Charles Snell lived near Fordingbridge in Hampshire. He occurs in these
'Brief Lives' and other Aubrey MSS. as a frequent correspondent of
Aubrey's on matters astrological.
=John Speed= (1542-1629).
[979]He is in effigie, a faire monument, not much unlike Mr. Camden, in
the south side of the chancell of St. Giles Cripplegate[980].
P.M. Charissimorum
Parentum
Johannis Speed civis Londinensis,
mercatorum scissorum fratris, servi fidelissimi
regiarum majestatum Elizabethae
Jacobi et Caroli nunc superstitis, terrarum
nostrarum geographi accurati et fidi,
Antiquitatis Britannicae historiographi,
Geneologiae sacrae elegantissimi delineatoris,
qui postquam annos 77 superaverat
non tam morbo confectus quam mortalitatis
taedio lassatus, corpore se levavit
July 28, 1629, et jucundissimo Redemptoris
sui desiderio sursum elatus,
carnem hic in custodiam deposuit, denuò
cum Christus venerit recepturus
et Susannae suae suavissimae <conjugis>
quae postquam duodecim illi filios et
sex filias pepererat, annos quinquaginta
septem junctis utriusque
solatiis cum illo vixerat, liberos gravi
et frequenti hortamine ad Dei
cultum sollicitaverat, pietatis et
charitatis opere quotidiano praeluxerat,
emori demum erudiit suo
exemplo quae septuagenaria placide
in Christo obdormivit, et fidei
suae mercedem habuit Martii
vicesimo octavo Anno Domini
MDCXXVIII.
=John Speidell.=
[981]Mr. ... Spiedell:--he taught mathematiques in London, and
published a booke in quarto named Spiedel's Geometrical Extractions
(London[982], 163-), which made young men have a love to geometrie.
=Sir Henry Spelman= (1562-1641).
[983]Sir Henry Spelman, knight, borne at ... (quaere Henry Spelman, his
grandson).
From Mr. Justice Ball[984] at Windsore:--when he was about 10 or 12 he
went to schoole to a curs't schoolmaster, to whom he had an antipathie.
His master would discountenance him, and was very severe to him, and
to a dull boy he would say _as very a dunce as H. Spelman_. He was
a boy of great spirit, and would not learne there. He was (upon his
importunity) sent <to> another schoolmaster, and profited very well. I
have heard his grandson say, that the Spelmans' witts open late.
He was much perplexed with lawe-suites and worldly troubles, so that
he was about 40 before he could settle himselfe to make any great
progresse in learning, which when he did, we find what great monuments
of antiquarian knowledge he has left to the world. W. Laud, archbishop
of Canterbury, had a great esteeme for him, and made him one of the ...
of the High Commission Court; yet (he being one that was extreme rigid
as to the licensing of bookes, and against any _nouvelle_) hindred the
printing of the 2d part of his Glossary, which began at M, where there
were three M's that scandalized the Archbishop, viz.--_Magna Charta_;
_Magnum Consilium Regis_; and....
From George Lee:--he was a handsome gentleman (as appeares by his
picture in Bibliotheca Cottoniana), strong and valiant, and wore
allwayes his sword, till he was about 70 or +, when, finding his legges
to faulter through feeblenes as he was walking, 'Now,' said he, ''tis
time to leave off my sword.'
When his daughter-in-lawe (Sir John's wife) returned home from
visitting her neighbours, he would alwaies aske her what of antiquity
she had heard or observed, and if she brought home no such account, he
would chide her (jestingly).
He lies buried in the south crosse-aisle of Westminster abbey, at the
foot of the pillar opposite to Mr. Camden's monument, but without
any word of inscription or monument hitherto (1680).[985]I very well
remember his penon that hung-up there, but it was either taken downe
or fell downe when the scaffolds were putt up at the coronation of his
majestie king Charles II.
Sir William Dugdale knew Sir Henry Spelman, and sayes he was as tall as
his grandson, Harry Spelman. He haz been told that Sir Henry did not
understand Latin perfectly till he was fourty years old. He said to Sir
William, 'We are beholding to Mr. Speed and Stowe for _stitching_ up
for us our English History.' It seemes they were both taylers--quod N.B.
_Note._