| A Brief Life of William Petty, 1623-87 by John Aubrey His horoscope was done, and a judgement upon it, by Charles Snell esquire of Alderholt near Fordingbridge in Hampshire - 'Jupiter in Cancer makes him fat at heart'. John Gadbury also says that vomits would be excellent good for him. Sir William Petty knight was the son of Mr Petty of Rumsey in Hampshire. His father was born on the Ash Wednesday before Mr Hobbes that is 1588; and died and was buried at Rumsey 1644, where Sir William intends to set up a monument for him. He was by profession a clothier, and also did dye his own clothes: he left little or no estate to Sir William. He was born at his father's house aforesaid, on Monday, the twentysixth of May 1623, eleven hours 42' 56" afternoon: christened on Trinity Sunday. Rumsey is a little haven town, but has most kinds of artificers in it: when he was a boy, his greatest delight was to be looking on the artificers, e.g. smiths, the watchmaker, carpenters, joiners, etc: and at twelve years old could have worked at any of these trades. Here he went to school, and learned by 12 years a competent smattering of Latin, and was entered into the Greek. He has had few sicknesses: about 8 in April very sick and so continued till towards Michaelmas. About 12 (or 13), i.e. before 15, he has told me, happened to him the most remarkable accident of life (which he did not tell me), and which was the foundation of all the rest of his greatness and acquiring riches. He informed me that, about 15, in March, he went over into Normandy, to Caen, in a vessel that went hence, with a little stock, and began to merchandize; he began to play the merchant; and had so good success that he maintained himself, and also educated himself; this I guess was that most remarkable accident that he meant. Here he learned the French tongue, and perfected himself in the Latin, and had Greek enough to serve his turn. Here at Caen he studied the arts; at 18, he was (I have. heard him say) a better mathematician than he is now: but when occasion is, he knows how to recur to more mathematical knowledge. Memorandum: he was sometime at La Fleche in the college of Jesuits. At Paris he studied anatomy, and read Vesalius with Mr Thomas Hobbes (see Mr Hobbes' life), who loved his company: Mr Hobbes then wrote his Optics. Sir W.P. then had a fine hand in drawing and limning, and drew Mr Hobbes' optical schemes for him, which he was pleased to like. At Paris, one time, it happened that he was driven to great straits for money, and I have heard him say, that he lived a week on two pennyworth (or three, I have forgotten which, but I think the former) of walnuts. Enquire whether he was not sometimes a prisoner there? In 1648 he came to Oxford and entered himself of Brasenose College. Here he taught anatomy to the young scholars; anatomy was then but little understood by the university; and I remember, he kept a body that he brought by water from Reading, a good while to read on, some way preserved or pickled. In 1650 happened that memorable accident and experiment of the reviving Nan Green, which is to be ascribed and attributed to Dr William Petty, as the first discoverer of life in her, and author of saving her. Here he lived and was beloved by all the ingenious scholars, particularly Ralph Bathurst of Trinity College (then Doctor of Physic); Dr John Wilkins, Warden of Wadham College; Seth Ward, DD, Professor of Astronomy; Dr Wood; Thomas Willis, MD etc. Memorandum: about these times experimental philosophy first budded here and was cultivated by these virtuosi in that dark time. In... [ask Edmund Wyld, esquire, when] the parliament sent surveyors to survey Ireland. I remember there was a great difference between him and one of Oliver's knights about 1660. They printed one against the other. (This knight was wont to preach at Dublin.) The knight had been a soldier, and challenged Sir William to fight with him. Sir William is extremely short-sighted, and being the challengee it belonged to him to nominate place and weapon. He nominates for the place a dark cellar, and the weapon to be a great carpenter's axe. This turned the knight's challenge into ridicule, and so it came to nought. He can be an excellent droll (if he has a mind to it) and will preach extempore incomparably, either the Presbyterian way, Independent, Capucin friar, or Jesuit. He has a natural daughter that much resembles him, no legitimate child so much, that acts at the Duke's playhouse, who has had a child by... about 1679. She is (1680) about 21. The Kingdom of Ireland he has surveyed, and that with that exactness (ask Sir J.H. how), that there is no estate there to the value of threescore pounds per annum but he can show, to the value, and these that he employed for the geometrical part were ordinary fellows, some (perhaps) foot-soldiers, that circumambulated with their box and needles, not knowing what they did, which Sir William knew very right well how to make use of. In 1676, March 18, he was correpted by the Lord Chancellor Finch, when the patent for the farming of Ireland was sealed, to which Sir William would not seal. Monday, 20 March, he was affronted by Mr Vernon: Tuesday following, Sir William and his lady's brother hectored Mr Vernon and caned him. Dr Petty was resident in Oxford 1648, 1649, and left it (if Anthony Wood is not mistaken) in 1652. He was about 1650 [query] elected professor of music at Gresham College, by, and by the interest of, his friend Captain John Grant (who wrote the Observations on the Bills of Mortality), and at that time was worth but forty pounds in all the world. Shortly after (that is in 1652 in August), he had the patent for ireland; he was recommended to the parliament, to be one of the surveyors of ireland, to which employment Capt. J. Grant's interest did also help to give him a lift, and Edmund Wyld, esquire, also, then a member of parliament, and a great fautor of ingenious and good men, for mere merit's sake (not being formerly acquainted with him) did him great service, which perhaps he knows not of. To be short, he is a person of so great worth and learning, and has such a prodigious working wit, that he is both fit for, and an honour to, the highest preferment. By this surveying employment he got an estate in Ireland (before the restoration of King Charles II) of £18000 per annum, the greatest part whereof he was forced afterwards to refund, the former owners then declared innocents. He has yet there £7 or 8,000 per annum, and can, from Mount Mangorton in the county of Kerry, behold 50,000 acres of his own land. He has an estate in every province of Ireland. In 1667 he married on Trinity Sunday the relict of Sir Maurice Fenton, of Ireland, knight, daughter of Sir Hasdras Waller of Ireland, a very beautiful and ingenious lady, brown, with glorious eyes, by whom he has sons and daughters, very lovely children, but all like the mother. He received the honour of knighthood in 1662. He had his patent for Earl of Kilmore and Baron of.... 166-, which he stifles during his life to avoid envy, but his son will have the benefit of the precedency. I expected, that his son would have broken out a lord or earl: but it seems that he had enemies at the court of Dublin, which, out of envy, obstructed the passing of his patent. In 1660 he came into England, and was presently received into good grace with his majesty, who was mightily pleased with his discourse. In 1663 he made his double-bottomed vessel (launched about New Year's tide), of which he gave a model to the Royal Society made with his own hands, and it is kept in the repository at Gresham College. It did do very good service, but in 16 happened to be lost in an extraordinary storm in the Irish Sea. (Memorandum: there is yet a double-bottomed vessel in the Isle of Wight, which they say sails well: ask Capt. Lee.) He is a person of an admirable inventive head, and practical parts. He has told me that he has read but little, that is to say, not since he was aged 25, and is of Mr Hobbes his mind, that had he read much, as some men have, he had not known as much as he does, nor should have made such discoveries and improvements. He went towards Ireland in order to be a member of that parliament, 22 March 1680. God send him a prosperous journey. I remember one St Andrew's Day (which is the day of the general meetings of the Royal Society for annual elections), I said, 'Methought 'twas not so well that we should pitch on the Patron of Scotland's day, we should rather have taken St George or St Isidore' (a philosopher canonised). 'No,' said Sir William, 'I would rather have had it on St Thomas' day, for he would not believe till he had seen and put his fingers into the holes,' according to the motto Nullius in verba. He has told me that he never got by legacies in his life, but only £10 which was not paid. He has told me, that whereas some men have accidentally come into the way of preferment, by lying at an inn, and there contracting an acquaintance; on the road; or as some others* have done; he never had any such like opportunity, but hewed out his fortune himself which N.B. He is a proper handsome man, measured six foot high, good head of brown hair, moderately turning up: see his picture as Doctor of Physic. His eyes are a kind of goose-grey, but very short-sighted, and, as to aspect, beautiful, and promise sweetness of nature, and they do not deceive, for he is a marvellous good-natured person, and compassionate. Eyebrows thick, dark and straight (horizontal). His head is very large. He was in his youth very slender, but since these twenty years and more past he grew very plump, so that now (1680) he is abdomine tardus. This last March, 1680, I persuaded him to sit for his picture to Mr Loggan, the graver, whom I forthwith went for myself, and he drew it just before his going into Ireland, and 'tis very like him. But about 1659, he had a picture in miniature drawn by his friend and mine, Mr Samuel Cooper (prince of limners of his age) one of the likest that ever he drew. I have heard Sir William Petty say more than once, that he knew not he was purblind till his master (a master of a ship) bade him climb up the rope ladder, and give notice when he espied such a steeple (somewhere upon the coast of England or France, I have forgotten where), which was a landmark for the avoiding to a shelf; at last the master saw it on the deck, and they fathomed and found they were but a few foot water, whereupon (as I remember) his master drubbed him with a cord. Before he went into Ireland, he solicited, and no doubt he was an admirable good solicitor, I have heard him say that in soliciting (with the same pains) he could despatch several businesses, nay, better than one alone, for by conversing with several he should gain the more knowledge, and the greater interest. In the time of the war with the Dutch, they concluded at the council-board at London, to have so many seamen out of Ireland (I think 1 5oo). Away to Ireland came one with a commission, and acquaints Sir William with it; says Sir William, 'You will never raise this number here'. 'Oh,' said the other, 'I warrant you, I will not abate you a man.' Now Sir William knew 'twas impossible, for he knew how many tons of shipping belonged to Ireland, and the rule is, to so many tons, so many men. Of these ships half were abroad, and of those at home so many men unfit. In fine, the commissioner with all his diligence could not possibly raise above 200 seamen there. So we may see how statesmen may mistake for want of this politic arithmetic. Another time the council at Dublin were all in a great racket for the prohibition of coal from England and Wales, considering that all about Dublin is such a vast quantity of turf; so they would improve their rents, set poor men on work, and the city should be served with fuel cheaper. Sir William prima facie knew that this project could not succeed. Said he, 'If you will make an order to hinder the bringing in of coals by foreign vessels and bring it in vessels of your own, I approve of it very well: but for your supposition of the cheapness of turf, 'tis true 'tis cheap on the place, but consider carriage, consider the yards that must contain such a quantity for respective houses, these yards must be rented; what will be the charge?' They supputated, and found that 'everything considered' 'twas much dearer than to fetch coal from Wales or etc. Memorandum: about 1665 he presented to the Royal Society a discourse of his (in manuscript, of about a quire of paper) of building of ships, which the Lord Brouncker (then president) took away, and still keeps, saying, 'Twas too great an arcanum of state to he commonly perused'; but Sir William told me that Dr Robert Wood, MD, aforesaid, has a copy of it, which he himself has not; ask Dr Wood for it. Sir William Petty died at his house in Piccadilly street (almost opposite to St James church) on Friday, 16 December 1687, of a gangrene in his foot, occasioned by the swelling of the gout, and is buried with his father and mother in the church at Rumsey in Hampshire. My Lady Petty was created Baroness of Shelburn in Ireland, and her eldest son baron of the same, a little before the coming-in of the Prince of Orange (1688). Sir William Petty had a brother, like him, who died sine prole: he has his picture. query if I have mentioned Nan Green out of the printed narrative? His picture by Fuller in his Dr of Medicine gown, a skull in his hand; then a spare man; wearing a little band; Vesalius' Anatomy by him. 'Twas he (Sir William) that put Fuller to draw the muscles as at Oxford Gallery. Enquire for the name of the knight his antagonist, Sir......? Answer: 'Twas Sir Hierome Sanchy that was his antagonist: against whom he wrote the octavo book, about 1662. He was one of Oliver's knights, a commander and preacher and no conjuror. He challenged Sir William to fight with him. Sir William being the challengee named the place, a dark cellar, the weapon, carpenter's great axe; so by this expedient Sir William (who is short-sighted) would be at an equal tourney with this doughty man. Sir W. Petty was a Rota man, and troubled Mr James Harrington with his arithmetical proportions, reducing polity to numbers. Sir William Petty wrote A Political Anatomy of Ireland. He assured me by letter from Dublin, 12 July 1681: 'I am not forward to print this Political Arithmetic, but do wish that what goes abroad were compared with the copy in Sir Robert Southwell's hands, which I corrected in March 1679.' He told me some years since, before the copy was dedicated to the Royal Society, that 'the doing of it will cost £50,000, but Ireland will be done'. Sir William Petty had a boy that whistled incomparably well. He after waited on a lady, a widow, of good fortune. Every night this boy was to whistle his lady asleep. At last she could hold out no longer, but bids her chamber-maid withdraw: bids him come to bed, sets him to work, and marries him the next day. This is certain true; from himself and Mrs Grant. | |
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