Page:Sir William Petty - A Study in English Economic Literature - 1894.djvu/17

18 ingenious lady, brown, with glorious eyes, by whom he hath sons and daughters, very lovely children, but all like the mother. I remember there was a great difference between him and Sir, one of Oliver's Knights, about 1660. They printed one against the other. The knight had been a soldier and challenged Sir William to fight with him. Sir William is extremely short-sighted, and being the challengee, it belonged to him to nominate place and weapon. He nominates for the place a dark cellar and the weapon to be a great carpenter's axe. This turned the knight's challenge into ridicule, and so it came to nought.13 He can be an excellent droll (if he has a mind to it), and will preach "ex tempore" incomparably either the Presbyterian way, Independent, Capucian friar, or Jesuit.14 He had his patent for Earl of Kilmore and Baron of Shelborne, which he stifles during his life to avoid envy, but his son will have the benefit of the precedency.15 A. D. 1660 he came into England, and was presently received into good grace with His Majesty, who was mightily pleased with his discourse. A. D. 1663 he made his double-bottomed vessel, of which he gave a model to the Royal Society made with his own hands, and it is kept in the repository of Gresham College. It did do a very good service, but happened to be lost in an extraordinary storm in the Irish Sea.16

He is a person of an admirable inventive head and practical parts. He hath told me that he hath read but little, that is to say, not since twenty-five years, and is of Mr. Hobbes' mind, that had he read much, as some men have, he had not known so much as he does, nor should he have made such discoveries and improvements.17