John Chamber

a person for his life and learning worthily honoured by all that knew him, was born in Yorkshire, and in the year 1569. was, tho Merton coll. had then no Lands in that county, chosen purely for his merits, by the consent of all the Society, Probationer-Fellow of the said house. In which place, as also in that of Bach. fellow, he went beyond all of the same election for subtile disputations, and knowledge in the Greek tongue. After he had taken the degree of Master, in 1573. he applied his Muse to the study of Medicine and Astronomy; about which time he read publickly on the Almagest of Ptolomy. In the year 1582. he became fellow of Eaton coll. near to Windsore, being then in holy orders, and two years after supplicated the congregation of Ven. Regents, that he might be admitted to the reading of any of the books of Hypocrates: But whether he was admitted, it appears not in any of the registers of that time. In 1601. he being then fam’d for his learning, he was made canon of Windsore in the place of Rog. Browne B. D. (sometimes of Kings coll. in Cambridge) deceased; which, with Eaton, he held to his dying day. He hath written,

Scholia ad Barlaami Monachi Logisticam Astronomiam. Par. 1600. qu. Which book he also translated from Greek into Latin,

Treatise against Judicial Astrology. Lond. 1601. qu. In which book having done no less than a christian learned man ought to have done, he had reason to look for another reward of his labours than he found. For instead of thanks and commendation for his labours so well placed, he was roughly entertain’d by Sir Christop. Heyden Knight (sometimes of Cambridge University, afterwards High-Steward of the Cath. Ch. of Norwych) in his Defence of judicial Astrology. Cambr. 1603. qu. a work full of no common reading, and carried on with no mean arguments. But our author not living to see his reply published, he was some years after defended by his friend George Carleton, as I shall tell you under the year 1628. As for Sir Cristop. Heyden, who was a man of parts, and had been Knighted at the sacking of Cadiz by Rob. Earl of Essex in 1596. was of Baconsthorp in Norfolk, and died (in the winter time as it seems) in 1623. The reply which our author wrote, but could not live to put it in the press, hath this title:

A confutation of Astrological Daemonology, or the Devils School, in defence of a treatise intit. Against judiciary Astrology; and oppugned in the name of Sir Ch. Heyden Knight.—This is a MS. very fairly written in fol. richly bound and gilt, dedicated by the author to K. James, with an Epistle dated from Windsor Chappel 2. Feb. 1603. The beginning of which is, In the midst of all my pains and labours (most puissant and renowned Prince) &c. and the beginning of the work it self is, In the setting down and delivery of Arts, Galen, in his book intit. Ars Medicinalis, &c. ’Twas the very same book, as it seems, that was given to the King, which coming into the hands of Sir Hen. Savile, he gave it to his Mathematical Library in Oxon.

Astronomiae encomium, ante annos 27. peroratum, quo tempore Prolomei Almagestum, in Vniversitate Oxon enarravit. Lond. 1601. in Lat. and Engl. These I think are all the things that our author Jo. Chamber hath either written or published; and therefore I have nothing more to say, only that he yielding up his last breath at Windsore on the first of August, in sixteen hundred and four, 1604 was buried on the north side of the entrance into the Choire of S. Georges Chappel there. Over his grave was soon after a plain marble laid, whereon is insculp’d the figure of a man in a mantle, bearing an Escutcheon of S. Georges arms, with this inscription under him. Johanni Chamber, Socio primum collegii Mertonensis, an. 1569. dein Etonensis, an. 1582. postremum canonico hujus Ecclesia, an. 1601. Theologo, Medico, Mathematico insigni. Henricus Nevill & Henricus Savile Milites posuere. Natus apud Swillington in Com. Ebor. an. 1546. Mense Maio, obiit Etonae an. 1604. ineunte Augusto; corpus hoc marmore humatum jacit. Praeter alia Legavit moriens collegio Mertonensi Mille Libras. The said thousand pounds were by him given to Merton coll. to purchase Lands in Yorkshire, on this condition, that two Scholarships of the said college should be supplied out of Eaton School by the nomination and election of the provost of Kings coll. in Cambridge, and the provost of Eaton. This gift was soon after settled, and the two Scholars were successively added to the number of the 12 Postmasters of the said house of Merton.