His life[119] is more remarqueable in an astrologicall respect[J] then for any advancement of learning[K], having[120] from his birth (till of late yeares) been labouring under a crowd of ill directions: for his escapes of many dangers[L], in journeys both by land and water, 40 yeares.
He was borne (longaevous, healthy kindred[M]) at Easton Pierse[N], a hamlet in the parish of Kington Saint Michael in the hundred of Malmesbury in the countie of Wilts, his mother's[O] (daughter and heir of Mr. Isaac Lyte) inheritance, March the 12 (St. Gregorie's day[P]), A.D. 1625[121], about sun-riseing, being very weake and like to dye that he was christned before morning prayer.
I gott not strength till I was 11 or 12 yeares old; but had sicknesse[122] of vomiting[Q], for 12 houres every fortnight for ... yeares, then about monethly, then quarterly, and at last once in halfe a yeare. About 12 it ceased.
When a boy, bred at Eston, an[123] eremiticall solitude. Was[124] very curious; his greatest delight to be continually with the artificers that came there (e.g. joyners, carpenters, coupers, masons), and understood their trades.
1634[125], was entred in his Latin grammar by Mr. R<obert> Latimer[R], rector of Leigh de-la-mere, a mile's fine walke, who had an easie way of teaching: and every time we askt leave to goe forth, we had a Latin word from him which at our returne we were[126] to tell him again—which in a little while amounted to a good number of words. 'Twas my unhappinesse in half a yeare to loose this good enformer by his death, and afterwards was under severall dull ignorant rest[127]-in127[127]-house teachers[S] till 1638 (12[128]), at which time I was sent to Blandford schole in Dorset (William Sutton[129], B.D., who was ill-natured).
Here I recovered my health, and gott my Latin and Greeke, best of any of my contemporaries. The[130] usher[131] had (by chance) a Cowper's Dictionary, which I had never seen before. I was then in Terence. Percieving his method, I read all in the booke where Terence was, and then Cicero—which was the way[132] by which I gott my Latin. 'Twas a wonderfull helpe to my phansie, my reading of Ovid's Metamorphy in English by Sandys, which made me understand the Latin the better. Also, I mett accidentally a booke of my mother's, Lord Bacon's Essaies, which first opened my understanding as to moralls (for Tullie's Offices was too crabbed for my young yeares) and the excellence[133] of the style, or hints and transitions.
I[134] was alwayes enquiring[T] of my grandfather[135] of the old time, the rood-loft, etc., ceremonies, of the priory, etc. At 8, I was a kind of engineer; and I fell then to drawing, beginning first with plaine outlines, e.g. in draughts of curtaines. Then at 9 (crossed herein by father and schoolmaster), to colours, having no body to instruct me[136]; copied pictures in the parlour in a table booke——like[U].
Blandfordiae, horis vacuis, I drew and painted Bates's ... (quaere nomen libri[V]).