printed at Eaton, and translated them into Latin, and printed them Greeke and Latin together, wch quite spoyled the sale of Sir Henry's. Mem. he gave his collection of mathematicall bookes to a peculiar little library belonging to Savillian Professors.

SYLVANUS SCORY*

Was the son and heire of....+ Scory, Bishop of Hereford. He was a very handsome gentleman, and had an excellent witt, and his father gave him the best education, both at home and beyond the seas, that that age would afford, and loved him so dearly that he fleeced the church of Hereford to leave him a good estate, and did let such long, and so many leases, that, as Mris Masters (da. of Herbert Westphaling, Esq. son and heir to Bp. Westphaling, of H.) told me, they

* Quære if he was not knighted?

+ His father, John Scory, in the raigne of King Edward the Sixth, was Bishop of Rochester, and translated from thence to Chichester, and afterwards to Hereford, who departed. this life, at his house, at Whitburn, in com. Herefford, 26 Junii, Ao. Dat 1585. This out of an Epitaph on his wife, Eliz. who hath an inscription in St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, church.

were not out till about these 60 yeares. To the best of my remembrance, she told me the estate left him was 1500lib. per annum, which he reduced to nothing (alloweing himselfe the libertie to enjoy all the pleasures of this world), and left his sonne so poor, that when he came among gentlemen, they would fancy a crowne or ten shillings for him. I have heard Sir John Denham say (at Chalke, 1652), that he hath been well informed that he was the most accomplished gentleman of his time. 'Tis a good testimonial of his worth, that Mr. Benjamin Jonson (who ever scorned an unworthy patrone) dedicated his . . . . to him. I have heard Sir John Denham also say, that he was the greatest confident and intimate favorite of Monsieur of France (brother to the French King), who was a suitor to Queen Elizabeth, and whom her Matie entirely loved; and as a signall of it one time at St. Paule's church, London, openly kissed him in time of divine service, and would have had him for her husband, but for reasons of state. When her Majestie dismissed him, 'twas donne with all passionate respecte imaginable. She gave him royall presents; he was attended to Dover by the flower of the court; among others by this sparke of whom I now write. When Monsieur tooke his leave of him he told him that though 'twas so that her Majestie could not marie him, yet he knew that she so

much loved him, that she would not deny him any request, whereby he might honour and benefit a friend, and accordingly writes his love letter to his mistresse, the Queen of England, and in it only begges that single bón, to looke upon Mr. Scory (the bearer) with a particular and extraordinary grace for his sake; delivered him the letter (and as I take it, gave him a jewell). As Sylvanus returned to London, through Canterbury, the mayer there (a shoemaker), a pragmaticall fellow, examined him, who and whence, &c. and what his business was, and if he had a passe?" Yes," quoth he, "I have a passe,” and produces Mounsieur's letter, superscribed to her Majestie, which, one would have thought, had been enough to have shewen. The mayer presently breakes open the love letter, and reades it. I know not how this action happened to take wind, and 'twas brought to court, and became so ridicule that Sylvanus Scory was so laughed at and jeer'd that he never delivered the letter to the Queen, which had been the easiest and most honourable step to preferment that mortall man could have desired.

JOHN SELDEN, ESQ.

Was borne (as appeares by his epitaph, which he himselfe made, as I well remember A. B. Usher, Lord Primate, who did preach his funerall sermon, did then mention) at Salvinton, a hamlet belonging to West Terring, in the com, of Sussex. His father was an yeomanly man, of about fourty pounds per annum, and played well on the violin, in which he tooke delight, and at Christmas time, to please himselfe and his neighbours, he would play to them as they danced. My old Lady Cotton* (wife to Sir Rob. Cotton,† grandmother to this Sir..... Cotton) was one time at Sir Thomas Alford's, in Sussex, at dinner, in Christmas time, and Mr. J. Selden (then a young student) sate at the lower end of the table, who was lookt upon then to be of parts extraordinary, and somebody asking who he was, 'twas replied, his son that is playing on the violin in the hall. I have heard Mich. Malet (Judge Malet's son) say, that he had heard that Mr. J. Selden's father

taught on the lute. He had a pretty good estate by his wife. He [the son] was of Hart-hall, in

more.

She was living in 1646 or 1647, an old woman, 80 and

† Mr. Fabian Philips told me that when J. Selden was young, he did copie records for Sir Robert Cotton.

This from Sir William Dugdale, from the Lady Cotton.

Oxon, and Sir Giles Mompesson told me, that he was then of that house, and that he was a long scabby-pol❜d boy, but a good student. Thence he came to the Inner Temple. His chamber was in the Paper buildings which looke towards the garden. staire-case, uppermost story, where he had a little gallery to walke in. He was quickly taken notice of for his learning, and was solicitor and steward to the Earle of Kent, whose countesse being an ingeniose woman,

After the Earle's death he maried her. He had a daughter, if not two, by

to a tradesman in Bristowe.

one was maried

His great friend heretofore was Mr. . . . Hayward, to whom he dedicates his "Titles of Honour;" also Ben Jonson. His treatise that Tythes were not jure divino drew a great deale of envy upon him from the clergie. W. Laud, A. B. of Cant, made him make his recantation before the High Commission Court, of which you may have an account in Dr. Peter Heylin's Historie. After, he would never forgive the Bishops, but did still in his writings levell them with the presbyterie. He was also severe and bitter in his speeches against ship-money, which speeches see. He was one of the assembly of divines, and.. Whitlock, in his Memoires, sayes, that he was wont to mock the assembly men about their little gilt Bibles, and would