Abraham Wheloc printed notes on Bede, Camb. 1643. How thoroughly
Anthony Wood used up every scrap of opinion he received is shown by the
fact that even this expression (of Wheloc's 'simplicity') is taken up
by him: see Clark's Wood's _Life and Times_, iv. 258.
=Daniel Whistler= (1619-1684).
[1227]Dr. Daniel Whistler borne at Walthamstowe[1228] in Essex.
[1229]Daniel Whistler, M.D., dyed (May 11, 1684), president of the
Physitians' College.
=James Whitney= (1593-166-).
[1230]Parson Whitney was a great _nomenclator_ of Oxford men, being an
old fellow there; and were he alive now would be 81.
[1231]My old cosen, parson Whitney, told me that in the visitation of
Oxon in Edward VI's time they burned mathematical bookes for conjuring
bookes, and, if the Greeke professor had not accidentally come along,
the Greeke testament had been thrown into the fire for a conjuring
booke too.
=John Whitson= (1557-1629).
[1232]John Whitson, alderman of the city of Bristol. John Whitson was
borne at Cover in the Forest of Deane in the countie of Glocester.
He went to schoole at Bristow, where he made a good proficience in
the Latin tongue. He was bound apprentice to alderman Vawr, a Spanish
merchant of this city. He was a handsome young fellow; and his old
master the alderman being dead, his mistress one day called him into
the wine-cellar and bad him broach the best butt in the cellar for
her.... His mistresse after maried him. This story will last perhaps as
long as Bristol is a city.
He had a good naturall witt, and gaind by the Spanish trade a fair
estate.
His second wife was ... the daughter of ... Hine, alderman of London,
a very beautifull dame, as by her picture, at length, in the dining
rome, doeth appear. By her he had a daughter, his only child, who was
counted the flower of Bristol, who was maried to Sir Thomas Trenchard
of Dorsetshire, who dyeing (together with her child), the alderman gave
him compensation for the mannour of Dunderhill[1233] and had it again.
His third wife was ... by whom he had no issue. His fourth and last
wife was Rachel, daughter of Richard Danvers of Tokenham, Wilts, esq.,
relict of John Aubrey of Burleton in the county of Hereford, esq. (my
father Richard Aubrey being then eleaven yeares of age). He had no
issue by her. The alderman made him[1234] a good falkoner, but did cutt
downe his woods and never made him any satisfaction: but lett his good
workes be sett in balance against it.
He lived nobly; kept a plentifull table; and was the most popular
magistrate[1235] in the city, alwaies chosen a member of Parliament.
He kept a noble house, and did entertain and treat the peers and great
persons that came to the city. He kept his hawkes.
I remember five that had been bred-up under him, but not one of them
came to good, they lived so luxuriously, just as the servants of Sir
John Robinson, governor of the Tower.
He had a very good healthy constitution, and was an early riser; wrote
all his letters and dispatched his businesse betime in the morning.
He was charitable in his life in breeding-up of poor scholars:
particularly I remember William Haywood, D.D., whome he preferred
to St. John's Colledge in Oxon, where are[1236] certaine Bristowe
fellowships. His father was a cowper in Ballance Street; his mother,
whom I well remember, was a midwife in the city.
He had a fair[1237] house in St. Nicholas Street, where is the
stateliest dining roome in the city. He had been thrice mayor of this
city, as is to be seen in the table of mayors in St. Nicholas Street in
golden letters.
His beloved and only daughter dyeing, and so being _orbus_, Richard
Wheeler his nephew, who was bred a merchant under him with others, was
his heir; but he proving a sott and a capricious coxcombe, he setled
all his estate upon the city of Bristow for pious uses, and was, I
doe believe, the greatest benefactor that ever the city had. He gave
the mannour of Durdery and the mannour of Burnet and divers houses in
Bristowe.
He dyed about the seaventy-sixth yeare of his age by a fall from his
horse, his head pitching on a nail that stood on its head by a smyth's
shop. He was buried very honourably[1238]; besides all his relations
in mourning, he had as many poor old men (or men and woemen) as he
was yeares old in mourning gownes and hoodes, the mayor and aldermen
in mourning; all the trained band (he was their colonel) attended the
funerall and their pikes had black ribons and drummes were covered with
black cloath.
He lies interred in the west end of the 'Crowd' (the name of the vault
under all St. Nicholas Church, as St. Faith's was under St. Paule's),
where he lies in effigie on an altar-monument of alabaster and marble.
☞ See his inscription.
=Thomas Whyte= (1582-1676).
[1239]Memorandum:--Mr. John Davys of Kydwelly tells me that Mr. Thomas
Whyte (Blacklowe), author of _De mundo_, etc., dyed in Drury lane about
7 yeares since and is buried in St. Giles's Church in the fields.
Quaere ubi: as also where his brother Richard is buried?
=John Wilkins= (1614-1672).
[1240]Bishop J. Wilkins:--the little picture in 8vo <is> most like him.
[1241]John Wilkins, Lord Bishop of Chester; his father was a goldsmith
in Oxford. Mr. Francis Potter knew him very well, and was wont to say
that he was a very ingeniose man, and had a very mechanicall head. He
was much for trying of experiments, and his head ran much upon the
_perpetuall motion_. He maryed a daughter of Mr. John Dod (who wrote
on the Commandments), at whose house, at <Fawlsley, near Daventry>,
Northamptonshire, she laye-in with her son John, of whome we are now to
speake.
He had a brother (Timothy), squier-beadle of <Divinity> in Oxford, and
a uterine brother, Walter Pope, M.D.
He had his grammar learning in Oxford, (I thinke from Mr. Sylvester).
He was admitted of Magdalen-hall in Oxford, <1627> (vide A. Wood's
_Antiq. Oxon._) His tutor there was the learned Mr. John Tombs
(Coryphaeus of the Anabaptists). Anno Domini <1631> A.B.; Anno Domini
<1634> M.A. He read to pupils here, (among others, Walter Charlton,
M.D., was his pupill): he continued here ... yeares.
He has sayd oftentimes that the first rise, or hint of his rising, was
from goeing accidentally a courseing of a hare: where an ingeniose
gentleman of good quality falling into discourse with him, and finding
him to have a very good witt[1242], told him that he would never gett
any considerable preferment by continuing in the university; and that
his best way was to betake himselfe to some lord's or great person's
house[1243] that had good benefices to conferre. Sayd Mr. J. Wilkins,
'I am not knowne in the world; I know not to whom to addresse myselfe
upon such a designe.' The gentleman replied, 'I will recommend you
myselfe,' and did so, to (as I thinke) lord viscount Say and Seale
(quaere), where he stayed with very good likeing till the late civill
warres, and then he was chaplain to his highnesse <Charles Louis>
Prince Elector Palatine of the Rhine, with whom he went (after the
peace[CI.] concluded in Germany[1244]), and was well preferred there by
his highnesse. He stayed there ... (not above a yeare).
[CI.] Quaere nomen loci.
After the Visitation at Oxon by the Parliament, he gott to be Warden
of Wadham Colledge. Anno <1656> maried to <Robina> the relict of Dr.
<Peter> French, canon of Christchurch, Oxon, and sister to Oliver,
(then) Lord Protector, who[1245] made him anno 165<8/9> Master of
Trinity Colledge in Cambridge, (in which place he revived learning by
strickt examinations at elections: he was much honoured there, and
heartily loved by all;) where he continued till 1660, (the restauration
of his majestie). Then he was minister of Saint Laurence <Jewry> church
in London; and anno ... was deane of Rippon in Yorkeshire. His friend,
Seth Ward, D.D., being made bishop of Excester, he was made there
deane, and anno 166<8> by the favour of George, duke of Buckingham, was
made bishop[1246] of Chester; and was extremely well beloved in his
diocese. Anno Domini <1672> he dyed of <the stone>. He left a legacy
of four hundred pounds (quaere) to the Royall Society, and had he been
able would have given more. He was no great read man; but one of much
and deepe thinking, and of a working head; and a prudent man as well
as ingeniose. He was one of Seth, lord bishop of Sarum's most intimate
friends. He was a lustie, strong growne, well sett, broad shoulderd
person, cheerfull, and hospitable.
He was the principall reviver of experimentall philosophy (secundum
mentem domini Baconi) at Oxford, where he had weekely an experimentall
philosophicall clubbe, which began 1649, and was the incunabula of the
Royall Society. When he came to London, they mett at the Bull-head
taverne in Cheapside, (e.g. 1658, 1659, and after), till it grew to big
for a clubb, and so they came to Gresham colledge parlour.
_Scripsit_ (vide A. Wood's _Antiq. Oxon._):--
The World in the Moone, ... (long since).
Swift and Secret Messenger.
Art of Praying and Preaching.
Mathematicall Magique: dedicated to the Prince Elector: printed....
Reall Character: London, printed....
This last was his darling, and nothing troubled him so much when he
dyed, as that he had not compleated it; which will now in a yeare
more be donne by the care and studies of Mr. Robert Hooke, of Gresham
College; Mr. Andrew Paschall, B.D. of Chedzoy, in com. Somerset; Mr.
Francis Lodwyck, of London, merchant; Mr. John Ray, R.S.S., of Essex;
and Mr. Thomas Pigott, M.A. (Wadham College). He lyes buried in the
north-east end of the chancell of St. Laurence ... church, neer the
wall, where will be an inscription sett up to his memorie.
=John Willis.=
[1247]John Willis, B.D.--author of the Art of Memorie, in Latin, 1618,
12mo.--Dr. Davenant told me that when he was of Cambridge, that one
preaching at St. Marie's--'and now,' said he (before he was aware) 'I
am come to the lyon's taile'; this was (it seemes) his _locus_[1248]:
the people stared on him.
Inventor of Short-hand,--'tis the best. Bishop Wilkins sayd, 'tis
only used in England, or by the English; and[1249] 'twas a good while
before the logarithmes gott beyond sea. Mr. Wingate first brought it
into France, and shewed it to them; scil. when he went into France to
teach the Queen-Mother English; he dedicated it to Monsieur the duke of
Orleans.
=Thomas Willis= (1621/2-1675).
[1250]Thomas Willis, M.D.--from himselfe--borne at Great Bedwyn in com.
Wilts, January the 27th, anno Domini 1621. His father was steward to
Sir Walter Smyth there, and had been sometime a scholar at St. John's
College in Oxford.
[1251]Thomas Willis, M.D.; vide Westminster Abbey pro inscriptione.
[1252]Thomas Willis, M.D., natus ...; (vide A. Wood's _Antiq. Oxon._).
1647 and 1648 (quaere, if not +), kept Abingdon-market[1253], and Dr.
<Richard> Lydall and he had a horse between them: this was before a
Doctor[1254]. He grew more and more into good practise.
He studied chymistry in Peckwater Inne chamber[1255]. He was in those
dayes very mathematicall, and I have heard him say his genius lay more
to mathematics then chymistry.
His father was steward to Sir John (I thinke) Smyth[1256]; and had a
little estate at Ivy Hinksey, where my lady Smyth (vidua) dyed.
He went to schoole to Mr. <Edward> Sylvester in Oxon, over the
meadowes, where he ayred his muse, and made good exercise:--from
William Hawes, his schoolefellow. Anno about 1657 (quaere there),
riding towards Brackley to a patient, his way led him thorough Astrop,
where he observed the stones in the little rill were discoloured of a
kind of _Crocus Martis_ colour; thought he, this may be an indication
of iron; he getts gaules, and putts some of the powder into the water,
and immediately it turned blackish; then sayd he, 'I'le not send my
patients now so far as Tunbridge,' and so he in a short time[1257]
brought these waters into vogue, and hath inriched a poore obscure
village. He was middle stature: darke red[1258] haire (like a red pig):
stammered much.
He was first servitor to Dr. <Thomas> Iles, one of the canons of Xᵗ.
Ch. whose wife was a knowing woman in physique and surgery, and did
many cures. Tom Willis then wore a blew livery-cloak, and studied at
the lower end of the hall, by the hall-dore; was pretty handy, and
his mistresse would oftentimes have him to assist her in making of
medicines. This did him no hurt, and allured him on.
=John Wilmot=, earl of Rochester (1648-1680).
[1259]John, earl of Rochester[CS]:--he went to schoole at <Burford>;
was of Wadham College, Oxford; I suppose, had been in France.
About 18, he stole his lady, <Elizabeth> Malet, a daughter and heir, a
great fortune; for which I remember I sawe him a prisoner in the Tower
about 1662.
His youthly spirit and oppulent fortune did sometimes make him doe
extravagant actions, but in the country he was generally civill enough.
He was wont to say that when he came to Brentford the devill entred
into him and never left him till he came into the country again to
Alderbury or Woodstock.
He was raunger of Woodstock-parke and lived often at the lodge at the
west end, a very delightfull place and noble prospect westwards. Here
his lordship had severall lascivious pictures drawen.
His lordship read all manner of bookes. Mr. Andrew Marvell, who was
a good judge of witt, was wont to say that he was the best English
satyrist and had the right veine. 'Twas pitty death tooke him off so
soon.
In his last sicknesse he was exceedingly paenitent and wrote a lettre
of his repentance to Dr. Burnet, which is printed.
He sent for all his servants, even the piggard-boy, to come and heare
his palinode[1260]. He dyed at Woodstock-parke, 26 July, 1680; and
buried at Spilsbury in the same countie, Aug. 9 following.