Thomas Lydyat

the son of Christop. Lydyat Lord of the Mannour of Aulkryngton commonly called Okerton near Banbury in Oxfordshire, and Citizen of London, was born at Okerton in the beginning of the year 1572, and having pregnant parts while a youth, was by the endeavours of his Father elected one of the number of the Children of Wykeham’s Coll. near Winchester at about 13 years of age, where being soon ripened in Grammaticals, was elected Probationer Fellow of New Coll. 1591. At which time being under the tuition of Dr. (afterwards Sir) Hen. Marten, made great proficiency in Logicals, and two years after was admitted verus Socius. After he had taken the degrees in Arts he studied Astronomy, Mathematicks, the Tongues and Divinity: in the last of which he had an eager desire to continue and improve himself, but finding a great defect in his Memory and Utterance, of which he often complained, (particularly to Dr. Bancroft Bishop of Oxon his Diocesan, in his Epistle dedicatory to him of a Sermon preached at a Visitation while he was a rural Dean) made choice rather to quit his place in the Coll. (for the statutes thereof oblig’d him to Divinity) and live upon that small patrimony he had, than to follow and prosecute the said study of Divinity. What farther I have to observe of him is (1) That the seven years next ensuing, after he had left his Fellowship of New Coll. (which was 1603.) he spent in the finishing and setting forth such books that he had begun in the College, especially that De emendatione temporum, dedicated to Pr. Henry, to whom he was Chronographer and Cosmographer. Which Prince being solely given up to all vertue, did gratiously accept of it, and had so great a respect for the Author, that had he lived he would have done great matters for him; but dying in the flower of his youth, the hopes of our Author were interr’d with that Prince in his grave. (2) That at the end of those seven years Dr. Usher (afterwards Archbishop of Armagh) being in London found him out and had him with him into Ireland, where he continued in the Coll. near Dublin about two years. At the end of which he purposing to return for England, the Lord Deputy and Chanc. of Ireland, did, upon his motion, make him a joynt promise of a competent Maintenance upon his return back again thither. When he came into England the Rectory of Okerton before mention’d falling void, (which he before had refused when Fellow of New Coll. upon the offer of it by his Father the Patron) he did, after several demurrs, and not without much reluctancy of mind, accept of it in the year 1612. Where being setled, he did not only go over the harmony of the Gospels in less than 12 years, making thereon above 600 Sermons, but wrot also several books, and laid the foundation of others. All which in due time he would have published, had he not been unadvisedly engaged for the debts of one very near related to him. Which debts he being unable for the present to pay, (having before spent his small patrimony for the printing of his books) remained in the Prison call’d Bocardo in Oxon, and in the Kings bench and elsewhere, till such time Sir Will. Boswell (a great encourager of deserving men) Dr. Rob. Pink Warden of New Coll. and, if I am not mistaken, Dr. Usher before mention’d, had laid down the debt and released him. Dr. Laud also Archb. of Canterbury did give his assistance (upon the desire of Sir Hen. Marten) for the delivery of him from prison, but Selden who was desir’d and importun’d to contribute towards refused, it, for no other reason, as ’tis thought, than that his Marmora Arundeliana, could not stand uncontradicted by him, and that instead of a most judicious, he gave him only the name of an industrious, Author for his labour. (3) That about that time he put up a Petition to K. Ch. 1. wherein among several things, that he desired was, that his Majesty would give him leave to travel into foreign parts, viz. into Turkey, Ethiopia, or the Abasen Emperors Country, to search and find Copies, especially of civil and ecclesiastical Histories to be published in print, or whatsoever Copies may tend to the propagation or increase of good learning: And farther also, whereas he had Leiger-Embassadors and Agents with his Confederates Emperors, Kings and Princes of other Countries, they might in his Majesties name, in behalf of Mr. Lydyat and his Assigns, move their Highnesses to grant the like privilege to him and his Assigns, &c. What the effect of this Petition was, I find not: however from thence his noble intentions and publick spirit may be discover’d. (4) That tho he was a person of small stature, yet of great parts and of a publick soul, and tho a poor and contemptible Priest to look upon, (for so he was held by the vulgar) yet he not only puzled Christop. Clavius and the whole College of Mathematicians, but also that great Goliah of literature Joseph Scaliger; who, when he was worsted by our Authors Writings, (tho he would never acknowledge it, howbeit great men, particularly the famous Usher, held it for granted) he betook himself unmanly to his tongue, by calling him in a scornful manner a beggarly, beardless, and gelt Priest. (5) That as he was much esteemed by learned men at home, among whom were Usher before mentioned, Sir Adam Newton Secretary, and Sir Tho. Chaloner Chamberlain, to Pr. Henry, Dr. Jo. Bainbridge, Mr. Hen. Briggs, Dr. Pet. Turner, &c. who were his great acquaintance: so was he by the Virtuosi beyond the seas, who were pleased, and that worthily, to rank him with the Lord Bacon of Verulam and Mr. Joseph Mede. But when they heard that our Author and the said Mede, were very poorly prefer’d, they answer’d that the Englishmen deserved not to have such brave scholars among, since they made no more of, them. (6.) That in the civil War which began an. 1642, he suffer’d much at his Rectory of Okerton before mention’d, by the Parliament Party; for in a letter written by him to Sir William Compton Kt. Governour of Banbury Castle, dat. 10 Dec. 1644, I find that he had been four times pillaged by the Parliament Forces of Compton house (commonly called Compton in the hole) in Warwickshire, to the value of at least 70 l. and forced for a quarter of a year together to borrow a shirt to shift himself; that also he had been twice carried away from his house, once to Warwick, and another time to Banbury. To the first of which places being hurried away on a poor jade, was infamously used by the Soldiers there, and so sorely hurt, that he was at the writing of the said letter not throughly whole, and he doubted scarce ever should be, &c. The cause of all which ill usage, was for that he had denied them money, and had defended his books and papers, and afterwards while a Prisoner in Warwick Castle, had spoken much for the King and Bishops. His Works are these;

Tractatus de variis annorum formis. Lond. 1605. oct.

Praelectio Astronomica de naturâ caeli & conditionibus elementorum.

Disquisitio physiologica de origine fontium. The two last were printed, and go always, with the first.

Defensio tractatûs de variis annorum formis contra Josephi Scaligeri obtrectationem. Lond. 1607. oct.

Examen Canonum Chronologiae Isagogicorum. Printed with the Defensio.

Emendatio temporum ab initio mundi huc usque, compendio facta, contra Scaligerum & alios. Lond. 1609. oct.

Explicatio & additamentum argumentorum in libello emendationis temporum compendio factae, de nativitate Christi & ministerio in terris. Printed 1613. oct.

Solis & Lunae periodus, seu annus magnus. Lond. 1620. oct. &c.

De anni solaris mensurâ Epistola Astronomica, ad Hen. Savilium. Lond. 1620. 21. oct.

Numerus aureus melioribus lapillis insignitus, factusꝫ Gemmeus; è thesauro anni magni, sive solis & lunae periodi octodesexcentenariae, &c. Lond. 1621. in one large sheet on one side.

Canones Chronologici, ne [•] non series summorum magistratuum & triumphorum Romanorum. Oxon. 1675. oct. Published from a Ms. in the library of Dr. Jo. Lamphire.

Letters to Dr. Jam. Usher Primate of Ireland.—Printed at the end of the said Usher’s life, 1686, published by Dr. Rich. Parr. These, I think, are all the things that he hath extant. As for those many Mss. which he left behind him at the time of his death, are mostly these.

Annotations upon that part of Mr. Edw. Breerwood’s Treatise of the Sabbath, wherein he denies the Christian Sabbath on the Lords day or the first day of the week to be established jure divino, by Gods Commandment.—The beginning of this Mss. is, There was brought to me being Prisoner in the Kings Bench, on Friday Evening, 3 Dec. 1630. &c.

Annotations upon some controverted points of the chronical Canons.—The beg. is, Notwithstanding there be divers, &c.

A few Annotations upon some places or passages of the second and third Chapters of the book intit. Altare christianum.—The beg. is, There have been Christians ever since, &c.

Treatise touching the setting up of Altars in Christian Churches and bowing in reverence to them or common Tables, and bowing the knee, or uncovering the head at the name, or naming of Jesus, occasionally made 1633.—Written upon the desire of some London Ministers, to declare his judgment therein: dedicated to Archb. Laud in gratitude for his releasing him from prison. In a postscript at the end of his discourse concerning bowing at the name of Jesus, he endeavours to answer the four Arguments of Bishop Andrews, which are in his Sermon on 2 Phil. 7.11.

Answer to Mr. Joseph Mede’s treatise of the name of Altar or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , antiently given to the holy table—Written in Feb. 1637.

Answer to the defence of the coal from the Altar.

Evangelium contractum ex quatuor Evangeliis, &c. Written in Hebrew.

Annales Ecclesiae Christi inchoati secundum methodum Baronii. This is written in Lat. but imperfect.

Chronicon Regum Judaeorum methodo magis perspicu [•] . Written in Hebr.

Mesolabum Geometricum.

Chronicon mundi emendatum.

Divina sphaera humanorum eventuum. The beginning is, Etiam absque eo foret &c. dedic. to the King, 1632.

Problema Astronomicum de solis eccentricitate. The beginning is, Ternis Diatribis, &c.

Diatribae; & animadversiones Astronomicae, ternae.

Circuli dimensio Lydyatéa, Archimidéa.

Marmoreum chronicon Arundelianum, cum annotationibus, &c. This was afterwards printed in a book intit. Marmora Oxoniensia, published by Humph. Prideaux. All which Mss. with others treating of Divinity, Mathematicks and Astronomy, amounting to the number of 38 at least, were bound up in 22 Volumes, and reserved as rarities in the hands of Dr. Joh. Lamphire, lately Principal of Hart Hall. At length after our Author had lived at Okerton several years very poor and obscurely, surrendred up his soul to him that gave it, on the third day of April in sixteen hundred forty and six,1646. and was buried the next day (being the same day on which he had above 70 years before been baptized) by the bodies of his Father and Mother in the Chancel of the Church at Okerton, which he before had rebuilt. Over his grave near to the south Window, and not far from the east end of the said Chancel, the Warden and Society of New Coll. did cause a stone to be laid at their charge, an. 1669. The inscription on which you may read in Hist. & Antiq. Univ. Oxon, lib. 2. p. 149. a, as also the Inscription on his honorary monument in New Coll. Cloyster, pag. 155.