John Aubrey - Brief Lives

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How these curiosities would be quite forgot, did not such idle fellows as I am put them down.

John Aubrey
As they were reading of inscribing and circumscribing figures, said he, I will show you how to inscribe a triangle in a quadrangle. Bring a pig into the quadrangle and I will set the college dog at him, and he will take the pig by the ear, then I come and take the dog by the tail and the hog by the tail, and so there you have a triangle in a quadrangle; quod erat faciendum.

John Aubrey
I have heard him say, that after his Booke of the Circulation of the Blood came-out, that he fell mightily in his Practize, and that 'twas beleeved by the vulgar that he was crack-brained.
Of William Harvey

John Aubrey
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
He left an estate of eleven 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 sons would spend his Estate faster than he got it; he replied, They cannot take more delight in the spending of it than I did in the getting of it.

John Aubrey
Oval face. His eye a dark grey. He had auburn hair. His complexion exceeding fair—he was so fair that they called him the lady of Christ's College.

John Aubrey
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
His Comedies will remain wit 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 years hence they will not be understood.

John Aubrey
The Bishop sometimes would take the key of the wine-cellar, and he and his chaplain [Lushington] would go and lock themselves in and be merry. Then first he lays down his episcopal hat—There lies the Doctor. Then he puts off his gown—There lies the Bishop. Then 'twas, Here's to thee, Corbet, and Here's to thee, Lushington.

John Aubrey
She was when a child much against the Bishops, and prayed to God to take them to him, but afterwards was reconciled to them. Prayed aloud, as the hypocritical fashion then was, and was overheard.

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

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

John Aubrey
His harmonical and ingenious soul did lodge in a beautiful and well proportioned body. He was a spare man.

John Aubrey
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
He [Thomas Hobbes] had read much, if one considers his long life; but his contemplation was more than his reading. He was wont to say that if he had read as much as other men, he should have known no more than other men.

John Aubrey
I have heard him [William Harvey] say, that after his book of the circulation of the blood came out, that he fell mightily in his practice, and that 'twas believed by the vulgar that he was crack-brained; and all the physicians were against his opinion.

John Aubrey
He was a handsome, well-shaped man: very good company, and of a very ready and pleasant smooth wit.

John Aubrey
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 years. On his return the Queen welcomed him home, and said, My Lord, I had forgot the Fart.

John Aubrey
He pronounced the letter R (littera canina) very hard—a certain sign of a satirical wit.

John Aubrey
He [John Milton] was so fair that they called him the Lady of Christ's College.

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

John Aubrey
Mr. William Shakespeare was born at Stratford upon Avon in the County of Warwick. His father was a butcher, and I have been told heretofore by some of the neighbors, that when he was a boy he exercised his father's trade, but when he killed a calf he would do it in a high style and make a speech.

John Aubrey
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
He [William Harvey] bid me to goe to the Fountain-head, and read Aristotle, Cicero, Avicenna, and did call the Neoteriques shitt-breeches.

John Aubrey
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