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Brief Lives, Vol. 2

Chapter 59: Notes.
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.

Nicholas Mercator (1640-1686/7).

[221]Mr. Nicholas Mercator[Y]: his father was ... ... Philip Melancthon was his great-grandmother's brother.

He is of little stature, perfect; black haire, of a delicate moyst curle; darke[222] eie, but of great vivacity of spirit. He is of a soft temper, of great temperance (amat Venerem aliquantum): of a prodigious invention, and will be acquainted (familiarly) with nobody. His true German name is Nicolas Kauffman, i.e. chapman, i.e. Mercator.

The first booke he printed was his Cosmographia, at ..., where he uses his German name, 'qua sternitur fundamentum Trigonometriae sphericorum, Logarithmicae, Astronomiae sphaericae, Geographiae, Histiodromiae gnomonicae; a Nicola Kauffman, Holsato-Dantisc., Anno MDCLI.'

Nicolai Mercatoris in Geometriam introductio brevis quâ magnitudinum ortus ex genuinis principiis et ortarum affectiones ex ipsa genesi derivantur, printed at London 1678, before a little booke of Euclid's Elements demonstrated after a new method.

Astronomia[Z], printed at London, 167-.

Logarithmotechnia; the first part printed with ... of Slusius, anno Domini, 166-: the second part of it, being 8 sheets 4to, lyes in the hands of Mr. Moyses Pitts and is a most admirable piece.

Astrologia: unprinted: in 4to, altogether after a new manner and on other principles.

A treatise of musique[AA], in 4to, inch + thick[223], unprinted.

Memorandum:—Mr. Nicholas Mercator made and presented to King Charles the 2d a clock ('twas of a foote diameter) which shewed the inequality of the sunn's motion from the apparent motion, which the king did understand by his informations, and did commend it, but he never had a penny of him for it.

Well! This curious clock was neglected, and somebody of the court happened to become master of it, who understood it not; he sold it to Mr. Knib, a watch-maker, who did not understand it neither, who sold it to Mr. Fromantle (that made it) for 5 li. who askes now (1683) for it 200 li.

Anno 1682, mense Febr., Mr. N. Mercator left London; went with his family to Paris, being invited thither by Monseigneur Colbert.

Nicholas Mercator, Holsatus, mathematicus, obiit Parisiis, 4to Januarii 1686/7: he went to Paris (being invited thither by Monseigneur Colbert) the 30th of November, 1682:—from his son, David Mercator.

Notes.

[Y] Aubrey gives, incompletely, a scheme of the nativity 'clarissimi viri N. Mercatoris, Holsati'; adding that in it 'Mars is in proximity to Mercury, but he has forgot on which side.'

[Z] On May 17, 1673, Aubrey had written to Anthony Wood (MS. Wood F. 39, fol. 208):—

'The learned (yet poore) Mr. Nicholas Mercator has a most elaborate piece, "Astronomiae compendium sphaerice et theorice, et hypotheses Ptolemaei, Tychonis, Copernici, Kepleri, Bullialdi, et Mercatoris."

It will be in 4to, two fingers thick; pret. 10s. Cambridge has subscribed for 50; London, as many more. If he could gett, at Oxon, 50 subscriptions more the printer would print it.... There are 70 schemes.'

[AA] A copy of this treatise is found as MS. Aubr. 25. It is in two parts:—(i) 55 pages, 'Musica, autore N. Mercatore, Holsato, 1673,' on which Aubrey notes, 'the original copie was lost at Paris, Jo. Aubrey'; (ii) 19 pages, 'Musica, autore N. Mercatore, Holsato, 1672,' with the note, 'sum Jo. Aubrii, R.S.S.'