John Gregory

the miracle of his age for critical and curious learning, was born at Agmundesham commonly called Amersham in Bucks, on the 10 Nov. 1607, applied himself to academical learning in the condition of a Servitour in Ch. Ch. an. 1624, being then put under the tuition (with his Master Sir Will. Drake) of the most ingenious and learned Mr. George Morley, (afterwards Bishop of Winchester) where, for several years, spending sixteen, of every 24, hours, he arrived to great learning, and took the degrees in Arts, that of Master being compleated in 1631. About which time being received into the favour of Dr. Duppa, the vigilant Dean of his house, he was by him made Chaplain or petty Canon of the Cathedral, and after that his own Domestick, and Prebendary of Chichester and Salisbury when he successively sate at those places as Bishop. He attained to a learned elegance in English, Latine, and Greek, and to an exact skill in Hebrew, Syriack, Chaldee, Arabick, Ethiopick, &c. He was also well vers’d in Philosophy, had a curious faculty in Astronomy, Geometry and Arithmetick, and a familiar acquaintance with the Jewish Rabbines, antient Fathers, modern Criticks, Commentators, and what not. His works are,

Notes on the View of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Law, written by Sir Tho. Ridley Kt. Oxon. 1634. qu. second Edit. Ox. 1662. oct. there again 1675. 76. qu. In which notes (he being scarce 26 years old when he wrot them) he made an early discovery of his civil, historical, ecclesiastical, ritual and oriental Learning, through which he miraculously travel’d without any guide, except Joh. Dod the Decalogist, whose society and directions for the Hebrew tongue he enjoyed one Vacation at his benefice in Northamptonshire.

Notes and Observations upon some passages of Scripture. Oxon. 1646. Lond. 1660. 65. 71. 83. qu. translated also into Lat. and remitted into the Critica sacra. From [•] hich notes may easily be discovered his exact skill in the oriental Tongues.

Certain learned Tracts, as (1) A discourse of the 70 Interpreters; the place and manner of their interpretation. (2) Discourse declaring what time the Niceen Creed began to be sung in the Church. (3) Serm. upon the Resurrection, on 1 Cor. 15. ver. 20. (4) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; or a disproof of him in the 3 of Luke ver. 36. (5) Discovery of an antient custom in the Ch. of Sarum, making an anniversary Bishop among the Choristers on Innocents day. (6) The several accounts of time among all nations from the Creation to the present age. (7) The Assyrian Monarchy; being a description of its rise and fall. (8) Descript. and use of the terrestial globe. Which eight Tracts were printed under the title of Gregorii posthuma at Lond. 1650. 64. 71. 83. qu. with a short account of the Authors life set before them, written by his dearest friend John Gurgany (son of Hugh Gurgany of London Priest) sometimes a Servitour of Ch. Ch. afterwards Chaplain of Merton Coll. who dedicated them to Edw. Bysshe Clar. King of Arms, a Patron not only to the Author, but Gurgany, in the time of their Afflictions.

Optica promota: seu, abdita radiorum reflexorum & refractorum mysteria, Geometricè enucl [•] ata. Lond. 1663. published then under the name of Jo. Gregorius.

Observationes in loca quaedam excerpta ex Joh. Malatae chronographia. Ms. which after his death came into the publick Library at Oxon, where it now remains. Edm. Chilmead having afterwards prepared the whole work of Mal [•] ta for the Press, intended, as it seems, to prefix the said Observations, as a Preface, he having therein spoken something of the said Author; but that Author being publish’d at Oxon in 1691, Gregories Observations were laid aside, as containing things little material, and instead of them there is added a Preface or Prolegomena to Malata by Humph. Hody Bac. of Div. Fellow of Wadh. Coll. See the said Preface §. xliii. He the said Gregory did also translate from Gr. into Lat. (1) Palladius de gentibus Indiae, & Bragmanibus. (2) S. Ambrosius de moribus Brachmannorum. (3) Anonymus de Bragmanibus. Which Translations coming after his death into the hands of Edm. Chilmead Chapl. of Ch. Ch. came, after his, into those of E. Bysshe Esq. before mentioned, who published them under his own name, in 1665. as I shall tell you elsewhere. At length after an industrious and short life, he gave way to fate on the thirteenth day of March in sixteen hundred forty and six,1646. and was buried on the left side of the grave of W. Cartwright in the isle joyning on the south side of the choire of the Cath. of Ch Church in Oxon. Some years before his death he being reduced to poverty, because he was deprived of the benefit of his two Prebendships, he retired to an obscure Ale house standing on the Green at Kidlington near Oxon, kept by one Sutton, Father to that Son whom our learned Author had bred up from a boy to attend him. There I say spending some time in great retiredness, died obscurely, and by the contribution of one or more friends, his body was conveyed to Oxon.