widdowe,' i.e. _supra_, p. 259, correct the statement that 'he maried the widowe of ... Dove.' He married the widow of Wolston Abbott of Salisbury: Aubrey in MS. Wood F. 39, fol. 360: July 14, 1681.

[CB] George Penruddock, of Broad Chalk, born at Westminster.--MS. Aubr. 23, fol. 61.

=Ezreel Tonge= (1621-1680).

[1088]Ezreel Tong[CC], D.D., was borne at Tickell, in Yorkshire, between Bautre and Doncaster.

Obiit ... Decemb., sepultus 23 Decemb. <1680> in the vault of the church-yard of St. Mary Stayning, London; where, before the conflagration, was a church, of which he was the parson[1089]; but I have heard his brother, captain Tong (of the King's Guards) say 'twas worth but 18 _li._ per annum, for he had gathered it.

Mr. Jones (who preached his funerall sermon: printed) sayes that he haz left two tomes in folio of alchymie. His excellency lay _there_.

About 1658, or 1659, the then-Power made an Academie of the Bishop's Pallace at Durham, for the benefit of the North. Dr. Tonge was the governour, or one of the professors. Ned Bagshawe was proposed to have been another. The Dr. had an excellent schoole there, and followed precisely the Jesuites' method of teaching; and boyes did profit wonderfully, as needes they must, by that method.

He afterwards taught at Islington, at Sir Thomas Fisher's house[CD], where was a long gallery, and he had severall printed heads of Caesars, &c.; verbes under such a head, governed a dative case; under another, an ablative. The boyes had it as readie as could be. I have been there.

[1090]Ezerel Tong, D.D.:--Mr. Cadnam, bookeseller, New Exchange, hath his papers, among which is a MS. (folio) of chymistrie: quaere title. Respondet quod non: Captain Tonge (his brother) gave all his papers to my lord Culpepper[1091], when he went to Virginia. I spake to Sir R. Reding to quaere , and my lord heeded not such things. So there is a precious collection of other men's labours lost.

[1092]Ezerel Tong, D.D., invented (among other things) the way of teaching children to write a good hand in twenty dayes' time, by writing over, with black inke, copies printed from copper-plates in red inke:--viz., the children (scilicet, about 8 or 9 aetatis) were to do it four howers in the day; i.e. 2 howers or 2 halfe-howers in the morning at a time (as the boyes' temper could endure it, without tyring him); and then to play as long; and then to it again, to keep up the idea in the child fresh. Since his death, Mr. Robert Moray (projector[1093] of the Penney Post) haz engraven severall plates printed-off in red letters, by which meanes boyes learne (to admiration) as aforesayd--quod N.B.

His funerall sermon was preached in the church of St. Michael, Wood-street; the church of St. Mary Stayning being burn't, and never to be re-edified, but both parishes putt together.

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[CC] Aubrey gives in trick the coat, 'azure, a bend or cottised argent, between six martlets or,' and notes 'this is the same coat that is borne by Delabere.'

[CD] MS. Aubr. 22 is a collection of short treatises, chiefly on Latin grammar. Of this Aubrey says:--'Memorandum:--this collection of grammatical learning (and another in 8vo) is in relation to my idea of the education of the noblesse,' i.e. is in preparation for MS. Aubr. 10 _infra_.--In this volume is a treatise 'by Dr. Tonge, Brampton Castle, Dec. 23, 1672,' entitled 'Dr. Tonge _de punctis_,' 3 pp., dealing with Wasmuth's rules for punctuation.

Also, _An epitome of Grammar_, by Ezerel Tonge, D.D., being 18 memorial verses, beginning

'Eight parts, two numbers, six cases, these.'

Also, a prospectus of Tong's school, 'At Islington in or near Sir Richard Fisher's house, next the church, having a prospect into Canbury fields'; and on the back of it a scheme of the terminations in the declension of Latin nouns. Also, 4 pp. of memorial verses (Latin), and (in MS.) a scheme for the conjugation of verbs.

MS. Aubr. 10 is Aubrey's 'The idea of education of a young gentleman.' In this, chapter 3 (i.e. foll. 13-20) is 'An introduction to the Latin tongue, by Ezerel Tong, D.D.'

=Nathaniel Torporley= (1563-1632).

[1094]Mr. J.[1095] Torporley--Mr. Hooke affirms to me that Mr. J. Torporley was amanuensis to Vieta[1096]; but from whom he had that information he haz now forgot, but he had good and credible authority for it, and bids me tell you that he was certainly so.

He printed something against Vieta by the name of John Poulterey (a disguised name, the same letters a little transpos'd).

[1097]Memorandum:--Mr. Nicholas Mercator (who taught the last earl of Northumberland[1098], then lord Percy, at Petworth) assures me that the earle of Northumberland who was prisoner in the Tower gave also a pension to one Mr. ... Torporley, Salopiensis, a learned man; and that in the library of that family (I thinke) at Petworth, are some papers of his: quaere iterum.

Ex catalogo librorum Bibliothecae Bodleianae:

_Nath. Torporlaeus_, Diclides coelometricae, seu valvae astronomicae universales: Lond. 1602, 4to: C. 46 _Art._

=Thomas Triplett= (1603-1670).

[1099]Next to Dr. Outram's inscription stands this of Dr. Triplett, in the very place where Mr. Thomas May's stood, of white marble[1100]:--

Hic requiescit vir Reverend. Dr. Thomas Triplett, ex agro Oxoniensi, Praebendarius hujus ecclesiae, Qui postquam ad annum aetatis septuagesimum pietate et cultus assiduitate, Deo, Graecae linguae peritia non vulgari, doctis, largitate et continua beneficentia, egenis, morum innocua jucunditate, omnibus, carum se praebuisset, Ab hac vita ad meliorem commigravit, Anno Domini 1670 Die Julii 18.

He went to schoole to Dr. Gill, as appeares by his ballad[1101], which will last longer then any sermon that ever he made.

After his sequestration[1102] he kept a schoole at Dublyn (when the king was beheaded); afterwards at Hayes, Surrey, 12 miles from London. 'Twas here our[1103] common friend George Ent went to schoole to him, who told me that he had forgot the smart of his old master, Gill; he was very severe.

I'le tell you a story of our old friend. His master Triplett was a great lover of honey, and one of his schoolefellow's mother having sent a pott of honey to the doctor, G. Ent putt his schoolefellow to beg a little of his master, and he had gott a manchet and so they would have a _regalio_. The doctor was in his study; and the boy takes the confidence to approach, with his 'Quaeso, praeceptor, da mihi mel.' G. Ent was sneaking behind. Qᵈ. the disturbed doctor, 'You audacious raskall,' and gave him a good cuffe on the ear, 'how dare you be thus impudent? Sirrah, who putt you on?' The boy answered (whiningly) 'G. Ent.' The enraged doctor flies out of his study (he was a very strong man), gives poore George a kick in the breech, and made him fly downe a flight of 7 or 8 staires to the landing-place, where his head first came to. He was stunn'd, but 'twas well his neck was not broken. 'Twas a most cruel and inhumane act to use a poore child so. It so happened that a day or two before G. E. had shaled a tooth. He writes a letter to his father (now Sir George Ent) and incloses the tooth in it; relates the story and that he lost the tooth by that meanes[1104]. The next day the grave and learned Dr. Ent comes to Hayes (the fame of whose learning and testimonie did give great credit and reputation to this schoole); expostulates with the doctor about his sonne. To be short, tooke him away, and placed him with Mr. William Radford at Richmond (an honest sequestred fellow of Trinity College, Oxon, and an excellent schoolmaster, having been bred at Thame under Dr. Birt[1105] and afterwards sent to Winton.) This accident well-nigh did breake Dr. Triplett's schoole. But shortly after this time, happened the restauration of his majestie, and then he was also restored to his former preferments.

=Thomas Tusser= (1527-1580).

[1106]Memorandum:--Edward Bullock, of Fayburne-hall, in Essex, esq. assures me, that this Tusser was borne at Riven-hall in Essex. The howse wherein he was borne they doe yet shew. He rented the parsonage of Fairested. He speakes in his booke of the people's cosening him of his tythes.

=William Twisse= (1574-1646).

[1107]... Twisse, D.D., of Newbury:--his sonne Dr. ... Twisse, minister of the new church neer Tothil street, Westminster, told me that he had heard his father say that when he was a schoole-boy at Winton Colledge that he was a rakell, and that one of his schoolefellowes and camerades (as wild as himselfe) dyed there; and that his father goeing in the night to the house of office, the phantome or ghost of his dead schoolefollow appeared to him and told him 'I am damn'd'; and that this was the beginning of his conversion.

Memorandum:--the Dr. had a melancholique and hypo-condriaque temperament.

=John Twyne= (15--- 1581).

[1108]Jo. Twini, Bolingdunesis, Angli, de rebus Albionicis, Britannicis, atque Anglicis commentariorum libri 2, ad Thomam Twinum, filium: Lond. 1599.

The father was schoolmaster of St. Saviour's in Canterbury. John Leland haz verses on him.

=Thomas Twyne= (1543-1613).

[1109]☞ From Mr. Meredith Lloyd--'The Breviarie of Britaine of Humphrey Lloyd, dedicated to Ortelius, translated out of Latine by Mr. Twyne, wherein are the etymologies of the Welsh names, rivers, cities, etc.' He says that the Latin edition is altogether false writt, which names Mr. Twyne hath printed true in the English edition.

=Thomas Tyndale= (1588-1671/2).

In those days (Elizabetha regina) the great men had a gate (the yettes), and when a senator went to the Parliament-house a-foote, or a horse-back with his foot-cloath, he had at his heeles 1/2 a dozen or 10 tall fellowes with blew coates and badges and long basket-hilt swords. Now forsooth only a laquey and a little spitt-pig[1110].

T. T.--The advantage that king Charles I had: gentlemen tho[1111] kept good horses, and many horses for a man-at-armes, and men that could ride them; hunting horses. Now we are come all to our coaches forsooth! (Sir Philip Sydney[1112]). Now young men are so farre from managing good horses, they know not how to ride a hunting nag nor handle their weapons. So God help the king if, etc.

In Sir Philip Sydney's time 'twas as much disgrace for a cavalier to be seen in London rideing in a coach in the street as now 'twould be to be seen in a petticoate and wastcoate. They rode in the streets then with their rich footcloathes, and servants wayting on them with blewe coates and badge, 6[1113], 8, 12 +.

T. T., an old gentleman that remembers Queen Elizabeth's raigne and court, one of true gravity and prudence, not one that depends upon the grave cutt of his beard to be thought so. He hath seen much in his time both at home and abroade; and with much choler inveighes against things now:--'Alas! O' God's will! Now-a-dayes every one, forsooth! must have coaches, forsooth! In those dayes gentlemen kept horses for a man-at-armes, besides their hackney and hunting horses. This made the gentry robust and hardy and fitt for service; were able to be their owne guides in case of a rout or so, when occasion should so require[1114]. Our gentry forsooth in these dayes are so effeminated that they know not how to ride on horseback.--Tho when the gentry mett, it was not at a poor blind sordid alehouse, to drinke up a barrell of drinke and lie drunke there two or three dayes together; fall together by the eares. They mett tho in the fields, well-appointed, with their hounds or their hawkes; kept up good hospitality; and kept a good retinue, that would venture that bloud and spirit that filled their vaines which their masters' tables nourisht[1115]; kept their tenants in due respect of them. We had no depopulacion in those dayes.

'You see in me the ruines of time. The day is almost at end with me, and truly I am glad of it: I desire not to live in this corrupt age. I foresawe and foretold the late changes, and now easily foresee what will follow after. Alas! O' God's will! It was not so in Queen Elizabeth's time: then youth had[1116] respect to old age.

'Revels--Tho the elders and better sort of the parish sate and beheld the pastimes of the young men, as wrastling, shooting at butts, bowling, and dancing. All this is now lost; and pride, whoreing, wantonnesses, and drunkennesses. Tho the charity of the feast, St. Peter's box[1117], maintayned the old impotent poore.'

=James Usher= (1580/1-1655/6).

[1118]Memorandum:--... Usher, Lord Primate , was at Llantrithed[1119] for severall moneths, and divertised himselfe much to talke with the poore people to understand Welsh, for that 'it had,' he sayd, 'a great affinity with the Irish.' He sayd the Old Testament was translated by the Universities, but the New Testament was translated by the bishops; but the Old is much better donne.

=Henry Vaughan= (1621-1695).

=Thomas Vaughan= (1621-1666/7).

[1120]There are two Vaughans, twinnes, both very ingeniose and writers. One writt a poeme called _Olor Iscanus_ (Henry Vaughan, the first-borne), and another booke of Divine Meditations. His brother wrote severall treatises, whose names I have now forgott, but names himself _Eugenius Philalethes_.

They were borne at Llansanfraid in Brecknockshire, by the river Uske (Isca). Their grandmother was an Aubrey: their father, a coxcombe and no honester then he should be--he cosened me of 50_s._ once.

Eugenius Philalethes was of Jesus College. Whither Henry was I have forgotten; but he was a clarke sometime to Judge Sir Marmaduke Lloyd[1121].

[1122]Henry Vaughan, 'Silurist':--you know Silures contayned Breconockshire, Herefordshire, etc.

[1123]My brother and I were borne att Newton, in Brecknockshire, in the parish of St. Briget's, in the year 1621.

I stayed not att Oxford to take my degree, but was sent to London, beinge then designed by my father for the study of the law, which the sudden eruption of our late civil warres wholie frustrated.

My brother continued there for 10 or 12 yeares, and I thinke he could be noe lesse than Master of Arts. He died upon an imployment for his majesty, within 5 or 6 miles of Oxford, in the yeare that the last great plague visited London. He was buried by Sir Robert Murrey, his great friend (and then secretary of estate for the kingdome of Scotland); to whome he gave his bookes and MSS.

[1124]My profession allso is physic, which I have practised now for many years with good successe (I thanke God) and a repute big enough for a person of greater parts than my selfe.

[1125]My brother died in the seaven and fortieth year of his age, upon the 27th of Februarie in the yeare 1666, and was buried upon the first of March.

[1126]Sir Robert Moray ... told me he buryed at Albery neer Ricot within three miles of Oxford. He dyed at Mr. [Sam.[1127]] Kem's howse, the minister.

=Edward de Vere=, 17th earl of Oxford (15--- 1604).

[1128]Mr. Thomas Henshawe, Regiae Societatis Socius, tells me that Nicholas Hill was secretary to ..., the great earle of Oxford, who spent fourty thousand pounds per annum in seaven yeares travell. He lived at Florence in more grandeur than the duke of Tuscany[1129].

This earle of Oxford, making of his low obeisance to queen Elizabeth, happened to ..., at which he was so abashed[1130] that he went to travell 7 yeares. On his returne the queen welcomed him home and sayd, 'My lord, I had forgot the ...'

A poor man[1131] askt of Mr. Hill one time to give him 6_d._ (or 1_s._ or such an almes). Sayd Mr. Hill 'What doest say, if I give thee ten pounds?' 'Oh!' sayd he, 'ten pounds would make me a man.' And he did put it downe in the account--'Item, x_li._ for making a man'--which his lordship allowed and was well pleased at it.

=Villiers=, duke of Buckingham.

[1132]George Villiers, 1st duke of Buckingham, natus 28 Aug. 1592, 4ʰ 40´ A.M., at Brookesby, Leicestershire.

George, filius of the duke of Buckingham, natus 30 Januarii, 1627/8; obiit in Yorkshire, Saturday, 16 Apr. 1687.

[1133](_a_) George, duke of Buckingham, borne Aug. 28, Thursday, 15ʰ P.M. 1595.--(_b_) George Villiers, duke of Buckingham, natus Tuesd. 28 Aug. 1592, 16ʰ 45´ P.M.--[Here (_b_) the yeare is 1592; but in the former (_a_) 1595.]

The duke's sonne borne Wedn. 30 January 1627/8, 1ʰ P.M.

The countesse of Bucks[1134] died of a dropsi and phisick, 14 Apr. 1632.

[1135]Vide in _Vaticinium Poeticum_ de obitu lord Francis Villers[1136].

=William de Visscher.=

[1137]From Mr. Bovey:--William de Visscher, merchant in London, borne at Emden in East Frisland in Germany, a Hans-towne--now under the Dutch. At 2 yeares old was brought into England by his father, an eminent merchant; lived 55 yeares in one house at St. Mary Hill, and dyed in the 74th yeare of his age. He lived there till the fire of London; he dyed about 3 yeares after--he did not enjoy himselfe afterwards.

In the last great dearth of corne in England, which was in anno[XC.] ..., when there was a great complaint and cry of the poore, he bade them bee of good comfort for they should not starve, for he would give them his labour and the use of his estate for that yeare. He being a man of vast credit, gave his factors order that what corne they could buy at such and such rates beyond sea, to hire flye-boates and send them over to the port of London, of which he bought in one yeare two thousand five hundred sayle. The corne that cost him 12_s._ per bushell beyond sea, he sold here for 14_s._; and some of the places from whence he had corne (they selling it by reason of the greatnesse of the price) afterwards wanted it themselves and were faine to be supplied from hence, i.e. in some places, for which they were faine to pay halfe value more then the first cost, or els must have starved.

[XC.] + Quaere annum. About 30 years since. I beleive it was 1647, or 1648--quaere.

Many disasters happened to many of the shippes that were bound for London (some that never arrived were destroyed by foule weather; some wind-bound so long till their corne fired for want of ayering, and was faine to be throwne over-board) that in the whole matter, after all the adventures runne, he did not gaine five and twenty hundred pounds. The fly-boates caryed 800 tunne, and some more.

He left two sonnes and daughter behind him, named Isabella (who was maried to Mr. James Bovey, by which he haz one sonne and one daughter).

He was a very eminent merchant, as most was of his time; and was valued by common reputation (when he maried his daughter) to be worth sixscore thousand pounds.

He stayed in London during the whole time of the plague, and had not all that time one sick in his family. He was a temperate man, and had his house very cleanly kept.

=Isaac Vossius= (1618-1688).

[1138]Isaac Vossius died at his lodgeings in Windsor Castle, February the tenth, anno 1688/9; and hath left the best private library, they say, in the world. 'Tis sayd king William will buy it to send into Holland[1139].

=Johannes Gerhardus Vossius= (1577-1649).

[1140]He alwayes wrote his Adversaria on one side only of a sheet of paper, so that as occasion required, he only tore his papers and fixt them together, and would so send them to the presse without any more transcribing. If his paper would beare ink of one side 'twas as much as he desired. This way did save him a great deale of paines--quod N.B.:--from Dr. John Pell.

Vide Drexelii, e Soc. Jesu, _de legendis auctoribus cum proficuo_.

_Sir Isaac Wake_ (1575-1632).

[1141]Sir Isaac Wake: he had a fine seate at Hampsted in Middlesex, which lookes over London and Surrey, where he made those delicate walkes of pines and firres, also corme-trees, etc.--The Lord Chiefe Baron Wyld[1142] had it afterwards. His study was mighty pleasant.

The lord de la Ware, who maried the daughter and heire of the chiefe baron, sold this seat about 1683 to a citizen of London, who pulled it downe to build a house (1686).

The Chief Baron told his cosen Edmund Wyld, esq., that Sir Isaac Wake was the first that planted pines and firres in England. E. W. might have had the study for 8 _li._ per annum.

=Clement Walker= (1595-1651).

[1143]Clement Walker, esq. ('Theodorus Verax'), author of the History of Independency, was of Christ Church, Oxon. Obiit ..., in the Tower (about Worcester fight).

[1144]Clement Walker[CE], esq.--vide registrum at All Hallows, Barking, about 1650, ubi sepultus, November:--he asked about an hower before he dyed, how long it was to full-sea. They sayd, an hower. 'Then,' sayd he, 'at that time I shall depart'; and he did so, quietly--from E. P--.,, esq., his fellow-prisoner there, who told me that he wrote a continuation of his Historic of the king's comeing to Worcester: 'tis pitty 'tis lost.

His son[CF], W. W., now living, was a minor when his father dyed; and ..., an elder brother of his, was made executor, who is also dead.

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[CE] Aubrey adds also the references:--(_a_) 'vide A W<ood's> lettre, about June 1681'; (_b_) 'vide Φ, p. 88,' a MS. I have been unable to identify.

[CF] Aubrey in MS. Wood F. 39, fol. 360: July 14, 1681:--'Mr. Clement Walker's son tells me that his father was buried in Allhallowes Barking church, November ..., 1652: wherabout he knowes not, being then but 9 aetatis.'

=Edmund Waller= (1605/6-1687).

[1145]Mr. Edmund Waller of Beconsfield, the poet, was borne[XCI.] at Colshill[CG] in Hertfordshire neer Agmundesham A.D. 1606, Martii die 13, horâ 18, min. 16 P.M.--scilicet March after the Gunpowder plot.

[XCI.] 'Edmundus Waller, poeta, natus tertio die Martii anno Domini 1605/6--from Sir William Petty.'--MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 112.

This was done in Italie by an Italian:--

'Hic Mercurius in 12ª monstrat felix et sublime ingenium, sed ipsi autori noxium propter □ cum Luna. Saturnus in Medio Coeli indicat multos inimicos, quibus tamen natus praevalebit propter △ quem habet Saturnus cum Venere. Supervivet natus suae uxori; caveat tamen sibi 1655, minantur enim tunc astra morbum periculosum, quem si natus superat, poterit (naturaliter loquendo) pervenire ad annum 1669. Apparet tamen periculum ab aquis et a veneno. Videtur honorandus ab aliquo principe externo.--Complexio est frigida et humida, unde bonum erit uti cibis calidis, sed facilis digestionis propter debilitatem stomachi.'

Obiit Octob. 20, 1687; sepultus at Beconsfield in the churchyard with his father and grandfathers, where are two walnutt-trees sett at the head and foot of his grandfather's grave.

[1146]Edmund Waller[CH], esq., son and heire of by Hamden. He was cosen-germane to Oliver Cromwell, Protector, whose mother was his mother's sister.

He was borne at Beconsfield, in Bucks, Anno Domini ... (quaere) in the fair brick house, the farthest on the left hand, as you goe to Wickham.

He had grammer learning from the information of Mr. Dobson[CI], minister of Market Wickham, who taught a private schoole there, and was (he told me) a good schoolmaster, and had been bred at Eaton College schoole. I have heard Mr. Thomas Bigge, of Wickham, say (who was his schoole-fellow, and of the same forme), that he little thought then he would have been so rare a poet; he was wont to make his exercise for him.

His paternall estate, and by his first wife, was 3000 _li._ per annum. His first wife was ... (vide Heralds' Office) of Worcestershire, by whom he had ... per annum, and issue by her, son. His second wife (maried to her A.D. ...) was ... Brace; a woman beautifull and very prudent, by whom he has severall children (I thinke 10 or 12).

About[1147] 23, or between that and thirty, he grew (upon I know not what occasion) mad; but 'twas (I thinke) not long ere[1148] he was cured:--this from Mr. Thomas Bigg.

_Non tulit aethereos pectus mortale tumultus._

OVID.

Memorandum:--he was proud: to such, a check often gives that distemper.

He was passionately in love with Dorothea, the eldest daughter of the earle of Leicester[CJ], whom he haz eternized in his poems: and the earle loved him, and would have been contented that he should have had one of the youngest daughters; perhaps _this_ might be the check[XCII.].

[XCII.] Mr. Thomas Big of Wickham haz been dead these 20 yeares, who could have told me the cause. I beleeve that I am right. You see how things become antiquated.

... Waller (I thinke, Walter) was his tutor at King's College, Cambridge, who was a very learned man, and was afterwards vicar of Broad Chalke, Wilts.

A burghesse in Parliament, for Beconsfield, in king James's[1149] time, and has been of all the Parliaments since the restauration of king Charles II (1680, aetat. 74 +).

One of the first refiners of our English language and poetrey. When he was a brisque young sparke, and first studyed poetry, 'Methought,' said he, 'I never sawe a good copie of English verses; they want smoothnes; then I began to essay.' I have severall times heard him say, that he cannot versify when he will; but when the fitt comes upon him, he does it easily, i.e. in plaine termes, when his Mercurius and Venus are well aspected.

He told me he was not acquainted with Ben. Johnson (who dyed about 1638), but familiarly with Lucius, lord Falkland; Sydney Godolphin, Mr. Hobbes; &c.

He was very much admired at Court before the late civill warres. 164-, he being then a member of the House of Commons, he was committed prisoner to the Tower, for the plott, with Tomkins (his cosen-germane)[1150] and Chaloner, for firing the City of London, and delivering the Parliament, etc. to the King's partie: vide Transactions of those times. He had much adoe then to save his life, and in order to it, sold his estate in Bedfordshire, about[1151] 1300 _li._ per annum, to Dr. Wright, M.D. for 10,000 _li._, (much under value) which was procured in 24 hours' time, or els he had been hanged (quaere E. Wyld, esq.). With which money he bribed the whole House, which was the first time a House of Commons was ever bribed. His excellent rhetoricall speech to the House (vide his speech to save his life), as also his panegyrique to Oliver, Lord Protector, he would not suffer to be inserted in the edition of his Poems since the restauration of king Charles II.

After he had obtayned his pardon of the Parliament, he went to France, where he stayed ... yeares, and was there very kindly recieved, and esteemed. Anno Domini ... he returned into England.

When king Charles II returned, he recieved Mr. Waller very kindly, and no man's conversation is more esteemed at court now then his. The dutches of Yorke (daughter to the duke of Modena) very much delights his company, and hath layed her commands on him to write, which he hath dedicated to her highnes.

His intellectualls are very good yet[1152] (1680), and makes verses; but he growes feeble. He wrote verses of the Bermudas 50 yeares since, upon the information of one that had been there; walking in his fine woods, the poetique spirit came upon him.

He is of somewhat above a middle stature, thin body, not at all robust: fine thin skin, his face somewhat of an olivaster; his hayre frizzd, of a brownish colour; full eye, popping out and working: ovall faced, his forehead high and full of wrinckles. His head but small, braine very hott, and apt to be cholerique--_Quanto doctior, eo iracundior._--CICERO. He is something magisteriall, and haz[1153] a great mastership of the English language. He is of admirable and gracefull elocution, and exceeding ready.

He has spent most of his time in London, especially in winter; but oftentimes in the summer he enjoyes his muse at Beconsfield, which is incomparable aire, and where are delicious walks in the woods. Now I speake of woods, I remember he told us there, that he cutt downe and grubbed-up a beech wood of his, at Beconsfield in Bucks, and without soweing, but naturally, there grew up[1154] a wood all of birch.

A.D. ... he was admitted a fellow of the Royall Societie.

He haz but a tender weake body, but was alwayes very temperate. ... (quaere Samuel Butler) made him damnable drunke at Somerset-house, where, at the water-stayres, he fell downe, and had a cruell fall. 'Twas pitty to use such a sweet swan so inhumanely[1155].

[1156]He hath a great memory, and remembers a history, etc. etc. best when read to him: he uses to make his daughters read to him. Yet, notwithstanding his great witt and mastership in rhetorique, etc. he will oftentimes be guilty of mispelling in English. He writes a lamentably hand, as bad the scratching of a hen.

I have heard him say that he so much admired Mr. Thomas Hobbes' booke _De Cive_, when it came forth, that he was very desirous to have it donne into English, and Mr. Hobbes was most willing it should be done by Mr. Waller's hand, for that he was so great a master of our English language. Mr. Waller freely promised him to doe it, but first he would desire Mr. Hobbes to make an essaye; he (T. H.) did the first booke, and did it so extremely well, that Mr. Waller would not meddle with it[1157], for that nobody els could doe it so well. Had he thought he could have better performed it, he would have himselfe been the translator.

Memorandum: his Speech against Ship-money which is in his booke of Poems: his Panegyrique to Oliver the Protector I have: and also to King Charles II.

He sayes that he was bred under severall ill, dull, ignorant schoolmasters, till he went to Mr. Dobson, at ... Wickham, who was a good schoolmaster, and had been an Eaton scholar.

Memorandum:--later end of Aug. 1680, he wrote verses, called 'Divine Love,' at the instance and request of the lady viscountesse Ranulagh.

He missed[1158] the Provostship of Eaton Colledge, <Feb.> 1680 <i.e. 0/1>; haz it.

[1159]He lies buried in the church-yard (south east of the church), where his grandfather and father were buried. This burying-place railed about like a pound, and about that bignesse. There is a walnut tree planted, that is, perhaps, 50 yeares old: (the walnut tree is their crest.) There are nine graves or cippi, no gravestone or inscription. They lye thus:

[1160]From Capt. Edmund Hamden, his cousin-german, 1690:--Edmund Waller, esq., was borne in the parish of Agmundesham, in Buckinghamshire, at a place called Winchmore-hill, which was sold by his father, and which he had a very great desire to have bought again, not long before his death, but the owner would not sell it: part of the house haz been new-built, but the roome wherein he was borne is yet standing. Said he, to his cousin Hamden, _A stagge, when he is hunted, and neer spent, alwayes returnes home_. He dyed at 83, and his witt was as florid then as at any time of his life. He derived his poëtick[1161] witt from the Hamdens; severall of them have been poets.

Whereas Rutt, that kept the ... Inne (the Crowne, I thinke) at Beconsfield, told me, many yeares since, that he had been distempered; captain Hamden affirmes it is false; but his brother was a foole, as to discourse or businesse, but was very learned. And whereas Dr. Birch told me that he had a prodigiouse memorie; his sonnes affirme that he had no good memorie, and was never good to learne a thing by heart, but some things that pleased him he did strongly retaine.

[1162]Captain Hamden told me that the soldiers came to Beconsfield to search for money; his mother told them if they would goe along with her, she would shew them where she had buried five thousands pounds, and had them to the house of office.

[1163]Edmund Waller, esq., poet:--Mr. Christopher Wase repeating to him the bitter satyricall verses[XCIII.] made on Sir Carre Scroop, viz.--

Thy brother murdred, and thy sister whor'd, Thy mother too--and yet thy penne's thy sword;

[XCIII.] 4 or 6 verses made against him by Driden or somebody else.

Mr. Waller replyed _sur le champ_ 'that men write ill things well and good things ill; that satyricall[1164] writing was downehill, most easie and naturall; that at Billingsgate one might hear great heights of such witt; that the cursed earth naturally produces briars and thornes and weeds, but roses and fine flowers require cultivation.'

All his writings are free from offence.

His poems are reprinted now (1682) by his owne orders and his pictures (young and old) before it, and underneath

Sed Carmina major imago.

OVID. <Trist. I. vii. 11.>

[Edmund Waller[1165]:--] he made some verses of his owne dyeing, but a fortnight, or little more, before his decease.

_Notes._

[CG] In MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 112, not in Aubrey's handwriting, is the same _Thema genethliacon_, with the judgement upon it. There Aubrey notes:--

'This account I had from Dr. Birch, minister of St. James's, who maried one of Mr. Waller's daughters.'

The conclusion of the judgement there is:--

'Natus apud Colshill[XCIV.] in agro Hartfordiensi juxta ... Denatus Oct. 20, 1687; sepultus Beconsfield in agro Buckinghamiensi. Pater, Robertus Waller; mater, Anne Hamden.'

[XCIV.] 'Tis a mistake: vide next leafe--<i.e. fol. 113>.

[CH] Aubrey notes that he was of 'Cambr.', and gives in colours the coat 'sable, 3 walnut leaves in bend between two bendlets or.' Also, he notes (_a_) 'vide Heralds' Office'; (_b_) 'gett his nativity'--see _supra_, p. 273.

[CI] Gerard Dobson, M.A., Magd. Coll., Oxon. 1613, Vicar of High Wycombe 1629.

[CJ] Dorothy, daughter of Robert Sydney, 2nd earl of Leicester, married Henry Spencer, 3rd baron Spencer of Wormleighton, created earl of Sunderland in June, 1643, and killed at Newbury Sept. 20, 1643.

=John Wallis= (1616-1703).

[1166]John Wallis, D.D.--I find at Lid in Kent that his father was Mr. John Wallis, minister of Ashford, in Kent.

[1167]John Wallis[CK], D.D., was borne at Ashford, in the county of Kent, Anno Domini <1616>. His father was minister there. He went to schoole there.

At ... yeares old he was admitted at Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge; 'ubi fuit alumnus, deinde Collegii Reginalis ibidem socius' (Mr. Oughtred's preface to his _Clavis_). Anno <1636/7> A.B.; anno <1640> M.A. He was a good student, but fell not to the study of the mathematiques till he was above twenty.

A[CL] remarkable passage of his life, was, that he was a witnesse of W. Laud's (archbishop of Canterbury) tryall, for his introducing popish innovations into the University of Cambridge: see _Canterbury's Doome_, printed 1646, pag. 73, and elswhere. The first remarqueable passage of his life was his decyphering the letters of King Charles I taken at the battle at Nasby, which booke is called _The King's Cabinet Opened_, printed at London, ... Anno ... was scolar to Mr. W. Oughtred.

Anno 164<9> after the Visitation by the Parliament, he came to Oxon, and was made Savillian Professor of Geometrie. ..., Fellow of the Royall Societie. Great[1168] contests between him and Mr. Thomas Hobbes, of Malmesbury: sure their Mercuries are in □[1169] or opposition. Anno Domini 1657, he gott himselfe to be chosen by unjust meanes[XCV.] to be Custos Archivorum of the University of Oxon, at which time Dr. Zouch had the majority of voyces, but because Dr. Zouch was a malignant (as Dr. Wallis openly protested, and that he had talked against Oliver), he was putt aside. Now, for the Savillian Professor to hold another place besides, is so downeright against Sir Henry Savile's statutes, that nothing can be imagined more; and if he does, he is downeright perjured. Yet the Dr. is allowed to keepe the other place still.

[XCV.] Vide Henry Stubbes' (The Savillian Professour's case stated: Lond. 1658) de hoc: who haz told him of it.

Anno <1654> he tooke his degree of Doctor, at the Act, at Oxon, and went out grand-compounder (which costes 200 _li._), only that he might take place[1170] of Dr. Seth Ward, who was about a yeare his senior. In 1661 Dr. Ward was made deane of Exon, and the next yeare bishop of the same place; and so Dr. Wallis's 200 _li._ was meerly cast away. The bishop protested he was troubled for the losse of his brother Wallis's two hundred pounds.

He hath writt severall treatises, and well; and to give him his due prayse, hath exceedingly well deserved of the commonwealth of learning, perhaps no mathematicall writer so much.

'Tis certaine that he is a person of reall worth, and may stand[CM] with much glory upon his owne basis, needing not be beholding to any man for fame, of which he is so extremely greedy, that he steales flowers from others to adorne his owne cap,--e.g. he lies at watch, at Sir Christopher[1171] Wren's discourse, Mr. Robert Hooke's, Dr. William Holder[1172], &c.; putts downe their notions in his note booke, and then prints it, without owneing the authors. This frequently, of which they complaine.

But though he does an injury to the inventors, he does good to learning, in publishing such curious notions, which the author (especially Sir Christopher Wren) might never have the leisure to write of himselfe.

When Mr. Oughtred's _Clavis Mathematica_ was printed at Oxford (editio tertia, with additions), Mr. W. O.,[1173] in his preface, gives worthy characters of severall young mathematicians that he enformed, and, amongst others, of John Wallis, who would be so kind to Mr. Oughtred, as to take the paines to correct the presse, which the old gentleman doth with respect there thus acknowledge, after he hath enumerated his titles and preferments; _viri ingenui, pii, industrii, in omni reconditiore literatura versatissimi, in rebus Mathematicis admodum perspicacis, et in enodatione explicationeque scriptorum intricatissimis Zipherarum involucris occultatorum (quod ingenii subtilissimi argumentum est) ad miraculum foelicis_. This last, of the cyphers, was added by Dr. Wallis himselfe; which when, the booke being printed, the old gentleman sawe, he was much vexed at it; and sayd, that he had thought he had given him sufficient prayse, with which he might have rested[1174] contented.

He maried ... and haz a good temporall estate in Kent.... He has only two daughters, handsome young gentle-woemen; one maried to Mr. ... Blencowe, of Middleton-Cheyney, in....

He lives at a well-built house, near New Colledge, in Oxon; is a Justice of the Peace there, and has been 167-, 1679, 1680.

_Catalogus librorum ab illo scriptorum._

. . . . . . . . . . . .

_Notes_.

[CK] Aubrey gives in colours the coat, 'gules, a bend ermine.' In MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 6ᵛ, he gives in trick, for John Wallis, the coat, 'ermine, a bend argent.'

[CL] This sentence stood at first:--'The first remarkable passage of his life was that he was an instrument of fetching Laud's (archbishop of Canterbury) head of, by being a witnesse at the tryall.' Then Aubrey noted in the margin:--'Quaere which of these <i.e. Laud's trial, or the king's letters _infra_> was first in time'; and afterwards altered the sentence to what it now is.

[CM] A duplicate draft of this sentence is--'and may stand very gloriously upon his owne basis, and need not be beholding to any man for fame, yet he is so extremely greedy of glorie, that he steales feathers from others to adorne himselfe.'

=Lucy Walters.=

[1175]Memorandum:--Mr. Freeman (who maried the lady Lake) has the duke of Monmouth's mother's--Mrs. Lucy[1176] Walters, who could deny nobody--picture, very like her, at Stanmore neer Harrow-on-the-hill.

=Seth Ward= (1617-1688/9).

<_Birth and education._>

[1177]Seth Ward[CN], lord bishop of Sarum, was borne at Buntingford, a small market-towne in Hartfordshire, anno Domini 1618[1178], December the ..., (when the great blazing starre appeared). His father was an attorney there, and of a very honest repute.

At <16> yeares old he went to Sydney Colledge in Cambridge; he was servitor[XCVI.] to Dr. Ward (Master of the Colledge, and Professor of Divinity), who, being much taken with his ingenuity and industry, as also with his suavity of nature, quickly made him scholar of the howse, and after, fellowe. Though he was of his name, he was not at all akinne to him (which most men imagined because of the great kindnesse to him); but the consimility of their dispositions was a greater tye of friendship then that of blood, which signifies but little, as to that point.

[XCVI.] Expunge 'servitour,' _euphoniae gratia_.--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 8.

<_Mathematical studies._>

His father taught him common arithmetique, and his genius lay much to the mathematiques, which being naturall to him, he quickly and easily attained.

Sir Charles Scarborough, M.D. (then an ingeniose young student, and fellowe--quaere--of Caius Colledge in Cambridge), was his great acquaintance; both students in mathematiques; which the better to perfect, they went to Mr. Willam Oughtred, at Albury in Surrey, to be enformed by him in his _Clavis Mathematica_, which was then a booke of aenigmata. Mr. Oughtred treated them with exceeding humanity, being pleased at his heart when an ingeniose young man came to him that would ply his Algebra hard. When they returned to Cambridge, they read the _Clavis Mathematica_ to their pupills, which was the first time that that booke was ever read in a[1179] university. Mr. Laurence Rooke, a good mathematician and algebrist, (and I thinke had also been Mr. Oughtred's disciple[1180]) was his great acquaintance. ☞ Mr. Rooke (I remember) did read (and that admirably well) on the sixth chapter of the _Clavis Mathematica_ in Gresham Colledge.

<_Ejected from Cambridge._>

Anno Domini 164<4>, at the breaking out of the civill warres, he was a prisoner, together with Dr. Ward, Dr. Collins, Sir Thomas Hatton, &c. for[1181] the king's cause, in St. John's Colledge in Cambridge, and was[1182] putt out of his fellowship at Sydney Colledge. Being gott out of prison, he was very civilly and kindly received by his friend and neighbour, Ralph Freeman, of Apsten, esq., a vertuous and hospitable gentleman, where he continued....

<_Professor in Oxford._>

Anno Domini <1648> the Visitation of the Parliament was Oxford, and turned out a great many professors and fellowes. The Astronomy Reader (Dr.[1183] Greaves) being sure to be ejected, Seth Ward, A.M. (living[1184] then with my lord Wenman, in Oxfordshire, and ... Greaves was unwilling to be turned out of his place, but desired to resigne it rather to some worthy person, wherupon Dr. Charles Scarborough and William Holder, D.D. recommended to ... Greaves, their common friend, Mr. Seth Ward) was invited to succeed him, and came from Mr. Freeman's to Oxford, had the Astronomy Professor's place, and lived at Wadham Colledge, where he conversed with the warden, Dr. John Wilkins.

<_First ecclesiastical dignity._>

[1185]Anno Domini 165- (quaere), he had from B bishop of Exon, the grant of the chantor's place of Exon, which then signified nothing.

<_President of Trinity College, Oxford._>

Anno Domini 165<9> William Hawes, ...[1186], then president of Trinity Colledge in Oxford, having broken in his lunges a vein (which was not curable), Mr. Ward being very well acquainted and beloved in that colledge; by the consent of all the fellowes, William Hawes resigned up his presidentship to him, and dyed some few dayes after[CO]. Anno 1660, upon the restauration of King Charles II, Dr. Hannibal Potter (the president sequestred by the Parliamentary Visitors) re-enjoyed the presidentship again.

[1187]Dr. Seth Ward, now bishop of Sarum, when he was president of Trinity College, Oxon, did draw his geometricall schemes with black, red, yellow, green, and blew inke to avoid the perplexity of A, B, C, etc.

<_His doctorate._>

[1188]I should have said that, anno 165<4>, he[1189] tooke his degree of doctor in Divinity, at the Act, at Oxford, at the same time with Dr. John Wallis.

<_Church preferment._>

He then enjoyed his chanter's place at Excester, and, I thinke, was certainly minister of St. Laurence church (quaere) in London.

Anno Domini 166<1>, the deane of Exon dyed, and then it was his right to step-in next to the deanry.

<_Becomes bishop of Exeter._>

Anno Domini 1663, the bishop of Exon dyed: Dr. Ward, the deane, was in Devonshire at that time, at ... (I thinke 'twas Taverstoke), at a visitation at ...,[XCVII.] where were a great number of the gentrey of the countrey. Deane Ward was very well knowne to the gentry, and his learning, prudence, and comity had wonne them[1190] all to be his friends. The newes of the death of the bishop being brought to them, who were all very merry and rejoycing with good entertainment, with great alacrity the gentlemen cryed all, _uno uno_[1191], 'Wee will have Mr. Deane[1192] to be our Bishop.' This was at that criticall time when the House of Commons were the king's darlings. The deane told them that for his part he had no interest or acquaintance at Court; but intimated to them how much the king esteemed the members of parliament (and a great many Parliament men were then there), and that his majestie would deny them nothing. 'If 'tis so, gentlemen' (sayd Mr. Deane), 'that you will needes have me to be your bishop, if some of you make your addresse to his majestie, 'twill be donne.'--With that they[XCVIII.] dranke the other glasse, a health to the king, and another to their wished-for bishop; had their horses presently made ready, putt foot in stirrup, and away they rode merrily to London; went to the king, and he immediately graunted them their request. This is the first time that ever a bishop was made by the House of Commons. Now, though envy cannot deny, that this worthy person was very well worthy any preferment could be conferred on him, yet the old bishops (e.g. Humphrey , bishop of London; John Cosins, bishop of Durham; etc.)[1193] were exceedingly disgruntled at it, to see a briske young bishop that could see through all their formall gravity, but 40 yeares old, not come in at the right dore but leape over the pale. It went to their very hearts. Well, bishop of Excester he was, to the great joy of all the diocese[1194]. Being bishop he had then free accesse to his majestie, who is a lover of ingenuity and a discerner of ingeniose men, and quickly tooke a liking to him.

[XCVII.] Vide the _Mercurius_ of that time; quaere H. Broome[1195] for it.

[XCVIII.] Sir Edward Seymore; ... ...; ... ...; ... ...; ... ...

[1196]His great friend and patrone, Dr. Ward, ...; quaere what preferment did Dr. Ward give him in the Church?

<_Translated to Salisbury._>

[1197]Anno 1667, Alexander Hyde, the bishop of Sarum, dyed, and then he was made bishop of Sarum, mense <Sept.>

<_Personal characteristics._>

He is (without all manner of flattery) so prudent, learned, and good a man, that he honours his preferment as much as the preferment does him; and is such a one that cannot be advanced too high. My lord (Lucius) Falkland was wont to say that he never knew any one that a paire of lawne sleeves had not altered from himselfe, but only bishop Juxon; had he knowne this excellent prelate, he would have sayd he had knowne one more. As he is the pattern of humility and courtesie, so he knowes when to be severe and austere; and he is not one to be trampled or worked upon. He is a batchelour, and of a most magnificent and munificent mind.

He hath been a benefactor to the Royall Societie, (of which he was one of the first members and institutors[XCIX.]), gave them, Anno Domini ... _li._ He also gave a noble pendulum clock to the Royall Societie (which goes a weeke), to perpetuate[1198] the memory of his deare and learned friend, Mr. Laurence Rooke.

[XCIX.] The beginning of Philosophicall Experiments was at Oxon, 1649, by Dr. Wilkins, Seth Ward, Ralph Bathurst, &c.

Quaere, was the bishop ever professor at Gresham College?

He gave anno 167-, ... _li._ towards the making of the river at Salisbury navigable to Christ Church. Anno 1679 he gave to Sydney Colledge a thousand pounds.

He haz perused all the records of the Church of Sarum, which, with long lyeing, had been conglutinated together; read them all over, and taken abridgements of them, which haz not been donne by any of his predecessors I beleeve for some hundreds of yeares.

He had an admirable habit of body (athletique, which was a fault), a handsome man, pleasant and sanguine; he did not desire to have his wisdome be judged by the gravity of his beard, but his prudence and ratiotination. This, methinkes, is strange to consider in him, that being a great student (and that of mathematiques and difficult knotty points, which does use to make men unfit for businesse), he is so cleare and ready, as no sollicitor is more adroit for looking after affaires.

_Sicknes_[1199].

[1200]The black malice of the dean[CP] of Sarum--he printed sarcasticall pamphletts against him--was the cause of his disturbd spirit, wherby at length he quite lost his memorie. For about a moneth before he dyed he tooke very little sustenance, but lived on the stock and died a skeleton. He deceased at his house at Knightsbridge neer London, on Sunday morning, January the sixth, 1688/9: the Gazetts and Newsletters were severally mistaken as to the day of his death.--This from Mr. Seth Ward, B.D.

<_His burial._>

[1201]Seth, episcopus Sarum, is buried at Sarum as neer as may be to John Davenant, episcopus.

<_His papers._>

[1202]I searcht all Seth, episcopus Sarum's, papers that were at his house at Knightsbridge where he dyed: of which I will give and bring you an account when I come to Oxon about the latter end of this moneth. I have taken care with his nephew and heir[1203] to looke over his papers in his study at Sarum. He tells me the custome is, when the bishop of Sarum dies, that 'the deane and chapter lock-up his studie and put a seale on it.' It was not opened lately, but when it is he will give me an account for you.

[1204]_Scripsit:_--

That there is a God--16mo: quaere nomen libri.

Vindiciae, 4to, Oxon.

... contra Thomam Hobbium, 8vo, Oxon.

Trigonometria, 4to, Oxon.

Astronomia geometrica, 4to, Oxon.

Severall sermons, wherof one was at the funerall of the duke of Albemarle, who was his great friend, and whose eies he closed.

[1205]Seth Ward, lord bishop of Salisbury, studied the common lawe, and I find this paper, which is his owne handwriting, amongst his scattered papers which I rescued from being used by the cooke since his death, which was destinated with other good papers and letters to be put under pies.

[1206]He writ a reply to Bullialdus, which might be about the bigness of his Astronomia Geometrica, which he lent to somebody (forgot), and is lost. In the bishop's study are several letters between Bullialdus and him, and between Hevelius and him.

<_His foundation at Buntingford._>

[1207]At Buntingford, Hertfordshire[CQ]:--

[1684.

This hospitall was erected and endowed by Seth Ward, D.D., lord bishop of Salisbury and chancellor of the most noble order of the Garter, who was born in this towne within the parish of Aspden and educated in the free-schoole of Buntingford.]

The bishop's will not observed: the people there say so: cosen Freeman[1208] said .

<_Corrigendum._>

[1209]Seth Ward, episcopus Sarum:--Whereas I put downe in my memorandums, from his owne mouth, viz. that he said, occasionally, that 'he was borne when the great comet appeared' (that, I am sure, was in anno 1618); but his nephew, Seth Ward, treasurer of the church of Sarum and his executor, told me that the last sommer he searched in the register at Buntingford where he was born, and finds thus:--

'Seth Ward christned April 5, 1617.'

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[CN] Aubrey gives in trick the coat:--'See of Sarum; impaling, azure a cross moline or.' Dr. Philip Bliss has added the references 'see parts ii and iii,' i.e. MSS. Aubr. 7 and 8, as cited _supra_.

[CO] Hawes resigned Sept. 12, and died Sept. 14, 1659. Ward was elected on Sept. 14.

[CP] Thomas Pierce, installed dean May 4, 1675, died March 28, 1691. Anthony Wood comments on Pierce's quarrelsome and tyrannical disposition; Clark's Wood's _Life and Times_, i. 420.

[CQ] The paragraph in square brackets is a copy of the inscription on the building, sent to Aubrey by some correspondent. Over the date is the coat of arms, as above, ensigned with a mitre and encircled by the Garter buckle and motto.

=Walter Warner= (15--- 1640).

[1210]From Dr. John Pell:--Mr Walter Warner:--his youngest brother was High Sheriff of Leicestershire, about 1642. He and his brother dyed both batchelors. Dr. Pell haz seen him that was sheriff; but was well acquainted with Walter. The estate came to a middle brother, a lame man.

Walter had but one hand (borne so), he thinks a right hand; his mother was frighted, which caused this deformity, so that instead of a left hand, he had only a stump with five warts upon it, instead of a hand and fingers. He wore a cuffe on it like a pockett. The Doctor never sawe his stump, but Mr. Warner's man[1211] has told him so.

This Walter Warner was both mathematician and philosopher, and 'twas he that putt-out Thomas Hariot's Algebra, though he mentions it not.

Mr. Warner did tell Dr. Pell, that when Dr. Harvey came out with his Circulation of the Blood, he did wonder whence Dr. Harvey had it: but comeing one day to the earle of Leicester, he found Dr. Harvey in the hall, talking very familiarly with Mr. Prothero (_Wallicè_ ap Roderic), to whom Mr. Warner had discoursed concerning this exercitation of his _De Circulatione Sanguinis_, and made no question but Dr. Harvey had his _hint_ from Prothero. Memorandum:--Dr. Pell sayes that Mr. Warner rationated demonstratively by beates of the pulses that there must be a circulation of the blood.

When Mr. Hariot dyed, he made Sir Thomas Alesbury and Mr. Prothero his executors, by which meanes his papers came to be divided into two hands. Those which fell to Sir Thomas Alesbury, fell, after his death, to his sonne-in-lawe, Edward, earle of Clarendon, Lord Chancellor, and in his sonne's hands (this present, 1680, earle of Clarendon) 'tis beleeved are those that are yet left; none of them were printed, save that _Artis Analyticae Praxis_, which was printed by Mr. Warner upon this occasion, viz. Sir Thomas Alesbury obtained of Algernon, earle of Northumberland (son to that earle, prisoner in the Tower), a continuation of the annuity, dureing Warner's life, upon condition that he should, out of Mr. Hariot's papers, drawe out some piece fitt to be published[1212], which he did, under the title aforesayd, in folio, 1631, London: but did not sett his name to it, and accordingly Warner had his money as long as he lived. The other part of Mr. Hariot's papers, which were in Mr. Prothero's keeping, came to the hands of the lord John Vaughan, eldest son to the earle of Carbery, lately governor of Jamaica, which vide.

Mr. Warner's youngest brother was a good husband and an industrious man, and would say that had he so much money, he could improve it to very great advantage; wherupon his eldest brother (Walter) did lett him sell his land, by which meanes he did so improve his estate by graseing, etc. that he became High Sheriff as aforesaid (quaere of the attorneys when). Dr. Pell has seen him, and spake with him.

Mr. Walter Warner made an Inverted Logarithmicall Table, i.e. whereas Briggs's table fills his margin with numbers encreasing by unites, and over-against them setts their logarithms, which because of incommensurability must needs either abundant or deficient; Mr. Warner (like a dictionary of the Latine before the English) fills the margin with logarithmes encreasing by unites, and[1213] setts[C.] to every one of them so many continuall meane proportionalls between 1 and 10[1214], and they for the same reason must also have the last figure incompleat. These, after the death of Mr. Warner, came to the hands of Mr. Herbert Thorndyke, prebendary of Westminster, and by him left in the hands of Dr. Richard Busby, schoolmaster and prebendary of Westminster, which, before Mr. John Pell grew acquainted with Mr. Warner, were ten thousand, and at Mr. Warner's request were by Mr. Pell's hands, or direction, made a hundred thousand. The difference of the hands will shew the workman's in the originalls, which Dr. Busby haz.

[C.] Vide my letter with Mr. Hooke's response, 1690.

Memorandum:--he wrote a Treatise of Coynes in relation to mint affaires, of which Mr. John Collins haz a copie:--from Mr. Herbert Thorndyke.

The sixth booke of Optiques in Merçennus is expressly his; the 7th is Mr. Thomas Hobbs's.

Mr. Tovey, of Leicestershire, was his kinsman: he could tell when and where he dyed:--from Seth , bishop of Sarum.

The bishop thinkes he was of Cambridge university, but is not certaine. Dr. Pell believes that he was of no university.

Quaere Dr. Pell, what is the use of those Inverted Logarithmes? for W. Warner would not doe such a thing in vaine. Mr. Tovey was fellowe of Christ College in Cambridge; was beneficed in Leicestershire; and maried a neice of Mr. Warner's; and from Mr. Tovey they[1215] came to Mr. Thorndyke.

=William Watson= (15--- 1603).

[1216]... Watson, who wrote the _Quodlibets_[1217], was taken in a field by the Hay in Herefordshire (or Brecknockshire--vide the mapp) by Mr. ... Vaughan, and was executed, at Brecknock (as I take it). 'Twas observed that Mr. Vaughan did never prosper afterwards.

=George Webb= (1581-1641).

[1218]Dr. ... Webbe, one of king Charles I's chaplaines, afterwards bishop of Limrick in Ireland, hath some sermons, or divinity, in print; and a translation of Terence, English and Latin.

He dyed and was buried in Limrick about two or three daies before the towne was taken by the Irish, who digged up the body again--it was about 1642.

He was of Corpus Christi College, Oxon: borne at Brumhum in Wiltshire.

[1219]I confess I doe not like that super-zeale in the Canon Lawe, not to let alone there the bodys of heretiques. It is too inhumane.--This, as to the bishop's body being digged up again, which I feare was so: for his nephew who was his archdeacon, was with him when he dyed and the towne taken, and I remember, being then a fresh man, I heard him tell the story. He was minister next parish to Mr. Hine.

=... Webb.=

[1220]Dr. Webb:--his way of teaching children, in Duck lane. It taught them also to make verses. He wrote severall bookes--from Mr. Michael Weekes: quaere +.

=John Wells.=

[1221]John Wells[CR], esq.:--he was borne at ..., educated at.... He was a Roman Catholique. He published an excellent treatise of dialling, entituled[1222]:--

Sciographia, or the art of shadowes, plainely demonstrating out of the sphaere how to project both great and small circles upon any plane whatsoever, with a new conceit of the reflecting of the sunne beames upon a diall contrived upon a plane which the direct beame can never shine upon, together with the manner of cutting the five regular Platonical bodies and two other the one of 12, the other of 30 rhombes never discovered heretofore, also the finding of their declinations and reclinations and adorning them with variety of dialls, all performed by the doctrine of triangles, and for ease and delight sake by helpe of the late invented and worthily admired numbers called by the first inventor logorithmes; by John Wells, esquire; London, printed by Thomas Harper and are to be sold in Paul's churchyard at the signe of the Bell, 1635.

Mr. Henry Gellibrand, professor of at Gresham College, hath put a learned preface to it, wherein it is mencioned that Mr. Henry Brigges and Mr. Edmund Gunter did earnestly sollicite Mr. Wells to publish it.

[1223] Deptford east end south aisle white marble:--

Memoriae Sacrum. Hic sita est Catherina Welles, generosa, summae pietatis et virtutis, filia Thomae Wailinger armigeri et Benedictae Gonson primogenita, uxor charissima Johannis Welles armigeri pro regia classe pridem diribitoris ejusque navalium armamentorum per triginta plus annos totius Angliae generalis custodis, cui septem filios sexque filias feliciter enixa est, quarum duo nati tres natae hîc unâ cum illa contumulantur. Animam coelo pie reddidit 5 Julii 1634 aetatis 47 felicem in Christo resurrectionem indubitanter expectans. Ad maritum superstitem. Pignora conjugii remanent tibi plurima nostri, Pluraque praemisit mors mihi dira rogo: Parte fruor tumulo, reliqua tibi prole relicta; Festina charos lentus ad hos cineres.

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

[CR] In MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 80ᵛ, Aubrey drew the coat:--'argent, a chevron vert powdered with ermine spots of the first between 3 martletts sable,' but crossed it out with the note 'false.' On fol. 81 he gives a coat, as carved on the monument there described:--'or, a lion rampart within a bordure engrailed sable, a crescent for difference; impaling, gules, a fess verry between 3 (pheasants, I thinke) or'; and adds 'the lord Wells tempore <Henr. VII> gave this coate.'

=Sir George Wharton= (1617-1681).

[1224]Sir George Wharton, baronet, treasurer and paymaster to the office of his majestie's Ordinance, dyed at his howse at Enfield, 12th of August 1681, and lyes buryed in the Tower chapell, 25 of August following.

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

At the end of this note Anthony Wood has added the reference 'see p. 39b,' i.e. fol. 90ᵛ of the MS., where is the note--'Sir George Wharton, baronet, obiit in Turri London, ubi sepultus est, Aug. 10th 1681.' Wood has noted there 'in page 45,' i.e. fol. 97, ut supra, 'you say 12 August.' Aubrey there gives in trick the coat:--' , a maunch , on a canton ..., a lion's gamb,' and adds 'sans bordure, quod N.B.'--On fol. 9ᵛ of the MS. is still another version:--'Sir George Wharton, knight, buryed at the Tower chapel (quaere), 26 August, Friday, 1681'; and Wood there objects 'in page 45, you say 25 August: see page 39b.'

=Diggory Wheare= (1574-1647).

[1225]Mr. Gibbon, Blewmantle, showed me in an old collection in MSS., ἀνονυμῶς, that in anno 1634 was the number of 92 students in Glocester Hall, Degory Whear then master there.

=Abraham Wheloc.=

[1226]... Wheelock, simple man-- bishop of Sarum.

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

Abraham Wheloc printed notes on Bede, Camb. 1643. How thoroughly Anthony Wood used up every scrap of opinion he received is shown by the fact that even this expression (of Wheloc's 'simplicity') is taken up by him: see Clark's Wood's _Life and Times_, iv. 258.

=Daniel Whistler= (1619-1684).

[1227]Dr. Daniel Whistler borne at Walthamstowe[1228] in Essex.

[1229]Daniel Whistler, M.D., dyed (May 11, 1684), president of the Physitians' College.

=James Whitney= (1593-166-).

[1230]Parson Whitney was a great _nomenclator_ of Oxford men, being an old fellow there; and were he alive now would be 81.

[1231]My old cosen, parson Whitney, told me that in the visitation of Oxon in Edward VI's time they burned mathematical bookes for conjuring bookes, and, if the Greeke professor had not accidentally come along, the Greeke testament had been thrown into the fire for a conjuring booke too.

=John Whitson= (1557-1629).

[1232]John Whitson, alderman of the city of Bristol. John Whitson was borne at Cover in the Forest of Deane in the countie of Glocester. He went to schoole at Bristow, where he made a good proficience in the Latin tongue. He was bound apprentice to alderman Vawr, a Spanish merchant of this city. He was a handsome young fellow; and his old master the alderman being dead, his mistress one day called him into the wine-cellar and bad him broach the best butt in the cellar for her.... His mistresse after maried him. This story will last perhaps as long as Bristol is a city.

He had a good naturall witt, and gaind by the Spanish trade a fair estate.

His second wife was ... the daughter of ... Hine, alderman of London, a very beautifull dame, as by her picture, at length, in the dining rome, doeth appear. By her he had a daughter, his only child, who was counted the flower of Bristol, who was maried to Sir Thomas Trenchard of Dorsetshire, who dyeing (together with her child), the alderman gave him compensation for the mannour of Dunderhill[1233] and had it again.

His third wife was ... by whom he had no issue. His fourth and last wife was Rachel, daughter of Richard Danvers of Tokenham, Wilts, esq., relict of John Aubrey of Burleton in the county of Hereford, esq. (my father Richard Aubrey being then eleaven yeares of age). He had no issue by her. The alderman made him[1234] a good falkoner, but did cutt downe his woods and never made him any satisfaction: but lett his good workes be sett in balance against it.

He lived nobly; kept a plentifull table; and was the most popular magistrate[1235] in the city, alwaies chosen a member of Parliament. He kept a noble house, and did entertain and treat the peers and great persons that came to the city. He kept his hawkes.

I remember five that had been bred-up under him, but not one of them came to good, they lived so luxuriously, just as the servants of Sir John Robinson, governor of the Tower.

He had a very good healthy constitution, and was an early riser; wrote all his letters and dispatched his businesse betime in the morning.

He was charitable in his life in breeding-up of poor scholars: particularly I remember William Haywood, D.D., whome he preferred to St. John's Colledge in Oxon, where are[1236] certaine Bristowe fellowships. His father was a cowper in Ballance Street; his mother, whom I well remember, was a midwife in the city.

He had a fair[1237] house in St. Nicholas Street, where is the stateliest dining roome in the city. He had been thrice mayor of this city, as is to be seen in the table of mayors in St. Nicholas Street in golden letters.

His beloved and only daughter dyeing, and so being _orbus_, Richard Wheeler his nephew, who was bred a merchant under him with others, was his heir; but he proving a sott and a capricious coxcombe, he setled all his estate upon the city of Bristow for pious uses, and was, I doe believe, the greatest benefactor that ever the city had. He gave the mannour of Durdery and the mannour of Burnet and divers houses in Bristowe.

He dyed about the seaventy-sixth yeare of his age by a fall from his horse, his head pitching on a nail that stood on its head by a smyth's shop. He was buried very honourably[1238]; besides all his relations in mourning, he had as many poor old men (or men and woemen) as he was yeares old in mourning gownes and hoodes, the mayor and aldermen in mourning; all the trained band (he was their colonel) attended the funerall and their pikes had black ribons and drummes were covered with black cloath.

He lies interred in the west end of the 'Crowd' (the name of the vault under all St. Nicholas Church, as St. Faith's was under St. Paule's), where he lies in effigie on an altar-monument of alabaster and marble. ☞ See his inscription.

=Thomas Whyte= (1582-1676).

[1239]Memorandum:--Mr. John Davys of Kydwelly tells me that Mr. Thomas Whyte (Blacklowe), author of _De mundo_, etc., dyed in Drury lane about 7 yeares since and is buried in St. Giles's Church in the fields. Quaere ubi: as also where his brother Richard is buried?

=John Wilkins= (1614-1672).

[1240]Bishop J. Wilkins:--the little picture in 8vo most like him.

[1241]John Wilkins, Lord Bishop of Chester; his father was a goldsmith in Oxford. Mr. Francis Potter knew him very well, and was wont to say that he was a very ingeniose man, and had a very mechanicall head. He was much for trying of experiments, and his head ran much upon the _perpetuall motion_. He maryed a daughter of Mr. John Dod (who wrote on the Commandments), at whose house, at <Fawlsley, near Daventry>, Northamptonshire, she laye-in with her son John, of whome we are now to speake.

He had a brother (Timothy), squier-beadle of in Oxford, and a uterine brother, Walter Pope, M.D.

He had his grammar learning in Oxford, (I thinke from Mr. Sylvester). He was admitted of Magdalen-hall in Oxford, <1627> (vide A. Wood's _Antiq. Oxon._) His tutor there was the learned Mr. John Tombs (Coryphaeus of the Anabaptists). Anno Domini <1631> A.B.; Anno Domini <1634> M.A. He read to pupils here, (among others, Walter Charlton, M.D., was his pupill): he continued here ... yeares.

He has sayd oftentimes that the first rise, or hint of his rising, was from goeing accidentally a courseing of a hare: where an ingeniose gentleman of good quality falling into discourse with him, and finding him to have a very good witt[1242], told him that he would never gett any considerable preferment by continuing in the university; and that his best way was to betake himselfe to some lord's or great person's house[1243] that had good benefices to conferre. Sayd Mr. J. Wilkins, 'I am not knowne in the world; I know not to whom to addresse myselfe upon such a designe.' The gentleman replied, 'I will recommend you myselfe,' and did so, to (as I thinke) lord viscount Say and Seale (quaere), where he stayed with very good likeing till the late civill warres, and then he was chaplain to his highnesse Prince Elector Palatine of the Rhine, with whom he went (after the peace[CI.] concluded in Germany[1244]), and was well preferred there by his highnesse. He stayed there ... (not above a yeare).

[CI.] Quaere nomen loci.

After the Visitation at Oxon by the Parliament, he gott to be Warden of Wadham Colledge. Anno <1656> maried to the relict of Dr. French, canon of Christchurch, Oxon, and sister to Oliver, (then) Lord Protector, who[1245] made him anno 165<8/9> Master of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge, (in which place he revived learning by strickt examinations at elections: he was much honoured there, and heartily loved by all;) where he continued till 1660, (the restauration of his majestie). Then he was minister of Saint Laurence church in London; and anno ... was deane of Rippon in Yorkeshire. His friend, Seth Ward, D.D., being made bishop of Excester, he was made there deane, and anno 166<8> by the favour of George, duke of Buckingham, was made bishop[1246] of Chester; and was extremely well beloved in his diocese. Anno Domini <1672> he dyed of . He left a legacy of four hundred pounds (quaere) to the Royall Society, and had he been able would have given more. He was no great read man; but one of much and deepe thinking, and of a working head; and a prudent man as well as ingeniose. He was one of Seth, lord bishop of Sarum's most intimate friends. He was a lustie, strong growne, well sett, broad shoulderd person, cheerfull, and hospitable.

He was the principall reviver of experimentall philosophy (secundum mentem domini Baconi) at Oxford, where he had weekely an experimentall philosophicall clubbe, which began 1649, and was the incunabula of the Royall Society. When he came to London, they mett at the Bull-head taverne in Cheapside, (e.g. 1658, 1659, and after), till it grew to big for a clubb, and so they came to Gresham colledge parlour.

_Scripsit_ (vide A. Wood's _Antiq. Oxon._):--

The World in the Moone, ... (long since).

Swift and Secret Messenger.

Art of Praying and Preaching.

Mathematicall Magique: dedicated to the Prince Elector: printed....

Reall Character: London, printed....

This last was his darling, and nothing troubled him so much when he dyed, as that he had not compleated it; which will now in a yeare more be donne by the care and studies of Mr. Robert Hooke, of Gresham College; Mr. Andrew Paschall, B.D. of Chedzoy, in com. Somerset; Mr. Francis Lodwyck, of London, merchant; Mr. John Ray, R.S.S., of Essex; and Mr. Thomas Pigott, M.A. (Wadham College). He lyes buried in the north-east end of the chancell of St. Laurence ... church, neer the wall, where will be an inscription sett up to his memorie.

=John Willis.=

[1247]John Willis, B.D.--author of the Art of Memorie, in Latin, 1618, 12mo.--Dr. Davenant told me that when he was of Cambridge, that one preaching at St. Marie's--'and now,' said he (before he was aware) 'I am come to the lyon's taile'; this was (it seemes) his _locus_[1248]: the people stared on him.

Inventor of Short-hand,--'tis the best. Bishop Wilkins sayd, 'tis only used in England, or by the English; and[1249] 'twas a good while before the logarithmes gott beyond sea. Mr. Wingate first brought it into France, and shewed it to them; scil. when he went into France to teach the Queen-Mother English; he dedicated it to Monsieur the duke of Orleans.

=Thomas Willis= (1621/2-1675).

[1250]Thomas Willis, M.D.--from himselfe--borne at Great Bedwyn in com. Wilts, January the 27th, anno Domini 1621. His father was steward to Sir Walter Smyth there, and had been sometime a scholar at St. John's College in Oxford.

[1251]Thomas Willis, M.D.; vide Westminster Abbey pro inscriptione.

[1252]Thomas Willis, M.D., natus ...; (vide A. Wood's _Antiq. Oxon._).

1647 and 1648 (quaere, if not +), kept Abingdon-market[1253], and Dr. Lydall and he had a horse between them: this was before a Doctor[1254]. He grew more and more into good practise.

He studied chymistry in Peckwater Inne chamber[1255]. He was in those dayes very mathematicall, and I have heard him say his genius lay more to mathematics then chymistry.

His father was steward to Sir John (I thinke) Smyth[1256]; and had a little estate at Ivy Hinksey, where my lady Smyth (vidua) dyed.

He went to schoole to Mr. Sylvester in Oxon, over the meadowes, where he ayred his muse, and made good exercise:--from William Hawes, his schoolefellow. Anno about 1657 (quaere there), riding towards Brackley to a patient, his way led him thorough Astrop, where he observed the stones in the little rill were discoloured of a kind of _Crocus Martis_ colour; thought he, this may be an indication of iron; he getts gaules, and putts some of the powder into the water, and immediately it turned blackish; then sayd he, 'I'le not send my patients now so far as Tunbridge,' and so he in a short time[1257] brought these waters into vogue, and hath inriched a poore obscure village. He was middle stature: darke red[1258] haire (like a red pig): stammered much.

He was first servitor to Dr. Iles, one of the canons of Xᵗ. Ch. whose wife was a knowing woman in physique and surgery, and did many cures. Tom Willis then wore a blew livery-cloak, and studied at the lower end of the hall, by the hall-dore; was pretty handy, and his mistresse would oftentimes have him to assist her in making of medicines. This did him no hurt, and allured him on.

=John Wilmot=, earl of Rochester (1648-1680).

[1259]John, earl of Rochester[CS]:--he went to schoole at ; was of Wadham College, Oxford; I suppose, had been in France.

About 18, he stole his lady, Malet, a daughter and heir, a great fortune; for which I remember I sawe him a prisoner in the Tower about 1662.

His youthly spirit and oppulent fortune did sometimes make him doe extravagant actions, but in the country he was generally civill enough. He was wont to say that when he came to Brentford the devill entred into him and never left him till he came into the country again to Alderbury or Woodstock.

He was raunger of Woodstock-parke and lived often at the lodge at the west end, a very delightfull place and noble prospect westwards. Here his lordship had severall lascivious pictures drawen.

His lordship read all manner of bookes. Mr. Andrew Marvell, who was a good judge of witt, was wont to say that he was the best English satyrist and had the right veine. 'Twas pitty death tooke him off so soon.

In his last sicknesse he was exceedingly paenitent and wrote a lettre of his repentance to Dr. Burnet, which is printed.

He sent for all his servants, even the piggard-boy, to come and heare his palinode[1260]. He dyed at Woodstock-parke, 26 July, 1680; and buried at Spilsbury in the same countie, Aug. 9 following.

His immature death putts me in mind of these verses of Propertius:--

Vere novo primoque in aetatis flore juventae, Ceu rosa virgineo pollice carpta, jaces.

[1261]_On the death of my lord Rochester: pastorall._

1

As on his death-bed, gasping, Strephon lay, Strephon, the wonder of the plaines, The noblest of th' Arcadian swaines, Strephon, the bold, the witty, and the gay, With many a sigh, and many a teare, he said, 'Remember me, ye shepheards, when I'me dead.

2

'Ye triflying glories of this world, adieu! And vain applauses of the age! For when we quit this earthly stage, Beleeve me, shepheards, for I tell you true, Those pleasures which from vertuous deeds we have Procure the sweetest slumbers in the grave.

3

'Then since your fatall houre must surely come, Surely your head ly low as mine, Your bright meridian soon decline, Beseech the mighty PAN to guard you home. If to Elysium you would happy fly, Live not like Strephon, but like Strephon die.'

T. FLATMAN.

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

[CS] Aubrey gives in trick the coat:--'<argent, on a fesse gules between 3 eagles' heads, erased sable, 3 escallops or> [Wilmot]; impaling, azure, 3 escallops or [Malet],' surmounted by an earl's coronet, and wreathed in laurel (for a poet). The top of fol. 55 has been cut off, the writing on the recto side having previously been scored out: I think the mutilation is due to Aubrey himself.

=Edmund Wingate= (1593-1656).

[1262]Edmund Wingate, esq., was a Bedfordshire man, I thinke; recorder of Bedford--there you may learne, or at my lord Bruce's (now Alesbury).

_Scripsit_--Arithmetica;

Logarithmotechnia, with solution of triangles; another little booke of working on a line of numbers; Abridgment of the Statutes,....

He was of Graye's Inne, and dyed.... His yonger sonne was Mr. Stedman's fellow prentice; since turned a musquetere. He can tell me everything. He did wayte at the Tower.

[1263]Edmund Wingate dyed at Mr. Bayles howse in Gray's Inne lane, and was buried at St. Andrewe's, Holborne, the 13 Decemb. anno Domini 1656.

=George Withers= (1588-1667).

[1264]Mr. George Withers (vide A. Wood's _Antiq. Oxon._) was borne at Bentworth, near Alton, in Hantshire, on the eleaventh of June, 1588.

He maried Elizabeth, eldest daughter of H. Emerson, of South Lambeth, in com. Surrey, esqre, whose ancestors lye entombed in the choeur of St. Savior's, Southwark, neer the monument of bishop Andrewes, with a statue of white marble. She was a great witt, and would write in verse too.

He was of in Oxford. He would make verses as fast as he could write them. And though he was an easie rymer, and no good poet, he was a good _vates_. He had a strange sagacity and foresight into mundane affaires.

He was an early observator of _Quicquid agunt homines_; his witt was satyricall. I thinke the first thing he wrote was 'Abuses whipt and stript,' for which he was committed prisoner to ...[1265] (I beleeve, Newgate). I believe 'twas tempore Jacobi regis. He was a captain in the Parliament army, and the Parliament gave him for his service Mr. John Denham's estate at Egham, in Surrey. The motto of his colours was, _Pro Rege, Lege, Grege_.

After the restauration of his majestie he was imprisoned in the Tower about three quarters of a yeare. He died the 2d of May, 1667, and lieth interred within the east dore of the Savoy church, where he dyed. He was pupill to bishop Warner, of Rochester.

[1266]George Wythers, poet:--vide memorandum 1673 + μ de G. W.[1267]

=Theophilus Wodenote= (senior).

[1268]Theophilus Woodenoth[CT], B.D.--his father[CU] was a Cheshire gentleman of that ancient family; was minister[1269] of Lankenhorn in Cornwall, in which place his sonne succeeded him--

'In Cornwall at a parish Lankenhorn Neer Launceston six miles southwards was I born.'

When I was a school-boy he[1270] lived two yeares with his brother ... Peyton, vicar of Chalke, being obnoxious to danger of arests.

He did me much good in opening of my understanding; advised me to read lord Bacon's Essayes and an olde booke of proverbs (English); answered me my questions of antiq , etc.

He was an Eaton scholar and fellow of King's College, Cambridge, contemporary with Dr. Colins.

He wrote in his solitude at Chalke a little manuall called 'Good thoughts in bad times,' as I take it. I remember 'tis dedicated to his cosen ... Wodenoth of Cheshire, esq.

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[CT] Aubrey gives in trick the coat:--' , a cross couped and voided [Wodenote].' Anthony Wood refers to his own 'Fasti 1619,' where he occurs among the Cambridge M.A.s incorporated at Oxford.

Theophilus Wodenote was of Eton, and King's Coll. Camb., B.D. Oxford 1623, and D.D. 1630; and rector of Linkinhorne, Cornwall, in 1615.

[CU] Thomas Wodenote, Fellow of King's Coll. Camb.; rector of Linkinhorne, 1583.

=Theophilus Wodenote= (junior) (1625-16--).

[1271]Theophilus Wodenoth, pater, natus Lankenkorn neer Lanceston in com. Cornub., Oct. 6, 1625, 6ʰ A.M., he thinkes on a Thursday. Now rector of Blandford St Mary's in com. Dorset.

Charles, filius Theophili, Wodenoth natus Blandfordiae, Dorset, Feb. 17, 1660, die Solis[1272] circa 6ʰ A.M.

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

This Theophilus Wodenote is son of Theophilus (senior). He matric. at Exeter College, June 2, 1652.

=Thomas Wolsey= (147--1530).

[1273]Cardinal Woolsey:--Memorandum the Cardinal's hat on the scutcheon at Christ Church: and quaere quot pedes from the College to the Blew-boare; colour with soote the water-table, and insert in the scutcheon the Cardinal's hat.

[1274]Thomas Wolsey[CV], Cardinal, was a butcher's son, of Ipswych, in Suffolke; vide his Life, writt by....

He was a fellowe of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford, where he was tutor to a young gentleman of Limmington, near Ilchester, in com. Somerset, in whose guift the presentation of that church is, worth the better part of 200 _li._ per annum, which he gave to his tutor, Wolsey. He had committed hereabout some debauchery (I thinke, drunke: no doubt he was of a high rough spirit), and spake derogatorily of Sir Amias Paulet (a Justice of Peace in the neighbourhood), who putt him into the stockes[CII.], which, when he came to be Cardinall, he did not forget; he layed a fine upon Sir Amias to build the gate of the Middle Temple; the armes of Pawlet, with the quartrings, are in glasse there to this day (1680). The Cardinall's armes were, as the storie sayes, on the outside in stone, but time haz long since defaced that, only you may still discerne the place; it was carved in a very mouldring stone.

[CII.] From my cosen Lyte, of Lytes Carey, about a mile from Limmington, 30 yeares since. The tradition was very fresh: I have forgott his pupill's name.

Remaines of him shew that he was a great master of the Latin tongue; Dr. John Pell tells me, that [he[1275] finds in a preface to a Grammar of ... Haynes, schoolmaster, of Christ-church, London,] that 'twas he that made the Accedence before W. Lilly's Grammar in ... dayes.

His rise (vide the History) was his quick and prudent dispatch of a message to Paris for Henry 8.

He had a most magnificent spirit. Concerning his grandure, vide Stowe's Chronicle, &c.

He was a great builder, as appeares by White-hall, Hampton Court.--Eshur[CIII.], in Surrey, a noble house, built of the best burn't brick (perhaps) that ever I sawe; stately gate-house and hall. This stately house (a fitt pallace for a prince[1276]) was bought about 1666, by ... a vintner, of London, who is since broke, and the house is sold, and pulled downe to the ground, about 1678. I have the draught of the house among my Surrey papers.--Quaere:--he had a very stately cellar for his wines, about Fish-street, called Cardinall Wolsey's cellar.--He built the stately tower at Magdalen Colledge in Oxford, and that stately palace at Winchester (where he was bishop), called Wolsey-house; I remember it pretty well, standing 1647. Now, I thinke, it is most pulled downe.--His noble foundation of his Colledge of Christ-Church, in Oxford, where the stately hall was only perfected by him. There were designed (as yet may appeare by the building)[1277] most magnificent cloysters (the brave designe wherof Dr. John Fell hath deteriorated with his new device) to an extraordinary spacious quadrangle, to the entrance whereof was carrying up a tower (a gate-house) of extraordinary rich and noble Gothique building. Vide J. Oweni _Epigrammata_:

Sit domus imperfecta licet, similisque ruinae, At patet in laudes area lata tuas.

OWEN, _Epigr._

[CIII.] Vide my Surrey notes <MS. Aubr. 4> if William Wanfleet did not build it: both their scutcheons are there.

When the present great-duke of Tuscany was at Oxford, he was more taken with that, then all the rest of the buildings he sawe there, and tooke a second viewe of it.

It should not be forgotten what a noble foundation there was for the chapell, which did runne from the Colledge, along the street as far as the Blew-boare Inne; which was about 7 foot or more high, and adorned with a very rich Gothique water-table[CW] as in the margin[1278].

It was pulled downe by Dr. John Fell (the Deane) about 1670, to use the stones about the Colledge.

Memorandum:--about the buildings of this Colledge are frequent the pillars, and axes, and Cardinall's cappes.

Concerning this great Cardinall's fall, see the histories of that time.

Returning to London from Yorke, he died at Leicester, where he lies buried (to the shame of Christ-church men) _yet_ without any monument.

'And though, from his owne store, Wolsey might have A palace or a colledge for his grave, Yet here he lies interr'd, as if that all Of him to be remembred were his fall. Nothing but earth to earth, nor pompous weight Upon him but a pebble or a quayte. If thou art thus neglected, what shall wee Hope after death that are but shreds of thee?'

Vide Dr. Corbet's Poems: his _Iter Boreale_.

See his life writt by ... and also by Thomas Fuller, B.D., in his Holy State, where is a picture of his which resembles those in glasse in Christ-church. He was a lusty man, thick neck, not much unlike Martyn Luther. I beleeve he had Taurus ascending with the Pleiades, which makes the native to be of a rough disposition.

He was Baccalaur of Arts so young, that he was called the boy-bacchalaur. From Dr. John Pell (out of the aforesayd preface).

[1279]One of Osney bells is at Winslowe in Bucks, which is the great bell there, but was the 3ᵈ at Osney; but they have not long since cutt it something lesse, one Derby decieving them LX _li._ of their metall. Cardinall Wolsey, being abbot of St. Alban's (to which Winslowe did belong), at the pulling downe of Osney abbey, gave this bell to Winslowe--Mr. Steevens[1280] was borne at Winslowe.

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[CV] Aubrey gives in trick the coat:--'sable, on a cross engrailed argent a lion passant gules between 4 leopards' faces or, on a chief or a rose gules between 2 Cornish choughs proper,' ensigned with Cardinal's hat and strings, gules.

[CW] Aubrey wrote 'a very rich Gothique ...,' and added a note in the margin 'quaere Sir Chr. W _nomen_.' Wren told him 'water-table,' which he then inserted in the text, striking out the marginal note.

In MS. Aubr. 3, fol. 4ᵛ, is the note:--'_Basis_, or _list_, or I thinke they call it _the water-table_, of the parish church wall at St. Edmundsbury in Suffolke. Of which fashion was the foundation of that famous began chapell or cathedrall of Cardinal Wolsey's which went towards the Blew-bore in Oxford, and pulled downe by deane Fell about 1671. Magdalen parish <-church> tower is also of this fashion, viz. of Henry VIII.'

=Anthony Wood= (1632-1695).

[1281]Mr. Anthony à Wood, M.A., antiquarius, in his lettre to me, Palm Sunday March 23, 1672, writes thus, viz. 'My nativity I cannot yet retrive; but by talking with an ancient servant of my father's I find I was borne on the 17 of Decemb., but the year when I am not certain: 'twas possibly about 1647.--John Selden was borne the 16 of December and Sir Symonds Dews the 17. But of these matters I shall tell you more when my trouble is over.'

=Sir Christopher Wren= (1631-1723).

[1282]Sir Christopher Wren[CX], surveyor of his majestie's buildings, borne at ... Knahill[1283] in the parsonage-howse in the county of Wiltes neer Shaftesbury, Thursday, October 20, 1631[CY], 8ʰ P.M.--the bell rang VIII as his mother fell in labour with him (from himselfe).

He was knighted[CZ] at Whitehall on Friday, 14th November 1673, at 5ʰ A.M. (from Mr. Robert Hooke, the next day).

[1284]Anno 1669, Dr. Christopher Wren was invited by the bishop of Sarum (Seth Ward), where he made a particular survey of the cathedrall church[DA]. He was at least a weeke about it, and a curious discourse it was: it was not above two sheetes. Upon my writing _The Natural History of Wilts_, I had occasion to insert it there, and they told me that it was lent to somebody--they could not tell to whom. But in Febr. last Mr. Cole thinks it not unlikely that Mr. Nash (the surveyor of the fabrick) of Sarum may have that paper. I desired him to enquire but have not yet received any answer.

<_Pedigree_: in MS. Aubr. 7, fol. 28ᵛ.>

... Wren, of Ipswych _m._ ... in Suffolke. | | ... Wren, a wealthy _m._ ... citizen in Cheapside | (quaere if not a | millener). | +---------------------------------+-+ | | Matthew Wren, _m._ ... Christopher Wren, _m._ ... Cox, of Funthill Lord Bishop | second son, deane | in com. Wilts. of Ely. | of Windsor | +--------------+---------+ | | | | Matthew Wren, secretary | to the Lord Chancellor | Hyde, then to the duke | of Yorke. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+ | | Faith, daughter _m._ Sir Christopher _m._ Fitzwilliams, | of Sir Thomas Wren. daughter of the lord | Coghill of Blech- Fitzwilliams in North- | ington in com. amptonshire, second | Oxon., first wife, wife, A.D.... | A.D.... | | +----------------------------------------------------+ | ... _m._ William | Holder, D.D., | sub-deane of | the king's | chapel. | sine prole.

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[CX] Wren was one of the people from whose patronage Aubrey, in his evil days, hoped for some official post. On a slip pasted to fol. 27ᵛ of MS. Aubr. 9 is this note:--

'Mr. Secretary Wren's indefinite (?) kindnesse is valuable if our lord P. <? William lord Brouncker, Pres. Roy. Soc. 1663-1677> know it, and Mr. Collins, but _cave_. They might between them determine somewhat certaine. There are peaceable places among souldiers; and now the navy offices thrive, and a man can nowhere so well hide himselfe in an office as there, 'cause 'tis out of the way.

'I cannot get Quillettus here, but would you could find _Gallus Veridicus_, which you must enquire for privately. I never saw it, but Mr. Oldenburg may possibly have heard of it.

'The want of the Royal Society is the greatest defect of our parts[1285]: possibly you may have some one that for money will informe mee as you doe for love. If you find any such, fix him for[1286] J.†'

[CY] Aubrey was anxious to obtain the exact date as an item towards his pet astrological collection. But he fancied that Wren had played a trick on him, by taking the place of a brother of the same name, one year younger, who died in infancy. Aubrey might have reflected that, while it is possible that parents might give the name of a deceased child to their next, the other course is unlikely. The following excerpts from Aubrey's letters to Anthony Wood bear on the point:--

(a) Nov. 17, 1670: MS. Wood F. 39, fol. 128:--'Dr. Christopher Wren was borne at Knoyle, baptized the 10th day of November 1631. I have writt to him for the exact time, astrologiae ergo: 'tis a poore-spirited thing, if he will not resolve me.'

(b) Jan. 16, 1671/2: MS. Wood F. 39, fol. 160ᵛ:--'Dr. Christopher Wren ... tells me he was borne at ... Knahill 20 October, 1631. He was a second Christopher: whome I sent to you was the first.'

(c) Feb. 1, 1671/2: MS. Wood F. 39, fol. 165:--'Dr. Christopher Wren hath putt a trick on us, as it seemes; for he hath made him selfe a yeare younger then indeed he is, though he needs not be ashamed of his age, he hath made such admirable use of his time. I mett t'other day accidentally with the parson of Knahill, who justifies the register, and not only so but proves it by his neighbour that was his nurse and her son that suckled with him--evidence notorious. 'Tis true, as the Doctor sayes, that there were two Christophers, but it was the latter, i.e. the Doctor--that parson Hill justifies--quod nota.'

[CZ] Aubrey several times notes this. MS. Aubr. 7, fol. 5:--'Sir Xpfer Wren knighted, November 14, 1673.' MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 7:--'Sir Christopher Wren received the honour of knighthood at Whitehall on Friday 14th November, 5ʰ A.M., 1673--from Mr. Robert Hooke, the next day.'

[DA] MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 69-74, is 'A survey of Our Lady Church at Salisbury, taken by Dr. Christopher Wren (since Sir Christopher) anno Domini 1669, being invited downe to doe it by Seth Ward, lord bishop of Sarum.'--Another, less perfect, MS. copy of this report is in Wood MS. B. 14.

=Edward Wright= (15--- 1615).

[1287]Mr. Edward[1288] Wright: he was of Caius College in Cambridge (from Sir Charles Scarborough, who was of that house).

He published his book, 4to, intituled[1289]:--

Certain errors in navigation detected and corrected by Edward Wright, with many additions that were not in the former edition as appeareth in the next pages, London, 1610.

It is dedicated to the high and mighty Henry, prince of Wales, etc. In the Epistle dedicatory he makes mention of a goodlye and royall ship that his highnesse lately built, and that since his highnesse comeing into England that the 'art of navigation hath been much advanced here as well in searching the North-east and North-west passages as also in discovering the sea-coastes and inland of Virginea, Newfoundland, Groenland, and of the North New-land as far as Hackluyt's headland, within 9 degrees of the pole, also of Guiana and divers parts and ilands of the East Indies, yea, and some parts also of the south continent discovered by Sir Richard Hawkins.'

He read mathematicks to Prince Henry; and Sir Jonas Moore had the wooden sphaere in the Tower, which was contrived by Mr. Wright for the more easy information of the prince.

Amongst Mr. Laurence Rooke's papers (left with Seth , lord bishop of Sarum) I found:--

Hypothesis stellarum fixarum a Edm.[1290] Wright,

three sheetes, of his owne hand-writing, in folio. I deposited it in the Royal Society, but Mr. R. Hooke saieth that it is printed in a booke by it selfe, which see.

In his preface to the reader he sayes that 'the errors I have in the following treatise laboured to reforme to the utmost (yea, rather beyond the utmost) of my poor abilitie, neglecting in the meane time other studies and courses that might have been more beneficial to me: which may argue my good will to have proceeded further to the amendment of such other faults and imperfections as yet remain besides those alreadie specified.'

It appeares by his preface that his worth was attended by a great deal of envie.

_Ibid._--He was in the voyage of the right honourable the earle of Cumberland in the yeare 1589. He 'devised the seaman's rings for the present finding out both of the variation of the needle and time of the day at one instant without any farther trouble of using any other instrument, and hath farther shewed how by the sun's point of the compasse (or magnetical azimuth) and altitude given by observation the variation may be found either mechanically with ruler and compasse or mathematically by the doctrine of triangles and arithmeticall calculation.'

John Collins he happened upon the logarithmes and did not know it, as maybe seen in his _Errors_: and Mr. Robert Norwood sayes to the reader in his Trigonometrie 'neither is Mr. Edward Wright to be forgotten though his endeavours were soonest prevented,' speaking of the logarithmes.

He published a booke of dialling in 4to, anno....

[1291]Mr. Edward Wright, ex _Catalogo Bibl. Bodleianae_.

Description of the sphere in three parts, London 1613----W. 1. 7.

Treatise of dialling, London 1614, 4to----H. 30. Art.

Correction of errors in navigation, 4to----W. 16. Art., et London 1599, 4to----W. 2. Art. BS.

The earle of Cumberland's voyage to the Azores, _ibid._

Peruse the prefaces.--'The description of the sphaere' hath no preface, and I believe they were his notes for Prince Henry.

[1292]Mr. Edmund[1293] Wright was of Caius Colledge, in Cambridge. He was one of the best mathematicians of his time; and the _then_ new way of sayling, which yet goes by the name of 'sayling by Mr. Mercator's chart,' was purely his invention, as plainely doeth and may appeare in his learned booke called 'Wright's Errors in Navigation,' in 4to. printed A.D.... Mr. Mercator brought this invention in fashion beyond seas.

He did read mathematiques to Prince Henry, and caused to be made, for his Highnesse more easie understanding of astronomie, a sphaere of wood, about three quarters of a yard diameter, which lay neglected and out of order in the Tower, at London, and Sir Jonas Moor begd it of his present majestie, who showed it to me.

He wrote 'Hypothesis Stellarum Fixarum et Planetarum,' a MS. of three sheetes of paper, which I found among bishop Ward's papers, which I gave to the Museum[1294] at Oxford.

He made a table of Logarithmes (scil. in his Tangents) before Logarithmes were invented and printed, but did not know he had donne it.--from John Collins.

=Edmund Wyld= (1616-16--).

[1295]Edmund Wyld[1296], esq., born at Houghton-Conquest in Bedfordshire, 3ʰ P.M. on a Saterday, Oct. 10th, 1616.

He had the misfortune to kill a man in London, upon a great provocation, about A.D. 1644. He had the plague in the Inner Temple, 1647, and had a grevous quartan ague in Sept. 1656.

Memorandum, Mr. Wyld sayes that the doctors told him that in 1656 there dyed in London of the quartan ague fifteen hundred; N.B. In 1657[1297] Oliver Cromwell, Protector, dyed of a quartan ague.

At Christmas, 1661, Mr. E. W. had a dangerous fever.

=... Yarrington.=

[1298]Capt. Yarrington dyed at London about March last[1299]. The cause of his death was a beating and throwne into a tub of water.

=Anne, duchess of York= (16--- 1671).

[1300]Colonel Popham's great tankard, the dutches Y: dranke it (almost) off at a draught.

APPENDIX I

NOTES OF ANTIQUITIES

<_'Sir' = dominus_.> I remember, before the late warres, the ministers in Herefordshire, etc. (counties that way), had the title of _Sʳ._, as the bachalours of Art[1301] have at Oxon, as 'Sir Richard, of Stretford,' 'Sir William, of Monkland.' And so it was in Wilts, when my grandfather Lyte was a boy; and anciently everywhere. The example of this appeares in the excellent comoedie of _The Scornfull Ladie_, where 'Sir Roger' (the chaplain) has a great part. It was made by Mr. J. Fletcher about the beginning of King James' time; but in all old wills before the reformation it is upon record.--MS. Aubr. 3, fol. 30.

<_The ways of the gentry, tempore Jacobi I._> In those dayes hunting and falconery were at the height: old Serjeant Latham then lived, and writt his falconry[1302]. Good cheere was then much in use; but to be wiser then one's neighbours, scandalous and to be envyed at. And the nobility and gentry were, in that soft peace, damnable prowd and insolent.--MS. Aubr. 3, fol. 30.

<_Ghost-stories._> When I was a child, and so before the civill warres, the fashion was for old women and maydes to tell fabulous stories, night- imes, and of sprights and walking of ghosts, etc. This was derived downe from mother to daughter, etc., from the monkish ballance, which upheld holy Church: for the divines say 'Deny spirits, and you are an atheist.' When the warres came, and with them liberty of conscience and liberty of inquisition, the phantomes vanish. Now children feare no such things, having heard not of them, and are not checked[1303] with such feares.--MS. Aubr. 3, fol. 30.

The first _pointe-de-Venice band_ that was worne in England was by King Charles the first at his coronation. Now[1304], 'tis common.--MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 1ᵛ.

_Point-bands._ The first point-band worne in England was that which King IIᵈ wore when he was crowned: and presently after, the fashion was followed infinitely:--from Mris Judith Dobson, vidua pictoris[1305].--MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 11ᵛ.

_Apothecaries._ Sir Edward Coke, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, saies, as I remember, in the College of Physicians case, that ... Falconti[1306], an Italian, was the first apothecarie in London. But vide Sir Geofrey Chaucer, in his Prologue of the Doctor of Physick, [s c.[1307] xiiiiᵗʰ, thus]:--

'Full readie had he his apothecaries To send him drugg and electuaries.'

And Mr. Anthony à Wood shewes in his Oxon. Antiquities[1308] that there was a place there, called _Apothecaria_, 300 yeares ago. In queen Elizabeth's time the apothecaries did sell sack in their shoppes: my grandfather[1309] and severall old men that I knew heretofore did remember it.--MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 11ᵛ.

_Tabor and pipe._ When I was a boy, before the late civill warres, the tabor and pipe were commonly used, especially Sundays and Holydayes, and at Christnings and Feasts, in the Marches of Wales, Hereford, Glocestershire, and in all Wales. Now it is almost lost: the drumme and trumpet have putte that peaceable musique to silence. I believe 'tis derived from the Greek[1310] _sistrum_, a brasen or iron timbrel; _cratalum_[1311], a ring of brasse struck with an iron rod--so we play with the key and tongs.--MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 11ᵛ.

_Clocks_:--Chaucer, Nonne's Priest's tale--(Chanteclere).

'Well sikerer was his crowing in his loge Then is a clock or in an Abbey an orloge.'

Sir Geoffrey Chaucer obiit 1400, aetatis 72.--MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 10ᵛ.

clock[1312] at Paule's on the north crosse aisle west side stately. That at Welles is like it. Vide Chaucer in aliqua vita[1313].--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 10ᵛ.

_Spectacles_[1314]. Dr. Pell tells me the antiquity of spectacles is about two hundred yeares standing, and that they were sold, when first invented, for 3 or 5 _li._ a paire. The ancientest author wherin he finds them is cardinal Cusa--vide Cusanum, quaere Sir John Hoskins, who (I thinke) knowes. ['Tis ... Redi, an Italian, about 400 yeares since.] The Germans call them _Brill_, from the beril-stone, i.e. chrystall, of which they were first made. Κρύσταλλος is not properly 'chrystall,' but 'ice.' Erasmus in Colloquio Senis--

'Quid tibi vis cum vitreis oculis, fascinator?'

Vide Thomas Hobbes' Optiques in libro De Homine, where he interprets this piece of Plautus, in Cistellaria, act. 1, scen. 1:--

'Conspicillo consequutus 'st clanculum me usque ad fores,'

where he proves that there 'conspicillo' could not signify a paire of spectacles, as we now use it: for then he could not have kenned her at a distance. I remember he told me 'tis that which the French call _vidette_, a hole to peepe out at.--Vide <Hier.> Sirturus _de Perspicillis_, a thin 4to: Mr. Edmund Wyld has it, scil. a rarity.--MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 11.

_Gunnes._ The Almanack chronologie tells us (1680)--'Since _the invention of gunnes_'--by ..., a monke of ..., in Germany--'270 yeares,' scil. in the reigne of , anno 1410. Philip de Commines tells us that in his time, when Charles 8 went into Italy, the country-people flocked mightily to see the great gunnes shott off, which was the first time they came in use: but musquetts and fowling-peeces came not to perfection long after. Memorandum:--in the Princes' Chamber at the House of Lords[1315], scil. the roome where the king does retire, are very old hangings, viz. of Edward the Fourth's time, in which is described the invention and use of gunnes. The muskets there are only a long tube stop't at one end, with a touch-hole, and fitted to a long staff. This gun one holds on a rest and aimes; and then another comes with a lighted match in a stick and gives fire, so that 'twas the worke of two men then to manage one piece. Till the late warres refined locksmiths' worke, I remember when I was boy the firelocks were very bungling to what they now are. And in queen Elizabeth's time they used _calivers_, of which I remember many in gentlemen's halls before the civill wars (for then the soldiers converted them into carbines). The stock was like a wooden basting-ladle, and it had a match-lock, and was not much longer then a carbine.

'Cualibre' in French signifies the bore of a gun, or the size of the bore; and (thence) also the size capacity or fashion of any such thing--Cotgrave's Dictionary.--MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 11.

<_Printing._> Memorandum, in the librarie of Francis Bernard, M.D., in London, behind Sepulcher's church, is Tulie's Offices ('tis printed _Tulii_) in 4to, printed at Mentz by Fust, 1466.--The sayd Dr. sayes that he hath seen Saint Hierome on the Creed, printed at Oxford, 1467[1316].--Memorandum, Mr. ... Morris of Llansilly in Denbighshire hath a manuscript Bible in Welsh 1500[1317] years old. It was found at the dissolution of the monasteries in an old wall which parted the monastery from the Bishop's Palace[1318] at Hereford, lap't-up in lead, and the inscription on it doeth testifie the antiquitie of it. 'Tis thought 'twas hid and layd-up there when the great difference, and troubles, was between the Welsh monkes and those of Austin the monke:--from Mr. Middleton, Denbighshire, merchant in London. Quaere Mr. Meredith Lloyd de hoc: there may be something of trueth to be pickt out in this storie.--MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 11.

_Catafalconi_ is the magnificent contrivance for kings' and princes' and generalls' effigies to lie in state in some eminent church for some weekes, e.g. King James Iˢᵗ; Robert, earle of Essex; generall Monke, duke of Albemarle. It takes its name from 'Falconi,' which signifies in Italian 'an eagle.'--Memorandum at the solemne funeralls of the Roman emperors they had an eagle to fly away from the _rogus_ when it tooke fire.--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 3.

<_Stained glass in Oxford._> When I came to Oxford, crucifixes were common in the glasse windowes in the studies' windowes[1319]; and in the chamber windowes were canonized saints (e.g. in my chamber window, St. Gregorie the great, and another, broken), and scutcheons with[1320] the pillar, the whip, the dice, and the cock. But after 1647 they were all broken--'downe went Dagon!' Now no vestigia to be found.--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 3.

Mr. Fabian Philips sayes the winter 1625 before the plague was such a mild winter as this[1321]: quod N.B.--MS. Aubr. 8, a slip at fol. 6.

Quaere Dick Brocas, prisoner in King's Bench, pro legier booke of Bradstock abbey.--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 6ᵛ.

Quaere nomen ecclesiae unde deducebantur picturae Mri. Davys.--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 6ᵛ.

Oliver turned out the parliament, 20 Apr. 1653.--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 5.

... Knox began his voyage to Tunquin, Aug. 18, 1681.--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 5ᵛ.

_The first beginning of the Royal Society_ (where they putt discourse in paper and brought it to use) was in the chamber of William Ball, esqr., eldest son of Sir Peter Ball of Devon, in the Middle Temple. They had meetings at taverns before, but 'twas here where it formally and in good earnest sett up[1322]. In Dr. Spratt's History you may see when the patent was granted.--MS. Aubr. 8, a slip at fol. 6.

<_Wiltshire._> Quaere Mr. Mariet and Mr. Packer (pro Anthony Wood) if a camp neer Camden, and if another on Broadway.--Memorandum ... my brother's notes of ... Hyde, etc., into 'Liber[1323] B' before I send it to Anthony Wood.--'Liber[1324] A' (preface)--the 'clerici' (i.e. parish priests) did write the bayliffs' accounts and that in Latin, a specimen whereof I have with me of....--MS. Aubr. 8, a slip at fol. 13.

<_Oxford._> Insert the shields in St. Ebbe's church at Oxon in 'Liber B.'--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 6ᵛ.

The _paper mill_ at Bemmarton, Wilts, is 112 yeares standing (1681). 'Twas the second in England.--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 28ᵛ.

_Jessamines_ came into England with Mary[1325], the queen-mother; _Laurell_ was first brought over by Alathea[1326], countesse of Arundell, grandmother to this duke of Norfolke[1327].--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 28ᵛ.

Rider's , 1682:--'Since _tobacco_[1328] brought into England by Sir Walter Raleigh, 99 yeares; the custome[1329] wherof now is the greatest of all others and amounts yearly to....--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 103.

Rider's Almanack, 1682:--'Since Tobacco first used, 99 yeares; since the New River was brought to London, 79; since _coaches_ were first used, 128.'--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 28ᵛ.

The first _glasse-coach_ that came into England was the duke of Yorke's when the king was restored. In a very short time they grew common, and now (1681), at Waltham or Tottnam high crosse, is sett-up a mill for grinding of coach-glasses and looking glasses (much cheaper, viz.).--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 28ᵛ.

_Penny Post Office_, vide vitam R. Morey[1330]. Mr. Robert Murrey began it in May 1680, and the duke of York seized on it in 1682[1331]--quaere about what time of the yeare? Let Mr. Murry goe to Dr. Chamberlayne at Suffolke house.--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 30.

<_The penny post._> Doe right to Mr. Murrey in a Memorandum as to the refelling of Dr. Chamberlayne who ascribes that invention or project of the 1ᵈ post to W. Dockwray, which is altogether false.--MS. Aubr. 8, a slip at fol. 13.

<_Printing._> Mr. J. Gadbury assures me that the first printing in England was in Westminster Abbey. They yet retaine the name 'Treasurer of the chapell.'--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 28ᵛ.

Mr. Theodore Haak saieth that the antiquity of _pinnes_ is not above 200 yeares. 'Before, they used a thorne, etc., _more primitivo_. He saies moreover that he heard the Swedish ambassador asked two other ambassadors what they thought was the greatest waste of copper. One, said bells, another said cannons. 'No,' sayd he, ''tis pinnes'--quod N.B.--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 30.

_Shoes._ I doe remember, in my native county of North Wilts, husbandmen did weare high shoes till 1633 common enough, scil. 1/2 bootes slitt and laced. The Benedictine monks wore bootes, I beleeve, like these--at least 1/2 bootes.--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 30.

_Gentilisme_[1332]. Memorandum in Yorkeshire the country woemen doe still _hailst the new mewne_, scil. they kneele with their bare knees on a _grownd-fast stene_ and say _all haile_, etc. The moon hath a greater influence on woemen than on men.--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 69.

_Gentilisme._ Weddings out. Ovid's Fastorum lib. <iii. 397, 398>:--

His etiam conjux apia sancta[1333] dialis Lucibus impexas debet habere comas--

see the two distiches preceding.

This St. Andrewe's crosse we wore on our hatts, pinned on, till the Plott, and never since:--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 69.

_Avebury._ Between pages 1 and 2[1334] insert the scheme of Avebury.--... miles westwards from Marleborough (not far from Bristowe-roade) is a village called Avebury which stands within one of the most remarkeable monuments of its kind in England. It seemes strange to me that so little notice hath been taken of it by writers. Mr. Camden only touches on it and no more.--MS. Aubr 9, fol. 50ᵛ.

<_Palm Sunday._> Antiquity--the fashion hereabout[1335] was before the warres that on Palme Sunday the young men and maydes received the communion, and in the afternoon walkt together under the hedges about the cornefields, which was held to be lucky.--MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 2ᵛ.

<_Simples._> Some write that the water ..., vervayn, ..., ... of sprinkled about the hall or place where any feast or banket is kept maketh all the company both lusty and merry.--Dodoens _Herball_.--MS. Aubr. 21, a slip at fol. 9.

_Witches_ (maleficae). Twisting of trees, tearing and turning up oakes by the roots. Raysing tempests; wracking ships; throwing down steeples; blasting plantes; dwindle away young children. To overlooke and binde the spirits and phantasy; bewhattling and making men impotent, woemen miscarry (countesse of Carlisle). Whirlewinds; haracanes.

Mr. Morehouse[1336]:--spirits in 'em. Bishop of Bahuse; the devill's black mace of rammes hornes; the session, à la mode de Royal Society, with ballotting box. Memorandum;--Sir H. B. wise men alwaies saw that as some malicious woemen increased in yeares, increased also in malice: set howses on fire, mischiefe children, etc. Thought it better to have them underground then above ground and raise storms: the familiars could not handsomely knock 'em in the head.--MS. Aubr. 21, p. 11.

<_Provincial ignorance._> Sir Eglamour and Fitz-ale discourse of the gothique manner of living of these gentlemen, of their ignorance, and envy of civilized and ingeniouse men; of the promising growth of civility and knowledge in the next generation[1337] (in our grandfathers' or great-grandfathers' dayes few gentlemen could write a letter: then 'the clarke made the justice'); that there is a sort of provinciall witt, or rather a humour that goes for witt, e.g. in the west, which if used in the north, or elsewhere, seemes strange and ridiculous.--MS. Aubr. 21, p. 11.

_Summer watch._ Vide Sir Thomas Smyth's _Commonwealth_ de hac. Cause is that the blood is then high: keepe downe the _juvenilis impetus_. The old men in those dayes were not so ignorant in philosophy as the virtuosi, forsooth, doe thinke they were. They knew, etc.--MS. Aubr. 21, p. 11.

<_Provincial manners._> Collect[1338] the gothicismes and clownrys of ... in Chester. Dick Pawlet, Secole Chivers, W. Ducket's clan of Clowne-hall. Their servants like clownes too, drunkards too: _qualis herus, talis servus_; breeches of one sort, doublet of another, drabled with the teares of the tankard and greasie. He built an alehouse for his servants, without the gate, for convenience sake, because the servants should be within call. (Before they came hither above a mile for their ale.) Vide Osburne, of distinction of habitts.--MS. Aubr. 21, p. 12.

_Country magique._ Walking about the church Midsomer eve at night, one shall meet the party that shall marry. They must goe round the church nine times (or seven times), with a sword drawne, if a man; if a woman, with a scabbard.--To putt a smock on the hedge on Midsommer-eve night, the man that is to have her shall come and turne it.--They take orpin and stick branches of it on the wall, and fancy such a branch for such a man, such a branch for such a woman, and divine their loves and marriage or not-marriage by the inclining or aversion of the branches.--They tye magicall knotts with certayne grasses, which, putt in the bosome of the man or woman, if their love have not love for them, will untye.--MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 24ᵛ.

<_Sketches for designed inventions_: MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 57: illustrated in most cases by drawings. One (fol. 57) is for _a cart with one wheel_, imitated from 'the slids in the forrest of Deane, for their narrow wayes where carts cann't passe.'

Another (fol. 57ᵛ) is for _a balloon_:--'Fill or force in smoake into a bladder and try if the bladder will not be carryed up in the ayre. If it is so, severall bladders may drawe a man up into the ayre a certaine hight, as the holly-berrys arise to the middle of water in a glasse. Memorandum try to what hight they will ascend in a deep vessell, and also try other berryes if any will doe so.'

Another (fol. 57) is for _a flying machine and parachute_:--'Memorandum to propose that Mr. Packer sends to Norfolk or Suffolke to the gentleman that hath with much curiosity measured the feathers in the wings of severall birds and taken proportions of them and the weight of their bodies, and to send to Mr. Francis Potter for his notions of flying and of being safely delivered upon the ground from great heights with a sheet, etc.'

Another (fol. 58) is for _sailing a ship_:--'Memorandum Dr. Wilkins his notion of an umbrella-like invention for retarding a ship when shee drives in a storm.'

Another (fol. 59) is for _a sowing-machine_:--'Let a ginne be invented to shatter out corne by jogging in stead of soweing or setting, the one being, too wastfull, the other taking up too much time; and that the soweing and harrowing may bee but one and the same labour.'>

_Herifordshire._ All the earth red, as also all Wales from Severn to the sea.--The twanging pronunciation more here then in South Wales; in North Wales, not much. So about Newcastle they speak more of the Scotch twang than they doe at Berwick or Scotland.--Get the song or speech of serjant Hoskyns of the earl of Northampton, the Lord President of Wales.--At Mordeford, the serpent with 6 or 8 wings, every ... a paire.--Vide the little bookes of the old earl of Worcester[1339] in 12mo, where, amongst other things, he mentions a profecie by a bard of Ragland, that it should be burnd or destroyed and afterwards be rebuilt out of Redwood; set forth (vide), I thinke, by Dr. Bayly his chaplain: where be many pretty romances of that earle, etc., his life and death, etc. The same Dr. also writt a booke in folio (thinne) called _Parietaria_: which see. He (or his father[1340]) would shoe his horse. Was a great patron to the musicians, e.g. Caporavio, etc. This duke's father[1341] had an excellent mechanicall head: quaere what he writt: Mr. Wyld, I thinke, hath the booke printed in red.--MS. Aubr. 31, p. 68.

_Monmouthshire._ About the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's time Welsh was spoken much in Hereford and I believe 100 years before that as far as the Severn. It weares out more and more in South Wales, especially since the Civill Warres (and so in Cornwall: Mr. Francis Potter did see one that spake of a woman towards the farther end of Cornwall that could speak no English)--but they still retaine their ancient way of pronunciation, which is with a twang worse than the Welsh.--MS. Aubr. 21, p. 68ᵛ.

<_Dress._> Memorandum--anciently no bandes worne about their neckes, but furre: as in old glasse pictures.--Memorandum till queen Elizabeth's time, no hattes, but cappes, i.e. bonnetts.--Trunke hose in fashion till the later end of King James the first.--About 90 yeares ago[1342] (1670) noblemen and gentlemen's coates were of the fashion of the bedells and yeomen of the guard, i.e. gathered at the girdle place; and our benchers' gownes retayne yet that fashion of gathering.--MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 95ᵛ.

By reason of fasting dayes all gentlemen's howses had anciently _fishponds_, and fish in the motes about the howse.--MS. Aubr. 31, fol. 95ᵛ.

Heretofore _glasse windowes_ were very rare, only used in churches and the best roomes of gentlemen's howses. Yea, in my remembrance, before the civill warres, copyholders and ordinary poore people had none. Now the poorest people, that are upon almes, have it. In Herefordshire, Monmouth, Salop, etc., it is so still. But now this yeare (1671) are goeing up no lesse then 3 glasse-howses between Glocester and about Worcester, so that glasse will be common over all England.--MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 95ᵛ.

Memorandum--without doubt, before the Reformation there was no county in England but had severall _glasse-painters_. I only remember one poore one, an old man (Harding) at Blandford, in that trade.--MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 95ᵛ.

_Riding at the quintin at weddings_ is now left in these partes[1343] but in the west of England is sometimes used yet. I remember when I learned to read English I saw one at Will Tanner's wedding sett up at the green by Bownet howse by the pounde. Vide the masque of Ben Johnson, wher is a perfect description of rideing at the quintin. Quaere the antiquity and rise of it.--Memorandum I sawe somewhere that rideing at the quintin is a remayn of the Roman exercise; vide Juvenal[1344], Satyr vi. 248--

Aut quis non vidit vulnera pali[1345] Quem cavat assiduis sudibus, scutoque lacessit Atque omnes implet numeros?

A quintin[1346] ('quintaine' in French).

(_a_) a leather satchell filled with sand.

(_b_) a roller of corne[1347] pitched on end in some crosse way or convenient place where the bride comes along home.

(_c_) at this end the fellowes that bring home the bride give a lusty bang with their clubbes or truncheons which they have for the purpose, and if they are not cunning and nimble the sandbag takes them in the powle ready to hitt them off their horses. They ride a full career when they make their stroke.

(_a c_) a piece of wood about a nell[1348] long that turnes on the pinne of the rowler (_e_).--MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 95.

_Chelsey Hospitall._ On Thursday morning, February the sixteenth 1681/2, his majestie layed the foundation stone of the college appointed for the reliefe of indigent officers at Chelsey College.--MS. Aubr. 23, fol. 20ᵛ.

<_Siamese twins_[1349].> May 19, 1680, about sun rising were borne at Hillbrewers neer Ilminster in Somerset twinne sisters growne together at the belley: christned Aquila and Priscilla. Quaere the judgment by Dr. Bernard.--MS. Aubr. 33, fol. 92.

_Rollright stones._ Except 1, 2, the rest + - 4 foote[1350]; about 4-1/2; quaere quot[1351].--MS. Aubr. 23, a slip at fol. 92.

<_Apparition_[1352].> 1679: as he was a bed sick of an ague, (he awake--daytime) came to him the vision of a Master of Arts with a white wand in his hand, and told him that if he lay on his back three howres, viz. 10 to 1, that he should be rid of his ague. He was weary[1353] and turned and immediately the ague came: after, he did not, etc., and was perfectly well.--MS. Aubr. 23, a slip at fol. 100ᵛ.

<_Soap._> A Bristow-man living in Castile in Spain learn't their art of making soape, which he did first set up in Bristowe about the yeare 1600. By this, alderman Rogers there gott a great estate, and Mr. ... Broughton[1354] was the first that improved barren ground there with the soape-ashes, now not uncommon.--MS. Aubr. 26, page 18.

A Bristow-man living in Castile in Spaine learnt their art of makeing soape, which he first sett-up in Bristow, now (1681) 80 + yeares since.--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 28ᵛ.

<_The Fishmongers' Company, London._> To discover[1355] and find out the lands concealed and embezilled by the Fishmongers' company, which was to maintain so many scholars in Oxford and for the ease of poor Catholiques in Lent. Mr. Fabian Philips tells me I may find out the donation in Stow's Survey of London: he can put me in a way to help me to a third or fourth part for the discoverie. J. Collins, who enformed me of this discovery, sayd the lands are worth some thousands per annum, scil. two or three thousand pounds per annum, which devout Catholiques in ancient times gave to this company for their pious and charitable use. My lord Hunsdon would be a good instrument herein. Memorandum in the records of the Tower are to be found many graunts, etc., to the Fishmongers' company. Edmund Wyld; esq., saith that the old Parliament did intend to have had an inspection into charitable uses. See Sir Richard Baker's Chronicle pag. 267 G, anno 22 Henry VII <1507>, scil. Thomas Knesworth, mayor of London, gave to the Fishmongers' company, certain tenements for which they are bound to allow fower scholars, that is to say, two at Oxon, and two at Cambridge, to each of them fower pounds per annum, as also to poor people prisoners in Ludgate something yeerely. Quaere Anthony Wood de hiis.--MS. Aubr. 26, page 1.

APPENDIX II

AUBREY'S COMEDY OF RESTORATION MANNERS

<While hiding from the bailiffs in 1671 at Broad Chalk, Aubrey (see i. 52) set himself to compose a comedy descriptive of country life as he had seen it, abating nothing of its grossness, and concealing nothing of its immorality. The rude draft of this comedy is found in MS. Aubrey 21, written in the blank spaces and between the lines of a long legal document.

Although few of the scenes are sketched, and fewer completed, it is possible to form an idea of the scope and plot of the piece.

The jumbling together of all classes of society in the rude merriment of a country wake was designed to bring out the follies and vices of them all. A few gentlemen and ladies of the old school, of courtly manners and decent carriage, were brought in to set out by contrast the boorishness, the insolence, and the mad drunken bouts of Aubrey's contemporaries. A mixed company of sow-gelders, carters, dairy-maids, gypsies, were to give evidence, in dialogue and song, of the coarse talk and the vile ideas of the vulgar. And a still more disreputable rout of squires who had left their wives and taken up with cook-maids, and of heiresses who had run away with grooms, was to exemplify the degradation of the gentry. In several cases, over the names of his _Dramatis Personae_, Aubrey has jotted the names or initials of the real persons he was copying.

The plot was to have a double movement; on the one hand, the innocent loves of a boy and girl of gentle birth, living in disguise as shepherd and dairy-maid, the 'Lord and Lady of the Maypole,' and, on the other hand, the fortunes of an adulteress, pursued by her husband, following her paramour in page's attire, jealous of his attentions to other women, ending in murder all round--'Raynes[1356] comes and invades Sir Fastidious Overween, and is slayne by him; and then Sir Fastidious neglects her; she comes and stabbes him, and then herselfe.'

The scene, on the title-page, is laid, for a blind, at 'Aldford in Cheshire, by the river Dee, St. Peters day, 1669'; but in