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Brief Lives, Vol. 1

Chapter 216: 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.

Sir John Dunstable.

[895]Sir John Dunstable:—the cellar he calls his library.—Parliament men prepare themselves for the businesse of the nation with ale in the morning. Some justices doe sleepe on the bench every assizes.

[896]At Chippenham the Deputye Lieutenants mett to see the order of the militia, but quales D: Lieutenants tales officiarii. After a taedious setting (at dinner, and drinking after dinner) the drummes beate and the soldiers to march before the windowe to be seen by the Deputy Lieutenants. Justice Wagstaffe[EE] (colonell) had not marcht before 'em many yardes but downe a falls all along in the dirt. His myrmidons, multâ vi, heav'd him up, and then a cryd out 'Some drinke, ho!' and so there was an end of that businesse.

Note.

[EE] The hero of the anecdote is no doubt Sir John Dunstable. In the Dramatis personae for Aubrey's projected comedy, one of the characters is 'Justice Wagstaffe' (MS. Aubr. 21, p. 2), over which name Aubrey has written 'Sir J. Dunstable,' apparently as the name of the person he meant to copy.