Though I deserve not, I desire
The laurell wreath, the poet's hire.
This picture is now almost worne out.
Obiit ... (about 25 years since): sepult. in the church-yard of St.
Martin's-in-the-fields.
[1061]John Taylor, water poet, quaere his _obiit_. Quaere his brother
the paynter at Oxon. A<nthony> W<ood> respondet that he haz notes from
the paynter who is dead.
=Silas Taylor= (1624-1678).
[1062]Mr. Baker, the printseller, by the Royal Exchange, hath a MS., a
thin folio, viz. the description of Harwich and all its appurtenances
and antiquities by capt. Silas Tayler.
[1063]Captain Silas Tayler: vide A. Wood's _Hist. et Antiq. Oxon._ He
was a captaine in the Parliament army, under col. <Edward> Massey. He
was a sequestrator, in Herefordshire, and had, in those times, great
power, which power he used civilly and obligeingly, that he was beloved
by all the King's party.
He was very musicall, and hath composed many things, and I have heard
anthemes of his sang before his majestie, in his chapell, and the king
told him he liked them. He had a very fine chamber organ in those
unmusicall dayes. There was a great friendship between Matthew Lock,
since organist of the Queen's chapell, and him[LXXXIX.].
[LXXXIX.] M. Lock maryed Mr. Garnon's daughter, in Herefordshire.
His father left him a pretty good estate, but he bought church lands
and had the moeity of the bishop's palace, at Hereford, where he layd
out much money in building and altering. Col. John Burch[1064] had the
other moeity.
The times turning, he was faine to disgorge all he had gott, and was
ruined, but Sir Paul Neile got for him the keeper of the King's stores
at Harwich, worth about C_li._ per annum.
He was a great lover of antiquities, and ransackt the MSS. of the
Church of Hereford (there were a great many that lay uncouth and
unkiss).
He also garbled the library of the church of Worcester, and evidences,
where he had the originall grant of King Edgar (θαλασσιαρχης) whence
the Kings of England derive their right to the soveraignty of the
sea. 'Tis printed in Mr. Selden's _Mare Clausum_. I have seen it many
times, and it is as legible as but lately written (Roman character).
He offered it to the king for 120_li._ but his majesty would not give
so much. Since his death, I acquainted the Secretary of Estate that he
dyed in debt, and his creditors seised on his goods and papers. He told
me that it did of right belong to Worcester Church. I told one of their
prebends, and they cared not for such things. I beleeve it haz wrapt
herings by this time.
He had severall MSS. by him of great antiquity: one thin 4to. of the
Philosopher's Stone, in Hieroglyphicks, with some few Latin verses
underneath; the most curiously limned that ever I sawe. His Majesty
offered him 100_li._ for it, and he would not accept it. Tell Dr.
Crowder[1065] of the deed of king Edgar.
Memorandum:--Capt. Tayler search<ed> the Records in the Tower, etc.,
and retrived some privileges that the borough[1066] had lost, for which
the borough ought ever to have his remembrance in esteeme: and tho' he
dyed above 100_li._ in their debt, yet the towne lost not by him, for
the reason aforesaid.
The history or collection of this ancient borough he pawned a little
before his death to Mr. Baker, the printseller by the Old Exchange, for
4_li._ 15_s._ I acquainted Sir Philip Parker, whom the borough uses to
choose for their burghesse, to buy it for his borough. He would not
lay out so much money, which would doe them more service then all his
roast-beefe, wine, and ale at an election.
_Digitus Dei[1067]._ All that family came to unfortunate ends. His
eldest sonne, wife, and children, were all burnt in their beds
in ... near Lothbury; another son, ...; another son (a dragoon[1068]),
a churchyard wall fell on him and killed him.
[1069]He surveyed very ingeniously and carefully the antiquities of
Herefordshire, scil. about 3/4 of the county, before the restauration
of his majesty. He then left the country and went to his friend,
Sir Edward Harley, then governour of Dunkirke, who gave him some
command.--These papers[1070] are in the hands of Sir Edward Harley at
Brampton-Bryan Castle.
[1071]Silas Domville _alias_ Taylor, comitatus Salopiensis, xviᵗᵒ
die mensis Julii anno Domini MDCXXIVᵗᵒ in Harleya natus: in scholis
Westmonasteriensi, Salopiensi (Scrobesbyriensi, si placeat), et aliis
alumnatus: in tabulis publicis Aulae Novi Hospitii Oxoniensis circa
annum MDCXLI conscriptus erat. Anno MDCLX apparatus bellici, armorum,
et munimentorum rerum nauticarum Harvici in extrema maritima parte
Essexiae pro serenissimo rege Carolo secundo usque adhuc ab anno MDCLXV
custos et agens.
Inter alios libros scripsit de terrarum partitione inter liberos
secundum tenuram Wallensium, Anglicé the History of Gavel kind, et ad
finem ejusdem historiolam quandam ducum Normannorum tempore Henrici
primi Latiné scriptam divulgavit, quae vocatur Brevis relatio.... In
historia et descriptione comitatus Herefordiensis per quadriennium,
immo vero lustrum, enixe laboravit sed nec absolute aut ad plenum
perfecit.
[1072]For what other bookes, besides Gavel-kind, I have wrote, as my
name for cogent reasons when first printed was not to them because of
the nature of them, soe I shall not be soe vaine as now, after soe long
a sleep, to awaken them with it.
=Herbert Thorndyke= (16--- 1672).
[1073]Mr. Herbert Thorndyke was borne at ... in Lincolnshire, went to
schoole at ... (quaere if at Westminster); ..., was fellow of Trinity
College in Cambridge; afterwards prebendary of Westminster[1074].
He was a good poet. I have seen a _poemation_ of his on the death of
Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, in Latin hexameters, about 100
verses or better.
He was (as I am enformed by Seth Ward, Lord Bishop of Sarum, and other
learned men) one of the best scholars and mathematicians of this age.
He printed ... but he does not write clearly (quaere Dr. Pell de hoc).
Richard Busby, schoolmaster of Westminster, has his MSS.; quaere what
they are.
He dyed[1075] <July>, 167<2>; and lies interred in the north-east angle
of Westminster cloysters, next to the grave-stone of <Thomas> Nurse,
M.D., a piece of a blew marble stone on him but yet no inscription.
He made his own inscription which is mentioned by Mr. Andrew Marvell in
his _Rehearsall Transpros'd_, viz.:--
Hic jacet corpus Herberti Thorndike
praebendarii hujus ecclesiae, qui vivus
veram Reformatae Ecclesiae
rationem et modum precibus
studiisque persequebatur.
Tu, Lector, requiem et beatam
in Christo resurrectionem precare.
A parallel written by the bishop[1076] and found under his owne hand
and appointed for his epitaph, but I heare that Dr. <William> Lloyd his
successor will have it altered to avoyd offence:--
Exuviae[1077] Isaaci, Asaphensis episcopi,
In manus Domini depositae,
In spem laetae resurrectionis
per sola Christi merita.
O vos transeuntes[1078] domum[1079] Domini,
Domum orationis,
Orate pro conservo vestro
Ut inveniam misericordiam die Domini.
June 30, 1680.
=John Tombes= (1603-1676).
[1080]Mr. John Tombs, B.D. (quaere A. Wood's _Antiq. Oxon._) was borne
at Beaudley in Worcestershire; his father was a....
Anno Domini <1617/8> he was admitted at Magdalen-hall, in Oxon. Anno
<1621>, A.B.; Anno <1624>, A.M. He read to pupills, and was tutor there
to John Wilkins, afterwards bishop of Chester. He was a great master
of the Greeke tongue, and the Hebrue he understood well. He alwaies
carried a little Greeke Testament about with him; he had <it> almost
memoriter. He was an admirable disputant; I remember he was wont to
say, that to be a good disputant, 'tis requisite for one to be a good
grammarian, as well as logician. I have forgott if he was pupill to the
learned Mr. <William> Pemble; but his favourite he was. He was soon
taken notice of for his curious searching, piercing witt: he preached
somewhere eastwards from Oxon, and had a company[1081] followed him;
and 'twas predicted he would doe a great deale of mischiefe to the
Church of England, reflecting upon what ... sayes, that the greatest
witts have donne the most mischiefe to the Church, introducing new
opinions, etc. Anno ... he was vicar of a market-towne[1082] in
Herefordshire, where he was very well beloved by his parish, and
Sir ... Croftes, eldest brother to the now bishop of Hereford, built a
house in Leominster, to live there, to heare him preach. Anno ... he
writt ..., 8vo, dedicated to John Scudamore, viscount Slego, baron
of ... drum[1083]. Anno 1645, 1646, he was master of the Temple
at London, i.e. minister. In 1647 he was supplanted there by
parson Johnson. Then he went into his owne country, to Beaudley (a
market-towne), at which time Mr. Baxter (his antagonist) preacht at
Kitterminster, the next market-towne, two miles distant. They preacht
against one another's doctrines, and printed against each other. Mr.
Tombes was the Coryphæus of the Anabaptists: both had great[1084]
audience; they went severall miles on foot to each doctor. Once (I
thinke oftner), they disputed face to face, anno ...; and the followers
were like two armies, about 1500 of a party; and truly, at last they
fell by the eares, hurt was donne, and the civill magistrate had much
adoe to quiet them. About anno 1664 he came to the Act at Oxford
(quaere), and did there _in vesperiis_ sett up a challenge to maintaine
_contra omnes gentes_ the Anabaptisticall doctrine; but not a man would
grapple with him. Now, though _primâ facie_ this might seeme very bold
to challenge a whole University, 'twas not so very strange neither, for
he came throughly prepared, after 30 yeares' study and thoughts, and
most of them surprised.
_Scripsit_....
Dr. <Robert> Sanderson, lord bishop of Lincolne, and he, had a greate
esteeme for each other, so also had Dr. <Thomas> Barlowe (now bishop
there). Putting aside his Anabaptisticall positions, he was comformable
enough to the Church of England. About 1658 or 9, he maried the widowe
of ... Dove, of Salisbury, and went to hear the Common Prayer there,
and recieved the Sacraments; and sometimes wayted on bishop Ward, who
respected him for his learning. He was thought to be as great a divine
as most we had after bishop Sanderson dyed. I remember he never, or
seldome, was wont to say Our Saviour Christ, but _My Lord Christ_.
He seemed to be a very pious and zealous Christian. I have heard him
say (though he was much opposite to the Romish religion) that truly,
for his part, should he see a poor zealous friar goeing to preach, he
should pay[1085] him respect. He was but a little man, neat limbed,
a little quick searching eie, sad, gray. He dyed at Salisbury, May
22, and was buried 25th, in St. Edmund's church-yard, anno Domini
1676, opposite to the steeple, a good distance on the north side. His
daughter dyed 7 yeares before him, and haz a grave-stone on her, with
an inscription. He lyes there, and in the same stone is since engraven
an inscription to the purpose already written of Mr. John Tombes.
[1086]Deare Sir[CA],
According to your desire I have sent you (although long, for it),
my cozen Gore and my cozen Gastrell's nativityes; also your brother
William who is now in this countrey desired mee to send you up Mr.
Francis Potter's place of interment in the church at Killmanton, and
the inscriptions on Mr. Tombs' and his daughter's tombston.
I have enquired of Mr. Kent; and hee sayth that Mr. Potter is buryed in
Killmanton church, but in what part of the church hee knoweth not.