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<C E2>
<O 1570-1640>
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<K X>
<D ENGLISH>
<V PROSE>
<T BIOGR AUTO>
<G X>
<F X>
<W WRITTEN>
<X MALE>
<Y 40-60>
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<E X>
<J X>
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<Z NARR NON-IMAG>
<S SAMPLE X>


[^FORMAN, SIMON.
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND PERSONAL DIARY
OF DR. SIMON FORMAN, THE CELEBRATED
ASTROLOGER, FROM A. D. 1552, TO A. D. 1602.
ED. J. O. HALLIWELL.
LONDON: PRIVATELY PRINTED, 1849.
PP. 1.1 - 12.23^]

<P 1>
   (\In Dei nomine, Amen.\) This is the bocke of the life and   #
generation
of Simon, the sonn of William, the sonn of Richard, the
sonne of Ser Thomas of Ledes, the sonn of Ser Thomas Forman,
of Furnifales, and of An his wife, daughter of Ser Antony       #
Smithe,
&c. borne in the yeare from the Nativity of our Lord Jesus      #
Christ
1552, the 30. of December, beinge Saturday and new yere's eve,  #
at
45 minutes after 9 of the clocke at nighte, of the naturalle    #
bodie
of Marie, wife of the said William Forman aforsaid, and         #
daughter
of Jhon Foster, esquier, by Marienne Hallom, his wife, in a
village called Quidhampton, in the countie of Wilts, sytuate
in the valley on the north side of the river betwene Wilton and
Sarum, whose parents were well descended and of good reputation
and fame, and havinge many childrene and they disposed
diversly. He had by the saide Marie six sonnes and too          #
daughters,
<P 2>
viz. William, the eldest: Jone, the second, which after
married with William Hannom, gentleman, whose father was
sometymes Maior of Sarum, by whom she had noe yssue; after
his death, she maried on William Brincke, and died without      #
yssue.
The third child of the said William and Marie was Henrie, that
after toke to wife An the daughter of Thomas Harte, and had by
her yssue a daughter named An. The fowarth was Richard, whoe
toke to wife Sissely Parlet, the sole ayer of Jhon Parlete,     #
and she
died in childbed, and after he toke to his second wife Jone
Warum, by whom he had three children, Jhon, Dority and
Richard, and she also died. The fifte child of the saide        #
William
and Mary was this Simon, whoe in the 47. yeare of his age toke
to wife, through the grace and wil of God, Ane, the daughter of
Jhon Baker, of Kente, a cyvilian, and of Dorytie Monninges, the
daughter of Sir Edward Monninges, of Kente, knighte, to whom
was alyed many howses of honor and worshipe, as the Cliffordes,
the Sandes, the Lovelesses, the Chitches, the Finches, the      #
Alifes,
the Grindfordes, the Kempes, the Agers, and many knightes and
ladies, as the Erelle of Comberlan, Sir James Clifford, Sir     #
Michell
Sandes, the Ladie Loveles, the Ladie Ashenden, and divers
others, &c. The sixte childe of the said William and Mary was
Robarte, whoe toke to wife Jon, the daughter of Steaven Pore,
gentleman, of Dorsetshire, and the sam Robarte died leavinge    #
his
said wife with child. The seventh child of the said William and
Marie was a daughter, alsoe named Jone. And the laste and
yongeste was Johne, which too were not maried aft 40 yers of
age. And this was specially to be noted in the children of the
said William and Marie, there was never any of them did marry
till they were at leste 34 yers of age. And it is recorded in   #
auncient
<P 3>
bockes that ther ar three thinges specially noted in the name
of the Formans, that is, ther was never any of them proud,      #
covetouse, 
nor a traitor; and that may welbe seen to this daie in the
generation. The father of this Simon died when he was but a xj.
yers old; his mother lived after the death of his father 40     #
yeres
a widdowe; when she was fowar score and xij. yers old, she was
a lustie woman; but we will leave them all and speak of the
wonderfull life of the sayd Symon.

[}OF VISIONS THAT THE SAID SYMON HAD, BEINGE YET A CHILDE.}]

   Simon, beinge a child of six yers old, his father loved him
above all the reste, but his mother nor brethren loved him not.
His father, for the affecton he had to him, wold alwaies have   #
him
ly at his bedes feete in a lyttle bed for the nonce, and soe    #
sone as
he was alwaies laid downe to slepe, he should see in visions
alwaies many mighti mountaines and hills com rowling againste
him, although they wold overron him and falle on him and brust
him, yet he gote upp alwaies to the top of them and with moch
adoe wente over them. Then should he see many grete waters like
to drowne him, boilinge and raginge against him as thoughe they
wolde swallowe him up, yet he thought he did overpasse them.
And thes dremes and visions he had every nighte continually for
3 or 4 yers space. Thes visions God did showe him in his youth,
to signifie unto him his trobles in his riper years; for the    #
mightie
mountaines mighte signifie the great and mightie potentates     #
that
he had controversy with afterwards. And the waters mighte       #
signifie
the greate councells that were houlden againste hime, to
overthrowe him; yet God, the only defendor of all that be His,
wold never let him be overthrowen; but contynuallye gave him
alwaies in the end the victory of alle his enimies, and he      #
overpaste
all with credite by the helpe of God, to whom be praise for
evermore! Amen.
<P 4>
[}HOWE SIMON WAS SET TO SCOLE, WITH WHOM AND WHER.}]

   When Simon was almoste eyghte yers of age, in those daies
when the souldiars came from Newe-Haven, which was aboute
the yere of our Lord God, 1560, that the plague began in        #
Salisbury,
ther was a certain minister named William Ryddonte, (^alias^)
Ridear, that by his trade and occupation was a cobler, byt      #
after
Quen Maries dayes, when the lawe did turne, he was made a
minister, and soe withalle bacame a scholmaster and teacher of
children. He was a man of som 50 yers, mean of stature, and
a black grom sir. He could read English well, but he could noe
Lattine more then the singell accidens, and that he lerned of   #
his
too sonnes that went daily to a free scolle. This person, when
the plague began, fled from Salisbury for feare therof, and     #
cam to
dwelle at the priorie of St. Gilles, nere unto the father of    #
this
Simon, to whom this Simon was put to scolle at Michaelmas,
wher he lerned his letters. And when he came to lerne "In the
name of the Father," &c., because his capacity could not        #
understand
the mistery of spellinge, he prayed his master he mighte goe
to scolle noe more, because he should never learne yt; but his
said master beate him for yt, which made him the more diligent
to his bocke, and after som four dais, when he had pondered     #
theron
well and had the reason thereof, he learned yt. And after       #
that,
his master never beate him for his bocke again. And he profited
soe well, that in on yeare or lyttle more he had lerned his     #
single
accidentes and his rules clean out. And bording with this       #
priste
in the winter time, he wold make him lie alwaies naked, which
kepte him in greete feare. And after this he was put to the     #
free
scolle in the Close at Salisbury, with on Doctor Booles, which  #
was
a very furiouse man, with whom he wente to scole som too        #
yeares.
Then did the said Simon bord at one Mr. Hauknightes, that       #
somtyme
<P 5>
was register to the bishope, and nere unto this Mr. Hauknighte
dwelt a cannon of the churche named Mr. Mintorne, to
whom many tymes this Simon wente. And this cannon seldom
or never kepte any fier in his house, but he had some lode of
faggots lying in a house, and alwaies when he was a-cold, he    #
wold
goe and carry his faggots up into a lofte till he was hote; and
when he had caried them all up, he wold fetch them downe again
and burn none, and soe he made this Simon doe many a tyme and
ofte to catch a heate, saying yt was better to heat himself     #
soe then
to syt by the fier. Soe he went to scolle som too years with
Docter Bolles, and then aboute the yeare of our Lord God, 1563,
at Christmas, his father had him, and on the new yeare's eave   #
after
at nighte the father of the said Simon died, for he had kepte a
great Christmas, and on the day before new yer's eve he walked
abrod to his ground with on of his men. And ther came a dove,
and lighted before him, and alwaies rane before him, and many
tymes they offered to catch yt, and yt wold rise up and falle   #
downe
againe, and so they folowed it till it ran into a neighbour's   #
wodbine;
and the same nighte aboute midnighte, after the dancing
and sporte was almoste ended, he going into his chamber to goe
to bed, on as he thoughte stroke him in the necke, and he toke 
his bed, and died just 24 howrs after.

[}HOWE SYMON AFTER HIS FATHERS DEATH WAS PUT TO SHIFTE FOR      #
HIMSELFE,
AND WENT TO DWELL WITH HIS AUNTE FOR TWO YERS.}]

   After the father of Symon was dead, his mother, who never
loved him, grudged at his beinge at hom; and what faulte soever
was committed by any the reste, he was allwaies beaten for
yt, and she suffred him to goo to scolle no longer, but set     #
him to
kepe shepe, and to plowe and gathering of stickes and such      #
like.
The boy beinge but a xj. yers old juste at the death of his     #
father,
yet having reasonable wit and discretion, and being nymber
sprited and apte to any thinge, seeynge the hatred of his       #
mother
and of the reste of his brethren and sisters towardes him, and
<P 6>
that he could not followe his bocke nor be at quiete, he put    #
himself
an apprentice to on Mathewe Comins of Sarum at 14 yers,
which useth many occupations. Firste he was a hosier, and
therby he lerned to sowe and to make a hose; then he was a      #
merchante
of cloth, and of alle smalle wares, and sold hops, salte,       #
oille,
pitch, rosine, raisons, and all poticary drugs and grocery,     #
wherby
the said Simon learned the knowledge of alle wares and drugs,
and howe to buy and selle, and grue soe apte, and had such good
fortune, that in shorte tyme his master committed all to his    #
charge.
But ther fell out many controversyes betwen his mistres and
him, and she wold often beate him, especially for on Jean Cole,
her sister's daughter, which she kepte.

[}HOWE SYMON BEATE MARY ROBARTES, HIS MASTERS MAIDE.}]

   Nowe when Symon had put himselfe an apprentice for 10 yers,
as is said, with Mathewwe Connin, with condition that he should
[{be{] 3 yeares at the grammer scole, the which his master      #
performed
not, which was a parte of the cause why he wente from his       #
master
afterwards, as hereafter shall followe. Symon at firste beinge  #
the
yongeste apprentice of four, was put to all the worste, and     #
being
little and smalle of stature and yong of yers, every on did     #
triumphe
over him, but especially a kitchen maid named Mary Robartes;
and oftentymes she wold knock him that the blod should rone
aboute his eares. Yt fell out in tracte of tyme, within the     #
terme
of five yeeres, alle the other apprentices went away, and Symon
servyd by yt, and all thinges for the shope was committed to    #
his
charge. On a certain frosty morninge his master and mistress
were both gon to the garden, and there kinswoman with them,
leavinge non at home but Symon and Mary, willing Marye to locke
into the shope and helpe, yf occasion served; they being gone,  #
[{soe{]
many customers came for ware that Simon could not attend them
all, wherupon he calles Mary to stand in the shope. And she     #
came
forth and reviled him with many bitter wordes, and said shee    #
wold
anon have him by the ears, and soe went her way again. And
<P 7>
Simon put up all and said lyttle, but made the beste shift he   #
could,
and ryd them all awaie, and shut the shop dore, and toke a      #
yerd and
wente into Mary, who so sone as she sawe him was redy to have
him by the eares, but Simon stroke her on the handes with his
yerd, and belabored her soe or he wente that he made her black
and blue alle over, and burst her head and handes, that he      #
laid her
alonge crying and roringe like a bulle, for he beat her         #
thorowly for
all her knavery before to him done.

[}OF THE QUANDARY AND FEAR THAT SIMON WAS IN WHEN HE HAD
BEATON MARIE.}]

   When this combat was ended between Simon and Marie, and
that Symon had gotten the victorie of Marie, he was moch aferd,
for he thoughte yf his mistres should com home first she wole
take the maides parte, and then should Simon be well beaten;    #
but
yf his master cam firste, then he thoughte yt wold be so moch   #
the
better. And as God wold, his master came firste, and finding    #
the
maid cryinge and howlinge, demaunded the cause, and she told
him that Simon had beaten her. That's well like, said he, but   #
yf
he had, said he, he had served thee well ynough, for thou haste
beaten him full ofte. And with that he asked Simon the cause.
Sir, said he, her came many customers that I could not serve    #
them
and loke to the shop to; wherefore I called Mary to helpe to    #
attend
in the shope, and see to things; and she came forth and         #
scolded at
me, and wente in again and wold not doe it, that people mighte
stealle what they wold for her. And because therof, I did give  #
her
three or four lambskines with the yerd. Thou servedst her well
ynough, said he, and yf she be soe obstinate serve her soe      #
again,
said he. Thes words mad the maid stark mad, for she thoughte
he wolde have pitied her, but he toke Simon's parte. And then
shee cryed the more, till her mistress came, and demanded of    #
her
the cause, and she told her. Then she cam into the shope with
open mouth, but his master stopte her mouth and furie, and wold
not suffer her to beate Simon, as she would have don; wherupon
<P 8>
she grudged at him moch, and kepte it in mind a long tyme       #
after.
But after this Simon and Marie agreed soe well that they never
were at square after, and Mary wold doe for him all that she    #
could.
And many a pound of butter she yelded in the bottom after for
Simon's breakfaste, which before that she wold never doe.

[}OF THE COMBATE BETWEN SIMON AND THE TOO GODFRIES.}]
 
   In this proces of tyme, while Simon dwelte with his said     #
master,
they kepte a stannage at our Ladie faier, and ther were many
knavishe boies which were at play behind the stannage, and      #
thrue
stones against the stannage, and often thruste downe their      #
ware;
and then on Richard Kinge, a jornayman, com to his master to
helpe at that faire, sent Simon out to see who made that        #
quarelle.
And amonge alle the boies ther were too of Godfries sonnes of   #
the
Swane, an inholder, which gave Simon hard wordes, and said they
wold have him by the eares, and he being somewhat ferful stode
abashed, and the boies wolde not leave their knavery; at laste  #
out
came Kinge, and findinge thes boies to play the knaves soe with
Simon, and threteninge him, hardned Symon to have them by the
eares; soe to buffets they wente. And Simon beate them bothe,
and made them both give of; and after that, Simon would not     #
shrinke
for a bluddi nose with any boye, for he was then thorowely      #
fleshed
by the means of Kinge.

[}HOW SIMON WAS GIVEN TO HIS BOCKE, AND LERNED BY NIGHTE ALL    #
THAT
HENRY GIRD LERNED IN THE DAIE.}]

   Simon thus beinge with his said master was moch gyven        #
continually
to his bocke, for he wold never be ydelle, and many tymes
his master chid him that he was soe moch gyven to his bocke,    #
and
in the end toke alle his Lattin bockes from him, which trobled
Simon his mind moch. Soe it chaunsed that a kirsy man of
Denshire, on Gird of Kirton, borded a sonn that he had with
Simon's master, that wente every dai to the free scole, and he  #
was
bedfellowe to Simon; and loke whatsoever he lerned by day, that
<P 9>
did Simon learne of him alwaies at nighte, wherby, thoughe he
profited himselfe but lyttle, yet he loste nothinge of that he  #
had
before-tyme lerned, for his mind was moste ardently set on his  #
bocke.

[}HOW A. Y. LOVED SIMON.}]

   Ther was a man of good reputation and wealth, that dwelte    #
not
far from Simon's master, that had a proper fine maiden to his   #
only
daughter, the which being but yonge of yeares and younger then
Simon, that loved Simon wonderfull welle, and wold suerly see
him once a daie, or ells she wold be sicke. And often she wold
com to Simon's master, and entreat him very kindly on holly     #
daies
that she might see him or speake with him, and somtymes to goe
to pastymes with her; and she loved him soe well that yf forty
youth were at play before the dore, in a spacious place which   #
ther
was, yf Simon were not amonge them, she would not be ther; but
yf he were there, none could kepe her from thence. Yf Simon     #
stode
by his master or mistress at the dore she wold com and stand by
him, and wold not goe from him tille necessity did comple. And
Simon's master well perceyvinge the grete affection of the      #
gentlewoman
towardes Simon, wold often say unto her, mistress An
Yene love my boy welle methinkes; and she would aunswer, yea
forsothe, yf yt will please youe to give him leave to go rone   #
with
us, wee shall give youe thankes, sir. Wherupon oftentymes he
wold give him leave; and as for Simon, he loved her not but in
kindnes, but because she was soe kind to Simon, he wold doe
anythinge he could doe for her. And this love on her syde       #
lasted
longe, as herafter shalbe showed.

[}HOWE SIMON AND HIS MISTRES FELL AT CONTROVERSY, WHEREUPON     #
SIMON
AT SEVENTEEN YERES OLD AND A HALFE WENTE FROM HIS MASTER.}]

   When Simon had dwelte with his master som six yeres and a
halfe, ther fell out a controversye betwen Simon and his        #
mistres
<P 10>
aboute a dossen of flax that his mistres loste from stanning in
Simon's absence, and then wold have laid the blam on Simon, and
have beaten him for yt, of the whiche Simon thoughte great      #
scorne,
because he knewe himselfe cleare of the matter, and when she
wold have beaten Simon, as she had wonte to doe, with a yeard,
Simon toke the yearde from his mistres, and thruste her up      #
behind
a dore, and put the dore on her, wherupon she durste not meddle
with Simon again, but with weeping teares complained to his
master, whoe for soe doinge, althoughe yt was moch againste his
wille, beate Simon for yt; but he knewe his wife to be a        #
wicked,
hedstronge, and proud fantasticalle woman, a consumer and
spender of his wealth, and oftentymes they too were also at     #
square,
insomoch that twise he had like to have killed hir by casting a
peire of tailors shers at her, for once they went so nere her,  #
that
as she was going in at a dore, he nailled her clothes and       #
smock at
her buttockes to the dore, and the pointes of the shers wente   #
clean
throughe the dore, and she honge faste by the taille; wherupon
he swore in his wrath that yf ever he died before her, he wold
never give her anythinge. Thes controversies were often betwen
them, and many tymes when Simon and his master wente to his
farme together, some too milles of in the country, they wold on
complain to another of his mistress and her pride. And his      #
master
wold say to him, Simon, thou moste suffer as well as I myselfe;
thou seeste we cannote remadie yt as yet, but God will send a   #
remadie
on daie. Nowe because Simon's master had beaten him
for his mistres sake, herselfe being in faulte, Symon told his  #
said
master flate that he had not performed his covenantes according
to promise, and therfore he wold give of the trade and goe to   #
his
bocke againe, and he wepte sorely unto his master, and entreted
him to have his good will; and his mastre seing he wold needes
departe, consented therunto, and gave him his indenture, at the
which his mistres toke on mightily, and they all wepte, some    #
for 
joye and some for madnes and rage.
<P 11>
[}HOWE SIMON, AFTER HE WAS GONE FROM HIS SAID MASTER, BECAME A
SCOLLER AGAIN AT THE FRE SCOLE.}]

   Nowe when Simon was gon from his said master, and was at
his fre libertie to serve ells where, he mighte have had mani
masters, but he wold dwell with none, but provided and wente to
the free scolle every day for eight wickes' space, and folowed  #
his
bocke hard. Then his mother wold give him meate and drink no
longer, nor any maintenance, wherupon he was dryven to make
many hard shiftes, and he was soe gredy on his bocke, that yf   #
his
master wold not have beaten him, yf he could not say his lesson
well, he wold have wepte and suobbed more than yf he had byne
beaten. And yf his master gave him leave to play, that was      #
death
or a grete punishment to him, for he wold say, Play, play, her  #
is
nothing but play, I shall never be a good scoller; and alwaies
when his fellowes wente to playe, he wold goe to his bocke, or  #
into
som secret place to muse and meditate, or into the church.

[}HOWE SIMON BECAME A SCOLMASTRE BEFORE HE WAS EIGHTEEN YERS    #
OLD.}]

   Simon, percevinge his mother wold doe nothinge for him, was
dryven to great extremity and hunger, gave of to be a scoller   #
any
longer, for lacke of maintenance; and at the priorie of St.     #
Jilles,
wher he himselfe was first a scoller, ther became he a          #
scolmaster,
and taught som thirty boies, and their parentes among them gave
him moste parte of his diet. And the money he gote he kept, to
the some of som 40s., and after folowinge when he had bin       #
scolmaster
some halfe yere and had 40s. in his purse, he wente to Oxford
for to get more lerninge, and soe left of from being            #
scolmaster.

[}HOWE SIMON WITH ON OF HIS OLD SCOLLEFELLOWES WOLD GOE SEEK    #
OUT
OXFORD.}]

   Nowe it befell in that in the yeare of our Lord God 1573,    #
the
10. daie of May, ther was an ardente desier in Simon of further
lerninge and knowledg, and meeting with an old scollefellowe of
his, whoe before were allway brought up together and love as
<P 12>
brethren, whose father-in-lawe was as moch againe him as        #
Simon's
mother was againste him. Thes too confederated together to goe
to Oxford, and did soe, and ther they became both pore          #
scollers,
the on which was Thomas Ridear in Corpus Christie College, and
Symon in Magdalen Colledge. And every day he wente to the
free scolle for a tyme, and followed his boocke hard allwayes   #
when
he could have leysure. Nowe ther were too Bachelors of Arte
that were too of his chife benefactors; the one of them was Sir
Thornbury, that after was bishope of Limerike, and he was of
Magdalen College; the other was Sir Pinckney his cossine of St.
Mary Halle. Thes too loved him nying welle, and many tymes
wold make Simon to goo forth tho Loes the keper of Shottofer    #
for
his houndes to goe on huntinge from morninge to nighte, and     #
they
never studied nor gave themselves to their bockes, but to goe   #
to
scolles of defence, to the daunceing scolles, to stealle dear   #
and
connyes, and to hunt the hare, and to woinge of wentches; to    #
goe
to Doctor Lawrence of Cowly, for he had too fair daughters,     #
Besse
and Martha. Sir Thornbury he woed Besse; and Sir Pinckley
he woed Martha, and in the end he maried her; but Thornbury
he deceyved Besse, as the mayor's daughter of Bracly, of which
Ephues writes, deceyved him. But ther was their ordinary
haunt alwaies, and thethere muste Symon rone with the bottell
and the bage early and late. 



