AUBREY'S 'BRIEF LIVES' (continued 2)

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

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

<Return to England.>

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

<First wife and children.>

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

<Separation from his first wife.>

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

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

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

<Second wife.>

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

<Third wife.>

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

<His public employment.>

He was Latin secretary to the Parliament[274].

<His blindness.>

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

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

<Writings after his blindness.>

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

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

<His later residences.>

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

<His death and burial.>

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

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

<Personal characteristics.>

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

In toto nusquam corpore menda fuit.

Ovid. <1 Amor. 5, 18.>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<Portraits of him.>

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

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

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

<His habits.>

[295]His exercise was chiefly walking.

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

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

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

Temperate man, rarely dranke between meales.

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

<Notes about some of his works.>

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

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

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

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

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

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

<Catalogue of his writings.>

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

[312]1. Of Reformation. Qu. whether two books?

Against prelatical Episcopacy.

2. The reason of Church Goverment.

3. A defence of Smectymnuus.

4. The Doctrin and Disciplin of Divorce. All these in prosecution of the same subject.

5. Colasterion.

6. The Judgement of Martin Bucer.

7. Tetrachordon (of divorce).

Areopagitica, viz. for the libertie of the presse.

Of Education.

Iconoclastes.

Tenure of Kings and Magistrates.

Defensio populi Anglicani.

Defensio 2^da contra Morum.

Defensio 3^tia.

His Logick.

Of the powr of the civil magistrate in ecclesiastical affairs.

Against Hirelings (against Tythes).

Of a Commonwealth.

Against Dr. Griffith.

Of Toleration, Heresie, and Schisme.

[313]Catalogus Librorum[XXV.].

1. Poëms, 8vo, printed.... Twice printed. Some writt but at 18. Of Reformation.

2. Εἰκονοκλάστης, printed at....

3. pro populo Anglicano defensio, contra Salmasium.

4. Tetrachordon, 4to: of divorce.

5. Paradise Lost, 4to. Edward Philips his cheif amanuensis.

6. Regained, 4to.

7. Latine epistles, 8vo. Familiar. Politique.

8. Latin grammar in English, 8vo.

9. The history of Britain from the first tradicionall beginning continued to the Norman Conquest, 4to, London, MDCLXX, for James Alesly, Rose and Crowne, Paul's Churchyard. Scripsit prout per effigiem [sed falsam] 1670, aetat. 62.

10. A letter of education to Mr. S. Hartlib (with his poëms).

11. A brief history of Muscovia and other less knowne countries lyeing eastward. Advertisement:—'writt by the author's owne hand before he lost his sight and intended to have printed it before his death.'

12. His logick.

13. Idea Theologiae in MS. in the handes of Mr. Skinner, a merchant's sonne, in Marke-lane. Memorandum there was one Mr. Skinner of the Jerkers office up 2 paire of stayres at the Custome-house.

14. He wrote a dictionary called Idioma linguae Latinae (from Mr. Packer who was his scholar).

<An almost contemporary life of Milton.>

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

<His acquaintance.>

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

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

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

Mr. <Cyriack> Skinner, who was his disciple.

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

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

George Monk (1608-1670).

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

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

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

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

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

Vide the Ballad-booke[321].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sir Jonas Moore (1617-1679).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notes.

Sir Robert Moray (16—-1673).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sir Thomas More (1480-1535).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sir Thomas More, knight: Quaestiones duae:—

—An chimaera bombinans in vacuo possit comedere secundas intentiones?

—An averia capta in Withernamio sint replegiabilia?

Memorandum:—his folio, English.

Epigrammata, 16mo.

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

His behaviour on the scaffold.

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

Note.

Lancelot Morehouse (16—-1672).

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

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

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

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

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

Sir Thomas Morgan (16—-1679).

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

From Mr. Howe:—

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

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

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

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

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

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

William Morgan (1622-16—).

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

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

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

Note.

These Morgans of Wells were 'cousins' of Aubrey: see in the life of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey. The William Morgan who is there mentioned I take to be William Morgan (son of John Morgan, gent., of Worminster, co. Som.) who matriculated at Christ Church on Dec. 13, 1639, aged 17, to be the Captain (or Major) William Morgan of this notice. William Morgan, the son, of this notice, is probably William Morgan (son of William Morgan of Wells, co. Som., gent.) who matriculated at Trinity College, May 27, 1669, aged 16.

John Morton (1410-1500).

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

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

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

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

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

Thomas Mouffet (1553-1604).

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

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

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

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

... Munday (16—-166-).

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

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

Mr. Baker[380] knew him.

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

Robert Murray (1633-1725).

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

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

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

Richard Napier (1559-1634).

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

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

Note.

Sir Richard Napier (1608-1675/6).

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

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

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

Notes.

Sir William Neale (1610-1690/1).

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

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

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

He died poenitent.

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

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

Richard Neile (1562-1640).

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

William Neile (1637-1670).

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

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

John Newton (1622-1678).

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

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

John Norden (1548-1625).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roger North (1585?-1652).

[402]Captain Roger North was brother to <Dudley, 3rd> lord North. He was a great acquaintance of Sir Walter Ralegh's and accompanied him in his voyages. He was with him at Guiana, and never heard that word[403] but he would fall into a passion for the miscariage of that action.

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

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

He was a most accomplished gentleman.

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

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

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

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

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

Thomas North (1535-1601).

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

Richard Norwood (1590?-1675).

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

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

In his Epistle to the Reader before his Trigonometrie:—

'but I am already sensible of the unfriendly dealings of some, even of our own countreymen, who, when these tables were printing and almost finished, came to the printing house and not onely tooke a sufficient view of them there, but carried away a president without the printer's leave, and have caused them to be printed beyond sea, the impression or a great part of it being already come over.

Tower-hill, anno 1631, November 1.'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

William Noy (1577-1634).

[412]From Fabian Philips, esq.:—

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John Ogilby (1600-1676).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[436]Anno 16—he went into Ireland with the lord Strafford (Deputy) and rode in his troupe of guards, as one of my lord's gentlemen, which gave occasion of his writing an excellent copie of verses called The description of a trouper, which gett[437].

Mr. J. O. was[438] in the Lord Lieutenant's troope of guards, and taught his lady and children to dance; that was his place. And he there made those excellent verses of the Trouper (quaere). 'Twas there he....

knees 'gainst knees (umbonibus umbo).

Upon this Mr. Chantrel[XXXIX.] putt him upon learning the Latin tongue (in the 40 aetat. +), and taught him himself and tooke a great deale of paines with him. This was the first time he began his Latin. He stayed in Ireland a good while after the warres broke-out.

[440]After John Ogilby had built the theatre at Dublin, he was undon at the Irish rebellion. He was wreckt at sea, and came to London very poor, and went on foot to Cambridge.

[441]Mr. J. Ogilby wrote at Dublin (being then of the gaurdes of the earle of Strafford) the character of a trooper, in English verse, which is very witty: Mr. Morgan hath promised to gett it for me. He built the theatre at Dublin. He was undon at the Irish rebellion; returning to England, was wreckt at sea, and came to London very poor and went on foot to Cambridge.

[442]He wrote a play at Dublin, call'd The Merchant of Dublin, never printed.

[443]He came into England about the yeare 1648 (vide the date of his Virgil, 8vo). He printed[XL.] Virgill, translated by himselfe into English verse, 8vo, 164-, dedicated to the right honourable William, lord marquesse of Hertford, who loved him very well.

After he had translated Virgil, he learned Greeke[XLI.] of Mr. Whitfield[444], a Scotch bishop's son, and grew so great a proficient in it that he fell-to to translate Homer's Iliads, 1660.

Next, as if by a prophetique spirit, foreseeing the restauration of King Charles II^d, and also the want there might be of Church Bibles, he[445]printed the fairest impression, and the most correct of English Bibles, in royall and imperiall paper, that ever was yet donne.

He printed and published his majestie's entertainment at his coronation, in folio with cutts, 1662.

The same yeare (1662) he went into Ireland again, being then, by patent (before, but by warrant) master of the revells, having disputed his right with Sir William Davenant, who had gott a graunt, and built a noble theatre at Dublin, which cost 2000 li., the former being ruined[446] in the troubles.

His Odysses came out in 1665. People did then suspect, or would not beleeve that 'twas he was the author of the paraphrase upon Æsop, and to convince them he published a 2^d volume, which he calles his Æsopiques, which[447] he did during the sicknesse, in his retirement at Kingston upon Thames, after he had published Homer's Iliads and Odysses.

His History of China, in fol., anno ... (before the fire); then his History of Japan.

The generall and dreadfull conflagration burn't all that he had, that he was faine to begin the world again, being then at best worth 5 li.

He had such an excellent inventive and prudentiall witt, and master of so good addresse, that when he was undon he could not only shift handsomely (which is a great mastery[448]), but he would make such rationall proposalls that would be embraced by rich and great men, that in a short time he could gaine a good estate again, and never failed in any thing he ever undertooke but allwayes went through with profits and honour[449].

Being thus utterly undon again by the fire, he made his proposalls for the printing of a faire English Atlas[450], of which he lived to finish the Historys of Africa, America, and part of Asia. And then, being encouraged by the king and the nobility to make[451] an actuall survey of England and Wales[AL], he proceeded in it so far as to an actuall survey of the roads both in England and Wales, which composed his ... volume of his Britannia, published....

[452]Mr. John Ogilby died Sept. 4, 1676; and was buried in the vault at St. Bride's.

[453]Vide his obiit in Almanack[454] 1675: quaere Mr. Lacy.

[455]Anno ... John Ogilby maried ..., the daughter of ... Fox[XLII.], of Netherhampton, neer Wilton in com. Wilts, who was borne as he was wont to say 'in the first Olympiad,' scil. when the first race was ran at Sarum in Henry[456], earle of Pembroke's time. She had only one daughter by him, maried to ... Morgan, who left a son who now suceeds his grandfather as his majestie's cosmographer. She dyed in London ... being aged ... (neer 90[457]).

[458]His wife dyed 3 or 4 dayes before Xtmas 1677, aetatis circiter[459] 112.

Notes.

Thomas Osborne, Earl of Danby (1631/2-1712).

[461]Lord Treasurer, Thomas, earle of Danby, natus A.D. 1631º, Febr. 19º, hor. 15 min. 53 P.M.—latit. 54.

[462]'20 Febr., 1631/2, fower a clock in the morn.'—I take this to be the Lord Treasurer's <nativity>, scil. Thomas, earle of Danby. Respondet—'tis so.

William Oughtred (1574-1660).

[463]Gulielmus Oughtred[AM] natus 5 Martii 1574, 5^h P.M.

[464]Mr. Oughtred:—Mr. <John> Sloper tells me that his father was butler of Eaton Colledge: he remembers him, a very old man.

[465]William Oughtred:—vide Henry Coley's Astrologie.—A note from my honoured and learned friend Thomas Flud, esq., who had been High Sheriff of Kent, scilicet, he was Mr. Oughtred's acquaintance. He told me that Mr. Oughtred confessed to him that he was not satisfied how it came about that one might foretell by the starres, but so it was that it fell out true as he did often by his experience find. Mr. T. Flud obiit....

[466]This[467] from Mr. Uniades, who was his scholar.

[Mr. Oughtred's children:—

1. William.

2. Henrey: haz a son (of the Custom-house).

3. Benjamin: a bachelor: yet living.

4. Simon.

5. Edward.

6. George.

7. John.

Marget.

Judeth: married a glazier.

Elizabeth.

One of them <married> to Christopher Brookes of Oxford, a mathematical-instrument-maker.]

[468]Mr. William Oughtred, B.D., Cambr., was borne at Eaton, in Buckinghamshire, neer Windsor, Anno Domini 1574, March the fifth, 5 hours P.M.

His father taught to write at Eaton, and was a scrivener; and understood common arithmetique, and 'twas no small helpe and furtherance to his son to be instructed in it when a schoole-boy. His grandfather came from the north for killing a man. The last knight of the family was one Sir Jeffrey Oughtred. I thinke a Northumberland family (quaere).

Anno Domini ... he was chosen to be one of the King's scholars at Eaton Colledge (vide register). A.D. ... he went to King's Colledge, in Cambridge.

Anno aetatis 23, he writt there his Horologiographia Geometrica, as appeares by the title.

Anno Domini ... he was instituted and inducted into the rectory or parsonage of Albury, in com. Surrey, lett for[469] a hundred pounds per annum: he was pastor of this place fifty yeares.

He maried ... Caryl (an ancient family in those parts), by whom he had nine sonnes (most lived to be men) and four daughters. None of his sonnes he could make[470] scholars.

He was a little man, had black haire, and blacke eies (with a great deal of spirit). His head[471] was always working. He would drawe lines and diagrams on the dust.

His oldest son Benjamin, who lives in the house with my cosen Boothby (who gives him his dyet) and now an old man, he bound apprentice to a watchmaker; who did worke pretty well, but his sight now failes for that fine worke. He told me that his father did use to lye a bed till eleaven or twelve a clock, with his doublet on, ever since he can remember. Studyed late at night; went not to bed till 11 a clock; had his tinder box by him; and on the top of his bed-staffe, he had his inke-horne fix't. He slept but little. Sometimes he went not to bed in two or three nights, and would not come downe to meales till he had found out the quaesitum.

He was more famous abroad for his learning, and more esteemed, then at home. Severall great mathematicians came over into England on purpose to converse[472] with him. His countrey neighbours (though they understood not his worth) knew that there must be extraordinary worth in him, that he was so visited by foreigners.

When Mr. Seth Ward, M.A. and Mr. Charles Scarborough, D.M., came (as in pilgrimage, to see him and admire him)—they lay at the inne at Sheeres (the next parish)—Mr. Oughtred had against their comeing prepared a good dinner, and also he had dressed himselfe, thus, an old red[473] russet cloath-cassock that had been black in dayes of yore, girt with a old leather girdle, an old fashion russet hatt, that had been a bever, tempore reginae Elizabethae. When learned foreigners came and sawe how privately he lived, they did admire and blesse themselves, that a person of so much worth and learning should not be better provided for.

Seth Ward, M.A., a fellow of Sydney Colledge in Cambridge (now bishop of Sarum), came to him, and lived with him halfe a yeare (and he would not take a farthing for his diet), and learned all his mathematiques of him. Sir Jonas More was with him a good while, and learn't; he was but an ordinary logist before. Sir Charles Scarborough was his scholar; so Dr. John Wallis was his scholar; so was Christopher Wren his scholar; so was Mr. ... Smethwyck, Regiae Societatis Socius. One Mr. Austin (a most ingeniose man) was his scholar, and studyed so much that he became mad, fell a laughing, and so dyed, to the great griefe of the old gentleman. Mr. ... Stokes, another scholar, fell mad[474], and dream't that the good old gentleman came to him, and gave[475]him good advice, and so he recovered, and is still well. Mr. Thomas Henshawe, Regiae Societatis Socius, was his scholar (then a young gentleman). But he did not so much like any as those that tugged ☞ and tooke paines to worke out questions. He taught all free.

He could not endure to see a scholar write an ill hand; he taught them all presently to mend their hands. Amongst others Mr. T. H.[476] who when he came to him wrote a lamentable hand, he taught to write very well. He wrote a very elegant hand, and drew his schemes most neatly, as they had been cut in copper. His father (no doubt) was an ingeniose artist at the pen and taught him to write so well.

He was an astrologer, and very lucky in giving his judgements on nativities; he would say, that he did not understand the reason why it should be so, but so it would happen; he did beleeve that some genius or spirit did help. ☞ He has asserted the rational way of dividing the XII houses according to the old way, which (the originall) Elias Ashmole, esq., haz of his owne handwriting; which transcribe. Captaine George Wharton hath inserted it in his Almanack, 1658 or 1659.

The countrey people did beleeve that he could conjure, and 'tis like enough that he might be well enough contented to have them thinke so. I have seen some notes of his owne handwriting on Cattan's Geomantie.

He has told bishop Ward, and Mr. Elias Ashmole (who was his neighbour), that 'on this spott of ground,' (or 'leaning against this oake,' or 'that ashe,') 'the solution of such or such a probleme came into my head, as if infused by a divine genius, after I had thought on it without successe for a yeare, two, or three.'

Ben Oughtred told me that he had heard his father say to Mr. Allen (the famous mathematicall instrument-maker), in his shop, that he had found out the Longitude; sed vix credo.

Nicolaus Mercator, Holsatus (whose mathematicall writings ...), went to see him few yeares before he dyed. 'Twas about midsommer, and the weather was very hott, and the old gentleman had a good fire, and used Mr. Mercator with much humanity (being exceedingly taken with his excellent mathematicall witt), and one piece[477] of his courtesie was, to be mighty importunate with him to sett on his upper hand next the fire; he being cold (with age) thought he[478] had been so too.

He[479] was a great lover of chymistry, which he studyed before his son Ben can remember, and continued it; and told John Evelyn, of Detford, esq., R.S.S., not above a yeare before he dyed, that if he were but five yeares (or three yeares) younger, he doubted not to find out the philosopher's stone. He used to talke much of the mayden-earth[XLIII.] for the philosopher's stone. It was made of the harshest cleare water that he could gett, which he lett stand to putrify, and evaporated by cimmering[480]. Ben tended his furnaces. He has told me that his father would sometimes say that he could make the stone. Quicksilver refin'd and strain'd, and gold as it came naturall over[XLIV.]——

The old gentleman was a great lover of heraldry, and was well knowne[481] with the heralds at their office, who approved his descent[XLV.].

Memorandum:—he struck-out above halfe of the accedence, and wrote new instead. He taught a gentleman in halfe a yeare to understand Latin, at Mr. Duncombe's his parishioner. Quaere his daughter Brookes at Oxford for it[482].

[483]His wife was a penurious woman, and would not allow him to burne candle after supper, by which meanes many a good notion is lost, and many a probleme unsolved; so that Mr. <Thomas> Henshawe, when he was there, bought candle, which was a great comfort to the old man.

The right hon^ble Thomas[484] Howard, earle of Arundel and Surrey, Lord High Marshall of England, was his great patron[485], and loved him intirely. One time they were like to have been killed together by the fall at Albury of a grott, which fell downe but just as they were come out. ☞ My lord had many grotts about his house, cutt in the sandy sides of hills, wherin he delighted to sitt and discourse.

In the time of the civill warres the duke of Florence invited him over, and offered him 500 li. per annum; but he would not accept of it, because of his religion.

Notwithstanding all that has been sayd of this excellent man, he was in danger to have been sequestred, and ... Onslowe that was a great stickler against the royalists and a member of the House of Commons and living not far from him—he translated his Clavis into English and dedicated it to him to clawe with him, and it did soe his businesse and saved him from sequestration. Now this Onslowe was no scholar and hated by the country[486] for bringing his countrymen of Surry into the trap of slaughter when so many petitioners were killed at Westminster and on the roads in pursuite, anno Domini 16—.

I have heard his neighbour ministers say that he was a pittiful preacher; the reason was because he never studyed it, but bent all his thoughts on the mathematiques; but when he was in danger of being sequestred for a royalist, he fell to the study of divinity, and preacht (they sayd) admirably well, even in his old age.

He was a good Latinist and Graecian, as appears in a little treatise of his against one Delamaine, a joyner, who was so sawcy to write against him (I thinke about his circles of proportion): upon which occasion I remember I have seen, many yeares since, twenty or more good verses made[487], which begin to this purpose:—

Enquire for them and insert them.

Before he dyed he burned a world of papers, and sayd that the world was not worthy of them; he was so superb. He burned also severall printed bookes, and would not stirre, till they were consumed. His son Ben was confident he understood magique. Mr. Oughtred, at the Custom House, (his grandson) has some of his papers; I myselfe have his Pitiscus, imbelished with his excellent marginall notes, which I esteeme as a great rarity. I wish I could also have got his Bilingsley's Euclid, which John Collins sayes was full of his annotations.

He dyed the 13^th day of June, 1660, in the yeare of his age eighty-eight + odde dayes. Ralph Greatrex, his great friend, the mathematicall instrument-maker, sayed he conceived he dyed with joy for the comeing-in of the king, which was the 29^th of May before. 'And are yee sure he is restored?'—'Then give me a glasse of sack to[489]drinke his sacred majestie's health.' His spirits were then quite upon the wing to fly away. The 15^th of June he was buried in the chancell at Albury, on the north side neer the cancelli. I had much adoe to find the very place where the bones of this learned and good man lay (and 'twas but 16 yeares after his death). When I first ask't his son Ben, he told me that truly the griefe for his father's death was so great, that he did not remember the place—now I should have thought it would have made him remember it the better—but when he had putt on his considering cap (which was never like his father's), he told as aforesaid, with which others did agree. There is not to this day any manner of memorial for him there, which is a great pitty. I have desired Mr. John Evelyn, etc., to speake to our patrone, the duke of Norfolk, to bestowe a decent inscription of marble on him, which will also perpetuate his grace's fame. I asked Ben concerning the report[490] of his father's dyeing a Roman Catholique: he told me that 'twas indeed true that when he was sick some priests came from my lord duke's (then Mr. Henry Howard, of Norfolk) to him to have discoursed with him, in order to his conversion to their church, but his father was then past understanding. Ben was then by, he told me.

His Clavis Mathematica was first dedicated to the lord <Thomas[491]> Howard, earle of Arundel and Surrey, and Lord Marshall of England, anno Domini MDCXXXI, London, apud Thomam Harperum.

His Clavis Mathematica, denuo limata sive potius fabricata was printed by the said Thomas Harper, 1648.

Editio tertia auctior et emendatior was at Oxford, 1652; where Dr. John Wallis, the Savillian professor, corrected the presse. The old gentleman in his Preface to the Reader mentioned with much respect Seth Ward (Savillian professor of Astronomy), Dr. Charles Scarborough, John Wallis, Mr. Christopher Wren, and Mr. Robert Wood.

He writt a stitch't pamphlet about 163(?4) against ... Delamaine.

His first edition of his Circles of Proportion was in 4to, and dedicated to Sir Kenelm Digby, printed.... The second edition was at Oxford, 165-.

He writt a little pamphlett in 8vo, viz. The new artificiall gauging-rod, with the use therof, London, printed by Augustin Matthewes, 1633. Ben, <his son>, gave me a copie of it; but this art is since much improved.

He wrote a little treatise of watchmaking for the use of his son Benjamin, who told me that Mr. Horton of Whitehall, of the Woodyard, haz the true copie of it.

Memorandum:—about 1678 were printed at Oxon at the Theatre some opuscula of his....

I have heard Mr. Hobbes say, and very truely, that with all his great skill in Algebra, he did never adde one proposition to Geometrie: he could bind up a bundle well.

Mr. John Sloper, vicar of Broad Chalke (which is in the gift of King's College, Cambridge) tells me that Mr. Oughtred's father was the pantler of Eaton College.

Memorandum:—there is a booke of lives in folio, by ... Lloyd, and among others this Mr. Oughtred: which see.

Memorandum:—Richard Blackbourne, of London, M.D., hath Mr. W. Oughtred's genealogie of his owne draweing; gett it for Mr. Elias Ashmole.

[492]Worthy Sir,

I made bold lately when I sent my book in a leter to Mr. Wood[493] to nominate you and Mr. Wallis together with him, to whose judgment and discretion I commit all my right and interest for the printing therof at Oxford. I nowe have sent the Epistle, which, though written long since, yett was soe mislayed and mingled with many other papers, that I thought it lost, and light but lately upon it. Therin I make noe unloving mention of your self and Dr. Scarbrough, whose surname I remember not.

I hope neyther of you will take my officiousnesse in evell part. Yett yf anything shall displease, you are intreated of me to alter it or raze it with a blott; but yf in and by your suffrage it maye passe, I would intreat you to supplie the Doctor's surname.

I have another suit, and that is in behalf of Mr. Brookes, late chosen manciple of Wadham Colledg, that you would be pleased to commend him and give him what countenance you can with the Warden of the house. He is a very honest man, well travelled and experienced in the world, and is also an exact workman in his trade of making mathematical instruments in metall.

Sir, you will be pleased to remember my best respects to Mr. Wallis and favourably to pardon this troublesome interruption of him who am,

Your truly loving freind to my power, William Oughtred. Aldburie April 19, 1651.

To my very worthy and loving freind, Mr. Seth Ward, at Wadham Colledg in Oxford, present.

Note.

William Outram (1625-1679).

In Westminster Abby south aisle, white marble inscription.[494]

Prope jacet Gulielmus Outram, S.T.P. ex agro Derbiensi, collegiorum apud Cantabrigienses S. et individuae Trinitatis et Christi socius, hujus ecclesiae canonicus et Leycestr. archidiaconus, Theologus consummatus et omnibus numeris absolutus, Scriptor nervosus et accuratus, Concionator egregius et assiduus primo in agro Lincoln. postea Londini et tandem apud S. Margaretam Westmon. ubi confecit postremum vitae suae cursum magna cum laude nec minore fructu. Sed in tantis laboribus et animi contentione dum sacrarum literarum et sanctorum patrum studio ardebat ut in renum dolores inciderit, quibus diu afflictus et tandem fractus aequissimo animo e vita discessit Aug. XXIII anno Dni MDCLXXIX postquam impleverat annum quinquagesimum quartum.

His grave-stone (a faire black marble) is not far off from the above-mentioned inscription. There is written on it thus, viz.:—

...

He was a tall spare leane pale consumptive man; wasted himself much, I presume, by frequent preaching.

Scripsit....

John Overall (1560-1619).

[495]Dr. Overall and his wife:—

Dr. <John> Overall was deane of St. Paules, London.

I see his picture in[496] the rationale writt by <Anthony> Sparrow, bishop of Exon, in the beginning wherof are the effigies[497] of L<ancelot> Andrews, bishop of Winton, Mr. <Richard> Hooker, and John Overall, bishop of Norwich—before which is writt Ecclesiae et Liturgiae Anglicanae vindices. Quaere if this deane was that bishop.

I know not what he wrote or whether he was any more than a common-prayer Doctor; but most remarqueable by his wife, who was the greatest beautie in her time in England. That she was so I have it attested from the famous limmer[498] Mr. <John> Hoskins[499] and other old painters, besides old courtiers. She was not more beautifull than she was obligeing and kind, and was so tender-hearted that (truly) she could scarce denie any one. She had (they told me) the loveliest eies that ever were seen, but wondrous wanton. When she came to court or to the playhouse, the gallants would so flock round her. Richard, the earle of Dorset, and his brother Edward, since earle, both did mightily adore her. And by their report he must have had a hard heart that did not admire her. Bishop Hall sayeth in his Meditations that 'there is none so old that a beautifull person loves not; nor so young whom a lovely feature moves not.'

The good old deane, notwithstanding he knew well enough that he was horned, loved her infinitely: in so much that he was willing she should enjoy what she had a mind to.

Among others who were charmed by her was Sir John Selby of Yorkshire. 1656, old Mris Tyndale (of the Priory near Easton-piers), who knew her, remembres a song made of her and Sir John, part whereof was this, vizt.:—

etc.

On these two lovers was made this following copie of pastorall verses (vide the ballad-booke in Museo Sheldoniano[501]), e.g.

Sir Thomas Overbury (1581-1613).

[508]Sir Thomas Overbury, knight:—ex registro capellae Turris Lond., scilicet. 'Anno Domini 1613, Sir Thomas Overbury, poysoned, buryed September 15^th.'

His father was one of the judges of South Wales, viz. Caermarthen, Cardigan, and Pembroke circuites. He lived in his later time at Burghton on the hill in Glocestershire. Sir Giles Overbury was his eldest brother, who dyed in London in St. Clements Danes parish about 1651 or 2.

Scripsit:—Characters, Of education of youth, a stitch't 8vo. Translated Ovid de remedio amoris—which I have ('twas one of old Dr. Kettle's bookes).

Charles Pamphlin (1649-1678).

[509]This is the copie of his mother's owne handwriting:—

'Charles Pamphlin was borne the last day of August before day, the howre I did justly know but I guesse it might be about 3 or 4 a clock in the morning, being Fryday the August after the king was beheaded; which I thinke was 29 yeares since, last August.'

He was hanged in Convent Garden on a gibbet, for stealing his Majestie's chapell-plate, May 22, 1678.

John Partridge (1643/4-1715).

[510]John Partridge, astrologue, the son of ... Partridge (yet living, 1680, an honest waterman at Putney[511] in Surrey).

He was borne, as by his scheme[512] appeares, January the 18^th, 1643/4, lat. London.

He was taught[513] to read, and a little to write. He learn'd no farther then As in praesenti.

He was bound apprentice to a shoe-maker in ..., anno aetat....; where he was kept hard to his trade.

At 18 he gott him a Lillie's grammar, and Goldman's dictionary, and a Latin bible, and Ovid's Metamorphoses.

He is of an excellent healthy constitution and great temperance, of indefatigable industrie, and sleepes but ... houres.

In ... yeeres he made himselfe a competent master of the Latin tongue, well enough to reade any astrologicall booke, and quickly became a master of that science. He then studyed the Greek tongue, and also the Hebrew, to neither of which he is a stranger. He then studyed good authors in physique, and intends to make that his profession and practyse; but is yet (1680) a shoemaker in Convent Garden.

Scripsit, viz.:—

first, The Hebrew Kalendar, 1678.

Ecclesilogia (almanack), 1679.

The same againe, 1680.

Vade Mecum, 8vo.

The King of France his nativity.

A discourse of two moones.

Mercurius Coelestis (almanack), 1681.

Prodromus, a discourse of the conjunction of Saturn and Mars, anno 1680.

James Peele.

[514]Maister James Peele—'tis a folio, 1569:—

¶The pathewaye to perfectnes in th' accomptes of debitour and creditour, in manner of a dialogue very pleasant and profitable for merchauntes and all other that minde to frequent the same, once again set forth and very much enlarged by James Peele, citizen and salter of London, Clercke of Christes Hospitall, practiser and teacher of the same, imprinted at London in Paule's church-yard by Thomas Purfoote, dwelling at the signe of the Lucrece, Aug. 16.

He is drawne before his booke in his gowne and a cap (scilicet, like the cappes the undergraduates weare), short haire and long beard.

It is dedicated to the right worshipful master John Mershe, esq., governour, the assistants, and companie of the Merchaunte Adventurers of England.

In the dialogue between the merchant and the schoolemaster, the merchant thanks him and sayes 'It is now street time, wherfore I must begonne.' In those times, before the Royal Exchange was built by Sir Thomas Gresham, the merchants did meet in the street as now a dayes at the Exchange. The place was what we now call the old Change; but I believe the street was then broader than it is now.

In those dayes[515] they did alwaies upon the top of the first clean leafe in the inventorie booke write thus:—

'In the name of God, Amen. 1566 December the xxxi daye.'

John Pell (1610/1-1685).

<When Aubrey had finished the first sketch of this life he submitted it for revision to Dr. Pell, who made several corrections. To these Aubrey draws attention by a note:—'This is Dr. Pell's owne hand-writing:' it is a neat print-like hand. These corrections in the text here are enclosed in square brackets.>

[516]John Pell[AN], S.T.Dr., was the son of John, who was the son of John.

John Pell, D.D., was the son of John Pell, ...[517] of Southwyck in Sussex, in which parish he was borne, at ..., on St. David's day (1st of March) 1610[518], horâ ... (his youngest uncle guessed about noon).

His father was [a divine] but a kind of Non-conformist; of the Pells of Lincolnshire, an ancient familie; his mother [of the Hollands of Kent]. His father dyed when his son John was but 5 yeares old and six weekes, and left him an excellent library.

<He> went to schoole at the free-schoole at Stenning, a burrough towne in Sussex, at the first founding of the schoole; an excellent schoolmaster, John Jeffreys. At 13 yeares and a quarter old he went as good a scholar to Cambridge, to Trinity Colledge, as most Masters of Arts in the University (he understood Latin, Greek, and Hebrew), so that he played not much (one[519] must imagine) with his schoolfellowes, for, when they had play-dayes, or after schoole-time, he spent his time in the library aforesaid.

He [never[520] stood at any election of] fellow[s] or scholar[s of the House at] Trinity College.

Of person he was very handsome, and of a very strong and excellent habit of body, melancholic, sanguine, darke browne haire with an excellent moist curle.

[Before[521] he went first out of England,] he understood[522] these languages (besides his mother-tongue), viz. Latin, Greek, Hebrue, Arabique, Italian, French, Spanish, High-Dutch, and Low-Dutch.

Anno Domini 1632 he maried [Ithamara Reginalds, second daughter to Mr. Henry Reginalds of London. He had by her 4 sonnes and 4 daughters borne in this order[523] S., D., D., S., D., S., D., S.].

Dr. Pell haz sayd to me that he did believe that he solved some questions non sine divino auxilio.

Anno Domini 1643 he went to Amsterdam, in December; was there Professor of Mathematiques, next after Martinus Hortensius, about 2 yeares.

1646, the prince of Orange called for him to be publique professor of Philosophy and Mathematiques at the Schola Illustris at Breda, that was founded that yeare by his Highnesse; vide the Doctor's inaugurall oration[524] there, printed—the first thing printed that his name was to.

He returned into England, 1652.

In 1654 Oliver, Lord Protector, sent him envoyé to the Protestant cantons of Switzerland; resided chiefly at Zurich. He was sent out with the title of ablegatus, but afterwards he had order to continue there with the title of Resident.