Thomas Digges

, Son of Leonard Digges, mentioned before under the year 1574. by Sarah his Wife, Sister to Jam. and Tho. Wilford, two most valiant Knights of Hartridge in the Parish of Crainbrook in Kent, was born in that County, and for a time educated among the Oxonian Muses, but in what House I cannot yet tell, neither whether he be the same Mr. Digges which the famous Lampoon or Libel, made by Th. Bulkley, in the time of Q. Elizabeth, (on several Scholars and others of Oxon,) points at. However, of this I am sure, he the said Tho. Digges did spend his younger years, even from his Cradle, in the Liberal Sciences; especially in searching the most difficult and curious demonstrations Mathematical, by the assistance of the practices, observations, monuments, and conferences of his Father. He was a Person of great Piety, well skilled in matters relating to Soldiers, and War, (having been Muster-master General of all Q. Elizabeth’s Forces in the Low Countries,) and learned to a miracle in Mathematical Sciences, which made him much esteemed by Joh. Dee, Tho. Allen and others. He hath transmitted to Posterity,

Alae sive scalae Mathamaticae. Lond. 1573. qu. Of which Work Tycho Brahe (n)(n) In lib. suo De nova Stella, lib. 1. cap. 9. giveth a favourable and ingenious censure.

An Arithmetical Military Treatise, containing so much of Arithmetick, as is necessary towards Military Discipline. Lond. 1579. qu.

Geometrical Treatise named Stratiaticos, requisite for the perfection of Soldiers. Lond. 1579. qu. This was first of all attempted by his Father, but finished by this our author Thomas his Son; afterwards corrected and amended, and sundry additions put to it.—Lond. 1590. qu.

Perfect description of Celestial Orbs, according to the most ancient Doctrine of the Pythagoreans, &c. Lond. 1592. qu. set at the end of his Fathers Prognostication.

Humble motives for association to maintain Religion established.—Printed 1601. in oct. To which is added his Letter to the same purpose to the Archbishops and Bishops of England.

England’s Defence: a Treatise concerning Invasion: or, a brief discourse of what orders were best for the repulsing of Foreign Enemies, if any time they should invade us by Sea in Kent, or elsewhere.—Written 1599. but not printed till 1686. which was at Lond. in 5 sheets in fol. Besides these and his Nova corpora, &c. he had several Mathematical Treatises lying by him, which were fit for the Press, and by him intended for publick view; but being diverted by Law-sutes, his intentions were not only stopped, but the happy Society of the Mathematical Muses were discontinued. He concluded his last day on the 24. 1595 of Aug. in fifteen hundred ninety and five, and was buried in the Chancel of the Church of S. Mary the Virgin in Aldermanbury in the City of London. On the North wall of the said Chancel was soon after set up a fair monument to his memory; which continuing till 1666. was in the beginning of Sept. in that year, consumed with the Church it self in the dismal conflagration that then hapned in London. You may see more of this Tho. Digges in my discourse of his Father Len. Digges under the year 1574.