Anglorum speculum, or The worthies of England, in church and state Alphabetically digested into the several shires and counties therein contained; wherein are illustrated the lives and characters of the most eminent persons since the conquest to this present age. Also an account of the commodities and trade of each respective county, and the most flourishing cities and towns therein.

BRISTOL.

BRistol (or Bright-stow, i. e. Illustrious Dwelling) is divided by the River Avon, and pleasantly Scitu∣ated on the Rising of a Hill. The Buildings are fair and firm, the Streets cleanly kept. The City answer∣eth its Name, chiefly for having bred many Eminent Persons. It is a Liberty of it self, though it standeth both in Sommerset-shire and Glocester-shire. There are Diamonds (though somewhat dim) produced at St. Vincents Rock near to this City. Of Manufactures; Gray Sope was anciently made only in this City. As for Buildings, Ratcliff-Church is the best Parish Church in England It was first Founded by Cannings, first a Merchant, then a Priest. St. Augustines Church, is better accommodated with publick Buildings about it, for the See of the Bishop. Under St. Vincents Rock, on the VVest of the City, there is St. Vincents Well, the waters whereof run through some Mineral of Iron, and are sovereign for sores and sicknesses, being washt in, or taken inwardly. The Beer brewed thereof is wholsome against the Spleen, If it should chance that the Crudity of the Waters trouble the Stomach, there is a remedy in this City, and that is Bristol Milk, (a Prov.) or Sherry-Sack, which the Courteous Inhabitants present to all Strangers, when first visiting their City.

Martyrs.

Richard Sharp, Th. Benion, and Th. Hale, were Martyred in this City in the dayes of Q. Mary, whose Blood will be visited on account of Dalbye, the Chan∣cellour of this Diocess, Jo. Holyman, then Bishop of this City, not having Persecuted any therein.

Prelates.

Ralph of Bristol, born there, and bred (belike) in the Covent of Glassenbury, became Treasurer of St Pat. in Dublin, then Bishop of Kildare. He wrote the Life of Lawrance Arch-Bishop of Dublin, and granted certain Indulgences to the Covent aforesaid. He dyed 1232.

Since the Reformation.

Tobias Matthew, D. D. bred in Oxford, became Bishop of Durham, and at last of York. He dyed 1628. See my Eccles. Hist.

Seamen.

Hugh Eliot, Merchant of this City, the prime Pilot of our Nation, in his Age, first (with the Assistance of Mr Thorn his Fellow Citizen) found out New-found-Land; though an. 1527. before Virginia, or any o∣ther English Plantation was conceived. And note that no City in England (London alone excepted) hath in so short a time, bred more brave and bold Seamen. As for Eliot's discovery, had it been as fortunate in pub∣lick Encouragement as private Industry, probably be∣fore this time we had enjoyed the kernel of those Coun∣tries, whose shell only we now possess.

VVriters.

Th. Norton, a great Professor of Chymistry in the 7 Chap. of his Ordinal, wrote the two following Lines of himself,

Thomas Norton of Briseto A perfect Master you may him trow,

The first Line whereof he modestly parted into the in∣itial Syllables of several other Lines, thereby obliging his Reader to become a perfect Master in Nominal Chy∣mistry, before he can extract the Golden Name of Nor∣ton. He affirms of himself, that being scarce 28 years of Age, he learned the perfection of Chymistry in 40 dayes. The spight is, he complaineth, that a Mer∣chants Wife of Bristol, stole from him the Elixir of Life. Some suspect her to have been the Wife of VV. Cannings (of whom before) contemporary with Nor∣ton, who started up to so great and sudden Wealth. He is said to have undone himself, and those who trust∣ed him. He dyed 1477.

Jo. Spine, D. D. in Oxford, living under Edw. 4. left some Books to Posterity. His sirname seems to be Latine, which Englished is Thorn, an ancient name in this City. He was Provincial (and Champion) of the Carmelites through England, Scotland and Ireland. He laboured to make all believe that Christ was a Carme∣lite, and Professor of wilfull Poverty, by which he ta∣citly condemned the pomp of the Prelates. Hereupon the Bishop of London (his Diocesan) cast him into Pri∣son, from whom he appealed to Paul II, and went to Rome, where he remained three years in close Prison, then he was enlarged by 7 Cardinals, to whom the bu∣siness was referred. Returning into London, he was nominated Bishop of St. Dav. but never sat in that See. He dyed 1••86.

W. Grocine, an excellent Poet, became publick Pro∣fessor of the Greek Tongue in Oxford. Erasmus owns him in his Epistles for his Patron and Master. His Mi∣striss (it seems) having in a frolick pelted him with a Snow-ball, he declared in a Poetical Rapture, that that cold Meteor, had made so great an addition to his Flame, that it could not be quenched otherwise then by a reci∣procal Affection,

Sola potes nostras extinguere Julia flammas Non nive, non glacie sed potes igne pari.

He dyed, an. 1520.

Romish Exile Writers.

Jo. Flower, Printer, skilful in Latine and Greek, and a good Poet, Orator and Divine, wrote an Abridg∣ment of Thomas his Summes, the Translation of Osorius into English. Having fled for his Religion he set up at Antwerp, where he was serviceable to the Catholick Cause. He dyed 1579.

Benefactors to the Publick.

Robert Thorn, a Merchant-Taylor in London, gave more then 4445 pound to pious uses, and to his Kin∣dred 5142 pound. He dyed a Batchelor 1532, and was buried in St. Christophers, London.

Since the Reformation.

Mary Dale (or Ramsey) Daughter of William Dale, became second Wife to Sir Thomas Ramsey, Grocer, and Lord Mayor of London, 1577. She founded two Fellowships, and two Scholarships in Peter-House in Cambridge, on which she would have have setled 500

pounds per Annum, on condition that it should be called the Colledge of Peter and Mary. Dr. Soams then Master of the House, refused, affirming, that Peter, who so long lived single, was now too old to have a Feminine Part∣ner. She dyed 1596, and lyeth buried in Christs-Church, in London.

Thomas White, D. D. was bred in Oxford, and a Preacher in the Reign of Q. Eliz. He had one Cure of Souls, but several dignities. False was the Aspersi∣on of his being an Usurer. Besides Benefactions to Christs-Church, and a Lecture in St. Pauls, London, he left 3000 pounds for the building of Sion-Colledge. He built there also an Almshouse for twenty poor Folk, al∣lowing them yearly 6 pounds a piece, and another at Bristol, which is better endowed. He dyed 1623.

Mr. Jo. Simson, Minister of St. Olaves Hart-street, London, perfected the aforesaid Colledge of Sion, build∣ing the Gate-house, with a fair Case for the Library, and endowing it with 60 pounds per Annum.

Mr. Richard Grigson, expended a great sum of Mo∣ney in new casting of the Bells of Christs-Church, in Bristol. He paid 105 pounds for his reputed delinquen∣cy in our Civil Wars.