denotes some particulars how the storie proceeds in the subiect thereof, according as it is in our English translation; which is somewhat more gratefull to the reader then a bare margin, and affords some direction when a man would find out any particular. I told you I doubted much that it would not bee allowable in a translator to putt in the last verses, which are so many, and some not at all contained or implyed in the originall. The first may bee retained, butt you may consider whether they may not passe thus: Thy (Eos thy, not your,) tomb is fittly placed on the strand And shippes from euery quarter come in sight, And here engage in many a bloody fight, So that thy ashes, placed on the shore, Both earth and sea may honour and adore. Wee do not yet heare whether Captain Cotton bee returned to Guernsey. Hee sayd hee would call at your house. Butt my daughter hath receaued two letters from her husband since shee came to Norwich: hee writes that on the last of May, at three in the morning, upon a vehement storme of thunder, rayne, and hayle, the sea, in the hauen where the shipps laye, flowed and ebbed twice in lesse than half an hower; so that it ranne allmost quite out of the hauen at high water, and in agayne. My daughter, knowing the place, giues some account how it might possibly come to passe. Dr. Parham brought mee a philosophicall collection of last Marche. sent mee from Dr. Briggs; it containes an account of a monstrous animal vomited up and obserued by Dr. Martin Lister, of York; a new theorie of vision communicated to the Royal Society by Dr. Briggs; and a voyage made to the South terra incognita, extracted from the Journal of a Captaine Abel Jansen Tasman. I am obliged to giue Dr. Briggs my thancks by a few lines. I haue not seen a philosophicall collection a long time. Perhaps your account of the oestridge was not printed, butt what you sent mee I had got transcribed. When I send the papers of translation, I shall, God willing, send also a paper with some notes which you are to consider: Nec verbum verbo curabis reddere fidus was Horace his advice, de arte poetica, and hee may bee fidus interpres who renders not only the words butt also enlargeth a little, maintaining the same, and so you have done allowably in both. My daughter tells mee they haue very good powdred beef and neates tongues brought to them frequently from Ireland, which probably were of the same sort with those which Captain Briteridge sent you, and shee brought some in the yackt. Bee as officious as you can to the captaine. I am sorry you were not acquainted with Dr. Sharp, our good deane, who is to come in a fortnight hence to Norwich: if, when you go that way, you may do well to present my seruice to him, and tell him how glad I shall bee to enjoy his good company at Norwich; hee had come last weeke but for a sister of his come out of Yorkshire to see what may bee done about a cancer in her breast. God blesse you all. Your loving father, THOMAS BROWNE. For Dr. Edward Browne, in Salisburie Court, next the Golden Balls, London. Sir Thomas Browne to his son Edward." [MS. SLOAN. 1847.] June 16, [1682.] DEAR SONNE, I have sent the 4 sheets you sent mee, by captaine Lulmans eldest sonne, who went this morning towards London, in the 2 dayes coach, and a paper within them. I am glad you have putt an end to that labour, though I am not sorry that you undertooke it. Wee are glad to understand, by my daughter Browne's letter, that my daughter Fairfax is delivered of a sonne. The blessing of God bee with them both, and send them health. The vessel of sider sent you from Guernzey was rackt, it came not out of Normandie butt from Guernzey, though it was not of my sonne and daughters making. They might have made much, there being plenty of 7 Retrospective Review, vol. i, p. 162. apples, butt they made butt 2 or 3 hoggesheads themselves. for their own use. Your sister tells mee that they have plentie of large oysters, like Burnham oysters, about Gurnzey, and all those rocky seas to St. Mallowes and have a peculiar way of disposing and selling of them, that they are not decayed or flatt before they bee eaten. They bring them into the haven in vessells that may containe vast quantities, and when they come at a competent distance from the peere head, they anker and cast all the oysters overboard into the sea; and when the tide goeth away, and the ground bare, the people come to buy them, and the owners stand on drye ground and sell them. When the tide comes in, the buyers retire, and come agayne at the next ebbe, and buye them agayne, and so every ebbe till they bee all sould. So the oysters are kept lively, and well tasted, being so often under the salt sea water, and if they had a vessell of a hundred tunne full they might sell them while they were good, being thus ordered allthough it should take sometime to sell them all. This seemes a good contrivance, and such as I have not heard of in England. Wee hope captain Cotton is got by this time to Guernzey, though the winds have been often crosse to gett from the Downes thither, it hath been in the north these 3 dayes, and it was yesterday so cold that wee could have endured a fire. Captain Cotton intended to call at Southampton, if possible, for divers letters and dispaches, which had been retarded by the lasting south-west wind, which I doubt hee could not performe. My daughter hath heard twice from Guernsey, since shee came to Norwich, and once from Lychfield, from Mrs. Katherine Litelton, her husbands sister, a singular good woeman. I heare Mrs. Suckling is well at her brothers, in Suffolk, butt shee dares not yet adventure to Norwich, with her children, for feare of the small pox. The warlike provisions of the emperour and empyre, &c. hath the countenance of a warre, butt the summer is farre advanced. Wee heare the Duchesse of Portsmouth hath found much benefitt by the waters, and is returning into England. The peace with Argier gives some life unto the Yarmouth men, and no small content unto all. My daughter receaved the things by Mrs. Dove, which were provided by the singular good care of my daughter Browne. Tom, God bee thancked, is well, and beginnes to thinck on the guild which is to bee the next Tuesday; butt the maior dwells beyond the water, and so wee are like to have the more quiet time. My service to my cosen Cradock, cosens Hobbes, Mr. Dobbins, and all friends. These for Dr. Edward Browne, in Salisbury Court, next the Golden Balls, London. Sir Thomas Browne to his son Edward. DEAR SONNE, [BIBL. BODL. MS. RAWL. CVIII.] June? [1682.] I met this weeke with the oratio anniuersaria in commemoration of the benefactors made by Dr. Rogers, made the 18th of October, upon St. Luke's day, 1681, which I had not seen nor heard of before, printed by Ben Tooke, 1682. Hee hath taken good paynes and vseth many learned expressions and conceptions therein, concluding with a complaint that they did not then obserue the founders will in a conuiuium ordained by him; which charge probably they spared toward their new librarie. Hee speakes so much of it that perhaps the next time they will not omitt it. Hee hath also ioyned vnto this oration another which hee made at Padua, when hee tooke his degree of Dr. 1646, Benedicto Syluatico Præside, Fortunio Liceto promotore. In the colledge oration hee mentioneth the lady Genet, my lord marquis his daughter as you may perceaue, which must bee thought on, especially you hauing been an instrument in procuring the bookes, and have also been obliged by that good lady. If captain Briteredge bee still in London, present my humble seruice vnto him. Enquire also after my L. Archbishop of Cashell, and Sir Standish Harstong, with my humblest seruice vnto them. There is a booke come very lately out called a Prospect of the state of Ireland, from the yeare of the world, 1756, to the yeare of Christ, 1652, butt this alreadie published is butt the first part and endeth before the English conquest of Ireland. The second part the author promiseth hereafter which may proue a part of better creditt. It was writt by Mr. or Sir Peter Walsh, a Romanist, gathered out of the manuscripts of Keating, and Lynch alias Gratianus Laicus, 2 priests. I thinck there was one Peter Walsh of the Royal Societie: it is 3 shillings price. Printed by Broome at the Gunne, in St. Paul's church yard, perhaps captain Briteridge hath not heard of it. Keting and Barry writt in Irish. If captain Briteridg desire to carry our booke into Ireland you may present one to him, few will take any pleasure to read it who haue not been in Ireland, and is acquainted with the old historie of that country. If hee hath not, or not seen your trauells you may present them, and best if the false printing were corrected. Mr. Reppes will consult you this weeke about the waters, hee goeth for London this daye. I shall, God willing, send you the fortie-two shillings and sixpence which you payd vnto Dr. Grew for the subscriptions. I wish I had his receipt for the satisfaction of the particular subscribers, which hee promiseth to giue as hee receiueth the first payments. God blesse my daughter Browne and you all. Your loving father, The salary of the hospitall is so ordered that it comes to twenty shillings a weeke: for the patients within the house, the physitian receives quarterly nine pounds and a noble, and for the out patients at Easter, fiften pounds, which comes to fifty-two poundes and a noble in a year; for which hee cannot write less then six thousand præscriptions. We want a good chalybeat electuary, that doth not purge, |