108 Kington St. Michael. [^John Aubrey. 



vol. ii. p. 496. Jo. Lydall of the Middle Temple. Sir John Uos- 

 kins Bart., grandson of the celebrated Winchester versifier Serjeant 

 Hoskins.i Edmund Wyld Esq. of Glazely Hall. Robert Hooke of 

 Gresham Coll. (Lives ii. 403.) Thos. Hobbes, (Do, ii. 592, a very 

 long memoir written at Hobbes's special request). Antony Wood. 

 Bishop Seth Ward, of Sarum. (Lives ii. 571.) Dr. Wm. Holder. 

 (Do. ii. 397.) Sir Wm. Petty "my singular friend." (Do. ii. 481.) 

 Mr. Charles Seymour (Lord S. of Trowbridge). Sir Lionel Jenkins. 



His notes of his own life conclude thus: "I now indulge my 

 genius with my friends, and pray for the young angel's rest, at 

 Mrs. More's near Gresham College."^ He survived the loss of his 

 property 26 years : and after the usual course of declining health, 

 died suddenly at Oxford on his way to Draycotc, and was buried 

 in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene.'"^ The entry in the Register 

 stands thus "1697. John Aubrey, a stranger, was buried June 7." 

 Without either brass or marble there or elsewhere, to preserve 

 his memory, the name of the good-natured Antiquary of Easton 

 Piers has nevertheless flitted from tongue to tongue : and the well 

 worn condition of his manuscripts in the Aslimolean Museum bears 

 ample witness to the homage of his votaries. 



Several portraits of him were made at different periods of life. 

 The only one now known is a miniature by Faithorne, preserved at 

 Oxford, taken in 1666 when he was 40 years old, an engraving of 

 whicli accompanies this Memoir. 



1 The wiiter of this Memoii- has ventiired (in " Notes and Queries " vol. vi. p. 

 495) to claim for this "Serjeant Hoskins" the authorship of the verses on the 

 Trusty Servant, so well known to all Winchester Scholars. And this, on the 

 authority of Auhrej', who in one of his letters to A. Wood (Oct. 27, 1671,) 

 (amongst a great number lately arranged in the Ashmolean Library) mentions 

 i\\e " picture of the Servant, and the Latin Verses at Winton, done hy The 

 Serjeant when he icent to school there, hut now Jinnly painted." Hoskins was 

 at Winchester School in 1584 and died 1638. He was well known for his 

 dexterity in Latin and English Epigrams and Epitaphs, as well as satirical 

 poetiy : for the exercise of which talent he was refused his degree and expelled 

 the University of Oxford. Aiibrey frequently alludes to him as " The Serjeant ;" 

 and as all the Serjeant's manuscripts came at his death to his grandson. Sir 

 John Hoskins, Aubrey's intimate friend, Aubrey would have the best authority 

 for his statement. For a memoir of the Serjeant see Chalmers's Biog. Diet. 



2 " In Hammond Alley, Bishopsgate street, the farthest house." MS. 



3 He left no Will : and in the Letters of Administration taken out by his 

 brother William he is described as "Bachelor." 



