the head, if soe, of what parts, and out of what most, and whether any out of the meere fleshie parts? Whether that which runne from it about the shoare came out of the mouth?

SIR,

Mr. Bacon to Dr. Browne.

[MS. SLOAN. 1847.]

Yarmouth, 10th May, 1652.

In answer to your questions concerning the whale, I founde noe sperme but in his heade, and that after I had taken off his scalpe, one tonn weight or more of a nexuous substance we found, in the circumference as large as a small coach wheele, in the middle part certaine round pieces of sperm, as bigg as a man's fist, some as large as eggs, and on the out side of the said rounds flakes as large as a man's head, in forme like hony combs, beinge very white and full of oyle. And that sperm which was cast upon the shore, I doe conceive came out of his nostrells. Thus much from him who doth remayne,

Sir, your humble servant,

ARTHUR BACON.

Sir Hamon L'Estrange to Dr. Browne.

[BIBL. BODL. MS. RAWL. CCCXCI.]

Jan. 16, 1653.

SIR,

I acknowledge the great favour of your late large and full expressions to mee in opinion, advice, and direction for myne infirmitye. I wish my servant had so well collected himselfe (upon Mr. Sares absence) as to have broken open

Arm

6 Of Hunstanton, in Norfolk: a learned man and an active magistrate. strong, in his History of Norfolk, has printed the translation of a Latin letter, from a MS. at Hunstanton, describing Sir Hamon's exertions in saving the valuable goods of a wreck of the ship Bon Adventura (dated June 11, 1649), and appropriVOL. I. 2 B

and shewed you my letter to Mr. Sares, which might better have informed your judgment for direction. I am aged neare 70 yeares, of sanguine humour, and a thinn cholerique frame of body, and was taken with the palsey 3 yeares since, though (I prayse God) I endure no great affliction or disability hereby. I doe not find but my chief vitalls are well conditioned, onely some spleenatique obstructions . . . . . . . I presume to send you a list of such things as I have used. I pray you bee pleased to fixe your sence and opinion generally to them, and after to returne the paper. Now I come to give you an account of your desire and question concerning the whale and sperme. About 3 yeares since, I hapned to read your book of Enquiries into Common Errours, and in that masse of various matter, I met with many things in the middle and lower formes of the schoole of knowledge, formerly obviated to my curiosity and observation, which set my fancy and pen on worke, as you may reed in this my rude and imperfect manuscript, which I send you to peruse, and pag. 27 thereof, I write of the whale cast upon my shoare. I acknowledge the excellency of your learning;

. . . qui monte potitus Ridet anhelantein.

may laugh att my creeping and crawling at the foote of the hill, but amare licet, si potiri non licet. In the ambition of knowledge to God's honour and service is no errour, and so armed, I feare not the ferula of your candour, and write myselfe, sir,

Your most serious friend and servant,

HAMON L'ESTRANGE.

ating what in fact was his, as lord of the manor, to the original owner. Sir Hamon had three sons, Nicholas, Hamon, and Roger, the latter, afterwards the celebrated Sir Roger L'Estrange, an eminent royalist, who was compelled to leave the kingdom, from the part he took in the attempt to rescue King Charles when in the Isle of Wight, but returned in 1653. Soon after the restoration he established the first NEWSPAPER, The Public Intelligencer and News, and was afterwards appointed licenser of the press. He translated Seneca's Morals, and Æsop's Fables.—See Stacy's Norfolk Tour, ii, 926.

Dr. Browne to [J, Hobart, Esq.]'

HONORD SIR,

[BIBL. BODL. MS. TANNER. XLI, 90.]

August, 1654.

I was at your howse this afternoone to haue kissed your hand, and testified my good wishes vnto you, wch being in no waye able to act in proportion to my desires, I am in noe small measure left vnto the mercy of your construction.

I haue enclosed this bill for pills and an aperitiue syrupes, wch you may haue made at any apothecaries.

Of the pills you may please to take one last to bed and three in the morning, sleepinge after them, and about two howers after to take a messe of broath or gruell, and obserue noe other rule in order to them. You may take them upon occasion when your body is costiue, when you find yourself hartburned, hott, or find any predominance of choler or salte flegme in your stomack. You may make triall first of one ouer night and two in the morninge, and if they be not operatiue enough three in the morning.

Of the syrupes, two spoonfuls may bee taken in a morning in a draught of beere or whaye, wch may open obstructions and keepe your flegme from being drie and tough. Creme of tartar may be vsed also sometimes in broath or gruell.

The last to bed to moysten your throat and moderate the drinesse of salt humours eat a piece of a codling roast apple or bargamot peare, and at noe time fast to long.

Sir, I exceedingly wish your health and welcome returne agayne vnto your true and respectfull friends, resting your faythfull seruant and unworthy kinsman,

THOMAS BROWNE.

Scuruie grasse, beere, and wormwood, not to strong, equall parts in the winter.

7 This and the following letter were probably both addressed to Mr. Hobart, whose daughter married Dean Astley, to whom Sir Thomas was related; and through whom, possibly, the letters found their way into the MS. collection of Bishop Tanner.

I am extremely troubled to heare that some haue had the sicknesse in your howse. As you shall all haue my daylie prayers, so I cannot giue myself any satisfaction unlesse I conferre my mite vnto the preseruation of a person, whose friendshipp I highly ualue, and whose true worth I haue soe long and truly honord. And, therefore, in order to preuention you may please to use two fumes, one of vinegar, wherein rue, angelica, wormwood, scordium, juniper, bay leaves, and savin are steeped, wch may bee vsed often in the day, and in the chambers. Another of an higher and stronger nature twice or thrice a day in the hall, parlor, and other roomes; and if any one hath had it, before hee cometh to communicate with others his chamber may bee fumed, the doors being shutt close. Of this you may haue, if you please to send to Mr. Dey, the apothecarie, where you may also haue a preuentiue, and also an antidotall electuary of no meane nature, whereof giue a dragme and half in posset drinck vnto any that is falling sick, and to bee in bed, and agayne the next night, and so agayne the third night, and to drink possets of

scordium, wood sorrell, and angelica. If you haue no issue to make one may bee of singular effect, though it bee stopped up two moneths hence, or to keepe a blister alwayes on some part, sometimes on the arme, sometimes on the legge; from the report made of some who haue been sick in your howse and escaped, I am very hopefull that the malignitie was not so great as in other places; and I haue one obseruation set downe by a learned man, and confirmed to mee by Dr. Wetherley, in the late sicknesse of London, wch affordeth mee much comfort, and I hope will be verified in your familie; that in howses where the first that falleth sick escape, the rest either fall not sick, or, if sick, escape; of this I would not omitt to informe you, because I comfort myself much thereon, and I am sure it holds ad plurimum if not alwayes. Good sir excuse mee.

I rest your most faithfull friend and unworthy kinsman, THOMAS BROWNE.

To my honord friend John Hobart, esquier, at his howse in St. Giles parish, these.

Dr. Browne to John Evelyn, Esq.

[FROM THE MS. COLLECTION OF DAWSON TURNER, ESQ.8]

Norwich, Jan. 21, 1657-8.

WORTHY SIR,

In obedience unto the commands of my noble friend, . Mr. Paston, and the respects I owe unto soe worthy a person as yourself, I have presumed to present these enclosed lines unto you, which I beseech you to accept as hints and proposalls, not any directions unto your judicious thoughts. I have not taken the chapters in the order printed, butt set downe hints upon a few, as memorie prompted and my present diversions would permit ; readie to bee your servant further, if your noble worke bee not alreadie compleated beyond admission of

s Mr. Turner, who has favoured me with a copy of this letter, informs me that it "is addressed to John Evelyn, is endorsed by him.”