Produced by Steven Gibbs, David King, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team WILLIAM LILLY'S HISTORY OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES, FROM THE YEAR 1602 TO 1681. * * * * * Written by Himself, IN THE SIXTY-SIXTH YEAR OF HIS AGE, TO HIS WORTHY FRIEND, ELIAS ASHMOLE, ESQ. * * * * * PUBLISHED FROM THE ORIGINAL MS. _LONDON_, 1715. * * * * * LONDON: RE-PRINTED FOR CHARLES BALDWYN, NEWGATE STREET. * * * * * M.DCCC.XXII. MAURICE, PRINTER, PENCHURCH-STREET. LIST OF PLATES. William Lilly, (from Marshall's Print) Ditto (from the Picture) Dr. Simon Forman 34 John Booker 68 Charles the Second 95 Charles the First 107 Hugh Peters 134 Speaker Lenthall 159 Oliver Cromwell 175 Dr. John Dee 223 Edward Kelly 226 Napier of Merchiston 236 ADVERTISEMENT. PREFIXED TO THE LIVES OF ELIAS ASHMOLE & WILLIAM LILLY. In 1 vol. 8vo. 1772. _Although we cannot, with justice, compare Elias Ashmole to that excellent Antiquary John Leland, or William Lilly to the learned and indefatigable Thomas Hearne; yet I think we may fairly rank them with such writers as honest Anthony Wood, whose_ Diary _greatly resembles that of his cotemporary, and intimate friend, Elias Ashmole._ _Some anecdotes, connected with affairs of state; many particulars relating to illustrious persons, and antient and noble families; several occurrences in which the Public is interested, and other matters of a more private nature, can only be found in works of this kind. History cannot stoop to the meanness of examining the materials of which_ Memoirs _are generally composed._ _And yet the pleasure and benefit resulting from such books are manifest to every reader._ _I hope the admirers of the very laborious Thomas Hearne will pardon me, if I should venture to give it as my opinion, and with much deference to their judgment, that William Lilly's_ Life and Death of Charles the first _contains more useful matter of instruction, as well as more splendid and striking occurrences, than are to be found in several of those monkish volumes published by that learned Oxonian._ _Lilly affords us many curious particulars relating to the life of that unfortunate Prince, which are no where else to be found. In delineating the character of Charles, he seems dispassionate and impartial, and indeed it agrees perfectly with the general portraiture of him, as it is drawn by our most authentic historians._