Fabian Philips (1601-1690).
[668]Fabian Philips[AR]—from himselfe, 1682—borne hard by Prestbury in Gloucestershire, anno Domini 1601, in September, on Michelmas-Eve. His mother's name was Bagehott (an heire to a younger brother); his father was Andrew Philips, of an ancient familie in Herefordshire, seaven descents, who sold 600 li. per annum in Herefordshire, in Leominster; some of it his sonne Fabian (of whom I write) bought again. He was of the Middle Temple, London; a filizer of London, Middlesex, Cambridgeshire, and Huntingdonshire. Of great assiduity, and reading, and a great lover of antiquities. He haz a great memorie, which holds still well now in his 80th yeare. He told me St. Austin wrote at 90; judge Coke at 84; and bishop Hall, of Norwych, at 8-. His house is over against the middle of Lincoln's Inne garden, in Chancery Lane. Two dayes before king Charles 1st was beheaded, he wrote a 'protestation against the intended murther of the king,' and printed it, and caused it to be putt upon the posts. When all the courts in Westminster-hall were voted-downe by Barebones Parliament, he wrote a booke to justifie the right use of them, and Lenthall (the speaker) and the Keepers of the Libertie did send him thanks for saveing of the courts.
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[669]M.S. Fabiani Philipps, armigeri, Medii Templi socii, qui quosdam perfidos et ingratos nimium amando seipsum non (uti potuit) amavit, curis librisque consenuit, aliorum totus vix suus, tandem per varios vitae vortices et aerumnarum anfractus ad amoris et lucis aeternitates coeli sedesque beatissimas transmigravit ... die ... aerae Christianae millessimo sexcentessimo ... cum ... soles vixisset.
Decumbens requiem morte Philippus agit.
<Catalogue of his writings.>
[670]1. King Charles the First no man of blood, but a martyr for his people.
2. The antient legall fundamentall and necessary rights of courts of justice in their writs of capias arrests and proces of outlawry against peremptory summons and citations: printed 1676.
3. The reforming registry, against publick registries; printed 1678.
4. Reasons for the continuance of the writs of capias and proces of arrest against peremptory summons, etc.: printed 1675.
5. A view of the chancery.
6. The pretended perspective glasse.
7. Tuenda non tollenda.
8. Ligeancia lugens.
9. The antiquity of fines and amerciaments.
10. The mistaken recompence.
11. Restauranda.
12. Monenda.
13. Ursa major et minor.
14. Investigatio jurium et antiquorum et rationalium regni etc.: printed 1687.
15. Legale necessarium: about estreateing and leavying fines and amercements and other profits of the king's casuall revenues.
Quae tulit ingratis gratior urna tulit.
O miseris miserans, Jesus, miserere Philippo;
Defesso Fabian sanguine parta tuo,
Sanguine parta tuo, da gaudia luce perenni,
Gaudia coelicolis morte parata tua.
Oh ens entium, deus misericordiarum, amator animarum, spes viventium et mortuorum, miserere mei et posterorum.
He dyed the 17th of November 1690, and lies buried by his wife at Twyford, a little church neer Acton in Middlesex, in the southwest part of the church at the lower end of the church.
His sonne will not be at the chardge to sett this up for his father. But I have spoken to his good daughter to sett his name and obiit. His workes will praise him in the gates[671].
—From his eldest sonne, who succeeds him in his place of filazer.
[672]Old Fabian Philips has told me severall times that it hath cost him 800 li. in taking paines searching and writing to assert the king's prerogative and never gott a groate. Only, when the regulation of the lawe was, he was made one of the commissioners, which was worth 200 li. per annum—I thinke it lasted two yeares.
Note.
[AR] Aubrey gives in trick the coat: 'azure, a fess between 3 falcons argent.' This life is later than the others in MS. Aubr. 6, being written on a page originally set aside for 'Mr. John Milton.' Letters of F. Philips to A. Wood are found in MS. Wood F. 39, fol. 64, 65.