As we have frequently to mention works of that “extraordinary Royalist, mystic and geomancer,” John Heydon, who wrote so much respecting the Rosie Crucian Mysteries, and so loudly extolled the praises of the disciples, it will be advisable to present a sketch of his life as made by one Frederick Talbot, in the years 1662 and 1663, and attached to “Elhavareuna,” or the “English Physitian’s Tutor.” He says John Heydon is not basely, but nobly descended. The Antiquaries derive them (his parents) from Julius Heydon the King of Hungary and Westphalia, that were descended from that Noble family of Cæsar Heydon in Rome; and since in this Royal Race the line run down to the Honourable Sir Christopher Heydon, and Sir William Heydon, his brother of Heydon, neer Norwich; who married into Devonshire. Here the family flourished divers waies, to Sir John Heydon, late Lord Lieutenant of the King’s Tower of London. And this Sir William Heydon had one sonne christened also William, and had two sons William and Francis, both born in Devon, at Poltimore House; Francis married one of the Noble Chandlers in Worcestershire of the Mother’s side, which line spread by Marriage into Devonshire, among the Collins, Ducks, Drues and Bears, he had one Sister named Anne Heydon, who died two years since, his Father and Mother being yet living. He was born at his Father’s house in Green-Arbour, London (his father having bestowed £1,500 upon those houses) and was baptised at St. Sepulchre’s, and so was his Sister, and both in the fifth and seventh year of the Reign of King Charles the First; he was educated in Warwickshire among his mother’s friends, and so careful were they to keep him and his sister from danger, and to their books, that he had one continually to wait upon him, both to school and at home, and so had his sister.
He was commended by Mr. John Dennis, his Tutor in Tardebick, to Mr. George Linacre, Priest of Coughton, where he learned the Latin and Greek Tongues; the war at this time began to molest the Universities of this Nation, he was articled to Mr. Mic. Petley, an Attorney of Clifford Inne, with eighty pounds, that at five years’ end he should be sworn an Attorney; now being very young he applied his mind to learning, and by his happy wit attained great knowledge in all arts and sciences, afterwards also he followed the Armies of the King, and for his valour commanded in the troops, when he was by these means famous for learning and arms, he travelled into Spain, Italy, Arabia, Egypt, and Persia, etc., and gave his mind to writing, and composed about seventeen years since, the Temple of Wisdom in three Books, The Holy Guide in six Books, Elhavareuna in one Book, Ocia Imperialia in one Book, the Idea of the Law, the Idea of Government, the Idea of Tyranny in three parts, the Fundamental Elements of Moral Philosophy, Policy, Government and War, etc.
These Books were written near seventeen years since, and preserved by the good hand of God in the custody of Mr. Thomas Heydon, Sir John Hanner, Sir Ralph Freman, and Sir Richard Temple; during the tyrant’s time first one had the Books, then another, etc. And at last at the desire of these Noble, Learned and valiant Knights, and in honour of his Highness the Duke of Buckingham, they were printed.
He wrote many excellent things, and performed many rare experiments in the Arts of Astromancy and Geomancy, etc., but especially eighty one, the first upon the King’s death, predicted in Arabia by him to his friends, the second upon the losses of the King at Worcester, predicted at Thauris in Persia. Thirdly he predicted the death of Oliver Cromwell in Lambeth House to many persons of honour mentioned in his books. Fourthly he wrote of the overthrow of Lambert, and of the Duke of Albymarle, his bringing again of the King to his happy countries, and gave it to Major Christopher Berkenhead, a Goldsmith at the Anchor by Fetter Lane end in Holborn; the fifth precaution or prediction he gave to his highness the Duke of Buckingham, two months before the evil was practised, and his enemy Abraham Goodman lies now in the Tower for attempting the death of the noble Prince. The sixth for Count Gramont when he was banished into England by the King of France, and he predicted by the Arts of Astromancy and Geomancy, the King’s receiving again into favour, and of his marriage to the Lady Hamilton. The seventh for Duke Minulaus, a peer of Germany, that the Emperor sent to him, when the Turk, had an army against him, and of the death of the Pope; the rest are in his books, and therefore by these monuments the name of Heydon for his variety of learning was famous not only in England, but also in many other nations into which his books are translated.
This John Heydon, fears none, contemneth none, is ignorant of none, rejoyceth in none, grieves at none, laughs at none, is angry with none, but being himself a Philosopher, he hath taught the way to happiness, the way to long life, the way to health, the way to wane young being old, and the way to resolve all manner of Questions, Present and to Come, by the Rules of Astromancy and Geomancy, and how to raise the Dead.
There be many John Heydons, one John Heydon the divine and priest of Jesus Christ, this is a Philosopher and Lawyer, stiled a Servant of God and Secretary of Nature, and to this the Princes and Peers not only of England, but of Spain, Italy, France and Germany send dayly to him, and upon every occasion he sheweth strong parts and a vigorous brain; his wishes and aimes, and what he pointeth at, speaketh him owner of a noble and generous heart; this gentleman’s excellent books are admired by the world of lettered men, as the prodigy of these latter times (indeed his works before mentioned, if I am able to judge anything) are full of the profoundest learning I ever met withall: and I believe, who hath well-read and digested them will perswade himself, there is no truth too abstruse, nor hitherto conceived out of our reach, and if any should question my judgement, they may read the commendations of both the Universities, Oxford and Cambridge, besides the learned Thomas White and Thomas Revell, Esq., both famous in Rome and other parts beyond sea, that have highly honoured this gentleman in their books; yet he hath suffered many misfortunes, his fathered was sequestered, imprisoned, and lost two thousand pounds by Cromwell. This Oliver imprisoned this son also two year and half, or thereabout, in Lambeth House, for he and his father’s family were always for the King, and endeavoured to the utmost his restoration; and indeed the tyrant was cruel to him, but John Thurloe, his Secretary, was kind to him and pittied his curious youth. And the messenger kept him (at his request) at his own house, and gave him leave to go abroad, but yet being zealous and active for the King, he was again taken and clapt up in Lambeth House; in these misfortunes it cost him a £1,000 and upwards; after this some envious villains forged actions of debt against him, and put him in prison. It seems at the beginning of these misfortunes, a certain harlot would have him to marry her, but denying her suit, for he had never spoken to her in his life good or evil until then; she devised now with her confederates abundance of mischief against him. And many courted him to marry, but he denyed. Now there was left (amongt a few old Almanacks and scraps of other men’s wit) collected and bequeathed unto the world by Nic. Culpe (as his own admired experience) old Alice Culpeper, his widow. She hearing this gentleman (that he was heir to a great estate after the death of his father, and after the death of his uncle, £1,000 a year, but whether this uncle be of the father’s or the mother’s side I know not, but the estate is sure his at their death), courts him by letters of love, to no purpose; the next saint in order was she that calls herself the German Princess. But he flies high and scorns such fowl great beasts, the first of these two blessed birds in her life time caused one Heath to arrest him, and another laid actions against him that he never knew nor heard of. In this perplexity was he imprisoned two years, for they did desire nothing but to get money, or destroy him, for fear if ever he got his liberty he might then punish them. He being of a noble nature forgave them all their malice and devices against him, and scorns to revenge himself such upon pittiful things. God indeed hath done him the justice, for this Heath consumes to worse than nothing, and indeed, if I can judge or predict anything his baudy-houses will be pawned, and he will dye a miserable diseased beggar. His mistress, when he was very young and a clerke, desired him to lay with her, but he like Joseph refusing, she hated him all her life. God preserved him from their malice, although one of these three lewd women swore this gentleman practised the art of Magic; she told Oliver Cromwell she saw familiar spirits come and go to him in the shape of Conies, and her maid swore she had often seen them in his chambers when he was abroad, and sometimes walking upon the housetop in moonshine nights, and sometimes to vanish away into a wall or Aire, but when asked she could not tell what manner of man he was. So these stories were not credited, and for all these and many more afflictions and false accusations, I never saw him angry, nor did he even arrest or imprison any man or woman in all his life.
He was falsely accused but lately of writing a seditious book and imprisoned in a messenger’s custody, but his noble friend the Duke of Buckingham finding him innocent and alwaies for the king, he was then discharged, and indeed this glorious Duke is a very good and just judge and noble, for he forgave Abraham Godman that came to kill him with his sword drawn, the Duke with his plate and napkin (for he was at supper) takes away his sword, saying, I can kill thee, but I scorn it, and a little after he pardoned him. And so mercifull he is that after he had taken the Quakers prisoners in Yorkshire, he used so many wise convincing arguments that they submitted to the King; of which the Duke was glad, and saved all their lives; he studies the way to preserve his king and country in peace, plenty, and prosperity. It is a pity the King hath not many more such brave men as he, a thousand such wise Dukes as this (like marshell’d thunder, back’d with flames of fire) would make all the enemies of the King and Christendome quake, and the Turk fly before such great generals, in all submission; we humbly pray for this great Prince, and leave him to his pleasure and return to our subject.
John Heydon is not of that vain and presumptuous nature as the Taylors that despised all Artists, even Appolonius, More, Vaughan, and Smith, etc. And yet they cannot read these, and many other learned authors, they so impudently abuse, rob of their learning, and convert other men’s parts to their own profit. He lent one ten pounds gold, he in requital or return speaks ill of him, and pretends to know many admirable rules of Geomancy, and impertinently addes them to Nativities, and applyes them to all manner of questions in Astromancy, but his books being written so long since, viz., seventeen years by himself, their greediness of great matters is discovered, and we now know them to be neither scholars nor gentlemen, these hang up clouts with—here are Nativities calculated, questions resolved, and all the parts of Astrology taught by us.... In threepence, fourpence, sixpence, or higher if you please—thus are young apprentices, old women, and wenches abused, and that they may be found for money, tell us the twelve houses of heaven in the sign of a coat of arms are to be let, when they might indeed set bills upon their brazen foreheads, engraven thus: Here are Rooms to be let unfurnished, but our Author regards not these men; all their scandals, forgeries, and villainous devises they contrive against him, he slights and scorns, and hath purposely forsaken Spittle Fields and his lodging there, to live a private life, free from the concourse of multitudes of people that daily followed after him, but if any desire to be advised, let them by way of letter leave their business at his booksellers, and they shall have answer and counsel without reward, for he is neither envious, nor enemie to any man; what I write is upon my own knowledge.
He now writes from Hermenpolis, a place I was never at; it seems by the word to be the city of Mercury, and truly he hath been in many strange places, among the Rosie Crucians, and at their Castles, Holy Houses, Temples, Sepulchres, Sacrifices. This gentleman hath suffered much by his own discreet silence and solitude. Every Nativity Hawker condemns the Rosie Crucians because they appear not to the world, and concludes there is no such society because he is not a member of it, and Mr. Heydon will not come upon the stage (let his enemies write or speak what they will) when any fool cries enter, neither doth he regard every dog that barks at him. All the world knows this gentleman studys honourable and honest things, and faithfully communicates them to others, yet if any traduce him hereafter, they must not expect his vindication, he hath referred his quarrel to the God of Nature, it is involved in the concernments of his Truths and he is satisfied with the peace of a good conscience; he hath been misinterpreted in his writing, with studied calumnies, they disparage a person whom they never saw, nor perhaps will see, he is resolved for the future to suffer, for he says God condemns no man for his patience, the world indeed may think the truth overthrown, because she is attended with his peace for in the judgment of most men, there is no victory, this he looks upon as no disadvantage, the estimate of such censures will but lighten the scales, and I don’t suppose them very weak brains who conceive the truth sinks because it outweighs them; as for tempestuous outcrys when they want their motives they discover an irreligious spirit, one that hath more of the Hurrey-cano than of Christ Jesus, God was not in the wind that rent the rocks in pieces, nor in the earthquake and fire at Horeb. He was in Aura tenui, in the still small voice. His enemies are forced to praise his vertues and his friends are sorry he hath not 10,000 pounds a year, he doth not resent the common spleen, who writs the truth of God hath the same Patron with the truth itself, and when the world shall submit to the general Tribunal, he will find his Advocate where they shall find their Judge, there is mutual testimony between God and his servants, or nature and her Secretary; if the Baptist did bear witness of Christ, Christ did also much for the Baptist; he was a burning and shining light; when I writ this gentleman’s life God can bear me witness it was unknown to him, and for no private ends, but I was forced to it by a strong admiration of the Mistery and Majesty of Nature, written by this servant of God and Secretary of Nature; I began his life some years since, and do set it down as I do finde it, if any man oppose this, I shall answer, if you are for peace, peace be with you, if you are for War, I have been so too (Mr. Heydon doth resolve never to draw sword again in England, except the King command him). Now let not him that puts on the Armour boast like him that puts it off. ‘Gaudet patientia duris’ is his Motto, and thus I present myself a friend to all artists, and enemy to no man.
FREDERICK TALBOT, Esq.