of the royalists who fo obftinately defended Colchester, and who died for their defence of it. This brave man, having tenderly embraced the corpfe of Sir Charles Lucas, his departed friend, immediately prefented himself to the foldiers, who were ready for his execution. Thinking that they ftood at too great a distance, he defired them to come nearer: one of them said, "I warrant you, Sir, we fhall hit "you." He replied, with a fmile, "Friends, I have been nearer you, when you have miffed « me. Executed, August 1648. 28, PHILEMON HOLLAND, M. D. PHILEN HILEMOND Holland, commonly called the "Tranfla. tor General of his age," was educated in the univerfity of Cambridge. He was, for many years, a fchool-mafter at Coventry, where he practifed phyfic. He tranflated Livy, Pliny's Natural Hiftory, "Plutarch's Morals, Suetonius, "Ammianus, Marcellinus, Xeno"phon's Cyropædia, and Camden's "Britannia," into English; and the geographical part of Speed's "Theatre of Great Britain," into Latin. The "Britannia," to which he made many useful additions, was the most valuable of his works. It is furprifing that a man of two profeffions could find time to tranflate fo much; but it appears from the date of the "Cyropædia," that he continued to tranflate till he was 80 years of age. Ob. 1636, Et. 85. He made the following epigram, upon writing a large folio with a fingle pen: 1 JOHN GREAVES. and antiquary was mafter, in HIS eminent mathematician a high degree, of the natural and acquired qualifications which were neceffary ro extend those branches of fcience to which he applied himfelf. He was educated at Balioi college, in Oxford, from which he removed to Merton. He was afterwards, on the foot of his great merit, chofen geometry profeffor of Gresham college. His ardent thirst of knowledge foon carried him into feveral parts of Europe, where he eagerly feized every opportunity of improving it. His next voyage was into the eastern countries; where nothing remarkable in the heavens, earth, or even fubterraneous places, feem to have escaped his nice obfervation. He, with indefatigable industry, and even at the peril of his life, collected a confiderable number of Arabic, Perfic, and Greek manufcripts, for archbishop Laud. Of thefe he well knew the value, as he was a mafter of the languages in which they were written. He alfo collected for that prelate many oriental gems and coins. He took a more accurate furvey of the pyramids than any traveller who went before him. On his return from the eaft, he vifited feveral parts of Italy a fecond time. During his ftay at Rome, he made a particular enquiry into the true ftate of the ancient weights and art; as he tells us, that "he prayed "for feveral weeks to thofe angels "who were thought and believed "by wife men to teach and inftruct and measures. Soon after he had finished his fecond voyage, he was chofen Savilian profeffor of aftronomy at Oxford. He was eminently qualified for this profeffor-" in all the feveral liberal feifhip, as the works of ancient and modern aftronomers were familiar to him. His books relating to oriental learning, his "Pyrami"dographia, or a Defcription of "the Pyramids in Egypt," his "Epocha Celebriores," and other curious and ufeful pieces, of which Mr. Ward has given us a catalogue, fhew him to have been a great man. Thofe which he in tended to publish would have fhewn him to be a greater; but he was ftopped in his great career by death, the 8th of October, 1652, in the 50th year of his age. "ences*." In 1647, he finished his book, called "Chriftian Aftrology;" but has not any where fignified that the angels lent him their affiftance in that work; nor does it appear that there is any thing in it more than the author himself was well able to perform t. It is very certain that he regarded judicial aftrology as a Science, and it is no lefs certain that he prostituted his pen to the political purpofes of the parliament, and of Oliver Cromwell Aftrological predictions and prophecies were perfectly fuited to the enthufiafm of thefe times; and Lilly well knew how to apply them to the hopes and fears of the populace. He was frequently ambiguous and oracular, and fometimes amufed the people with hieroglyphics; many of which, as we are told by Mr. Aubrey, he ftole from an old monkish manufcript. Moore, the almanack-maker, has ftolen feveral from him; and there is no doubt but fome future almanack-maker will fteal them from Moore. Ob. 9 June, 1681. Lilly's Almanack, which maintained its reputation for a long courfe of years, feems to have been one of thofe books which were thought necefary for all families. I can easily imagine that the author fcarce E He fays, that "the angels very rarely fpeak to any operator or mafter; and when they do fpeak, it is like the Irifh, much in the throat." Lilly's p. 88, laft edit. 66 Life," by himself, + There is before this book a good head of the author, by Marshall. "When Cromwell was in Scotland, a foldier food with Lilly's (Merlinus) Anglicus in his hand, and faid, as the feveral troops paffed by him, "Lo! hear "what Lilly faith, you are promised victory, fight it out, brave boys; and then read "that month's prediction."" Life," p. 83. fcarce ever went into the houfe of a mechanic where he did not fee it lying upon the fame fhelf with The Practice of Piety," and the "Whole Duty of Man.' John Cafe, a native of Lime Regis in Dorfetthire, was many years a noted practitioner in phyfic and aftrology. He was looked upon as the fucceffor of the famous Lilly, whofe magical utenfils he poffeffed. refpectable. Others, who looked upon their art as forcery, regarded them with horror and deteftation. The white witches were commonly thought to be mafters of the black art; but were supposed to have too much probity to put it in practice. Thefe he would sometimes expofe J in derifion to his intimate friends; and particularly the dark cham"the dark cham"ber and pictures, whereby Lilly "ufed to impofe upon people, un"der pretence of fhewing them perfons who were abfent." The doctor is faid to have got more by this diftich than Dryden did by all his works: "Within this place "Lives doctor Cafe." He was, doubtlefs, very well paid for compofing that which he affixed to his pill-boxes: "Here's fourteen pills for thir- Enough in any man's own I think he was living in the reign of Anne. con JOHN HEYDON, Aftrologer. [OHN Heydon, who fometimes affumed the name of Eugenius Theodidactus, was a great pretender to fkill in the Roficrufian philofophy and the celeftial fciences. There is fomething truly original in his books; and he appears to have far out-canted all the rest of his brethren. His chemical and aftrological works are numerous: but I fhall pafs over that in which he has made" A Difcovery of the true "Cœlum Terræ," and that which contains "The occult Power of "the Angels of Aftronomy in the "Telefmatical Sculptures of the "Perfians and Egyptians;" and feveral others equally extraordi their titles, namely, "The Engnary; and tranfcribe only two of "lish Phyfician's Guide, or the "Holy Guide; leading the way "to know all things paft, prefent, "and to come; to refolve all man"ner of questions, cure all dif"eafes: leading the way to vir The refpect then paid to aftrologers, by the generality of men of learning, was equal to the tempt they lie under at prefent*.tue, art, and nature; and to Some among the vulgar beheld them with a rude admiration, and thought that an order of men who were familiarly acquainted with the ftars, and privy to the decrees of heaven, were in the highest degree "the golden treasures of nature "by tranfmutation; with the Ro"fie Crofs uncovered, and the places, temples, holy houfes, caftles, and invincible moun"tains of the brethren difcovered " and *The famous Mr. Jofeph Mede fpent much of his time in the study of aftrology; and the most valuable of Lilly's aftrological books belonged to the ex cellent bishop Bedell, whofe Life" was written by Dr. Burnet. See Lilly's Life," p.23, edit. 1715. "and communicated to the world, "for the full fatisfaction of philofophers, alchymists, &c. all in "fix books, with a fmall Chymi"cal Dictionary;" Lond. 1662; 8vo. "Hammeguleh Hampan"neah; or the Rofie Crucian "Crown, fet with feven angels, "feven planets, feven genii, twelve "figns, twelve ideas, fixteen fi66 gures; and their occult powers upon the feven metals, and their "miraculous virtues in medi"cines; with the perfect and full "difcovery of the Pantarva, and "Elixirs of Metals, prepared to "cure Diseases: whereunto is "added Elhauareuna preforio, Regio Lucis et Pfonthon; Lond. 1665; 8vo. The author, who has given us the outlines of his character in the title-pages of his books, was much reforted to by the duke of Buckingham; who, like the godless regent mentioned by Mr. Pope, was much infatuated with judicial aftrology. He employed Heydon to calculate the king's and his own nativity; and was affured that his ftars had promifed him great things. He was alfo employed by the duke in fome treafonable and feditious practices, for which he was fent to the Tower; where he was more honourably lodged than he had ever been be fore. He loft much of his former reputation, by telling Richard Cromwell and Thurloe, who went to him difguifed like cavaliers, that Oliver would infallibly be hanged by a certain time, which he outlived feveral years. He married the widow of Nicholas Culpepper, and fucceeded to much of his bufinefs. philomaths, and well-wishers to the mathematics, were more numerous in this reign than they have been at any other period. There was a large collection of their works in the Harleian Library. JOH JOHN PORDAGE. JOHN Pordage, who is placed by Baxter at the head of the Behmenifts, was fome time preacher of St. Laurence's church in Reading, and afterwards rector of Bradfield in Berkshire. He was a man of much natural enthufiafm; and having over-heated his imagination by reading the works of Jacob Behmen, he, like that vifionary, fancied. himself infpired. He pretended to know divine truth by a clearer light than that of the fcripture, which he confidered as little better than a dead letter. He was accufed by Chriftopher Fowler, a clergyman of Reading, before the commiffioners of Berks, for ejecting minifters, of preaching anti-fcriptural doctrine, of blafphemy, and familiarity with evil fpirits. Much of the hiftory of this ftrange enthufiaft may be feen in Fowler's "Dæmonium Meridianum.” He acknowledges himfelf, in his anfwer to that book, that he had fenfible communion with angels, and that he knew good fpirits from bad by his fight, and even by his fmell. He alfo acknowledges, that his house was, for a month, infefted with evil fpirits; and that he had a vifible conflict with a fiery dragon, which filled a large room; "that phyfiogno. "an impreffion was made in the aftrologers, "brick-wall of his chimney, of a E 2 coach that " fhe was more likely to have "maintained the poft (of protec"tor) than either of her brothers; "according to a faying that went "of her, "That those who wore "breeches deferved petticoats bet"ter; but if thofe in petticoats "had been in breeches, they would "coach drawn with tigers and "lions, which could not be got "out, till it was hewed out with pick-axes and another on his "glafs window, which yet rè"maineth." But thefe fpirits, as he believed, were raifed by one Everard, whom he looked upon as a conjuror. This man, who appeared" have held fafter." After Richard to be a profelyte of Pordage's, was for feveral weeks a fojourner in his family. The character of Pordage may be fummed up in very few words: he was far gone in one of the most incurable kinds of madnefs, the frenzy of enthufiajm. was depofed, who, as the well knew, was never formed for regal power, fhe exerted herself in behalf of Charles II. and is faid to have had a great and fuccefsful hand in his Reftoration. It is very certain that her husband was fent to the Tower by the Committee of Safety, a little before that great event, and that he ftood very high in the king's favour*. Ob. March 14, 1712. * I am very credibly informed that lady Falconberg frequented the established church. When she was in town she went to St. Anne's, Soho; when in the country, to Chifwick. She was a very genteel woman, but pale and fickly. She was known to be very charitable. From the information of a perfon who knew her in the decline of life. See a remarkable paffage concerning her in Dr. Z. Grey's." Examination of Neal's Hiftory of the Puritans," p. 36. + The following quotation is from a manufcript of Mr. Aubrey, in Afhmole's Mufeum: "When he (Monck) wa. prifoner in the tower, his femptrefs, Nan Clarges, "a blacksmith's daughter, was kind to him in a double capacity. It must be remem "bered that he was then in want, and that the aflifted him. Here fhe was got with "child. She was not at all handfome nor cleanly: her mother was one of the five "women barbers, and a woman of ill fame. A ballad was made on her and the other four: the burden of it was, "Did you ever hear the like, "Or ever hear the fame, "Of five women barbers, "That lived in Drury-lane." |