Athen.
Oxon.

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"however deftitute of the graces, and even uniformity of ftyle, and the art of connecting facts." 12. "Eccle"fiaftical Memorials, 1721," 3 vols. fol. He alfo publifhed a fermon preached at the affizes at Hertford, July 8, 1689; and fome other fingle fermons, 1695, 1699, 1707,

1711, 1724.

STUBBE (HENRY), an English writer of uncommon parts and learning, and efpecially noted in his own times, was born at Partncy, near Spilfbye in Lincolnshire, Feb. 28, 1631. His father was a minifter, and lived at Spilfbye; but being anabaptiftically inclined, and forced to leave it, he went with his wife and children into Ireland. Upon the breaking out of the rebellion there in 1641, the mother fled with her fon Henry into England; and, landing at Liverpool, trudged it on foot from thence to London. There he got a comfortable fubfiftence by her needle, and fent her fon Henry, being then ten years of age, to Weftminster-school. There Dr. Bufby, the mafter, was fo ftruck with the furprifing parts of the boy, that he fhewed him more than ordinary favour; and recommended him to the notice of Sir Henry Vane, junior, who one day came accidentally into the fchool. Sir Henry took a fancy to him, and frequently relieved him with money, and gave him the liberty of reforting to his houfe, "to fill that belly," fays Stubbe," which otherwife had "no fuftenance but what one penny could purchase for "his dinner, and which had no breakfaft except he got "it by making fome body's exercife." He fays this in the preface to his "Epiftolary Difcourfe concerning Phle"botomy;" where many other particulars of his life, mentioned by Mr. Wood, and here recorded, are alfo to be found. Soon after, Sir Henry got him to be a king's fcholar; and his mafter at the fame time gave him money to buy books, cloaths, and his teaching for nothing, on account of the wonderful progrefs he made.

In 1649, he was elected ftudent of Chrift-Church in Oxford; where, fhewing himfelf too forward, pragmatical, and conceited, he was, as Mr. Wood relates, often kicked and beaten. However, through the intereft of his patron, he was certainly of no fmall confequence; for the oath, called The Engagement, being framed by the parliament that fame year, was fome time after fent down to the univerfity by him; and he procured fome to be turned out, and others to be fpared, according as affec

tion or difaffection influenced him. While he continued an under-graduate, it was ufual with him to difcourfe in the public fchools very fluently in the Greek tongue, which conveys no fmall idea of his learning. After he had taken a bachelor of arts degree, he went into Scotland, and ferved in the parliament army there from 1653 to r655: then he returned to Oxford, and took a mafter's degree in 1656; and, at the motion of Dr. Owen, was in 1657 made fecond-keeper under Dr. Barlow of the Bodleian library. He made great ufe and advantage of this poft for the furtherance of his ftudies, and held it till 1659; when he was removed from it, as well as from his place of ftudent of Chrift-church; for he had published the fame year, "A Vindication" of his patron Sir Henry Vane; "An Effay on the good Old Caufe," and a piece, intituled, "Light fhining out of Darknefs, with an Apo"logy for the Quakers," in which he reflected upon the clergy and the universities.

After his ejection, he retired to Stratford upon Avon in Warwickshire, in order to practise physic, which he had ftudied fome years; and upon the Reftoration applied to Dr. Morley, foon after bishop of Winchefter, for protection in his retirement. He affured him of an inviolable paffive obedience, which was all he could or would pay, till the covenant was renounced: and, upon the re-eftablishment of epifcopacy, received confirmation from the hands of his diocefan. In 1661, he went to Jamaica, being honoured with the title of his majesty's phyfician for that ifland; but the climate not agreeing with him, he returned and fettled at Stratford. Afterwards he removed to Warwick, where he gained very confiderable practice, as likewise at Bath, which he frequented in the fummer feafon. He did not, however, apply fo clofely to the bufinefs of his profeffion, as to neglect every thing else: on the contrary, he was ever attentive to the tranfactions of the literary world, and often himself a principal party concerned. Before the Restoration, he had joined Mr. Hobbes, with whom he was intimately acquainted, against Dr. Wallis, and other mathematicians; and had published a very fmart piece or two in that controverfy, in which he was looked upon as Mr. Hobbes's fecond. After the Reftoration, he was engaged in a controverfy with fome members of the Royal Society, or rather with the Royal Society itfelf; in which, far from being a fecond, he was now a principal, and indeed alone.

The

Reply to a

Jetter writ ten to Henry Stubbe, in

The Royal Society had from its first inftitution alarmed the zealous admirers of the old philofophy, who affected to reprefent the views of many of its members to be the deftruction, not only of true learning, but even of religion itself. This gave occafion to Dr. Sprat's "History of "the Royal Society" in 1667, and to a difcourfe by Mr. Glanvill in 1668, under the title of "Plus ultra, or, the "progrefs and advancement of knowledge fince the days of Ariftotle, in an account of fome of the most remarkable "late improvements of practical ufeful learning, to encourage philofophical endeavours." Mr. Stubbe attacked both thefe works with great warmth and feverity, yet with prodigious fiartnefs and learning, in a 4to volume, thus intituled, "Legends no history, or a fpecimen of fome ani"madverfions upon the hiftory of the Royal Society; tɔ"gether with the Plus ultra of Mr. Glanvill, reduced to a

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Non plus, 1670." In this book he charges the members of the Royal Society with intentions to bring contempt upon ancient and folid learning, efpecially the Ariftotelian philofophy, to undermine the univerfities, to deftroy the eftablished religion, and even to introduce Popery. This laid the foundation of a controverfy, which was carried on with great heat, and much ill language, for fome time and Mr. Stubbe wrote feveral pieces to fupport his allegations. He was encouraged in this affair by Dr. Fell, who, it feems, was no admirer of the Royal Society; and he made himself fo obnoxious to that body, that, as he himself informs us. “ they threatened to write his life." The writings of Mr. Stubbe, though his life (as will defence of be feen) was no long one, were extremely numerous, and the History upon various fubjects. Thofe which he published beSociety, fore the Reftoration were againft monarchy, minifters, univerfities, churches, and every thing which was dear to the Royalifts; yet he did this more to please and serve his friend and patron Sir Henry Vane, than out of principle or attachment to a party: and when his antagonists infulted him for changing his tone afterwards, he made no Preface to fcruple at all to confefs it: "My youth," fays he," and Epiftolary "other circumftances, incapacitated me from rendering concerning "him any great fervices; but all that I did, and all that phlebotomy. I wrote, had no other aim: nor do I care how much "any man can inodiate my former writings, fo long as "they were fubfervient to him." "The truth is, and all," fays Mr. Wood, "who knew him in Oxford, knew this of him for certain, that he was no frequenter of con66 venticles,

of the Ryoal

P. 31.

'difcouric

་.

"venticles, no taker of the covenant or engagement, no "contractor of acquaintance with notorious fectaries; tlrat "he neither enriched nor otherwife advanced himself during "the late troubles, nor shared the common odium, and dan-gers, or profperity of his benefactor." On this account he eafily made his peace with the Royalifts, after the Reftoration: yet not, as it fhould feem, without fome overt-afts on his part. Thus, for inftance, befides conforming entirely to the church of England, he wrote a small piece against Harrington's "Oceana," in the year 1660; which, in the preface to "The good old caufe," printed in 1560, he had extolled, as if, fays Mr. Wood," it were the "pattern in the mount.' By thefe means he made amends for all the offence he had given: "I have at length," Preface to fays he," removed all the umbrages I ever lay under; difcourfe, Epiftolary "I have joined myself to the church of England, not &c. "only on account of its being publicly impofed (which "in things indifferent is no fmail confideration, as I "learned from the Scottish tranfactions at Perth); but "because it is the leaft defining, and confequently the "moft comprehenfive and fitting to be national."

After a life of almost perpetual war and conflict in various ways, this extraordinary man came to an untimely end yet not from any contrivance or defigns of his enemies, although his impetuous and furious zeal hurried him to fay that they often put him in fear of his life. Being at Bath in the fummer feafon, he had a call from thence to a patient at Bristol; and whether because it was defired, or from the exceffive heat of the weather, he fet out in the evening, and went a by-way. Mr. Wood fays, that his head was then intoxicated with bibbing, "but more with talking, and fnuffing of powder:" be that as it may, he was drowned in paffing a river about two miles from Bath, on the 12th of July, 1676. His body was taken up next morning, and the day after buried in the great church at Bath; when his old antagonist Glanvill, who was the rector, preached his funeral fermon; but, as it is natural to imagine, without faying any great matters of him. Soon after, a physician of that place made the following epitaph, which, though never put over him, deferves to be recorded. "Memoriæ facrum. Poft varios "cafus magna rerum diferimina, tandem hic quiefcunt "mortalitatis exuvia Henrici Stubbe, medici Warwicenfis, quondam ex ade Chrifti Oxonienfis, rei medicæ, hif"toricæ, ac mathematicæ peritiffimi, judicii vivi, & li

"brorum

"brorum helluonis: qui, quum multa fcripferat, & plures “fanaverat, aliorum faluti fedulo profpiciens, propriam neglexit. Obiit aquis frigidis fuffocatus, 12 die Julii, "A. D. 1679."

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Mr. Wood was contemporary with Mr. Stubbe at Oxford, and has given him this character: that, "he was "a perfon of most admirable parts, and had a moft "prodigious memory; was the most noted Latinift and "Grecian of his age; was a fingular mathematician, and thoroughly read in all political matters, councils, ecclefi"aftical and profane hiftories; had a voluble tongue, "and feldom hefitated either in public difputes or common "difcourfe; had a voice big and magifterial, and a mind equal to it; was of an high generous nature, fcorned "money and riches, and the adorers of them; was accounted a very good phyfician, and excellent in the things belonging to that profeffion, as botany, anatomy, "and chemistry. Yet, with all thofe noble accomplish"ments, he was extremely rafh and imprudent, and even "wanted common difcretion. He was a very bold man, "uttered any thing that came into his mind, not only "among his companions, but in public coffee-houses, of "which he was a great frequenter: and would often speak "freely of perfons then prefent, for which he used to be "threatened with kicking and beating. He had a hot and "restless head, his hair being carrot-coloured, and was "ever ready to undergo any enterprife, which was the "chief reason that macerated his body almoft to a "fkeleton. He was alfo a perfon of no fixed principles; "and whether he believed thofe things which every good "Chriftian doth, is not for me to refolve. Had he been "endowed with common fobriety and difcretion, and "not have made himself and his learning mercenary and "cheap to every ordinary and ignorant fellow, he would "have been admired by all, and might have picked and "chufed his preferment: but all these things being want

ing, he became a ridicule, and undervalued by fober and "knowing scholars, and others too."-Mr. Wood has not expreffed himfelf clearly enough to let us know, whether the "carrot-coloured hair" of Mr. Stubbe was the cause, or the confequence, of his "hot and reftlefs "head;" but if he meant the latter, then it is probable, that he confidered thefe red locks as fo many rays of heat iffuing through the pores of the fkull from a central fire, as it were, within.