Collectanea de Diversis Rebus: Addresses and PapersEade, Peter, Sir
Science
Collectanea de Diversis Rebus: Addresses and Papers
Eade, Peter, Sir
English essays; Speeches, addresses, etc., English
Sir Thomas Browne also wrote _Some account of the tombs and monuments in
the Cathedral Church of Norwich_; and many papers on the birds, and
fishes, and vegetable life of Norfolk and other parts. {135b} But I
should indeed weary you, were I merely to enumerate to you the bare
titles of the long list of tracts and papers which his fertile brain
produced.
Amongst his _Letters_, those to his sons, which will be found in Wilkin’s
Edition of his works, are worthy of mention as illustrating the special
bent of his mind, his wide range of thought, the peculiarity of his
advice, and the strength of his family attachments.
The stilted and complimentary, as well as roundabout, epistolary style of
those days is well known. Thus, in writing to Mr. Evelyn, he begins:
“Worthy Sir,—In obedience unto the commands of my noble friend, Mr.
Paston, and the respects I owe unto so worthy a person as yourself,” or
again, addressing Dr. Merritt, he commences: “Most honoured Sir,—I take
the boldness to salute you as a person of singular worth and learning,
and whom I very much respect and honour,” or again, “Honoured Sir,—I am
sorry that I have had diversions of such necessity, as to hinder my more
sudden salute since I received your last.”
To his sons he writes many letters. In these he addresses his eldest son
Edward as “Dear Sonne,” or “Dear Sonne Edward;” but those to his younger
son Thomas, always commenced “Honest Tom” or “Tom” only.
Much of his advice to “Honest Tom” is peculiar although essentially sound
and practical. Thus he advises him, when a young man in France, in this
fashion: “I would be glad you had a good handsome garb of your body, . . .
and take up a commendable boldness, without which you will never be fit
for anything.” “Live soberly and temperately, the heat of the place
(Xaintes) will otherwise mischief you, and keep within in the heat of the
day.” “You may stay your stomach with little pastrys some times in cold
mornings, for I doubt sea larks will be too dear a collation and drawe
too much wine down.”
Again, later on, he writes: “Bee sober and complacent. If you quit
periwigs it would be better, and more for your credit.” “Hee that goes
to warre must patiently submit unto the various accidents thereof.” And
that this “Honest Tom” was a worthy son and a fine English sailor we
learn from a passage in another letter to him at a latter period, when a
lieutenant of his Majesty’s ship the “Marie Rose.” He writes to his son:
“Mr. Scudamore, your sober and learned chaplaine, in your voyage with Sir
Jeremie Smith, gives you no small commendations for a sober, studious,
courageous, and diligent person; that he had not met with any of the
fleet like you, so civile, observing, and diligent to your charge, with
the reputation and love of all the shippe; and that without doubt you
would make a famous man and a reputation to your country.”
We can only regret that this promising son did not live to fulfil the
high expectations formed of him.
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