The certain date of her death is unknown, which by proportion is conjectured in the reign of king Henry the Fifth. SINCE THE REFORMATION. NICHOLAS WADHAM, of Merrifield, in this county, Esquire, had great length in his extraction, breadth in his estate, and depth in his liberality. His hospital house was an Inn at all times, a court at Christmas. He married Dorothy, daughter to the secretary, sister to the first lord Petre. Absalom, having no children, reared up for himself a pillar to perpetuate his name.* This worthy pair, being issueless, erected that which hath, doth, and will afford many pillars to church and state, the uniform and regular (nothing defective or superfluous therein) college of Wadham in Oxford. Had this worthy Esquire (being a great patron of church-livings) annexed some benefices thereunto (which may be presumed rather forgotten than neglected by him) it had, for completeness of fabric and endowment, equalled any English foundation. If he was (which some suggest) a Romanist in his judgment, his charity is the more commendable, to build a place for persons of a different persuasion. Whilst we leave the invisible root to the Searcher of hearts, let us thankfully gather the good fruit which grew from it. He died before his college was finished, his estate by coheirs descending to Strangeways, Windham, White, &c.; and he lieth buried with his wife under a stately monument in the fair church of Ilminster. PHILIP BISS was extracted from a worshipful family in this county, who have had their habitation in Spargrave for some descents, being bred fellow and doctor in divinity in Magdalen College in Oxford; he was afterwards preferred archdeacon of Taunton. A learned man, and great lover of learning. Now though it be most true what reverend bishop Hall was wont to say, "Of friends and books, good and few are best;" yet this doctor had good and many of both kinds; and at his death bequeathed his library (consisting of so many folios as were valued at one thousand pounds) to Wadham College, then newly founded. This epitaph was made upon him, wherein nothing of wit, save the verbal allusion which made itself without any pains of the author thereof: Bis fuit hic natus, puer et Bis, Bis juvenisque. I collect, by probable proportion, that his death happened about the year 1614. * 2 Samuel xviii. 18. † Camden's Remains, p. 380. MEMORABLE PERSONS. Sir JOHN CHAMPNEIS, son of Robert Champneis, was born at Chew in this county; but bred a skinner in London, and lord Mayor thereof, anno 1535. Memorable he is on this account, that, whereas before his time there were no turrets in London (save what in churches and public structures) he was the first private man, who, in his house, next Cloth-workers' hall, built one, to oversee his neighbours in the city,* which delight of his eye was punished with blindness some years before his death. But seeing "prying into God's secrets is a worse sin than overlooking men's houses," I dare not concur with so censorious an author, because every consequent of a fact is not the punishment of a fault therein. THOMAS CORIAT.-Though some will censure him, as a person rather ridiculous than remarkable, he must not be omitted; for, first, few would be found to call him fool, might none do it save such who had as much learning as himself. Secondly, if others have more wisdom than he, thankfulness and humility is the way to preserve and increase it. He was born at Odcombe nigh Evil, in this county; bred at Oxford, where he attained to admirable fluency in the Greek tongue. He carried folly (which the charitable called merriment) in his very face. The shape of his head had no promising form, being like a sugar-loaf inverted, with the little end before, as composed of fancy and memory, without any common-sense. Such as conceived him fool ad duo, and something else ad decem, were utterly mistaken: for he drave on no design, carrying for coin and counters alike; so contented with what was present, that he accounted those men guilty of superfluity, who had more suits and shirts than bodies, seldom putting off either till they were ready to go away from him. Prince Henry allowed him a pension, and kept him for his servant. Sweet-meats and Coriat made up the last course at all court entertainments. Indeed he was the courtiers' anvil to try their wits upon: and sometimes this anvil returned the hammers as hard knocks as it received, his bluntness repaying their abusiveness. His book, known by the name of "Coriat's Crudities," nauseous to nice readers, for the rawness thereof, is not altogether useless; though the porch be more worth than the palace, I mean, the preface, of other men's mock-commending verses thereon. At last he undertook to travel into the East Indies by land, mounted on a horse with ten toes, being excellently qualified for such a journey; for rare his dexterity (so properly as con Stow's Survey of London, p. 137. † Idem, ibidem. sisting most in manual signs) in interpreting and answering the dumb tokens of nations, whose language he did not understand. Besides, such his patience in all distresses, that in some sort he might seem, cooled with heat, fed with fasting, and refreshed with weariness. All expecting his return with more knowledge (though not more wisdom), he ended his earthly pilgrimage in the midst of his Indian travel, about (as I collect) the year of our Lord 1616. LORD MAYORS. 1. John Champneis, son of Robert Champneis, of Chew, Skinner: 1535. 2. George Bond, son of Rob. Bond, of Trull, Haberdasher; 1588. Know, reader, this is one of the ten pretermitted counties, the names of whose gentry were not, by the Commissioners, returned into the Tower, in the twelfth of king Henry the Sixth. SHERIFFS. This county had the same with Dorsetshire until the ninth year of queen Elizabeth; since which time, these following have born the office in this county alone. O. a flower-de-luce Az. 12 Th. Lutterel, arm. . Dunster Ca. O. a bend betwixt six martlets S. 13 Geo. Rogers, arm. Cannington. Arg. a chevron betwixt three bucks current S. attired O. 14 Joh. Horner, arm. S. three talbots passant Arg. 15 Jo. Sydenham, arm. Brompton. Arg. three rams S. 16 Joh. Stowell, mil. G. cross lozengée Arg. Stawell. 17 Christop. Kenne, arm. Courtwick. Erm. three half-moons G. 18 Tho. Mallet, arm. . . Az. three escallops O. 19 Geo. Sydenham, arm. 20 Joh. Colles, arm. 21 Joh. Brett. Enmore. ut prius. 22 Maur. Rodney, arm. Rodney Stoke. O. three eaglets displayed, Purpure. 23 Hen. Newton, arm. Arg. on a chevron Az. three garbs. O. 24 Joh. Buller, arm. S. on a plain cross Arg. quarter pierced, four eaglets of the field. 25 Ar. Hopton, arm. Arg. two bars S. each with three mullets of six points 0. 26 Gabr. Hawley, arm. Vert, a saltire engrailed O. 27 Nic. Sidenham, arm. ut prius. 28 Joh. Clifton, mil. Barrington. S. semée of cinquefoils, a lion rampant Arg. 29 Hen. Berkley, mil.. ut prius. ut prius. Whitlackington. over all an eagle displayed G. 34 Geo. Speke, arm. Arg. a chevron betwixt 38 Joh. Stowel, mil. 39 Joh. Colles, arm. 40 Joh. Gennings, arm. Combe Flourée. three mullets G. pierced. Burton. Az. a chevron O. betwixt three bezants; on a chief Erm. three cinquefoils G. 41 Geo. Rodney, arm. 42 Hugo. Portman, mil. 43 Joh. Mallet, arm. 44 Joh. May, arm. S. a chevron O. betwixt three roses Arg.; a chief of the 7 Geo. Lutterel, arm. 9 Jo. Rodney, mil. et ut prius. Ashton. G. on a chevron betwixt three cinquefoils O. pierced as many leopards' heads S. 10 Rob. Hendley, arm. Leigh. Az. a lion rampant Arg. crowned O.; within a border of the second an entoyre of eight torteaux. 11 Nat. Still, arm. 12 Joh. Horner, mil. 13 Barth. Michel, mil. Parti per fess G. and S. a chevron Arg. betwixt three swans proper. Joh. Colles, arm. 14 Joh. Paulet, arm. S. three swords in pile Arg. 15 Rob. Hopton, arm. 16 Theob. Newton, mil. 17 Jo. Trevilian, arm. Hinton St. George. ut prius. ut prius. Nettlecombe. G. a demi-horse Arg. issuing out of the waves of the sea. 18 Hen. Hendley, arm. ut prius. 19 Marmad. Gennings, arm. ut prius. 20 Edw. Popham, arm. Arg. on a chief G. two bucks' heads O. 21 Will. Francis, arm. . 22 Th. Windham, arm. . Arg. on a fess wavy three lozenges O. between as many ineschocheons G. |