Miscellanies Upon Various Subjects Part 1

Miscellanies upon Various Subjects.

by John Aubrey.

THE LIFE OF JOHN AUBREY.

JOHN AUBREY, the subject of this brief notice, was born at Easton Pierse, (Parish of Kington,) in Wiltshire, on the 12th of March, 1626; and not on the 3rd of November in that year, as stated by some of his biographers. He was the eldest son of Richard Aubrey, Esq. of Burleton, Herefordshire, and Broad Chalk, Wiltshire. Being, according to his own statement, "very weak, and like to dye," he was baptized on the day of his birth, as appears by the Register of Kington. At an early age (1633) he was sent to the Grammar School at Yatton Keynel, and in the following year he was placed under the tuition of Mr.

Robert Latimer, the preceptor of Hobbes, a man then far advanced in years.

On the 2nd of May, 1642, being then sixteen years of age, Aubrey was entered a gentleman commoner of Trinity College, Oxford, where he appears to have applied himself closely to study. He however cherished a strong predilection for English History and Antiquities, which was fostered and encouraged at this time by the appearance of the "Monasticon Anglicanum", to which he contributed a plate of Osney Abbey, an ancient ruin near Oxford, entirely destroyed in the Civil Wars.

On the 16th of April, 1646, Aubrey was admitted a student of the Middle Temple, but the death of his father shortly after, leaving him heir to estates in Wiltshire, Surrey, Herefordshire, Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire, obliged him to relinquish his studies and look to his inheritance, which was involved in several law suits.

Though separated from his a.s.sociates in the University, he appears to have kept up a correspondence with several of them, and among others, Anthony Wood, whom he furnished with much valuable information. Wood made an ungrateful return for this a.s.sistance, and in his Autobiography thus speaks of him:-"An. 1667, John Aubrey of Easton Piers in the parish of Kingston, Saint Michael in Wiltshire, was in Oxon. with Edward Forest, a Bookseller, living against Alls. Coll. to buy books. He then saw lying on the stall Not.i.tiae Academiae Oxoniensis, and asking who the author of that book was? He [Edw.

Forest] answered, the report was that one Mr. Anth. Wood, of Merton College was the author, but was not. Whereupon Mr. Aubrey, a pretender to Antiquities, having been contemporary to A. Wood's elder brother in Trin. Coll. and well acquainted with him, he thought, that he might be as well acquainted with A. W. himself, Whereupon repairing to his lodgings, and telling him who he was, he got into his acquaintance, talked to him about his studies, and offered him what a.s.sistance he could make, in order to the completion of the work that he was in hand with. Mr. Aubrey was then in sparkish garb, came to town with his man and two horses, spent high, and flung out A. W. in all his recknings.

But his estate of 7001i per an. being afterwards sold and he reserving nothing of it to himself, liv'd afterwards in very sorry condition, and at length made shift to rub out by hanging on Edm. Wyld, Esq., living in Blomesbury near London, on James Carle of Abendon, whose first wife was related to him, and on Sr Joh. Aubrey his kinsman, living sometimes in Glamorganshire and sometimes at Borstall near Brill in Bucks. He was a shiftless person, roving and magotie-headed, and sometimes little better than crased. And being exceedingly credulous, would stuff his many letters sent to A. W. with folliries and misinformations, which would sometimes guid him into the paths of errour." This example of bad English, and worse taste, was written after twenty-five years acquaintance! In singular contrast to it, is a letter of Aubrey to Wood, charging him, it is true, with an abuse of confidence and detraction, but urging his complaint in terms which sufficiently evince the kindly and affectionate nature of the writer.

Malone, in his " Historical Account of the English Stage," has done Aubrey justice; and his remarks may properly find a place here. " That the greater part of his (Aubrey's) life was devoted to literary pursuits, is ascertained by the works which he has published, the correspondence which he held with many eminent men, and the collections which he left in ma.n.u.script and which are now reposited in the Ashmolean Museum. Among these collections is a curious account of our English Poets, and many other writers. While Wood was preparing his Athenae Oxonienses, this ma.n.u.script was lent to him, as appears from many queries in his handwriting in the margin; and his account of Milton, with whom Aubrey was intimately acquainted, is (as has been observed by Mr. Warton) literally transcribed from thence." After alluding to the quarrel between Wood and Aubrey, he continues, "But whatever Wood in a peevish humour may have said or thought of Mr.

Aubrey, by whose labours he has highly profited, or however fantastical Aubrey may have been on the subject of chemistry and ghosts, his character for veracity has never been impeached, and as a very diligent Antiquary, his testimony is worthy of attention. Mr.

Toland, who was well acquainted with him, and certainly a better judge of men than Wood, gives this character of him: 'Though he was extremely superst.i.tious, or seemed to be so, yet he was a very honest man, and most accurate in his account of matter of fact. But the facts he knew, not the reflections he made, were what I wanted.'"

Aubrey preserved, amidst all his troubles, an intimacy with the men of Science and Letters of his day, and with them formed the nucleus of the Royal Society. Some of the princ.i.p.al incidents of his life are briefly detailed in the following autobiographical memoranda, ent.i.tled

ACCIDENTS OF JOHN AUBREY.

Born at Easton-Piers, March 1625,6, about sun-rising; very weak and like to Dye, & therefore christned that morning before Prayer. I think I have heard my mother say I had an Ague shortly after I was born.

1629. About three or four years old I had a grievous ague, I can remember it. I got not health till eleven or twelve, but had sickness of Vomiting for 12 hours every fortnight for years, then it came monthly for then quarterly & then half yearly, the last was in June 1642. This sickness nipt my strength in the bud.

1633. At eight years old I had an issue (naturall) in the coronall sutor of my head, which continued running till 21.

1634. October, I had a violent fevor, it was like to have carried me off 'twas the most dangerous sickness that ever I had,

1639. About 1639 or 1643 I had the measills, but that was nothing, I was hardly sick. Monday after Easter week my Uncle's Nag ranne away with me & gave me a very dangerous fall.

1642 May 3. Entered at Trinity College.

1643 April and May, the Small Pox at Oxon; after left that ingeniouse place & for three years led a sad life in the Country.

1646. April - Admitted of the M. Temple, but my fathers sickness and business never permitted me to make any settlement to my study.

1651. About the 16 or 18 of April I saw that incomparable good conditioned gentlewoman Mrs M. Wiseman, with whom at first sight I was in love.

1652. October the 21. my father died.

1655. (I think) June 14. I had a fall at Epsam & brake one of my ribbes, and was afraid it might cause an apostumation.

1656. Sept. 1655 or rather I think 1656 I began my chargeable & tedious lawe Suite on the Entaile in Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire.

This yeare and the last was a strange yeare to me. Several love and lawe suites.

1656 - Decemb {Astrological sign for conjunction} morb.

1657. Novemb 27. obiit Dna Kasker Ryves with whom I was to marry, to my great losse.

1659. March or April like to break my neck in Ely Minster; and the next day, riding a gallop there my horse tumbled over and over, and yet I thank G.o.d no hurt.

1660. July. Aug. I accompanied A. Ettrick into Ireland for a month & returning were like to be shipwrecked at Holyhead but no hurt done.

1661, 1662, 1663. About these yeares I sold my Estate in Herefordshire. Janu. I had the honour to be elected Fellow of the R. S.

1664. June 11 landed at Calais, in August following had a terrible fit of the spleen and piles at Orleans. I returned in October.

1664 or 1665. Munday after Christmas was in danger to be spoiled by my horse; and the same day received laesio in testiculo, which was like to have been fatal. 0. R. Wiseman quod - I believe 1664.

1665. November 1. I made my first address (in an ill hour) to Joane Sumner.

1666. This yeare all my business and affairs ran kim kam, nothing tooke effect, as if I had been under an ill tongue. Treacheries and enmities in abundance against me.

1667. December --- Arrested in Chancery Lane at Mrs Sumner's suite.

Feb. 24 A.M. about 8 or 9 Triall with her at Sarum; Victory and 600 damaged; through devilish opposition against me.

1668. July 6. was arrested by Peter Gale's malicious contrivance the day before I was to go to Winton for my second triall; but it did not r.e.t.a.r.d me above two hours, but did not then go to triall.

1669. March 5 was my triall at Winton from eight to nine. The Judge being exceedingly made against me by my Lady Hungerford but four of the { } appearing and much adoe got the moiety of Sarum: Verdict in 300.

1669 and 1670 I sold all my Estate in Wilts. From 1670 to this very day (I thank G.o.d) I have enjoyed a happy delitescency.

1671. Danger of Arrests.

1677. Latter end of June an impostume brake in my head.

Mdm. St John's night 1673 in danger of being run through with a sword by a young templer at M. Burges' chamber in the M. Temple.

I was in danger of being killed by William Earl of Pembroke then Lord Herbert at the election of Sir William Salkeld for New Sarum. I have been in danger of being drowned twice.

The year that I lay at M. Neve's (for a short time) I was in great danger of being killed by a drunkard in the Street of Grays Inn Gate by a Gentleman whom I never saw before but (Deo gratias) one of his companions hindred his thrust.

[1754 June 11. transcribed from a MS. in M. Aubrey's own handwriting in the possession of Dr. R. Rawlinson.]

These incidents are so curiously narrated, and afford such interesting glimpses of the times to which they refer, that it is to be regretted they exist in so brief a form.

Several of Aubrey's biographers have given a very loose and unsatisfactory account of him, and it was left for Mr. Britton to prepare a more authentic Life of one who had laboured long and zealously to preserve the records of the past. To that gentleman we owe many particulars regarding the close of Aubrey's career; among others, the entry of his burial at Oxford, in the church of St. Mary Magdalene- "1697. John Aubery a stranger was Buryed Jun. 7th."

To Mr. Britton we are also indebted for the fact that Aubrey was never married; the statement that he had been united to Joan Sumner, resting on no surer foundation than the allusion to that lady in the "Accidents" above quoted. He died intestate, and Letters of Administration were granted on the 18th December, 1697, to his surviving brother William. In that license he is described as "late of Broad Chalk in the County of Wilts, Batchelor."

[DEDICATION TO THE FIRST EDITION.]