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legible as but lately written (Roman character). He offered it to the King for 120lib. but his Majesty would not give so much. Since his death, I acquainted the Secretary of Estate that he dyed in debt, and his creditors scised on his goods and papers. He told me that it did of right belong to Worcester Church. I told one of the prebends, and they cared not for such things. I beleeve it hath wrapt herrings by this time. He had severall MSS. by him of great antiquity: one thin 4to. of the Philosopher's Stone, in the Hieroglyphicks, with some few Latin verses underneath; the most curiously limmed that ever I sawe. His Majesty offered him 100lib. for it, and he would not accept it. Tell Dr. Crowder of the Deed of K. Edgar.

MR. JOHN TOMBES, B.D.

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Was borne at Beaudley, in Worcestershire; his father was a mitted at Magdalen-hall, in Oxon. A.. A.B. A?..... A.M. He read to pupills, and was tutor there to John Wilkins, afterwards Bishop of Chester. He was a great master of the Greeke tongue, and the Hebrewe he understood well; he alwaies carried a little Greeke Testament about with him, which he had almost

memoriter. He was an admirable disputant; I remember he was wont to say, that to be a good disputant, 'tis requisite for one to be a good grammarian, as well as logician. He was soon taken notice of for his curious searching, piercing witt: he preached somewhere Eastwards from Oxon, and had a sect follow him; and 'twas predicted he would doe a great deale of mischiefe to the Ch. of England, reflecting upon what . . . . . . sayes, that the greatest witts have donne the most mischeefe to ye Church, introducing new opinions, &c. A .... he was vicar of Leominster, in Herefordshire, where he was very well beloved by his parish, and S. . . . . . Crofte, eldest brother to the now Bishop of Hereford, built a house in Leominster, to live there, to hear him preach. A.... he writt. . . . 8vo. dedicated to Jo. Scudamore, Viscount Sligo. A: 1645, he was master of the Temple, at London (i. e.) Minister. In 1647 he was supplanted by Parson Johnson. Then he went into his owne country, to Beaudley, at wch time Mr. Baxter (his antagonist) preacht at Kitterminster, the next market-towne, two miles distant. They preacht against one another's doctrines, and printed against each other. Mr. Tombes was the Coryphæus of the Anabaptists, both had great audience; they went severall miles on foot to each doctor. Once (I thinke oftner), they disputed face to face; and the followers

were like two armies; and truly, at last they fell by the eares, hurt was donne, and the civil magistrate had much adoe to quiet them. About A: 1664 he came to the act at Oxford, and did there in vesperiis sett up a challenge, to maintaine contra omnes gentes the Anabaptistical doctrine; but not a man would grapple with him. Now, though prima facie this might seeme very bold to challenge a whole University, 'twas not so very strange neither, for he came thoroughly prepared, after 30 yeares' study and thoughts, and most of them [were] surprised. Dr. ... Sanderson, Ld BP of Lincolne, and he, had a greate esteeme for each other, so also had Dr. Barlowe (now Be there). Putting aside his Anabaptistical positions, he was conformable enough to the Church of England. About 1658 or 9, he maried the widowe of ..... Dove, of Salisbury, and went to hear the Comon Prayer there, and received the Sacraments; and sometimes wayted on B Ward, who respected him for his learning. He was thought to be as great a divine as most we had after BP Sanderson dyed. I remember he never, or seldome, was wrought to say, Our Saviour Christ, but My Lord Christ. He seemed to be a very pious and zealous Christian. I have heard him say (though he was much opposite to the Rom. Relig.) that truly, for his part, should he see a poor zealous fryar goeing to preach, he should pay him respect. He was

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but a little man, neat limbed, a little quick searching eic, sad, grey. He dyed at Salisbury, May 22, and was buried 25th, in St. Edmund's church-yard, Anno D 1676, opposite to the steeple, a good distance on ye North side. His daughter dyed 7 yeares before him, and hath a grave-stone on her, with an inscription. He lyes there, and on the same stone is since engraven an inscription to the purpose already written of Mr. J. Tombes.

EZREEL TONGE, D.D.

Was borne at Tickell, in Yorkshire, between Bautre and Doncaster. Obijt Decemb. sepultus 23 Decemb. in the vault of the church-yard of St. Mary Stayning, London; where, before the conflagration, was a church, of wch he was the parson; but I have heard his brother, Capt. Tonge (of y King's Guards) say, 'twas worth but 18lib. per annum. Mr. Jones (who preached his funeral sermon) says, that he has left two tomes in fol. of Alchymie. His excellency lay there. About 1658, or 1659, the then power made an Academie of the BP's Pallace, at Durham, for the benefit of the North. Dr. Tonge was the governour, or one of the professors. Ned Bagshawe was supposed to have been an

other. The Dr. had an excellent schoole there, and followed precisely the Jesuites' method of teaching; and boyes did profit wonderfully, as needes they must, by that method. He afterwards taught at Islington, at S: Th. Fisher's house, where was a long gallery, and he had severall printed heads of Cæsars, &c. Verbes under such a head governed a dative case; under another an ablative. The boyes had it as readie as could be. I have been there.

He invented (among other things) the way of teaching children to write a good hand in twenty days' time, by writing over, with black inke, copies, printed from copper plates, in red inke. The children, sc. about 8 or 9 ætatis, were to doe it fower howers in the day; 2 howers or 2 halfe howers in the morning (as the boye's temper could endure it, without tyring him), at a time, and then to play as long, and then to it again, to keepe up the idea of the child fresh. Since his death, Mr. R. Moray (Projector of the Penny Post) hath engraven plates printed off in red letters, by which meanes boyes learne (to admiration) as aforesayd.

His funerall sermon was preached in the church of St. Michael, Wood-street; the church of St. Mary Stayning being burnt, and never to be reedified, but both parishes putt together.

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