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Brief Lives, Vol. 1

Chapter 109: Note.
By John Aubrey
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BiographiesHistory - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)

About This Book

A collection of concise biographical sketches compiled from the author's manuscript notes, offering anecdotal portraits of a wide range of literary, scientific, political, and social figures across several generations. Entries blend remembered quotations, learned citation, personal recollection, and occasional gossip, producing uneven but vivid character sketches. Material is presented alphabetically and supplemented by antiquarian notes, a short theatrical piece, and facsimiles of manuscript drawings and plans. An introduction outlines editorial principles and reproduces the manuscript spellings and citations where appropriate, preserving the informality and immediacy of the original notes.

Thomas Brightman (1562-1607).

<A Letter from Edward Gibson about Thomas Brightman[BG].>

[486]Hawnes, Dec. 21, <16>81.

Sir,

Since you have desired and have been put into an expectation of receiving some information concerning Mr. Brightman, tho I have litle or nothing to serve you and your freind with, I send this to let you know that I find nothing of his arms; that upon the stone is engraven

'Here lyeth the body of Thomas Brightman, deceased, minister of this parish, who dyed Aug. 24, 1607.'

Over his head are these sad rimes (I hope they are Oxford, tho not much for the honour of it).—

Christ cals his churches candlestiks of old,
 Altho the candlesticks but the candles hold.
 The lights on them hee calleth angels pure,
 Not barely candles, for those must endure.
 Candles when burn't out are soon forgott,
 But ministers, as angels, must not rot.
 Sith God doth ministers so eternize,
 Let not us mortals give them lower prize.
 And specially to Brightman's recommendacion
 And bee entomed a light to th' revelation
 Wee must, wee ought, to make such saints last
 In whom wee know the times to come and past.

I am, Sir, Yours to serve you,
Edw. Gibson.

Dr. Fuller, amongst his Worthies, hath something of Mr. Brightman.

[487]For Mr. John Aubrey: leave this at Mr. Hooke's lodging in Gresham College.

Note.

[BG] In MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 3, Anthony Wood has jotted down 'quaere Mr. Aubrey of Thomas Brightman, Dr. <William> Butler, Henry Billingsley, Sir George Wharton'—Aubrey's notes, so far, about these four having been scanty.

In MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 48v, opposite Gibson's letter Wood notes an odd omission in it:—'Quaere in what church Mr. Thomas Brightman was buried?'