Memoir of John Aubrey, F.R.S.; embracing his autobiographical sketches, a brief review of his personal and literary merits, and an account of his works, with extracts from his correspondence, anecdotes of some of his contemporaries, and of the times in which he lived / By John Britton ... Published by the Wiltshire Topographical Society [with its 5th Annual Report, 1845].

John Britton

Date:: 1845

Credit: Memoir of John Aubrey, F.R.S.; embracing his autobiographical sketches, a brief review of his personal and literary merits, and an account of his works, with extracts from his correspondence, anecdotes of some of his contemporaries, and of the times in which he lived / By John Britton ... Published by the Wiltshire Topographical Society [with its 5th Annual Report, 1845]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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1662. a: About these years I sold my estate in Herefordshire. : 1663. Janu. I had the honour to be elected Fellow of the R. S. 1664. June 11, landed at Calais ; in August following had a terrible fit of the spleen and piles at Orleans. I returned in October. j 1664 or 1665. Munday after Christmas was in danger to be spoiled by my horse; and the same day received lesio in testiculo, which was like to have been fatal. O. R. Wiesman quod—lI believe 1664. 1665. November 1, I made my first address (in an ill hour) to Joane Sumner. * 1666. This year all my business and affairs ran kim kam, nothing tooke effect, as if I had been under an ill tongue. Treacheries and enmities in abundance against me. 1667. December. . . arrested in Chancery-lane, at Mrs. Sumner’s suite. Feb. 24, A.M., about 8 or 9. Triall with her at Sarum ; victory and 600/. damaged ; though devilish oppo- sition against me. 1668. July 6, was arrested by Peter Gale’s malicious contrivance the day before I was to go to Winton for my second triall ; but it did not retard me above two hours, but did not then go to triall. 1669. March 5, was my triall at Winton from eight to nine. The judge being exceedingly made against me by my Lady Hungerford, but four of the...... appearing, and much adoe, got the moiety of Sarum; verdict in 300/. 1669 and 1670. I sold all my estate in Wilts. From 1670 to this very day (I thank God,) I have enjoyed a happy delitescency. 1671. . . . Danger of arrests. 1677. Latter end of June an impostume brake in my head. Mdm. St. John’s night, 1673, in danger of being run through with a sword by a young templer at Mr. Burges’ chamber, in the M. Temple. I was in danger of being killed by William Earl of Pembroke, then Lord Herbert, at the election of Sir William Salkeld for New Sarum. I have been in danger of being drowned twice. The year that I lay at Mr. Neve’s (for a short time) I was in great danger of being killed by a drunkard in the street of Gray’s Inn Gate by a gentleman whom I never saw before, but (Deo Gratias) one of his companions hindred his thrust. [1754. June 11, transcribed from a MS. in Mr. Aubrey’s own hand- writing, in the possession of Dr. R. Rawlinson. ] Such are the auto-biographical memoranda of John Aubrey ; and, although they are slight in texture, they afford a clear and vivid insight into the elements of a cha- racter which was unique, and contradistinguished from that of all his compeers. * The manuscript in the Bodleian Library, in the hand-writing of Ballard, has the name here distinctly written “ Joane Brewer.” Dr. Rawlinson, however, quoting from the original, in Aubrey’s writing, (then in his own possession), prints it “ Joane Sumner ;” and, as‘this reading is corroborated by subsequent passages, as well as by Aubrey’s other memoranda, it is here corrected as a mere error of the transcriber, though it is certainly one of a most extraordinary kind.

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