298 Notes on the History of Mere. 
but only a soldier of fortune, becoming a favourite of King Henry VIIL., at the 
dissolution of the Abbeys, in few years, from nothing slipt into a prodigious 
estate of the Church’s lands, which brought great envy on him from this Baron 
of an ancient family, and great paternal estate, besides the difference in religion. 
The Lord Stourton aforesayd was a person of great spirit and courage, and kept 
in his retinue the stoutest fellowes he could hear of. Amongst others he heard 
of one Hartgill, a mighty stout fellowe who had lately killed a man, who was 
recommended to his Lordship for his valour ; who when he cameinto his family, 
the Lord Stourton gave the next Sunday, ten groates to the priest of the parish 
to say a Masse for him at church, for the expiation of Hartgill’s sin in killing a 
man. A surly, dogged, crosse fellowe it seems he was, who at last, when his 
Lordship had advanced him to be steward of his estate, cosined his Lord of the 
Mannour of Kilmanton, the next parish. I think it wasa Trust. The Lord 
Stourton who also had as good a spirit, seeing that his servant Hartgill had so 
ensnared him in law tricks as that he could not possibly be relieved, not being 
able to bear so great and ungrateful an abuse, murthered him.” 
John Britton says :— 
“An Interpretation of the number 666 is a curiosity in literature. It ex- 
emplifies forcibly the obstruse and mystical researches in which the literati of 
the seventeenth century indulged ; wherein not only the manner how this number 
ought to be interpreted is clearly proved and demonstrated, but it is also shewed 
that this number is an exquisite and perfect character truly, exactly and essentially 
describing that state of government in which all other notes of Antichrist do 
agree; with all knowne objections solidly and fully answered that can be 
materially made against it.” 
So general were studies of this nature at the time, that Potter’s 
volume was translated into French, Dutch and Latin. The author, 
though somewhat visionary, was a profound mathematician, and 
invented several ingenious mechanical instruments. 
Aubrey, who knew him, says of him :— 
* He looks the most like a monk or one of the pastors of the old time that I 
ever saw. He was pretty long visaged and pale, clear skin, grey eyes. His 
discourse was admirable, and all new and unvulgar.” 
Another person writing of his book, says :— 
“ Bxuberant as is the praise which Jose (sic) Mede bestows upon this booke, it 
is not superior to its deserts. To say it is the most ingenious book ever written 
on the subject is to say too little; I know of no Hypothesis on a matter, dubious 
as this is, so ingeniously constructed throughout.” 
He was one of those Royalists on whom fines were imposed at 
the conclusion of the Civil War. In Waylen’s list of Wiltshire 
: 
of 
L 
