of Richard, earl of Dorset) ... 167-; dyed praying on his knees.
=John Birkenhead= (1615-1679).
[409]Sir John Birkenhead, knight, was borne at Nantwych[410] in
Cheshire. His father was a sadler there, and he had a brother a sadler,
a trooper in Sir Thomas Ashton's regiment, who was quartered at my
father's, who told me so.
He went to Oxford university at ... old, and was first a servitor of
Oriall colledge: vide _Antiq. Oxon._[411] Mr. Gwin[412], minister of
Wilton, was his contemporary there, who told me he wrote an excellent
hand, and, in 163[7 or 8] when William Laud, archbishop of Canterbury,
was last there, he had occasion to have some things well transcribed,
and this Birkenhead was recommended to him, who performed[413] his
businesse so well, that the archbishop recommended him to All Soules'
college to be a fellow, and he was accordingly elected[414]. He was
scholar enough, and a poet.
After Edgehill fight, when King Charles I first had his court at
Oxford, he was pitched upon as one fitt to write the Newes, which
Oxford Newes was called _Mercurius Aulicus_, which he writt wittily
enough, till the surrender of the towne (which was June 24, 1646). He
left a collection of all his _Mercurius Aulicus's_ and all his other
pamphletts, which his executors (Sir Richard Mason and Sir Muddiford
Bramston) were ordered by the king to give to the Archbishop of
Canterbury's library.
After the surrender of Oxford, he was putt out of his fellowship by
the Visitors, and was faine to shift for himselfe as well as he could.
Most part of his time he spent at London, where he mett with severall
persons of quality that loved his company, and made much of him.
He went over into France, where he stayed some time, I thinke not long.
He received grace there from the dutches of Newcastle, I remember he
tolde me.
He gott many a fourty shillings (I beleeve) by pamphletts, such as that
of 'Col. Pride,' and 'The Last Will and Testament of Philip earle of
Pembroke,' &c.
At the restauration of his majestie he was made Master of the
Facultees, and afterwards one of the Masters of Requests. He was
exceedingly confident[415], witty, not very gratefull to his
benefactors, would lye damnably. He was of midling stature, great
goggli eies, not of a sweet aspect.
He was chosen a burghes of Parliament at Wilton in Wiltshire, anno
Domini 166<1>, i.e. of the King's long parliament. Anno 167<9> upon the
choosing of _this_ Parliament[416], he went downe to be elected, and at
Salisbury heard[417] how he was scorned and mocked at Wilton (whither
he was goeing) and called _Pensioner_, etc.--
[Vendidit hic auro patriam, dominumque potentem
Imposuit; leges fixit pretio atque refixit.
VIRG. _Aeneid_, lib. vi. 621.
--This was Curio: vide Servium de hoc]--he went not to the borough
where he intended to stand; but returned to London, and tooke it so
to heart that he insensibly decayed and pined away; and so, December
...[XXI.], 1679, dyed at his lodgeings in Whitehall, and was buried
Saturday, December 6, in St. Martyn's churchyard[XXII.] in-the-Fields,
neer the church, according to his will and testament. His executors
intend to sett up an inscription for him against the church wall.
[XXI.] quaere Anthony Wood to whom I writt the day of his death, which
as I remember was the same day that Mr. Hobbes died.
[XXII.] His reason[418] was because he sayd they removed the bodies out
of the church.
He had the art of locall memory; and his topiques were the chambers,
&c., in All Soules colledge (about 100), so that for 100 errands, &c.,
he would easily remember.
[419]He was created Dr. of LL.; had been with the king[420]. His
library was sold to Sir Robert Atkins for 200 _li._ His MSS. (chiefly
copies of records) for 900 _li._
=Henry Birkhead= (1617-1696).
[421]My old acquaintance, Dr. Henry Birkhed, formerly fellow of your
college[422] (but first was commoner of Trinity College Oxon) was an
universally <belove>d man.
He had his schoole education under Mr. Farnary[423] and <was his>
beloved disciple.
He died at the Bird-cage (at his sister's, Mris Knight, the famous
singer) in St. James's parke, <on> Michaelmas-eve 1696, aged about 80.
He was borne in London <at the> Paul-head tavern (which his father
kept) in Paule's chaine <in> St. Paul's church-yard anno 1617, baptized
the 25 of September. John Gadbury haz his nativity from him.
I will aske his sister (Mris Knight) for a very ingeniose diatribe that
he wrote on Martialis epigram. lib. <xi. 94. 8>,
jura, verpe, per Anchialum,
which he haz cleared beyond his master Farnaby, Scaliger, or any other.
'Scaliger,' he sayd, 'speakes the truth, but not the whole truth.' 'Tis
pity it should be lost, and I would reposit it in the Museum.
I gave my Holyoke's dictionary to the Museum. Pray looke on the blank
leaves at the end of it, and you will find a thundering copie of verses
that he gave me, in the praise of this king[424] of France. Now he is
dead, it may be look't-upon.
=Richard Blackbourne= (1652-17..?).
[425]Richard Blackburne, Londinensis, was of Trinity College,
Cambridge, M.A. Tooke his M.D. degree at Leyden about 5 or 6 yeares
since. He practises but little; studies much. A generall scholar,
prodigious memorie, sound judgment; but 30 yeares old now.
=John Blagrave= (1550-1611).
In MS. Aubr. 8 (Aubrey's _Lives of English Mathematicians_),
fol. 76, 'Mr. John Blagrave of Reding' is noted as a life to be
written, and the coat is given in trick 'or, on a bend sable, 3
greaves argent.' In the Index (fol. 8) at the beginning of the
same volume he is noted:--
'John Blagrave of Reding, vide his will, quaere Mr. Morden.'
=Robert Blake= (1599-1657).
[426]... Blake, admirall, was borne at ... in com. Somerset; was[427]
of Albon-hall, in Oxford. He was there a young man of strong body, and
good parts. He was an early riser and studyed well, but also tooke his
robust pleasures of fishing, fowling, &c. He would steale swannes--from
H. Norborne, B.D., his contemporary there[428].
He served in the House of Commons for....[429] Anno Domini <1649> he
was made admirall. He did the greatest actions at sea that ever were
done, viz.,....
... Blake obiit anno Domini <1657> and was buried in King Henry 7th's
chapell; but upon the returne of the king, his body was taken up again
and removed by Mr. Wells' occasion, and where it is now, I know not.
Quaere Mr. Wells of Bridgewater.
Vide Diurnalls, and Rushworth's History; vide Anthony Wood's _Hist. <et
Antiq. Oxon.>_.
=Sir Henry Blount= (1602-1682).
[430]Sir Henry Blount, Tittinghanger, natus Dec. 15, 1602, 9ʰ P.M.
[431]Sir Henry Blount obiit 9th Oct. last[432] in the morning.
[433]Sir Henry Blount[AS], knight:--he was borne (I presume) at
Tittinghanger in the countie of Hertford. It was heretofore the summer
seate of the Lord Abbot of St. Alban's.
He was of Trinity College in Oxford[434], where was a great
acquaintance[435] between him and Mr. Francis Potter. He stayed there
about <four> yeares. From thence he went to Grayes Inne, where he stayd
... and then sold his chamber there to Mr. Thomas Bonham[AT] (the poet)
and travelled--voyage into the Levant. May 7, 1634, he embarqued at
Venice for Constantinople: vide his _Voyage into the Levant_, printed
London 16--, in 4to. He returned....
He was pretty wild when young, especially addicted to common wenches.
He was a 2d brother.
He was a gentleman pensioner to King Charles I, on whom he wayted (as
it was his turne) to Yorke (when the King deserted the Parliament);
was with him at Edge-hill fight; came with him to Oxford; and so
returned to London; walkt[436] into Westminster hall with his sword by
his side; the Parliamentarians all stared upon him as a _Cavaleer_,
knowing that he had been with the King: was called before the House of
Commons, where he remonstrated to them he did but his duty, and so they
acquitted him.
In these dayes he dined most commonly at the Heycock's[437] ordinary,
neer the Pallzgrave-head taverne, in the Strand, which was much
frequented by Parliament-men and gallants. One time colonel Betridge
being there (one[438] of the handsomest men about the towne) and
bragged much how the woemen loved him; Sir H. Blount did lay a wager
of ... with him that let them two goe together to a bordello; he only
(without money) with his handsome person, and Sir Henry with a XX_s._
piece on his bald crowne, that the wenches should choose Sir Henry
before Betridge; and Sir H. won the wager. E<dmund> W<yld>, esq., was
one of the witnesses.
Memorandum:--there was about 164.. a pamphlet (writt by Henry Nevill,
esq., ἀνονυμῶς) called _The Parliament of Ladies_, 3 or 4 sheets in
4to, wherin Sir Henry Blount was first to be called to the barre for
spreading abroad that abominable and dangerous doctrine that it was far
cheaper and safer to lye with common wenches[439] then with ladies of
quality[440].
☞ His estate left him by his father was 500 _li._ per annum, which he
sold to ... (quaere) for an annuitie of 1000 _li._ per annum in anno
Domini 16..; and since his elder brother dyed.
Anno Domini 165<1/2> he was made one of the comittee for regulating
the lawes. He was severe against tythes, and for the abolishing them,
and that every minister should have 100 _li._ per annum and no more.
Since he was ... year old he dranke nothing but water or coffee.
1647 or therabout, he maryed to Mris [Hester[d]] Wase, [daughter of
Christopher Wase[441]], who dyed 1679; by whom he haz two sonnes,
ingeniose young gentlemen. Charles Blount (his second son) hath writt
_Anima Mundi_, 8vo, 167<9> (burnt by order of the bishop of London) and
of _Sacrifices_, 8vo.
I remember twenty yeares since he inveighed much against sending
youths to the universities--quaere if his sons there--because they
learnt there to be debaucht; and that the learning that they learned
there[442] they were to unlearne againe, as a man that is buttond
or laced too hard, must unbutton before he can be at his ease.
Drunkennesse he much exclaimed against, but he allowed wenching. When
coffee first came-in he was a great upholder of it, and hath ever since
been a constant frequenter of coffee houses, especially Mr. ... Farre
at the Rainbowe by Inner Temple Gate, and lately John's coffee house in
Fuller's rents.
☞ The first coffee house in London[XXIII.] was in St. Michael's Alley
in Cornehill, opposite to the Church; which was sett up by one ...
Bowman (coachman to Mr. Hodges, a Turkey merchant, who putt him upon
it) in or about the yeare 1652. 'Twas about 4 yeares before any other
was sett up, and that was by Mr. Far. Jonathan Paynter, opposite to
St. Michael's Church, was the first apprentice to the trade, viz. to
Bowman. Memorandum:--the Bagneo, in Newgate Street, was built and first
opened in Decemb. 1679: built by ... (Turkish merchants).
[XXIII.] And the next was Mr. Farr's a barber, which was set up in
anno....
He is a gentleman of a very clear judgement, great experience, much
contemplation, not of very much reading, of great foresight into
government. His conversation is admirable. When he was young, he was a
great collector of bookes, as his sonne is now.
He was heretofore a great _shammer_, i.e. one that tells falsities not
to doe any body any injury, but to impose on their understanding:--e.g.
at Mr. Farre's; that at an inne (nameing the signe) in St. Alban's,
the inkeeper had made a hogs-trough of a free-stone coffin; but the
pigges, after that, grew leane, dancing and skipping, and would run up
on the topps of the houses like goates. Two young gentlemen that heard
Sir H. tell this _sham_ so gravely, rode the next day to St. Alban's
to enquire: comeing there, nobody had heard of any such thing, 'twas
altogether false. The next night as soon as the<y> allighted, they
came to the Rainbowe and found Sir H., looked louringly on him, and
told him they wonderd he was not ashamed to tell such storys as, &c.,
'Why, gentlemen,' (sayd Sir H.) 'have you been there to make enquiry?'
'Yea,' sayd they. 'Why truly, gentlemen,' sayd Sir H. 'I heard you tell
strange things that I knew to be false. I would not have gonne over the
threshold of the dore to have found you in a lye:' at which all the
company laught at the two young gentlemen.
He was wont to say that he did not care to have his servants goe to
church, for there servants infected one another to goe to the alehouse
and learne debauchery; but he did bid them goe to see the executions at
Tyburne, which worke more upon them then all the oratory in the sermons.
His motto over his printed picture is that which I have many yeares ago
heard him speake of, viz.:--_Loquendum est cum vulgo, sentiendum cum
sapientibus_.
He is now (1680) neer or altogether 80 yeares, his intellectualls good
still, and body pretty strong.
This last weeke[443] of Sept. 1682, he was taken very ill at London,
and his feet swelled; and removed to Tittinghanger.
_Notes._
[AS] Aubrey gives in colours the coats:--'or, 2 bars nebulé sable
[Blount]'; and 'or, 2 bars nebulé sable [Blount]; impaling, barry of
six or and gules [Wase].' Also the references (a) 'vide Anthony Wood's
_<Hist. et> Antiq. Oxon._'; (b) 'vide Heralds' Office.' Aubrey, in MS.
Wood F. 39, writing on April 7, 1673, says of Blount, 'His father was
Sir Thomas Pope Blount, and his grandmother (as I remember I have heard
Dr. Hannibal Potter say) was our founder's daughter.'
[AT] Aubrey, in MS. Wood F. 39, fol. 199, speaks of him as 'Tom Bonham,
of Essex, that haz made many a good song and epitaph--
When the shrill scirocco blowes.'
=Edmund Bonner= (1495-1569).
[444]Mr. Steevens[445], ... whom I mett lately accidentally, informed
me thus:--that bishop Bonner was of Broadgates hall; that he came
thither a poor boy, and was at first a skullion boy in the kitchin,
afterwards became a servitor, and so by his industry raysed to what he
was.
When he came to his greatnes, in acknowledgement from whence he had
his rise, he gave[446] to the kitchin there a great brasse-pott, called
Bonner's pott, which was taken away in the parliament time. He has
shewed the pott to me, I remember. It was the biggest, perhaps, in
Oxford: quaere the old cooke how much it contayned.
=John Booker= (1601/2-1667).
[447]John Booker, astrologer, natus Manchester, March 23, 1601, 20ʰ 10´
P.M.
=James Bovey= (1622-16..).
[448]James Bovey[AU] borne at London May 7th, 1622, 6 a clock in the
morning[449].
James Bovey, esq., was the youngest son of Andrew Bovey, merchant,
cash-keeper to Sir Peter Vanore, in London.
He was borne in the middle of Mincing Lane, in the parish of Saint
Dunstan's in the East, London, anno 1622, May 7th, at six a clock in
the morning. Went to schoole at Mercers Chapell, under Mr. Augur. At
9 sent into the Lowe Countreys; then returned, and perfected himselfe
in the Latin and Greeke. <At> 14, travelled into France and Italie,
Switzerland, Germany, and the Lowe Countreys. Returned into England at
19; then lived with one Hoste, a banquier, 8 yeares, was his cashier 8
or 9 yeares. Then traded for himselfe (27) till he was 31; then maried
the only daughter of William de Vischer, a merchant; lived 18 yeares
with her, then continued single. Left off trade at 32, and retired to
a countrey life, by reason of his indisposition, the ayre of the citie
not agreing with him. Then in these retirements he wrote _Active[450]
Philosophy_, (a thing not donne before) wherin are enumerated all the
Arts and Tricks practised in Negotiation, and how they were to be
ballanced by counter-prudentiall rules.
Whilest he lived with Mr. Hoste, he kept the cash of the ambassadors
of Spaine that were here; and of the farmers, called by them
_Assentistes_, that did furnish the Spanish and Imperiall armies of the
Low-Countreys and Germany; and also many other great cashes, as of Sir
Theodore Mayern, etc.; his dealing being altogether in money-matters:
by which meanes he became acquainted with the ministers of state both
here and abroad.
When he was abroad, his chiefe employment was to observe the affaires
of state and their judicatures, and to take the politique surveys in
the countreys he travelled thorough, more especially in relation to
trade. He speakes[451] the Low-Dutch, High-Dutch, French, Italian,
Spanish and Lingua Franco, and Latin, besides his owne.
When he retired from businesse he studied the Lawe-Merchant, and
admitted himselfe of the Inner Temple, London, about 1660. His judgment
haz been taken in most of the great causes of his time in points
concerning the Lawe-Merchant. As to his person he is about 5 foot high,
slender[452], strait, haire exceeding black and curling at the end, a
dark hazell[453] eie, of a midling size, but the most sprightly that I
have beheld. Browes and beard of the colour as his haire. A person of
great temperance, and deepe thoughts, and a working head, never idle.
From[454] 14 he had a candle burning by him all night, with pen, inke,
and paper, to write downe thoughts as they came into his head; that
so he might not loose a thought. Was ever a great lover of Naturall
Philosophie. His whole life has been perplex't in lawe-suites, (which
haz made him expert in humane affaires), in which he alwaies over-came.
He had many lawe-suites with powerfull adversaries; one lasted 18
yeares. Red-haired men never had any kindnesse for him. He used to
say:--
In rufa pelle non est animus sine felle.
In all his travells he was never robbed.
He has one son, and one daughter who resembles him.
From 14 he began to take notice of all prudentiall rules as came in his
way, and wrote them downe, and so continued till this day, Sept. 28,
1680, being now in his 59th yeare.
For his health he never had it very well, but indifferently, alwaies a
weake stomach, which proceeded from the agitation of the braine. His
dyet was alwayes fine diet: much chicken[455].
He wrote a Table of all the Exchanges in Europe.
[456]He hath writt (which is in his custodie, and which I have seen,
and many of them read) these treatises, viz.
1. The Characters, or Index Rerum <etc.[457]>
[458]A Catalogue of the treatises written of Active Philosophy by James
Bovey, of the Inner Temple, esquire, 1677.
1. The Characters, or Index Rerum: in 4 tomes.
2. The Introduction to Active Philosophy.
3. The Art of Building a Man: or Education.
4. The Art of Conversation.
5. The Art of Complyance.
6. The Art of Governing the Tongue.
7. The Art of Governing the Penn.
8. The Government of Action.
9. The Government of Resolution.
10. The Government of Reputation.
11. The Government of Power: in 2 tomes.
12. The Government of Servients.
13. The Government of Subserviency.
14. The Government of Friendshipp.
15. The Government of Enmities.
16. The Government of Law-suites.
17. The Art of Gaining Wealth.
18. The Art of Buying and Selling[459].
19. The Art of Preserving Wealth.
20. The Art of Expending Wealth.
21. The Government of Secresy.
22. The Government of Amor Conjugalis: in 2 tomes.
23. Of Amor Concupiscentiae.
24. The Government of Felicity.
25. The Lives of Atticus, Sejanus, Augustus.
26. The Causes of the Diseases of the Mind.
27. The Cures of the Mind, vizᵗ. Passions, Diseases, Vices, Errours, Defects.
28. The Art of Discerning of Men.
29. The Art of Discerning a Man's selfe.
30. Religion from Reason: in 3 tomes.
31. The Life of Cum-fu-zu, soe farr wrote by J. B.
32. The Life of Mahomett, wrot by Sir Walter Raleigh's papers, with some small addition for methodizing the same.
[460]I have desired him to give these MSS. to the library of the Royal
Society.
He made it his businesse[461] to advance the trade of England, and many
men have printed his conceptions.
_Note._
[AU] Aubrey gives in trick the coat:--'ermine, on a bend sable cottised
gules, five besants, between 2 eagles proper;' and an impression of
Bovey's seal with the same coat.
=Richard Boyle=, earl of Cork (1566-1643).
[462]Earl of Corke:--vide countesse of Warwick's funerall sermon, 2 or
3 shops[463] within Paul's churchyard.
[464]Earl of Corke[AV]--Thomas, earl of Strafford made him disgorge
1500 _li._ per annum, which he restored to the church--<from> Mr. ...
Anderson.
Earl of Corke bought of captaine Horsey _fourtie plough__lands_ in
Ireland for fourtie pounds. (A. Ettrick assures me, 'I say againe
fourtie ploughlands.')
The queen gave Lismore to Sir Walter Raleigh, and ... to Sir John
Anderson, etc. to etc., eâ intentione to plant them, which they did
not; and were not planted till since the last rebellion--quaere Mr.
Anderson, who sayes that Ireland could not be secure till it was enough
peopled with English.
My lady Petty sayes he had a wife or two before, and that he maried
Mris. Fenton[AW] without her father's consent--(quaere Secretary
Fenton's Christian name[AX]).
[465]... Boyle, the first earle of Corke:--the countesse of Thanet, his
great-grand-daughter, daughter to this earle of Corke and Burlington,
haz told me that her father has a booke in folio--thick--of her
grandfather's writing, <giving> the place, day, and hour of birth,
and by what steps, wayes, and degrees he came to his greatnes. Which
she will doe her endeavour to gett me an extract of it, but it is in
Ireland and (I thinke) must be kept there, and is an heir-loome to the
family.
<_Excerpts from Anthony Walker's Sermon._>
[466]Of Richard Boyle, first earl of Corke, and his seventh daughter,
Mary, countess of Warwick.
'THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN FOUND: Being a Sermon preached at Felsted, in
Essex, at the Funerall of the most excellent and religious lady, the
Right honourable MARY Countesse Dowager of Warwick. By Anthony Walker,
D.D. rector of Fyfield, in the sayd countie. The 2d Edition corrected.
Printed at London, for Nath. Ranew, at the King's Arms, in St. Paul's
Church-yard, 1680.' (The Epistle dedicatory is dated May 27, 1678.)
Pag. 44.--'She was truly excellent and great in all respects:
great in the honour of her birth, being born a lady and a
virtuosa both; seventh daughter of that eminently honourable,
Richard, the first earle of Cork; who being born a private
gentleman, and younger brother of a younger brother, to no
other heritage than is expressed in the device and motto, which
his humble gratitude inscribed on all the palaces he built,
_God's Providence, mine Inheritance_;
by that Providence, and his diligent and wise industry, raised
such an honour and estate, and left such a familie, as never
any subject of these three kingdomes did, and that with so
unspotted a reputation of integrity that the most invidious
scrutiny could find no blott, though it winnowed all the
methods of his rising most severely, which our good lady hath
often told me with great content and satisfaction.