Ben: Johnson called him father. Sir Benet (bishop Benet[1739] of Hereford was his godfather) told me that one time desiring Mr. Johnson to adopt him for his sonne, 'No,' said he, 'I dare not; 'tis honour enough for me to be your brother: I was your father's sonne, and 'twas he that polished me.' In shorte, his acquaintance were all the witts then about the towne; e.g. Sir Walter Raleigh, who was his fellow-prisoner in the Tower, where he was Sir Walter's Aristarchus to reviewe and polish Sir Walter's stile; John Donne, D.D.; John Owen, (vide Epigr. 1—
Hic liber est mundus; homines sunt, Hoskine, versus:
Invenies paucos hîc ut in orbe bonos;)
<Richard> Martyn, recorder of London; Sir Benjamin Ruddyer, with whom it was once his fortune to have a quarrell and fought a duell with him and hurt him in the knee, but they were afterwards friends again; Sir Henry Wotton, provost of Eaton College; cum multis aliis.
His conversation was exceedingly pleasant, and on the roade he would make any one good company to him. He was a great master of the Latin and Greke languages; a great divine. He understood the lawe well, but worst at that.
He was admitted at the Middle Temple anno ...; called to be a serjeant at lawe anno <1623> (vide <Sir William Dugdale's> Origines Juridiciales).
His verses on the fart in the Parliament house are printed in some of the Drolleries. He had a booke of poemes, neatly written by one of his clerkes, bigger then Dr. Donne's poemes, which his sonn Benet lent to he knowes not who, about 1653, and could never heare of it since. Mr. Thomas Henshawe haz an excellent Latin copie in rhythme in the prayse of ale of his.
He was a very strong man and active. He did the pomado in the saddle of the third horse in his armour (which Sir John Hoskins haz still) before William, earle of Pembroke. He was about my heighth.
He had a very readie witt, and would make verses on the roade, where he was the best company in the world. In Sir H. Wotton's Remaynes are verses (dialogue) made on the roade by him and Sir Henry. He made an antheme (gett it) in English to be sung at Hereford Minster at the assizes; but Sir Robert Harley (a great Puritan) was much offended at it. He made the epitaph on <Peter> Woodgate in New College cloysters. He made the best Latin epitaphs of his time; amongst many others an excellent one on <Sir Moyle> Finch, this earl of Winchelsey's grandfather, who haz a noble monument at Eastwell in Kent.
I will now describe his seate at Morhampton (Hereff.), which he bought of....