Chapter 2 of 6 · 5224 words · ~26 min read

part 3

, p. 2a: G. 28, 6.]

6. Politique Anatomie of Ireland, MS.

7. A treatise of building shippes, which he presented to the Royall Societie about 1661; which the lord Brounker was pleased to keepe to himselfe, and never returned it; a MS.

_Observations on the Bills of Mortality_[652] were really his.

Translation of ... Psalme in Latin hexameter, stitch't, folio, printed, London, 1677 (quaere[653]).

Since his death I have seen, in his closet, a great many tractatiuncli in MS.--e.g. Religio Christiana Puerilis; Via brevis ad Medicinam; An Essay to know or judge the Value of Landes; His owne life in Latin verse; De Connubiis; Severall Epigrammes and Verses by him; Of Mills; An Engine very usefull for raysing of water; _cum multis aliis_ that have slipt out of my memorie. Memorandum: his 2 last printed tracts were comparisons or paralleling of London and Paris, stitcht, 8vo.

[654]I have heard Sir William say more than once, that he knew not that he was purblind till his master[LVIII.] (a master of a shippe) bade him climbe-up the rope ladder, and give notice when he espied such a steeple (somewhere upon the coast of England or France, I have forgot where), which was a land-marke for the avoyding of a shelfe; at last the master sawe it on the deck, and they fathom'd and found they were but ... foot water, wherupon (as I remember) his master drubb't him with a cord.

[LVIII.] He was first bound apprentice to a sea-captaine.

Before he went into Ireland, he sollicited, and no doubt he was an admirable good sollicitor. I have heard him say that in solliciting (with the same paines) he could dispatch severall businesses, nay, better than one alone, for by conversing with severall he should gaine the more knowledge, and the greater interest.

In the time of the warre with the Dutch, they concluded at the councell-board at London, to have so many sea men out of Irland (I thinke 1500). Away to Irland came one with a commission, and acquaints Sir William with it; sayes Sir William, 'you will never rayse this number here.' 'Oh,' sayd the other, 'I warrant you, I will not abate you a man.' Now Sir William knew 'twas impossible, for he knew how many tunne of shipping belongd to Ireland, and the rule is, to ... tunnes so many men. Of these shipps halfe were abroad, and of those at home so many men unfit. In fine, the commissioner with all his diligence could not possibly rayse above 200 seamen there. So we may see how statesmen may mistake for want of this Politique Arithmetique.

Another time the councell at Dublin were all in a great racket for the prohibition of coale from England and Wales, considering that all about Dublin is such a vast quantity of turfe; so they would improve their rents, sett poor men on worke, and the city should be served with fuell cheaper. Sir William _prima facie_ knew that this project could not succeed. Sayd he, 'If you will make an order to hinder the bringing-in of coales by foreigne vessells, and bring it in vessells of your owne, I approve of it very well: but for your supposition of the cheapnesse of the turfe, 'tis true 'tis cheape on the place, but consider carriage, consider the yards that must contayn such a quantity for respective houses, these yards must be rented; what will be the chardge?' The<y> supputated, and found that (every thing considered) 'twas much dearer then to fetch coale from Wales, or etc.

Memorandum:--about 1665 he presented to the Royall Societie a discourse of his (in manuscript, of about a quire of paper) of building of shippes, which the lord Brounker (then president) tooke away, and still keepes, saying, ''Twas too great an arcanum of state to be commonly perused'; but Sir William told me that Dr. Robert Wood, M.D., aforesayd, has a copie of it, which he himselfe haz not: quaere Dr. Wood for it.

Sir William Petty died at his house in Peccadilly-street (almost opposite to St. James church[655],) on Fryday, 16th day of December, 1687, of a gangrene in his foot, occasioned by the swelling of the gowt, and is buried with his father and mother in the church at Rumsey in Hampshire. ☞ See his will.

My lady Petty was created baronnesse of Shelburn in Ireland, and her eldest sonne baron of the same, a little before the comeing-in of the Prince of Orange.

[656]Sir William Petty had a brother ..., like him, who dyed sine prole: he has his picture.--Quaere if I have mentioned Nan Green[657] out of the printed narrative?

[658]His picture by Fuller in his Dr. of M<edicine> gowne, a skull in his hand; then a spare man; <with a> little band; Veslingius' Anatomie by him. 'Twas he (Sir William) that putt Fuller to drawe the muscles as at Oxon gallery[659].

[660]Quaere nomen of the knight his antagonist, Sir ... ...? Resp.--'Twas Sir Hierome Sanchy that was his antagonist: against whom he wrote the 8vo booke, about 1662. He was one of Oliver's knights, a commander and preacher and no conjuror. He challenged Sir William to fight with him. Sir William being the challengee named the place, a darke cellar, the weapon, carpenter's great axe; so by this expedient Sir William (who is short-sighted) would be at an equall tourney with this douty knight.

[661]Sir W. Petty was a Rota man, and troubled Mr. James Harrington with his arithmeticall proportions, reducing politie to numbers.

[662]Sir W. P. 18 March <1675/6> correpted by the Lord Chancellor when the patent was to be sealed, which he would not seale. Monday, 20th, he was affronted by Mr. Vernon; Tuesday, he hectored him.

[663]Sir William Petty scripsit _A Politicall Anatomie of Ireland_. He assured me by letter from Dublyn, July 12, 1681:--'I am not forward to print this Politicall Arithmetique but doe wish that what goeth abroad were compared with the copie in Sir Robert Southwell's hand, which I corrected in March 1679.' He told me some yeares since, before the copie was dedicated to the Royal Societie, that 'the doeing of it would cost 50,000 _li._, but Ireland will be donne.'

[664]Sir William Pety--his eldest sonne is baron of Shelbrooke in Ireland; and his lady (widow) is baroness by patent from king James the 2ᵈ, anno 1688.

[665]In the _Paris Gazette_ about January, 1687/8, 'Monsieur Coussin travaille pour faire éloge de Sir W. Petty which will be inserted in the _Journal de Scavans_'--which see.

[666]Sir William Petty had a boy that whistled incomparably well. He after wayted on a lady, a widowe, of good fortune. Every night this boy was to whistle his lady asleepe. At last shee ... marries him.... This is certeyn true;--from himselfe and Mrs. Grant[667].

=Fabian Philips= (1601-1690).

[668]Fabian Philips[AR]--from himselfe, 1682--borne hard by Prestbury in Gloucestershire, anno Domini 1601, in September, on Michelmas-Eve. His mother's name was Bagehott (an heire to a younger brother); his father was Andrew Philips, of an ancient familie in Herefordshire, seaven descents, who sold 600 _li._ per annum in Herefordshire, in Leominster; some of it his sonne Fabian (of whom I write) bought again. He was of the Middle Temple, London; a filizer of London, Middlesex, Cambridgeshire, and Huntingdonshire. Of great assiduity, and reading, and a great lover of antiquities. He haz a great memorie, which holds still well now in his 80th yeare. He told me St. Austin wrote at 90; judge Coke at 84; and bishop Hall, of Norwych, at 8-. His house is over against the middle of Lincoln's Inne garden, in Chancery Lane. Two dayes before king Charles 1st was beheaded, he wrote a 'protestation against the intended murther of the king,' and printed it, and caused it to be putt upon the posts. When all the courts in Westminster-hall were voted-downe by Barebones Parliament, he wrote a booke to justifie the right use of them, and Lenthall (the speaker) and the Keepers of the Libertie did send him thanks for saveing of the courts.

_Scripsit:_

... ...

[669]M.S. Fabiani Philipps, armigeri, Medii Templi socii, qui quosdam perfidos et ingratos nimium amando seipsum non (uti potuit) amavit, curis librisque consenuit, aliorum totus vix suus, tandem per varios vitae vortices et aerumnarum anfractus ad amoris et lucis aeternitates coeli sedesque beatissimas transmigravit ... die ... aerae Christianae millessimo sexcentessimo ... cum ... soles vixisset.

Qui vero fidus veri Fabianus amator Decumbens requiem morte Philippus agit.

<_Catalogue of his writings._>

[670]1. King Charles the First no man of blood, but a martyr for his people.

2. The antient legall fundamentall and necessary rights of courts of justice in their writs of capias arrests and proces of outlawry against peremptory summons and citations: printed 1676.

3. The reforming registry, against publick registries; printed 1678.

4. Reasons for the continuance of the writs of capias and proces of arrest against peremptory summons, etc.: printed 1675.

5. A view of the chancery.

6. The pretended perspective glasse.

7. Tuenda non tollenda.

8. Ligeancia lugens.

9. The antiquity of fines and amerciaments.

10. The mistaken recompence.

11. Restauranda.

12. Monenda.

13. Ursa major et minor.

14. Investigatio jurium et antiquorum et rationalium regni etc.: printed 1687.

15. Legale necessarium: about estreateing and leavying fines and amercements and other profits of the king's casuall revenues.

Tristia diffugiunt, paupertas, cura, labores, Quae tulit ingratis gratior urna tulit. O miseris miserans, Jesus, miserere Philippo; Defesso Fabian sanguine parta tuo, Sanguine parta tuo, da gaudia luce perenni, Gaudia coelicolis morte parata tua.

Oh ens entium, deus misericordiarum, amator animarum, spes viventium et mortuorum, miserere mei et posterorum.

He dyed the 17th of November 1690, and lies buried by his wife at Twyford, a little church neer Acton in Middlesex, in the southwest part of the church at the lower end of the church.

His sonne will not be at the chardge to sett this up for his father. But I have spoken to his good daughter to sett his name and obiit. His workes will praise him in the gates[671].

--From his eldest sonne, who succeeds him in his place of filazer.

[672]Old Fabian Philips has told me severall times that it hath cost him 800 _li._ in taking paines searching and writing to assert the king's prerogative and never gott a groate. Only, when the regulation of the lawe was, he was made one of the commissioners, which was worth 200 _li._ per annum--I thinke it lasted two yeares.

_Note._

FOOTNOTES:

[AR] Aubrey gives in trick the coat: 'azure, a fess between 3 falcons argent.' This life is later than the others in MS. Aubr. 6, being written on a page originally set aside for 'Mr. John Milton.' Letters of F. Philips to A. Wood are found in MS. Wood F. 39, fol. 64, 65.

=John Philips= (1631-1706).

[673]Mr. Philips, author of _Montelion_[674] and _Don Juan Lamberto_[675], is very happy at jiggish poetrey.

_Montelion_ is happy for a jiggish phancy and gypsies and ballads.

=Katherine Philips= (1631/2-1664).

[676]_Orinda_--From Mr. J. Oxenbridge, her uncle (now prisoner in the Fleet on her account for a dept of her husband, scil. bound for him 28 yeares since), and lady Montagu.

Mris[677] Katharine Fowler was the daughter of John Fowler of London, merchant (an eminent merchant in Bucklersbury), and Katherine Oxenbridge, daughter of ... Oxenbridg, M.D., President of the Physicians' College--quaere de hoc in <the London> Dispens<atory>.

She was ... christned in Woollchurch. If alive now (July 1681), she might be 48 or 49; vide register[678].

[679]Katharine, the daughter of John Fowler and Katharine his wife, was baptized January 11, 1631, as per the register booke of St. Mary Woole-church appeareth.

I say,

Robert Watkins, churchwarden.

[680]She went to schoole at Hackney to Mris Salmon, a famous schoolmistris, Presbyterian, <John> Ball's catechism[681]. _Amici_[682],--Mris Mary Aubrey and Mris ... Harvey since, lady (Sir ...) Deering. Loved poetrey at schoole, and made verses there. She takes after her grandmother Oxenbridge, her grandmother, who was an acquaintance of Mr. Francis Quarles, being much inclined to poetrie herselfe.

Maried to James Philips of the Priorie at Cardigan, esq., about 1647 (scil. the yeare after the army was at Putney), by whom she had one sonne, dead (in her booke), and one daughter married to Mr. Wgan of ..., in some degree like her mother.

She was very religiously devoted when she was young[683]; prayed by herself an hower together, and tooke sermons _verbatim_ when she was but 10 yeares old.

She died of the small pox in Fleet Street. Shee lies buried at St. Benet-Sherehog at the end of Syth's lane in London.

_Ex registro istius ecclesiae_:--'Mris Katherine Philippes, the wife of James Philippes, was buried the 23 of June 1664 in the north ayle under the great stone with the brasen monyment'--the brasse is now lost.

She was when a child much against the bishops, and prayd to God to take them to him, but afterwards was reconciled to them. Prayed aloud, as the hypocriticall fashion then was, and was overheared--vide [=a] of T<homas> H<obbes> Civill Warres and Satyre against Hypocrites.

My cozen Montague <told me that she had a> read pumpled face; wrote out verses in innes, or mottos in windowes, in her table-booke.

[684]Memorandum:--_La Solitude_ de St. Amant was englished by Mris Katherine Philips. 'Tis 20 stanzas--I thinke not yet printed--I had them from Elizabeth, the countesse of Thanet, 1672.

Quaere what shee wrote?

_Poemes._

_Pompey_--tragedy.

She went into Ireland (after her mariage) with the lady Dungannon (whom she calles _Lucatia_); and at Dublin she wrote Pompey.

Her husband had a good estate, but bought Crowne landes; he mortgaged, etc. His brother Hector tooke off the mortgages and haz the lands.

From her cosen Blacket, who lived with her from her swadling cloutes to eight, and taught her to read:--She informes me viz.--when a child she was mighty apt to learne, and she assures me that she had read the Bible thorough before she was full four yeares old; she could have sayd I know not how many places of Scripture and chapters. She was a frequent hearer of sermons; had an excellent memory and could have brought away a sermon in her memory. Very good-natured; not at all high-minded; pretty fatt; not tall; reddish faced.

Quaere my cosen Montagu[685] when she began to make verses.--Quaere how many children she had.--Quaere her coat of arms, and her husband's.

Major-Generall Skippen[686] was her mother's third husband.

'She[687] lies interred under a gravestone with her father and grandfather and grandmother, just opposite to the dore of the new churchyard, about 3 yards distant'--quaere if from the doore or the opposite wal; and quaere if any inscription on her relations on the said stone.

She had only one daughter ... who is maried to ... Wgan esq. of Pembrokeshire or Caermarthenshire--quaere iterum her uncle Oxenbridge.

=Thomas Pigot= (1657-1686).

[688]Mr. Thomas Pigot was borne at Brindle, in Lancashire, about eleven a clock at night (sed quaere his brother Henry + de hoc)--from Mr. Pond.

[689]I have got Mr. Pigot's birth, as to the month and howre from his kinswoman who was at his mother's labour and recieved him in her lapp. If you are acquainted with his brother, desire him to give you the anno Domini.

[690]Mr. Thomas Pigot, M.A. Coll. Wadh., my worthy friend, obiit August 14, A.D. 1686, of a feaver, about one a clock in the afternoon.

He was fellow of Wadham College and chaplain in ordinary to the earle of Ossory, at whose house in St. James' Square he deceased. He was buried in St. James's church by St. James's fields, Sunday the 15th, in the middle aisle between the pulpit and the railes of the communion-table of the north side of this aisle, in the grave of Mr. Rigby, the first rector[691] here, upon whose coffin he lies. His head lies under 14.

His brother haz a MS. of musick written by him, a little 4to.

Quaere for his decyphering the inscription on Sir Thomas More's family-picture at Bessills-Leigh. Memorandum--this decyphering gives great light to the antiquitie of the family which els would be lost utterly.

He haz some pieces of _opus tessellatum_ found at or near Badmanton (the duke of Beauford's) not long before his death.

=Thomas Pittis= (1636-1687).

[692]Dr. Thomas Pittis, rector of St. Botolph's Bishopsgate, died Wednesday in Christmas weeke in December 1687. He was buryed in the Isle of Wight at the west Cowes.

He haz a sonne of the same College[693] in Oxford that he was of.

=Sir William Platers.=

[694]Sir William Plater[695], knight, was a Cambridgeshire gentleman at.... He had a good estate (about 3000 _li. per annum_). He was a very well bred gentleman, as most was of those times; had travelled France, Italie, etc., and understood well those languages. He was one of the Long Parliament in the time of the late warres.

He was a great admirer and lover of handsome woemen, and kept severall. Henry Martyn and he were great cronies, but one time (about 1644) there was some difference between them--Sir William had gott away one of Henry's girles, and Sir John Berkinhead inserted in his _Mercurius Aulicus_ how the saintes fell out. He was temperate and thriftie as to all other things.

He had onely one sonne, who was handsome and ingeniose, and whome he cultivated with all imaginable care and education[696].... He allowed his son liberally but enjoyned him still temperance, and to sett downe his expences[697]....

The father was a good linguist and a good antiquary. This beloved sonne of his dyeing ..., shortned his father's dayes. He built the triumphall-like arch wheron the king's armes is in the partition between church and chancell at St. Margaret's Westminster, under which he lies buried. The following inscription is on the arch[AS], viz....

[698]Sir William Platers[AT], knight and baronet; about 5000 _li._ per annum. His sonne very ingeniose, and made a very good returne of his education. He was a colonel in the king's army and was killed in his service, which his father tooke so to heart that he enjoyed not himselfe afterwards.

Henry Martyn, his crony, invited him to a treat, where Sir William fell in love with one of his misses and slockst her away--which Sir J<ohn> B<irkenhead> putt in the _Mercurius Aulicus_.

In St. Margaret's Westminster he erected a monument against the south wall for Mr. James Palmer[AU], B.D., sequestred minister of St. Bride's London. He (Mr Palmer) was a very pious good man, and a benefactor to his native parish here, where he built an almes-howse; obiit 1659; and this monument was erected at the sole chardge of Sir William Platers, knight and baronet--sett downe so there.

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[AS] Aubrey notes the inscription in MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 29:--'St. Margaret's Westminster.

[Illustration: C.R.] Erected at the charge of Sir William Platers, Knight and Baronet, anno 1662.'

To which he adds the note:--

'Hee departed this life the 19th of Aprill anno 1668--idem[699], east side.'

Here Anthony Wood makes the query:--

'Who doe you meane by this person that died 1668?' And Aubrey answers:--

'Sir William Platers. I doe not enter him here as a worthie, but he does _implere locum_. He was a merry man in the raigne of the Saints. _Mercurius Aulicus_ made a good sport with him and Henry Martin.'

[AT] Aubrey gives in trick the coat: 'bendy wavy of six argent and azure'; but leaves blank the coat it impales.

[AU] James Palmer, B.A., of Magd. Coll., Cambr., 1601/2; B.D. 1613; vicar of St. Bride's, Fleet Street, 1616-45.

=Sir Thomas Pope= (1508-1559).

[700]Sir Thomas Pope, founder of Trinity College, Oxon, bought church-lands without money. His way was this. He contracted, and then presently sold long leases, for which he had great fines and but a small rent. These leases were out in the reigne of King James the first, and then the estate was worth 8000 pounds per annum. He could have rode in his owne lands from Cogges (by Witney) to Banbury, about 18 miles.

[701]I have a curious MSS. manuall of Sir Thomas Pope, which if I thought would be chained in Trinity College library, I would dedicate it there, but I know not how magistracy, etc., have altered somebody[702].

=Sir John Popham= (1531-1607).

[703]Sir John Popham[AV], Lord Chiefe Justice of the King's Bench, was the ... son of ... Popham, of ... in the countie of Somerset.

He was of the Societie of ... and for severall <years> addicted himselfe but little to the studie of the lawes, but profligate company, and was wont to tak a purse with them. His wife considered her and his condition, and at last prevailed with him to lead another life, and to stick to the studie of the lawe: which, upon her importunity, he did, being then about thirtie yeares old. <He> spake to his wife to provide a very good entertainment for his camerades to take his leave of them; and after that day fell extremely hard to his studie, and profited exceedingly. He was a strong, stout man, and could endure to sit at it day and night[LIX.]; became eminent in his calling, had good practise; called to be a Serjeant <1578>, a Judge <1592>: vide _Origines Juridiciales_.

[LIX.] The picture of a common law(y)er:--He must have 'an iron head, a brazen face, and a leaden breech.'

Sir ... (John, I think) Dayrell, of Littlecote, in com. Wilts, having gott his ladie's waiting woman with child, when her travell came, sent a servant with a horse for a midwife, whom he was to bring hood-winked. She was brought, and layd the woman, but as soon as the child was borne, she sawe the knight take the child and murther it, and burnt it in the fire in the chamber. She having donne her businesse was extraordinarily rewarded for her paines, and sent blinfold away. This horrid action did much run in her mind, and she had a desire to discover it, but knew not where 'twas. She considerd with herselfe the time that she was riding, and how many miles might be rode at that rate in that time, and that it must be some great person's house, for the roome was 12 foot high; and she could know the chamber if she sawe it. She went to a Justice of Peace, and search was made. The very chamber found. The knight was brought to his tryall; and to be short, this judge had this noble howse, parke, and mannor, and (I thinke) more, for a bribe to save his life[LX.].

[LX.] Sir John Popham gave sentence according to lawe; but being a great person and a favourite, he[704] procured a _noli prosequi_.

I have seen his picture; he was a huge, heavie, ugly man. He left a vast estate to his son, Sir Francis (I thinke ten thousand pounds, per annum); he lived[705] like a hog, but his sonne John was a great waster, and dyed in his father's time.

He[706] was the greatest howse-keeper in England; would have at Littlecote 4 or 5 or more lords at a time. His wife (Harvey) was worth to him, I thinke, 60000 _li._, and she was as vaine as he, and she sayd that she had brought such an estate, and she scorned but she would live as high as he did; and in her husband's absence would have all the woemen of the countrey thither, and feast them, and make them drunke, as she would be herselfe. They both dyed by excesse; and by luxury and cosonage by their servants, when he dyed, there was, I thinke, a hundred thousand pound debt.

Old Sir Francis, he lived like a hog, at Hownstret in Somerset, all this while with a moderate pittance.

Mr. John would say that his wive's estate was ill gott, and that was the reason they prospered no better; she would say that the old judge gott the estate unjustly, and thus they would twitt one another, and that with matter of trueth.

I remember this epitaph was made on Mr. John Popham:--

Here lies he, who, not long since, Kept a table like a prince, Till Death came, and tooke away. Then ask't the old man, What's to pay?

[707]Memorandum:--at the hall in Wellington[AW] in the countie of Somerset (the ancient seate of the Pophams), and which was this Sir John's, Lord Chiefe Justice, (but quaere if he did not buy it?) did hang iron shackells, of which the tradicion of the countrey is that, long agoe, one of the Pophams (lord of this place) was taken and kept a slave by the Turkes for a good while, and that by his ladie's great pietie, and continuall prayers, he was brought to this place by an invisible power, with these shackells on his legges, which were here hung up as a memoriall, and continued till the house (being a garrison) was burn't. All the countrey people steadfastly beleeve the trueth hereof.

[708]Lord Chief Justice Popham first brought in (i.e. revived) brick building in London (scil. after Lincolne's Inne and St. James's); and first sett-afoote the Plantations,--e.g. Virginia (from Fabian Philips)--which he stockt or planted out of all the gaoles of England.

_Notes._

FOOTNOTES:

[AV] Aubrey gives in trick the coat: 'argent, on a chief gules 2 bucks' heads caboshed or, a crescent for difference.'

[AW] MS. Wood F. 49, fol. 139, has a note which Wood describes to be by 'Francis Snow, of Merton College,' viz. '"Sir John Popham, Lord Chiefe Justice of England, Privy Councellor of Queen Elizabeth and King James, aged 76, died 10 of June 1607": at Wellington in Somerset, this cost me a shilling.' Wood notes that the words are 'on his monument: which is all written thereon, and therefore print it.'

=Samuel Pordage= (1633-1691?).

[709]Samuel Pordage I knew very well. He was head-steward of the lands to the right honourable Philip, earl of Pembroke.

His father was called Dr. Pordage, a physitian and astrologer; I know not whether he was rector. His picture was graved three or four yeares since, I thinke 'tis before a book.

The son (Samuel), a civil courteous person, and a handsome man; gave me (1660) his translation of Seneca's _Troas_ in English; and I think he hath printed something since.

=Francis Potter= (1594-1678).

[710]Mr. Francis Potter's father[711] was one of the benefactors to the organ at the cathedrall church at Worcester, and there amongst others is this coate--'..., a chevron between 3 flower-vases ...' [Potter].

[712]Francis Potter, B.D., borne at Mere, a little market-towne in Wilts, 'upon Trinity-Sunday-eve 1594, in the evening.'--'Anno Domini 1625, December 10ᵗʰ, horâ decimâ, inventum est mysterium Bestiae' as he went up the staire to his chamber (which was at his brother's, scil. the great roome that nowe is added to the President's lodgeing).

[713]'A.D. 1625, December 10ᵗʰ, hora decima inventum est Mysterium Bestiæ'--these words I found wrote in his Greeke Testament. He told me the notion came into his mind as he was goeing up staires into his chamber at Trin. Coll. which was the senior fellowe's chamber then (he lay with his brother, Dr. Hannibal Potter): this chamber is now united to the President's lodgeings.

[714]Francis Potter, B.D.: Anthony Ettrick adviseth me to write

'To the worthy successor of Mr. Potter at Kilmington,'

and it will oblige the said rector to speed an answer, and also an account of the picture of Sir Thomas Pope--No answer! Quaere my brother Tom who is successor; and quaere and vide register and place of buriall.

[715]Mr. Francis Potter, B.D., was borne at the [vicaridge[716]] house at Mere in the county of Wiltes, anno Domini [1594, upon Trinity Sunday eve, in the evening].

His father was minister there, and also of Kilmanton in com. Somerset about 3 miles distant, and was also a prebendary of the Cathedrall Church of Worcester. He had three sonnes, Hannibal, Francis, and.... His wife's name was Horsey, of the worshipfull and ancient family of the Horseys of Clifton in com. Dorset.

He was taught his grammar learnings by Mr. <Henry> Bright (the famous school master of those times) of the schoole at Worcester.

Anno ætatis <15> (vide A. Wood's _Antiq. Oxon._) he went to Trinity Colledge in Oxon, where his father (who was an Oxfordshire man borne) had been a fellowe. His brother Hannibal was his tutor. Here he was a commoner twenty-seaven yeares, and was senior to all the house but Dr. Kettle and his brother.

His genius lay most of all to the mechanicks; he had an admirable mechanicall invention, but in that darke time wanted encouragement, and when his father dyed (which was about 1637) he succeeded him in the parsonage of Kilmanton, worth, per annum, about 140_li._ He was from a boy given to draweing and painting. The founder's (Sir Thomas Pope's) picture in Trinity Colledge hall is of his copying. He had excellent notions for the raysing of water; I have heard him say, that he could rayse the water at Worcester with lesse trouble, i.e. fewer ..., then there are; and that he had never seen a water-house engine, but that he could invent[717] a better. Kilmanton is on a high hill, and the parsonage-well is extraordinary deepe. There is the most ingeniose and usefull buckett-well, that ever I sawe. Now, whereas some deepe wells have wheeles for men or doggs to go within them, here is a wheele of ... foot diameter, with steps (like stayres) to walke on as if you were goeing up staires, and an ordinary bodye's[718] weight drawes-up a great bucket, which holdes a barrell, and the two bucketts are contrived so that their ropes alwaies are perpendicular and consequently parallell, and so never interfere with one another. Now, this vast buckett would be to combersome to overturne to power out the water; and therefore, he contrived a board with lifts about the sides, like a trough, to slide under the bucket, when 'tis drawne up; and at the bottom of the buckett is a plug, the weight of the water jogging upon the sliding trough, the water powres out into the trough, and from thence runnes into your paile, or other vessell. 'Tis extremely well worth the seeing. I have[719] taken heretofore a draught of it. I have heard him say that he would have undertaken to have brought up the water from the springs at the bottom of the hill to the towne of Shaftesbury, which is on a waterles hill.

Anno Domini 16<25> (see[720]