Aubrey's Brief Lives

by John Aubrey

  Mr. Waller replyed sur le champ, That men write ill things well, and good things ill; that Satyricall writing was downe-hill, most easie and naturall; that at Billingsgate one might hear great heights of such witt; that the cursed earth naturally produces briars and thornes and weeds, but roses and fine flowers require cultivation. All his writings are free from offence.

  Mr. Edm: Waller sayd to Eliz: Countess of Thanet, That Poetrie was abused, when ’twas turned to any other way, than hymnes.

  He hath a great memory: and remembers a History best when read to him: yet, notwithstanding his great Witt and mastership in rhetorique, he will oftentimes be guilty of mispelling in English. He writes a lamentably poor hand, as bad as the scratching of a hen.

  He was borne in the parish of Agmundesham, in Buckinghamshire, at a place called Winchmore-hill, which was sold by his father, and which he had a very great desire to have bought again, not long before his death, but the Owner would not sell it. Said he, to his cosen Hamden, A Stagge, when he is hunted, and neer spent, alwayes returnes home.

  He made some verses of his owne dyeing, but a fortnight, or a little more before his Decease. He dyed at 83, and his Witt was as florid then as at any time of his Life. He derived his Poetick witt from the Hamdens; severall of them have been Poets.

  SETH WARD

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  [Born 1617. Divine. At Cambridge he was Terrae filius, that is, he had to make a satirical speech at the Act, but his contribution was so alarmingly witty that he nearly lost his degree. Prebendary (1660), Dean (1661) and Bishop (1662) of Exeter. Translated to Salisbury 1667. Chancellor of the Garter 1671. He was extremely severe with dissenters. He published his sermons and some theological and mathematical treatises. Died 1689.]

  SETH WARD, LORD Bishop of Sarum, was borne at Huntingford, a small market-towne in Hartfordshire, anno Domini 1618 (when the great blazing Starre appeared). His Father was an Attorney there, and of very honest repute. (Dr. Guydos, physician of Bath, says that anciently there was but One Attorney in Somerset, and. he was so poor, that he went a foot to London; and now, 1689, they swarme there like Locusts: they go to Market and breed Contention.) His father taught him common arithmetique, and his Genius lay much to the Mathematiques, which being naturall to him, he quickly and easily attained.

  At sixteen yeares old he went to Sydney colledge in Cambridge; he was Servitour to Dr. Ward (Master of the Colledge, and Professor of Divinity) who being much taken with his ingenuity and industry, as also with his suavity of nature, quickly made him Scholar of the Howse, and after, Fellowe. Though he was of his name, he was not at all akinne to him (which most men imagined because of the great kindnesse to him) but the consimility of their dispositions was a greater tye of Friendship then that of blood, which signifies but little, as to that point.

  Sir Charles Scarborough, M.D. (then an ingeniose young student, and Fellowe of Caius Colledge in Cambridge) was his great acquaintance; both students in mathematiques; which the better to perfect, they went to Mr. William Oughtred, at Albury in Surrey, to be enformed by him in his Clavis Mathematica, which was then a booke of Aenigmata. Mr. Oughtred treated them with exceeding humanity, being pleased at his heart when an ingeniose young man came to him that would ply his Algebra hard. When they returned to Cambridge, they read the Clavis Mathematica to their Pupills, which was the first time that that booke was ever read in a University. Mr. Laurence Rooke, a good mathematician and algebrist (and I thinke had also been Mr. Oughtred’s disciple) was his great acquaintance.

  Anno Domini 1644, at the breaking out of the Civill-warres, he was a Prisoner, together with Dr. Ward, Dr. Collins, Sir Thomas Hatton, &c. for the King’s Cause, in St. John’s Colledge in Cambridge, and was put out of his Fellowship at Sydney Colledge. Being gott out of Prison, he was very civilly and kindly received by his friend and neighbour, Ralph Freeman, of Apsten, Esq., a vertuous and hospitable Gentleman.

  Anno Domini 1648 the Visitation of the Parliament was Oxford, and turned out a great many Professors and Fellowes. The Astronomy Reader, Dr. Greaves, being sure to be ejected, was unwilling to be turned out of his place, but desired to resigne it rather to some worthy person, wherupon Dr. Charles Scarborough and William Holder, D.D. recommended to Dr. Greaves, their common friend, Mr. Seth Ward. Seth Ward, A.M. was invited to succeed him, and came from Mr. Freeman’s to Oxford, had the Astronomy Professor’s place, and lived at Wadham Colledge, where he conversed with the Warden, Dr. John Wilkins.

  Anno Domini 1656, he had from Brownrigg, Bishop of Exon, the grant of the Chantor’s place of the Church of Exon (which then signified nothing).

  Anno Domini 1659, William Hawes, then President of Trinity Colledge in Oxford, having broken in his lunges a vein (which was not curable) Mr. Ward being very well acquainted and beloved in that colledge; by the consent of all the Fellowes, William Hawes resigned up his Presidentship to him, and dyed some few days after. Anno 1660, upon the restauration of King Charles II, Dr. Hannibal Potter (the President sequestred by the Parliamentary Visitors) re-enjoyed the Presidentship again.

  He then enjoyed his Chanters place at Excester, and, I thinke, was certainly minister of St. Laurence church in London.

  Anno Domini 1661, the Deane of Exon dyed, and then it was his right to step-in next to the Deanry.

  Anno Domini 1663, the Bishop of Exon dyed: Dr. Ward, the Deane, was in Devonshire at that time, at a Visitation, where were a great number of the Gentrey of the Countrey. Deane Ward was very well knowne to the Gentry, and his learning, prudence, and Comity had wonne them all to be his Friends. The newes of the death of the Bishop being brought to them, who were all very merry and rejoycing with good entertainment, with great Alacrity the Gentlemen cryed all, uno uno, Wee will have Mr. Deane to be our Bishop. This was at that criticall time when the House of Commons were the King’s darlings. The Deane told them that for his part he had no interest or acquaintance at Court; but intimated to them how much the King esteemed the Members of Parliament (and a great many Parliament men were then there) and that his Majestie would deny them nothing. If ’tis so, Gentlemen (sayd Mr. Deane) that you will needes have me to be your bishop, if some of you will make your addresse to his Majestie, ’twill be donne. With that they dranke the other Glasse, a health to the King, and another to their wished-for Bishop; had their horses presently made ready, putt foot in Stirrup, and away they rode merrily to London; went to the King, and he immediately graunted them their request. This is the first time that ever a Bishop was made by the House of Commons.

  Now, though Envy cannot deny, that this worthy Person was very well worthy any Preferment could be conferred on him, Yet the old Bishops were exceedingly disgruntled at it, to see a briske young Bishop that could see through all their formall gravity, but 40 yeares old, not come in at the right dore but leape over the pale. It went to their very hearts. Well, Bishop of Excester he was, to the great joy of all the Diocese. Being Bishop he had then free accesse to his Majestie, who is a lover of ingenuity and a discerner of ingeniose men, and quickly tooke a liking to him.

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

  He hath been a Benefactor to the Royall Societie (of which he was one of the first Members and Institutors: the beginning of Philosophical Experiments was at Oxon, 1649, by Dr. Wilkins, Seth Ward, Ralph Bathurst, &c.) He also gave a noble pendulum Clock to the Royall Societie (which goes a weeke) to perpetuate the memory of his deare and learned friend, Mr. Laurence Rooke, who tooke his sickness
e of which he dyed by setting up so often for Astronomicall Observations.

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

  Anno 1669, Dr. Christopher Wren was invited by the Bishop of Sarum (Seth Ward) where he made a particular Survey of the Cathedrall Church. He was at least a weeke about it, and a curious discourse it was: it was not above two sheetes. Upon my writing The Natural History of Wilts, I had occasion to insert it there: I asked the Bishop for it, and he told me he had lent it, to whome he could not tell, and had no copy of it. ’Tis great pity the paines of so great an artist should be lost. Sir Christopher tells me he hath no copie of it neither.

  The black malice of the Deane of Sarum—he printed sarcasticall Pamphletts against him—was the cause of his disturbd spirit, wherby at length, he quite lost his memorie. For about a moneth before he dyed he tooke very little Sustenance, but lived on the Stock, and died a Skeleton.

  I searcht all Seth, Episcopus Sarum’s, papers that were at his house at Knightsbridge neer London where he dyed. The custome is, when the Bishop of Sarum dies, that the Deane and Chapter lock-up his Studie and put a Seale on it. His scatterd papers I rescued from being used by the Cooke since his death; which was destinated with other good papers and letters to be put under pies.

  WALTER WARNER

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  [While William Harvey may have read Warner’s manuscript treatise about the circulation of the blood, it is obvious that Warner’s views were based on the current knowledge of the period, correct in certain details, but ignorant of the implications of the whole. Professor Rolleston said in the Harveian Oration of 1873: What was left for Harvey to discover was nothing less than the circulation itself. His predecessors had but impinged, and that by guesswork, upon different segments of the circle, and then gone off at a tangent into outer darkness, whilst he worked and proved and demonstrated round its entire periphery. Warner died in 1640.]

  THIS WALTER WARNER was both Mathematician and Philosopher, and ’twas he that putt-out Thomas Hariot’s Algebra, though he mentions it not.

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

  This account I received from Mr. Isaac Walton: this is his owne hand writing—Mr. Warner did long and constantly lodg nere the Water-stares or market in Woolstable (Woolstable is a place or lane not far from Charing Crosse, and nerer to Northumberland howse). My Lord of Winchester tells me he knew him, and that he saide he first fownd out the cerculation of the blood, and discover’d it to Dor Harvie (who said that ’twas he (himselfe) that found it) for which he is so memorably famose.

  Mr. Warner did tell Dr. Pell, that when Dr. Harvey came out with his Circulation of the Blood, he did wonder whence Dr. Harvey had it: but comeing one day to the Earle of Leicester, he found Dr. Harvey in the Hall, talking very familiarly with Mr. Prothero, to whom Mr. Warner had discoursed concerning this Exercitation of his De Circulatione Sanguinis, and made no question but Dr. Harvey had his Hint from Prothero. Dr. Pell sayes that Mr. Warner rationated demonstratively by Beates of the Pulses that there must be a Circulation of the Blood.

  Warner had a pention of 40 pounds a yeare from that Earle of Northumberland that lay so long a prisner in the Towre, and som alowance from Sir Tho. Alesbery with whome he usually spent his sumer in Windesor park, and was welcom, for he was harmless and quet. His winter was spent at the Wolstable, where he dyed in the time of the Parliament of 1640, of which, or whome, he was no louer.

  Mr. Walter Warner made an Inverted Logarithmicall Table, i.e. whereas Briggs’ table fills his Margin with Numbers encreasing by Unites, and over-against them setts their Logarithms, which because of incommensurability must needs be either abundant or deficient; Mr. Warner (like a Dictionary of the Latine before the English) fills the Margin with Logarithmes encreasing by Unites, and setts to every one of them so many continuall meane proportionalls between one and 10, and they for the same reason must also have the last figure incompleat. These, which, before Mr. John Pell grew acquainted with Mr. Warner, were ten thousand, and at Mr. Warner’s request were by Mr. Pell’s hands, or direction, made a hundred-thousand.

  Quaere Dr. Pell, what is the use of those Inverted Logarithmes? for W. Warner would not doe such a thing in vaine.

  JOHN WHITSON

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  [Born 1557. Merchant adventurer. When Philip II of Spain laid an embargo on English ships in 1585, Whitson fitted out the Mayflower to make reprisals. He took an active part in the early voyages for the settlement of North America. He was four times married and was John Aubrey’s godfather. Died 1629.]

  JOHN WHITSON, ALDERMAN of the City of Bristol, was borne at Cover in the Forest of Deane in the Countie of Gloucester: he went to schoole at Bristow, where he made a good proficience in the Latin tongue. He was bound Apprentice to Alderman Vawr, a Spanish Merchant of this City. He was a handsome young fellow; and his old Master (the Alderman) being dead, his Mistress one day called him into the Wine-cellar and bad him broach the best Butt in the Cellar for her; and truly he broach’t his Mistrisse, who after maried him. This story will last perhaps as long as Bristol is a City.

  He had a very good healthy constitution, and was an early Riser; wrote all his Letters and dispatched his businesse betime in the Morning. He had a good naturall Witt, and gaind by the Spanish trade a fair Estate.

  He lived nobly; kept a plentifull Table; and was the most popular magistrate in the City, alwaies chosen a Member of Parliament. He kept a noble house, and did entertain and treat the Peers and great Persons that came to the City. He kept his Hawkes.

  He was charitable in his Life in breeding-up of poor Scholars: I remember five that had been bred-up under him, but not one of them came to good, they lived so luxuriously.

  His second Wife was a very beautifull Dame, as by her picture (at length) in the Dining rome, doeth appear. By her he had a Daughter, his only child, who was counted the Flower of Bristol, who was maried to Sir Thomas Trenchard of Dorsetshire. His beloved and only Daughter dyeing (together with her child) Richard Wheeler, his Nephew, who was bred a Merchant under him with others, was his Heir; but he proving a Sott and a capricious Coxcombe, he setled all his Estate upon the City of Bristow for pious Uses, and was, I doe believe, the greatest Benefactor that ever the City had.

  He dyed about the seaventy-sixth yeare of his age by a fall from his horse; his head pitching on a nail that stood on its head by a Smyth’s shop. He was buried very honourably; besides all his Relations in mourning, he had as many poor old men and woemen as he was yeares old in mourning gownes and hoodes, the Mayor and Aldermen in Mourning; all the Trained Band (he was their Colonel) attended the Funerall and their Pikes had black Ribons and Drummes were covered with Black cloath.

  JOHN WILKINS

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  [Born 1614. Divine. Though he had been private chaplain to Charles I’s nephew, the Prince Palatine, he adhered to the Parliamentary side in the Civil War and took the Covenant. Warden of Wadham College, Oxford, 1648. Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, 1659. Deprived of the Mastership at the Restoration, he became a Prebendary of York. First Secretary of the Royal Society 1662. Dean of Ripon 1663. Bishop of Chester 1668. Died 1672.]

  HIS FATHER WAS a Goldsmith in Oxford. Mr. Francis Potter knew him very well, and was wont to say that he was a very ingeniose man, and had a very Mechanicall head. He was much for Trying of Experiments, and his head ran much upon the perpetuall motion. He maryed a daughter of Mr. John Dod (who wrote on the Commandments) at whose house, at Fawlsley, she laye-in with her son John, of whome we are now to speake.

&nbs
p; He had his Grammar learning in Oxford (I thinke from Mr. Sylvester, over the meadowes). He was admitted of Magdalen-hall in Oxford, 1627; his Tutor there was the learned Mr. John Tombs (Coryphaeus of the Anabaptists).

  He has sayd oftentimes that the first rise, or hint of his Rising, was from goeing accidentally a courseing of a Hare: where an ingeniose Gentleman of good quality falling into discourse with him, and finding him to have very good partes, told him that he would never gett any considerable preferment by continuing in the University; and that his best way was to betake himselfe to some Lord’s or great persons’ House that had good Benefices to conferre. Sayd Mr. J. Wilkins, I am not knowne in the world; I know not to whom to addresse myselfe upon such a designe. The Gentleman replied, I will recommend you myselfe, and did so, to (as I thinke) Lord Viscount Say and Seale, where he stayed with very good likeing till the late Civill warres, and then he was Chaplain to his Highnesse Charles Louis, Prince Elector Palatine of the Rhine, with whom he went (after the Peace concluded in Germany) and was well preferred there by his Highnesse.

  After the Visitation at Oxon by the Parliament, he gott to be Warden of Wadham Colledge. Anno 1656 he maried to Robina, the Relict of Dr. French, Canon of Christchurch, Oxon, and sister to Oliver, (then) Lord Protector, who made him Master of Trinity colledge in Cambridge (in which place he revived Learning by strickt examinations at elections: he was much honoured there, and heartily loved by all) where he continued till 1660 (the Restauration of his Majestie). Then he was Minister of Saint Laurence church in London. His friend, Seth Ward, D.D., being made Bishop of Excester, he was made there Deane, and anno 1668 by the favour of George, Duke of Buckingham, was made Bishop of Chester; and was extremely well beloved in his Diocese. Anno Domini 1672 he dyed of the stone.