ohn Perse, for that was his true name, who was then much at Oxford and Chillingworth being accounted a very ingenious man, Fisher used all possible means of being
The conversation and study of the university scholars, in his time, turned chiefly upon the controversies between the church of England and the church of Rome, occasioned by the uncommon liberty allowed the Romish priests by James I. and Charles I. Several of them lived at or near Oxford, and made frequent attempts upon the young scholars; some of whom they deluded to the Romish religion, and afterwards conveyed to the English seminaries beyond sea. Among these there was the famous Jesuit, John Fisher, alias John Perse, for that was his true name, who was then much at Oxford and Chillingworth being accounted a very ingenious man, Fisher used all possible means of being acquainted with him. Their conversation, soon turned upon the points controverted between the two churches, but particularly on the necessity of an infallible living judge in matters of faith. Chillingworth found himself unable to answer the arguments of the Jesuit on this head; and being convinced of the necessity of such a judge, he was easily brought to believe that this judge was to be found in the church of Rome; that therefore the church of Rome must be the true church, and the only church in which men could be saved. Upon this he forsook the communion of the church of England, and cordially embraced the Romish religion.
d family, bred at Oxford, a poet likewise, and much in the good graces of Henry VIII. Wood calls him a very ingenious man; and says, that he wrote several tragedies
, or Farrars, a Warwickshire gentleman of good family, bred at Oxford, a poet likewise, and much in the good graces of Henry VIII. Wood calls him a very ingenious man; and says, that he wrote several tragedies and comedies, none of which are extant. He died in the year 1564.
, brother to bishop Fletcher, and a native of the same county, was a very ingenious man. He received his education at Eton; and,
, brother to bishop Fletcher, and
a native of the same county, was a very ingenious man.
He received his education at Eton; and, in 1565, was
elected thence to KingVcollege in Cambridge, where he
took a bachelor’s of arts degree in 1596, a master’s in
1573, and that of LL. D. in 1581. He was, says Wood,
an excellent poet, and a very accomplished man; and his
abilities recommending him to queen Elizabeth, he was
employed by her as a commissioner into Scotland, Germany, and the Low Countries. Of his poetical talent,
however, no proofs are known to be extant. In 1588, he
was sent ambassador to Russia; not only to conclude a
league with the emperor there, but also to re-establish and
put into good order the decayed trade of our Russia company. He met, at first, with a cold reception, and even
rough usage: for the Dutch, envying the exclusive privilege which the Russia company enjoyed of trading thither,
had excited prejudices against them: and a false rumour
then spread, of our fleet being totally destroyed by the
Spanish armada, had created in the czar a contempt for
the English, and a presumption that he might safely injure
those who were not in a capacity to take revenge. But
the ambassador soon effaced those impressions; and having
obtained advantageous conditions, returned to England with
safety and honour. Fuller says, that upon his arrival at
London, “he sent for an intimate friend, with whom he
heartily expressed his thankfulness to God for his safe return from so great a danger. For the poets cannot fancy
Ulysses more glad to be come out of the den of Polyphemus, than he was to be rid of the power of such a barbarous prince: who counting himself, by a proud and voluntary mistake, emperor of all nations, cared not for the law
of all nations; and who was so habited in blood, that, had
he cut off this ambassador’s head, he and his friends might
have sought their own amends, but the question is, where
they would have found it.
” Shortly after his return, he
was made secretary to the city of London, and a master of
the Court of Requests: and, in June 1597, treasurer of
St. Paul’s. This worthy person died in 1610, in the parish
of St. Catherine Colman, Fenchurch-street; and was probably buried in that church. From the observations he
had made during his embassy into Russia, he drew up a
curious account, “Of the Russe Commonwealth: or manner of Government by the Russe Emperor, commonly called the Emperor of Moskovia, with the manners and
fashions of the people of that country,
” Navigations,
Voyages,
” &c. vol. I. only a little contracted. Camden,
speaking of this book, styles it “libellum in quo plurima
observanda.
” Dr. Fletcher also wrote, “A Discourse
concerning the Tartars,
” the object of which was to prove
that they are the Israelites, or ten tribes, which being
captivated by Salmanasser, were transplanted into Media.
This opinion was afterwards adopted by Whiston, who
printed the discourse in the first volume of his curious
“Memoirs.
”
, a very ingenious man, was the son of Robert and Sarah Nutt, and
, a very ingenious man, was the son of Robert and Sarah Nutt, and born at Hinckley in September 1700. He was educated at the free grammar-school in that town, where he made a very considerable progress in learning; and at a proper age, was put apprentice to Mr. John Parr of Hinckley, an eminent apothecary; in, which station, by his diligence and industry, he gained great confidence and respect from his master and the whole family. After this, he attended the hospitals in London; and on his return to Hinckley, carried on for many years a considerable business with reputation and success. Some time about the middle of life he was chosen one of the surveyors of the highways for the parish, when he adopted a new method for improving the same, by turning over the roads the water that came from the town; which being considerably enriched by washing the streets and public sinks, what he could spare from the roads, or rather after it had done the business there, he conveyed upon the lands of those who approved of his proceedings. The consequence was, the land was greatly enriched. The effect of the water upon the road, in that part below the town that is now the Coventry turnpike-road, was, that it served like a boultingmill; the muddy foul parts upon the land being carried off, and the sandy, gravelly, and stony parts, remaining by their own gravity, were left firm; for the. road was sometimes wet, and sometimes dry, as he let it out of a reservoir for that purpose at pleasure. By this method it became good for saddle and pack-horses; the last of which were much used upon the roads at that time, the pit-coal from the Warwickshire mines being brought by them in considerable quantities. It was also much better for the draft horses; though when much used by these, especially in the coal business, the wheels of these carriages being at that time very narrow, and generally laying on great loads, were apt to disturb and cut the roads; for the materials used were commonly sand dug by the road side, which was done at a moderate expence. If upon this more gravelly or stony materials had been applied, there is no doubt, though the expence would have been greater, the road would have been much better. This, being a new way of proceeding, met with a difference of reception in the parish; and some enemies were ready on every occasion to insult and ridicule their surveyor. He spent much of his time in the valuation of land, and many persons entertained a good opinion of his abilities in this branch, particularly sir Dudley Ryder, when attorney-general, the ancestor of the present lord Harrowby.