..... ber the. (when the great blazing starre appeared). His father was an attorney there, and of a very honest repute. At.... yeares old he went to Sydney colledge, in Cambridge; he was servitor to Dr. Ward, (master of the colledge, and Professor of Divinity,) who, being much taken with his ingenuity and industry, as also with his suavity of nature, quickly made him scholar of the house, and after fellowe. Though he was of his name, he was not at all akinne to him; but the consimility of their dispositions was a greater tye of friendship than that of blood, which signifies but little as to that point. His father taught him common arithmetique, and his genius lay much to the mathematiques, which being naturall to him, he quickly and easily attayned. Sir Charles Scarborough, M.D. (then an ingeniose young student, and fellowe of Caius colledge, in Cambridge), was his great acquaintance, both students in mathematiques, which the better to perfect, they went to Mr. William Oughtred, at Albury, in Surrey, to be informed by him in his "Clavis Mathematica," which was then a booke of ænigmata. Mr. Oughtred treated them with exceeding humanity, being pleased at his heart, when an ingeniose young man came to him, that would ply his Algebra hard. When they returned to Cambridge, they read the "Clavis Mathematica" to their pupills, which was the first time that that booke was ever read in a university. Mr. Lau. Rooke, a good mathematician, and algebrist, (and I thinke had also been Mr. Oughtred's disciple) was his great acquaintance. Mr. Rooke (I remember) did read (and that admirably well) on the sixth chapter of the "Clavis Mathematica," at Gresham colledge. A: Di 164.. at the breaking out of the civill warres, he was a prisoner, together with Dr. Ward, Sir Tho. Hatton, &c. for the King's cause, in St. John's colledge, in Cambridge, and was put out of his fellowship at Sydney colledge. Being gott out of prison, he was very civilly and kindly received by his friend and neighbour, Ralph Freeman, of Apsten, Esq. a vertuous and hospitable gentleman, where he continued . . . . . A: Di.... the visitation of the Parliament was at Oxford, and turned out a great many professors and fellowes. The Astronomy Reader (Greaves) being sure to be ejected, Seth Ward, A.M. (being then with my Lord Wenman, in Oxfordshire, and Greaves was unwilling to be turned out of his place, but desired to resigne it rather to some worthy person, whereupon Dr. Ch. Scarborough and W. Holder, D.D. recommended to Greaves, their common friend, Mr. Seth Ward) was invited to succeed him, and came from Mr. Freeman's to Oxford, had the Astronomer's place, and lived at Wadham coll. where he conversed with the Warden, Dr. Jo. Wilkins. A: D 165. he had from B. Bp. of Exon, the grant of the chantor's place of Exon, which then signified nothing. A: D 165. Will. Hawes, then president of Trinity colledge, in Oxford, broke a vein in his lunges, (wch was not curable,) Mr. Ward being very well acquainted and beloved in yt colledge; by the consent of all the fellowes, Will. Hawes resigned up his Presidentship to him, and dyed some few dayes after. A: 1660, upon the restauration of King Charles II. Dr. Hannibal Potter, (the President sequestred by the Parliamentary visitors) re-enjoyed the Presidentship again. I should have said that A: 165. he tooke his degree of Doctor in Divinity at the Act, at Oxford, at the same time with Dr. Jo. Wallis. He then enjoyed his chantor's place at Excester, and, I thinke, was Minister of St Laurence. church, in London. A: Di 166. the Deane of Exon dyed, and then it was his right to step in next to the Deanery. A D 1663, the Bp. of Exon dyed, Dr. Ward (the Deane) was in Devonshire at that time, at (I thinke it was) Taverstoke, at a visitation, where were a great number of the gentrey of the countrey. Deane Ward was very well knowne to the gentrey, and his learning, prudence, and comity had wonne them all to be his friends. The newes of the death of the Bp. being brought to them, who were all very merry and rejoicing with good entertainment, with great alacrity, the gentlemen cryed all, uno uno, *Wee will have Mr. Deane to be our Bishop. This was at that criticall time when the House of Commons were the King's darlings. The Deane told them, that for his part he had no interest or acquaintance at Court; but intimated to them, how much the King esteemed the Members of Parliament (and a great many Parliament men were then there), and that his Matie would deny them nothing. If 'tis so, Gentlemen (sayd Mr. Deane), that you will needes have me for your Bishop, if some of you make your addresse to his Matie 'twill be donne. With that they dranke the other glasse, a healthe to the King, and another to their wished-for Bishop; had their horses presently made ready, putt foot in stirrup, and away they rode merrily to London; went to the King, and he immediately graunted them their request. This is the first time that ever a Bishop was made by the House of Commons. Now, though envy cannot deny, that this worthy person was very well worthy any preferment that could be conferred on him, yet the old bishops (e. g. Hum. Bp. of L. &c. Jo. Cosins, Bp. of Durham) were exceedingly. disgrumbled at it, to see a briske young bishop yt could see through all their formall gravity, but 40 yeares old, not come in at the right dore, but leape over the pale. Well, Bishop of Excester he was to the great joy of all the diocese; being * [Sic. EDIT.] Bishop he had then free accesse to his Math, who is a lover of ingenuity, and a discerner of ingeniose men, and quickly tooke a liking to him. A: 1667, Alexander Hyde, the Bishop of Sarum dyed, and then he was made Bishop of Sarum. He is (without all manner of flattery) so prudent, learned, and good a man, that he honours his preferment as much as the preferment does him; and is one that cannot be advanced too high. My Lord Lucius Falkland, was wont to say, that he never knew any one that a paire of lawne sleeves had not altered from himselfe, but only Bp. Juxon; had he knowne this excellent prelate, he would have sayd he had knowne one more. As he is the pattern of humility and courtesie, so he knowes when to be severe and austere; and he is not one to be trampled or worked upon. He is a batchelour, and of a most magnificent and munificent mind. He hath been a benefactor to the Royall Societie, (of wh he was one of the first members and institutors*), gave them, A D.... He also gave a noble pendulum clock to the Royall Societie (wch goes a weeke), to perpetuate the memory of his deare and learned friend, Mr. Laurence Rooke. He gave A: 167 towards the making of the river at Salisbury navigable to Christ Church. A: 1679 he gave to lib. *The beginning of Philosophicall Experiments was at Oxon, 1649, by Dr. Wilkins, Seth Ward, Ralph Bathurst, &c. &c. |