Note 350 — The Drawing Room. (continued 2)

In the year 1774, was published an octavo volume, containing the lives of William Lilly the astrologer, and Elias Ashmole the antiquary: two of the greatest cronies of their day. The particulars of Ashmole's life are drawn from his own Diary, in which is detailed every thing the most minute and ridiculous; while many of the leading features in his character, and many interesting occurrences in his life, are wholly suppressed. The editor has not evinced much judgment in causing posterity to be informed when Ashmole's "great and little teeth ached, or were loose:" when his "neck break forth, occasioned by shaving his beard with a bad razor" (p. 312); when "his maid's bed was on fire, but he rose quickly (thanking God) and quenched it" (p. 313); and when he "scratched the right-side of his buttocks, &c., and applied pultices thereunto, made of white bread crums, oil of roses, and rose leaves;" (p. 363—and see particularly the long and dismal entries at p. 368.) All this might surely have been spared, without much injury to the reputation of the sufferer. Yet, in some other minute entries, we glean intelligence a little more interesting. At p. 324, we find that Ashmole had quarrelled with his wife; and that "Mr. Serjeant Maynard observed to the Court that there were 800 sheets of depositions on his wife's part, and not one word proved against him of using her ill, or ever giving her a bad or provoking word:" at page 330, we find Ashmole accompanying his heraldic friend Dugdale, in his "visitations" of counties; also that "his picture was drawn by Le Neve in his herald's coat:" Loggan afterwards drew it in black lead: p. 352. But here again (p. 353) we are gravely informed that "his tooth, next his fore tooth in his upper jaw, was very loose, and he easily pulled it out, and that one of his middle teeth in his lower jaw, broke out while he was at dinner." He sat (for the last time) for "a second picture to Mr. Ryley," p. 379. Ashmole's intimacy with Lilly was the foundation of the former's (supposed) profundity in alchemical and astrological studies. In this Diary we are carefully told that "Mr. Jonas Moore brought and acquainted him with Mr. William Lilly, on a Friday night, on the 20th of November," p. 302. Ashmole was then only 26 years of age; and it will be readily conceived how, at this susceptible period, he listened with rapture to his master's exposition of the black art, and implicitly adopted the recipes and maxims he heard delivered. Hence the pupil generally styled himself Mercuriophilus Anglicus, at the foot of most of his title-pages: and hence we find such extraordinary entries, in the foresaid diary, as the following: "This night (August 14, 1651) about one of the clock, I fell ill of a surfeit, occasioned by drinking water after Venison. I was greatly oppressed in my stomach; and next day Mr. Saunders, the astrologian, sent me a piece of briony-root to hold in my hand; and within a quarter of an hour my stomach was freed from that great oppression," p. 314. "Sep. 27, 1652, I came to Mr. John Tompson's, who dwelt near Dove Bridge; he used a call, and had responses in a soft voice," p. 317. At p. 318 is narrated the commencement of his acquaintance with the famous Arise Evans, a Welsh prophet: whose "Echo from Heaven," &c., 2 parts, 1652, 12mo., is a work noticed by Warburton, and coveted by bibliomaniacs. Yet one more quack-medicine entry: "March 11, 1681. I took early in the morning a good dose of Elixir, and hung three spiders about my neck, and they drove my ague away—Deo gratias!" p. 359. It seems that Ashmole always punctually kept "The Astrologer's Feast;" and that he had such celebrity as a curer of certain diseases, that Lord Finch the Chancellor "sent for him to cure him of his rheumatism. He dined there, but would not undertake the cure," p. 364. This was behaving with a tolerable degree of prudence and good sense. But let not the bibliomaniac imagine that it is my wish to degrade honest old Elias Ashmole, by the foregoing delineation of his weaknesses and follies. The ensuing entries, in the said Diary, will more than counterbalance any unfavourable effect produced by its precursors; and I give them with a full conviction that they will be greedily devoured by those who have been lucky enough to make good purchases of the entire libraries of deceased characters of eminence. In his 37th year, Ashmole "bought of Mr. Milbourn all his books and mathematical instruments;" and the day after (N.B. "8 o'clock, 39 min. post merid.") "he bought Mr. Hawkins's books," p. 312. In the ensuing year he "agreed with Mrs. Backhouse, of London, for her deceased husband's books," p. 313. He now became so distinguished as a successful bibliomaniac that Seldon and Twysden sought his acquaintance; and "Mr. Tredescant and his wife told him that they had been long considering upon whom to bestow their closet of curiosities, and at last had resolved to give it unto him," p. 326. Having by this time (A.D. 1658) commenced his famous work upon The Order of the Garter, he was introduced to Charles II.: kissed hands, and was appointed by the king "to make a description of his medals, and had them delivered into his hands, and Henry the VIIIth's closet assigned for his use," p. 327. In this same year came forth his "Way to Bliss;" 4to.: a work so invincibly dull that I despair of presenting the reader with any thing like entertainment even in the following heterogeneous extract: "When our natural heat, the life of this little world, is faint and gone, the body shrinks up and is defaced: but bring again heat into the parts, and likewise money into the bankrupt's coffers, and they shall be both lusty, and flourish again as much as ever they did. But how may this heat be brought again? To make few words, even as she is kept and held by due meat and motion; for if she faint, and falleth for want of them only, then give her them, and she shall recover herself again. Meat is the bait that draws her down: motion comes after, like a Gad-Bee, to prick her forward; but the work is performed in this order. First this meat, which is that fine and æthereal oyl often above-described, by the exceeding piercing swifteness, divides, scatters, and scowres away the gross and foul dregs and leavings which, for want of the tillage of heat, had overgrown in our bodies, and which was cast, like a blockish stay-fish in the way, to stay the free course of the ship of life: these flying out of all sides, abundantly pluck up all the old leavings of hair, nails, and teeth, by the roots, and drive them out before them: in the mean while, our medicine makes not onely clear way and passage for life, if she list to stir and run her wonted race (which some think enough of this matter), but also scattereth all about her due and desired meat, and first moisture to draw her forward. By which means our life, having gotten both her full strength and liveliness, and returned like the sun in summer into all our quarters, begins to work afresh as she did at first; (for being the same upon the same, she must needs do the same) knitting and binding the weak and loose joynts and sinews, watering and concocting all by good digestion; and then the idle parts like leaves shall, in this hot summer, spring and grow forth afresh, out of this new and young temper of the body: and all the whole face and shew shall be young again and flourishing," pp. 119, 120. With such a farrago of sublime nonsense were our worthy forefathers called upon to be enlightened and amused! But I lose sight of Ashmole's book-purchases. That he gave away, as well as received, curious volumes, is authenticated by his gift of "five volumes of Mr. Dugdale's works to the Temple Library:" p. 331. "Again: I presented the public library at Oxford with three folio volumes, containing a description of the Consular and Imperial coins there, which I had formerly made and digested, being all fairly transcribed with my own hand," p. 332. But mark well: "My first boatful of books, which were carried to Mrs. Tredescant's, were brought back to the Temple:" also, (May 1667) "I bought Mr. John Booker's study of books, and gave 140l. for them," p. 333. In the same year that his Order of the Garter was published, his "good friend Mr. Wale sent him Dr. Dee's original books and papers," p. 339. But he yet went on buying: "Nil actum reputans, dum quid superesset agendum:" for thus journalises our super-eminent bibliomaniac:—(June 12, 1681) "I bought Mr. Lilly's library of books of his widow, for fifty pounds," p. 360. In August, 1682, Ashmole went towards Oxford, "to see the building prepared to receive his rarities;" and in March, 1683, "the last load of his rarities was sent to the barge." In July, 1687, he received a parcel of books from J.W. Irnhoff, of Nurembergh, among which was his Excellentium Familiarum in Gallia Genealogia: p. 379. But it is time to put an end to this unwieldly note: reserving the account of Ashmole's Order of the Garter, and Theatrum Chemicum, for the ensuing one—and slightly informing the reader, of what he may probably be apprized, that our illustrious bibliomaniac bequeathed his museum of curiosities and library of books to his beloved Alma Mater Oxoniensis—having first erected a large building for their reception. It is justly said of him, in the inscription upon his tombstone,