I have heard him say several times that the Regula falsi was falsly demonstrated by Mr. William Oughtred (quod N.B.) and that Petiscus hath donne it right.
See Dr. Pell's letter, printed by Joachim Jungius in his Doxo ... in 4to at Hamborough—Mr. Cluverus haz it.
He could not cringe and sneake for preferment though otherwise no man more humble nor more communicative. He was cast into King's Bench prison[552] for debt Sept.[553] 7, 1680.
[554]In March 1682 he was very kindly invited by Daniel Whistler, M.D., to live with him at the Physitians College in London, where he was very kindly entertained. About the middle of June he fell extreme sick of a cold and removed to a grandchild of his maried to one Mr. Hastings in St. Margaret's Churchyard, Westminster, neer the tower, who now (1684) lives in Brownlow Street in Drury Lane, where he was like to have been burnt in his bed by a candle. Nov. 26, fell into convulsion fitts which had almost killed him.
[555]Gilbert Sheldon, Lord Bishop of London, gave Dr. Pell the parsonage of Lanedon[C] cum Basseldon in the Hundreds of Essex (they call it kill-priest[556], sarcastically); and king Charles the Second gave him the parsonage of Fobing[XLIX.], 4 miles distant. Both are of the value of two hundred pounds per annum (or so accounted); but the Doctor was a most shiftless man as to worldly affaires, and his tenants and relations cousin'd him of the profits and kept him so indigent that he wanted necessarys, even paper and inke, and he had not 6d. in his purse when he dyed, and was buried by the charity of Dr. Richard Busby and Dr. <John> Sharp, Rector of St. Giles-in-the-fields and Dean of Norwich, who ordered[557] his body to lye in a vault[558] belonging to the Rector (the price[559] is x li.).
[XLIX.] Vide the booke called Valor Beneficiorum.
I could not persuade him to make a will; so his books and MSS. fell by administratorship to Capt. ... Raven, his son-in-law.
His son (John) is a Justice of Peace in New Yorke[560], and lives well. He thought to have gonne over to him.