Matthew Gwinne

, Son of Edw. Gwinne an inhabitant of London, but originally of Wales, by Elizabeth Thayer his Wife, was elected Scholar of S. Johns coll. (of which he was afterwards perpetual Fellow) an. 1574. took the degrees in Arts, entred on the Physick line, and practised that faculty for some time in these parts. At length being designed for an employment of considerable trust, he was actually created Doctor thereof, and soon after went in the quality of a Physitian to the honourable Sir Hen. Vnton Kt. Leaguer Embassador to the K. of France from Qu. Elizabeth. After his return he was designed Physitian to the Tower of London, was elected Medicine Professor of Gresham coll. and made one of the college of Physitians. In his younger years he was much admired for his great skill and dexterity in Poetry, in Philosophical disputes, humane and profane learning, but above all for the modern Languages, which he obtained in his Travels into various Countries; and in his elder years for his happy success in the practice of Physick, which made him highly valued in the great City, but more by far among the nobility in the Royal Court. He hath written,

Epicedium in obitum illustriss. Herois Henrici Comitis Derbiensis, &c. Oxon. 1593. qu.

Nero, Tragaedia. Lond. 1603. commended by Just. Lipsius in one of his books.

Orationes duae habitae in Aedibus Gresham in Laudem Dei Civ. &c. Lond. 1605. qu.

Vertumnus, sive Annus recurrens Oxonii, an. 1605. &c. Lond. 1607. qu. ’Tis a Latine Comedy, and was acted by the Society of S. Johns with great applause before K James, Prince Henry, and their Courts, 29. Aug. 1605. See more in Rex platonicus, at the end of the Acts of the third day.

Aurum non aurum; sive Adversaria in assertorem chymiae, sed verae medicinae desertorem Franc. Anthonium. Lond. 1611. qu. This Francis Anthony, who was a great Paracelsian, and Son of a Goldsmith of London, belonging to the Jewel-house of Qu. Elizabeth; was born in that City 16. Ap. 1550. but whether he received any Academical education in this University, it doth not yet appear to me. This person who wrote himself Doctor of Physick, pretended to be the first discoverer, and to make known to the world a medicine called Aurum Potabile, &c. which being animadverted upon by our author Dr. Gwinne, and esteemed by most Physitians but a vain thing, Dr. Anthony wrot and published An Apology and defence of his medicine called Aurum Potabile. Lond. 1616. qu. Whereupon another Doctor of Physick named Joh. Cotta a Cambridge man, came out with The Ant—Apology, shewing the Counterfeitness of Dr. Antony’s Aurum Potabile—Which book tho fit for the Press in 1616. yet it was not printed till 1623. and then being published at Oxon. in qu. was by the author (tho of another University) dedicated to the Doctors of Physick resident in Oxon. This Dr. Anthony died in S. Barthelmews Close (where he had lived many years) on 26. May 1623. and was buried in the Isle joyning to the north side of the Chancel of St. Barthelmew the Great in London; leaving then behind him two Sons by Elizabeth his second Wise, viz. John Anthony M. D. who succeeded his Father in his practice in London, and Charles a Physitian of Bedford, living there 1634. and after. I find another Francis Antony to have been a writer of the same time with our author Dr. Anthony, but he was by birth a Portugues, and by profession a Jesuit, and therefore the books of his composition must not be attributed to the other. Our author Dr. Gwinne hath also written a book of Travels, various Letters concerning Chymical and Magical secrets, and also divers copies of Verses in English, Italian and French occasionally set by way of commendation before the books, published by his friends and acquaintance, but none of these have I yet seen, only some of the said verses. He deceased in the month of Octob. or in the beginning of Nov. in sixteen hundred twenty and seven, in his house situate and being in S. 1627 Mary Magdalens parish in Old Fishstreet within the City of London, and was, as I suppose, buried in the Church there. He had a Son named John Gwinne, and lest behind him a Widdow called Susanna, who had a Commission from the Prerogative Court, dated 12. Nov. 1627. to administer the goods, debts, chattels, &c. of her Husband Dr. Gwinne, then lately deceased.