steppes, which in Oliver's dayes were layd plaine by the minister, and then 'twas removed. The children when they played in the church would runne to Dr. Dee's grave-stone. She told me that he forewarned Q. Elizabeth of Dr. Lopez attempt against her.

He used to distill egge-shells, and 'twas from hence that Ben Jonson had his hint of the alchimist, whom he meant.

He was a great peace-maker; if any of the neighbours fell out, he would never lett them alone till he had made them friends.

He was tall and slender. He wore a gowne like an artist's gowne, with hanging sleeves, and a slitt.

A mighty good man he was.

He was sent ambassador for Queen Elizabeth (shee thinkes) into Poland.

Mem. His regayning of the plate for . . . . 's butler, who comeing from London by water with a basket of plate, mistooke another basket that was like his. Mr. J. Dee bid them* goe by water such a day and looke about, and he should see the man that had his basket, and he did so; but he would not gett the lost horses, though he was offered severall angells. He told a woman (his neighbour) that she laboured under the evill tongue of an ill neighbour (another woman), wch came to her house, who he sayd was a witch.

* [Sic. EDIT.]

66

In J. David Rhesus' "British Grammar,” p. 60. "Juxta Crucis amnem (Nant y groes), in 'agro Maessyuetiano, apud Cambro-brytannos, "erat olim illustris quædam Nigrorum familia, "unde Joan Du, id est, Johannes ille cognomento "Niger, Londinensis, sui generis ortum traxit: “vir certe ornatissimus et doctissimus, et omnium "hac nostra ætate tum Philosophorum tum Ma"thematicorum facile princeps: monadis illius "Hieroglyphicæ et Propædeumatum aphoristico"rum de præstantioribus quibusdam Naturæ vir"tutibus, aliorumque non paucorum operum in

signium autor eximius. Vir præterea ob tam "multam experientiam frequenti sua in tot trans"marinas regiones peregrinatione comparatam, ❝ rerum quamplurimarum et abditarum peritissi"mus."

DE LAUNE.

He was apothecary to Mary the Q. mother: came into England.... He was a very wise man, and as a signe of it left an estate of 80000lib. S: W. Davenant was his great acq. and told me of him, and that after his returne into England he went to visit him, being then octogenary, and very decrepid with the gowt, but had his sight and understanding. He had a place made for him in the kitchen chimney, and no obstacle,

he was master of such an estate. S: W. sawe him slighted not only by his da.-in-lawe, but by the cooke-mayd, which much affected him. The misery of old age. He wrote a booke of prudentiall advice in quadrans in English verse, 8: which I have seen, and there are good things in it.

SIR JOHN DENHAM,

(Knight of the Bath),

Was borne at Dublin, in Ireland, A: Dai. (Qu. Dr. Buzby* if he was a Westminster schollar, I have forgot.) A.... he was admitted of Trinity colledge, in Oxford, where he stayed... His tutor there was I have heard Mr. Jos. Howe say that he was the dreamingest young fellow; he never expected such things from him as he hath left the world. When he was there he would game extremely; when he had played away all his money he would play away his father's wrought cappes with gold. His father was St John Denham, one of the Barons of the Exchequer, he had been one of the Lords Justices in Ireland he maried Ellenor, one of

* [Sic. EDIT.]

+S Jo. told me his family was originally Westerne.

She was a beautiful woman, as appears by her monument at Egham. Sir John, they say, did much resemble his father.

the daughters of S: Garret Moore, knight, Lord Baron of Mellifont, in ye kingdome of Ireland, whom he maried during his service in Ireland, in ye place of Chief Justice there. From Trinity colledge he went to Lincolnes-Inne, where (as Judge Wadham Windham, who was his countryman, told me) he was as good a student as any in the house. Was not supposed to be a witt. At last, viz. 1640, his play of " The Sophy” came out, wch did take extremely: Mr. Edmund Waller sayd then of him, that he broke out like the Irish Rebellion-threescore thousand strong, when nobody suspected it. He was much rooked by gamesters, and fell acquainted with that unsanctified crew to his ruine. His father had some suspicion of it, and chid him severely, whereupon his son John (only child) wrot a little Essay in 8 printed.... Against Gaming, and to shew the vanities and inconveniences of it, wch he presented to his father, to let him know his detestation of it but shortly after his father's death* (who left 2000 or 1500lib. in ready money, 2 houses well furnished, and much plate) the money was played away first, and next the plate was sold. I remember about 1646 he lost 200lib. one night at New-cutt. An... (I ghesse 1642) he was high-sheriff of the countie of Surrey. At the beginning of the civill warre he was made governor

* January 6, 1638. sepult. at Egham, in Surrey.

of Farnham-castle for the king, but he was but a young soldier, and did not keepe it. In 1642-3 after Edghill fight, his poeme called " Cowper's Hill" was printed at Oxford, in a sort of browne paper, for then they could get no better. In 1646-7 he conveyed, or stole away the two Dukes of Yorke and Glocester from St James's, (from the tuition of the Earle of Northumberland) and conveyed them into France to the Prince of Wales and Queen-mother., King Charles II. sent him and the Lord Culpepper envoys to the King of Poland. A 1652, he returned into. England, and being in some straights was kindly entertayned by the Earle of Pembroke at Wilton, where I had the honour to contract an acquaintance with him. Here he translated the .... booke of Virgil's Æneis, and also burlesqu't it." Qu. Mr. Chr. Wase who was then there, tutor to Wm. Lord Herbert. He was, as I remember, a yeare with my Lord of Pembroke at Wilton and London; he had then sold all the lands his father had left him. daughter and heire of . in Glocestershire, by whom he had 500lib. per annum, one son and two daughters. His son did not patrem sapere. He was of Wadham college

His first wife was the

.. Cotton, of .

* He burlesqued Virgil, and burnt it, sayeing that 'twas not fitt that the first poet should be so abused. From Mr. Chr. Wase.