the conclusion of the octavo edition of his "Travels," he informs us, that, in his three voyages, "his painful feet have traced over (besides passages of seas and rivers) thirty-six thousand and odd: miles, which draweth near to twice the circumference of the whole earth." Here the marvellous seems to rise to the incredible, and to set him, in point of veracity, below Coryat, whom it is nevertheless certain that he far out-walked. His description of Ireland is whimsical and curious. This, together with the narrative of his sufferings, is reprinted in Morgan's "Phenix Britannicus." His book is very

scarce.

ASTROLOGERS.

DR. SIMON FORMAN, astrologer; from the original drawing in the collection of the Right Hon. Lord Mountstuart. Godfrey sc. 4to.

DR. SIMON FORMAN; copy from the above; in Caulfield's "Remarkable Persons."

Simon Forman, as great a knave as ever existed, became useful in the amorous intrigues of the lascivious Countess of Essex; afterward wife of Carr, earl of Somerset, and was one of the agents employed to destroy Sir Thomas Overbury by poison.

The best account of this pretended philosopher is to be found in the life of Lilly, a fellow-labourer in the vineyard of knavery, and is as follows:-"When my mistress died, she had under her armhole, a small scarlet bag full of many things, which one that was there delivered unto me. There was in this bag several sigils, some of Jupiter in Trine, others of the nature of Venus, some of iron, and one of gold, of pure angel-gold, of the bigness of a thirty-three shilling piece of King James's coin in the circumference on one side was engraven, Vicet Leo de tribu Judae Tetragrammaton; within the middle there was engraven a holy lamb. In the other circumference there was Amraphel; and three in the middle, Sanctus Petrus, Alpha and Omega.

"The occasion of framing this sigil was thus: her former husband travelling into Sussex, happening to lodge at an inn, and to lie in a chamber thereof; wherein, not many months before; a coun

try grazier had lain, and in the night cut his own throat; after this night's lodging he was perpetually, and for many years, followed. by a spirit, which vocally and articulately provoked him to cut his throat; he was used frequently to say, 'I defy thee, I defy thee, I defy thee,' and to spit at the spirit. This spirit followed him many years, he not making any body acquainted with it; at last he grew melancholy and discontented, which being carefully observed by his wife, she many times hearing him pronounce I defy thee,' &c. she desired him to acquaint her with the cause of his distemper, which he then did. Away she went to Dr. Simon Forman, who lived then in Lambeth, and acquaints him with it; who having framed this sigil, and hanged it about his neck, he wearing it continually until he died, was never more molested by the spirit. I sold the sigil for thirty-two shillings, but transcribed the words verbatim as I have related. Sir, you shall now have a story of this Simon Forman, as his widow, whom I well knew, related it unto me. But before I relate his death, I shall acquaint you something of the man, as I have gathered them from some manuscripts of his own writing, “He was a chandler's son in the city of Westminster, and travelled into Holland for a month, in 1580, purposely to be instructed in astrology, and other more occult sciences; as also in physic, taking his degree of doctor beyond seas. Being sufficiently furnished and instructed with what he desired, he returned into England towards the latter end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and flourished until that year of King James, wherein the Countess of Essex, the Earl of Somerset, and Sir Thomas Overbury's matters were questioned. He lived in Lambeth with a very good report of the neighbourhood, especially of the poor, unto whom he was charitable. He was a person that in horary questions (especially thefts), was very judicious and fortunate; so also in sicknesses, which indeed was his masterpiece. In resolving questions about marriage he had good success; in other questions very moderate. He was a person of indefatigable pains. I have seen sometimes half one sheet of paper wrote of his judgment upon one question; in writing whereof he used much tautology, as you may see yourself (most excellent esquire) if you read a great book of Dr. Flood's, which you have, who had all that book from the manuscripts of Forman; for I have seen the same, word for word, in an English manuscript formerly belonging to Doctor Willoughby, of Gloucestershire.-Had Forman lived to have methodized his own papers, I doubt not but he would have advanced the Jatro-mathematical part thereof very completely;

for he was very observant, and kept notes of the success of his judgments, as in many of his figures I have observed. I very well remember to have read in one of his manuscripts what followeth.

"Being in bed one morning,' says he, I was desirous to know whether I should ever be a lord, earl, or knight, &c. whereupon I set a figure; and thereupon my judgment:' by which he concluded, that within two years' time he should be a lord or great man: 'But,' says he, 'before the two years were expired, the doctors put me in Newgate, and nothing came.' Not long after, he was desirous to know the same things concerning his honour or greatship. Another figure was set, and that promised him to be a great lord within one year. But he sets down, that in that year he had no preferment at all; only I became acquainted with a merchant's wife, by whom I got well.' There is another figure concerning one Sir Ayre,

his going into Turkey, whether it would be a good voyage or not : the doctor repeats all his astrological reasons, and musters them together, and then gave his judgment it would be a fortunate voyage. But under this figure, he concludes, this proved not so, for he was taken prisoner by pirates ere he arrived in Turkey, and lost all.' He set several questions to know if he should attain the philosopher's stone; and the figures, according to his straining, did seem to signify as much; and then he tugs upon the aspects and configurations, and elected a fit time to begin his operations; but by and by, in conclusion, he adds, 'so the work went forward; but upon of the setting glass broke, and I lost all my pains.' He sets down five or six judgments, but still complains all came to nothing, upon the malignant aspects of ↳ and . Although some of his astrological judgments did fail, more particularly those concerning himself, he being no way capable of such preferment as he ambitiously desired; yet I shall repeat some other of his judgments, which did not fail, being performed by conference with spirits.-My mistress went once unto him, to know when her husband, then in Cumberland, would return, he having promised to be at home near the time of the question. After some consideration, he told her to this effect: Margery,' for so her name was, 'thy husband will not be at home these eighteen days; his kindred have vexed him, and he is come away from them in much anger; he is now in Carlisle, and hath but three-pence in his purse.' And when he came home he confessed all to be true, and that upon leaving his kindred he had but three-pence in his purse.-I shall relate one story more, and then his death.

VOL. II.

Y