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Brief Lives, Vol. 1

Chapter 219: St. Edmund (1170?-1240).
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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.


St. Edmund (1170?-1240).

[901]Seth, lord bishop of Sarum, tells me that he finds Saint Edmund was borne at Abington. He was archbishop of Canterbury. He built the college at Sarum, by St. Edmund's Church: it is now Judge Wyndham's sonne's howse. He resigned his archbishoprick, and came and retired hither. In St. Edmund's church here[902], were windowes of great value. Gundamore[903] offered a good summe for them; I have forgott <what>. In one of them was the picture of God the Father, like an old man (as the fashion was), which much offended Mr. Shervill, the recorder, who in zeale (but without knowledge) clambered up on the pewes[904] to breake the windowe, and fell downe and brake his legg (about 1629); but that did not excuse him for being question'd in the Starre-chamber for it. Mr. Attorney Noy was his great friend, and shewed his friendship there. But what Mr. Shervill left undonne, the soldiers since have gonne through with, that there is not a piece of glass-painting left.

'Edmundus, Cant.[905] A.B., primus legit Elementa Euclidis, Oxoniæ, 1290[906]; Mr. Hugo perlegit librum Aristotelis Analytic. Oxon.; Rogerus Bacon vixit A.D. 1292.'—This out of an old booke in the library of University College, Oxon.