John Greaves

Son of John Gr. Rector of Colmore near to Ailresford in Hampshire, was born there, educated in Grammar and Polite learning under his Father, the most noted Schoolmaster in all that Country, became a Student in this Univ. in the fifteenth year of his age, an. 1617, took a degree in Arts, and being Masters standing, was a Candidate for a Fellowship of Merton Coll. in 1624, at which time shewing himself an admirable proficient in Philosophy, Latine and Greek Learning, was the first of five that was elected. Afterwards being made compleat Fellow and Master of Arts, he had more liberty to pursue his critical studies, much advanc’d by his acquaintance and familiarity had with Pet. Turner a senior Fellow of that House, who finding him a compleat Master and gentile withal, was by his endeavours brought into the favour of Dr. Laud Archb. of Canterbury. At length in the year 1633, his worth and knowledge being well known to that worthy Person, he sent him to travel into the Eastern parts of the world to obtain books of the Languages for him. The voyage he performed not without great danger, and having satisfied himself with many curiosities, return’d in 1640 to the great content of his Patron, and three years after upon the death of Dr. Bainbridge, he became not only the Savilian Professor of Astronomy in this University, but also superior reader of Lynacres Lecture in Merton Coll. In the performance of which, especially that of Astronomy, his learning was so made manifest to the remnant of the Academians then left, that he gained thereby to himself an unperishing reputation. But then again the Parliamentarian visitation coming on, the impetuous Visitors (mostly Presbyterians) who did not, or at least would not, discern between Dunces and Scholars, threw him out of his Lecture, and right to his Fellowship, (which by supreme authority he kept in Commendam with his Astr. Lecture) and the rather for this cause that he avoided an answer to several articles of misdemeanour, (pretended to have been committed by him while the King was in Oxon) that were by the endeavours of some factious and puritanical Fellows put up to them and prosecuted. Among them I find these (1) “That he betrayed the College in discovering to the Kings Agents 400 l. in the treasury, which thereupon was taken away for the Kings use. (2) That contrary to his oath he conveyed away a considerable part of the College goods, without the consent of the company, and thereby gratified Courtiers with them in other houses. (3) That he feasted the Queens confessors, and sent divers presents to them, among which was an holy thorne, and that he was more familiar with them, than any true Protestants use to be. (4) That he was the occasion of ejecting Sir Nath. Brent from his Wardenship for adhering to the Parliament, and bringing in Dr. Harvey into his place. (5) That he was the occasion why Mr. Edw. Corbet and Mr. Ralph Button (puritannical fellows) were turned out of their respective offices and chambers in the College, because they abode in the Parliaments quarters, &c. (6) That he gave leave to Father ((e))((e)) A Scot by birth, and by order an Oratorian Philips the Queens confessor, and Wyatt ((f))((f)) Rather Veatt a French man. one of her Chaplains, to come in the College library to study there, and that he put Mr. John French Fellow, out of his Chamber in Mert. Coll. and put them into it, &c.” So that, I say, being ejected by the said Visitors, he retired to London, married and dyed soon after. He was a Person in great value, and much respected by learned men, particularly by Selden, who, had our Author lived, would have left to him part of his wealth, and have taken great care that Hen. Jacob and Pet. Turner should not want, but they all died before him. He hath written,

Pyramidographia: or, a description of the pyramids in Aegypt. Lond. 1646. in a large oct. Translated into French and printed in a book of travels written in that Language. Our Author Greaves found and visited these Pyramids in his travels, an. 1638. and 39, or the thousand and forty eighth year of Hegira. He went twice to Grand Cairo from Alexandria, and from thence into the Deserts; and for the greater solemnity to view them, he carried with him a Radius of ten feet most accurately divided, besides some other instruments for the farther discovery of the truth. While he was there he made the measure of the foot, observed by all nations, in one of the rooms under the said Pyramids, with his name John Gravius under it; which hath been noted by several Travellers.

A discourse of the Romane foot, and Denarius: From whence, as from two principles, the measures and weights used by the Ancients, may be deduced. Lond. 1647. oct.

Demonstratio ortus Syrii heliaci, pro parallelo inferioris Aegypti. Oxon. 1648. qu. published with Dr. Bainbridge his Canicularia. To which is subjoined out of Ulugh Beigh the Longitudes and Latitudes of the chiefest of the fixed Stars.

Elementa linguae Persicae. Lond. 1649. qu. With which he published Anonymus Persa de Siglis Arabum & Persarum Astronomicis.

The manner of hatching Chickens at Cairo—See in the Philosophical Transactions, numb. 137. p. 923. He published likewise in Arabick and Latine, Epochae celebriores, Astronomis, Historicis, Chronologiis Chaitaiorum. Syro-Graecorum, Arabum, Persarum, Chorasmiorum usitatae, ex traditione Ulugh Beigh; together with the Geographical tables of Abul Feda. Both which pieces he illustrated with his learned notes. In like manner he set forth Astronomica Shah Cholgii Persae, together with the Hypotheses of the planets: to which likewise he subjoyned the Geographical Tables of Nassir Eddinus the Persian, and of Ulugh Beigh, as you may further see in the Bodleyan or Oxford Catalogue, where you’ll find his publication of the Description of the Grand Signiour’s Seraglio, or the Turkish Emperors Court. Lond. 1650. 53. oct. written by one Robert Withers. He also left behind him at his death, Lemmata Archimedis, apud Graecos & Latinos, è vetusta codice MS. Arabico traducta, cum Arabum Scholiis. Which coming into the hands of Sam. Foster the Mathematician, were by him reviewed and amended, and remitted into the body of the Miscellanies, or Mathematical Lucubrations of him the said Foster: Many of which were translated into English and published by the care and industry of John Twisden C. L. M. D. whereunto he hath annexed some things of his own—Lond. 1659. fol. Other things our learned Author Greaves did intend to publish, (among which was a Map or Maps of Aegypt, first of all made by him) and the learned World might justly have expected them, had not death by a too hasty end of his life, put a stop to the course of his ingenious studies; which hapning to the great grief of learned and vertuous men, in the month of October in sixteen hundred fifty and two, his body was,1652. with the tears of many, accompanied to his grave in the Church of S. Benet Sherehog in London, as I was some years since informed by his learned Brother Dr. Tho. Greaves, whom I accidently met in London, when I was anxiously seeking after the place where his reliques had been lodg’d. See more of our Author Joh. Greaves in Dr. John Bainbridge, whom I have mention’d among these writers, under the year 1643.