[Dr. Busby, schoolmaster of Westminster, was Tom Randolph's
schoolfellow and coetanean, and sayth that he made these verses--'tis
his vaine:--
With diligence and trust[872] most exemplary
Did William Laurence serve a prebendary[873],
And[874] for his paines, now past before, not lost,
Gain'd this remembrance at his master's cost.
--O read those lines[875] againe: you seldome[876] find
A servant faithfull and a master kind.
Short-hand[877] he wrote; his flowre in youth did fade:
And hasty death short hand of him hath made.
Well couth he numbers and well[878] measur'd land,
Thus doth he now that ground wheron you stand
Wherein he lies; so geometricall
Art maketh some, but thus will nature all.
Obiit Dec. 28, 1621,
aetatis suae 29.]
He dyed in the twenty-eighth yeare of his age at Mr. <William>
Stafford's, Blatherwyck, aforesayd; was there buryed March 17, 1634,
in the aisle of that church among that noble family.
Sir Christopher, lord Hatton, erected to his memorie a monument of
white marble--quaere his epitaph; I thinke A<nthony> W<ood> haz it.
I sent to A. Wood his brother's letter to me from whence I had most of
this, and also his epitaph which my lord Hatton gott Mr. H.[879] rector
of Hadham in Essex[880] to make, but it is puerile.
=Eleanor Ratcliffe=, Countess of Sussex (16---1666).
[881]Countesse of Sussex[882]: a great and sad example of the power of
lust and slavery of it. She was as great a bea<u>tie as any in England
and had a good witt. After her lord's death (he was jealous) she sends
for ... (formerly) her footman, and makes him groom of the chamber. He
had the pox and shee knew it; a damnable sot. He waz not very handsom,
but his body of an exquisit shape (_hinc sagittae_). His nostrills
were stufft and borne out with corkes in which were quills to breath
through. About 1666 this countess dyed of the pox.
=Robert Record= (1510?-1558).
[883]Robert Record, M.D.--his life is in lib. 2, p. 174 of[884]
_Historia et Antiquitates Universitatis Oxon._, among the writers of
All Soules College[885].
He was the first that wrote a good arithmetical treatise in English,
which hath been printed a great many times, viz. his 'Arithmetick,
containing the ground of arts in which is taught the general parts
rules and operations of the same in whole numbers and fractions after
a more easie and exact methode then ever heretofore, first written by
Robert Record, Dr. in Phisick,' printed....
It was dedicated 'to the most mighty prince Edward the 6th by the grace
of God king of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, etc.' In the end
of which epistle:--
'how some of these statutes may be applied to use as well in our time
as in any other time I have particularly declared in this book and some
other I have omitted for just considerations till I may offer them
first unto your majestie to weigh them as to your highness shall seem
good. For many things in them are not to be published without your
highness knowledge and approbation, namely because in them is declared
all the rates of all oyles, for all standards from an ounce upwards,
with other mysteries of mint-matters, and also most part of the
varieties of coines that have been current in this realme by the space
of 600 yeares last past, and many of them were currant in the time
that the Romans ruled here. All which with the ancient description of
England and Ireland, and my simple censure of the same, I have almost
compleated to be exhibited to your highnesse.'--
Quaere if ever published?
'To the reader:--It shall induce me to set forth those further
instructions concerning geometric and cosmography which I have already
promised and am sure hath not hitherto in our English tongue been
published.'--
Quaere of these.
The Whetstone of Witt, which is the second part of Arithmetick,
containing the extraction of rootes, the cossicke practice, with the
rule of equation and the workes of surd nombers. Quarto; dedicated
'to the right worshipfull the governors, consulles, and the rest
of the company of venturers into Muscovia.' Here he speakes:--'For
your commodities I will shortly set forthe suche a book of
navigation'--quaere de hoc libro--'as I dare saie shall partly satisfy
and contente not onely your expectation but also the desire of a great
nomber beside. Wherein I will not forget specialy to touche bothe the
old attempte for the northerly navigations and the late good adventure
with the fortunate successe in discovering that voyage which no man
before you durst attempt sith the time of king Alfred his reigne, I
meane by the space of 700 yere, nother ever any before that time had
passed that voiage except onely Ohthere that dwelt in Halgolande who
reported that jorney to the noble king Alurede, as it doeth yet remain
in auncient recorde of the old Saxon tongue.--In that book also I
will show certain meanes how without great difficultie you may saile
to the North-east Indies and so to Camul Chinchital and Balor which
be countries of great commodities; as for Chatai lieth so far within
the land toward the South Indian seas that the journey is not to be
attempted untill you be better acquainted with those countries that you
must first arrive at.--At London the xii day of November 1557.'
Preface:--'by occasion of trouble upon trouble I was hindered from
accomplishing this work as I did intend.'
In the last leafe of this booke he is frighted by the hasty knocking of
a messenger at the dore and sayes--'then is there no remedie but that I
must neglect all studies and teaching for to withstand these dangers.
My fortune is not so good to have quiet time to teache.'
The Castle of Knowledge, printed at London, 1596, quarto[886], and is
dedicated 'to the most mightie and most puissant princesse, Marie, by
the grace of God, Queen of England, Spaine, both Sicilies, France,
Jerusalem, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Archduchesse of Austria,
Duchesse of Milaine, Burgundie, and Brabant, Countesse of Haspurge,
Flanders, Tyroll, etc.'
He was the first that ever writ of astronomie in the English tongue.
In an admonition for orderly studying of the author's workes before
this booke there is an intimation in verse that he wrote these five
bookes, scilicet, (1) The Ground of Arts, (2) the Pathway to Knowledge,
(3) the Gate of Knowledge, (4) the Castle of Knowledge, (5) the
Treasury of Knowledge.
All that I have seen of his are written in dialogues between the master
and scholar.
[887]Can you[888] enforme me where Dr. Record lies buried? Me thinks
Mr. Stow should mention him.
=John David Rhees= (1534-1609).
[889]Johannes David Rhesus, M.D.:--he wrote a compendium of Aristotle's
Metaphysiques in the British language, mentioned in his epistle to Sir
<Edward> Stradling before his Welsh Grammar. 'Twas in Jesus College
library, Oxon, and my cosen Henry Vaughan (_Olor Iscanus_) had it in
his custody. Dr. Rhees averres[890] there that the British language is
as copious in expressing congruous termes of art as the Greeke or any
language whatsoever. I have sent to Henry Vaughan for it.
[891]I have not yet heard from my cosen Henry Vaughan ('Olor Iscanus')
concerning your queres[892] of Dr. David Rhese the physitian, which I
wonder at.
=John Rider= (1562-1632).
[893]Memorandum--Rider is a Berks family, portant 'party per chevron
argent and sable 3 crescents counter-chang'd.' Quaere if bishop <John>
Rider, the author of the Dictionary, was a Berkshire man.
=George Ripley= (14-- -1490?).
[894]George Ripley was a canon of Burlington, the greatest chymist of
his time. Mr. Elias Ashmole has the draught of his monument there.
Mr. Meredith Lloyd (an able chymist, and who informed his majestie and
Sir Robert Moray herin) hath a MS. in 8vo, 3 inches thick, transcribed
by T. P. 1580, viz.:--Medulla Philosophiae, in English; item,
Ripley's XII Gates, in English verse (more full then in Mr. Ashmole's
_Theatrum Chymicum_)--'Geo. Ripley finivit opus, anno 1471'--with the
astronomicall tables comprehending the secret of the booke.
Item, Mr. Meredith Lloyd haz here in this collection another MSS. of
Chymistry ἀνονυμῶς.
Item, another MS. of Birford, a monk of Ford.
Item, The Mirror of Light[895], another MS.
Item, another of an ἀνόνυμος[896], on the same subject.
The Ordinall of Alchymy, by Norton, MS.
Item, de Mercurio et lapide philosophorum, MS.
In this volumne is also bound-up Ripley's Ars chymica quod sit licita
recte exercentibus.
Item, Mercurii Trismagisti 7 tractat.
Item, ejusdem, Tabulae Smaragdinae.
Studium concilii conjugii de massa Solis et Lunae, impress.
Argentorati, 1566.
I have not had leisure to peruse this rare treasure enough[897]; but
I remember Ripley trounces the monkes of Westminster for cheating the
citizens of London, promising them making of gold.
=... Robartes.=
[898]_Concerning Furzecutters._--Brianston by Blandford in Dorset was,
tempore Henr. 8, belonging to (Sir John, I thinke) Rocklington. He had
a faire estate, and no child; and there was a poor cottager whose name
was Rogers that had a pretty wife whom this knight did visit and had a
mind to have a child by her. As he did suppose, he afterwards had; and
in consideration of affection, etc., settled his whole estate on this
young Rogers. William, lord marquesse Hartford (duke of Somerset), was
son of the grand-daughter of this Rogers.
This present lord Roberts of Truro (now earl of Radnor) his
grandfather (or great-grandfather) was a furze-cutter at ... in
Cornwall--which I have heard old parson Wodenot of Linkenhorne in
Cornwall say many times.
=... Robson.=
[899]Mr. <Fabian> Philips also[900] tells me that ... Robson was the
first that brought into England the art of making Venice glasses, but
Sir Edward Zouche (a courtier and drolling favourite of King James)
oppressed this poor man Robson, and forc't it from him, by these 4
verses to King James, which made his majestie laugh so that he was
ready to bes-- his briggs. The verses are these:--
Severn, Humber, Trent, and Thames,
And thy great Ocean and her streames
Must putt downe Robson and his fires
Or downe goes Zouche and his desires.
The king granted this ingeniose manufacture to Zouch, being tickled
as aforesayd with these rythmes; and so poor Robson was oppressed and
utterly undon, and came to that low degree of poverty that Mr. Philips
told me that he swept the yard at Whitehall and that he himselfe sawe
him doe it.
Sir Robert Mansell had the glasse-worke afterwards, and employed Mr.
James Howell (author of _The Vocall Forest_) at Venice as a factor to
furnish him with materialls for his worke.
=Henry Rolle= (1589-1656).
[901]I remember, about 1646 (or 1647) that Mr. John Maynard (now
Sir John, and serjeant), came into Middle Temple hall, from
Westminster-hall, weary with business, and hungry, when we had newly
dined. He sate downe by Mr. Bennet Hoskyns (the only son of serjeant
Hoskyns the poet), since baronet, and some others; who having made an
end of their commons, fell unto various discourse, and what was the
meaning of the text (Rom. 5. 7) 'For a just man one would dare to die;
but for a good man one would willingly die.' They askt Mr. Maynard what
was the difference between a just man and a good man. He was beginning
to eate, and cryd:--'Hoh! you have eaten your dinners, and now have
leasure to discourse; I have not.' He had eate but a bitt or two when
he reply'd:--'I'le tell you the difference presently: serjeant Rolle is
_a just man_, and Matthew Hale is _a good man_'; and so fell to make an
end of his dinner. And there could not be a better[902] interpretation
of this text. For serjeant Rolle was just, but by nature penurious;
and his wife made him worse: Matthew Hale was not only just, but
wonderfully charitable and open handed, and did not sound a trumpet
neither, as the hypocrites doe.
=Laurence Rooke= (1623-1662).
[903]Laurence Rooke, borne at ... in Kent, was of <King's> Colledge in
Cambridge, a good mathematician and a very good man, an intimate friend
of Dr. Seth Ward (now lord bishop of Sarum).
I heard him reade at Gresham College on the sixth chapter of _Clavis
Mathematica_, an excellent lecture: quaere for his papers which the
bishop of Sarum haz.
He was a temperate man and of strong constitution, but tooke his
sicknesse of which he dyed by setting up often for astronomicall
observations. He lyes buried in the church of St. Bennet Finke in
London, neer the Old Exchange.
His deare friend the bishop (then of Exon) gave to the Royall Societie
a very faire pendulum clock, dedicated to Mr. Rooke's memory, with this
inscription[904]:--
Societati Regali ad scientiam naturalem
promovendam institutae
dono dedit
Reverendus in Christo pater, Sethus, episcopus
Exon, ejusdem societatis sodalis
in memoriam
Laurentii Rook
viri omni literarum genere instructissimi
in Collegio Greshamensi primum Astronomiae
deinde Geometriae professoris
dictaeque societatis nuper sodalis,
qui obiit Jun. 26, 1662.
Seth <Ward>, now lord bishop of Salisbury, hath all Mr. Rooke's papers:
quod N.B.
[905]M.S.
Hic subtus sive dormit sive contemplatur
Qui jamdudum animo metitus est
Quicquid aut vita aut mors habet
V.C. Laurentius Rooke e Cantio oriundus
In Collegio Greshamensi
Astronomiae primo, dein Geometriae professor,
Utriusque ornamentum et spes maxima,
Quem altissima indoles, artesque omnifariae,
Mores pellucidi, et ad amussim probi,
Consuetudo facilis et accommoda,
Bonis doctisque omnibus fecere commendatissimum:
Vir totus teres et sui plenus
Cui virtus et pietas et summa ratio
Desideria metusque omnes sub pedibus dabant.
Ne se penitus saeculo subducere mortuus possit
Qui iniquissima modestia vixerat
Sethus Ward episcopus Exon
Sodalis et symmystae desideratissimi
Longas suavesque amicitias
Hoc saxo prosecutus est.
Obiit Junii XXVII, A.D. MDCLXII, aetat. XL.
M.S.
This inscription was never set up; made, I thinke, by Ralph Bathurst;
quaere Mr. Abraham Hill.
_Note._