[BJ] Sir Thomas Mallet, Justice of the King's Bench 1641-45, 1660-63.
[BK] John Selden matric. at Hart Hall Oct. 24, 1600, aged 15. Giles
Mompesson matric. at Hart Hall, same day, aged 16.
[BL] Henry Grey succeeded as 7th earl of Kent in 1623, died 1639. His
widow Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Gilbert Talbot, 7th earl of
Shrewsbury, died Dec. 7, 1651, bequeathing her estate to Selden.
[BM] It is not clear whether this is 'Sir J. C.' or 'Sir J. H.' (in a
monogram). If the former, perhaps 'Sir John Cotton'; if the latter, as
is more probable, then perhaps Sir John Hoskyns, son of Sir Bennet, p.
223.
[BN] Anthony Wood adds the note: 'Vide Collect. ex Convoc. 1653,' i.e.
Wood's own Collections ex reg. Convoc. Oxon. (MS. Bodl. 594): see
Clark's Wood's _Life and Times_, i. 187, 209.
[BO] Reported slightly more fully by Aubrey, writing April 7, 1673,
in MS. Wood F. 39, fol. 199ᵛ:--'Mr. Johnson, minister of the Temple,
buryed him, secundum usum Directory, where, amongst other things, he
quoted "the sayeing of a learned man" (he did not name him) "that when
a learned man dies, there dyes a great deale of learning with him,"
and that "if learning could have kept a man alive our brother had not
dyed."'
[BP] Charles Louis. 'He received permission from the House of Commons
to sit and hear on Oct. 24, <1643>, but does not seem to have actually
made his appearance till the 28th: when an address of welcome was made
by the Prolocutor, Dr. <William> Twisse, who had been at one time
chaplain to the princess <his mother>, and a reply was made by the
prince. Somewhat fragmentary notes of his speech are found in the first
volume of the minutes of the Westminster Assembly, which has never
been published'--a note kindly sent me by Dr. A. F. Mitchell, Emeritus
Professor of Ecclesiastical History in St. Andrews.
=William Shakespear= (1564-1616).
[963]Mr. William Shakespear was borne at Stratford upon Avon in the
county of Warwick. His father was a butcher, and I have been told
heretofore by some of the neighbours, that when he was a boy he
exercised his father's trade, but when he kill'd a calfe he would doe
it in a high style, and make a speech. There was at that time another
butcher's son in this towne that was held not at all inferior to him
for a naturall witt, his acquaintance and coetanean, but dyed young.
This William being inclined naturally to poetry and acting, came to
London, I guesse, about 18; and was an actor at one of the play-houses,
and did act exceedingly well (now B. Johnson was never a good actor,
but an excellent instructor).
He began early to make essayes at dramatique poetry, which at that time
was very lowe; and his playes tooke well.
He was a handsome, well shap't man: very good company, and of a very
readie and pleasant smooth witt.
The humour of ... the constable, in _Midsomernight's Dreame_, he
happened to take at Grendon in Bucks--I thinke it was Midsomer night
that he happened to lye there--which is the roade from London to
Stratford, and there was living that constable about 1642, when I first
came to Oxon: Mr. Josias Howe is of that parish, and knew him. Ben
Johnson and he did gather humours of men dayly where ever they came.
One time as he was at the tavern at Stratford super Avon, one Combes,
an old rich usurer, was to be buryed, he makes there this extemporary
epitaph,
Ten in the hundred the Devill allowes,
But Combes will have twelve, he sweares and vowes:
If any one askes who lies in this tombe,
'Hoh!' quoth the Devill, ''Tis my John o Combe.'
He was wont to goe to his native countrey once a yeare. I thinke I have
been told that he left 2 or 300 _li._ per annum there and thereabout to
a sister. Vide his epitaph in Dugdale's Warwickshire.
I have heard Sir William Davenant and Mr. Thomas Shadwell (who is
counted the best comoedian we have now) say that he had a most
prodigious witt, and did admire his naturall parts beyond all other
dramaticall writers. He was wont to say (B. Johnson's _Underwoods_)
that he 'never blotted out a line in his life'; sayd Ben: Johnson, 'I
wish he had blotted-out a thousand.'
His comoedies will remaine witt as long as the English tongue is
understood, for that he handles _mores hominum_. Now our present
writers reflect so much upon particular persons and coxcombeities, that
twenty yeares hence they will not be understood.
Though, as Ben: Johnson sayes of him, that he had but little Latine
and lesse Greek, he understood Latine pretty well, for he had been
in his younger yeares a schoolmaster in the countrey.--from Mr. ...
Beeston[964].
=Ralph Sheldon= (1623-1684).
[965]Ralph Sheldon, of Beoley, esq., natus at Weston, Warwickshire,
Aug. 4, 1623, about 5 of the clock in the morning.
Memorandum the plott brake out in Oct. 1678. His house was search't; he
disarmed; and afterwards a prisoner at Warwick.
Anno ..., very like to dye of a dropsey--quaere Sir Thomas Millington
de hoc.
Faire Madam Frances Sheldon (one of the maydes of honour[966]) was born
24 Febr. at 8 or 9 at night. She was 23 last Febr. (1677/8).
_Note._