Quotes from book
Brief Lives

Name: Brief Lives
Author: John Aubrey

John Aubrey

Brief Lives is a collection of short biographies written by John Aubrey in the last decades of the 17th century.

“How these curiosities would be quite forgott, did not such idle fellowes as I am putt them downe.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"Venetia Digby"
Brief Lives

“Sciatica: he cured it, by boyling his buttock.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"Sir Jonas Moore"
Brief Lives

“Dr. Kettle was wont to say that Seneca writes as a Boare does pisse, scilicet by jirkes.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"Ralph Kettell"
Brief Lives

“There is to some men a great Lechery in Lying, and imposing on the understandings of beleeving people.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"Thomas Allen"
Brief Lives

“His manner of Studie was thus…About every three houres his man was to bring him a roll and a pott of Ale to refocillate his wasted spirits: so he studied and dranke, and munched some bread; and this maintained him till night, and then, he made a good Supper: now he did well not to dine, which breakes off one's fancy, which will not presently be regained: and 'tis with Invention as a flux, when once it is flowing, it runnes amaine: if it is checked, flowes but guttim [drop by drop]: and the like for perspiration, check it, and 'tis spoyled.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"William Prynne"
Brief Lives

“His Comoedies will remaine witt as long as the English tongue is understood, for that he handles mores hominum [the ways of mankind]. Now our present writers reflect so much on particular persons and coxcombeities that twenty yeares hence they will not be understood.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"William Shakespeare"
Brief Lives

“He had read much, if one considers his long life; but his contemplation was much more then his reading. He was wont to say that if he had read as much as other men, he should have knowne no more than other men.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"Thomas Hobbes"
Brief Lives

“He left an estate of eleaven thousand pounds per annum. Sir John Danvers, who knew him, told me that he had heard one say to him, reflecting on his great scraping of wealth, that his sonnes would spend his Estate faster than he gott it; he replyed, They cannot take more delight in the spending of it than I did in the getting of it.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"Sir Edward Coke"
Brief Lives

“His complexion exceeding faire – he was so faire that they called him the Lady of Christ's College.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"John Milton"
Brief Lives

“The parliament intended to have hanged him, and he expected no less, but resolved to be hanged with the Bible under one arm and Magna Carta under the other.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"David Jenkins"
Brief Lives

“Anno 1670, not far from Cyrencester, was an Apparition: Being demanded, whether a good Spirit, or a bad? returned no answer, but disappeared with a curious Perfume and most melodious Twang. Mr. W. Lilly believes it was a Farie.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"Nicholas Towes"
Brief Lives

“His father was a Butcher, and I have been told heretofore by some of the neighbours, that when he was a boy he exercised his father's Trade, but when he kill'd a Calfe he would doe it in high style, and make a Speech.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"William Shakespeare"
Brief Lives

“He was a learned man, of immense reading, but is much blamed for his unfaithfull quotations.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"William Prynne"
Brief Lives

“He pronounced the letter R (littera canina) very hard – a certaine signe of a Satyricall Witt.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"John Milton"
Brief Lives

“Sir Walter, being strangely supprized and putt out of his countenance at so great a Table, gives his son a damned blow over the face; his son, as rude as he was, would not strike his father, but strikes over the face of the Gentleman that sate next to him, and sayed, Box about, 'twill come to my Father anon.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

'Tis now a common used Proverb.
"Sir Walter Raleigh"
Brief Lives

“This Earle of Oxford, making of his low obeisance to Queen Elizabeth, happened to let a Fart, at which he was so abashed and ashamed that he went to Travell, 7 yeares. On his returne the Queen welcomed him home, and sayd, My Lord, I had forgott the Fart.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford"
Brief Lives

“I remember about 1660 there was a great difference between him and Sir Hierome Sanchy, one of Oliver's knights…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 darke 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.”

John Aubrey book Brief Lives

"Sir William Petty"
Brief Lives

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