Whereupon he writ his Oceana, printed London <1656>. Mr. T. Hobbes was wont to say that Henry Nevill had a finger in that pye; and 'tis like enough. That ingeniose tractat, together with his and H. Nevill's smart discourses and inculcations, dayly at coffee-houses, made many proselytes.
In so much that, anno 1659, the beginning of Michaelmas-terme, he had every night a meeting at the (then) Turke's head, in the New Pallace-yard, where they take water, the next house to the staires, at one Miles's, where was made purposely a large ovall-table, with a passage in the middle for Miles to deliver his Coffee. About it sate his disciples, and the virtuosi. The discourses in this kind were the most ingeniose, and smart, that ever I heard, or expect to heare, and ban<i>ed with great eagernesse: the arguments in the Parliament howse were but flatt to it.
He now printed a little pamphlet (4to) called Divers modells of Popular Government, printed by Daniel Jakeman; and then his partie desired him to print another little pamphlet called The Rota, 4to.
Here[1080] we had (very formally) a ballotting-box, and balloted how things should be caried, by way of tentamens. The room was every evening[1081] full as it could be cramm'd. I cannot now recount the whole number:—
Mr. Cyriack Skinner, an ingeniose young gentleman, scholar to John Milton, was chaire-man. There was Mr. Henry Nevill; major John Wildman; Mr. <Charles> Woo<l>seley, of ..., Staffordshire; Mr. <Roger> Coke, grandson of Sir Edward; Sir[1082] William Poultney (chaireman); [Sir1082[1082] John Hoskins; J<ames> Arderne[1083];] Mr. Maximilian Petty, a very able man in these matters, and who had more then once turn'd the councill-board of Oliver Cromwell, his kinsman; Mr. Michael Malett; Mr. <Philip> Carteret, of Garnesey; <Francis> Cradoc, a merchant; Mr. Henry Ford; major ... Venner; Mr. Edward Bagshaw; [Thomas Mariet, esq.[1084];] <William> Croon, M.D.; cum multis aliis now slipt out of my memorie[LXXVI.].
[LXXVI.] Dr. Robert Wood[EP] was of the Rota.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 11.
<Besides> which[1085] were, as auditors[1086], severall, e.g. the earle[1087] Tirconnel; Sir John Penruddock; etc.; Mr. John Birkenhead; as myselfe.
... Stafford, esq., as antagonists[1088].