Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/432

 |9 6 A U B R E Y. He received the fuft rudiments of his education in the gram- mar-fthool at Malmefbury, under Mr. Robert Larimer ; who had alfo been preceptor to the famous Thomas Hobbes, vviih whom Mr. Aubrey commenced an early friendfliip, which lafted as long as Mr. Hobbes lived. In 1642, Mr. Aubrey was entered a gentleman-commoner of Trinity college at Oxford, where he purfued his ftudies with great diligence, making the hiftory and antiquities of England his peculiar object. About this time the famous " Monafticon Anglica- num" was talked of in the univerfity, to which Mr. Aubrey contributed confiderable afiiftance, and procured, at his own cxpencc, a curious draught of the remains of Ofney abbey near Oxford, which were entirely deftroyed in the civil Won. Angl. wars [A]. 1111646, he was admitted of the Middle Temple, Tol.i.p. 55. but the death of his father hindered him from purfuing the law. He fucceeded to feveral eftates in the counties of "Wilts, Surry, Hereford, Brecknock, and Monmouth, but they were involved in many law-fuits. Thefe fuits, toge- ther with other misfortunes, by degrees confumed all his eltatcs, and forced him to lead a more a&ive life than he Memoirs ofwas otherwife inclined to. He did not, however, break off Aubrey,p.6.hj s acquaintance with the learned at Oxford or at London: he kept up a clofe coirefpondence with the lovers of anti- quity and natural phi'ofophv in the univerfity, and furn;(hed Anthony Wood with a confiderable part of the materials for Ibid. p. 4. his two large works. He likewife preferved an intimacy with thofe great pcrfons, who then met privately, and were afterwards formed into the Royal Society. Soon after the Reftoration Mr. Aubrey went into Ireland, and returning from thence, in the autumn of 1660, narrowly efcaned {hip- wreck near Holy head. On the ift of November, 1662, he Ipid. p. 6. fufrcred another fhipvvreck. Jn 1662, he was admitted a fellow of the Royal Society. In June 1664, he travelled through France into Orleans, and returned in the month of October. In 1(66, he fold his eftate in Wiltfiiire ; and was a: Ungth obliged to difpofe of all he had left, To that, in the fpace of four years, he was reduced even to want; yet -i;. his fpirit remained unbroken. His chief benefachefs was the lady Long of Draycot in Wilu-., who gave him an apart- [A] This curious draught wss firuly " fwhich was not. a little lucky 1 } but a etci.'-.i i y Wenteflaus ' : . I in- " .'Lort time before they wcr>- deftro) e4 Icrttxl in the Monafticoo, iih .1 La- " in the livil war, (ecu red now, and as ttrt i Icr.f'tion to the following purp'.ce: " it were revived, are flLtiicated t.o pof- " I tic ni He ruins or t'nis tarrick, " tcrity by John Aubrey, of Efton- ' drawn t'rcm a 'uve to ar.tiq'iity, '-' 1'tcrf, in the county ol Wilts, efq. 1 ' ' wi..ij j'.t a youth u; OX^L.^ and Vvl, i>. p. 136, meat