Francis Kinaston

son of Sir Edw. Kinaston Kt. was born of, and descended from, an antient and gentile family of his name living at Otely in Shropshire, became a Gent. Com. of Oriel Coll. under the tuition of Joh. Rouse alias Russe in 1601, and in that of his age 14, took one degree in Arts, and then left the University for a time without compleating that degree by Determination, being then more addicted to the superficial parts of Learning, Poetry and Oratory, (wherein he excell’d) than Logic and Philosophy. Afterwards he went to Cambridge, studied there for some time, was made M. of Arts, and in 1611 returned to Oxon, where he was incorporated in that degree. Thence he went to the Court, where being esteemed a man of parts, had the honor of Knighthood confer’d upon him in 1618, and afterwards was made Esquire of the body of K. Ch. 1. This is the person who being every way accomplish’d, was made the first Regent of the College or Academy called The Musaeum Minervae an. 1635. and therefore worthily stiled by a polite and quaint ((a))((a)) Sir Joh. Borough in his book int. Impetus juveniles, & epistolae p. 136. Gentleman, Palladii Patrimaeque virginis Protomystes. The first members of the said Coll. were Edward May, Tho. Hunt, Nich. Phiske, Joh. Spiedel, Walt. Salter and Nich. Mason, stiled also by the said person Flamines Deâ pleni, & mystici, Artium liberalium roris promicondi. Our Author Kinaston did draw up and publish.

The Constitutions of the Musaeum Minervae. Lond. 1636. qu. and translated from English into Lat. Jeff. Chaucer his Troilus and Cresseid which he entit. Amorum Troili & Creseidae libri duo priores Anglico-Latini. Oxon. 1635. qu. Which being beheld as an excellent translation, was usher’d into the world by 15 copies of Verses made by Oxford men, among whom are W. Strode the Orator, Dudley Digges and Sam. Kinaston of Alls. Coll. Tho. Gawen of New Coll. Maur. Berkley, Will. Cartwright, both of Ch. Ch. &c. Our Author and Translator having performed other things, which I have not yet seen, gave way to fate in sixteen hundred forty and two, or thereabouts,1642. and was, as I suppose, buried at Oteley. This is the person also who by experience falsified the Alchimists report, that a hen being fed for certain days with gold, beginning when Sol was in Leo, should be converted into gold, and should lay golden eggs, but indeed became very fat.