Thorn his fellow-citizen) found out Newfoundland, anno 1527.* This may be called Old-found-land, as senior, in the cognizance of the English, to Virginia and all our other plantations. Had this discovery been as fortunate in public encouragement as private industry, probably before this time we had enjoyed the kernel of those countries whose shell only we now possess. It is to me unknown when Eliot deceased. WRITERS. THOMAS NORTON was born in 'this city; and, if any doubt thereof, let them but consult the initial syllables in the six first, and the first line in the seventh chapter of his Ordinal, which put together compose, "Thomas Norton of Briseto A parfet master you may him trow." Thus his modesty embraced a middle way betwixt concealing and revealing his name; proper for so great a professor in chemistry as he was, that his very name must from his book be mysteriously extracted. He was scarcely twenty-eight years of age,† when in forty days (believe him, for he saith so of himselft) he learned the perfection of chymistry, taught, as it seems, by Mr. George Ripley. But what saith the poet ? "Non minor est virtus, quam quærere, parta tueri." The spite is, he complaineth, that a merchant's wife of Bristol stole from him the elixir of life.§ Some suspect her to have been the wife of William Cannings (of whom before), contemporary with Norton, who started up to so great and sudden wealth, the clearest evidence of their conjecture.|| The admirers of this art are justly impatient to hear this their great patron traduced by the pen of J. Pits¶ and others, by whom he is termed Nugarum opifex in frivolâ scientia; and that he undid himself, and all his friends who trusted him with their money, living and dying very poor about the year 1477. JOHN SPINE.-I had concluded him born at Spine in Berkshire nigh Newbury but for these dissuasives. 1. He lived lately under Richard the Third, when the clergy began to leave off their local sirnames, and, in conformity to the laity, to be called from their fathers. 2. My author** peremptorily saith he was born in this city. I suspect the name to be Latinised Spineus by Pits, and that in plain English he was called Thorn, an ancient name, I assure you, in this city. However, he was a Carmelite, and a doctor of divinity in Oxford, leaving some books of his Hacluit's English Voyages, vol. III. p. 10. In his Ordinal, p. 88. § Ibid. p. 34, linea 33. "Theatrum Chimicum," made by Elias Ashmole, Esq. p. 441. De Angliæ Scriptoribus, p. 666. ** Ibid. p. 673. making to posterity. He died and was buried in Oxford, anno Domini 1484. JOHN Of MILVERTON.-Having lost the fore I must play an after game, rather than wholly omit such a man of remark. The matter is not much, if he, who was lost in Somersetshire (where indeed he was born, at Milverton) be found in Bristol, where he first fixed himself a friar Carmelite.* Hence he went to Oxford, Paris, and at last had his abode in London. He was Provincial-general of his Order through England, Scotland, and Ireland; so that his jurisdiction was larger than king Edward the Fourth's, under whom he flourished. He was a great anti-Wicliffist, and champion of his order both by his writing and preaching. He laboured to make all believe that Christ himself was a Carmelite (professor of wilful poverty;) and his high commending of the poverty of friars tacitly condemned the pomp of the prelates. Hereupon the bishop of London (being his diocesan) cast him into the gaol, from whom he appealed to Paul the Second; and, coming to Rome, he was for three years kept close in the prison of St. Angelo. It made his durance the more easy, having the company of Platina the famous papal biographist,† the nib of whose pen had been too long in writing dangerous truth. At last he procured his cause to be referred to seven cardinals, who ordered his enlargement. Returning home into England, he lived in London in good repute. I find him nominated bishop of St. David's ; but how he came to miss it, is to me unknown. Perchance he would not bite the bait; but whether because too fat to cloy the stomach of his mortified soul, or too lean to please the appetite of his concealed covetousness, no man can decide. He died, and was buried in London, 1486. WILLIAM GROCINE was born in this city,§ and bred in Winchester school; where he, when a youth, became a most excellent poet. Take one instance of many. A pleasant maid (probably his mistress, however she must be so understood) in a love frolic pelted him with a snow-ball, whereon he extempore|| made this Latin tetrastic : Me nive candenti petiit mea Julia: rebar "A snow-ball white at me did Julia throw; Pits, Etat. 14, num. 885. Bale and Pits, ut prius. Bale, Cent. viii. num. 44. Bale, de Scriptoribus Britannicis, Cent. ix. num. 5, and Pits, in anno 1520. ¶These verses are printed among Petronius's Fragments, being a farrago of many verses later than that ancient author.-F. He afterwards went over into Italy, where he had Demetrius Calchondiles and Politian for his masters; and, returning into England, was public professor of the Greek tongue in Oxford. There needs no more to be added to his honour, save that Erasmus in his Epistles often owns him pro patrono suo et præceptore. He died anno 1520. ROMISH EXILE WRITERS. JOHN FOWLER was born in Bristol ;* bred a printer by his occupation, but so learned a man, that (if the character given him by one of his own persuasiont be true) he may pass for our English Robert or Henry Stephens, being skilful in Latin and Greek, and a good poet, orator, and divine. He wrote an abridgment of "Thomas's Summes," the translation of Osorius into English, &c. Being a zealous papist, he could not comport with the Reformation; but conveyed himself and his press over to Antwerp, where he was signally serviceable to the Catholic cause, in printing their pamphlets, which were sent over, and sold in England. He died at Namurch 1579; and lies there buried in the church of St. John the Evangelist. BENEFACTORS TO THE PUBLIC. ROBERT THORN was born in this city, as his ensuing epitaph doth evidence. I see it matters not what the name be, so the nature be good. I confess, Thorns came in by "man's curse;" and our Saviour saith, "Do men gather grapes of thorns ?"§ But this our Thorn (God send us many coppices of them) was a blessing to our nation, and wine and oil may be said freely to flow from him. Being bred a merchant tailor in London he gave more than four thousand four hundred forty-five pounds to pious uses ;|| a sum sufficient therewith to build and endow a college, the time being well considered, being towards the beginning of the reign of king Henry the Eighth. I have observed some at the church-door cast in sixpence with such ostentation, that it rebounded from the bottom, and rung against both the sides of the bason (so that the same piece of silver was the alms and the giver's trumpet); whilst others have dropped down silent five shillings without any noise. Our Thorn was of the second sort, doing his charity effectually, but with a possible privacy. Nor was this good Christian abroad worse (in the apostle-phrase) than an infidel at home in not providing for his family, who gave to his poor kindred (besides debt forgiven unto them) the sum of five thousand one hundred forty-two pounds.T Grudge not, reader, to peruse his epitaph; which, though not so good as he deserved, is better than most in that age: Pits, de Angliæ Scriptoribus, anno 1579. ¶ Idem, ibid. † Idem, ibidem. Stow's Survey of London, p. 90. "Robertus cubat hic Thornus, mercator honestus, Huic vitam dederat parvo Bristolia quondam, year anno Domini He died a bachelor, in the fortieth of his age, 1532; and lies buried in St. Christopher's, London. SINCE THE REFORMATION. MARY DALE, better known by the name of Mary Ramsey, daughter of William Dale, merchant, was born in this city. She became afterwards second wife to Sir Thomas Ramsey, Grocer and lord mayor of London, anno 1577; and surviving him, was thereby possessed of a great estate, and made good use thereof. She founded two fellowships and scholarships in Peter-house in Cambridge; and proffered much more, if on her terms it might have been accepted. For most certain it is, that she would have settled on that house lands to the value of five hundred pounds per annum and upwards, on condition that it should be called "The college of Peter and Mary." This Doctor Soams, then master of the house, refused, affirming "that Peter, who so long lived single, was now too old to have a feminine partner," a dear jest, to lose so good a benefactress. This not succeeding, the stream of her charity was not peevishly dried up (with those who in matters of this nature will do nothing, when they cannot do what they would do); but found other channels therein to derive itself.§ She died anno Domini 1596, and lieth buried in Christ's Church|| in London. THOMAS WHITE, D. D. was born in this city, and bred in Oxford. He was afterwards related to Sir Henry Sidney, Lord Deputy of Ireland, whose funeral sermon he made, being accounted a good preacher in the reign of queen Elizabeth. Indeed he was accused for being a great pluralist, though I cannot learn that at once he had more than one cure of souls, the rest being dignities. As false is the aspersion of his being a great usurer: but one bond being found by his executors amongst his writings of one thousand pounds, which he lent gratis for many years to the company of Merchant Tailors, whereof he was free, the rest of his estate being in land and ready money. Besides other benefactions to Christ Church, and a lecture in St. Paul's, London, he left three thousand pounds for the building of Sion College to be à Ramah for the * Stow's Survey of London, p. 193. † Idem, p. 124. So was I informed by Dr. Seaman, late Master of that College.-F. § Stow's Survey, in his description of Christ Church. Lady Ramsey was a liberal benefactress to Christ's Hospital.-ED. sons of the prophets in London. He built there also a fair alms-house for twenty poor folk, allowing them yearly six pounds a-piece; and another at Bristol, which, as I am informed, is better endowed. Now, as Camillus was counted a second Romulus, for enlarging and beautifying the city of Rome; so Mr. John Simpson, minister of St. Olave's, Hart-street, London, may be said a second White, for perfecting the aforesaid college of Sion, building the gate-house with a fair case for the library, and endowing it with threescore pounds per annum. Dr. Thomas White died anno Domini 1623. LORD MAYORS. John Aderly, son of John Aderly, Ironmonger, 1442. THE FAREWELL. I am credibly informed, that one Mr. Richard Grigson, citizen, hath expended a great sum of money in new casting of the bells of Christ Church, adding tunable chimes unto them. Surely he is the same person whom I find in the printed list of compounders to have paid one hundred and five pounds for his reputed delinquency in our civil wars; and am glad to see one of his persuasion (so lately purified in Goldsmith's Hall) able to go to the cost of so chargeable a work. I wish BRISTOL may have many more to follow his example; though perchance, in this our suspicious age, it will be conceived a more discreet and seasonable desire, not to wish the increase, but the continuance, of our bells; and that (though not taught the descant of chimes) they may retain their plain song for that public use to which they were piously intended. WORTHIES OF SOMERSETSHIRE WHO HAVE FLOURISHED Dr. Thomas AмORY, eloquent dissenting divine; born at Taunton 1700; died 1774. Thomas BAKER, divine and mathematician; born at Ilton about 1625; died 1690. Elizabeth Ogilvy BENGER, biographical and historical writer; born at Wells 1778. Richard BROCKLESBY, physician and author; born at Minehead 1722; died 1797. Simon BROWNE, learned dissenting divine; born at Shepton Mallet about 1680; died 1732. John BRYDAL, lawyer and antiquary; born about 1683. |