Robert Whitehall

son of Rich. Whiteh. somtimes Bach. of Div. of Ch. Church, afterwards Rector of Agmundesham commonly called Amersham and of Addington in Bucks, was born at Amersham, educated mostly in Westminster School under Mr. Rich. Busby, became Student of Ch. Ch. in 1644. or thereabouts, ejected thence by the Parliamentarian Visitors in 1648 for giving this answer to, when required of, them, whither he would submit to their authority,

My name’s Whitehall, God bless the Poet,

If I submit, the King shall know it.

But he cringing afterwards to his Countrymen and Neighbours, the Ingoldesbies, especially to Rich. Ingoldesbie the Regicide (before whom he often acted the part of a Mimick and Buffoon purposely to make him merry) he was, upon submission made to the Committee for regulating the Univ. of Oxon, put in by them Bachelaur-fellow of Merton Coll, an. 1650. Afterwards he proceeded in Arts, was Terrae Filius with Joh. Glendall of Brasn. Coll. 1655, entred on the Physick line, and by vertue of the Letters of Rich. Cromwell Chancellour of this Univ. of Oxon, he was actually created Bach. of Phys. in 1657. Since which time he made divers sallies into the practice of Physick, but thereby obtained but little reputation, and lesser by his Poetry, to which he much pretended, having been esteemed no better than a meer Poetaster and time-serving-Poet, as these things following partly shew.

The Marriage of Arms and Arts, 12. Jul. 1651, being an accompt of the Act at Oxon to a friend. Lond. 1651. ’Tis a Poem in one sh. in qu. and hath in the title the two Letters of R.W. set down, being then, as since, generally reported to be his; and he would never positively deny it. The occasion of the writing of it was this, viz. that an Act having not been solemnized for several years before, it became such a novelty to the then Students of the University (most of which had been put into places by the Visitors) that there was great rudeness committed by them and the concours of people in getting into places and thrusting out strangers, during all the time of that solemnity, in S. Maries Church. Whereupon the Vicechancellour Dr. Greenwood of Brasenose a severe and cholerick Governour, was forced to get several Guards of Musquetiers out of the Parliament Garrison then in Oxon, to keep all the doors and avenews, and to let no body in, only such, whom the Vicech. or his Deputies appointed. There was then great quarrelling between the Scholars and Soldiers and thereupon blowes and bloody Noses followed.

Carmen gratulatorium Olivero Cromwell in Protectorem Angliae inaugurato, 1653. Printed in half a sheet on one side.

Carmen Onomasticon Gratulatorium Richardo Cromwell in Cancellarii officium & dignitatem faeliciter electo, an. 1657 Pr. in half a sh. on one side.

The Coronation, a Poem. Lond. 1661. in one sh. in qu.

Carmen gratulatorium Edvardo Hide, equiti aurato, summo Angliae & optato Oxoniae Cancellario, &c. Printed on one side of a sh. in Lat. and English, an. 1660.

Urania, or a description of the painting of the top of the Theater at Oxon, as the Artist lay’d his design. Lond. 1669 in 3. sh. in fol. &c.

Verses on Mris. Mary More, upon her sending Sir Tho. Mores Picture (of her own drawing) to the Long Gallery at the public Schools in Oxon. Oxon. 1674. on one side of a large half sheet.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Iconicum quarundam extranearum (numero 258) explicatio breviuscula & clara apprimè Epheborum aliquot proenobilium in usum exculta, quâ ad SS. Scripturas alliciantur. Quibus singulis accessit symbolum, cum sententiolâ concinnâ ex autoribus Graecis & Latinis depromptâ. Being an Epigrammatical explanation of the most remarkable stories throughout the Old and New Testament after each Sculpture or cut. Oxon. 1677 in a large and thick quarto. It must be noted that the author had bought from Holland as many Cuts of the Old and New Test. that cost him 14 l. Each Cut he caused to be neatly pasted in the middle of a large quarto paper, on which, before, was printed a running title at the top, and six English verses at the bottom to explain the Cut or Picture. Which being so done, in twelve copies only, he caused each to be richly bound, and afterwards presented a very fair copy to the King, and the rest mostly to persons of quality: of which number was Charles son and heir of Joh. Wilmot Earl of Rochester, for whom he pretended ’twas chiefly compos’d.

Gratulamini mecum. Or, a congratulatory Essay upon his Majesties recovery. Lond. 1679. in one sh. in fol. Written upon his Majesties being freed from an Ague at Windsore, in Sept. 1679.

The English Recabite: or, a defyance to Bacchus and all his Works. A Poem in 67 Hexasticks, &c. Lond. 1681. in four sheets in fol. See more of him in his old friend Edm. Gayton, p. 271, a Poet of the like stamp. This Mr. Whitehall died on the eighth day of July, in sixteen hundred eighty and five,1685. and was buried the next day in the south part or Isle of Merton College Church, having for several years before hang’d on that house, as an useless member.