transcribe them; butt I shall entreat the favour to have them returned. Mr. Stanley gave mee the honour of a visit some fewe yeares past, and if hee signified my mind unto you, you might have receaved them long agoe. Sir, I thinck myself much honored in your worthy acquaintance, and shall ever rest Your very respectful freind and servant, Norwich, Jan. xxv, 1658. THOMAS BROWNE. A manuscript containing these tracts: 3 1. Take earth of earth earths mother with some explication. 2. A short worke and true-of halfe a sheet. 3. Cantilena Ripley, de L. Phil. seu de phoenice. 4. Verbum abbreviatum Rogeri Bacon a Rajmundo Galfrido explicatum-above a sheet. 5. The great worke or great Elixir of Ripley ad Solem et Lunam, with an accurtation or shortning of the great work-containing 2 sheets. 6. A Letter of Ripley, sent to a friend, subscribed by George Ripley, ch. of Bridlington, farmer and curate of F... balbergh.4 7. The easiest way in practising the Philosopher's stonea sheet and half. 8. Philossium and medulla, translated out of Latin by George Higins. 9. A Concordance of the Sayings of Guido and Raymund. X. The worke of Dickinson-about a hundred verses. An ancient manuscript of Nortons ordinall." Dunstanus Epus Cantuariensis de Lapide philos-—a small manuscript. Theriaca divina Benedicti MS. Lat. Anonym.7 A Manuscript entitled Investigation of causes, writt by a person of these parts about 50 yeares agoe. A theoreticall 3 This is MS. Sloan. 1842.—Catalogue of Sir Thomas Browne's MSS. No. 6, 4to. vol. iv, 463, &c. 4 Very illegible in MS. On reference to the MS. Sloan. 1842, I find it is thus: "Fox Bulburg Churche. 1460 vel 1476. 5 MS. Sloan. 1873-Catalogue of Browne's MSS. No. 39, 4to. vol. iv, p. 463, &c. 6 This may be MS. Sloan. No. 3757, fol. 40; or No. 1255, art. 2, fol. 126 :— probably the latter. 7 MS. Sloan. 1857.—Catalogue of Browne's MSS. No. 18, 4to. vol. iv, p. 463, &c. piece, but relating to the Herm. philosophie and worke. An originall, and I thinck there is noe coppy of itabout 4 sheets,8 Ripleys emblematicall or hieroglyphicall scrowle in parchment, about 7 yards long, with many verses, somewhat differing from those in your first part next Ripleys vision. Two small pieces of Garlandus Anglus, Latin and printed. Dastini Speculum philosoph. MS. Lat.9 Benjamin Locks picklock unto Ripleys castle, prose and verse -about 4 or 5 sheets, MS. To my worthy and honord freind, Elias Ashmole, (The above direction is on the back of the letter, Sir Thomas Browne to Mr. Elias Ashmole. [FROM ASHMOLE'S MSS. 1788, ART. 17, FOL. 151.] I was very well acquainted with Dr. Arthur Dee, and at one time or other hee hath given me some account of the whole course of his life: hee gave mee a catalogue of what his father Dr. John Dee had writt, and what hee intended to write, butt I think I have seen the same in some of his printed bookes, and that catalogue hee gave me in writing I cannot yet find. I never heard him saye one word of the booke of spirits, sett out by Dr. Casaubone, which if hee had knowne I make no doubt butt hee would have spoake of it unto mee, for he was very inquisitive after any manuscripts of his father's, and desirous to print as many as hee could possibly obtaine; and, therefore, understanding that Sir William Boswell, the English resident in Holland, had found out many of them, which he kept in a trunck in his howse in Holland, to my knowledge hee sent divers letters unto Sir William, humbly desiring him that hee would not lock them up from MS. Sloan. 1893.-Catalogue of Browne's MSS. No. 9, 8vo. vol. iv, p. 463, &c. 9 MS. Sloan. 1854.-Catalogue of MSS. &c. No. 13, 4to. VOL. I. 2 H the world, butt suffer him to print at least some thereof. Sir William answered some of his letters, acknowledging that hee had some of his father's works not yet published, and that they were safe from being lost, and that hee was readie to showe them unto him, butt that hee had an intention to print some of them himself. Dr. Arthur Dee continued his sollicitation, butt Sr. William dying I could never heare more of those manuscripts in his hand. I have heard the Dr. saye that hee lived in Bohemia with his father, both at Prague and other parts of Bohemia. That Prince or Count Rosenberg was their great patron, who delighted much in alchymie; I have often heard him affirme, and sometimes with oaths, that hee had seen projection made and transmutation of pewter dishes and flaggons into sylver, which the goldsmiths at Prague bought of them. And that Count Rosenberg playd at quaits with sylver quaits made by projection as before; that this transmutation was made by a powder they had, which was found in some old place, and a booke lying by it containing nothing butt hieroglyphicks, which booke his father bestowed much time upon; but I could not heare that he could make it out. Hee sayd also that Kelly delt not justly by his father, and that he went away with the greatest part of the powder and was afterwards imprisoned by the Emperor in a castle, from whence attempting an escape downe the wall, hee fell and broake his legge and was imprisoned agayne. That his father, Dr. John Dee, presented Queen Elizabeth with a little of the powder, who having made triall thereof attempted to get Kelly out of prison, and sent some to that purpose, who giving opium in drinck unto the keepers, layd them so faste asleepe that Kelly found opportunity to attempt an escape, and there were horses readie to carry him away; butt the buisinesse unhappily succeeded as is before declared. Hee sayd that his father was in good credit with the Emperour Rodolphus, I thinck, and that hee gave him some addition unto his coat of armes, by a mathematicall figure added, which I thincke may bee seen at Mr. Rowland Dee's howse, who had the picture1 and coat of armes of Dr. John Dee, which Dr. Arthur Dee left at Mr. Toley's when hee 1 His portrait is preserved in the Ashmolean Museum.-W. H. B. dyed. Dr. Arthur Dee was a yong man when he saw this projection made in Bohemia, butt hee was so inflamed therewith, that hee fell early upon that studie and read not much all his life but bookes of that subject, and two years before his death contracted with one Hunniades, or Hans Hanyar, in London, to be his operator. This Hans Hanyar having lived long in London and growing in years, resolved to returne into Hungarie; he went first to Amsterdam where hee was to remain ten weeks, till Dr. Arthur came unto him. The Dr. to my knowledge was serious in this buisinesse, and had provided all in readinesse to goe; but suddenly hee heard that Hans Hanyar was dead. If hereafter any thing farther occurreth to my memorie I shall advertize. (Note subscribed by Ashmole.) Recd. 29 March, 1674, 4h. P. M. from Dr. Browne, of Norwich, directed to Mr. Ashmole. (No Signature.) From Sir Thomas Browne to Mr. John Aubrey. [FROM AUBREY'S LETTERS IN THE ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM, VOL. I. Art. 28.] WORTHY GOOD SR. I receaved your courteous letter and therein Mr. Woods his request. Dr. Thomas Lushington was borne at Canterbury, was chaplaine unto Dr. Corbet, bishop of Norwich, and afterward unto Prince Charles, now our king, in his minority; was rector of Burnham, in Norfolk, and dyed and was buryed at Sittingbourne, in Kent. Hee writt a Logick, after a new method, in Latin. A comment upon the Hebrews English, both printed at London. Hee writt also a Latin Treatise of the Passions, according to Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas. And also upon the Theologie of Proclus,2 butt they never were published as I could heare, and I knowe not whether any one hath the coppies, I was borne at St. Michaels Cheap in London, went to schoole at Winchester Colledge, then went to Oxford, spent 2 Probably MS. Sloan. 1838.-Catalogue of Browne's MSS. No. 1, 4to. some yeares in forreign parts, was admitted to bee a Socius Honorarius of the College of Physitians in London, knighted September, 1671, when the King, Queen, and Court came to Norwich; writt Religio Medici in English, which was since translated into Latin, French, Italian, High and Low Dutch. Pseudodoxia Epidemica; or Enquiries into Common and Vulgar Errors, translated into Dutch, four or five yeares ago. Hydriotaphia, or Urne Buriall. Hortus Cyri, or de Quincunce. Have some Miscellaneous Tracts which may be published. I can give you little or no account of any writers of Pembroke Colledge, and I believe Mr. Woods may better informe himself upon the place. Dr. Stamp, who was I think chaplaine to the Queen of Bohemia, and preached sometimes at Stepney, published somewhat, but I remember not the title. There was one Dr. Dowdswell, a learned man, lately prebend of Worcester, butt whether hee published any thing I knowe [not]; as also Dr. Bludworth, a divine, and Dr. William Child, now one of the Masters of Chancerie. Some accept against an expression they sometimes use at Oxford in bookes printed at the theatre,-Ex Typographia Sheldoniana, and think better of Ex Typographio, or Typographeio, or Typis Sheldonianis. Sr. your friends who persuade you to print your Templa Druidum, &c. do butt what is fitt and reasonable. I shall observe your desires as to observation of such things as you require. My wife and daughters present their respects and service. I rest, Sr. your affectionate freind and servant, Norwich, March 14, 1673. (Direction on the back: the seal is destroyed.) To my worthy friend Mr. Aubrey, at Mr. Henry Coley his howse in Rose and Crowne Court in Grayes Inne Lane, these, London. (Added by Coley's own hand: he was son-in-law to Lilly, the astrologer.) Leave this letter at the Earl of Thanet's house in Hothfeild, to be directed as above. |