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Brief Lives, Vol. 1

Chapter 138: William Cecil, lord Burghley (1520-1598).
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.

William Cecil, lord Burghley (1520-1598).

[603]Cecil, lord Burleigh:—Memorandum, the true name is Sitsilt, and is an ancient Monmouthshire family, but now come to be about the size[604] of yeomanry. In the church at Monmouth, I remember in a south windowe an ancient scutcheon of the family, the same that this family beares. 'Tis strange that they should be so vaine to leave off an old British name for a Romancy one, which I beleeve Mr. Verstegan did putt into their heads, telling his lordship, in his booke, that they were derived from the ancient Roman Cecilii.

The first lord Burley (who was Secretary of Estate) was at first but <a> country-schoole-master, and (I thinke Dr. Thomas Fuller sayes, vide Holy State) borne in Wales.

I remember (when I was a schooleboy at Blandford) Mr. Basket, a reverend divine, who was wont to beg us play-dayes, would alwayes be[605] uncovered, and sayd that ''twas the lord Burleigh's custome, for (said he) here is my Lord Chanceller, my Lord Treasurer, my Lord Chief Justice, &c., predestinated.'

'He made Cicero's Epistles his glasse, his rule, his oracle, and ordinarie pocket-booke' (Dr. J. Web in preface of his translation of Cicero's Familiar Epistles).