The Natural History of Wiltshire Part 17

PART II.

CHAPTER I.

WORTHIES.

[IN this chapter Aubrey has transcribed that portion of Fuller's Worthies of England which relates to celebrated natives of the county of Wilts; but as Fuller's work is so well known, it is un- necessary to print Aubrey's extracts from it here. He has interspersed them with additional matter from which the following pa.s.sages are selected.

- J. B.]

PRINCES. - There is a tradition at Wootton Ba.s.set that King Richard the Third was born at Vasthorne [Fasterne], now the seate of the earle of Rochester. This I was told when I was there in 1648. Old Mr. Jacob, then tenant there to the Lady Inglefield, was then eighty yeares old, and the like other old people there did affirme.

[According to the best authorities, this tradition is incorrect: Richard was born in Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptons.h.i.+re, on the 2d of October, 1452.-J. B.]

Anne, eldest daughter of Sir Edward Hyde, Knight, was born at Purton, in this county, and married to His Royal Highnesse James Duke of Yorke, [James II.] by whom she left issue Mary Queen of England, and Anne Princesse of Denmark [afterwards Queen].

SAINTS. - St. Adelm. There was a great bell at Malmesbury Abbey, which they called St. Adelm's bell, which was accounted a telesman, and to have the power, when it was rang, to drive away the thunder and lightning. I remember there is such a great bell at St. Germain's Abbey at Paris, which they ring to the aforesayd purpose when it thunders and lightens. Old Bartlemew and other old people of Malmesbury had by tradition severall stories of miracles donn by St.

Adelm some whereof I wrott down heretofore; now with Mr. Anth. Wood at Oxford. [St. Adelm, or more correctly Aldhelm, is mentioned in page 42, ante. His life was written by William of Malmesbury, and published by the Rev. Henry Wharton, in his "Anglia Sacra." (fol. 1691.)- J. B.]

Methinkes it is pitie that Ela, daughter of [William] Longespe Earl of Salisbury, should be here omitted. [See ante, p.70 ]

PRELATES.- Since the Reformation. - Alexander Hyde, LL.Dr., sonn of Sir Laurence Hyde, and brother to Sir Robert Hyde, Lord Cheif Justice of the King's Bench, was born, I believe, at Hele, in this county. He was made Bishop of Salisbury 1665.

STATESMEN. - William Earle of Pembroke [the second of that name]. In the east windowe of the south aisle of the church at Wilton is this following inscription in gothick black letter:-"...

church was... by the vertuose..... wife to the right.... Sir Henry Sidney, Knight of the Garter and Lord President of the Marches of Wales, &c. In April 1580, the eight day of that moneth, was born William Lord Herbert of Cardif, the first-born child to the n.o.ble Henry Earle of Pembroke, by his most dear wife Mary the Countesse, daughter to the forenamed Sir Henry and Lady Mary, whose lives Almighty G.o.d long prosper in much happiness."* Memorandum, to insert his t.i.tles inscribed under his printed picture. As I remember he was Lord High Steward of his Majesties Household, Justice in Eire of all his Majesties Forrests, &c. on this side Trent, Chancellor of the University of Oxford, one of his Majesties Privy Councell, and Knight of the Garter. He was a most n.o.ble person, and the glory of the court in the reignes of King James and King Charles. He was handsome, and of an admirable presence-

* [This inscription is not mentioned in the account of Wilton Church in h.o.a.re's Modern, Wilts.h.i.+re, but the author notices a tablet recording the birth and baptism of the Earl "over the south entrance."

He states that the side aisles were added to the church "within the last two centuries " - J. B.]

"Gratior et pulchro veniens a corpore virtus."

He was the greatest Mecaenas to learned men of any peer of his time or since. He was very generous and open handed. He gave a n.o.ble collection of choice bookes and ma.n.u.scripts to the Bodleian Library at Oxford, which remain there as an honourable monument of his munificence. 'Twas thought, had he not been suddenly s.n.a.t.c.h't away by death, to the grief of all learned and good men, that he would have been a great benefactor to Pembroke Colledge in Oxford, whereas there remains only from him a great piece of plate that he gave there. His lords.h.i.+p was learned, and a poet; there are yet remaining some of his lords.h.i.+p's poetry in a little book of poems writt by his Lords.h.i.+p and Sir Benjamin Ruddyer in 12o. ["Poems, written by William Earl of Pembroke, &c. many of which are answered by way of repartee, by Sir Benjamin Rudyard. With other poems by them occasionally and apart."

Lond. 1660, 8vo.-J. B.] He had his nativity calculated by a learned astrologer, and died exactly according to the time predicted therein, at his house at Baynard's Castle in London. He was very well in health, but because of the fatal direction which he lay under, he made a great entertainment (a supper) for his friends, went well to bed, and died in his sleep, the [10th] day of [April] anno Domini 1630. His body lies in the vault belonging to his family in the quire of Our Ladies Church in Salisbury. At Wilton is his figure cast in bra.s.se, designed, I suppose, for his monument. [See the notices of the Earls of Pembroke in the ensuing chapter. - J. B.]

Sir Edward Hyde, Earle of Clarendon, Lord Chancellour of England, was born at Dynton in Wilts.h.i.+re. His father was the fourth and youngest sonn of..... Hyde, of Hatch, Esq. Sir Edward married [Frances]

daughter of Sir Thomas Aylesbury, one of the clarks of the councell In his exile in France he wrote the History of the late Times, sc. from 1641 to 1660; near finished, but broken off by death, by whom he was attacked as he was writing; the penn fell out of his hand; he took it up again and tryed to write; and it fell out the second time. He then saw that it was time to leave off, and betooke himself to thinke about the other world. (From the Countess of Thanet.) He shortly after ended his dayes at [Rouen] Anno Domini 1674, and his body was brought over into England, and interred privately at Westminster Abbey. From the Earle of Clarendon. [Anthony Wood states (probably on the authority of Aubrey) that Clarendon was buried on the north side of Henry the Seventh's chapel in Westminster Abbey; but the place of his interment is not marked by any monument or inscription.-J. B.]

SOLDIERS. - Sir Henry Danvers, Knight, Earle of Danby and Baron of Dauntesey, was born at Dauntesey, 28th day of June Ano. Dni. 1573. He was of a magnificent and munificall spirit, and made that n.o.ble physic-garden at Oxford, and endowed it with I thinke 30li. per annum.

In the epistles of Degory Wheare, History Professor of Oxford, in Latin, are severall addressed to his lords.h.i.+p that doe recite his worth. He allowed three thousand pounds per annum only for his kitchin. He bred up severall brave young gentleman and preferred them; e. g. Colonell Leg, and severall others, of which enquire further of my Lady Viscountesse Purbec. The estate of Henry Earle of Danby was above eleven thousand pounds per annum; near twelve. He died January the 20th, 1643, and lies buried in a little chapell made for his monument on the north side of Dantesey-church, near to the vault where his father and ancesters lye. [Aubrey here transcribes his epitaph, which, with other particulars of his life, will be found in the Beauties of Wilts.h.i.+re, vol. iii. p. 76.--J. B.]

Sir Michael Ernele, Knight, was second son of Sir John Ernele, of Whetham in the County of Wilts. After he had spent some time at the University of Oxford, he betooke himself to a militarie life in the Low Countries, where he became so good a proficient that at his return into England at the beginning of the Civill warres, King Charles the First gave him the commission of a Colonell in his service, and shortly after he was made Governour of Shrewsbury, and he was, or intended to bee, Major Generall. He did his Majesty good service in the warres, as doth appeare by the Mercurii Aulici. His garrison at Shrewsbury being weakened by drawing out great part of them before the battel at Marston Moore, the townesmen plotted and betrayed his garrison to the Parliament soldiers. He was slain then in the market- place, about the time of the battle of Marston Moore.*

* [It was the common belief that Sir Michael Erneley was killed, as here stated, by the Parlimentary soldiers at the time Shrewsbury was taken (Feb. 3,1644-5); but in Owen and Blakeway's Hist, of Shrewsbury, 4to. 1825, the time and manner of his death is left uncertain. His name is included in the list of those who were made prisoners when the town surrendered.-J. B.]

William Ludlow, Esq. sonn and heir of Sir [Henry] Ludlow, and Dame...... daughter of the Lord Viscount Bindon, in this county, was Governour of Wardour Castle in this county, for the Parliament, which he valiantly defended till part of the castle was blown up, 1644 or 1645. He was Major General, &c. See his life in Mr. Anth. Wood's Antiquities of Oxford. [This pa.s.sage refers to Edward (not William) Ludlow; the famous Republican general. His "Memoirs" were printed in 1698-9, at Vevay in Switzerland, where he died about five years previous to their publication. They have gone through several editions, and const.i.tute a valuable historical record of the times.

- J. B.]

Sir John Ernele, great-grandson of Sir John Ernele above sayd, and eldest sonn of Sir John Ernele, late Chancellour of the Exchequer, had the command of a flag-s.h.i.+p, and was eminent in some sea services. He married the daughter and heir of Sir John Kerle of.... in Herefords.h.i.+re.

A DIGRESSION. - Anno 1633, I entred into my grammar at the latin schoole at Yatton-Keynel, in the church, where the curate, Mr. Hart, taught the eldest boyes Virgil, Ovid, Cicero, &c. The fas.h.i.+on then was to save the forules of their bookes with a false cover of parchment, sc.

old ma.n.u.script, which I [could not] was too young to understand; but I was pleased with the elegancy of the writing and the coloured initiall letters. I remember the rector here, Mr. Wm. Stump, great gr.-son of St. the cloathier of Malmesbury, had severall ma.n.u.scripts of the abbey. He was a proper man and a good fellow; and, when he brewed a barrell of speciall ale, his use was to stop the bung- hole, under the clay, with a sheet of ma.n.u.script; he sayd nothing did it so well: which me thought did grieve me then to see. Afterwards I went to schoole to Mr. Latimer at Leigh-delamer, the next parish, where was the like use of covering of bookes. In my grandfather's dayes the ma.n.u.scripts flew about like b.u.t.terflies. All music bookes, account bookes, copie bookes, &c. were covered with old ma.n.u.scripts, as wee cover them now with blew paper or marbled paper; and the glovers at Malmesbury made great havoc of them; and gloves were wrapt up no doubt in many good pieces of antiquity. Before the late warres a world of rare ma.n.u.scripts perished hereabout; for within half a dozen miles of this place were the abbey of Malmesbury, where it may be presumed the library was as well furnished with choice copies as most libraries of England; and perhaps in this library we might have found a correct Pliny's Naturall History, which Cantus, a monk here, did abridge for King Henry the Second. Within the aforesaid compa.s.s was Broad stock Priory, Stan Leigh Abbey, Farleigh Abbey, Bath Abbey, eight miles, and Cirencester Abbey, twelve miles. Anno 1638 I was transplanted to Blandford-schoole, in Dorset, to Mr. Wm. Sutton. (In Mr. Wm. Gardner's time it was the most eminent schoole for the education of gentlemen in the West of England.) Here also was the use of covering of bookes with old parchments, sc. leases, &c., but I never saw any thing of a ma.n.u.script there. Hereabout were no abbeys or convents for men. One may also perceive by the binding of old bookes how the old ma.n.u.scripts went to wrack in those dayes. Anno 1647 I went to Parson Stump out of curiosity, to see his ma.n.u.scripts, whereof I had seen some in my childhood; but by that time they were lost and disperse. His sons were gunners and souldiers, and scoured their gunnies with them; but he shewed me severall old deeds granted by the Lords Abbots, with their scales annexed, which I suppose his sonn Capt. Tho. Stump of Malmesbury hath still. [I have quoted part of this curious paragraph in my Memoir of Aubrey, 4to. 1845.-J. B.]

WRITERS.- William of Malmesbury. He was the next historiographer of this nation to Venerable Bede, as he himself written; and was fain, he sayes, to pick out his history out of ballads and old rhythmes.....

hundred yeares after Bede. He dedicates his history to [Robert, Earl of Gloucester] "filio naturali Henrici primi". He wrote also the history of the abbey of Glas...o...b..ry, which is in ma.n.u.script in the library of Trinity College in Cambridge, wherein are many good remarques to be found, as Dr. Thomas Gale of Paules schoole enformes me. [This was edited by Gale, and published at Oxford in 1691, 8vo. - J. B.]

Robertus Sarisburiensis wrote a good discourse, De Piscinis, mentioned and commended by Sir Henry Wotton in his Elements of Architecture. Q.

Anth. Wood, de hoc.

Dr..... Forman, - Mr. Ashmole thinkes his name was John, [Simon.- J. B.]- physitian and astrologer, was born at Wilton, in Wilts. He was of the University of Oxford, but took his degree of Doctor in Cambridge, practised in Salisbury, where he was persecuted for his astrologie, which in those ignorant times was accounted conjuring. He then came to London, where he had very good practise, and did great cures; but the college hated him, and at last drove him out of London: so he lived and died at Lambeth, where he lies buried. Elias Ashmole, Esq. has severall bookes of his writing (never printed), as also his own life. There it may be seen whether he was not a favorite of Mary, Countesse of Pembroke. He was a chymist, as far as chymistry went in those dayes, and 'tis very likely he was a favorite of her honour's.

Quaere Mr. Dennet, the Earl of Pembrock's steward, if he had not a pension from the Earl of Pembrock? Forman is a common name in Calne parish, Wilts, where there are still severall wealthy men, cloathiers, &c. of that name; but tempore Reginae Elizabethae there was a Forman of Calne, Lord Maior of London. My grandfather Lyte told me that at his Lord Maior's shew there was the representation of the creation of the world, and writt underneath, "and all for man." [Some interesting pa.s.sages from Forman's MS. Diary have recently been brought forward by Mr. Collier in ill.u.s.tration of the history of Shakspere's works. They describe some very early performances of several of his plays, at which Forman was present. - J. B.]

Sr Johan Davys, Knight, was born at Tysbury; his father was a tanner.

He wrote a poeme in English, called "Nosce Teipsum"*; also Reports. He was Lord Chief Justice in Ireland. His wife was sister to the Earle of Castle-Haven that was beheaded; she had also aliquid dementiae, and was a prophetesse, for which she was confined in the Tower, before the late troubles, for her predictions. His onely daughter and heire was married to [Ferdinando] Earle of Huntingdon.

[*"Nosce Teipsum: this oracle expounded in two elegies. 1st. Of Human knowledge. 2nd. Of the soule of man, and the immortality thereof;" with acrostics on Queen Elizabeth. (London, 1609, small 8vo.) The works of the above named Lady Eleanor Davies, the prophetess, widow of Sir John, were of a most extraordinary kind. See a list of them in Watt's Bibliotheca Britannica. - J. B.]

Mr. Thomas Hobbes was born at Westport juxta Malmesbury, April the fifth, anno 1588, he told me, between four and six in the morning, in the house that faces or points to the horse-faire. He died at Hardwick in Darbys.h.i.+re, Anno Domini 1679, aetatis 91. [See Aubrey's Life of Hobbes, appended to Letters from the Bodleian, vol. iii. p. 593.

- J. B.]

Thomas Willis, M.D., was born at Great Bedwin in this county, anno [1621.] His father, he told me, was steward to my Lady Smyth there. He dyed in London, and lies interred with his wife in Westminster Abbey.

Thomas Piers, D.D., and Dean of Salisbury, formerly President of Magdalen College in Oxford, was born at the Devizes. His father was a woollen draper and an alderman there.

Sir Christopher Wren, Knt., Surveyor of his Majesties buildings, the eldest sonne of Dr. Christopher Wren, Deane of Windsor, was born at Knoyle, in this county, where his father was rector, in the parsonage-house, anno 1631; christened November the 10th; but he tells me that he was born October the 20th. His mother fell in labour with him when the bell rung eight.

[Richard] Blackmore, M.D., born in Cosham parish, the sonne of an attorney, went to schoole to Parson.... of Dracot. Scripsit an Epique poeme, called Prince Arthur, 1694.

Sir William Penn, Vice-Admirall, born at Minety, in the hundred of Malmesbury. His father was a keeper in Braden forest: the lodge is called Penn's lodge to this day. He was father to William Penn, Esq.

Lord Proprietor of Pensylvania; it is a very ancient family in Buckinghams.h.i.+re. This family in North Wilts had heretofore a dependence on the Abbey of Malmesbury as stewards or officers. [Sir William Penn was buried in Redcliffe Church, Bristol. See Britten's Account of Redcliffe Church. - J. B.]

T. Byfield, a physician, sonn of Adoniram Byfield, the a.s.sembly man, born at Collingbourn Ducis, where his father was rector. He published a book of Waters about 1684.

Mr. Edward Whatman, of Mayden Bradley, pract.i.tioner in physick, and very successfull in his practise. By reason of the civill warrs he was of no university, but he was a young man of great parts and great hopes. He died shortly after his Majesties restauration, aged about 35. He onely printed "Funerall Obsequies on the Honourable the Ladie Elizabeth Hopton, wife to Sir Ralph Hopton," London, 1647.

Mr. William Gardiner, the eminent schoolemaster at Blandford, about twenty yeares; born in this county; died about 1636, aetatis 47.

MUSICIANS.-The quire of Salisbury Cathedral hath produced as many able musicians, if not more, than any quire in this nation.

Andrew Markes, of Salisbury, where his father was a fiddle maker, was the best lutinist in England in his time - sc. the latter end of Queen Elizabeth and King James, and the best composer of lute lessons; and as to his compositions, Mr. Sam. Cowper, the famous limner, who was an excellent lutinist, did affirme that they are of great value to this time.

Jo. Coperario, whose reall name I have been told was Cowper, and Alfonso Ferrabosco, lived most in Wilts.h.i.+re, sc. at Amesbury, and Wulfall, with Edward Earle of Hertford, who was the great patrone of musicians.

Davys Mell, born at Wilton, was the best violinist of any Englishman in England: he also took a fancy to make clocks and watches, and had a great name for the goodness of his work. He was of the King's musick, and died in London about 1663.

.... Bell, of Wilton, was sagb.u.t.tere to King Charles the First, and was the most excellent artist in playing on that instrument, which is very difficult, of any one in England. He dyed about the restauration of the King.