He bought the advowson of Newton-tony, Wilts, which he gave to Queene's College[762], Cambridge—quaere if not others.
He hung the choire of Sarum with purple velvet, which was plundered in the sacrilegious times.
Sir William Davenant (1605/6-1668).
[763]Sir William Davenant[DN], knight, Poet Laureate, was borne [about[764] the end of February—vide A. Wood's Antiq. Oxon.—baptized 3 of March A.D. 1605/6], in ... street in the city of Oxford at the Crowne taverne.
His father was John Davenant, a vintner there, a very grave and discreet citizen: his mother was a very beautifull woman, and of a very good witt, and of conversation extremely agreable. They had three sons, viz. 1, Robert[LII.], 2, William[765]; and 3, Nicholas (an attorney): and two handsome daughters, one married to Gabriel Bridges (B.D., fellow of C. C. Coll., beneficed in the Vale of White Horse), another to Dr. <William> Sherburne (minister of Pembridge in Hereford, and a canon of that church).
[LII.] Robert[766] was a fellow of St. John's College in Oxon: then preferred to the parsonage of West Kington by bishop Davenant, whose chaplaine he was.
Mr. William Shakespeare was wont to goe into Warwickshire once a yeare, and did commonly in his journey lye at this house in Oxon. where he was exceedingly respected. [I[767] have heard parson Robert <Davenant> say that Mr. W. Shakespeare haz given him a hundred kisses.] Now Sir William would sometimes, when he was pleasant over a glasse of wine with his most intimate friends—e.g. Sam. Butler (author of Hudibras), &c.—say, that it seemed to him that he writt with the very spirit that Shakespeare, and seemd[768] contented[769] enough to be thought his son. [He[770] would tell them the story as above, in which way his mother had a very light report[771].]
He went to schoole at Oxon to Mr. Sylvester (Charles Whear, filius Degorii W., was his schoolefellowe), but I feare he was drawne from schoole before he was ripe enough.