Thomas Browne

eldest son of Th. Br. Gent. was born in S. Michaels Cheap, or in the parish of S. Michael in Cheapside in London, on the 19 of Nov. an. 1605, educated in Grammar learning in Wykehams School near Winchester, entred a Commoner of Broadgates Hall (soon after known by the name of Pembroke Coll) in the beginning of the year 1623, took the degrees in Arts, as a Member of the said Coll, entred on the physick line, and practised that faculty for some time in these parts. Afterwards he travelled beyond the Seas, was made Doctor of Physick at Leyden, and after his return he was incorporated in this University, an. 1637. About which time, he, by the perswasions of Tho. Lushington his somtimes Tutor, retired to the City of Norwych, where being setled he was much resorted to by Patients for his admirable skill in Physick, which he practiced there with good success for many years, was made Socius honorarius of the Coll. of Physitians at London, and at length, in the latter end of Sept. 1671. had the honour of Knighthood confer’d upon him by his Maj. Ch. 2, then at, and near, the City of Norwych. He hath written,

Religio Medici. Lond. 1642. &c. oct. in English. Answerd in a book intit. Medicus Medicatus, written by Alex. Ross a Scot, and had English Observations put on it about the same time by Sir Ken. Digby, and Annotations by another. Afterwards the book it self was translated into Latine by Joh. Meryweather M. A. of Cambridge, and had latine annotations put to it by a certain German, who subscribes himself L. N. M. E. M. Printed at Strasburgh 1652. in oct: whose preface to it tells us that the book it self, which is translated into French, Italian, Dutch, German, &c. hath been much taken into the hands of curious and learned men, who have read it with great delight. See more there of the author Browne and of his Relig. Med. in the said translat.

Pseud. Epidem. Enquiries into very many received Tenents, and commonly presumed truths, or enquiries into common and vulgar errours. Lond. 1646 in a little fol. There again 1650. and 57 &c. The sixth edit. in 1673 was enlarged by the author with many explanations, additions, alterations, &c. Twas answer’d by the said Alex. Ross in his —Arcana Microcosmi: Or the hid secrets of mans body discovered, &c. Lond. 1652 oct. &c. And in a book written by Joh. Robinson M. D. entit. Eudoxa, seu questionum quarundam Miscelleniarum examen probabile, &c. Lond. 1656. oct. The Reader may be pleased now to know that there hath been published under Dr. Tho. Brownes name, a book bearing this title.

Natures Cabinet unlocked, wherein is discovered the natural causes of Metalls, Stones, Pretious Earths, &c.—Printed 1657 in tw. A dull worthles thing, stole for the most part out of the Physicks of Magirus by a very ignorant person, a Plagiary so ignorant and unskilful in his rider, that not distinguishing between Laevis and Levis in the said Magirus, hath told us of the Liver, that one part of it is gibbous and the other light: And yet he had the confidence to call this scribble Natures Cabinet, &c, an arrogant and fanciful title, of which our authors (Browne) true humilitie, would have no more have suffer’d him to have been the father, than his great learning could have permitted him to have been the author of the said book. For it is ((*))((*)) See a Discourse by way of Introduction to Baconiana; or certaine genuine Remaines of Franc. Visc. S. Alban Lond. 1679. oct. p. 76.77. Written by Tho. Tenison D. D. certain that as he was a Philosopher very inward with nature, so was he one that never boasted his acquaintance with her. Sir Tho. Browne hath written also,

Urn-burial: or, a discourse of Sepulchral Urns, lately found out in Norfolke, &c. Lond. 1658. oct. &c.

The Garden of Cyrus: or, the Quincunical, Lozenge or Net-work plantations of the Antients, artificially, naturally, mystically considered, with sundry observations, &c.—Printed with Urn-burial.

Certaine Miscellany Tracts: (1) Observations upon several plants mention’d in Scripture (2) Of Garlands, and coronary or garden-plants (3) Of the Fishes eaten by our Saviour with his Disciples, after his resurrection from the dead. (4) Answer to certain equeries relating to Fishes, Birds, Insects. (5) Of Hawkes and falconry, antient and moderne. (6) Of Cymbals, &c. (7) Of ropalie or gradual verses, &c. (8) Of Languages and particularly of the Saxon tongue. (9) Of artificial Hills, mounts or burrowes in many parts of England. (10) What place is meant by that name. (11) Of the answers of the Oracle of Apollo at Delphos to Croesus King of Lydia. (12) A prophecie concerning the future state of several nations. (13) Musaeum Clausum, or Bibliotheca abscondita, &c.—All these were printed at Lond. 1686 in oct. with the authors picture before them (shewing him to have been an handsome man) and an Epistle written by Dr. Tho. Tennison the publisher of them, who saith that there is on foot a design of writing the authors life, and that there are already some memorialls collected for that purpose by one of his antient friends, and puts the Reader in expectation of receiving hereafter some other remaining brief Discourses; among which is his Repertorium: or, some account of the Tombes, Monuments, &c. in the Cath. Ch. of Norwich. This learned and worthy Physitian (whose works were published in fol. 1686, with his picture also before them) died in his house in Norwych, on the 19 day of Octob. in sixteen hundred eighty and two,1682. and was buried within the Railes at the East end of the Chancell, in the Church of S. Peter in Mancroft within the said City. Over his grave was a Monument soon after erected by his Relict Dame Dorothy, who had been his affectionate wife 41. years, with this inscription thereon. M. S. Hic situs est Thomas Browne M. D. & Miles, An. 1605 Londini natus, generosâ familiâ apud Upton in agro Cestrensi oriundus, Scholâ primum Wintoniensi, postea in Coll. Pembr. apud Oxonienses, bonis literis haud leviter imbutus; in urbe hâc Nordovicensi Medicinam, arte egregiâ & faelici successu professus. Scriptis, quibus tituli, Religio Medici & Pseudodoxia Epidemica, aliissque per orbem notissimus. Vir pientissimus, integerrimus, doctissimus. Obiit Octob. 19, an. 1682. Pie posuit maestissima conjux Da Dor. Br. There is also an English Epitaph, which, for brevity sake, I shall now pass by.