13. _Idea Theologiae_ in MS. in the handes of Mr. Skinner, a merchant's
sonne, in Marke-lane. Memorandum there was one Mr. Skinner of the
Jerkers office up 2 paire of stayres at the Custome-house.
14. He wrote a dictionary called _Idioma linguae Latinae_ (from Mr.
Packer who was his scholar).
<_An almost contemporary life of Milton._>
[314]Quaere Mr. <Andrew> Allam, of Edmund-hall, Oxon, of John Milton's
life writt by himselfe[315]: vide pagg....
<_His acquaintance._>
[316]He was visited much by learned <men>; more then he did desire.
He was mightily importuned to goe into France and Italie. Foraigners
came much to see him, and much admired him, and offer'd to him great
preferments to come over to them: and the only inducement of severall
foreigners that came over into England, was chiefly to see Oliver
Protector, and Mr. John Milton; and would see the house and chamber
wher _he_ was borne. He was much more admired abrode then at home.
His familiar learned acquaintance were Mr. Andrew Marvell, Mr. Skinner,
Dr. Pagett, M.D.
Mr. <Cyriack> Skinner, who was his disciple.
John Dreyden, esq., Poet Laureate, who very much admires him, and went
to him to have leave to putt his Paradise Lost into a drama in rhymne.
Mr. Milton recieved him civilly, and told him he would give him leave
to tagge his verses.
His widowe assures me that Mr. T. Hobbs was not one of his
acquaintance, that her husband did not like him at all, but he would
acknowledge[317] him to be a man of great parts, and a learned man.
Their interests and tenets did[318] run counter to each other; vide in
Hobbes' _Behemoth_.
=George Monk= (1608-1670).
[319]G. M[320]. was borne at ... in Devon (vide Devon in Heralds'
Office), a second son of ..., an ancient familie, and which had about
Henry 8's time 10,000 _li._ per annum (as he himselfe sayd).
He was a strong, lusty, well-sett young fellow; and in his youth
happened to slay a man[XXVI.], which was the occasion of his flying
into the Low-countries, where he learned to be a soldier.
[XXVI.] From Mʳⁱˢ Linden, his kinswoman, a Devon woman whose name was
Monke.
At the beginning of the late civill warres, he came over to the king's
side, where he had command (quaere in what part of England).
Anno ... he was prisoner in the Tower, where his semstres, Nan
Cl<arges> (a blacksmith's[XXVII.] daughter), was kind to him;
in a double capacity. It must be remembred that he then was in
want[XXVIII.], and she assisted him. Here she was gott with child. She
was not at all handsome, nor cleanly. Her mother was one of the five
woemen barbers.
[XXVII.] The shop is still of that trade; the corner-shop, the
first turning on the right hand as you come out of the Strand into
Drury-lane; the howse is now built of brick.
[XXVIII.] He was taken prisoner by the Parliament forces, and kept in
the Tower; and the trueth was, he was forgotten and neglected at Court,
that they did not thinke of exchanging him, and he was in want.
Anno ... (as I remember, 1635) there was a maried woman in Drury-lane
that had clapt (i.e. given the pox to) a woman's husband, a neighbor
of hers. She complained of this to her neighbour gossips. So they
concluded on this revenge, viz. to gett her and whippe her and ...;
which severities were executed and put into a ballad. 'Twas the first
ballad I ever cared for the reading of: the burden of it was thus:--
Did yee ever heare the like
Or ever heard the same
Of five woemen-barbers
That lived in Drewry lane?
Vide the Ballad-booke[321].
Anno ... her brother, T<homas> Cl<arges>, came a ship-board to G. M.
and told him his sister was brought to bed. 'Of what?' sayd he. 'Of a
son.' 'Why then,' sayd he, 'she is my wife.' He had only this child.
Anno.., (I have forgott by what meanes) he gott his libertie, and an
employment under Oliver (I thinke) at sea, against the Dutch, where he
did good service; he had courage enough. But I remember the sea-men
would laugh, that in stead of crying _Tack about_, he would say _Wheele
to the right_ (or _left_).
Anno 16.. he had command in Scotland (vide his life), where he was well
beloved by his soldiers, and, I thinke, that country (for an enemie).
Oliver, Protector, had a great mind to have him home, and sent him a
fine complementall letter, that he desired <him> to come into England
to advise with him. He sent his highnesse word, that if he pleased
he would come and waite upon him at the head of 10,000 men. So that
designe was spoyled.
Anno 1659/60, Febr. 10th (as I remember), being then sent for by the
Parliament to disband Lambert's armie, he came into London with his
army about one a clock P.M.[XXIX.] He then sent to the Parliament this
letter, which[322], printed, I annex here. Shortly after he was sent
for to the Parliament house; where, in the howse, a chaire was sett for
him, but he would not (in modestie) sitt downe in it. The Parliament
(Rumpe[XXX.]) made him odious to the citie, purposely, by pulling down
and burning their gates (which I myselfe sawe). The Rumpe invited him
to a great dinner, Febr. ... (shortly after); from whence it was never
intended that he should have returned (of this I am assured by one of
that Parliament). The members stayd till 1, 2, 3, 4 a clock, but at
last his excellency sent them word he could not come: I beleeve he
suspected some treacherie.
[XXIX.] on a Saterday. On Sunday (the next day) Sir Ralph Sydenham (his
countreyman) went and dined with him, and after dinner told him that
God had putt a good opportunity into his handes, innuend. restoring
the king; to which he gave an indefinite answer, and sayd he hoped he
should doe like an honest man. We that were Sir Ralph's acquaintance
were longing for his coming home to supper for the generall's answer,
who kept him till 9 at night. He, after the king's restauration, made
him Master of Charter-howse.
[XXX.] _the Rumpe of a Howse_: 'twas the wooden invention of generall
Browne (a woodmonger).
You must now know that long before these dayes, colonel <Edward>
Massey, and Thomas Mariett, of Whitchurch in Warwickshire, esqre, held
correspondence with his majestie, who wrote them letters with his owne
hand, which I have seen. Both these were now in London privately. Tom
Mariett laye with me (I was then of the Middle Temple); G. M. lay at
Draper's hall[323] in Throckmorton-street. Col. Massey (Sir Edward
afterwards), and T. Mariett every day were tampering with G. M., as
also col. <John> Robinson (afterward Liewtenant of the Tower: whom I
remember they counted not so wise as King Salomon); and they could not
find any inclination or propensity in G. M. for their purpose, scil.
to be instrumentall to bring in the king. Every night late, I had an
account of all these transactions abed, which like a sott as I was, I
did not, while fresh in memorie, committ to writing, as neither has T.
M.[XXXI.]: but I remember in the maine, that they were satisfied he no
more intended or designed the king's restauration, when he came into
England, or first came to London, then his horse did. But shortly after
finding himselfe at a losse; and that he was (purposely) made odious to
the citie, as aforesayd--and that he was a lost man--by the Parliament;
and that the generality of the citie and country were for the restoring
the king, having long groaned under the tyranny of other governments;
he had no way to save himselfe but to close with the citie, etc.,
again. Memorandum that Thredneedle-street was all day long, and late
at night, crammed with multitudes, crying out _A free Parliament, a
free Parliament_, that the aire rang with their clamours[324]. One
evening, viz. Feb.... (quaere diem) he comeing out on horseback[325],
they were so violent that he was almost afrayd of himselfe, and so, to
satisfie them (as they use to doe to importunate children), _Pray be
quiet, yee shall have a free Parliament_. This about 7, or rather 8
as I remember at night. Immediately a loud holla and shout was given,
all the bells in <the> city ringing, and the whole citie looked as if
it had been in a flame by the bonfires, which were prodigiously great
and frequent and ran like a traine over the citie, and I sawe some
balcone's that began to be kindled. They made little gibbetts, and
roasted[326] rumpes of mutton; nay, I sawe some very good rumpes of
beefe[327]. Healths to the king, Charles II, were dranke in the streets
by the bonfires, even on their knees; and this humor ran by the next
night to Salisbury, where was the like joy; so to Chalke, where they
made a great bonfire on the top of the hill; from hence to Blandford
and Shaftesbury, and so to the Land's-end: and perhaps it was so over
all England. So that the return of his most gracious majestie was by
the hand of GOD[XXXII.]; but as by this person meerly accidentall,
whatever the pompous History in 8vo. sayes (printed at ... opposite
to St. Dunstan's church: quaere if not writt by Sir Thomas Clargies,
brother to her Grace, formerly an apothecary; and was physician to his
army, and 1660 was created M. Dr., who commonly at Coffee-houses uses
to pretend strange things, of his contrivances, and bringing-on of his
brother-in-lawe to ...).
[XXXI.] Quaere T. M. iterum de his.
[XXXII.] A Domino factum est istud: et est mirabile in oculis nostris.
Hoc[328] est dies quam fecit dominus, exultemus et laetemur in
ea.--Psm. cxviii. 23, 24.
Well! A free Parliament was chosen, and mett the ... of.... Sir
Harbottle Grimston, knight and baronet, was chosen Speaker. The first
thing he putt to the question was, 'Whether CHARLES STEWARD should
be sent for, or no?' 'Yea, yea,' _nemine contradicente_. Sir John
Greenvill (now earle of Bathe) was then in towne, and posted away to
Bruxells; found the king at dinner, little dreaming of so good newes,
rises presently from dinner, had his coach immediately made readie, and
that night gott out of the king of Spaine's dominions into the prince
of Orange's country, I thinke, Breda[XXXIII.].
[XXXIII.] This I have heard bishop John Earles and his wife Bridget,
then at Bruxells, say, severall times.
Now, as the morne growes lighter and lighter, and more glorious, till
it is perfect day, so[329]it was with the joy of the people. Maypoles,
which in the hypocriticall times, 'twas ... to sett-up, now were sett
up in every crosse-way: and at the Strand, neer Drury-lane, was sett-up
the most prodigious one for height, that (perhaps) was ever seen;
they were faine (I remember) to have the assistance of the sea-men's
art to elevate it; that which remaines (being broken with a high wind
anno ..., I thinke about 1672) is but two parts of three of the whole
height from the grownd, besides what is in the earth. The juvenile and
rustique folkes at that time had so much their fullnesse of desires in
this kind, that I thinke there have been very few sett-up since. The
honours conferred on G. M. every one knowes.
His sence might be good enough, but he was slow, and heavie. He dyed
anno ... and had a magnificent funerall, suitable to his greatnesse.
His figure in his robes was very artificially donne, which lay in a
catafalco under a canopie, in or neer the east end of Westminster
abby, a moneth or 6 weekes. Seth Ward, lord bishop of Sarum (his great
acquaintance), preached his funerall sermon, which is printed for....
His eldest brother dyed sine prole, about the time of the King's
returne. His other brother, <Nicholas Monk[330]> was made bishop of
Hereford. G. M. and his duchess dyed within a day or two of each other.
The bishop of Sarum told me that he did the last office of a confessor
to his grace; and closed his eies, as his lordship told me himselfe.
Some moneths before G. M.'s comeing into England, the king sent Sir
Richard Grenvill (since earl of Bath) to him to negotiate with him that
he would doe him service, and to correspond with him. Said he, 'If
opportunity be, I will doe him service; but I will not by any meanes
have any correspondence[331] with him'; and he did like a wise man in
it; for if he had he would certainly have been betrayed.
'Twas shrewd advice which <William> Wyld, then Recorder of London,
gave to the citizens, i.e. to keep their purse-strings fast; els, the
Parliament would have payed the army and kept out the king.
He was first an ensigne, and after a captain, in the Lowe-countreys,
and for making false musters was like to have been ... which he
afterward did not forget:--from major Cosh.
This underneath was writt on the dore of the House of Commons.
Till it be understood
What is under Monke's hood,
The citizens putt in their hornes.
Untill the ten dayes are out,
The Speaker[XXXIV.] haz the gowt,
And the Rump, they sitt upon thornes.
[XXXIV.] Lenthall.
Memorandum:--Mr. Baron Brampton hath invited me to his chamber to
give me a farther account of generall Monk.--I[332] let slip the
opportunity, and my honoured friend is dead.
=Sir Jonas Moore= (1617-1679).
[333]Sir Jonas More: vide[334] Φ, p. 128. Sciatica he cured it, by
boyling his buttock. The D.[335] Y. said that 'Mathematicians and
physicians had no religion': which being told to Sir Jonas More, he
presented his duty to the D. Y.[336] and wished 'with all his heart
that his highnesse _were a mathematician too_': this was since he was
supposed to be a Roman Catholic.
[337]He was a clarke under Dr. Burghill, Chancellor of Durham. Parson
Milbourne, in the Bishoprick, putt him upon the Mathematiques, and
instructed him in it. Then he came to the Middle Temple, London, where
he published his Arithmetique, and taught it in Stanhop-street. After
this, gott-in with the lord Gorges, earle of Bedford, and Sir Thomas
Chichiley, for the surveying of the fennes:--from captain Sherbourne.
Mr. ... Gascoigne (of the North, I thinke Yorkeshire), a person of good
estate, a most learned gentleman, who was killed in the civill warres
in the king's cause, a great mathematician, and bred by the Jesuites
at Rome, gave him good information in mathematicall knowledge. Pray
inquire of our friend, Mr. Ralph Sheldon, for as many memorialls of
him[AB] as you can: he was one of the most accomplisht gentlemen of his
time.
[338]Sir Jonas Moore[AC] was borne at Whitelee in Lancashire, towards
the bishoprick of Durham. He was inclined to mathematiques when a boy,
which some kind friends[339] of his (whom he mentions in the preface of
his first edition of his Arithmetique, dedicated to ... about 1647, and
Edmund Wyld, esq.), and afterwards Mr. Oughtred, more fully enformed
him; and then he taught gentlemen in London, which was his livelyhood.
When the great levell of the fennes was to be surveyed, Mr. Wyld
aforesaid who was his scholar and a member of Parliament was very
instrumentall in helping him to the employment of surveying it, which
was his rise, which I have heard him acknowledge with much gratitude
before severall persons of quality, since he was a knight, and which
evidenced an excellent good nature in him.
☞ Memorandum:--when he surveyed the fennes, he observed the line that
the sea made on the beach, which is not a streight line (quaere what
line?), by which meanes he gott great credit in keeping-out the sea in
Norfolke; so[340] he made his bankes against the sea of the same line
that the sea makes on the beach; and no other could doe it, but that
the sea would still breake-in upon it.
Memorandum:--he made a modell of <a> citadell for Oliver Cromwell, to
bridle the city of London, which Mr. Wyld has; and this citadell was to
have been the crosse building of St. Paule's church.
Upon the restauration of his majestie he was made Master Surveyor of
his majestie's ordinance and armories.
A.D. 167- he received the honour of knighthood. He was a good
mathematician, and a good fellowe.
He dyed at Godalmyng, comeing from Portsmouth to London ..., and was
buried Septemb. 2ᵈ 1679, at the Tower Chapell, with sixtie peices of
ordinance (equal to the number of his yeares). He was tall and very
fat, thin skin, faire, cleare grey eie.
He alwayes intended to have left his library of mathematicall bookes to
the Royall Societie, of which he was a member; but he happened to dye
without making a will, wherby the Royal Societie have a great losse.
His only sonne, Jonas, had the honour of knighthood conferred upon
him, August 9, 1680, at Windsor; 'his majestie being pleased to give
him this marke of his favour as well in consideration of his owne
abilities, as of the faithfull service of his father deceased' (_London
Gazette_, no. 1537)--but young Sir Jonas, when he is old, will never be
_old Sir Jonas_, for all the Gazette's elogie.
Memorandum:--speake to Sir Christopher Wren to gett the wooden sphaere
that was made for Prince Henry by Mr. <Edward> Wright, out of young Sir
Jonas Moore's handes, into the king's again.
I remember Sir Jonas told us that a Jesuite (I think 'twas
Grenbergerus, of the Roman College) found out a way of flying, and that
he made a youth[341] performe it. Mr. Gascoigne taught an Irish boy
the way, and he flew over a river in Lancashire (or therabout), but
when he was up in the ayre, the people gave a shoute, wherat the boy
being frighted, he fell downe on the other side of the river, and broke
his legges, and when he came to himselfe, he sayd that he thought the
people had seen some strange apparition, which fancy amazed him. This
was anno 1635, and he spake it in the Royall Societie, upon the account
of the flyeing at Paris, two yeares since. Vide the Transactions.
I remember I have heard Sir Jonas say that when he began
mathematiques, he wonderfully profited by reading Billingesley's
Euclid, and that 'twas his excellent, cleare, and plaine exposition of
the 4ᵗʰ proposition of the first booke of the Elements, did first open
and cleare his understanding: quod N.B.
_Notes._