Brian Twyne

Son of Tho. Twyne (mentioned before, under the year 1613 p. 329) was admitted Scholar of Corp. Ch. Coll. in a Surrey place on the 13. Dec. 1594 and in that of his age 15 or thereabouts. After he had taken the degrees in Arts, he was admitted Probationer-Fellow of the said House 3. Jan. 1605; about which time entring into Holy Orders, took the degree of Bach. of Div. five years after. In 1614 he was made Greek Reader of his College, performed his duty well, and about 1623, left that and the House to avoid his being ingaged in a faction then between the President and Fellows; knowing very well that if he favoured either side, expulsion would follow, because he had entred into a wrong County-place. Afterwards he became Vicar of Rye in Sussex (in which County, at Lewes, as ’tis supposed by some, he was born) by the favour, as it seems, of the Earl of Dorset, but being seldom resident on the place, he spent the most part of his time in Oxon, in certain hired Lodgings in Penverthingstreet in the Parish of S. Aldate, where he continued to his dying day. The genius of this person being naturally bent to the study of History and Antiquities, he published a Book in vindication of the antiquity and dignity of the University of Oxon, against such matters that Londinensis, otherwise called John Cay had said in his book De antiquitate Acad Cantab. in derogation to Oxon, the title of it is this.

Antiquitatis Academiae Oxoniensis Apologia, in tres libros divisa. Oxon. 1608. qu. To which books are these things added.

Miscellanea quaedam de antiquis aulis & Studentium collegiis, quondam, & hodie, in universitate existentibus.

Summorum Oxoniensis Academiae Magistratuum, hoc est Cancellariorum, Commissariorum, et Vicecancellariorum necnon Procuratorum, &c. catalogus.

In the aforesaid Apology, tho sufficient judgment, yet greater reading, is shewed; which hath occasioned many understanding men, to suppose, nay rather confidently believe, that he had the helps of Tho. Allen and Miles Windsore in the composition of the work, especially for this reason, that when he had fitted it for the Press, he was scarce 28 years of age. Howsoever it is, I shall not pretend to judge: sure I am that notwithstanding several persons have endeavour’d to pick flaws and errors thence, and have characteriz’d it to be rather a rude heap, than an exact pile, yet the body and general part of it remains as yet unanswer’d. The Author intended to reprint the said Work with additions, collected from many obscure places, but the grand Rebellion breaking out in 1642, (in the time of which he died) his design was frustrated, and the Book it self interleav’d and filled with additions, together with many rarities, were, when the great fire hapned in Oxon (which was soon after his death) either burnt with the house wherein he died, (having been there left by his Executor) or else then conveyed away by such who commonly seek advantage by such disasters. I have heard some Masters of Arts, who then bore Arms for his Majesty in Oxon, say, that six or seven Volumes of his collections in quarto (either of Greek, Mathematicks, Philosophy, Heraldry. Antiquities, &c. in all which he was well read,) were offered to them by a beggerly Soldier for very inconsiderable prizes; and Dr. Herb. Pelham sometimes of Madg. Coll. hath aver’d it for an unquestionable truth that two or three Vol. were offered to him by such indigent persons for six pence a peice, such is the sordidness of ignorance and poverty. Our Author Twyne was of a melancholick temper and sedentary life, and wholly spent his time in reading, writing and contemplation. He made it his whole endeavour to maintain the University Privileges and Liberties against its oppugners, and spent much mony and travel for that purpose, especially for the obtaining copies of the antient Charters and Bulls which formerly had been granted thereunto. He left no Library, Office, or place, wherein he thought were reposed monuments of Literature and Antiquity unperused, expecting in them something that might redound to the honor of his Mother, making thereby an incredible pile of collections. But so it was, that most of them, except some which he bequeathed to the University relating to controversial matters between the two Corporations, were, with great resentment let it be spoken, lost in the said fire. Had they, or his interleav’d Book, been saved, the work of the Hist. and Antiq. of Oxon, which was some years since published, might probably have been spared, or at least have come sooner to light, with much gratitude to the lucubrations of this industrious Antiquary; but being lost, as I have told you, tho Dr. Langbaine of Qu. Coll. and one or more did make diligent search after it, I was forced to peruse the records in all those places, which he had done before, nay each College treasury of muniments, which were, except one, omitted by him, to the end that all local antiquities in Oxford, and other matters of Antiquity, not well understood by him, might be by me known, and in future time described, if ever the English Copy of the said Hist. and Antiq. of Oxon, may hereafter be published; to which I intend to add the Antiquities of the Town or City of Oxon. Dr. Laud Archb. of Cant. had an especial respect for our Author Twyne and employed him in drawing up the University Statutes now in use: which were afterwards corrected, methodized and furbisht over with excellent Latine by Dr. Pet. Turner one of the Savilian Professors, as I shall tell you hereafter. In the said noble work of gathering the Statutes together, our Author being the chief, if not the only, Drudge, (for he transcribed them all under his own hand) he was rewarded with the place of Custos Archivorum, founded and established by the Chancellour and Scholars of the University after the Statutes were compleated, an. 1634. Which place he enjoying about ten years, took his last farewell of this world in his Lodgings in S. Aldates Parish before mentioned, on the fourth day of July in sixteen hundred forty and four.1644. Afterwards his body was buried in the inner Chappel, or Choire of Corp. Ch. College, to which House he had bequeathed in his last Will many choice Books, whereof some were Mss. of his own writing. What I have further to observe of our Author is, that tho he was accounted by divers persons an honest plain Man, one rather industrious than judicious, (notwithstanding well skilled in the Mathematicks) cynical than facetious, morose than pleasant, clownish than courteous, close than communicative, and that he was evilly spoken of by the Oxonian vulgar, as a Conjurer, or one busied in the Black Art, a betrayer of their Liberties and I know not what, yet he was a loving and a constant friend to his Mother the University and to his College, a severe Student and an adorer of venerable Antiquity. And therefore, forasmuch as his love was so, which none that knew him could ever say to the contrary, his memory ought to be respected by all vertuous and good men.