Gilbert Wats

of kin to Rotherham the second Founder of Linc. Coll. became either a Batler or Servitor of that house in the year 1607, took the degrees in Arts, and in 1616. Nov. 9. was elected Fellow thereof for the County of York. Afterwards he became a very florid Preacher, tho seldom appear’d in publick, and in 1642, when the K. and his Court were in Oxon he was actually created Doct. of Divinity. He was a Person that understood several Languages well, was esteem’d an excellent wit, and a Master of so smooth a Pen, whether in Lat. or English, that no man of his time exceeded him. He hath translated from Lat. into English the Lord Bacons Book intituled, De augmentis scientiarum. Lond. 1633. Oxon. 1640. qu. &c. In which work he hath come so near that English part which was originally written by the said Lord, that it is a hard matter to discover any difference in their stiles, as was the general vogue of Scholars living when the translation first came out. Since that time, but many years after, have been some who have wished, that a translation had been set forth, in which the genie and spirit of the Lord Bacon, had more appeared: And in a letter written and subscribed by certain Gentlemen to Dr. Will. Rawley his sometimes Chaplain, it appears that they were importunate for another version,— “It is our humble sute to you (say ((*))((*)) See Baconica: or the Lord Bacons Remaines. Lond. 1679. in oct. p. 26.27. they) and we do earnestly sollicite you to give your self the trouble to correct the too much defective translations of the book De aug. Scientiarum, which Dr. Wats hath set forth. It is a thousand pities that so worthy a piece should lose its grace and credit by an ill expositor, since those Persons who read that translation, taking it for genuine, and upon that presumption not regarding the Latine Edition, are thereby rob’d of that benefit, which (if you would please to undertake the business) they might receive. This tendeth to the dishonour of that noble Lord, and the hindrance of the advancement of learning, &c.” The said Dr. Wats also did translate from Ital. into Engl. Davila’s book containing The History of the Civil Wars of France, but Sir Ch. Cotterell and William Aylesbury Esq. having had the start of him in that work, prevented him from printing it. He died at Erinsham near to Oxon, in his return from the City of Bathe, (where he had overcome his antient body by too much sweating) on the ninth day of Sept. in sixteen hundred fifty and seven,1657. and was buried in that Chancel of Allsaints Church in Oxon commonly called the College Chancel, as belonging to Linc. Coll. and not to the Parish of Allsaints. At which time he left behind him these three MSS. of his composition, which would have been published by the Author had he lived a little longer, viz. (1) Digressions on the advancement to learning. (2) An Apologie for the instauration of sciences. (3) Imperial Politicks.