[AB] i.e. William Gascoigne: vol. i. p. 260. Ralph Sheldon of Beoly was
a Catholic; and at his house Anthony Wood received much information
about Catholic writers: Clark's Wood's _Life and Times_, iii. 98.
[AC] Aubrey gives in trick the coat: 'azure, a swan within a bordure
engrailed argent.'
=Sir Robert Moray= (16---1673).
[342]Sir Robert Moray, knight:--he was of the ancient family of the
Morays in Scotland. He was borne ... (as I take it, in the Highlands),
anno domini.... The Highlanders (like the Swedes) can make their owne
cloathes; and I have heard Sir Robert say that he could doe it.
He spent most of his time in France. After his juvenile education at
schoole and the University he betooke himselfe to military employment
in the service of Lewis the 13th. He was at last Lieuetenant-Colonel
to.... He was a great master of the Latin tongue and was very well
read. They say he was an excellent soldier.
He was far from the rough humour of the camp breeding, for he was a
person the most obliging about the court and the only man that would
doe a kindnesse _gratis_ upon an account of friendship. A lacquey could
not have been more obsequious and diligent. What I doe now averre I
know to be true upon my owne score as well as others. He was a most
humble and good man, and as free from covetousness as a Carthusian. He
was abstemious and abhorred woemen. His majesty was wont to teaze at
him. 'Twas pitty he was a Presbyterian.
He was the chiefe appuy of his countreymen and their good angel. There
had been formerly a great friendship between him and the duke of
Lauderdale, till, about a yeare or two before his death, he went to the
duke on his returne from Scotland and told him plainly that he had
betrayed his countrey.
He was one of the first contrivers and institutors of the Royall
Societie and was our first president, and performed his charge in the
chaire very well.
He was my most honoured and obligeing friend, and I was more obliged
to him then to all the courtiers besides. I had a great losse in his
death, for, had he lived, he would have got some employment or other
for me before this time. He had the king's eare as much as any one, and
was indefatigable in his undertakings. I was often with him. I was with
him three houres the morning he dyed; he seemed to be well enough[343].
I remember he dranke at least 1/2 pint of faire water, according to his
usuall custome.
His lodgeing where he dyed was the leaded pavillion in the garden at
Whitehall. He dyed suddenly July 4ᵗʰ about 8 hours P.M. Aº.D. 1673. Had
but one shilling in his pocket, i.e. _in all_. The king buryed him. He
lyes by Sir William Davenant in Westminster abbey.
He was a good chymist and assisted his majestie in his chymicall
operations.
=Sir Thomas More= (1480-1535).
[344]Sir Thomas More[AD], Lord Chancellour:--his countrey-howse was
at Chelsey, in Middlesex, where Sir John Danvers built his house. The
chimney-piece of marble in Sir John's chamber, was the chimney-piece
of Sir Thomas More's chamber, as Sir John himselfe told me. Where the
gate is now, adorned with two noble pyramids, there stood anciently
a gate-house, which was flatt on the top, leaded, from whence is a
most pleasant prospect of the Thames and the fields beyond. On this
place the Lord Chancellour More was wont to recreate himselfe and
contemplate. It happened one time that a Tom of Bedlam came-up to him,
and had a mind to have throwne him from the battlements, saying 'Leap,
Tom, leap.' The Chancellour was in his gowne, and besides ancient, and
not able to struggle with such a strong fellowe. My lord had a little
dog with <him>; sayd he 'Let us first throwe the dog downe, and see
what sport that will be'; so the dog was throwne over. 'This is very
fine sport,' sayd my lord, 'let us fetch him up, and try once more.'
While the madman was goeing downe, my lord fastned the dore, and called
for help, but ever after kept the dore shutt.
Memorandum that in his Utopia his lawe[345] is[XXXV.] that the young
people are to see each other stark-naked before marriage. Sir <William>
Roper, of ... in[346] Eltham in Kent, came one morning, pretty early,
to my lord, with a proposall to marry one of <his> daughters. My lord's
daughters were then both together a bed in a truckle-bed in their
father's chamber asleep. He carries Sir <William> into the chamber and
takes the sheet by the corner and suddenly whippes it off....[347]
Here was all the trouble of the wooeing.--This account I had from
my honoured friend old Mris. Tyndale, whose grandfather Sir William
Stafford was an intimate acquaintance of this Sir ... Roper, who told
him the story.
[XXXV.] Vide _Utopia_, pp. 195, 196, de proco et puella, concerning
marriage--MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 42.
This Sir <William> Roper (from whom[348] is descended the lord Tenham)
had in one piece, drawne by Hans Holbeine, the pictures of Sir Thomas
More, his lady, and all his children, which hung at his house aforesaid
in Kent: but about 1675 'twas presented as a raritie to King Charles II
and hangs in Whitehall.
His discourse was extraordinary facetious. Riding one night, upon the
suddaine, he crossed himself _majori cruce_, crying out[XXXVI.] 'Jesu
Maria! doe not you see that prodigious dragon in the sky?' They all
lookt-up, and one did not see it, nor the tother did not see it. At
length one had spyed it, and at last all had spied. Wheras there was no
such phantôme; only he imposed on their phantasies.
[XXXVI.] Vide Erasmi Colloquia--'Spectrum.'
After he was beheaded, his trunke was interred in Chelsey church, neer
the middle of the south wall, where was some slight monument[XXXVII.]
erected, which being worne by time, about 1644 Sir ... Laurence, of
Chelsey (no kinne to him), at his own proper cost and chardges, erected
to his memorie a handsome faire inscription of marble.
[XXXVII.] Sir Thomas More's inscription is in the south side of the
chancell <in Chelsea church>--Sir John Laurence of Chelsey repaired
Sir Thomas More's inscription (quaere lady Purbec when).--Sir John
Laurence, baronet, obiit 1638.--MS. Aubr. 7, fol. 16.
His head was upon London bridge: there goes this story in the family,
viz. that one day as one of his daughters was passing under the bridge,
looking on her father's head[349], sayd she, 'That head haz layn[350]
many a time in my lapp, would to God it would fall into my lap as I
passe under.' She had her wish, and it did fall into her lappe, and is
now preserved in a vault in the cathedrall church at Canterbury. The
descendant of Sir Thomas, is Mr. More, of Chilston, in Herefordshire,
where, among a great many things of value plundered[351] by the
soldiers, was his chap, which they kept for a relique. Methinks 'tis
strange that all this time he is not canonized, for he merited highly
of the church.
Memorandum:--in the hall of Sir John Lenthall, at Bessils-Lye in
Berks, is an original of Sir Thomas and his father, mother, wife, and
children, donne by Hans Holbein. There is an inscription in golden
letters of about 60 lines, which I spake to Mr. Thomas Pigot, of Wadham
College, to transcribe, and he has donne it very carefully. Aske him
for it. Vide Mr. Thomas Pigot, in part[352] iii.
Memorandum:--about the later end of Erasmus's _Epistolae_, Antverp
edition, pag. 503, 504, 505, is an epitaph for Sir Thomas More, and
another for his lady.
Memorandum:--Sir Thomas More's father had a countrey house at Gubbins
in Hertfordshire, which is in the familie still, who are still
Catholiques; whether he was borne there or no, non constat:--<from>
Seth Ward, episcopus Sarum.
[353]Educatus in aula cardinalis Morton, prout in Utopia pag. 49, 50.
Sir John Lenthall at Besilslye haz a rare and large picture of Hans
Holbein's painting in his hall there, where are the figures, as big as
the life, of Sir Thomas <More> and his father (a judge) and mother,
wife and children, and a long inscription, which gett Mr. Pigot to
transcribe, for it begins to be defaced.