Gunnes. The Almanack chronologie tells us (1680)—'Since the invention of gunnes'—by ..., a monke of ..., in Germany—'270 yeares,' scil. in the reigne of <Henry IV>, anno 1410. Philip de Commines tells us that in his time, when Charles 8 went into Italy, the country-people flocked mightily to see the great gunnes shott off, which was the first time they came in use: but musquetts and fowling-peeces came not to perfection long after. Memorandum:—in the Princes' Chamber at the House of Lords[1315], scil. the roome where the king does retire, are very old hangings, viz. of Edward the Fourth's time, in which is described the invention and use of gunnes. The muskets there are only a long tube stop't at one end, with a touch-hole, and fitted to a long staff. This gun one holds on a rest and aimes; and then another comes with a lighted match in a stick and gives fire, so that 'twas the worke of two men then to manage one piece. Till the late warres refined locksmiths' worke, I remember when I was boy the firelocks were very bungling to what they now are. And in queen Elizabeth's time they used calivers, of which I remember many in gentlemen's halls before the civill wars (for then the soldiers converted them into carbines). The stock was like a wooden basting-ladle, and it had a match-lock, and was not much longer then a carbine.

'Cualibre' in French signifies the bore of a gun, or the size of the bore; and (thence) also the size capacity or fashion of any such thing—Cotgrave's Dictionary.—MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 11.

<Printing.> Memorandum, in the librarie of Francis Bernard, M.D., in London, behind Sepulcher's church, is Tulie's Offices ('tis printed Tulii) in 4to, printed at Mentz by <Johann> Fust, 1466.—The sayd Dr. sayes that he hath seen Saint Hierome on the Creed, printed at Oxford, 1467[1316].—Memorandum, Mr. ... Morris of Llansilly in Denbighshire hath a manuscript Bible in Welsh 1500[1317] years old. It was found at the dissolution of the monasteries in an old wall which parted the monastery from the Bishop's Palace[1318] at Hereford, lap't-up in lead, and the inscription on it doeth testifie the antiquitie of it. 'Tis thought 'twas hid and layd-up there when the great difference, and troubles, was between the Welsh monkes and those of Austin the monke:—from Mr. Middleton, <of> Denbighshire, merchant in London. Quaere Mr. Meredith Lloyd de hoc: there may be something of trueth to be pickt out in this storie.—MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 11.

Catafalconi is the magnificent contrivance for kings' and princes' and generalls' effigies to lie in state in some eminent church for some weekes, e.g. King James I^st; Robert, earle of Essex; generall Monke, duke of Albemarle. It takes its name from 'Falconi,' which signifies in Italian 'an eagle.'—Memorandum at the solemne funeralls of the Roman emperors they had an eagle to fly away from the rogus when it tooke fire.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 3.

<Stained glass in Oxford.> When I came to Oxford, crucifixes were common in the glasse windowes in the studies' windowes[1319]; and in the chamber windowes were canonized saints (e.g. in my chamber window, St. Gregorie the great, and another, broken), and scutcheons with[1320] the pillar, the whip, the dice, and the cock. But after 1647 they were all broken—'downe went Dagon!' Now no vestigia to be found.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 3.

Mr. Fabian Philips sayes the winter 1625 before the plague was such a mild winter as this[1321]: quod N.B.—MS. Aubr. 8, a slip at fol. 6.

Quaere Dick Brocas, prisoner in King's Bench, pro legier booke of Bradstock abbey.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 6^v.

Quaere nomen ecclesiae unde deducebantur picturae Mri. Davys.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 6^v.

Oliver turned out the parliament, 20 Apr. 1653.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 5.

... Knox began his voyage to Tunquin, Aug. 18, 1681.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 5^v.

The first beginning of the Royal Society (where they putt discourse in paper and brought it to use) was in the chamber of William Ball, esqr., eldest son of Sir Peter Ball of Devon, in the Middle Temple. They had meetings at taverns before, but 'twas here where it formally and in good earnest sett up[1322]. In Dr. Spratt's History you may see when the patent was granted.—MS. Aubr. 8, a slip at fol. 6.

<Wiltshire.> Quaere Mr. <Thomas> Mariet and Mr. Packer (pro Anthony Wood) if <there is> a camp neer Camden, and if another on Broadway.—Memorandum ... <to put> my brother's notes of ... Hyde, etc., into 'Liber[1323] B' before I send it to Anthony Wood.—'Liber[1324] A' (preface)—the 'clerici' (i.e. parish priests) did write the bayliffs' accounts and that in Latin, a specimen whereof I have with me of....—MS. Aubr. 8, a slip at fol. 13.

<Oxford.> Insert the shields in St. Ebbe's church at Oxon in 'Liber B.'—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 6^v.

The paper mill at Bemmarton, Wilts, is 112 yeares standing (1681). 'Twas the second in England.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 28^v.

Jessamines came into England with Mary[1325], the queen-mother; Laurell was first brought over by Alathea[1326], countesse of Arundell, grandmother to this duke of Norfolke[1327].—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 28^v.

Rider's <Almanack>, 1682:—'Since tobacco[1328] brought into England by Sir Walter Raleigh, 99 yeares; the custome[1329] wherof now is the greatest of all others and amounts yearly to....—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 103.

Rider's Almanack, 1682:—'Since Tobacco first used, 99 yeares; since the New River was brought to London, 79; since coaches were first used, 128.'—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 28^v.

The first glasse-coach that came into England was the duke of Yorke's when the king was restored. In a very short time they grew common, and now (1681), at Waltham or Tottnam high crosse, is sett-up a mill for grinding of coach-glasses and looking glasses (much cheaper, viz.).—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 28^v.

Penny Post Office, vide vitam R. Morey[1330]. Mr. Robert Murrey began it in May 1680, and the duke of York seized on it in 1682[1331]—quaere about what time of the yeare? Let Mr. Murry goe to Dr. Chamberlayne at Suffolke house.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 30.

<The penny post.> Doe right to Mr. Murrey in a Memorandum as to the refelling of Dr. <Edward> Chamberlayne who ascribes that invention or project of the 1^d post to W. Dockwray, which is altogether false.—MS. Aubr. 8, a slip at fol. 13.

<Printing.> Mr. J. Gadbury assures me that the first printing in England was in Westminster Abbey. They yet retaine the name 'Treasurer of the chapell.'—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 28^v.

Mr. Theodore Haak saieth that the antiquity of pinnes is not above 200 yeares. 'Before, they used a thorne, etc., more primitivo. He saies moreover that he heard the Swedish ambassador asked two other ambassadors what they thought was the greatest waste of copper. One, said bells, another said cannons. 'No,' sayd he, ''tis pinnes'—quod N.B.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 30.

Shoes. I doe remember, in my native county of North Wilts, husbandmen did weare high shoes till 1633 common enough, scil. 1/2 bootes slitt and laced. The Benedictine monks wore bootes, I beleeve, like these—at least 1/2 bootes.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 30.

Gentilisme[1332]. Memorandum in Yorkeshire the country woemen doe still hailst the new mewne, scil. they kneele with their bare knees on a grownd-fast stene and say all haile, etc. The moon hath a greater influence on woemen than on men.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 69.

Gentilisme. Weddings out. Ovid's Fastorum lib. <iii. 397, 398>:—

see the two distiches preceding.

This St. Andrewe's crosse we wore on our hatts, pinned on, till the Plott, and never since:—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 69.

Avebury. Between pages 1 and 2[1334] insert the scheme of Avebury.—... miles westwards from Marleborough (not far from Bristowe-roade) is a village called Avebury which stands within one of the most remarkeable monuments of its kind in England. It seemes strange to me that so little notice hath been taken of it by writers. Mr. Camden only touches on it and no more.—MS. Aubr 9, fol. 50^v.

<Palm Sunday.> Antiquity—the fashion hereabout[1335] was before the warres that on Palme Sunday the young men and maydes received the communion, and in the afternoon walkt together under the hedges about the cornefields, which was held to be lucky.—MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 2^v.

<Simples.> Some write that the water ..., vervayn, ..., ... of sprinkled about the hall or place where any feast or banket is kept maketh all the company both lusty and merry.—Dodoens Herball.—MS. Aubr. 21, a slip at fol. 9.

Witches (maleficae). Twisting of trees, tearing and turning up oakes by the roots. Raysing tempests; wracking ships; throwing down steeples; blasting plantes; dwindle away young children. To overlooke and binde the spirits and phantasy; bewhattling and making men impotent, woemen miscarry (countesse of Carlisle). Whirlewinds; haracanes.

Mr. Morehouse[1336]:—spirits in 'em. Bishop of Bahuse; the devill's black mace of rammes hornes; the session, À la mode de Royal Society, with ballotting box. Memorandum;—Sir H. B. <said> wise men alwaies saw that as some malicious woemen increased in yeares, increased also in malice: set howses on fire, mischiefe <to> children, etc. Thought it better to have them underground then above ground and raise storms: the familiars could not handsomely knock 'em in the head.—MS. Aubr. 21, p. 11.

<Provincial ignorance.> Sir Eglamour and Fitz-ale <two of the persons in Aubrey's Comedy The Country Revel> discourse of the gothique manner of living of these gentlemen, of their ignorance, and envy of civilized and ingeniouse men; of the promising growth of civility and knowledge in the next generation[1337] (in our grandfathers' or great-grandfathers' dayes few gentlemen could write a letter: then 'the clarke made the justice'); that there is a sort of provinciall witt, or rather a humour that goes for witt, e.g. in the west, which if used in the north, or elsewhere, seemes strange and ridiculous.—MS. Aubr. 21, p. 11.

Summer watch. Vide Sir Thomas Smyth's Commonwealth de hac. Cause is that the blood is then high: keepe downe the juvenilis impetus. The old men in those dayes were not so ignorant in philosophy as the virtuosi, forsooth, doe thinke they were. They knew, etc.—MS. Aubr. 21, p. 11.

<Provincial manners.> Collect[1338] the gothicismes and clownrys of ... in Chester. Dick Pawlet, Secole Chivers, W. Ducket's clan of Clowne-hall. Their servants like clownes too, drunkards too: qualis herus, talis servus; breeches of one sort, doublet of another, drabled with the teares of the tankard and greasie. He built an alehouse for his servants, without the gate, for convenience sake, because the servants should be within call. (Before they came hither above a mile for their ale.) Vide Osburne, of distinction of habitts.—MS. Aubr. 21, p. 12.

Country magique. Walking about the church Midsomer eve at night, one shall meet the party that shall marry. They must goe round the church nine times (or seven times), with a sword drawne, if a man; if a woman, with a scabbard.—To putt a smock on the hedge on Midsommer-eve night, the man that is to have her shall come and turne it.—They take orpin and stick branches of it on the wall, and fancy such a branch for such a man, such a branch for such a woman, and divine their loves and marriage or not-marriage by the inclining or aversion of the branches.—They tye magicall knotts with certayne grasses, which, putt in the bosome of the man or woman, if their love have not love for them, will untye.—MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 24^v.

<Sketches for designed inventions: MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 57: illustrated in most cases by drawings. One (fol. 57) is for a cart with one wheel, imitated from 'the slids in the forrest of Deane, for their narrow wayes where carts cann't passe.'

Another (fol. 57^v) is for a balloon:—'Fill or force in smoake into a bladder and try if the bladder will not be carryed up in the ayre. If it is so, severall bladders may drawe a man up into the ayre a certaine hight, as the holly-berrys arise to the middle of water in a glasse. Memorandum try to what hight they will ascend in a deep vessell, and also try other berryes if any will doe so.'

Another (fol. 57) is for a flying machine and parachute:—'Memorandum to propose that Mr. Packer sends to Norfolk or Suffolke to the gentleman that hath with much curiosity measured the feathers in the wings of severall birds and taken proportions of them and the weight of their bodies, and to send to Mr. Francis Potter for his notions of flying and of being safely delivered upon the ground from great heights with a sheet, etc.'

Another (fol. 58) is for sailing a ship:—'Memorandum Dr. Wilkins his notion of an umbrella-like invention for retarding a ship when shee drives in a storm.'

Another (fol. 59) is for a sowing-machine:—'Let a ginne be invented to shatter out corne by jogging in stead of soweing or setting, the one being, too wastfull, the other taking up too much time; and that the soweing and harrowing may bee but one and the same labour.'>

Herifordshire. All the earth red, as also all Wales from Severn to the sea.—The twanging pronunciation more here then in South Wales; in North Wales, not much. So about Newcastle they speak more of the Scotch twang than they doe at Berwick or Scotland.—Get the song or speech of serjant Hoskyns of the earl of Northampton, the Lord President of Wales.—At Mordeford, the serpent with 6 or 8 wings, every ... a paire.—Vide the little bookes of the old earl of Worcester[1339] in 12mo, where, amongst other things, he mentions a profecie by a bard of Ragland, that it should be burnd or destroyed and afterwards be rebuilt out of Redwood; set forth (vide), I thinke, by Dr. <Thomas> Bayly his chaplain: where be many pretty romances of that earle, etc., his life and death, etc. The same Dr. also writt a booke in folio (thinne) called Parietaria: which see. He (or his father[1340]) would shoe his horse. Was a great patron to the musicians, e.g. Caporavio, etc. This duke's father[1341] had an excellent mechanicall head: quaere what he writt: Mr. Wyld, I thinke, hath the booke printed in red.—MS. Aubr. 31, p. 68.

Monmouthshire. About the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's time Welsh was spoken much in Hereford and I believe 100 years before that as far as the Severn. It weares out more and more in South Wales, especially since the Civill Warres (and so in Cornwall: Mr. Francis Potter did see one that spake of a woman towards the farther end of Cornwall that could speak no English)—but they still retaine their ancient way of pronunciation, which is with a twang worse than the Welsh.—MS. Aubr. 21, p. 68^v.

<Dress.> Memorandum—anciently no bandes worne about their neckes, but furre: as in old glasse pictures.—Memorandum till queen Elizabeth's time, no hattes, but cappes, i.e. bonnetts.—Trunke hose in fashion till the later end of King James the first.—About 90 yeares ago[1342] (1670) noblemen and gentlemen's coates were of the fashion of the bedells and yeomen of the guard, i.e. gathered at the girdle place; and our benchers' gownes retayne yet that fashion of gathering.—MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 95^v.

By reason of fasting dayes all gentlemen's howses had anciently fishponds, and fish in the motes about the howse.—MS. Aubr. 31, fol. 95^v.

Heretofore glasse windowes were very rare, only used in churches and the best roomes of gentlemen's howses. Yea, in my remembrance, before the civill warres, copyholders and ordinary poore people had none. Now the poorest people, that are upon almes, have it. In Herefordshire, Monmouth, Salop, etc., it is so still. But now this yeare (1671) are goeing up no lesse then 3 glasse-howses between Glocester and about Worcester, so that glasse will be common over all England.—MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 95^v.

Memorandum—without doubt, before the Reformation there was no county in England but had severall glasse-painters. I only remember one poore one, an old man (Harding) at Blandford, in that trade.—MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 95^v.

Riding at the quintin at weddings is now left in these partes[1343] but in the west of England is sometimes used yet. I remember when I learned to read English I saw one at Will Tanner's wedding sett up at the green by Bownet howse by the pounde. Vide the masque of Ben Johnson, wher is a perfect description of rideing at the quintin. Quaere the antiquity and rise of it.—Memorandum I sawe somewhere that rideing at the quintin is a remayn of the Roman exercise; vide Juvenal[1344], Satyr vi. 248—

A quintin[1346] ('quintaine' in French).

(a) a leather satchell filled with sand.

(b) a roller of corne[1347] pitched on end in some crosse way or convenient place where the bride comes along home.

(c) at this end the fellowes that bring home the bride give a lusty bang with their clubbes or truncheons which they have for the purpose, and if they are not cunning and nimble the sandbag takes them in the powle ready to hitt them off their horses. They ride a full career when they make their stroke.

(a c) a piece of wood about a nell[1348] long that turnes on the pinne of the rowler (e).—MS. Aubr. 21, fol. 95.

Chelsey Hospitall. On Thursday morning, February the sixteenth 1681/2, his majestie layed the foundation stone of the college appointed for the reliefe of indigent officers at Chelsey College.—MS. Aubr. 23, fol. 20^v.

<Siamese twins[1349].> May 19, 1680, about sun rising were borne at Hillbrewers neer Ilminster in Somerset twinne sisters growne together at the belley: christned Aquila and Priscilla. Quaere the judgment by Dr. Bernard.—MS.
Aubr. 33, fol. 92.

Rollright stones. Except 1, 2, the rest + - 4 foote[1350]; about 4-1/2; quaere quot[1351].—MS. Aubr. 23, a slip at fol. 92.

<Apparition[1352].> 1679: as he was a bed sick of an ague, (he awake—daytime) came to him the vision of a Master of Arts with a white wand in his hand, and told him that if he lay on his back three howres, viz. 10 to 1, that he should be rid of his ague. He was weary[1353] and turned and immediately the ague came: after, he did not, etc., and was perfectly well.—MS. Aubr. 23, a slip at fol. 100^v.

<Soap.> A Bristow-man living in Castile in Spain learn't their art of making soape, which he did first set up in Bristowe about the yeare 1600. By this, alderman Rogers there gott a great estate, and Mr. ... Broughton[1354] was the first that improved barren ground there with the soape-ashes, now not uncommon.—MS. Aubr. 26, page 18.

A Bristow-man living in Castile in Spaine learnt their art of makeing soape, which he first sett-up in Bristow, now (1681) 80 + yeares since.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 28^v.

<The Fishmongers' Company, London.> To discover[1355] and find out the lands concealed and embezilled by the Fishmongers' company, which was to maintain so many scholars in Oxford and for the ease of poor Catholiques in Lent. Mr. Fabian Philips tells me I may find out the donation in Stow's Survey of London: he can put me in a way to help me to a third or fourth part for the discoverie. J. Collins, who enformed me of this discovery, sayd the lands are worth some thousands per annum, scil. two or three thousand pounds per annum, which devout Catholiques in ancient times gave to this company for their pious and charitable use. My lord Hunsdon would be a good instrument herein. Memorandum in the records of the Tower are to be found many graunts, etc., to the Fishmongers' company. Edmund Wyld; esq., saith that the old Parliament did intend to have had an inspection into charitable uses. See Sir Richard Baker's Chronicle pag. 267 G, anno 22 Henry VII <1507>, scil. Thomas Knesworth, mayor of London, gave to the Fishmongers' company, certain tenements for which they are bound to allow fower scholars, that is to say, two at Oxon, and two at Cambridge, to each of them fower pounds per annum, as also to poor people prisoners in Ludgate something yeerely. Quaere Anthony Wood de hiis.—MS. Aubr. 26, page 1.