William Lilly
William Lilly (1602–1681) was born in
Diseworth and became a famous astrologer and occultist. His
prediction of the Great Fire of London (1666), fourteen years before
the event, led to a popular suspicion that he had started it, and to
a trial for the offence before Parliament, but he was found
innocent. Read more about William Lilly and his work
here. was built. The following is an extract from his autobiography, written in
about 1668, in which he describes his early years in Diseworth,
prior to his departure for London at the age of eighteen. It gives a
vivid picture of life in the village in the early seventeenth
century. THE LIFE OF WILLIAM LILLY, STUDENT IN ASTROLOGY.
His birthplace (Lilly's Cottage) stands at the Cross, between Lady
Gate and Hall Gate, and was at one time used as a meeting-house by
the first Diseworth Baptist community, before the
Chapel
Wrote by himself in the 66th Year of his Age, at Hersham, in the
Parish of Walton-upon-Thames, in the County of Surry. Propria Manu.
I was born in the county of Leicester, in an obscure town, in the
north-west borders thereof, called Diseworth, seven miles south of
the town of Derby, one mile from Castle-Donnington, a town of great
rudeness, wherein it is not remembered that any of the farmers
thereof did ever educate any of their sons to learning, only my
grandfather sent his younger son to Cambridge, whose name was Robert
Lilly, and died Vicar of Cambden in Gloucestershire, about 1640.
The town of Diseworth did formerly belong unto the Lord Seagrave,
for there is one record in the hands of my cousin Melborn
Williamson, which mentions one acre of land abutting north upon the
gates of the Lord Seagrave; and there is one close, called
Hall-close, wherein the ruins of some ancient buildings appear, and
particularly where the dove-house stood; and there is also the ruins
of decayed fish-ponds and other outhouses. This town came at length
to be the inheritance of Margaret, Countess of Richmond, mother of
Henry VII. which Margaret gave this town and lordship of Diseworth
unto Christ's College in Cambridge, the Master and Fellows whereof
have ever since, and at present, enjoy and possess it.
In the church of this town there is but one monument, and that is a
white marble stone, now almost broken to pieces, which was placed
there by Robert Lilly, my grandfather, in memory of Jane his wife,
the daughter of Mr. Poole of Dalby, in the same county, a family now
quite extinguished. My grandmother's brother was Mr. Henry Poole,
one of the Knights of Rhodes, or Templars, who being a soldier at
Rhodes at the taking thereof by Solyman the Magnificent, and
escaping with his life, came afterwards to England, and married the
Lady Parron or Perham, of Oxfordshire, and was called, during his
life, Sir Henry Poole. William Poole the Astrologer knew him very
well, and remembers him to have been a very tall person, and reputed
of great strength in his younger years.
The impropriation of this town of Diseworth was formerly the
inheritance of three sisters, whereof two became votaries; one in
the nunnery of Langly in the parish of Diseworth, valued at the
suppression, I mean the whole nunnery, at thirty-two pounds per
annum, and this sister's part is yet enjoyed by the family of the
Grayes, who now, and for some years past, have the enjoyment and
possession of all the lands formerly belonging to the nunnery in the
parish of Diseworth, and are at present of the yearly value of three
hundred and fifty pounds per annum. One of the sisters gave her part
of the great tithes unto a religious house in Bredon upon the Hill;
and, as the inhabitants report, became a religious person
afterwards.
The third sister married, and her part of the tithes in succeeding
ages became the Earl of Huntingdon's, who not many years since sold
it to one of his servants.
The donation of the vicarage is in the gift of the Grayes of
Langley, unto whom they pay yearly, (I mean unto the Vicar) as I am
informed, six pounds per annum. Very lately some charitable citizens
have purchased one-third portion of the tithes, and given it for a
maintenance of a preaching minister, and it is now of the value of
about fifty pounds per annum.
There have been two hermitages in this parish; the last hermit was
well remembered by one Thomas Cooke, a very ancient inhabitant, who
in my younger years acquainted me therewith.
This town of Diseworth is divided into three parishes; one part
belongs under Locington, in which part standeth my father's house,
over-against the west end of the steeple, in which I was born: some
other farms are in the parish of Bredon, the rest in the parish of
Diseworth.
In this town, but in the parish of Lockington, was I born, the first
day of May 1602.
My father's name was William Lilly, son of Robert, the son of
Robert, the son of Rowland, &c. My mother was Alice, the daughter of
Edward Barham, of Fiskerton Mills, in Nottinghamshire, two miles
from Newark upon Trent: this Edward Barham was born in Norwich, and
well remembered the rebellion of Kett the Tanner, in the days of
Edward VI.
Our family have continued many ages in this town as yeomen; besides
the farm my father and his ancestors lived in, both my father and
grandfather had much free land, and many houses in the town, not
belonging to the college, as the farm wherein they were all born
doth, and is now at this present of the value of forty pounds per
annum, and in possession of my brother's son; but the freehold land
and houses, formerly purchased by my ancestors, were all sold by my
grandfather and father; so that now our family depend wholly upon a
college lease. Of my infancy I can speak little, only I do remember
that in the fourth year of my age I had the measles.
I was, during my minority, put to learn at such schools, and of such
masters, as the rudeness of the place and country afforded; my
mother intending I should be a scholar from my infancy, seeing my
father's back-slidings in the world, and no hopes by plain husbandry
to recruit a decayed estate; therefore upon Trinity Tuesday, 1613,
my father had me to Ashby de la Zouch, to be instructed by one Mr.
John Brinsley; one, in those times, of great abilities for
instruction of youth in the Latin and Greek tongues; he was very
severe in his life and conversation, and did breed up many scholars
for the universities: in religion he was a strict Puritan, not
conformable wholly to the ceremonies of the Church of England. In
this town of Ashby de la Zouch, for many years together, Mr. Arthur
Hildersham exercised his ministry at my being there; and all the
while I continued at Ashby, he was silenced. This is that famous
Hildersham, who left behind him a commentary on the fifty-first
psalm; as also many sermons upon the fourth of John, both which are
printed; he was an excellent textuary, of exemplary life, pleasant
in discourse, a strong enemy to the Brownists, and dissented not
from the Church of England in any article of faith, but only about
wearing the surplice, baptizing with the cross, and kneeling at the
sacrament; most of the people in town were directed by his
judgement, and so continued, and yet do continue presbyterianly
affected; for when the Lord of Loughborough in 1642, 1643, 1644, and
1645, had his garrison in that town, if by chance at any time any
troops of horse had lodged within the town, though they came late at
night to their quarters; yet would one or other of the town
presently give Sir John Gell of Derby notice, so that ere next
morning most of his Majesty's troops were seized in their lodgings,
which moved the Lord of Loughborough merrily to say, there was not a
fart let in Ashby, but it was presently carried to Derby.
The several authors I there learned were these, viz. Sententiæ
Pueriles, Cato, Corderius, Æsop's Fables, Tully's Offices, Ovid de
Tristibus; lastly, Virgil, then Horace; as also Camden's Greek
Grammar, Theognis and Homer's Iliads: I was only entered into
Udall's Hebrew Grammar; he never taught logick, but often would say
it was fit to be learned in the universities.
In the fourteenth year of my age, by a fellow scholar of swarth,
black complexion, I had like to have my right eye beaten out as we
were at play; the same year, about Michaelmas, I got a surfeit, and
thereupon a fever, by eating beech-nuts.
In the sixteenth year of my age I was exceedingly troubled in my
dreams concerning my salvation and damnation, and also concerning
the safety and destruction of the souls of my father and mother; in
the nights I frequently wept, prayed and mourned, for fear my sins
might offend God.
In the seventeenth year of my age my mother died.
In the eighteenth year of my age my master Brinsley was enforced
from keeping school, being persecuted by the Bishop's officers; he
came to London, and then lectured in London, where he afterwards
died. In this year, by reason of my father's poverty, I was also
enforced to leave school, and so came to my father's house, where I
lived in much penury for one year, and taught school one quarter of
a year, until God's providence provided better for me.
For the two last years of my being at school, I was of the highest
form in the school, and chiefest of that form; I could then speak
Latin as well as English; could make extempore verses upon any
theme; all kinds of verses, hexameter, pentameter, phaleuciacks,
iambicks, sapphicks, &c. so that if any scholars from remote schools
came to dispute, I was ringleader to dispute with them; I could cap
verses, &c. If any minister came to examine us, I was brought forth
against him, nor would I argue with him unless in the Latin tongue,
which I found few of them could well speak without breaking
Priscian's head; which, if once they did, I would complain to my
master, Non bene intelligit linguam Latinam, nec prorsus loquitur.
In the derivation of words, I found most of them defective, nor
indeed were any of them good grammarians: all and every of those
scholars who were of my form and standing, went to Cambridge and
proved excellent divines, only poor I, William Lilly, was not so
happy; fortune then frowning upon father's present condition, he not
in any capacity to maintain me at the university.
OF THE MANNER HOW I CAME UNTO LONDON.
Worthy sir, I take much delight to recount unto you, even all and
every circumstance of my life, whether good, moderate, or evil; Deo
gloria.
My father had one Samuel Smatty for his Attorney, unto whom I went
sundry times with letters, who perceiving I was a scholar, and that
I lived miserably in the country, losing my time, nor any ways
likely to do better, if I continued there; pitying my condition, he
sent word for me to come and speak with him, and told me that he had
lately been at London, where there was a gentleman wanted a youth,
to attend him and his wife, who could write, &c.
I acquainted my father with it, who was very willing to be rid of
me, for I could not work, drive the plough, or endure any country
labour; my father oft would say, I was good for nothing.
I had only twenty shillings, and no more, to buy me a new suit,
hose, doublet, &c. my doublet was fustian: I repaired to Mr. Smatty,
when I was accoutred, for a letter to my master, which he gave me.
Upon Monday, April 3, 1620, I departed from Diseworth, and came to
Leicester: but I must acquaint you, that before I came away I
visited my friends, amongst whom I had given me about ten shillings,
which was a great comfort unto me. On Tuesday, April the 4th, I took
leave of my father, then in Leicester gaol for debt, and came along
with Bradshaw the carrier, the same person with whom many of the
Duke of Buckingham's kindred had come up with. Hark how the waggons
crack with their rich lading! It was a very stormy week, cold and
uncomfortable: I footed it all along; we could not reach London
until Palm-Sunday, the 9th of April, about half an hour after three
in the afternoon, at which time we entered Smithfield. When I had
gratified the carrier and his servants, I had seven shillings and
sixpence left, and no more; one suit of cloaths upon my back, two
shirts, three bands, one pair of shoes, and as many stockings. Upon
the delivery of my letter my master entertained me, and next day
bought me a new cloak, of which you may imagine (good Esquire)
whether I was not proud of; besides, I saw and eat good white bread,
contrary to our diet in Leicestershire. My master's name was Gilbert
Wright, born at Market Bosworth in Leicestershire; my mistress was
born at Ashby de la Zouch, in the same county, and in the town where
I had gone to school. This Gilbert Wright could neither write nor
read: he lived upon his annual rents, was of no calling or
profession; he had for many years been servant to the Lady Pawlet in
Hertfordshire; and when Serjeant Puckering was made Lord keeper, he
made him keeper of his lodgings at Whitehall. When Sir Thomas
Egerton was made Lord Chancellor, he entertained him in the same
place; and when he married a widow in Newgate Market, the Lord
Chancellor recommended him to the company of Salters, London, to
admit him into their company, and so they did, and my master in
1624, was master of that company; he was a man of excellent natural
parts, and would speak publickly upon any occasion very rationally
and to the purpose. I write this, that the world may know he was no
taylor, or myself of that or any other calling or profession: my
work was to go before my master to church; to attend my master when
he went abroad; to make clean his shoes; sweep the street; help to
drive bucks when he washed; fetch water in a tub from the Thames: I
have helped to carry eighteen tubs of water in one morning; weed the
garden; all manner of drudgeries I willingly performed; scrape
trenchers, &c. If I had any profession, it was of this nature: I
should never have denied being a taylor, had I been one; for there
is no calling so base, which by God's mercy may not afford a
livelihood; and had not my master entertained me, I would have been
of a very mean profession ere I would have returned into the country
again; so here ends the actions of eighteen years of my life.
(Extracted from The Project Gutenberg EBook of "William Lilly's
History of His Life and
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