sowe on some figge leaves (i.e.) to be my Index expurgatorius.

What uncertainty doe we find in printed histories! They either treading too neer on the heeles of trueth, that they dare not speake plaine; or els for want of intelligence (things being antiquated) become too obscure and darke! I doe not here repeat any thing already published (to the best of my remembrance) and I fancy my selfe all along discourseing with you; alledgeing those of my relations and acquaintances (as either you knew or have heard of) ad faciendam Fidem: So that you make me to renew my acquaintance with my old and deceased friends, and to rejuvenescere (as it were) which is the pleasure of old men. 'Tis pitty that such minutes had not been taken 100 yeares since or more: for want wherof many worthy men's names and notions are swallow'd up in oblivion; as much of these also would, had it not been through your instigation: and perhaps this is one of the usefullest peeces that I have scribbled.

I remember one sayeing of Generall Lambert's, "That the best of men are but men at the best:" of this you will meet with divers examples in this rude and hastie collection. Now these Arcana are not fitt to lett flie abroad, till about 30 yeares hence; for the author and the persons (like medlars) ought to be rotten first. But in whose

hands must they be deposited in the mean time?

He lies buried in the south aisle of the Choir of Westminster Abbey, where there is erected to his memory an elegant marble and copper monument.

His bust is of copper curiously cast with a laurell held over it by two fig. of white marble.

That Sr. Rob. was one of the best poets of his time: Mr. Jo. Dryden says he has seen verses of his, some of the best of that age, printed with

some other verses.

He was acquainted with all the witts of his time in England. He was a great acquaintance of Mr. Thos. Hobbes, of Malmsbury, whom Mr. Hobbes told me he made use of (together with Ben Jonson) for an Aristarchus, when he

made his Epistle dedicatory, for his translation of Thucydides. I have been told (I think by Sr. John himself) that he was eldest son to Sr. John Ayton, Master of the Black Rod, who was also an excellent scholar.

MR. THOMAS ALLEN

Was borne in Staffordshire. Mr. Theod. Haak, a German, R. Soc. Soc. was of Glocester Hall, 1626, and knew this learned worthy old gentleman, whom he takes to have been about ninetysix yeares old when he dyed, which was about 1630. The learned. . . . Reynolds who was turned Catholique by his brother the learned Dr. Reynolds, President of Corpus Xti Colledge, was of Glocester Hall then too, they were both neer of an age, and they dyed both within 12 moneths one of the other. He was at both their funeralls. Mr. Allen came into the hall to commons, but Mr. Reynolds had his brought to his chamber. He sayes that Mr. Allen was a very cheerfull, facetious man, and that every body loved his company, and every house on their Gaudie-dayes were wont to invite him, His picture was drawne at the request of Dr. Ralph Kettle, and hangs in the dining roome of the President of Trin. Coll. Oxon. (of which house he

first was, and had his education there) by which it appeares that he was a handsome sanguine man, and of an excellent habit of bodie. There is mention of him in Leicester's Commonwealth that Dudley, the great Earle of Leicester made use of him for casting nativities, for he was the best astrologer of his time. He hath written a large and learned Commentary in folio, on the Quadripartite of Ptolemie, which Elias Ashmole hath in MS. fairly written, and I hope will one day be printed. In those darke times astrologer, mathematician, and conjurer, were accounted the same things, and the vulgar did verily believe him to be a conjurer. He had a great many mathematical instruments and glasses in his chamber, which did also confirme the ignorant in their opinion, and his servitor (to impose on freshmen and simple people) would tell them that sometimes he should meet the spirits comeing up his staires like bees. One of our parisht was of Glocester Hall about 70 yeares and more since, and told me this from his servitor. Now there is to some men a great lechery in lying, and imposing on the understandings of beleeving people, and he thought it for his credit to serve such a master. He was generally acquainted, and every long vacation, he rode into the countrey to visitt his old acquaintance and patrones, to whom his

great learning, mixt with much sweetness of humour, rendered him very welcome. One time being at Home Lacy, in Herefordshire, at Mr. John Scudamore's (grandfather to the Lord Scudamore) he happened to leave his watch in the chamber windowe (watches were then rarities.) The maydes came in to make the bed, and hearinge a thing in a case cry Tick, Tick, Tick, presently concluded that that was his Devill, and tooke it by the string with the tongues, and threw it out of the windowe into the mote (to drowne the Devill.) It so happened that the string hung on a sprig of an Elder, that grew out of the mote, and this con-firmed them that 'twas the Devill. So the good old gentleman gott his watch again. Sir Kenelm Digby loved him much, and bought his excellent library of him, which he gave to the University. I have a Stifelius Arithmetique that was his, which I find he had much perused, and no doubt mastered. He was interred in Trinity College Chapell, (the where, as I take it, the outer Chapell.) George Bathurst, B.D. made his funerall oration in Latin, which was printed. 'Tis pitte there had not been his name on a stone over him.