part i

.,'

and, in his pagination, it contained eighty-six leaves. A rough index of its contents, by him, is found as foll. 8-10: and there he gives the names of several persons whose lives he intended to write, but has not included in this volume. Some of these are found elsewhere, especially in MS. Aubrey 8; but a few[10] are not discoverable in any MS. of his biographical collections--e.g., Richard Alcorne; <Samuel> Collins, D.D.; Richard Blackbourne, M.D.; <John> Flamsted[11]; Sir John Hoskins; James Rex; James, duke of Monmouth[12]; Peter Ramus; Benjamin Ruddier; captain <Edward> Sherburne; captaine Thomas Stump[13]; Richard White. Possibly Aubrey never wrote the missing lives; but it must be remembered (1) that he cut some leaves out of his MS. himself (see in a note to the life of Richard Boyle, earl of Cork); (2) that Anthony Wood cut out of MS. Aubr. 7 forty pages at least, containing matters 'to cut Aubrey's throat,' i.e. reflections on politics, where the lives of James R. and Monmouth may well have been.

One point about this MS. which deserves mention is that, in these lives, Aubrey, in his hope to supply data for crucial instances in astrology, is careful to give the exact nativity wherever he can. His rule is thus laid down by himself in MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 12ᵛ, in a note attached to the nativity of his friend Sir William Petty:--

'Italian proverb--

"E astrologia, ma non é Astrologo,"

i.e. we have not that science yet perfect; 'tis one of the _desiderata_. The way to make it perfect is to gett a supellex of true genitures; in order wherunto I have with much care collected these ensuing[14], which the astrologers may rely on, for I have sett doune none on randome, or doubtfull, information, but _from their owne mouthes_: quod N. B.'

Another point is, that Aubrey very frequently gives the coat of arms, in trick or colour. In some cases, no doubt, he did this from having seen the arms actually borne in some way by the person he is writing about; but in other cases he merely looked up the name in a 'Dictionary of Arms,' and took the coat from thence, thus nullifying his testimony as to the actual pretensions to arms of those he writes about. All coats he mentions have, however, been given in the text or notes.

Prefixed to the volume[15] are two notes in which Aubrey explains its origin and destination.

(A)--MS. Aubr. 6, fol.[16] 2:--

'_Tanquam tabulata naufragii_, Sum Johannis Aubrii, R.S.S. Febr. 24, 1679/80.

My will and humble desire is that these minutes, which I have hastily and scriblingly here sett downe, be delivered carefully to my deare and honoured friend Mr. Anthony à Wood, antiquary, of Oxford.--

Ita obnixe obtestor,

JO. AUBREY.

Ascenscione Domini,

correptus lipothymiâ, circiter 3 P.M.

1680.'

(B)--MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 12:--

'To my worthy friend Mr. ANTHONIE à WOOD,

Antiquarie of Oxford.

SIR!

I have, according to your desire, putt in writing these minutes of lives tumultuarily, as they occurr'd to my thoughts or as occasionally I had information of them. They may easily be reduced into order at your leisure by numbring them with red figures, according to time and place, &c. 'Tis a taske that I never thought to have undertaken till you imposed it upon me, sayeing that I was fitt for it by reason of my generall acquaintance, having now not only lived above halfe a centurie of yeares in the world, but have also been much tumbled up and downe in it which hath made me much[17] knowne; besides the moderne advantage of coffee-howses in this great citie, before which men knew not how to be acquainted, but with their owne relations, or societies. I might add that I come of a longaevous race, by which meanes I have imped some feathers of the wings of time, for severall generations; which does reach high. When I first began, I did not thinke I could have drawne it out to so long a thread.

I here lay-downe to you (out of the conjunct friendship[18] between us) the trueth, and, as neer as I can and that religiously as a poenitent to his confessor, nothing but the trueth: the naked and plaine trueth, which is here exposed so bare that the very _pudenda_ are not covered[19], and affords many passages that would raise a blush in a young virgin's[20] cheeke. So that after your perusall, I must desire you to make a castration (as Raderus[21] to Martial) and to sowe-on some figge-leaves--i.e., to be my _Index expurgatorius_.

What uncertainty doe we find in printed histories? they either treading too neer on the heeles of trueth that they dare not speake plaine, or els for want of intelligence (things being antiquated) become too obscure and darke! I doe not here repeat any thing already published (to the best of my remembrance) and I fancy my selfe all along discourseing with you; alledgeing those of my relations and acquaintance (as either you knew or have heerd of) _ad faciendam fidem_: so that you make me to renew my acquaintance with my old and deceased friends, and to _rejuvenescere_ (as it were) which is the pleasure of old men. 'Tis pitty that such minutes had not been taken 100 yeares since or more: for want wherof many worthy men's names and notions[22] are swallowd-up in oblivion; as much of these also would [have[23] been], had it not been through your instigation: and perhaps this is one of the usefullest pieces[24] that I have scribbeld.

I remember one sayeing of generall Lambert's, that "the best of men are but men at the best": of this, you will meet with divers examples in this rude and hastie collection. Now these _arcana_ are not fitt to lett flie abroad, till about 30 yeares hence; for the author and the persons (like medlars) ought to be first rotten. But in whose hands must they be deposited in the mean time? advise me, who am,

Sir, Your very affectionate friend to serve you,

JOHN AUBREY.

London, June 15, 1680.'

=MS. Aubr. 7=: a folio volume of twenty-one leaves (several pages blank), of which two[25] only belong to the original MS.

The original title may be conjectured to have been:

'Σχεδιάσματα. Brief Lives,