, a very learned Englishman, was descended from a good family in
, a very learned Englishman, was
descended from a good family in Huntingdonshire, and
born at Margaret-Inge, in June 1631. He was educated
under the famous Busby at Westminster-school, and being
king’s scholar, was elected thence to Trinity college, Cambridge, in 1648. He took his degrees in arts at the regular time,' and was made fellow of his college in 1653.
In 1658 he left the college in order to be tutor to Joscelin,
son of Algernon, the last earl of Northumberland, with
whom he continued till 1660, and then travelled at his own
ex pence, to qualify himself for the profession of physic,
into which he had resolved to enter some years before.
He passed through France to Rome, where he lived near
a year in the house of the hon. Algernon Sidney, to whom
he was recommended by his uncle the earl of Northumberland. In 1663 he returned to England, and to that earl’s
family; and, taking his doctor of physic’s degree at Cambridge in 1667, he practised in London. Here he
contraded an acquaintance with many eminent persons in his
own faculty, as Willis, Sydenham, Locke; and with several of the most distinguished divines, as Whichcote,
Tillotson, Patrick, Sherlock, Stillingfleet, Sharp, and Clagget. In 1670 he attended lord Essex in his embassy to
Denmark; and, in 1672, waited on the lady dowager
Northumberland into France. In March 1675, he was
chosen professor of physic in Gresbam college, London;
and, in 1676, attended the lord ambassador Montague,
and lady Northumberland, to France. The same year
Dr. Sydenham published his “Observationes medicas circa
morborum acutorum historiam et curationem,
” which he
dedicated to Dr. Mapletoft; who, at the desire of the
author, had translated them into Latin. He held his professorship at Gresham till October 1679, and married the
month following.