, a celebrated astrologer, was born at Quidham, near Wilton, in
, a celebrated astrologer, was born
at Quidham, near Wilton, in Wiltshire, Dec. 30, 1552,
of a good family, being the grandson of sir Thomas Forman, of Leeds, and great grandson of another sir Thomas
Forman. As an introduction to his astrological history, we
are told that, at six years old and after, he was much
troubled “with strong dreams and visions.
” His education at Salisbury was of a very humble kind, his master
being only able to teach him English, and something of
the accidence. From him he was sent to the free school at
Salisbury, where he continued two years. His next preceptor was one Minterne, a prebendary of the cathedral,
of whom we are only informed that he used to carry his
wood from place to place in winter to warm himself, and
made Simon do the same, “so gaining heat without fire.
”
In 1563 Ford’s father died, a very unfortunate event, for
his mother not caring for him, made him keep sheep, and
plow, and pick up sticks. At the age of fourteen, however, he became apprentice to a dealer in grocery and
drugs at Salisbury, and acquired some knowlege of the
latter, which he endeavoured to improve by books, but his
master would not let him read. Yet such was his avidity
to learn, that his master having a young boarder in the
house who wept to school at Salisbury, Ford learned of
him what he had been taught in school, although that was.
but little. ~At length, in consequence of a quarrel with
his master’s wife, he obtained leave to quit his service,
and went again to school for about eight weeks, applying
very diligently to his books until his “illnatured and
clownish mother
” refused to maintain him. At length,
when in his eighteenth year, he became schoolmaster at
the priory of St. Giles’s, and by teaching thirty boys for
half a year, scraped together forty shillings. With this,
accompanied by an old schoolfellow, he travelled on foot
to Oxford, and became a poor scholar of Magdalen college, being partly maintained by a bachelor of arts; but
this person employed him in so many menial employments
during his college frolics, that he left the university after
two years’ residence.