1480 Extracts from the Port-folio of a Man of Letiers. [March 1, 
were dispersed, which he thought a pity, 
as it was curious to see any series com- 
plete; and in every volume of poems 
something good may be found.”—Bos- 
well’s Lite, vol. I. p. 542. 
SIR JOHN DAVIS, 
Who was rather a poet and a scholar 
than a lawyer, was, by the favour of 
James I. rapidly promoted through ail 
the gradations of legal rank, to that of 
chief-justice of the king’s bench; but be- 
fore he took his seat on the bench, he 
died suddenly by an apopiexy.. He had 
married the Lady Eleanor Touchet, 
daughter of George Lord Audley, Earl of 
Castlehaven, a lady of an extraordinary 
character. The circumstances of his 
death as related by her,are curious. He 
was in his 57th year at the time of his 
decease which happened on a Thursday 
morning, 7th of December 1626, being 
found dead in his bed, to which he had 
retired in good health the preceding 
night. 
Lady Eleanor, his wife, having, as she 
says, about three years before predicted 
his death as a punishment for having 
thrown into the fire one of her books of 
prophecies,put on mourning garments from 
that time, and about three days before 
his sudden departure gave him his,pass, 
bursting into tears before all his servants 
and friends at the table,on which, being 
asked what was the matter, she answered 
“« Husband, these are vour funeral tears,” 
to which he replied, “ Weep not when I 
am alive, and I will give you leave to 
laugh when I am dead.” Her prophecy, 
however, was punctually fulfilled. his 
singular anecdote is extracted by Bal- 
lard, from an exceedingly scarce pam- 
phlet, entitled “ The Lady Eleanor her 
appeal.” 1646, 4to. Ballard 272. 
The “ Nosce Teipsum” of Sir John Da- 
vis, which is a philosophical discourse on 
the immortality of the soul, is deserving 
of very high praise, as a metaphysical 
poem, for the purity and neatness of the 
language, the vigour of the thoughts, and 
the harmony of the versification. ‘ Sir 
John Davis, says Mr. Chalmers, (Apology 
for the Believers in the Shakspeare Pa- 
pers, 1797, 8vo. p. 461) is the first of our 
poets who reasoned in rhyme; yet the 
palm of logical poetry has been assigned 
by Johnson, to Dryden, though the lau- 
reat of James II. can boast of nothing 
which is comparable to the *‘ Nosce Teip- 
sum’ of Davis, for concatenation of 
argument and subtlety of thought.” 
DR. MATTHEW WREN. 
Dr. Wren was son of Dr. Matthew 
Wrer, Bishop of Ely. The family were 
originally settled at Cambridge: but du- 
ring the period of the usurpation re- 
moved to Oxford. After the restoration, 
Dr. Wren was taken into the service of 
the Earl of Clarendon, beca:ne his secre- 
tary, and was elected burgess for St. Mi- 
chael’s in Cornwall in 1661. After Lord 
Clarendon’s fall, he became secretary to 
James Duke of York, afterwards King 
James Il. and continued in his service 
until the time of his death in 1672. He 
was ‘one of the early members of the 
Royal Society, and was buried in Pem- 
broke-hall. 
BISHOP WALTON. 
Dr. Brian Walton was of a Yorkshire 
family, and received the early part of his 
education at Maedalen College, but fre- 
moved to Peter house in 1623. He was 
afterwards promoted a prebendal stall m 
, St. Paul’s, and made chaplain to King 
Chacles I. During the time that he’ was 
under sequestration, he laid the noble 
design of collecting and publishing the 
Bibhia Polyglotia, which he compleated, 
and presented, to the king, soon after his 
sequestration was taken off. [lis virtues, 
loyalty, learning, and sufferings, procured 
his advancement to the see of Chester in 
1660, and he died in 1661. 
DR. JOHN: PELL. 
The life of this learned reformer of the 
calendar, and distinguished Linguist, who 
was educated in Trmity College, Cam- 
bridge, was chequered with much variety. 
He was professor of mathematics at Am- 
sterdam, and in 1646, the Prince of 
range made him first professor of philo- 
sophy at Breda. In 1652, he was sent by 
Cromwell, envoy to the Protestant can- 
tons of Switzerland. On the restoration, 
he entered into holy orders, and became 
chaplain to Bishop Sanderson. He af- 
terwards suffered much through poverty, 
the Bishop being dead, and at last died 
in an obscure place in Londen in the 
greatest distress in 1685. | 
MURET. 
Marc-Antoine Muret, who ranks 
among the Latin poets of France, was 
born near Limoges, 1526. He is said 
principally by his own application to 
have attained the critical knowledge im 
the Greek and Latin languages for which 
he was distinguished. He taught in va- 
rious colleges and seminaries of educa- 
tion, and was remarkable for the vivacity 
of his disposition, and a certain pointed 
quickness of reproof which enabled him 
to repress the undue forwardness of his ~ 
pupils. Charges of a serious nature, the - 
justice of which is however disputed, ob- 
liged him to fly from his native count 
