I have heard some divines say (I know not if maliciously) that 'twas true he was a man of great reading, but gave not his owne sentiment.

He would write sometimes, when notions came into his head, to preserve them, under his barber's hands. When he dyed his barber sayd he had a great mind to know his will," For," sayd he, "I never knew a wise man make a wise will." He bequeathed his estate (40000lib. value) to four executors, viz. Ld Chiefe Justice Hales, Lord Ch. Justice Vaughan, Rowland Jukes, and . . . . . . his flatterer.*

He was wont to say, I'le keepe myselfe warme and moyst as long as I live, for I shall be cold and dry when I am dead.

MR. WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR

Was borne at Stratford upon Avon, in the county of Warwick; his father was a butcher, and I have been told heretofore by some of the neighbours, that when he was a boy he exercised his father's trade, but when he kill'd a calfe he would doe it in a high style, and make a speech. There was at that time another butcher's son in this towne that was held not at all inferior to him for a naturall witt, his acquaintance and coetanean, but dyed young. This W being in

*From Fab. Philips.

clined naturally to poetry and acting, came to London, I guesse, about 18, and was an actor at one of the Play-houses, and did act exceedingly well.

Now B. Jonson was never a good actor, but an excellent instructor. He began early to make Essayes at Dramatique Poetry, which at that time was very lowe, and his playes tooke well. He was a handsome well shap't man, very good company, and of a very readie and pleasant smooth witt. The humour of . . . . . the constable, in A Midsummer Night's Dreame, he happened to take at Grendon,* in Bucks, which is the roade from London to Stratford, and there was living that constable about 1642, when I first came to Oxon. Mr. Jos. Howe is of that parish, and knew him. Ben Jonson and he did gather humours of men dayly wherever they came. One time as he was at the tavern, at Stratford upon Avon, one Combes, an old rich usurer, was to be buryed, he makes there this extemporary epitaph,

Ten in the Hundred the Devill allowes,

But Combes will have twelve, he sweares and

vowes:

If any one askes who lies in this Tombe, Hoh!" quoth the Devill, " "Tis my John o Combe."

* I thinke it was Midsummer night that he happened to lye there.

He was wont to goe to his native country once a yeare. I thinke I have been told that he left 2 or 300lib. per annum there and thereabout to a sister. I have heard Sir Wm. Davenant and Mr. Thomas Shadwell (who is counted the best comedian we have now) say, that he had a most prodigious witt, and did admire his naturall parts beyond all other dramaticall writers. He was wont to say, that he never blotted out a line in his life; sayd Ben Jonson, "I wish he had blotted out a thousand." His comœdies will remaine witt as long as the English tongue is understood for that he handles mores hominum; now our present writers reflect so much upon particular persons and coxcombeities, that twenty yeares hence they will not be understood.

Though, as Ben Jonson sayes of him, that he had but little Latine and lesse Greek, he understood Latine pretty well, for he had been in his younger yeares a schoolmaster in the country.*

SIR HENRY SPELMAN, KNIGHT.

When he was about 10 or 12 he went to schoole to a curst schoolmaster, to whom he had an antipathie. His master would discountenance

* From Mr. Beeston.

him, and was very severe to him, and to a dull boy he would say, As very a dunce as H. Spelman. He was a boy of great spirit, and would not learne there. He was (upon his importunity) sent to another schoolmaster, and profited very well.

I have heard his grandson say, that the Spelmans' witts open late. He was much perplexed with lawe-suites and worldly troubles, so that he was about 40 before he could settle himselfe to make any great progresse in learning, which when he did, we find what great monuments of antiquarian knowledge he hath left to the world. W. Laud, A. B. Cant. had a great esteeme for him, and made him one of the . . . . of the High Com. Court, yet (he being one that was extreme rigid as to the licensing of bookes, and against any noveltie) hindred the printing of the 2d part of his Glossary, which began at M, where there were three M's that scandalized the Archbishop -Magna Charta; Magnum Consilium Regis; and . . .

He was a handsome gentleman (as appeares by his picture in Bibliotheca Cottoniana), strong and valiant, and wore alwayes his sword, till he was about 70 or more, when finding his legges to faulter through feebleness as he was walking, "Now," said he, "'tis time to leave off my sword,"

When his daughter-in-lawe (Sir Jo.'s wife) returned home from visiting her neighbours, he

would alwaics ask her what of antiquity she had heard or observed, and if she brought home no such account, he would chide her (jestingly).

He lies buried in the South crosse-aisle of Westminster abbey, at the foot of the pillar opposite to Mr. Camden's monument, but without any word of inscription or monument hitherto (1680). I very well remember his penon that hung up there, but it was either taken downe or fell downe when the scaffolds were putt up at the coronation of his matie K. Ch. II. Sir William Dugdale knew Sir Henry Spelman, and sayes he was as tall as his grandson, Harry Spelman. He has been told that Sir Henry did not understand Latin perfectly till he was fourty years old. He said to Sir William, "We are beholden to Mr. Speed and Stowe for stitching up for us our English History." It seemes they were both taylers.

MR. EDMUND SPENSER

Was of Pembrooke-hall, in Cambridge, he misst the fellowship there, which Bishop Andrewes gott. He was an acquaintance and frequenter of Sir Erasmus Dreyden. His mistress, Rosalind, was a kinswoman of Sir Erasmus's Lady. The chamber there at Sir Erasmus's is still called Mr. Spenser's chamber. Lately, at