William Butler(1535-1617/8).

[541]...[542]Butler, physitian; he was of Clare-hall in Cambridge, never tooke the degree of Doctor, though he was the greatest physitian of his time.

The occasion of his being first taken notice of was thus[XXXIV.]:—About the comeing-in of[543]king James, there was a minister of ... (a few miles from Cambridge), that was to preach before his majestie at New-market. The parson heard that the king was a great scholar, and studyed so excessively that he could not sleep, so somebody gave him some opium, which had made him sleep his last, had not Dr. Butler[544]used this following remedy. He was sent for by the parson's wife. When he came and sawe the parson, and asked what they had donne, he told her that she was in danger to be hanged for killing her husband, and so in great choler left her. It was at that time when the cowes came into the backside to bemilk't. He turnes back, and asked whose cowes those were. She sayd husband's[545]. Sayd he, 'will you give one of these cowes to fetch your husband to life again?' That she would, with all her heart. He then causes one presently to be killed and opened, and the parson[XXXV.]to be taken out of his bed and putt into the cowes warme belly, which after some time brought him to life, or els he had infallibly dyed.

[XXXIV.]From Edmund Waller, esqre.

[XXXV.]Quaere[546]E. W. or Gale, who?

Memorandum:—there is a parallell storie to this in Machiavell's Florentiac History, where 'tis sayd that one of the Cosmo's being poysoned was putt into a mule's belly, sowed up, with a place only for his head to come out.

He was a humorist[547]. One time king James sent for him to New-market, and when he was gon halfe way left the messenger and turned back; so then the messenger made him ride before him.

I thinke he was never maried. He lived in an apothecary's shop, in Cambridge, Crane, to whom he left his estate; and he in gratitude erected the monument[548]for him, at his owne chardge, in the fashion[549]he used. He was not greedy of money, except choice pieces of gold or rarities.

He would many times (I have heard say) sitt among the boyes at St. Maries church in Cambridge ( ☞ and just so would the famous attorney-generall Noy, in Lincoln's Inne, who had many such froliques and humours).

I remember Mr. Wodenoth, of King's College, told me, that being sent for to ... ... he told him that his disease was not to be found in Galen or Hippocrates, but in Tullie's Epistles,Cum non sis ubi fueris, non est cur velis vivere.

I thinke he left his estate to the apothecarie. He gave to the chapell of Clare-hall, a bowle[550], for the communion, of gold (cost, I thinke, 2 or 300li.), on which is engraveda pelican feeding her young with the bloud from her breast (an embleme of the passion of Christ), no motto, for the embleme explained it selfe.

He lies buried in the south side of St. Marie's chancell, in Cambridge, wher is a decent monument, with his body halfe way, and an inscription, which gett.

He was much addicted to his humours, and would suffer persons of quality to wayte sometimes some houres at his dore, with coaches, before he would recieve them. Once, on the rode from Cambridge to London, he tooke a fancy to a chamberlayn or tapster in his inne, and tooke him with him, and made him his favourite, by whom only accession was to be had to him, and thus enriched him. Dr. Gale[BO], of Paul's schoole, assures me that a French man came one time from London to Cambridge, purposely to see him, whom he made stay two howres for him in his gallery, and then he came out to him in an old blew gowne; the French gentleman makes him 2 or 3 very lowe bowes downe to the ground; Dr. Butler whippes his legge over his head, and away goes into his chamber, and did not speake with him.

He kept an old mayd whose name was Nell. Dr. Butler would many times goe to the taverne, but drinke by himselfe. About 9 or 10 at night old Nell comes for him with a candle and lanthorne, and sayes 'Come you home, you drunken beast.' By and by Nell would stumble; then her master calls her 'drunken beast'; and so they diddrunken beastone another all the way till they came home.

[551]A serving man brought his master's water to doctor Butler, being then in his studie (with turn'd barres) but would not bee spoken with. After much fruitlesse importunity, the man told the doctor he was resolved he should see his master's water; he would not be turned away—threw it on the Dr's. head. This humour pleased the Dr. and he went to the gent. and cured him— Mr. R. Hooke.

A gent. lying a-dyeing, sent his servant with a horse for the doctor. The horse being exceeding dry, ducks downe his head strongly into the water, and plucks downe the Dr. over his head, who was plunged in the water over head and eares. The Dr. was madded, and would returne home. The man swore he should not; drew his sword, and gave him ever and anon (when he would returne) a little prick, and so drove him before him— Mr. ... Godfrey.

[552]Some instances of Dr. Butler's cures:—from Mr. James Bovey.—The Dr. lyeing at the Savoy in London, next the water side, where was a balcony look't into the Thames, a patient came to him that was grievously tormented with an ague. The Dr. orders a boate to be in readinesse under his windowe, and discoursed with the patient (a gentleman) in the balcony, when on a signall given, 2 or 3 lusty fellowes came behind the gentleman and threw him a matter of 20 feete into the Thames. This surprize absolutely cured him.

A gentleman with a red, ugly, pumpled face came to him for a cure. Said the Dr., 'I must hang you.' So presently he had a device made ready to hang him from a beame in the roome; and when he was e'en almost dead, he cutts the veines that fed these pumples, and lett-out the black ugly bloud, and cured him.

Another time one came to him for the cure of a cancer (or ulcer) in the bowells. Said the Dr., 'can ye——?' 'Yes,' said the patient. So the Dr. ordered a bason for him to——, and when he had so donne the Dr. commanded him to eate it up. This did the cure.

This inscription was sent to me by my learned and honoured friend, Dr. Henry More, of Cambridge.

Nunc positis novus exuviis

Gulielmus Butlerus, Clarensis Aulaequondam Socius, Medicorum omniumquos praesens aetas vidit facile princeps,hoc sub marmore secundum Christi adventumexpectat, et monumentum hocprivata pietas statuit, quod debuitpublica. Abi, viator, et ad tuos reversus,narra te vidisse locum in quo salusjacet.

LABOR

QUIES

Nil proh! marmor agis, Butlerum dum tegis, ullumSi splendore tuo nomen habere putas.Ille tibi monumentum est, tu diceris ab illo:Butleri vivis munere, marmor iners.Sic homines vivus, mira sic mortuus arte,Phoebo chare senex, vivere saxa facis.Butlero Herôum hoc posuere dolorque fidesque.Hei! quid agam, exclamas et palles, Lector? At unumQuod miseris superesse potest, locus hic monet: ora.ObiitCIƆIƆCXVII. Janua.XXIX.Aeta. suaeLXXXIII.

Butlero Herôum hoc posuere dolorque fidesque.Hei! quid agam, exclamas et palles, Lector? At unumQuod miseris superesse potest, locus hic monet: ora.ObiitCIƆIƆCXVII. Janua.XXIX.Aeta. suaeLXXXIII.

[555]A scholar made this drolling epitaph:—

Here lies Mr. Butler who never was Doctor,Who dyed in the yeare that the Devill was Proctor[BP].

Memorandum:—There is now in use[556]in London a sort of ale calledDr. Butler's ale.

[557]Dr. Butler:—This inscription I recieved from Dr. Henry Moore of ... Cambridge. Quaere if his coat of arms is not there, and what? Quaere his coat of arms[558].

From Dr. H. More:—More's father was a very strong bodyed man. 'Twas forty stooles he gave his father; hehad almost killed him. Told him he would be the better for't as long as he lived.

That he was chymical I know by this token that his mayd came running-in to him one time, like a slutt and a furie, with her haire about her eares, and cries[559], 'Butler! come and looke to your Devills yourselfe, and you will: the stills are all blowne up!' She tended them, and it seemes gave too great a heate. Old Dr. Ridgely[BQ]knew him, and I thinke was at that time[560]with him.—From this Dr. Ridgely his sonne.

[561]Dr. Butler of Cambridge:— 'azure, three lozenges in fess between 3 covered cups or.—This is the coate of armes on his monument. By reason of time and the ill colours I cannotpositivelysay whether the field is azure or vert, but I beleeve 'tis the former.'—This information I had from Mr. Vere Philips, fellow of King's College, Cambridge.

Notes.[BO]Thomas Gale, Head Master of St. Paul's School 1672-1697, D.D. Trin. Coll. Cambr. 1675.[BP]Aubrey does not explain this 'drollery.' I can see nothing Satanic in the names of the Cambridge proctors for 1617-18, John Smithson and Alexander Read.[BQ]Thomas Ridgley (Rugeley), M.D., St. John's, Cambr. 1608; his son Luke Ridgely, M.D., Christ's, Cambr.

[BO]Thomas Gale, Head Master of St. Paul's School 1672-1697, D.D. Trin. Coll. Cambr. 1675.

[BP]Aubrey does not explain this 'drollery.' I can see nothing Satanic in the names of the Cambridge proctors for 1617-18, John Smithson and Alexander Read.

[BQ]Thomas Ridgley (Rugeley), M.D., St. John's, Cambr. 1608; his son Luke Ridgely, M.D., Christ's, Cambr.

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