William Prynne (1600-1669).
[748]Memorandum Sir John B<irkenhead> and Mr. Prinne were allwayes antagonists in the Parliament howse.
William Prinne[AY], esq., was borne (as his nephew George Clarke assures me[749]: quaere plus de hoc) at Aust in Glocestershire, where his father had an estate. I find by the Heralds' bookes that he is descended of an ancient family (vide Bibliothecam Sheldonianam[AZ], no. 115). His father, and also he, lived at ... wyck[750], a pleasant seate in Somerset, about 3 miles from Bathe, where his grand-father, ... Sherston, his mother's father, lived, and had been mayer, and a very wise magistrate; here[751] he learn't his grammar-learning. He was of Oriall College in Oxon[BA], where, I thinke, he tooke the degree of M.A. From hence, anno ... was admitted of Lincoln's-Inne. He was alwayes temperate and a very hard student, and he had a prodigious memorie.
Anno <1637> he was stigmatiz'd[LXIII.] in the pillorie, and then banished to Cornet-castle in <Guern>sey[752], where he was very civilly treated by the governour ... Carteret, a very ancient familie in that island. Anno 164<0> he was, with Burton and Bastwyck, called home by the Parliament, and hundreds mett him and them, out of London, some miles.
[LXIII.] His eares were not quite cutt off, only the upper part, his tippes were visible. Bishop William Lawd, A. B. Cant., was much blamed for being a spectator, when he was his judge: vide Osburne.
He was a learned man, of immense reading, but is much blamed for his unfaithfull quotations.
His manner of studie was thus: he wore a long quilt cap, which came, 2 or 3, at least, inches, over his eies, which served him as an umbrella to defend his eies from the light. About every 3 houres his man was to bring him a roll and a pott of ale[LXIV.] to refocillate his wasted spirits. So he studied and dranke, and munched some bread: and this maintained him till night; and then he made a good supper. Now he did well not to dine, which breakes of one's fancy, which will not presently be regained: and 'tis with invention as a flux—when once it is flowing, it runnes amaine; if it is checked, flowes but guttim: and the like for perspiration—check it, and 'tis spoyled.
[LXIV.] Goclenius[753], professor at ... in Germany did better; he kept bottles of good Rhenish wine in his studie, and, when his spirits wasted, dranke a good rummer of it.
Didst inspire Wythers, Prinne, and Vicars[LXV.],
And teach, though it were in despight
Of nature and the starres, to write,
&c.
Hudibras: part 1st.
[LXV.] Was one of the assembly and tryers.
He was burghesse of the citie of Bath, before and since the king's restauration. He was also Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London.
He endured severall imprisonments for the king's cause, and was (really) very instrumentall in his restauracion.
..., upon the opening of the Parliament, viz. letting in the secluded members, he girt on his old long rustie sword (longer then ordinary). Sir William Waller marching behind him (as he went to the Howse), W. Prynne's long sword ranne between Sir William's short legges, and threw him downe, which caused laughter.
He was of a strange Saturnine complexion. Sir C. W.[754] sayd once, that he had the countenance of a witch.
He dyed at his chamber in Lincolne's-Inn, anno ... and is interred at ... Quaere Ant. Wood <pro> catalogo librorum.
[755]William Prynne, esq., was buryed under Lincolne's Inne chapell, ut apparet ex inscriptione et inscripta tabula in capella suspensa, viz.
'Gulielmus Prynne, armiger, de Banco hujus hospitii, obiit 24º die Octobris, anno Domini 1669, aetatis 69.'
Notes.
[AY] Aubrey gives in trick the coat: 'or, a fess engrailed azure, between 3 escallop shells gules.'
[AZ] i.e. no. 115 of the MSS. in the library of Ralph Sheldon of Beoly: afterwards bequeathed by Sheldon to the Heralds' College: Clark's Wood's Life and Times, iii. 98, 115.
[BA] Matric. April 24, 1618; B.A. Jan. 22, 1620/1.