Chapter 48

< Copies of letters by, or about, Thomas Hobbes. >

i. Thomas Hobbes to Josias Pullen.

For my much honored friend Mr. Josias Pullen, Vice-principall of Magdalen Hall in Oxon.

Honour'd Sir,

I understand by a letter from Mr. Aubry that you desire to have the bookes I have published to put them into the library of Magdalen Hall. I have here sent them you, and very willingly, as being glad of the occasion, for I assure you that I owe so much honour and respect to that society that I would have sent them, and desired to have them accepted, long agoe, if I could have donne it as decently as now that you have assured me that your selfe and some others of your house have a good opinion of them so that though the house refuse them they are not lost. You know how much they have been decryed by Dr. Wallis and others of the greatest sway in the University, and therfore to offer them to any Colledge or Hall had been a greater signe of humility than I have yet attained to.

For your owne civility in approving them, I give you many thanks; and remain

Sir,
Your most humble servant,
Tho. Hobbes.

1672, London,
Febr. 1st.

ii. Thomas Hobbes to John Aubrey.

Noble Sir,

I am very glad to hear you are well and continue your favours towards me.

'Tis a long time since I have been able to write my selfe, and am now so weake that it is a paine to me to dictate.

But yet I cannot choose but thanke you for this letter of Jan. 25th which I receaved not till the last of ffebruary. I was assured a good while since that Dr. Wallis his learning is no where esteemed but in the Universities by such as have engaged themselves in the defence of his geometry and are now ashamed to recant it. And I wonder not if Dr. Wallis, or any other, that have studyed mathematicks onely to gaine preferment, when his ignorance is discovered, convert his study to jugling and to the gaining of a reputation of conjuring, decyphering, and such arts as are in the booke you sent me.

As for the matter it selfe, I meane the teaching of a man borne deafe and dumbe to speake, I thinke it impossible. But I doe not count him deafe and indocible that can heare a word spoken as loud as is possible at the very entrance to his eare, for of this I am assured that a man borne absolutely deafe must of necessity be made to heare before he can be made to speake, much lesse to understand. And he that could make him heare (being a great and common good) would well deserve both to be honoured and to be enriched. He that could make him speake a few words onely deserved nothing. But he that brags of this and cannot doe it, deserves to be whipt.

Sir, I am most heartily
Your most faithfull and most humble servant,
Thomas Hobbes.
Hardwick,
March the 5th, 1677.

To my most honored frend Mr. John Awbry, esqre, to be left for him at Mr. Crooke's, a bookseller, at the Green Dragon without Temple barre, London.

iii. Thomas Hobbes to William Crooke, with an enclosure to John Aubrey.

<Hobbes' letter to Crooke is found as fol. 11 of MS. Aubr. 9: the enclosure to Aubrey, as foll. 12, 13. Both are in James Wheldon's handwriting.

It appears by the post-stamps on the backs of these letters that the charge for a letter was 3d., with 3d. for each enclosure. Thus the letters of Aug. 18, 1679, March 5, 1679/80, Sept. 7, 1680, are all marked as costing 3d. postage (MS. Aubr. 9, foll. 15v, 10v, 21v); while this letter to Crooke, with its enclosure, cost 6d. (ibid., fol. 11v); and the letter of Jan. 16, 1679/80, with its two enclosures, cost 9d. (ibid. fol. 17v).>

Sir,

I have receaved Sir George Ent's booke and Mr. Aubrey's letter, to which I have written an answer, but I cannot tell how to send it to him without your helpe, and therefore I have sent it to you here inclosed, for I believe he comes now and then to your shop, and I pray you doe me the favour to deliver it to him.

I rest, your humble servant
Tho. Hobbes.

Chatsworth,
March the 25th 1679.
For Mr. William Crooke,
Bookeseller,
At the Green Dragon without Temple barr
London.

Worthy Sir,

I have receaved from Will: Crooke the booke of Sir George Ent of the use of respiration. It is a very learned and ingenious booke, full of true and deepe philosophy, and I pray you to present unto him my most humble service. Though I receaved it but three days since, yet drawn on by the easinesse of the style and elegance of the language I have read it all over. And I give you most hearty thankes for sending of it to me, and to Mr. Ent who was pleased to bestow it upon me, and I am very glad to hear that Sir George him selfe is alive and in good health, though I believe he is very near as old as I am.

I knew not how to addresse my letter to you, but at all adventure I sent it inclosed in a letter to Mr. Crooke at whose shop I suppose you sometimes looke in as you passe the street.

I pray you present my service to Mr. Hooke and thanke him for the honour of his salutation.

I am, Sir, your most obliged and humble servant,

Thomas Hobbes.
Chatsworth,
March the 25th, 1679.
To my most honoured frend,
Mr. John Aubrey.

iv. Thomas Hobbes to John Aubrey.

Honored Sir,

I thanke you for your letter of Aug. 2d, and I pray you present my humble thanks to Sir George Ent that he accepteth of my judgment upon his booke. I fear it is rather his good nature then my merit. I am sorry for the news you write of his son.

I have been told that my booke of the Civill Warr is come abroad, and am sorry for it, especially because I could not get his majestye to license it, not because it is ill printed or has a foolish title set to it, for I believe that any ingenious man may understand the wickednesse of that time, notwithstanding the errors of the presse.

The treatise De Legibus, at the end of it, is imperfect. I desire Mr. Horne to pardon me that I consent not to his motion, nor shall Mr. Crooke himselfe get my consent to print it.

I pray you present my humble service to Mr. Butler.

The priviledge of stationers is (in my opinion) a very great hinderance to the advancement of all humane learning.

I am, Sir, your very humble servant,
Tho. Hobbes.
Chatsworth,
Aug. the 18th, 1679.

To my much honoured frend Mr. John Aubrey, at Mr. Hooke's lodging in Gresham College, London.

v. James Wheldon to William Crooke, with enclosure to John Aubrey, and a copy of Hobbes' will.

<Wheldon's letter to Crooke is found as foll. 16 and 17 of MS. Aubr. 9; the enclosure to Aubrey, as foll. 18, 19.>

Hardwick, January the 16th, 1679.
Sir,

Three days since I receaved your letter of the 9th instant together with one from Mr. Aubrey, and because they containe both the same particulars I thinke it unnecessary to repeat to you what I have written back to that gentleman.

All that I can add is onely this, that neither Mr. Halleley nor I have anything in either of our hands of Mr. Hobbes's writing, the very little of that kind that he left behind him being disposed of according to his own order before he removed from Chatsworth.

According to Mr. Aubrey's direction I have here inclosed my letter to him, which I pray you present to him with my humble service as soon as you shall see him.

I am, Sir, your most humble servant,
James Wheldon.

To my much respected frend
Mr. William Crooke
at the Green Dragon without Templebarr
In London.

Hardwick, January the 16th, 1679.
Worthy Sir,

Having been abroad about businesse for some days, I receaved, at my coming home, your letter of the third of this month, which evidences the great esteeme you have for Mr. Hobbes, for which I returne you my humble thanks, and particularly for the paines you have been pleased to take in the large account of what you your selfe, Mr. Anthony a Wood, and Sir George Ent designe for Mr. Hobbes his honour.

I am glad Mr. Crooke has receaved his Life in Prose, which was the onely thing Mr. Halleley got possession of, and sent it to him by my hand. Mr. Halleley tells me now, that Mr. Hobbes (in the time of his sicknesse) told him he had promised it to Mr. Crooke, but said he was unwilling it should ever be published as written by himselfe; and I beleeve it was some such motive, which made him burne those Latine verses Mr. Crooke sent him about that time.

For those Latine verses you mention about Ecclesiasticall Power, I remember them, for I writ them out, but know not what became of them, unlesse he presented them to judge Vaughan, or burned them, as you seem to intimate.

He fell sick about the middle October last. His disease was the strangury, and the physitians judged it incurable by reason of his great age and naturall decay. About the 20th of November, my Lord being to remove from Chatsworth to Hardwick, Mr. Hobbes would not be left behind; and therefore with a fether bed laid into the coach, upon which he lay warme clad, he was conveyed safely, and was in appearance as well after that little journey as before it. But seven or eight days after, his whole right side was taken with the dead palsy, and at the same time he was made speechlesse. He lived after this seven days, taking very little nourishment, slept well, and by intervalls endeavoured to speake, but could not. In the whole time of his sicknesse he was free from fever. He seemed therefore to dye rather for want of the fuell of life (which was spent in him) and meer weaknesse and decay, then by the power of his disease, which was thought to be onely an effect of his age and weaknesse. He was born the 5th of Aprill, in the year 1588, and died the 4th of December, 1679. He was put into a woollen shroud and coffin, which was covered with a white sheet, and upon that a black herse cloth, and so carryed upon men's shoulders, a little mile to church. The company, consisting of the family and neighbours that came to his funerall, and attended him to his grave, were very handsomely entertained with wine, burned and raw, cake, biscuit, etc. He was buried in the parish church of Hault Hucknall, close adjoining to the raile of the monument of the grandmother of the present earle of Devonshire, with the service of the Church of England by the minister of the parish. It is intended to cover his grave with a stone of black marble as soon as it can be got ready, with a plain inscription of his name, the place of his birth, and the time of that and of his death.

As to his will, it is sent up to London to be proved there, and by the copy of it, which I here send you, I beleeve you will judge it fitt to make no mention of it inwhat you designe to get written by way of Commentary on his life.

As for the palsey in his hands, it began in ffrance, before the year 1650, and has grown upon him by degrees ever since; but Mr. Halleley remembers not how long it has disabled him to write legibly.

Mr. Halleley never heard of a pension from the ffrench king and beleeves there was no such thing ever intended. He desires you to accept of his thanks for your favourable remembrance of him, and of the returne of his respects to you by me. And if hereafter you should want any thing which we know, that might contribute to the honour of Mr. Hobbes's memory, upon the least notice, shall readily be imparted to you.

In the mean time, with much respect, I rest,

Sir, your much obliged and humble servant,
James Wheldon.

To my highly honoured frend, John Aubrey, esq., this humbly present.

A true copy of Mr. Hobbes's will.

The 25th day of September in the 29th year of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord, King Charles the Second, and in the yeare of our Lord God, 1677.

I, Thomas Hobbes, of Malmesbury, in the county of Wilts, gent. make this my last Will and Testament.

First, I bequeath to Mary Tirell, daughter of my deceased brother, Edmund Hobbes, forty pounds. Item, I bequeath to Elenor Harding, daughter also of my deceased brother, Edmund Hobbes, forty pounds. Item, I bequeath to Elizabeth Alaby, the daughter of Thomas Alaby, two hundred pounds, and because she is an orphan, and committed by me to the tuition of my executor, my will is, that she should be maintained decently by my executor, till she be 16 yeares of age, and that then the said two hundred pounds be delivered into her hands, being intended for her furtherance in marriage, but let her dispose of it as she please; and if it happen that the said Elizabeth Alaby die before she come to the age of 16 yeares, then my will is, that the said 200 li. be divided equally between the said Mary Tirell and Elenor Harding.

Item, whereas it hath pleased my good lord, the earle of Devonshire, to bid me oftentimes heretofore, and now at the making of this my last will, to dispose therein of one hundred pounds, to be paid by his lordship, for which I give him most humble thanks; I doe give and dispose of the same in this manner: There be five grand-children of my brother, Edmund Hobbes, to the eldest whereof, whose name is Thomas Hobbes, I have heretofore given a peece of land, which may and doth, I think, content him, and therefore to the other four that are younger, I dispose of the same 100 li. the gift of my lord of Devonshire, to be divided equally amongst them, as a furtherance to bind them apprentices.

And I make and ordaine James Wheldon, servant to the earle of Devonshire, my executor, to whom I give the residue of my money and goods whatsoever; and because I would have him in some sort contented for the great service he hath done me, I would pray his majestie to what I left him to add the arreare of my pension, or as much of it as it pleases his majestie.

(His name and seale.)
Sealed, signed and published
in the presence of

John Ashton,
Willm. Barker.

Item I give unto Mary Dell the sum of ten pounds.

I pray you keep his will private to your selfe and Mr. Hobbes's frends onely.

vi. James Wheldon to John Aubrey.

Chatsworth, Sept. the 7th, 1680.
Honoured Sir,

Although for these three weekes, since I receaved your letter, I have made all the enquiry I can, yet all that I hear of the death and buriall of Sir Charles Cavendish is that he was interred at Bolsover in the vault belonging to the family of the duke of Newcastle about the year 1652 or 1653. I will continue to make further inquiry, and if I can learne the day and the month of his death or buriall will give you notice of it.

I have sent you underwritten Mr. Hobbes's epitaph written by himselfe, which is but lately come to my hand from a person that copyed it from the originall.

With much respect, I rest, Sir,
Your most humble and obliged servant,
James Wheldon.

My lord of Devonshire has paid the hundred pounds to Mr. Hobbes's kinred, which he bid Mr. Hobbes dispose of in his will.

Condita hic sunt ossa
Thomae Hobbes
Qui per multos annos servivit
duobus comitibus Devoniae
(patri et filio).
Vir probus, et fama eruditionis.
Domi forisque bene cognitus
Obiit Anno Domini 1679, mensis Decis die 4º,
Aetatis suae 91.

To my much honoured frend John Aubrey, esq.

To be left at Mr. William Crooke's at the Green Dragon without Temple barr, London.

vii. William Aubrey to John Aubrey.

Kington, June 5th, 1680.

Deare brother,

I sopose I shall be here more then a week longer as ... I know not whether Mr. John Stokes or Sir John Knight have the key of the study.

Jo. Tay ... buried 16 of July 1580.

Nicholas Fauckener, vicar, buried 20 July 1612.

Richard Hine....

I shall e<n>devour to set the family of the Powers to rights. It was honest parson P<ower's> grandmoth<er I> think and Jonath. Deekes grandmother was Thomas Lyte's sisters. Alderman Lyte's grandm. was a P<ower> of Stanton ..., which James Power, Mr. J. G. nephew might purchase againe with a wife, with 1500 li., but which formerly was worth 360 li. per annum, but he's goeing to creep into one of Jon. Deeks' woolpacks, viz. his daughter.

I was at Malmesbury but did see <neither> the church nor register but desired Mr. Binnion the parson to doe against I come againe; but Francis Hobbes' widow's good memory did give me much satisfaction. The register at Westport is not 80 yeares old (not more): the paving is all new.

The old vicar Hobs was a good fellow and had been at cards all Saturday night, and at church in his sleep he cries out 'Trafells is troumps' (viz. clubs). Then quoth the clark, 'Then, master, he tha<t> have ace doe rub.'

He <was> a collirice man, and a parson (which I thinke succeeded him at Westport) provoked him (a purpose) at the church doore, soe Hobs stroke him and was forcd to fly for it and ... in obscurity beyound London; died there, was about 80 yeares since.

Mr. William Hobs, a great clothier (old Graye's predisessor in the same house). He had at Cleverton 60 li. or 80 li. per annum, and was first or 2 cousin to the philosipher. But his line is extinct. He was parson Stump's godfather, and brake in his trade. He had 1000 li. left and was 1000 li. in debt; and at London challenged one to throw with him one throw on the dye for 1000 li., and wonn, payd his debt, and afterwards flourished in his trade, and if there be any inscriptions of H<obbes>, it must be for him, in the abbye.

Mr. William Gale of Chipnam was buried yesterday. I was at Dracot, Wensday last; Sir J. and his lady was writing to you. They are in mourning for the earl of Marleborow. He died to-morrow will be three week. Sir J<ames> L<ong> is quartring his coat of arms.

To be left at Mr. Hooks lodgings
in Gresham Colledge
in Bishopsgate Street, London.

<Pedigree of Hobbes.>

... Hobbes |
+----------------------+----------------------+
| |
1. Francis Hobbes m. Katherine, daughter 2. Thomas m. ... Midleton.
(This Francis lived of ... Phillips, a Hobbes, |
in Burnevall at phisition at vicar. |
Malmsbury, and Malmsbury. She |
died about 40 yeares afterwards maried Mr. |
since, sine prole). Potluck of Cirencester. |
+---------------------------------+--------------+
| | |
1. Edmund m. Frances Ludlow, 2. Thomas, Anne Hobs m. Thomas
Hobbes | of Shipton, com. 'of Malmsbury.' (see infra). Laurence.
| Glocester.
+-----+-------------+---------------------------+
| | |
1. Mary m. Roger Elinor m. John Harding, Francis Hobs m. Sarah
Hobbes | Tirell, Hobbes | of Sadlewood (see infra). Alexander.
| of Westport. | in Glouster.
| +--------------------------------+
+--+------+----------+------------+---------+ |
| | | | | |
1. Roger. 2. Isaac 1. Alce. 2. Sarah. 3. Mary. |
(25 years +---------+-+--------+
old). | | |
1. Roger, 2. James, Mary.
aged 28, 23.
Aprill last.

\--------------------------------------------------/
These are the only heires males of the Hobbes.

It is uncertaine whether Anne Gay have any brother or sister living, but it is pitty the poor woman should have somthing if it be but 5 shillings. If you know the executor speak for her.

I was saying to Francis Hobbes's widow (who remembers her service to you) that her son should get one of Mr. Thomas Hobbes's printed pictures.

In hast,
Your very affectionat brother,
William Aubrey.

Keep a copie of Rogers' pedegree.
These to my honoured freind,
Mr. John Awbrey
present.

viii. Hon. Charles Hatton to William Crooke.

<MS. Aubr. 9, fol. 26. The letter is written by a secretary, the signature C. Hatton being in a different hand. Crooke has endorsed it (fol. 27v) 'Mr. Hatton's letter about Mr. Hobs': to which Aubrey has added 'scil. the lord Hatton's son.' On fol. 27 is a note, probably by Crooke, of the 'tracts' referred to, viz. 'Life, Rheto<ric>, Considerations, Natural Philosophy.'>

Mr. Crooke,

I thanke you for the perusall of Mr. Hobbs his tracts which wase a civility I did not expect or desire, for I wou'd not have you at any time deliver any booke to any person who comes in my name unless he then payes you for it. I did desire only to know exactly the particular price of each tract bound apart in marble'd leather, guilt on the backe and ribbed, which pray send me by the bearer by whom I returne you your booke.

I have cursorily looked over Mr. Hobbs his life in Latine which I beleeve will be a very vendible booke both here and beyond sea, for ther is noe lover of learning but will have the curiosity to be particularly informed of the life of soe eminent a person. And truly the reading of it wase very satisfactory to me, for in my apprehension it is very well writ, but I cou'd have wish'd the author had more dilated upon some particulars; and because you intimate a designe to publish it in English I shall hint to you that the author of the life in Latine hath either not taken notice of at all, or too slightingly, some things very remarkeable relating to the temper of Mr. Hobbs his mind or to the infirmity of his body, as his extraordinary timorousnes which he himself in his Latine poem doth very ingeniously confess and attributes it to the influence of his mother's dread of the Spanish invasion in 88, she being then with child of him. And I have been informed, I think by your self, that Mr. Hobbs wase for severall yeares before he died soe paralyticall that he wase scarce able to write his name, and that in the absence of his amanuensis not being able to write anything he made scrawls on a piece of paper to remind him of the conceptions of his mind he design'd to have committed to writing. But the author of his life in Latine only sa<i>th that about 60 yeares of age he wase taken with a trembling in his hands, the forerunner of the palsy; which in my apprehension deserves to be enlarg'd upon, for it is very prodigious that neither the timorousness of his nature from his infancy, nor the decay of his vital heat in the extremity of old age, accompagnied with the palsy to that violence, shou'd not have chill'd the briske fervour and vigour of his mind, which did wonderfully continue to him to his last; which is a subject fit to be discours'd on by a genious equally philosophicall with Mr. Hobbs, wase that now to be hoped for. It is soe considerable to me that I cou'd not refrayne acquainting you that in my apprehension it wase convenient you tooke notice therof in his life you are setting forth in English.

I am, your assured freind,
C. Hatton.

Mr. Crooke, at the Green Dragon,
nere Temple-bar.

Note that, on fol. 42v of MS. Aubr. 9, is a note 'to the earl of Devon, then in Great Queen Street,' with a mark referring it to the opposite page. The then opposite page is, in the present foliation, fol. 48, but has now nothing to which the note can be attached. There are traces, however, which show that a slip has been torn off it.