Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 1.djvu/250

 

Besides his above-named contributions to medical literature, an anonymous brochure concerning one item in his own professional practice is said to have been written by him; it is entitled, “A Philosophical Essay upon the celebrated Anodyne Necklace recommended to the World by Dr. Chamberlen.” London, 1717. It is dedicated to Dr. Chamberlen.  

It is recorded that there was resident in Dover in the reign of Charles I. a French Protestant named John Bulteel, not related (as far as I can discover) to the Pasteur Jean Bulteel, of Canterbury. He and his son are brought into notice through the latter’s reception of an honorary Oxford degree at the period of the restoration of Charles II. After the resignation of Richard Cromwell, and the death of the Duke of Somerset, Lord Chancellor Hyde was elected Chancellor of Oxford University on 27th October 1660. The Chancellor was created Earl of Clarendon in 1661, and visited Oxford in September. Anthony a Wood says: “Creations were made in all Faculties either by the favour of His Majesty, or of Clarendon, the Chancellor of the University, when he was entertained by the University in September 1661.” John Bulteel, secretary to Edward, Earl of Clarendon, was then enrolled as Master of Arts. How long he had served his famous chief, we are not informed. It is well known that the Earl was disgraced, and went into banishment in 1667. Mr. Bulteel did not long survive this reverse of fortune, for “he died at batchelor, in the parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Westminster, Anno 1669.”

It appears that through Clarendon’s interest he was elected to “the Long or Pensioners’ Parliament” on 4th April 1661. The official return of members elected at that date for Lostwithiel, in Cornwall, contains the names, Sir Christopher Wrey, Knight and Baronet, and John Bulteel, Esquire, of London. The next return is, “3 February $o$. Hon. Silas Titus, Esq., vice John Bulteel, Esq., deceased.”

By some light pieces he obtained a place in Biographia Dramatica, vol. i., and in Hazlitt’s Dramatic Literature of Great Britain. His works are: “London’s Triumph; or, the Solemn and Magnificent Reception of that Honourable Gentleman, Robert Tichburn, Lord Major, after his return from taking his Oath at Westminster, the morrow after Simon and Jude day, being October 29, 1656, with the Speeches spoken at Foster-lane-end and Soper-lane-end. London, printed for N. Brock at the Angel, in Cornhill. Dedicated to the Lord Major and Skinners’ Company by J. B.” 2. “Berinthus, a Romance.” London, 1664. 3. A Translation of Corneille’s Amour à la mode, 1665.  

The date of the death of John Bulteel, M.A., being 1669 (or 1670, n.s.), I venture to chronicle “John Bulteel, gentleman,” as John, son of the pasteur John Bulteel, of Canterbury, who on 26th August 1627 was baptized in that archi-episcopal city within the undercroft of its cathedral as Jean, fils de Mons$16 69⁄70$ Jean Bulteel, ministre en ceste église et Marie Gabri sa femme. We may suppose that this well-born and well-educated gentleman came to London as a votary of literature, and undertook to execute translations from French and from Italian, as well as from Latin and Greek.