Davenant, merchant of London, who was elder brother to the right
reverend father in God, the learned John Davenant, bishop of Sarum.
I will first speake of the father, for he was a rare[752] man
in his time, and deserves to be remembred. He was of a healthy
complexion[753], rose at 4 or 5 in the morning, so that he followed
his studies till 6 or 7, the time that other merchants goe about
their businesse; so that, stealing so much and so quiet time in the
morning, he studied as much as most men. He understood Greeke and
Latin perfectly, and was a better Grecian then the bishop. He writt a
rare Greeke character as ever I sawe. He was a great mathematician,
and understood as much of it as was knowen in his time. Dr. Davenant,
his son, hath excellent notes of his father's, in mathematiques, as
also in Greeke, and 'twas no small advantage <to> him to have such
a learned father to imbue arithmeticall knowledge into him when a
boy, night times when he came from schoole (Merchant Taylors'). He
understood trade very well, was a sober and good menager, but the
winds and seas cross'd him. He had so great losses that he broke, but
his creditors knowing it was no fault of his, and also that he was a
person of great vertue and justice, used not extremity towards him; but
I thinke gave him more credit, so that he went into Ireland, and did
sett up a fishery for pilchards at Wythy Island, in Ireland, where in
... yeares he gott 10000 _li._; satisfied and payd his creditors; and
over and above left a good estate to his son. His picture bespeakes
him to be a man of judgement, and parts, and gravity extraordinary.
There is written _Expecto_. He slipt comeing downe the stone stayres at
the palace at Sarum, which bruise caused his death. He lyes buried in
the south aissle of the choire in Sarum Cathedral behind the bishop's
stall. His son, Dr. Davenant, sett up and made this inscription for
him, which I will remember as well as I can:--
Literas, lyceo, rerumque usus, emporio,
Nostris edoctus, ingentis hinc prudentiae
Extulit merces insulas ad Hibernicas;
Ubi annos viginti custos pacis publicae
Populum ditavit inopem, emollivit ferum,
Gratus et charus Anglis et Hibernicis.
Musis dilectus Latiis, nec minus Atticis,
Studiisque fratrem, hujus ecclesiae praesulem,
Sequebatur aemulus. Omnes in illius pectore
Fulserunt Gratiae, sed praenituit Pietas,
Quae in egenos tantum non fuit prodiga.
Post varios casus, in vitae actu ultimo
Cum luctu[754] bonorum, plausu omnium, exiit.
Quid multis? Scias hoc, lector: vivus memoria
Pollebat mirâ, mortuus redolet suavi.
Obiit anno { Aetatis suae ...
{ Aerae Christianae ...
[755]Dr. Edward Davenant was borne at his father's howse at Croydon in
Surrey (the farthest handsome great howse on the left hand as you ride
to Bansted Downes) anno Domini ... (vide register). I have heard him
say, he thankt God his father did not know the houre of his birth; for
that it would have tempted him to have studyed astrologie, for which he
had no esteeme at all.
He went to school at Merchant Taylors' school, from thence to Queen's
Colledge in Cambridge, of which house his uncle, John Davenant,
(afterwards bishop of Sarum), was head, where[756] he was fellowe.
When his uncle was preferred to the church of Sarum, he made his nephew
treasurer of the church, which is the best dignity, and gave him the
vicaridge of Gillingham in com. Dorset, and then Paulsholt parsonage,
neer the Devises, which last in the late troubles he resigned to his
wive's brother <William> Grove.
He was to his dyeing day of great diligence in study, well versed in
all kinds of learning, but his genius did most strongly encline him
to the mathematiques, wherin he has written (in a hand as legible as
print) MSS. in 4to a foot high at least. I have often heard him say
(jestingly) that he would have a man knockt in the head that should
write any thing in mathematiques that had been written of before. I
have heard Sir Christopher Wren say that he does beleeve he was the
best mathematician in the world about 30 or 35 + yeares agoe. But being
a divine he was unwilling to print, because the world should not know
how he had spent the greatest part of his time.
He very rarely went any farther then the church, which is hard by his
house. His wife was a very discreet and excellent huswife, that he
troubled himselfe about no mundane affaires, and 'tis a private place,
that he was but little diverted with visitts.
I have writt to his executor, that we may have the honour and favour to
conserve his MSS. in the Library of the Royal Societie, and to print
what is fitt. I hope I shall obtaine my desire. And the bishop of Exon
(<Thomas> Lamplugh) maried the Dr's second daughter Katherine, and
he was tutor to Sir Joseph Williamson, our President. He had a noble
library, which was the aggregate of his father's, the bishop's, and his
owne.
He was of middling stature, something spare; and weake, feeble leggs;
he had sometimes the goute; was of great temperance, he alwayes dranke
his beer at meales with a toast, winter and summer, and sayd it made
the beer the better.
He was not only a man of vast learning, but of great goodnes and
charity; the parish and all his friends will have a great losse in him.
He tooke no use for money upon bond. He was my singular good friend,
and to whom I have been more beholding then to any one beside; for I
borrowed five hundred pounds of him for a yeare and a halfe, and I
could not fasten any interest on him.
He was very ready to teach and instruct. He did[757] me the favour to
informe me first in Algebra. His daughters were Algebrists.
His most familiar learned acquaintance was Lancelot Morehouse,
parson of Pertwood. I remember when I was a young Oxford scholar,
that he could not endure to heare of the _New_ (Cartesian, or &c.)
_Philosophy_; 'for,' sayd he, 'if a new philosophy is brought-in, a new
divinity will shortly follow' (or 'come next'); and he was right.
He dyed at his house at Gillingham aforesaid, where he and his
predecessor, Dr. <John> Jessop, had been vicars one hundred and ...
yeares, and lyes buryed in the chancell there. Obiit March 9th,
1679/80, and was buried the 31 of the same month.
He was heire to his uncle, John Davenant, bishop of Sarum.
Memorandum:--when bishop Coldwell[DK] came to this bishoprick, he did
lett long leases, which were but newly expired when bishop Davenant
came to this sea; so that there tumbled into his coffers vast summes.
His predecessor, Dr. Tounson, maried his sister, continued in the see
but a little while, and left severall children unprovided for, so
the king or rather duke of Bucks gave bishop Davenant the bishoprick
out of pure charity[DL]. Sir Anthony Weldon sayes (in his _Court of
King James_), 'twas the only bishoprick that he disposed of without
symony, all others being made merchandise of for the advancement of
his kindred. Bishop Davenant being invested, maried all his nieces to
clergie-men, so he was at no expence for their preferment. He granted
to his nephew (this Dr.) the lease of the great mannour of Poterne,
worth about 1000 _li._ per annum; made him threasurer of the church of
Sarum, of which the corps is the parsonage of Calne, which was esteemed
to be of the like value. He made severall purchases, all which he left
him; insomuch as the churchmen of Sarum say, that he gained more by
this church then ever any man did by the church since the Reformation,
and take it very unkindly that, at his death, he left nothing (or but
50 _li._) to that church which was the source of his estate. How it
happened I know not, or how he might be workt-on in his old age, but I
have heard severall yeares since, he had sett downe 500 _li._ in will
for the Cathedral Church of Sarum.
He had 6 sonnes and 4 daughters. There was a good schoole at
Gillingham: at winter nights he taught his sonnes Arithmetic and
Geometric; his 2 eldest daughters, especially Mris Ettrick, was a
notable Algebrist.
☞ _Memoria._ He had an excellent way of improving his children's
memories, which was thus: he would make one of them read a chapter
or &c., and then they were (_sur le champ_) to repeate what they
remembred, which did exceedingly profitt them; and so for sermons, he
did not let them write notes (which jaded their memorie), but gave an
account _vivâ voce_. When his eldest son, John, came to Winton-schoole
(where the boyes were enjoyned to write sermon notes) he had not wrote;
the master askt him for his notes--he had none, but sayd, 'If I doe not
give you as good an account of it as they that doe, I am much mistaken.'
[758]Edward Davenant, D.D., obiit 12 of March 1679/80, and is seated
in the north side of the east end of the chancell at Gillingham,
Dorset.--From Anthony Ettrick, esq.
[759]By Dr. Edward Davenant, S.T.P., _Versus mnemonici ad computationes
cossicas_. Memorandum:--Dr. Davenant hath excellent explanations of
these verses, which transcribe: his son James[DM], at Oriel College
Oxon, hath them.
_Notes._
[DJ] Aubrey gives in trick the coat:--'gules, between 9 cross-crosslets
fitchée or, 3 escallops ermine [Davenant].'
[DK] John Coldwell was consecrated Dec. 26, 1591, and died Oct. 14,
1596.
[DL] Robert Tounson, consecrated July 9, 1620, died May 15, 1621,
leaving a widow and fifteen children. The congé d'élire on behalf of
Davenant was issued May 29, 1621.
[DM] James Davenant, matric. at Oriel, July 23, 1656.
=John Davenant= (1576-1641).
[760]John Davenant, episcopus Sarum: his epitaph made by bishop
Pierson[761].
He bought the advowson of Newton-tony, Wilts, which he gave to Queene's
College[762], Cambridge--quaere if not others.
He hung the choire of Sarum with purple velvet, which was plundered in
the sacrilegious times.
=Sir William Davenant= (1605/6-1668).
[763]Sir William Davenant[DN], knight, Poet Laureate, was
borne [about[764] the end of February--vide A. Wood's _Antiq.
Oxon._--baptized 3 of March A.D. 1605/6], in ... street in the city of
Oxford at the Crowne taverne.
His father was John Davenant, a vintner there, a very grave and
discreet citizen: his mother was a very beautifull woman, and of a very
good witt, and of conversation extremely agreable. They had three sons,
viz. 1, Robert[LII.], 2, William[765]; and 3, Nicholas (an attorney):
and two handsome daughters, one married to Gabriel Bridges (B.D.,
fellow of C. C. Coll., beneficed in the Vale of White Horse), another
to Dr. <William> Sherburne (minister of Pembridge in Hereford, and a
canon of that church).
[LII.] Robert[766] was a fellow of St. John's College in Oxon: then
preferred to the parsonage of West Kington by bishop Davenant, whose
chaplaine he was.
Mr. William Shakespeare was wont to goe into Warwickshire once a yeare,
and did commonly in his journey lye at this house in Oxon. where he
was exceedingly respected. [I[767] have heard parson Robert <Davenant>
say that Mr. W. Shakespeare haz given him a hundred kisses.] Now Sir
William would sometimes, when he was pleasant over a glasse of wine
with his most intimate friends--e.g. Sam. Butler (author of Hudibras),
&c.--say, that it seemed to him that he writt with the very spirit
that Shakespeare, and seemd[768] contented[769] enough to be thought
his son. [He[770] would tell them the story as above, in which way his
mother had a very light report[771].]
He went to schoole at Oxon to Mr. Sylvester (Charles Whear, filius
Degorii W., was his schoolefellowe), but I feare he was drawne from
schoole before he was ripe enough.
He was preferred to the first dutches of Richmond to wayte on her as
a page. I remember he told me, she sent him to a famous apothecary for
some Unicornes-horne, which he was resolved to try with a spider which
he incircled[772] in it, but without the expected successe; the spider
would goe over, and thorough and thorough, unconcerned.
He was next a servant (as I remember, a page also) to Sir Fulke
Grevil[773] lord Brookes, with whom he lived to his death, which was
that a servant of his (that had long wayted on him and his lordship
had often told him that he would doe something for him, but did not
but still putt him off with delayes) as he was trussing up his lord's
pointes comeinge from stoole (for then their breeches were fastned to
the doubletts with points--then came in hookes and eies--which not to
have fastened was in my boy-hood a great crime) stabbed him. This was
at the same time that the duke of Buckingham was stabbed by Felton, and
the great noise and report of the duke's, Sir William told me, quite
drowned this of his lord's, that 'twas scarce taken notice of. This Sir
Fulke G. was a good witt, and had been a good poet[774] in his youth.
He wrote a poeme in folio which he printed not till he was old, and
then, (as Sir W. said) with too much judgment and refining, spoyld it,
which was at first a delicate thing.
He writt a play or playes, and verses, which he did with so much
sweetnesse and grace, that by it he got the love and friendship of his
two Mecaenasses, Mr. Endymion Porter, and Mr. Henry Jermyn (since earl
of St. Albans), to whom he has dedicated his poem called _Madegascar_.
Sir John Suckling also was his great and intimate friend.
After the death of Ben Johnson he was made in his place Poet Laureat.
He gott a terrible clap of a black handsome wench that lay in Axe-yard,
Westminster, whom he thought on when he speakes of _Dalga_ in
_Gondibert_, which cost him his nose, with which unlucky mischance many
witts were to<o> cruelly bold: e.g. Sir John Menis, Sir John Denham, &c.
[775]In 1641, when the troubles began, he was faine to fly into France,
and at Canterbury he was seised on by the mayor--vide Sir John Menis'
verses--
'For Will had in his face the flawes
And markes recieved in countrey's cause:
They flew on him like lyons passant,
And tore his nose as much as was on't,
And call'd him superstitious groome,
And Popish Dog, and Cur of Rome.
. . . . . 'Twas surely the first time
That Will's religion was a crime.'
In the civill warres in England he was in the army of William, marquess
of Newcastle (since duke), where he was generall of the ordinance. I
have heard his brother Robert say, for that service there was owing to
him by King Charles the First 10000 _li._ During that warre, 'twas his
hap to have two aldermen of Yorke his prisoners, who were something
stubborne, and would not give the ransome ordered by the councell of
warr. Sir William used them civilly, and treated them in his tent,
and sate them at the upper end of his table à la mode de France, and
having donne so a good while to his chardge, told them (privately and
friendly) that he was not able to keepe so chargeable guests, and bad
them take an opportunity to escape, which they did; but having been gon
a little way they considered with themselves that in gratitude they
ought to goe back and give Sir William their thankes; which they did,
but it was like to have been to their great danger of being taken by
the soldiers; but they happened to gett safe to Yorke.
The King's party being overcome, Sir William Davenant (who received the
honour of knighthood from the duke of Newcastle by commision) went into
France; resided chiefly in Paris where the Prince of Wales then was.
He then began to write his romance in verse, called _Gondibert_, and
had not writt above the first booke, but being very fond of it, prints
it (before a quarter finished), with an epistle of his to Mr. Thomas
Hobbes and Mr. Hobbes' excellent epistle to him printed before it. The
courtiers with the Prince of Wales could never be at quiet about this
piece, which was the occasion of a very witty but satericall little
booke of verses in 8vo. about 4 sheetes, writt by George, duke of
Buckes, Sir John Denham, etc.--
'That thou forsak'st thy sleepe, thy diet,
And which is more then that, _our quiet_.'
This last word Mr. Hobs told me was the occasion of their writing.
Here he layd an ingeniose designe to carry a considerable number of
artificers (chiefly weavers) from hence to Virginia; and by Mary the
queen-mother's meanes, he got favour from the king of France to goe
into the prisons and pick and choose. So when the poor dammed wretches
understood what the designe was, the<y> cryed _uno ore_--'_Tout
tisseran!_' i.e. _We are all weavers!_ Will. <took> 36, as I remember,
if not[776]more, and shipped them; and[777] as he was in his voyage
towards Virginia, he and his _tisseran_ were all taken by the shippes
then belonging to the Parliament of England. The slaves I suppose
they sold, but Sir William was brought prisoner to England. Whither
he was first a prisoner at Caresbroke-castle in the Isle of Wight, or
at the Tower of London, I have forgott: he was a prisoner at both.
His _Gondibert_, 4to, was finished at Caresbroke-castle. He expected
no mercy from the Parliament, and had no hopes of escaping <with> his
life. It pleased God that the two aldermen of Yorke aforesayd hearing
that he was taken and brought to London to be tryed for his life, which
they understood was in extreme danger, they were touch<ed> with so
much generosity and goodnes, as, upon their owne accounts and meer
motion, to try what they could to save Sir William's life who had been
so civill to them and a meanes to save theirs, to come to London: and
acquainting the Parliament with it, upon their petition, etc., Sir
William's life was saved[LIII.].
[LIII.] 'Twas Harry Martyn that saved Sir William Davenant's life in
the Howse.--When they were talking of sacrificing one, then said Henry
that 'in sacrifices they always offered pure and without blemish: now
yee talke of making a sacrifice of an old rotten rascall.' Vide H.
Martyn's Life, where by _this very jest_, then[778] forgot, the lord
Falkland saved H. Martyn's Life.
Being freed from imprisonment, (because playes, scil. Tragedies and
Comoedies, were in those Presbyterian times scandalous) he contrives
to set-up an Opera _stylo recitativo_, wherein serjeant Maynard
and severall citizens were engagers. It began at Rutland-house,
in Charter-house-yard; next, (scil. anno ...) at the Cock-pitt in
Drury-lane, where were acted very well _stylo recitativo_, _Sir Francis
Drake's ..._, and _the Siege of Rhodes_ (1st and 2d part). It did
affect the eie and eare extremely. This first brought scenes in fashion
in England; before, at playes, was only a hanging.
Anno Domini 1660 was the happy restauration of his majestie Charles
II. Then was Sir Wm. made ...; and the Tennis court in Little
Lincolnes-Inne fielde was turn'd into a play-house for the duke of
Yorke's players, where Sir William had lodgeings, and where he dyed,
April the <7th> 166<8>[LIV.].
[LIV.] It is now a Tennis court again, upon the building of the duke's
house in Dorset garden.
I was at his funerall. He had a coffin of walnutt-tree; Sir[779] John
Denham sayd 'twas the finest coffin that ever he sawe.[780]His body was
carried in a herse from the play-house to Westminster-Abbey, where,
at the great west dore, he was recieved by the sing<ing> men and
choristers, who sang the service of the church ('I am the Resurrection,
&c.') to his[LV.] grave, which is in the south crosse aisle, on which,
on a paving stone of marble, is writt, in imitation of that on Ben
Johnson, '_O rare Sir Will. Davenant_.'
[LV.] Which is neer to the monument of Dr. Isaac
Barrow.--Memorandum:--my honoured friend Sir Robert Moray lies by him;
but _sans_ inscription.
His first lady was Dr. ...'s daughter, physitian, ... by whom he had
a very beautifull and ingeniose son that dyed above 20 yeares since.
His 2d lady was the daughter of ... by whom he had severall children:
I sawe some very young ones at the funerall. His eldest is Charles
Davenant, LL.Dr., who inherits his father's beauty and phancy[781]. He
practises at Doctors Commons. He writt a play called _Circe_, which haz
taken very well.
Sir William hath writt about 25 (quaere) playes; the romance called
_Gondibert_; and a little poeme called _Madagascar_.
His private opinion was that Religion at last,--e.g. a hundred yeares
hence,--would come to settlement, and that in a kind of ingeniose
Quakerisme.
[782]That sweet swan of Isis, Sir William Davenant, dyed the seaventh
day of April last, and lyes buried amongst the poets in Westminster
abbey[783], by his antagonist, Mr. Thomas May, whose inscription of
whose marble was taken away by order since the king came in.
Sir William was Poet Laureat; and Mr. John Dryden hath his place. But
me thought it had been proper that a laurell should have been sett on
his coffin--which was not donne.
He hath writt above 20 playes; besides his _Gondibert_ and _Madagascar_.
_Note._
[DN] Aubrey gives in trick the Davenant coat, _ut supra_, p. 203, but
wreathed in laurel: see the facsimile at the end of vol. iv. of Clark's
Wood's _Life and Times_.
=John Davenport= (1597-1669/70).
[784]Sir John Dugdale told me that he would enquire about Mr. John
Davenport, and send to you.--This was halfe a yeare since, at least.
[785]Sir John Dugdale saith that John Davenport was a nonconformist;
and he hath enquired of his relations, who know nothing of him, if
dead or alive, but they believe he is dead. He went over sea--he
thinkes to the Barbadoes, or some of these plantations[786], or to
Holland.
=John Davys= (1550-1605).
[787]Memorandum:--Mr. Browne, the mathematicall instrument maker of
the Minories, told me that the sea-quadrant was invented by Captaine
Davy ... yeares since,--he that found out the streights called Davys's
Streights.
=Arthur Dee= (1579-1651).
[788]'Arthur Dee,' (sonne of John Dee), a physitian at Norwych, 'was
born 13 Julii 1579, manè, horâ 4. 30´ fere (vel potius, 25 min.)
in ipso ortu solis, ut existimo'--Thus I find it in his father's
_Ephemerides_.
Obiit Norwychi about 1650.
[789]<Arthur Dee told Dr. Bathurst and Dr. Wharton> 'that (being but a
boy) he used[LVI.] to play at quoits with the plates of gold made by
projection in the garret of Dr. Dee's lodgings in Prague.... When he
was 9 yeares of age and at Trebona in Germany with his father, he was
design'd to succede Kelly as his father's speculator.'
[LVI.] Mrs. Dee, wife to his son Mr. Rowland Dee, told me the other day
that Dr. Arthur Dee hath often told her the same.
[790]<Arthur Dee> 'has often told Mr. Whitefoot, of Norwich, who buried
him, that he had more than once seen the philosopher's stone, and he
thinks that he has written some peice on that subject. He was a man of
a very pleasant conversation and had good practice in Norwich: a great
acquaintance of Dr. <Thomas> Browne's.'
=John Dee= (1527-1608).
[791]John Dee:--Mr. Ashmole hath his nativitie. Resp.--'tis in his
_Theatrum Chemicum_. Hee had a very faire cleare rosie complexion: so
had the earl of Rochester, exceeding.
[792]'Johannes Dee, natus Londini, 1527, Julii 13, 4ʰ 2´ P.M.'--this
nativity[DO] I copied out of the learned John Dee's papers in the hands
of Elias Ashmole, esq.
[793]From Elias Ashmole--the father of this John Dee was a vintner in
... London.
[794]John Dee--from Meredith Lloyd:--Talbot, marying an inheritresse
of the prince of South Wales (who was descended from Howel Da, i.e.
Howelus bonus: the same family from whom John Dee was descended).--Dr.
Troutbec hath Raymund Lully's ... (a chymical tract) with John Dee's
marginall notes.
[795]I left about 1674, with Mr. Elias Ashmole, 3 pages in folio
concerning him[DP].
Memorandum:--Mr. Meredith Lloyd tells me that his father was Roland
Dee[DQ], a Radnorshire gentleman[LVII.], and that he hath his pedegree,
which he hath promised to lend to me. He was descended from Rees,
prince of South Wales.
[LVII.] J. Dee's father was a vintner in London at the signe of ... in
...: from Elias Ashmole, esqre, who had it from his grandsonne (sonne
of Arthur).
My great-grandfather, William Aubrey (LL.Dr.), and he were cosins, and
intimate acquaintance. Mr. Ashmole hath letters between them, under
their owne hands, viz. one of Dr. W. A. to him[796] (ingeniosely and
learnedly written) touching the _Sovraignty of the Sea_, of which J.
D. writt a booke which he dedicated to queen Elizabeth and desired my
great grandfather's advice upon it. Dr. A.'s countrey-house was at
Kew, and J. Dee lived at Mortlack, not a mile distant. I have heard my
grandmother say they were often together.