Francis Potter

was born in the Vicaridge house at Meyre in Wilts, on Trinity Sunday, an. 1594, educated in Grammar learning in the Kings school at Worcester under Mr. Hen. Bright, became a Communer of Trin. Coll, under the tuition of his elder brother Hannibal Potter, in the latter end of the year 1609, took the degrees in Arts and one in Divinity, and continued in the Coll. a close Student till his father died an. 1637, and then succeeding him in the Rectory of Kilmanton, (sometimes called Kilmington and Culmington) left the University for altogether, retired to that place, led a single and monkish life, without the conversation of ingenious men, till the day of his death. He was from a boy given to drawing and painting, and the Founders picture that hangs in the Refectory of Trin. Coll. is of his copying. His genie laid most of all in the Mechanicks, had an admirable mechanical invention, and excellent notions for the raising of water, and making Water-engins: many of which inventions being presented to the Royal Society about the time of its first erection, were highly approved by them, and forthwith the members thereof admitted him one of their number. About the year 1640 he entertained the notion of curing diseases by transfusion of blood out of one man into another: the hint whereof came into his head from Ovid’s story of Medea and Jason. Which matter he communicating to the Royal Society about the time of its first erection, was entred into their books. But this way of transfusion having (as ’tis said) been mention’d long before by Andr. Libavius, our author Potter (who I dare say never saw that Writer) is not to be esteemed the first inventer of that notion, nor Dr. Rich. Lower, but rather an Advancer. He hath written and published,

An interpretation of the number 666. Wherein not only the manner, how this number ought to be interpreted, is clearly proved and demonstrated; but it is also shewed, that this number is an exquisite and perfect character, truly, exactly and essentially describing that state of government, to which all other notes of Antichrist do agree. Oxon. 1642. qu. Which book (as one ((*))((*)) Joseph Mede of Cambr. saith) is the happiest that ever yet came into the world; and such as cannot be read (save of those persons that will not believe it) without much admiration, &c. A book also called The key of the Scripture, written by a London Divine, wherein, being large upon the Revelations, he prefers the said Interpretation before all others. It was afterwards translated into French, Dutch and Latine; the last of which was done by several hands and severally printed. One copy was all or mostly performed by Tho. Gilbert of S. Edm. Hall, printed at Amsterd. 1677. oct. And that, or the other, was partly remitted into Matth. Poole’s Synopsis Critic. in the second part of the fourth volume, on the Revelations. What answers were made to the said Interpretation, that were printed, I think there were none: sure I am that one Lambert Morehouse Minister of Pertwood, about 6 miles from Kilmanton, accounted by some a learned man and a good Mathematician, did write against it, and seemed to be angry with the Author that 25 is not the true, but the propinque root: To which the Author replied with some sharpness. The MS. of this controversie, Morehouse gave to Dr. Seth Ward B. of Salisbury, an. 1668, before which time he was prefer’d by Dr. Henchman then B. of that place to the spiritual Cure of Little Langford in Wilts, where he died about 1672. He was a Westmorland man by birth, was educated, I think, in Clare Hall in Cambridge, and wrot other things, but are not printed. As for our author Potter, he lived to a good old age, died perfectly blind at Kilmanton between Easter and Whitsuntide (in the month of Apr. I think) in sixteen hundred seventy and eight, and was buried in the chancel of the Church there.1678. His memory is preserved in Trin. Coll. by a Dial that he made and set up on the north side of the old Quadrangle, where it doth yet remain. His fathers name was Rich. Potter an Oxfordshire man born, sometimes Fellow of the said Coll. of the holy Trinity, and afterwards Vicar of a little mercate Town in Wilts, and Rector of Kilmington or Kilmanton in Somersetshire before mention’d.