Volume 1

The works of Sir Thomas Browne : including his unpublished correspondence, and a memoir / edited by Simon Wilkin.

  • Thomas Browne
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The works of Sir Thomas Browne : including his unpublished correspondence, and a memoir / edited by Simon Wilkin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    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 col- lege 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 pri- vacy. Those qualities which have been exerted in any known and lasting performances, may, at any distance of time, be traced and estimated; but silent excel- lencies are soon forgotten ; and those minute peculi- arities 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 hap- pened, among many others, to Sir Thomas Browne, had it not been delineated by his friend, Mr. White- foot, who esteemed it an especial favour of Provi- dence, to have had a particular acquaintance with him for two thirds of his life. Part of his observations I shall, therefore, copy.7 7 «>Py-~] Mr. Whitefoot's being the Some Minutes for the Life of Sir earliest existing biographical sketch of Thomas Browne, by John Whitefoot, M. A. our author, and the work of a contempo- late Rector of Heigham, in Norfolk. rary, and an intimate friend, I had felt Had my province been only to preach strongly disposed to print it entire, rather a funeral sermon for this excellent pcr- than give Dr. Johnson's extracts. But son, I might, perhaps, have been allowed, as he has omitted only the commence- upon such a singular occasion, to have ment, and two or three paragraphs in the chosen my text out of a book, which midst, I have thought it better to present though it be not approved to be canoni- Dr. Johnson's Biography just as it stood, cal, yet is not permitted only, but ordered supplying bis omissions in notes. Here to be read publickly in our church, and follow the introductory paragraphs, thus for the eminent wisdom of the contents, headed :— we|l deserving that honour, I mean that