in Norwich, with this inscription on a mural monument, placed on the south pillar of the altar: M. S. HIC SITUS EST THOMAS BROWNE, M.D. ET MILES. A. 1605. LONDINI NATUS GENEROSA FAMILIA APUD UPTON IN AGRO CESTRIENSI ORIUNDUS. SCHOLA PRIMUM WINTONIENSI, POSTEA IN COLL. PEMBR. APUD OXONIENSES BONIS LITERIS HAUD LEVITER IMBUTUS. IN URBE HAC NORDOVICENSI MEDICINAM ARTE EGREGIA, ET FŒLICI SUCCESSU PROFESSUS, ET PSEUDODOXIA EPIDEMICA ALIISQUE PER ORBEM NOTISSIMUS VIR PIENTISSIMUS, INTEGERRIMUS, DOCTISSIMUS; OBIIT OCTOBR. 19. 1682. PIE POSUIT MŒESTISSIMA CONJUX Da. DOROTH. BR. NEAR THE FOOT OF THIS PILLAR LIES SIR THOMAS BROWNE, KNIGHT, AND DOCTOR IN PHYSICK, AUTHOR OF RELIGIO MEDICI, AND OTHER LEARNED BOOKS, DAME DOROTHY BROWNE, WHO HAD BEEN HIS AFFECTIONATE WIFE 41 YEARS, Besides his lady, who died in 1685,6 he left a son and three daughters. Of the daughters nothing very remarkable is known; but his son, Edward Browne, requires a particular mention. He was born about the year 1642; and after having passed through the classes of the school at Norwich, became bachelor of physick at Cambridge; and afterwards removing to Merton College in Oxford, was admitted there to the same degree, and afterwards made a doctor. In 1668 he visited part of Germany, and in the year following made a wider excursion into Austria, Hungary, and Thessaly; where the Turkish Sultan then kept his court at Larissa. He afterwards passed through Italy. His skill in natural history made him particularly attentive to mines and metallurgy. Upon his return he published an account of the countries through which he had passed; which I have heard commended by a learned traveller, who has visited many places after him, as written with scrupulous and exact veracity, such as is scarcely to be found in any other book of the same kind. But whatever it may contribute to the instruction of a naturalist, I cannot recommend it as likely to give much pleasure to common readers: for whether it be, that the world is very uniform, and therefore he who is resolved to adhere to truth, will have few novelties to relate; or that Dr. Browne was, by the train of his studies, led to enquire most after those things, by which the greatest part of mankind is little affected; a great part of his book seems to contain very unimportant accounts of his passage from one place where he saw little, to another where he saw no more. Upon his return, he practised physick in London; 6 Besides his lady, &c.] Her monument is given in the Supplementary Memoir. was made physician first to Charles II, and afterwards in 1682 to St. Bartholomew's hospital. About the same time he joined his name to those of many other eminent men, in "A translation of Plutarch's lives." He was first censor, then elect, and treasurer of the college of physicians; of which in 1705 he was chosen president, and held his office, till in 1708 he died in a degree of estimation suitable to a man so variously accomplished, that King Charles had honoured him with this panegyrick, that "He was as learned as any of the college, and as well bred as any of the court.” Of every great and eminent character, part breaks forth into public view, and part lies hid in domestic privacy. Those qualities which have been exerted in any known and lasting performances, may, at any distance of time, be traced and estimated; but silent excellencies are soon forgotten; and those minute peculiarities which discriminate every man from all others, if they are not recorded by those whom personal knowledge enabled to observe them, are irrecoverably lost. This mutilation of character must have happened, among many others, to Sir Thomas Browne, had it not been delineated by his friend, Mr. Whitefoot, who "esteemed it an especial favour of Providence, to have had a particular acquaintance with him for two thirds of his life." Part of his observations I shall, therefore, copy.7 7 copy.] Mr. Whitefoot's being the earliest existing biographical sketch of our author, and the work of a contemporary, and an intimate friend, I had felt strongly disposed to print it entire, rather than give Dr. Johnson's extracts. as he has omitted only the commencement, and two or three paragraphs in the midst, I have thought it better to present Dr. Johnson's Biography just as it stood, supplying bis omissions in notes. Here follow the introductory paragraphs, thus headed: "Some Minutes for the Life of Sir Thomas Browne, by John Whitefoot, M.A. late Rector of Heigham, in Norfolk. "Had my province been only to preach a funeral sermon for this excellent perBut son, I might, perhaps, have been allowed, upon such a singular occasion, to have chosen my text out of a book, which though it be not approved to be canonical, yet is not permitted only, but ordered to be read publickly in our church, and for the eminent wisdom of the contents, well deserving that honour, I mean that "For a character of his person, his complexion and hair was answerable to his name, his stature was moderate, and habit of body neither fat nor lean, but εὐσάρκος. 66 ornaments. In his habit of clothing, he had an aversion to all finery, and affected plainness, both in the fashion and He ever wore a cloke, or boots, when few others did. He kept himself always very warm, and thought it most safe so to do, though he never loaded himself with such a multitude of garments, as Sue of Syracides, or Jesus, the son of Syrach, commonly called Ecclesiasticus, which, in the thirty-eighth chapter, and the first verse, hath these words: Honour a physician with the honour due unto him; for the uses which you may have of him, for the Lord hath created him; for of the most High cometh healing, and he shall receive honour of the King?' (as ours did that of knighthood from the present king, when he was in this city.) The skill of the physician shall lift up his head, and in the sight of great men shall be in admiration.' So was this worthy person by the greatest men of this nation that ever came into this country, by whom also he was frequently and personally visited. * "But a further account of his extraordinary merits, whereby he obtained so great a degree of honour from all that knew him, remains to be given in the history of his life. And had that been written by himself, as hath been done by many eminent persons, both antient and modern, Hebrews, Greeks, Latins, and others, it would not only have gratified, but obliged, the world beyond what is possible to be done by any other hand, much more by that, into which (upon divers particular obligations) that task is fallen: For what man knows the things of a man, save the Spirit of a Man, which is in him.' And though that must needs know more of any man, than can be known by others, yet may it be, and generally is, (being blinded with that original sin of self-love,) very defective in the habit and practice of that original precept, that is said to have come down from heaven, yvwes déαurov, 'Know thyself.' Two things there are in nature, which are the greatest impediments of sight; viz. nearness and distance of the object, but of the two, distance is the greater; in ordinary cases every man is too near himself, others are too far distant from him, to observe his imperfections; some are greater strangers to themselves than they are to their neighbours; this worthy person had as complete an intelligence of himself as any other man, and much more perfect than most others have, being a singular observer of every thing that belonged to himself, from the time that he became capable of such observation, whereof he hath given several remarkable instances in his Religio Medici, of which I shall have occasion to speak more hereafter. "I ever esteemed it a special favour of Divine Providence to have had a more particular acquaintance with this excellent person, for two thirds of his life, than any other man that is now left alive; but that which renders me a willing debtor to his name and family, is the special obligations of favour that I had from him above most men. "Two and thirty years, or thereabouts, of his life was spent before I had any knowledge of him, whereof I can give no other account than I received from his relations; by whom I am informed, that he was born in the year 1605, in the city of London." (Then follows the text, to foot of p. xliv.) * Moses, Josephus, Antoninus, Cardan, Junius, Bishop Hall, &c. + 1 Cor. ii, 11. |