Chapter I

An account of him from his childhood, to the seventeenth year of his age.

MR. John Janeway was born in the year ♦1633, October 27, in Tylly, in the county of Hertford. He soon gave his parents the hope of much comfort, and the symptoms of something more than ordinary appeared in him. For pregnancy of wit, solidity of judgment, and the greatness of his memory, he had no superiors, and few equals, considering his age and education.

He was initiated in the Latin tongue by his father; afterwards he was brought up at St. Paul’s school in London, where he made a considerable proficiency in Latin and Greek. When he was about eleven years old he took a great fancy to the Hebrew tongue.

About this time his parents removing into a little village called Aspoden, had the opportunity of having their son instructed by a learned neighbour, who was pleased to count it diversion to read mathematics to him, being then about twelve years old; and he made such progress that he read Oughtred with understanding before he was thirteen. A person of quality, hearing of the admirable proficiency of this boy, sent for him up to London, and kept him with him for sometime to read mathematics to him.

In the year 1646, he was chosen by the provost of Eaton college, one of the foundation of that school: where he gave no unsuitable returns to the high expectations that were conceived of him.

After a little continuance at Eaton, he obtained leave of his master to go to Oxford, to perfect himself in mathematics, being with Dr. Ward, one of the professors, he attained to a strange exactness in that study, the doctor looked upon him as one of the wonders of his age; loved him dearly, and could not for some time after his death mention his name without tears. When he had spent about a quarter of a year with Dr. Ward, he was commanded to return to Eaton, where he soon gave proof of the improvement of his time while he was absent, by calculating the eclipses for many years before hand; so that by this time he had many eyes upon him as the glory of the school. Yet he did not discover the least self-conceit; every one took more notice of his parts than himself.

At about seventeen years old he was chose to King’s-college in Cambridge. He was chosen first, and an elder brother of his the sixth; but he was very willing to change places with his elder brother, letting him have the first, and thankfully accepting of the sixth place.

Besides his great learning, his deportment was so sweet and lovely, his demeanor so courteous and obliging, that many of them who had little kindness for religion could not but speak well of him. His great wisdom did even command respect: he had an excellent power over his passions, and was free from vices which usually attend such an age and place.

But all this while he understood little of Christ, or his own soul. He studied the heavens and the motion of the sun, moon, and stars, but thought little of God, who made them; the creature had not led him to the Creator; but God, when he was about eighteen years old shone in upon his soul with power; and convinced him what a poor thing it was to know so much of the heavens and never come there. He now thought Mr. Bolton had reason to say, Give me the most magnificent glorious worldling, that ever trod upon earthly mould, richly crowned with all the ornaments and excellencies of nature, art, policy, preferment, or what heart can wish besides; yet without the life of grace, to animate and ennoble them, he were to the eye of heavenly wisdom, but as a rotten carcase, stuck over with flowers, magnified dung, guilded rotteness, golden damnation.