Scientific Lives E-Book

John Aubrey

• Herausgeber: Hesperus Press Ltd.
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 171

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

This new selection from John Aubrey's enormous work of 17th-century biography, Brief Lives, brings together his writings on contemporary scientists, explorers and men of innovation, including astronomer Edmund Halley, celebrated mapmaker Wenceslaus Hollar, and the architects Christopher Wren and Inigo Jones. Simultaneously quirky, amusing, and informative, these pieces together provide a fascinating portrait of an exciting and inventive age.

Leseprobe

Scientific Lives

John Aubrey

Foreword byRuth Scurr

Hesperus Classics

Published by Hesperides Press Limited

167-169 Great Portland Street, W1W 5PF

www.hesperus.press

This collection is based on ‘Brief Lives’, chiefly of Contemporaries, set down by John Aubrey, between the Years 1669 & 1696, edited by Andrew Clark, first published in 1898

This selection first published by Hesperus Press Limited, 2008

eBook edition first published in 2025

Foreword © Ruth Scurr, 2008

ISBN (paperback): 978-1-84391-169-2

ISBN (eBook): 978-1-84391-336-8

All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not be resold, lent, hired out or otherwise circulated without the express prior consent of the publisher.

Contents

Foreword

Ruth Scurr

Isaac Barrow

1630-77

Robert Boyle

1627-91

Henry Briggs

1556-1630

Thomas Bushell

1594-1674

William Butler

1535-1618

John Dee

1527-1608

Sir Kenelm Digby

1603-65

Thomas Fairfax

1611-71

John Graunt

1620-74

Edmund Halley

1656-1742

Thomas Hariot

1560-1621

William Harvey

1578-1657

Wenceslaus Hollar

1607-77

Robert Hooke

1635-1703

Dr Jaquinto

Inigo Jones

1573-1652

William Lee

?-1610?

Nicholas Mercator

1640-87

Sir Jonas Moore

1617-79

Sir Robert Moray

?-1673

John Ogilby

1600-76

William Oughtred

1574-1660

John Pell

1611-85

Sir William Petty

1632-87

Francis Potter

1594-1678

Sir Walter Raleigh

1552-1618

Thomas Street

1621-89

Ezreel Tong

1621-80

Seth Ward

1617-89

John Wilkins

1614-72

Sir Christopher Wren

1631-1723

Edward Wright

?1558-1615

Notes

Biographical Note

Foreword

Ruth Scurr

On one of the peaceful empty days between Christmas and New Year in 1648, John Aubrey went hunting with some friends in Wiltshire. He had been summoned home from undergraduate studies in Oxford to the county of his birth and upbringing because his father had fallen seriously ill that Christmas Eve. Aubrey adored Wiltshire. As a child he had wandered often on Salisbury Plain and been fascinated by the mysterious megaliths at Stonehenge, but he did not know the countryside further north around Marlborough. It was from here that the hounds set off. The chase was long and led eventually through the village of Avebury, where ‘the sight of those vast stones, of which I had never heard before’, burst upon Aubrey. He reined back his horse and left the hunt to look more closely at the bank and ditch around the strange circles of enormous stones. His mind, from childhood imaginatively involved with the past, immediately began picturing how the great stones had looked ‘in the old time’. He thought the circles must originally have been complete and erected by Druids. Lost to the world, Aubrey suddenly heard the hounds again and hastened off to overtake them at Kennett. But he went back many times to Avebury, once, years later, accompanied by Charles II, who ordered him to dig there for human remains. ‘But I did not doe it’, Aubrey remarked, without apology or explanation. Instead he made meticulous drawings of the historic remains. He was horrified to find they were still being pillaged and the stones broken up for new building material. He campaigned to stop the desecration, and what the world travels to Avebury to see today, is owed largely to Aubrey’s antiquarian instincts.

Aubrey was elected an early fellow of the Royal Society in 1663, where, along with Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, he discussed scientific innovation with eminent men of the age. Aubrey was more modest than most. He offered his theory that Avebury and Stonehenge were Druid temples as a ‘probability’. ‘This Inquiry, I must confess, is gropeing in the Dark: but although I have not brought it into a cleer light yet I can affirm that I have brought it from utter darkness, to a thin Mist, and have gone further in this Essay than anyone before me.’ He was as right as he was wrong: we know now that the stone temples pre-dated the Druids by thousands of years, but, in his time, Aubrey was closer to the truth than anyone, including Inigo Jones, who published his book Stonehenge Restored in 1655. Aubrey remarks: ‘Having compared his scheme with the monument itself, I found he had not dealt fairly.’ Jones argued that the temples were Roman in origin and misrepresented the physical evidence to fit his theory. Such egoism was foreign to Aubrey. Moreover, were it not for his protective passion, future generations might never have had our superior opportunities to understand the mysterious stones.

To posterity, Aubrey is best known as the sociable scurrilous gossip behind Brief Lives (the collection of short biographies he assembled in the last decades of his long life). Aubrey did not publish his Lives before his own death in 1697. Nor did he publish many other manuscripts, among them Monumenta Britannica, Wiltshire Antiquities and Naturall Historie of Wiltshire. All are suffused by the urgent, passionate quest of a collector ever mindful of the fact that ‘Death comes even for stones and names.’ The manuscripts are infernally difficult to work with. Contemporary scholars are now working painstakingly towards definitive editions of Aubrey’s works, which are of enormous interest to historians of antiquarianism, archaeology and science. The current selection is drawn from Andrew Clark’s late nineteenth century edition of Brief Lives, and presents some of the scientific lives that interested Aubrey.

The one book Aubrey did publish in his lifetime was his Miscellanies, a collection of occult phenomena. Eighteenth century readers, priding themselves on their rationalism, often considered this a ‘mad book’. It seemed to fit uneasily with Aubrey’s more respectable scientific interests, and his friendships with sceptical men like Thomas Hobbes and the fellowship of the Royal Society. Magic and astrology interested him always and he went so far as to ascribe the disappointments of his own chaotic life to the unfortunate astrological aspects under which he was born in Wiltshire on 12th March 1626. It should come as no surprise then to find him beginning some of the scientific lives in this volume with a horoscope or nativity: ‘Captain John Graunt (afterwards, major) was born 24th April, half an hour before eight o’clock on a Monday morning, the sign being in the ninth degree of Gemini that day at twelve o’clock, in 1620.’ Aubrey’s life of John Dee mentions letters ‘of chemistry and of magical secrets’ and identifies Dee’s practice of distilling eggshells as the inspiration for Ben Jonson’s play The Alchemist.

In the best book on Aubrey’s ideas, John Aubrey and the Realm of Learning (1975), the historian Michael Hunter argues that there was still no straightforward contrast between mechanist moderns and mystical ancients in Aubrey’s time: in fact, ‘he was typical in deriving scientific and magical theories and explanations from all sorts of old and new sources.’ Once again, Aubrey appears essentially as a collector: one with eclectic and remarkably wide-ranging interests, who understood more sensitively than most the fragility of knowledge. Of William Harvey he writes:

He had made dissections of frogs, toads and a number of other animals, and had curious observations on them, which papers, together with his goods, in his lodgings at Whitehall, were plundered at the beginning of the Rebellion, he being for the king, and with him at Oxford; but he often said, that of all the losses he sustained, no grief was so crucifying to him as the loss of these papers, which for love or money he could never retrieve or obtain.

No one could have felt Harvey’s loss as closely as Aubrey who feared constantly for the safety of his own collections. Fortunately for us they remain, for the most part, safe in the Bodleian Library.

Isaac Barrow

1630-77

Isaac Barrow, DD – from his father (who was born 22nd April 1600, half a year older than King Charles I), 17th May 1682.

His father, Thomas Barrow, was the second son of Isaac Barrow of Spinney Abbey in the county of Cambridge, esq., who was a Justice of the Peace there above forty years. The father of Thomas never designed him for a tradesman, but he was so severe to him that he could not endure to live with him and so came to London and was apprentice to a linen-draper. He kept shop at the sign of the White Horse in Forster Lane near St Forster’s Church in St Leonard’s parish; and his son was christened at St John Zacharie’s in Forster Lane, for at that time St Leonard’s Church was pulled down to be re-edified. He was born in 1630 in October after King Charles II. Dr Isaac Barrow had the exact day and hour of his father, which may be found amongst his papers. His father set it down in his English bible, a fair one, which they used at the king’s chapel when he was in France and he could not get it again. His father travelled with the King Charles II, wherever he went; he was sealer to the Lord Chancellor beyond sea, and so when he came to England. Amongst Dr Barrow’s papers it may be found. Dr Tillotson has all his papers – ask for it, and for the names of all writings both in print and MSS.

He went to school, first to Mr Brookes at Charterhouse two years. His father gave to Mr Brookes four pounds per annum, whereas his pay was but two pounds, to be careful of him; but Mr Brookes was negligent of him, which the captain of the school acquainted his father (his kinsman) and said that he would not have him stay there any longer than he did, for that he instructed him.

Afterwards to one Mr Holbitch, about four years, at Felton in Essex; from whence he was admitted of Peterhouse College in Cambridge first, and went to school a year after. Then he was admitted of Trinity College in Cambridge at thirteen years old.

Ask whose daughter his mother was.

His mother was Anne, daughter of William Buggin of North Cray in Kent, esq. She died when her son Isaac was about four years old.

His humour when a boy and after – merry and cheerful and beloved wherever he came. His grandfather kept him till he was seven years old: his father was fain to force him away, for there he would have been good for nothing.

A good poet, English and Latin. He spoke eight several languages.

His father dealt in his trade to Ireland where he had a great loss, near one thousand pounds; upon which he wrote to Mr Holbitch, a Puritan, to be pleased to take a little pains more than ordinary with him, because the times growing so bad, and such a loss then received, that he did not know how he might be able to provide for him, and so Mr Holbitch took him away from the house where he was boarded to his own house, and made him tutor to my lord Viscount Fairfax, ward to the lord Viscount Say and Seale, where he continued so long as my lord continued.

This Viscount Fairfax died a young man. This Viscount Fairfax, being a schoolboy, married a gentleman’s daughter in the town there, who had but a thousand pounds. So leaving the schools, would needs have Mr Isaac Barrow with him, and told him he would maintain him. But the Lord Say was so cruel to him that he would not allow anything that ’tis thought he died for want. The one thousand pounds could not serve him long.

During this time old Mr Thomas Barrow was shut up at Oxford and could not hear of his son. But young Isaac’s master, Holbitch, found him out in London and courted him to come to his school and that he would make him his heir. But he did not care to go to school again.

When my lord Fairfax failed⁠1 and that he saw he grew heavy upon him, he went to see one of his schoolfellows, one Mr Walpole, a Norfolk gent, who asked him ‘What he would do?’ He replied he ‘knew not what to do; he could not go to his father at Oxford.’ Mr Walpole then told him ‘I am going to Cambridge to Trinity College and I will maintain you there:’ and so he did for half a year until the surrender of Oxford; and then his father enquired after him and found him at Cambridge. And the very next day after old Mr Barrow came to Cambridge, Mr Walpole was leaving the university and (hearing nothing of Isaac’s father) resolved to take Isaac along with him to his house. His father then asked him what profession he would be of, a merchant or etc.? He begged of his father to let him continue in the university. His father then asked what would maintain him. He told him twenty pounds per annum: ‘I warrant you,’ said he, ‘I will maintain myself with it.’ His father replied, ‘I’ll make a shift to allow you that.’ So his father then went to his tutor and acquainted him of, etc. His tutor, Dr Duport, told him that he would take nothing for his reading to him, for that he was likely to make a brave scholar, and he would help him to half a chamber for nothing. And the next news his father heard of him was that he was chosen in to the house. Dr Hill was then master of the college. He met Isaac one day and laid his hand upon his head and said, ‘thou art a good boy; ’tis pity that thou art a cavalier.’

He was a strong and a stout man and feared not any man. He would fight with the butchers’ boys in St Nicholas’ shambles, and be hard enough for any of them.

He went to travel three or four years after the king was beheaded, upon the college account. He was a candidate for the Greek professor’s place, and had the consent of the university but Oliver Cromwell put in Dr Widdrington; and then he travelled.

He was abroad five years, viz. in Italy, France, Germany, Constantinople.

As he went to Constantinople, two men of war (Turkish ships) attacked the vessel; which the men that were in that engagement often testify, for he never told his father of it himself.

Upon his return, he came in a ship to Venice, which was stowed with cotton wool, and as soon as ever they came on shore the ship fell on fire, and was utterly consumed, and not a man lost, but not any goods saved – a wonderful preservation. His personal valour. – At Constantinople, being in company with the English merchants, there was a Rhadamontade⁠2 that would fight with any man and bragged of his valour, and dared any man there to try him. So no man accepting his challenge, said Isaac (not then a divine), ‘Why, if none else will try you I will;’ and fell upon him and chastised him handsomely that he vaunted no more amongst them.

After he had been three years beyond sea, his correspondent died, so that he had no more supply; yet he was so well beloved that he never wanted.

At Constantinople he waited on the consul Sir Thomas Bendish, who made him stay with him and kept him there a year and a half, whether he would or no.

At Constantinople, Mr Dawes (afterwards Sir Jonathan Dawes, who died Sheriff of London), a Turkey merchant, desired Mr Barrow to stay but such a time and he would return with him, but when that time came he could not go, some business stayed him. Mr Barrow could stay no longer; so Mr Dawes would have had Mr Barrow have a hundred pistoles⁠3. ‘No,’ said Mr Barrow, ‘I know not whether I shall be able to pay you.’ ‘’Tis no matter,’ said Mr Dawes. To be short, forced him to take fifty pistoles, which at his return he paid him again.

Memorandum – his pill (an opiate, possibly Matthews his pill), which he was wont to take in Turkey, which was wont to do him good, but he took in preposterously at Mr Wilson’s, the saddler’s, near Suffolk House, where he was wont to lie and where he died, and ’twas the cause of his death.

As he lay expiring in the agony of death, the standers-by could hear him say softly ‘I have seen the glories of the world’ – from Mr Wilson.

I have heard Mr Wilson say that when he was at study, was so intent at it that when the bed was made, or so, he heeded it not nor perceived it, was so totus in hoc⁠4; and would sometimes be going out without his hat on.

He was by no means a spruce man, but most negligent in his dress. As he was walking one day in St James’s Park, looking …, his hat up, his cloak half on and half off, a gent came behind him and clapped him on the shoulder and said, ‘Well, go thy ways for the veriest scholar that ever I met with.’

He was a strong man, but pale as the candle he studied by.

Robert Boyle

1627-91

Mr Robert Boyle – see Oliver Hill’s …, where he is accused of gross plagiarism. Dr Robert Wood went to school with him at Eton College.

Mr R. Boyle, when a boy at Eton was very sickly and pale – from Dr Robert Wood, who was his schoolfellow.

The honourable Robert Boyle esq., the fifth son of Richard Boyle, the first earl of Cork, was born at Lismore in the county of Cork, on the 25th January 1697.

He was nursed by an Irish nurse, after the Irish manner, where they put the child into a pendulous satchel (instead of a cradle), with a slit for the child’s head to peep out.

He learnt his Latin… Went to the University of Leyden. Travelled France, Italy, Switzerland. I have oftentimes heard him say that after he had seen the antiquities and architecture of Rome, he esteemed none anywhere else.

He speaks Latin very well, and very readily, as most men I have met with. I have heard him say that when he was young, he read over Cowper’s dictionary: wherein I think he did very well, and I believe he is much beholding to him for his mastership of that language.

His father in his will, when he comes to the settlement and provision for his son Robert, thus –

Item, to my son Robert, whom I beseech God to bless with a particular blessing, I bequeath, etc.

Mr R.H., who has seen the rental, says it was three thousand pounds per annum: the greatest part is in Ireland. His father left him the manor of Stallbridge in Dorset, where is a great freestone house; it was forfeited by the Earl of Castlehaven.

He is very tall (about six foot high) and straight, very temperate, and virtuous, and frugal: a bachelor; keeps a coach; sojourns with his sister, the lady Ranulagh. His greatest delight is chemistry. He has at his sister’s a noble laboratory and several servants (apprentices to him) to look to it. He is charitable to ingenious men that are in want, and foreign chemists have had large proof of his bounty, for he will not spare for cost to get any rare secret. At his own costs and charges he got translated and printed the New Testament in Arabic, to send into the Mahometan countries. He has not only a high renown in England, but abroad; and when foreigners come to hither, ’tis one of their curiosities to make him a visit.

Henry Briggs

1556-1630

Henry Briggs was born at … (see Anthony Wood’s Oxon Antiquit.: ask his nephew who is beadle to Stationers’ Hall; ask Vaticinium Carolinum, an English poem).

He was the first of St John’s College in Cambridge. Sir Henry Savile sent for him and made him his geometry professor. He lived at Merton College in Oxford, where he made the dials at the buttresses of the east end of the chapel with a bullet for the axis.

He travelled into Scotland to commune with the honourable John Napier of Merchiston about making the logarithmical tables.