Brief LivesJohn Aubrey's racy portraits of the great figures of 17th-century England stand alongside Pepys's diary as a vivid evocation of the period. Aubrey was born in 1626, the son of a Wiltshire squire; at the age of 26 he inherited a family estate encumbered with debt, and finally went bankrupt in the 1670s. From then on he led a sociable, rootless existence at the houses of friends - from Oxford and the Middle Temple -pursuing the antiquarian studies which had always obsessed him. At his death in 1697 he left a mass of notes and manuscripts, among them the material for Brief Lives. He never managed to put even a single life into logical order; all we have are the raw materials, scribbled down -'tumultuously as they occurredto my thoughts'. With this full, modern English edition, which reproduces Aubrey's words as closely as possible, Richard Barber introduces us to Aubrey and his world, tells how the Livescame into being and enables many new readers to enjoy this eccentric masterpiece. |
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Contents
Section 1 | 20 |
Section 2 | 49 |
Section 3 | 61 |
Section 4 | 65 |
Section 5 | 74 |
Section 6 | 75 |
Section 7 | 82 |
Section 8 | 83 |
Section 19 | 189 |
Section 20 | 194 |
Section 21 | 213 |
Section 22 | 215 |
Section 23 | 218 |
Section 24 | 241 |
Section 25 | 272 |
Section 26 | 276 |
Section 9 | 100 |
Section 10 | 109 |
Section 11 | 116 |
Section 12 | 121 |
Section 13 | 162 |
Section 14 | 164 |
Section 15 | 165 |
Section 16 | 169 |
Section 17 | 177 |
Section 18 | 178 |
Section 27 | 277 |
Section 28 | 290 |
Section 29 | 292 |
Section 30 | 302 |
Section 31 | 304 |
Section 32 | 307 |
308 | |
Section 34 | 324 |
328 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Abbey acquaintance admirable aforesaid afterwards annum Anthony Wood Aubrey Aubrey's Ben Jonson Bishop of Salisbury born brother buried Cambridge chamber church court Danvers daughter Davenant death died doctor Dorset Earl of Pembroke Edward eldest Elias Ashmole Elizabeth England esquire excellent father fell fellow France gave gentleman Greek Gresham College handsome heard Herefordshire Hobbes honour ingenious Ireland John Danvers John Pell Jonson King Charles King James king's knew knight lady Latin learned lived London lordship loved majesty married master mathematician mathematics Memorandum Merton College never parliament person Philip picture poet printed queen remember Richard Royal Society scholar sent servant Seth Ward Sir Henry Sir John Sir Kenelm Sir Thomas Sir Walter Raleigh Sir William Thomas Hobbes told took Trinity College twas verses Westminster wife William Davenant Wiltshire wont to say Wood write wrote young