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Brief Lives, Vol. 2

Chapter 43: Henry Lyte (1529(?)-1607).
By John Aubrey
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BiographiesBritish LiteratureHistory - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)

About This Book

A collection of concise biographical sketches of contemporaries and earlier figures recorded by an antiquarian observer, combining factual entries—births, offices, publications, and inscriptions—with personal anecdotes, hearsay, heraldic and parish-register notes, bibliographic references, and occasional critical judgments. Entries range from terse records to extended reminiscences, often citing documentary sources or witness statements, and reflect an informal, detail-driven approach aimed at preserving lives, reputations, and local traditions for reference and remembrance.

Henry Lyte (1529(?)-1607).

[142]I will enquire at Lyte's-Cary when Henry Lyte[143], esq., dyed.—He translated Dodantus' Herball, and writt a little pamphlet, which I have, called 'The light of Britaine, being a short summary of the old English history,' dedicated to queen Elizabeth.

He began the genealogy of king James, derived from Brute; which his eldest son Thomas Lyte, of Lyte's-Cary aforesaid, finished, and presented to king James. It is most rarely donne and exquisitly limmed by a limmer—all the kings' pictures, etc. King James, after it had hung some time at Whitehal, ordered him to have it[144]again and to gett <it> ingraved, which was donne. Mr. Humble of Pope's-head alley had the plates before the fire: I hope they are not lost—it is most curiously donne, by Hole. It is as big as the greatest map of England that ever I sawe. Mr. Camden much admired, and at the foot writt 6 or 8 verses with his owne hand:—

Artificemne manum laudem celebremne labores,
 Lyte, tuos: hi namque docent delectat at illa,

etc.—which I have forgott.

T. Lyte writt the best print hand that ever I yet sawe. The originall, which is now in the parlour at Lyte's-Cary, was writt with his hand, and limmed by a famous artist.

[145]They[146] both lye buried in a burying place belonging to them in the church at Charlton Makerell in Somersetshire.

[147]Henry Lyte lived to the age of 78, and was buried in the north aisle of the church of Charlton Makarell in Somersetshire anno 1607—which aisle belongs to Lyte's-Cary.