by John Aubrey
He, with much adoe, obtained at length the favour to have his little son Bennet to be with him; and he then made a Latin Distich, thus englished by him:—
My little Ben, whil’st thou art young,
And know’st not how to rule thy Tongue,
Make it thy Slave whil’st thou art free,
Least it as mine imprison thee.
I have heard that when he came out of the Tower, his Crest was graunted him (I believe) for his bold Spirit, and (I suppose) contrived by himselfe, viz. a Lyon’s head couped or, breathing fire. The Serjeant would say jocosely that it was the only Lyon’s head in England that tooke Tobacco.
His great Witt quickly made him be taken notice of. Ben: Johnson called him father. Sir Benet told me that one time desiring Mr. Johnson to adopt him for his sonne, No, said he, I dare not; ’tis honour enough for me to be your Brother: I was your Father’s sonne, and ’twas he that polished me. In shorte, his acquaintance were all the Witts then about the Towne; e.g. Sir Walter Raleigh (who was his Fellow-prisoner in the Tower, where he was Sir Walter’s Aristarchus to review and polish Sir Walter’s stile); John Donne, D.D.; Sir Benjamin Ruddyer, with whom it was once his fortune to have a quarrel and fought a Duell with him and hurt him in the Knee, but they were afterwards friends again; Sir Henry Wotton, Provost of Eaton College; cum multis aliis.
His verses on the fart in the Parliament house are printed in some of the Drolleries. He had a booke of Poemes, neatly written by one of his Clerkes, bigger then Dr. Donne’s Poemes, which his sonn Benet lent to he knowes not who, about 1653, and could never heare of it since.
Was wont to say that all those that came to London were either Carrion or Crowes.
His conversation was exceedingly pleasant, and would make verses on the Roade, where he was the best Company in the world. He was a great master of the Latin and Greke languages; a great Divine; made the best Latin Epitaphs of his time. He understood the Lawe well, but worst at that.
He wrote his owne Life, which was to shew that wheras Plutarch had wrote the Lives of many Generalles, etc., Grandees, that he, or an active man might, from a private fortune by his witt and industrie attain to the Dignity of a Serjeant at Lawe—but he should have said that they must have parts like his too.
He was a very strong man, and valiant, and an early riser in the morning (scil., at four in the morning). He was blackeyed and had black hayre.
I will now describe his Seate at Morhampton (Hereff.). At the Gate-house is the Picture of the old fellowe that made the fires, with a Block on his back, boytle and wedges and hatchet. In the Chapelle, over the Altar, are two Hebrewe words and underneath a distich. Here is an Organ that was Queen Elizabeth’s. In the gallery, the picture of his Brother Doctor in the Pulpit, Serjeant in his Robes, the Howse, Parke, etc.; and underneath are verses. In the first leafe of his Fee-booke he drew the picture of a Purse.
In the Garden, the picture of the Gardiner, on the Wall of the Howse, with his Rake, Spade, and water-pott in his left hand. Under severall venerable and shady Oakes in the Parke, he had seates made; and where was a fine purling Spring, he did curbe it with stone.
Not many moneths before his death (being at the Assises or Sessions at Hereford) a massive countrey fellowe trod on his toe, which caused a Gangrene which was the cause of his death. One Mr. Dighton of Glocester, an experienced Chirurgian who had formerly been chirurgian in the Warres in Ireland, was sent for to cure him; but his Skill and care could not save him. His Toes were first cutt-off. The Minister of his Parish had a clubbe-foote or feete (I think his name was Hugh). Said he, Sir Hugh (after his toes were cutt off) I must be acquainted with your shoemaker.
I remember, before the late Warres, the Ministers in Herefordshire, etc. (Counties that way) had the Title of Sr, as the Bachalours of Art have at Oxon, as Sir Richard, of Stretford; Sir William, of Monkland. And so it was in Wilts, when my grandfather Lyte was a boy; and anciently everywhere. In all old Wills before the Reformation it is upon Record.
Sir Robert Pye, Attorney of the Court of Wardes, was his neighbour, but there was no great goodwill between them—Sir Robert was haughty. He happened to dye on Christmas day: the newes being brought to the Serjeant, said he, The devill haz a Christmas-pye.
HENRY ISAACSON
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[Born 1581. Theologian and chronologer. Master of Arts of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. Friend of Bishop Andrews. Published Tabula Historico-Chronologica 1633; a Life of Bishop Andrews 1650; and other works. Died 1654.]
MR. HENRY ISAACSON was Secretary to Lancelot Andrews, Lord Bishop of Winton. Thomas Bourman, Dr. of Divinity, of Kingston upon Thames, did know Mr. Isaacson, and told me that he was a learned man, which I easily believed when I heard he was Secretary to that learned Prelate, who made use of none but for merit.
The Dr. told me that when he presented his Chronologie to his Majestie King Charles the first, ’twas in the matted Gallery at White-hall. The King presently discerned the purpose of the Treatise, and turned to his owne Birth; sayd the King, And here’s one Lye to begin with. It seemes that Mr. Isaacson had taken it out of a foreigner, who used the other Account. Poor Mr. Isaacson was so ashamed at this unlucky rencounter, that he immediately sneak’t away and stayd not for prayse or reward, both which perhaps he might have had, for his Majestie was well pleased with it.
’Twas presented in an ill Hower. An Astrologer would give something to know that day and hower.
DAVID JENKINS
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[Born 1586. Welsh judge. Judge of Great Sessions for Carmarthen, Cardigan and Pembrokeshire 1643. An ardent Royalist, he was captured at Hereford in 1645 and steadfastly contested the right of Parliament to try him. Imprisoned until the Restoration. He published several Royalist treatises, as well as 8 Centuries of Reports 1661. He was a patron of the Welsh Bards in Glamorganshire, where he died in 1663.]
HE WAS OF very good courage. Rode in the Lord Gerard’s Army in Pembrokeshire, in the forlorne-hope, with his long rapier drawne holding it on-end. He was taken prisoner at Hereford. Long time prisoner in the Tower, Newgate, Wallingford, and Windsore. Never submitted to the Usurping power (I thinke, the only man). All his Estate was confiscated; and was always excepted by the Parliament in the first Ranke of delinquents.
In his Circuit in Wales at the beginning of the Warres, he caused to be Indicted severall men of those parts (that were Parliament, etc. engaged against the King) for highe Treason; and the grand jury indicted them. Afterwards, when he was prisoner in Newgate, some of these Grandees came to him to triumph over him, and told him that if they had been thus in his power, he would have hanged them. God forbid els! replied he: which undaunted returne they much admired.
The Parliament intended to have hanged him; and he expected no lesse, but resolved to be hangd with the Bible under one arme and Magna Charta under the other. And hangd he had been, had not Harry Martyn told them in the House that Sanguis martyrum est semen ecclesiae [the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church] and that that way would doe them more mischiefe. So his life was saved, and they removed him out of the way to Wallingford Castle.
’Twas pitty he was not made one of the Judges of Westminster-hall for his long sufferings; and he might have been he told me, if he would have given money to the Chancellor Hyde: but he scornd it. He needed it not, for he had his estate againe (1500 pounds per annum) and being old and carceribus confractus [broken with imprisonment]. Mr. T. Hobbes, Malmesburiensis, told him one day at dinner that that hereafter would not shew well for somebodie’s Honour in History.
SIR LEOLINE JENKINS
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[Born 1623. Civilian and diplomatist. In May 1651 he was indicted for a seminary of rebellion and sedition. In 1655 he anticipated a threatened bannition by the Parliament by retiring to the Continent with his pupils. Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, 1660; Principal 1661–73; Deputy-Professor of Civil Law 1662; he was also accustomed to conduct the foreign correspondence of the University and was appointed to receive fore
ign visitors of distinction. Judge of the Admiralty Court (1665) and of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury 1669. He was knighted in 1670, after he had obtained the setting aside in favour of Charles II of the Duchess of Orleans’s claims to Henrietta Maria’s personalty. M.P. for Hythe (1673–78) and for Oxford University 1679–85. He represented England at the Congress of Cologne in 1673 and on his voyage home, while still in the Meuse at Brielle, he fired on a Dutch man-of-war for neglecting to lower her flag, upon which the Dutchman obeyed under protest. He was also Plenipotentiary at Nymegen from 1676–79 and he marked his resentment at the bad faith displayed by Louis XIV during the negotiations by rejecting a present of his miniature, set in diamonds, though Colbert urged its acceptance to the point of importunity. Roger North calls him the most faithful drudge of a Secretary that ever the Court had. Despite his exemplary life, he was inclined to laugh immoderately at a jest, especially if it were coarse, which Charles II discovering, failed not, after the tendency of his own fancy, to ply his Secretary with conceits of that complexion. He died in 1685.]
SIR LLEUELLIN JENKINS, Knight, was borne at Llantrithid in the countie of Glamorgan. His father (whom I knew) was a good plaine Countrey-man, a Copyholder of Sir John Aubrey, Knight and Baronet (eldest son of Sir Thomas) whose Mannour it is.
He went to Schoole at Cowbridge, not far off.
David Jenkins, that was prisoner in the Tower (maried a sister of Sir John Aubrey) was some remote kin to him; and, looking on him as a boy towardly, diligent, and good, he contributed something towards his Education.
Anno Domini 1641, he was matriculated of Jesus College in Oxford, where he stayed till (I thinke) he tooke his Degree of Bac. Artium.
About that time Sir John Aubrey sent for him home to enforme his eldest sonne Lewis Aubrey (since deceased, 1659) in Grammar; and that he might take his learning the better, he was taught in the Church-house where severall boyes came to schoole, and there were 6 or 7 Gentlemen’s sonnes (Sir Francis Maunsell, Bart.; Mr. Edmund Thomas; etc.) boarded in the Towne. The young Gentlemen were all neer of an age, and ripe for the University together, and to Oxford they all went under Mr. Jenkin’s care about anno 1649 or 50, but by reason of the Disturbances of those Times, Sir John would not have his sonne of any College. But they all studyed at Mr. (now Sir) Sampson White’s house, a Grocer, opposite to University College. Here he stayed with my Cosen about 3 yeares or better, and then, in anno 1655, he travelled with my Cosen and two or 3 of the other Gentlemen into France, where they stayd about 3 yeares and made themselves Masters of that Language.
He first began the Civill Lawe, viz. bought Vinnius on Justinian, 1653.
When he brought home Mr. Lewis Aubrey, he returned to Jesus College. After his Majestie’s restauration Dr. Maunsell was restored to his Principallship of that house, but being very old and wearie of worldly cares, he kept it not long, before he resigned it to Mr. Jenkins.
Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Sir John Aubrey were co-etanei, and contracted a great friendship at Oxon in their youth, which continued to their deaths. In the Troublesome times after Dr. Sheldon was expelled, he was a yeare (I thinke) or two with Sir John at Llantrithid, where he tooke notice of the vertue and assiduity of the young man Mr. Jenkins. After the King’s restauration Sir John Aubrey recommended Mr. Jenkins to him; made him. Anno 1668, he was Archbishop of Canterbury: Sir William Meyric, LL.D. and Judge of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, dyed, and the Archbishop conferred that place on Mr. Jenkins.
When Mary the Queen-Mother dyed at Paris, the King of Fraunce caused her Jewells and Treasures to be locked up and sealed. His Majestie of Great Britaine sent Sir Llewellin (which is Leoline in Latin) to Paris concerning the Administration. Anno 1670, he had the Honour of Knighthood.
Anno 1673, he was sent with Sir Joseph Williamson, Plenipotentiaries, to Nemeghen: I remember that very time they went away was opposition of Saturn and Mars. I sayd then to the Earl of Thanet that if that Ambassade came to any good I would never trust to Astrologie again.
March 25, 1680, he was made Principall Secretary of Estate. When I came to wayte on him to congratulate for the Honour his Majestie had been pleased to bestowe on him, he recieved me with his usuall courtesie, and sayd that it had pleased God to rayse-up a poore worme to doe his Majestie humble service.
He haz a strong body for study, indefatigable, temperate and vertuous. God blesse him.
BEN JONSON
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[Born 1573. Actor, poet and playwright. Educated at Westminster School. Began to work for the Admiral’s Company of Players both as player and playwright 1597. Killed a fellow-actor in a brawl, but escaped death by benefit of the clergy 1598: he became a Roman Catholic during his imprisonment, but abjured twelve years later. His Every Man in his Humour, with Shakespeare in the cast, was performed by the Lord Chamberlain’s Company at the Globe 1598. His first tragedy Sejanus was given at the same theatre by Shakespeare’s Company in 1603. His masques, for which Inigo Jones designed the scenery, became popular at Court, but Jonson was nevertheless imprisoned in 1605 For libelling the Scots. Although Drummond described him as a great lover and praiser of himself, a contemner and scorner of others, given rather to lose a friend than a jest, jealous of every word and action of those about him, especially after drink, he was the friend of Shakespeare, Donne, Bacon, Selden, Chapman, Beaumont, Fletcher, Herrick, Suckling, Sir Kenelm Digby and Lord Falkland, and among his patrons were the Sidneys, the Earl of Pembroke and the Duke and Duchess of Newcastle. He was the first Poet Laureate and died in 1637.]
MR. BENJAMIN JOHNSON, Poet Laureat, was a Warwyckshire man. ’Tis agreed that his father was a Minister; and by his Epistle dedicat. of Every Man … to Mr. William Camden that he was a Westminster Scholar and that Mr. W. Camden was his School-master.
His mother, after his father’s death, maried a Bricklayer; and ’tis generally said that he wrought sometime with his father-in-lawe (and particularly on the Garden-wall of Lincoln’s Inne next to Chancery Lane) and that a Knight, a Bencher, walking thro’, and hearing him repeate some Greeke verses out of Homer, discoursing with him and finding him to have a Witt extraordinary, gave him some Exhibition to maintaine him at Trinity College in Cambridge.
Then he went into the Lowe-countreys, and spent some time (not very long) in the armie, not to disgrace, as you may find in his Epigrammes.
Then he came over into England, and acted and wrote, but both ill, at the Green Curtaine, a kind of Nursery or obscure Play-house, somewhere in the Suburbes (I thinke towards Shoreditch or Clarkenwell).
He killed Mr. Marlow, the Poet, on Bunhill, comeing from the Green-curtain play-house.
Then he undertooke again to write a Playe, and did hitt it admirably well, viz. Every Man …, which was his first good one.
Serjeant John Hoskins of Herefordshire was his Father. I remember his sonne (Sir Bennet Hoskins, Baronet, who was something Poetical in his youth) told me, that when he desired to be adopted his Son: No, sayd he, ’tis honour enough for me to be your Brother; I am your father’s son: ’twas he that polished me, I doe acknowledge it.
He was (or rather had been) of a clear and faire skin; his habit was very plaine. I have heard Mr. Lacy, the Player, say that he was wont to weare a coate like a coachman’s coate, with slitts under the arme-pitts. He would many times exceed in drinke (Canarie was his beloved liquor) then he would tumble home to bed, and, when he had thoroughly perspired, then to studie. I have seen his studyeing chaire, which was of strawe, such as olde woemen used, and as Aulus Gellius is drawen in.
At riper yeares, after he had studied at Cambridge he came of his owne accord to Oxon and there entred himselfe in Christ Church and tooke his Master’s degree in Oxon (or conferred on him) anno 1619. When I was in Oxon, Bishop Skinner of Oxford, who lay at our college, was wont to say that he understood an Author as well as any man in England.
Long since, in King James’s time, I have heard my uncle Danvers say (who knew him) that he lived without templ
e Barre, at a Combe maker’s shop, about the Elephant and Castle. In his later time he lived in Westminster, in the house under which you passe as you goe out of the Church yard into the old Palace; where he dyed.
’Twas an ingeniose remarque of my Lady Hoskins, that B. J. never writes of Love, or if he does, does it not naturally.
Ben Johnson had one eie lower than t’other, and bigger, like Clun the Player; perhaps he begott Clun. He mentions in his Epigrammes, a Sonne that he had, and his Epitaph.
He tooke a Catalogue from Mr. Lacy (the Player) of the Yorkshire Dialect. ’Twas his Hint for Clownery to his Comoedy called The Tale of a Tub. This I had from Mr. Lacy.
King James made him write against the Puritans, who began to be troublesome in his time.
A Grace by Ben Johnston, extempore, Before King James:
Our King and Queen the Lord-God blesse,
The Paltzgrave and the Lady Besse,
And God blesse every living thing
That Lives, and breath’s, and loves the King.
God bless the Councell of Estate,
And Buckingham the fortunate.
God Blesse them all, and keepe them safe:
And God Blesse me, and God blesse Raph.
The King was mighty enquisitive to know who this Raph was. Ben told him ’twas the Drawer at the Swanne Tavernne by Charing-crosse, who drew him good Canarie. For this Drollery his Majestie gave him an hundred poundes.
B. Jonson had 50 pounds per annum for many yeares together to keepe off Sir W. Wiseman of Essex from being Sheriff. At last King James prick’t him, and Ben came to his Majestie and told him he had prick’t him to the heart, and then explayned himselfe: innuendo Sir W. W. being prick’t Sheriffe: and gott him struck off.