Memorandum:—satyricall witts disoblige whom they converse with, etc.; and consequently make to themselves many enemies and few friends; and this was his manner and case. He was of a leonine-coloured haire, sanguino-cholerique, middle sized, strong.
William Butler (1535-1617/8).
[541]...[542] Butler, physitian; he was of Clare-hall in Cambridge, never tooke the degree of Doctor, though he was the greatest physitian of his time.
The occasion of his being first taken notice of was thus[XXXIV.]:—About the comeing-in of[543] king James, there was a minister of ... (a few miles from Cambridge), that was to preach before his majestie at New-market. The parson heard that the king was a great scholar, and studyed so excessively that he could not sleep, so somebody gave him some opium, which had made him sleep his last, had not Dr. Butler[544] used this following remedy. He was sent for by the parson's wife. When he came and sawe the parson, and asked what they had donne, he told her that she was in danger to be hanged for killing her husband, and so in great choler left her. It was at that time when the cowes came into the backside to be milk't. He turnes back, and asked whose cowes those were. She sayd <her> husband's[545]. Sayd he, 'will you give one of these cowes to fetch your husband to life again?' That she would, with all her heart. He then causes one presently to be killed and opened, and the parson[XXXV.] to be taken out of his bed and putt into the cowes warme belly, which after some time brought him to life, or els he had infallibly dyed.
[XXXIV.] From Edmund Waller, esqre.
[XXXV.] Quaere[546] E. W. or Gale, who?
Memorandum:—there is a parallell storie to this in Machiavell's Florentiac History, where 'tis sayd that one of the Cosmo's being poysoned was putt into a mule's belly, sowed up, with a place only for his head to come out.
He was a humorist[547]. One time king James sent for him to New-market, and when he was gon halfe way <he> left the messenger and turned back; so then the messenger made him ride before him.
I thinke he was never maried. He lived in an apothecary's shop, in Cambridge, <John> Crane, to whom he left his estate; and he in gratitude erected the monument[548] for him, at his owne chardge, in the fashion[549] he used. He was not greedy of money, except choice pieces of gold or rarities.