destruction of his nation. Some variety there is about the date of his death, which most probably is assigned anno 570. MAURICE SOMERSET carried this county of his nativity about with him in his name; and was bred first a Cistercian monk in Ford Abbey; then studied in Oxford, and became a good writer both in prose and verse. His deserts preferred him abbot of Wells, which in his old age he resigned, loving ease above honour. Some books he dedicated to his diocesan, Reginald bishop of Bath; and flourished anno 1193.* ALEXANDER of ESSEBIE is (saith my author†) by some accounted a Somerset, by others a Stafford-shire man; and therefore by our fundamental laws (laid down in our preface, to decide differences about nativities) falls to the share of this county. He was the prince of English poets in his age; and in imitation of Ovid de Fastis, put our Christian festivals into verse, setting a copy therein to Baptista Mantuanus. Then, leaving Ovid, he aspired to Virgil, and wrote the History of the Bible (with the lives of some saints) in an heroical poem; and, though falling far short of Virgil, went beyond himself therein. He afterward became prior of Esseby Abbey,‡ belonging to the Augustins; and flourished under king Henry the Third, anno Domini 1220. ADAMUS de MARISCO, or ADAM of MARSH, was born in this county,§ where there be plenty of marshes in the fenny part thereof. But I take Brent-marsh, as the principal, the most probable place for his nativity. It seemeth that a foggy air is no hinderance to a refined wit, whose infancy and youth in this place was so full of pregnancy. He afterwards went to Oxford, and there became D. D. It is argument enough to persuade any indifferent man into a belief of his abilities, because that Robert Grosthead, that learned and pious bishop of Lincoln, made use of his pains, that they might jointly peruse and compare the Scripture. He became afterwards a Franciscan friar in Worcester, and furnished the library thereof with most excellent manuscripts; for then began the emulation in England betwixt monasteries, which should outvie other for most and best books. He flourished anno Domini 1257. I cannot grieve heartily for this Adam's loss of the bishopric of Ely, because Hugo de Balsham his co-rival got it from him, the founder of Peter-house in Cambridge. * Pits, ætat. 12, num. 271. † Bale, de Scriptoribus Britannicis, Cent. iv. num. 29. Quære. Where is this? F.-Answer. Canons Ashby, or Esseby, was a small priory of Black Canons in Northamptonshire.-ED. § Bale, de Scriptoribus Britannicis, Cent. iv. num. 12; and Pits, in anno 1657. SINCE THE REFORMATION. HENRY CUFFE was born at St. George Hinton in this county, as the late Lord Powlett, baron thereof, did inform me, though none of that name left there at this day. He was afterwards fellow of Merton College in Oxford, and secretary to Robert earl of Essex, with whom he engaged in his rising, anno 1600, being arraigned at Westminster for his life. Sir Edward Cook (then but the queen's attorney) disputed syllogistically against him; whom Cuffe, an admirable logician, could, cæteris paribus, well have encountered. But power will easily make a solecism to be a syllogism. The most pregnant proof brought against him was a verse out of Lucan alleged by him; for, when the earl, sitting in consultation with his complices, demanded their advice, whether he should proceed in their design, or desist, Mr. Cuffe returned, "Viribus utendum est quas fecimus; arma ferenti This, I may say, proved his neck-verse, being attested against him; for which he suffered. He wrote an excellent book "of the difference of the ages of man;" a rare piece indeed, though not altogether so hard to be procured, as worthy to be perused. [S. N.] Sir JOHN HARRINGTON, Knight; where born I know not sure I am he had a fair estate at Kelston near Bath in this county; and is eminent for his confessor extraction.† His father, only for carrying a letter to the Lady (afterwards queen) Elizabeth, by Bishop Gardiner kept twelves months in the Tower, and made to spend 1000 pounds ere he could get free of that trouble. His mother, servant to the Lady Elizabeth, was, by Gardiner's command, sequestered from her as an heretic, and her husband enjoined not to keep company with her. Queen Elizabeth was godmother to this Sir John; and he was bred in Cambridge, where Doctor Still was his tutor; but whether whilst he was fellow of Christ's or master of St. John's, is to me unknown. He afterward proved one of the most ingenious poets of our English nation: witness his translation of Orlando Furioso out of the Italian, dedicated to the Lady Elizabeth, since queen of Bohemia, and the several pieces of his own invention. It happened that, while the said Sir John repaired.often to an ordinary in Bath, a female attendress at the table, neglecting other gentlemen who sat higher, and were of greater estates, applied herself wholly to him, accommodating him with all necessaries, and preventing his asking any thing with her officiousness. She being demanded by him the reason of her so careful * The words of the poet are somewhat different.-F. † In his continuance of Bishop Godwin, in his Bishops of Winchester. waiting on him? "I understand," said she, "you are a very witty man; and if I should displease you in any thing, I fear you would make an epigram of me." A posthume book of his is come forth, as an addition to bishop Godwin's Catalogue of Bishops; wherein (beside mistakes) some tart reflections in Uxoratos Episcopos might well have been spared. In a word, he was a poet in all things save in his wealth, leaving a fair estate to a learned and religious son, and died about the middle of the reign of king James. SAMUEL DANIEL was born not far from Taunton in this county; whose faculty was a master of music: and his harmonious mind made an impression on his son's genius, who proved an exquisite poet. He carried in his christian and surname two holy prophets, his monitors, so to qualify his raptures, that he abhorred all profaneness. He was also a judicious historian; witness his "Lives of our English Kings, since the Conquest, until king Edward the Third;" wherein he hath the happiness to reconcile brevity with clearness, qualities of great distance in other authors; a work since commendably continued (but not with equal quickness and judgment) by Mr. Trussell. He was a servant in ordinary to queen Anne, who allowed him a fair salary. As the tortoise burieth himself all the winter in the ground, so Mr. Daniel would lie hid at his garden-house in Old street, nigh London, for some months together (the more retiredly to enjoy the company of the Muses); and then would appear in public, to converse with his friends, whereof Dr. Cowel and Mr. Camden were principal. Some tax him to smack of the old cask, as resenting of the Romish religion; but they have a quicker palate than I, who can make any such discovery. In his old age he turned husbandman, and rented a farm in Wiltshire nigh the Devises. I can give no account how he thrived thereupon; for, though he was well versed in Virgil, his fellow husbandman poet, yet there is more required to make a rich farmer, than only to say his Georgics by heart; and I question whether his Italian will fit our English husbandry. Besides, I suspect that Mr. Daniel's fancy was too fine and sublimated, to be wrought down to his private profit. However, he had neither a bank of wealth, or lank of want; living in a competent condition. By Justina his wife he had no child; and I am unsatisfied both in the place and time of death; but collect the latter to be about the end of the reign of king James. HUMPHRY SIDENHAM was born at Dalverton in this county, * So am I certified by some of his [late surviving] acquaintance.-F. of a most ancient and worshipful family; bred fellow of Wadham College; so eloquent a preacher that he was commonly called silver-tongued Sidenham. But let his own printed sermons (and especially that called "The Athenian Babler") set forth his deserved praise, who died since our civil distempers, about the year 1650. ROMISH EXILE WRITERS. JOHN GIBBON was undoubtedly born in this county, though herein Pits presents us with an untoward and left-handed direction, "Patricâ Somersetensis, Diocesis Wintoniensis."* Now either Winchester is imprinted for Wells, or he was born in this county in some peculiar belonging to Winchester, which See hath large revenues about Taunton. Leaving the land for his religion, Pope Gregory XIII. collated on him a canon's place in the church of Bonn. This he soon quitted, and became rector of the Jesuits' College in Triers. He wrote a book against G. Schon, professor at Heydelberg, in vindication that the Pope was not antichrist. Being indisposed in health, his hearing of the defeat of the Spanish Armada was no cordial unto him, and he died anno 1589. ROBERT PERSON was born in this county;† bred in Baliol College in Oxford, till for his viciousness he was expelled thence with disgrace. Running to Rome, and there finishing the course of his studies, he with Campian were the first brace of English Jesuits, who returned hither 1589 to preserve this nation. Two years after he escaped hence, and got beyond the seas. One of a troublesome spirit, wherewith some moderate Romanists were so offended, that (during his abode here) they once resolved to resign him up to the queen's officers. § He had an ill-natured wit, biassed to satiricalness:-a great statesman (and it was not the least part of his policy to provide for his own safety;) who would look on, direct, give ground, abet on other men's hands, but never played so as to adventure himself into England. He wrote a shrewd book "of the Succession to the English Crown;" setting it forth under the false name of Dolman || (a dull secular priest, guilty of little learning, and less policy); dedicating the same to the earl of Essex. He had an authoritative influence on all English Catholics; nothing of importance being agitated by them but Person had a finger, hand, arm therein. He was for twenty-three years rector of the College at Rome, where he died anno Domini 1610. Pits, de Angliæ Scriptoribus, p. 788. + Idem, anno 1610. Idem, anno 1594. JOHN FEN was born at Montacute in this county ;* bred in New College in Oxford, where he proceeded bachelor in laws, continuing there till (anno Domini 1562) for his popish activity he was ejected by the queen's commissioners. Then for a time he lived schoolmaster at St. Edmund's Bury, till ousted there on the same account. Hence hefled over into Flanders; thence into Italy; whence returning, at last he was fixed at Louvain. He wrote many, and translated more books; living to finish his jubilee, or fiftieth year of exile, beyond the seas, where he died about the year of our Lord 1613. Let me add, that this John Fen mindeth me of another of the same surname, and as violent on contrary principles; viz. Humphrey Fen, a nonconformist minister, living about Coventry, who, in the preface to his last will," made such a protestation against the hierarchy and ceremonies, that, when his will was brought to be proved,t the preface would not be suffered to be put amongst the records of the court; as which indeed was no limb, but a wen of his testament. JOHN COLLINGTON was born in this county, bred in Lincoln College in Oxford. Going beyond the seas, and there made priest, he returned into England, and with Campian was taken, cast into the Tower of London, and condemned, but afterwards reprieved, enlarged, and sent beyond the seas. Hence he returned, and for thirty years together zealously advanced his own religion, being assistant to the two arch-priests, and he himself supplied the place in the vacancy betwixt them. He could not but be a very aged man ; who, though in restraint, was alive 1611. BENEFACTORS TO THE PUBLIC. The Lady MOHUN. Reader, know I can surround the Christian names of her nearest relations. Her husband was John, the last lord Mohun of Dunstor. The eldest daughter, Philip, married to Edward duke of York; her second, Elizabeth, to William Montacute earl of Salisbury; her youngest, Maud, matched to the Lord Strange of Knockyn, but her own Christian name I cannot recover. However, she hath left a worthy memory behind her, chiefly on this account, that she obtained from her husband so much good ground for the commons of the town of Dunstor as she could in one day (believe it a summer one for her ease and advantage) compass about going on her naked feet.§ Surely no ingenious scholar beheld her in that her charitable perambulation, but in effect vented his wishes in the poet's expression, "Ah! tibi ne teneras tellus secet aspera plantas.' || * New College Register, anno 1555. + See Master Clark, in the Life of Juliane Harring, p. 462.-F. Pit's Angliæ Scriptores, p. 807. || Vigil, Eclog. decima. $ Camden's Britannia, in this county. |