[501]Mr. Thomas Bushell was an ... shire man, borne ...: quaere Thomas Mariet, esq. [He[502]was borne at Marston in ... shire, neer him.]
He was one of the gentlemen that wayted on the Lord Chancellour Bacon. 'Twas the fashion in those dayes for gentlemen to have their suites of clothes garnished with buttons. My Lord Bacon was then in disgrace, and his man Bushell having more buttons then usuall on his cloake, etc., they sayd that his lord's breech made buttons and Bushell wore them—from whence he was calledbuttond Bushell.
He was only an English scholar, but had a good witt and a working and contemplative head. His lord much loved him.
His genius lay most towards naturall philosophy, and particularly towards the discovery, drayning, and improvement of the silver mines in Cardiganshire[503], etc.
He had the strangest bewitching way to drawe-in people (yea, discreet and wary men) into his projects that ever I heard of. His tongue was a chaine and drewe in so many to be bound for him and to be ingaged in his designes that he ruined a number. Mr. Goodyere of ... in Oxfordshire was undon by him among others; see[504]part iii. pag. 6 b.
He was master of the art of running in debt, and lived so long that his depts were forgott, so that they were the great-grandchildren of the creditors.
He wrote a stich't treatise of mines and improving of the adits to them and bellowes to drive-in wind, which Sir John Danvers, his acquaintance, had, and nayled it[BM]to his parlor-wall at Chelsey, with some scheme, and I beleeve is there yet: I sawe it there about 10 yeares since.
During the time of the civill warres, he lived in Lundy island.
Anno 1647 or 8, he came over into England; and when he landed at Chester, and had but one Spanish threepence (this I had then from ... of Great Tew, to whom he told it), and, sayd he, 'I[505]could have been contented to have begged a penny, like a poor man.' At that time he sayd he owed, I forgett whether it was 50 or sixty thousand pounds: but he was like Sir Kenelm Digby, if he had not 4d., wherever he came he would find respect and credit.
☞ Memorandum, after his master the lord chancellor dyed, he maried ..., and lived at Enston, Oxon; where having some land lyeing on the hanging of a hill faceing the south, at the foot wherof runnes a fine cleare stream which petrifies, and where is a pleasant solitude, he spake to his servantJack[XXX.]Sydenham to gett a labourer to cleare some boscage which grew on the side of the hill, and also to dig[506]a cavity in the hill to sitt, and read or contemplate. The workman had not workt an hower before he discovers not only a rock, but a rock of an unusuall figure with pendants like icecles as at Wokey hole (Somerset), which was the occasion of making that delicate grotto and those fine walkes.
[XXX.]
[XXX.]
Here in fine weather he would walke all night. Jack Sydenham sang rarely: so did his other servant, Mr. Batty. They went very gent. in cloathes, and he loved them as his children.
He did not encumber him selfe with his wife, but here enjoyed himselfe thus in this paradise till the war brake out, and then retired to Lundy isle.
He had donne something (I have forgott what) that made him obnoxious to the Parliament or Oliver Cromwell, about 1650; would have been hangd if taken; printed severall letters to the Parliament, etc., dated from beyond sea, and all that time lay privately in his howse in Lambeth marsh where the[507]pointed pyramis is. In the garret there, is a long gallery, which he hung all with[508]black, and had some death's heads and bones painted. At the end where his couch was, was in an old Gothique nich (like an old monument) painted a skeleton incumbent[509]on a matt. At the other end where was his pallet-bed was an emaciated dead man stretched out. Here he had severall mortifying and divine motto's (he imitated his lord[510]as much as he could), and out of his windowes a very pleasant prospect. At night he walkt in the garden and orchard. Only Mr. Sydenham, and an old trusty woman, was privy to his being in England.
He dyed about 1676 or 1677—quaere where—he was 80 yeares of age. [He[511]dyed in Scotland yard neerWhitehall about 1675 or 1677; Mr. Beach the quaker can tell me exactly.]
His entertainment to Queen Henrietta Marie at Enston was in anno 163<6, 23 August>. Insert, i.e. sowe[512]my book (which J. S.[513]gave my grandfather Isaac Lyte) in this place ... Goodall[BN], of Ch. Ch. Oxon, composed[514]the musique; I remember the student of Ch. Ch. which sang the songs ( now forgett his name).
[515]Mr. Bushell had a daughter maried to a merchant ... in Bristowe.
He was a handsome proper gentleman when I sawe him at his house aforesayd at Lambith. He was about 70 but I should have not guessed him hardly 60. He had a perfect healthy constitution; fresh, ruddy face; hawke-nosed, and was temperate.
As he had the art of running in dept, so sometimes he was attacqued and throwen into prison; but he would extricate him selfe again straingely.
He[516]died about 3 yeares since (
Memorandum:—in the time of the civill warres his[517]hermitage over the rocks at Enston were hung with black-bayes; his bed had black curtaines, etc., but it had no bed-postes but hung by 4 cordes (covered with black-bayes) instead of bed postes. When the queen-mother came to Oxon to the king, she either brought (as I thinke) or somebody gave her an entire mummie from Egypt, a great raritie, which her majestie gave to Mr. Bushell, but I beleeve long ere this time the dampnesse of the place haz spoyled it with mouldinesse.
Memorandum:—the grotto[518]belowe lookes just south; so that when it artificially raineth, upon the turning of a cock, you are enterteined with a rainebowe. In a verylittle pond (no bigger then a basin) opposite to the rock, and hard by, stood (1643, Aug. 8) a Neptune, neatly cutt in wood, holding his trident in his hand, and ayming with it at a duck which perpetually turned round with him, and a spanniel swimming after her—which was very pretty, but long since spoyled. I heare that ... earl of Rochester, in whose possession it now is, doeth keepe it very well in order.
[519]Mr. Bushell was the greatest arts-master to runne in dept (perhaps) in the world. He died one hundred and twenty thousand pounds in dept. He had so delicate a way of making his projects alluring and feazible, profitable, that he drewe to his baites not only rich men of no designe, but also the craftiest knaves in the countrey, such who had cosened and undon others: e.g. Mr. Goodyeere, who undid Mr. Nicholas Mees's father, etc.
VidePlea for Irish cattle.
Vide[520]φ p.148, Bushell's rocks.
Quaere his servant John Sydenham for the collection of remarques of severall partes of England, by the said Mr. Bushell.
[521]Memorandum:—his ingeniose invention ofadituswith bellowes to bring fresh aire into the mines: quaere Mr. Beech (quaker) if he hath his printed booke or where it may be had. He gave one to Sir John Danvers, which was nayled in the parlour to the wainscot: 'twas but about 8 sheetes.
Quaere Dr. Plott (
Mr. Thomas Bushell lay some time (perhaps yeares) at Capt. Norton's, in the gate at Scotland-yard, where he dyed seven yeares since (now, 1684), about 80 aetat. Buried in the little cloysters at Westminster Abbey: vide the Register. Somebody putt[522]B. B. upon the stone[XXXI.].—From Mr. Beech the quaker.
[XXXI.]Now, 1687, gon: all new paved.
[XXXI.]Now, 1687, gon: all new paved.
Notes.[BM]'Nailed,' I suppose, after the fashion of nailing counterfeit coins to the counter, or vermin to the stable door. Sir John Danvers had probably lost money in the 'scheme.'[BN]Stephen Goodall, chaplain of Ch. Ch., died in Oxford, in Sept. 1637.—Griffiths'Index to Wills ... at Oxford, p. 24.Anthony Wood says the music was composed by Samuel Ives. Aubrey's copy of these poems is now among Anthony Wood's books in the Bodleian.
[BM]'Nailed,' I suppose, after the fashion of nailing counterfeit coins to the counter, or vermin to the stable door. Sir John Danvers had probably lost money in the 'scheme.'
[BM]'Nailed,' I suppose, after the fashion of nailing counterfeit coins to the counter, or vermin to the stable door. Sir John Danvers had probably lost money in the 'scheme.'
[BN]Stephen Goodall, chaplain of Ch. Ch., died in Oxford, in Sept. 1637.—Griffiths'Index to Wills ... at Oxford, p. 24.Anthony Wood says the music was composed by Samuel Ives. Aubrey's copy of these poems is now among Anthony Wood's books in the Bodleian.
[BN]Stephen Goodall, chaplain of Ch. Ch., died in Oxford, in Sept. 1637.—Griffiths'Index to Wills ... at Oxford, p. 24.
Anthony Wood says the music was composed by Samuel Ives. Aubrey's copy of these poems is now among Anthony Wood's books in the Bodleian.