phancy." This from Mr. Andrew Paschal, Rector of Ched . . . in Somerset. June 15, 1680.

John Dryden, Esq. Poet Laureat, tells me that there was a great friendship between his great grandfather's father, and Erasmus Roterodamus, and Erasmus was godfather to one of his sonnes, and the Christian name of Erasmus hath been kept in the family ever since. The poet's 2d sonne is Erasmus, and at.... the seate of the family, is a chamber, called Erasmus's chamber. I ghesse that the Dreyden coate was graunted in K. Hen. 8th's time, by the odnesse of the charge.*

EARLE OF ESSEX.

S: Charles Danvers advised the Earle of Essex, either to treat with the queen's hostages. whom S. Ferdinando Gorges did let goe; or to make his way through the gate at Essex house, and then to haste away to Highgate, and so to Northumberland (the E. of Northumberland maried his sister), and from thence to the King of Scots; and there they might make their peace; if not, the queen was old and could not live long.

* [There is a page left for the Life of John Dryden, the poet, who promised to write it himself for Aubrey. This promise does not appear to have been performed. EDIT.]

But the Earle followed not his advice, and so they both lost their heads on Tower-hill. From my Lady Viscountesse Purbec.

EARLE OF EXETER.

Translated Monsieur Balsac's letters, as appeares by his Epistle to my Lord, in the 2d volume, Lib. V. lettre V, and vol. 2d. Lib. V. lettre VI.-" Et je suis sans doute beaucoup plus honneste homme en Angleterre qu'en France, puisque j'y parle par vostre bouche.”

THOMAS LORD FAIRFAX, OF CAMERON.

Mem.

(La Generall of the Parliament armie.)

When Oxford was surrendred (24: Junij, 1646,) the first thing Generall Fairfax did was to sett a good guard of soldiers to preserve the Bodleian Library. 'Tis said there was more hurt donne by the cavaliers (during their garrison) by way of embezzilling and cutting-off chaines of bookes, then there was since. He was a lover of learning, and had he not taken this speciall care, that noble library had been utterly destroyed, for there were ignorant senators enough who

would have been contented to have had it so. This I doe assure you from an ocular witnesse, E. W. Esq.

He hath a copie of verses before ..... in folio.

LUCIUS CAREY, SECOND LORD FALKLAND,

Was the eldest son of Sir Henry Carey, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the first Viscount Falkland. His mother was daughter and heir of Sir Tanfield, Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, by whom he had Great Tue, in Oxfordshire (formerly the Rainsfords), and the Priory of Burford, in Oxfordshire, which he sold to.... Lenthall, the Speaker of the Long Parliament; and he was borne . .... had his University education at the University of Dublin, in Ireland; he travelled, and had one Mr. . . . . (a very discreet gent.) to be his governor, whom he respected to his dyeing days. He married Letice, the daughter of Sir .... Morison, by whom he had two sonnes: the eldest lived to be a man, dyed sine prole, the second was father to this Lord Falkland now living. This Lady Letice was a good and pious lady, as you may see by her life writt about 1649, or so, by. ... Duncomb, D.D. But I will tell you a pretty story from Will. Hawes, of Trin. Coll, who was well

acquainted with the governor aforesaid, who told him that my Lady was (after the manner of woemen) much governed by, and indulgent to, the nursery; when she had a mind to beg any thing of my Lord for one of her mayds, woemen, nurses, &c. she would not doe it by herselfe, (if she could helpe it) but putt this gent. upon it, to move it to my Lord. My Lord had but a small estate for his title; and the old gent. would say,

Madam, this is so unreasonable a motion to propose to my Lord, that I am certaine he will never graunt it ;"-e. g. one time to lett a bargaine (a farm) twenty pound per ann. under value. At length, when she could not prevail on him; she would say, I warrant you for all this I will obtaine it of my Lord, it will cost me but the expence of a few tears. Now she would make her words good, and this great witt, the greatest master of reason and judgment of his time, at the long runne, being stormed by her teares, (I presume there were kisses and secret embraces that were also ingredients) would this pious lady obtain her unreasonable desires of her poor Lord. My Lord in his youth was very wild, and also mischievous, as being apt to stabbe, and doe bloudy mischiefs, but 'twas not long before he tooke up to be serious, and then grew to be an extraordinary hard-student. I have heard Dr. Ralph Bathurst say, that when he was a boy, my Lord lived at Coventry, (where he had then a

house) and that he would sit up very late at night in his study, and many times came to the Library at the Schoole* there. The studies in fashion in those dayes (in England) were Poetrey, and Controversie with the Church of Rome. My Lord's mother was a zealous Papist, who being very carnest to have her son of her religion, and her son upon that occasion, labouring hard to find the Trueth, was so far at last from setling on the Romish church, that he setled and rested in the Polish (I meane Socinianisme). He was the first Socinian in England; and Dr..... Cressey, of Merton Coll. (Dean of . . . . in Ireland, afterwards a Benedictine monke) a great acquaintance of my Lord's in those dayes, told me, at Sam. Cowper's, (1669) that he himself was the first that brought Socinus's bookes; shortly after, my Lord comeing to him, and casting his eie on them, would needs presently borrow them to peruse; and was so extremely taken and satisfied with them, that from that time was his conversion. My Lord much lived at Tue, which is a pleasant seat, and about 12 miles from Oxford; his Lordship was acquainted with the best witts at that University, and his house was like a Colledge, full of learned men. Mr. William Chil

There is Euclid's Harmoniques written with Philemon Holland's owne hand, in a curious Greeke character. He was school-master here.