William Lilly's History of His Life and Times by William Lilly

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I remember there was a great cleft through the middle of the breast,
which when that fully appeared she died, which was in September 1624; my
master being then in the country, his kindred in London would willingly
have had mourning for her; but by advice of an especial friend of his I
contradicted them; nor would I permit them to look into any chest or
trunk in the house. She was decently buried, and so fond of me in the
time of her sickness, she would never permit me out of her chamber, gave
me five pounds in old gold, and sent me unto a private trunk of her's at
a friend's house, where she had one hundred pounds in gold; she bid me
bring it away and take it, but when I opened the trunk I found nothing
therein; for a kinsman of hers had been there a few days before, and
carried all away: she was in a great passion at my relating thereof,
because she could not gratify my pains in all her sickness, advised me
to help myself, when she was gone, out of my master's goods, which I
never did.

Courteous Esquire, be not weary of reading hereof, or what followeth.

When my mistress died, she had under her arm-hole a small scarlet bag
full of many things, which, one that was there delivered unto me. There
was in this bag several sigils, some of Jupiter in Trine, others of the
nature of Venus, some of iron, and one of gold, of pure angel-gold, of
the bigness of a thirty-three shilling piece of King James's coin. In
the circumference on one side was engraven, _Vicit Leo de tribu Judae
Tetragrammaton_ [symbol: cross], within the middle there was engraven a
holy lamb. In the other circumference there was Amraphel and three
[symbol: cross]. In the middle, _Sanctus Petrus_, _Alpha_ and _Omega_.

The occasion of framing this sigil was thus; her former husband
travelling into Sussex, happened to lodge in an inn, and to lie in a
chamber thereof; wherein, not many months before, a country grazier had
lain, and in the night cut his own throat; after this night's lodging,
he was perpetually, and for many years, followed by a spirit, which
vocally and articulately provoked him to cut his throat: he was used
frequently to say, 'I defy thee, I defy thee,' and to spit at the
spirit; this spirit followed him many years, he not making any body
acquainted with it; at last he grew melancholy and discontented; which
being carefully observed by his wife, she many times hearing him
pronounce, 'I defy thee,' &c. she desired him to acquaint her with the
cause of his distemper, which he then did. Away she went to Dr. Simon
Forman, who lived then in Lambeth, and acquaints him with it; who having
framed this sigil, and hanged it about his neck, he wearing it
continually until he died, was never more molested by the spirit: I sold
the sigil for thirty-two shillings, but transcribed the words _verbatim_
as I have related. Sir, you shall now have a story of this Simon Forman,
as his widow, whom I well knew, related it unto me. But before I relate
his death, I shall acquaint you something of the man, as I have gathered
them from some manuscripts of his own writing.

OF DR. SIMON FORMAN

He was a chandler's son in the city of Westminster. He travelled into
Holland for a month, in 1580, purposely to be instructed in astrology,
and other more occult sciences; as also in physick, taking his degree of
Doctor beyond seas: being sufficiently furnished and instructed with
what he desired, he returned into England, towards the latter end of the
reign of Queen Elizabeth, and flourished until that year of King James,
wherein the Countess of Essex, the Earl of Somerset, and Sir Thomas
Overbury's matters were questioned. He lived in Lambeth, with a very
good report of the neighbourhood, especially of the poor, unto whom he
was very charitable. He was a person that in horary questions
(especially thefts) was very judicious and fortunate; so also in
sicknesses, which indeed was his master-piece. In resolving questions
about marriage he had good success: in other questions very moderate. He
was a person of indefatigable pains. I have seen sometimes half one
sheet of paper wrote of his judgment upon one question; in writing
whereof he used much tautology, as you may see yourself, (most excellent
Esquire) if you read a great book of Dr. Flood's, which you have, who
had all that book from the manuscripts of Forman; for I have seen the
same word for word in an English manuscript formerly belonging to Doctor
Willoughby of Gloucestershire. Had Forman lived to have methodized his
own papers, I doubt not but he would have advanced the
Jatro-mathematical part thereof very completely; for he was very
observant, and kept notes of the success of his judgments, as in many of
his figures I have observed. I very well remember to have read, in one
of his manuscripts, what followeth.

'Being in bed one morning,' (says he) 'I was desirous to know whether I
should ever be a Lord, Earl, or Knight, &c. whereupon I set a figure;
and thereupon my judgment:' by which he concluded, that within two years
time he should be a Lord or great man: 'But,' says he, 'before the two
years were expired, the Doctors put me in Newgate, and nothing came.'
Not long after, he was desirous to know the same things concerning his
honour or greatship. Another figure was set, and that promised him to be
a great Lord within one year. But he sets down, that in that year he had
no preferment at all; only 'I became acquainted with a merchant's wife,
by whom I got well.' There is another figure concerning one Sir ----
Ayre his going into Turkey, whether it would be a good voyage or not:
the Doctor repeats all his astrological reasons and musters them
together, and then gave his judgment it would be a fortunate voyage. But
under this figure he concludes, 'this proved not so, for he was taken
prisoner by pirates ere he arrived in Turkey, and lost all.' He set
several questions to know if he should attain the philosophers' stone,
and the figures, according to his straining, did seem to signify as
much; and then he tuggs upon the aspects and configurations, and elected
a fit time to begin his operation; but, by and by, in conclusion, he
adds, 'so the work went very forward; but upon the [symbol: aspect
"squares"] of [symbol: aspect "conjunctions"] the setting-glass broke,
and I lost all my pains:' he sets down five or six such judgments, but
still complains all came to nothing, upon the malignant aspects of
[symbol: Saturn] and [symbol: Mars]. Although some of his astrological
judgments did fail, more particularly those concerning himself, he being
no way capable of such preferment as he ambitiously desired; yet I shall
repeat some other of his judgments, which did not fail, being performed
by conference with spirits. My mistress went once unto him, to know when
her husband, then in Cumberland, would return, he having promised to be
at home near the time of the question; after some consideration, he told
her to this effect: 'Margery,' for so her name was, 'thy husband will
not be at home these eighteen days; his kindred have vexed him, and he
is come away from them in much anger: he is now in Carlisle, and hath
but three-pence in his purse.' And when he came home he confessed all to
be true, and that upon leaving his kindred he had but three-pence in his
purse. I shall relate one story more, and then his death.

One Coleman, clerk to Sir Thomas Beaumont of Leicestershire, having had
some liberal favours both from his lady and her daughters, bragged of
it, &c. The Knight brought him into the star-chamber, had his servant
sentenced to be pilloried, whipped, and afterwards, during life, to be
imprisoned. The sentence was executed in London, and was to be in
Leicestershire: two keepers were to convey Coleman from the Fleet to
Leicester. My mistress taking consideration of Coleman, and the miseries
he was to suffer, went presently to Forman, acquainted him therewith;
who, after consideration, swore Coleman had lain both with mother and
daughters; and besides said, that the old Lady being afflicted with fits
of the mother, called him into her chamber to hold down the fits with
his hands; and that he holding his hands about the breast, she cried
'Lower, lower,' and put his hands below her belly; and then--He also
told my mistress in what posture he lay with the young ladies, &c. and
said, 'they intend in Leicester to whip him to death; but I assure thee,
Margery, he shall never come there; yet they set forward to-morrow,'
says he; and so his two keepers did, Coleman's legs being locked with an
iron chain under the horse's belly. In this nature they travelled the
first and second day; on the third day the two keepers, seeing their
prisoner's civility the two preceding days, did not lock his chain under
the horse's belly as formerly, but locked it only to one side. In this
posture they rode some miles beyond Northampton, when on a sudden, one
of the keepers had a necessity to untruss, and so the other and Coleman
stood still; by and by the other keeper desired Coleman to hold his
horse, for he had occasion also: Coleman immediately took one of their
swords, and ran through two of the horses, killing them stark dead; gets
upon the other, with one of their swords; 'Farewell, gentlemen,' quoth
he, 'tell my master I have no mind to be whipped in Leicestershire,' and
so went his way. The two keepers in all haste went to a gentleman's
house near at hand, complaining of their misfortune, and desired of him
to pursue their prisoner, which he with much civility granted; but ere
the horses could be got ready, the mistress of the house came down, and
enquiring what the matter was, went to the stable, and commanded the
horses to be unsaddled, with this sharp speech--'Let the Lady Beaumont
and her daughters live honestly, none of my horses shall go forth upon
this occasion.'

I could relate many such stories of his performances; as also what he
wrote in a book left behind him, _viz._ 'This I made the devil write
with his own hand in Lambeth Fields 1596, in June or July, as I now
remember.' He professed to his wife there would be much trouble about
Carr and the Countess of Essex, who frequently resorted unto him, and
from whose company he would sometimes lock himself in his study a whole
day. Now we come to his death, which happened as follows: the Sunday
night before he died, his wife and he being at supper in their
garden-house, she being pleasant, told him, that she had been informed
he could resolve, whether man or wife should die first; 'Whether shall
I' (quoth she) 'bury you or no?' 'Oh Trunco,' for so he called her,
'thou wilt bury me, but thou wilt much repent it.' 'Yea, but how long
first?' 'I shall die,' said he, 'ere Thursday night.' Monday came, all
was well. Tuesday came, he not sick. Wednesday came, and still he was
well; with which his impertinent wife did much twit him in his teeth.
Thursday came, and dinner was ended, he very well: he went down to the
water-side, and took a pair of oars to go to some buildings he was in
hand with in Puddle-dock. Being in the middle of the Thames, he
presently fell down, only saying, 'An impost, an impost,' and so died. A
most sad storm of wind immediately following. He died worth one thousand
two hundred pounds, and left only one son called Clement. All his
rarities, secret manuscripts, of what quality soever, Dr. Napper of
Lindford in Buckinghamshire had, who had been a long time his scholar;
and of whom Forman was used to say he would be a dunce: yet in
continuance of time he proved a singular astrologer and physician. Sir
Richard now living, I believe, has all those rarities in possession,
which were Forman's, being kinsman and heir unto Dr. Napper. (His son
Thomas Napper, Esq.; most generously gave most of these manuscripts to
Elias Ashmole, Esq.;) I hope you will pardon this digression.

After my mistress was dead, I lived most comfortably, my master having a
great affection for me.

The year 1625 now comes on, and the plague exceeding violent, I will
relate what I observed the spring before it broke forth. Against our
corner house every night there would come down, about five or six of the
clock, sometime one hundred or more boys, some playing, others as if in
serious discourse, and just as it grew dark would all be gone home; many
succeeding years there was no such, or any concourse, usually no more
than four or five in a company: In the spring of 1625, the boys and
youths of several parishes in like number appeared again, which I
beholding, called Thomas Sanders, my landlord, and told him, that the
youth and young boys of several parishes did in that nature assemble and
play, in the beginning of the year 1625. 'God bless us,' quoth I, 'from
a plague this year;' but then there succeeded one, and the greatest that
ever was in London. In 1625, the visitation encreasing, and my master
having a great charge of money and plate, some of his own, some other
men's, left me and a fellow-servant to keep the house, and himself in
June went into Leicestershire. He was in that year feoffee collector for
twelve poor alms-people living in Clement-Dane's Church-Yard; whose
pensions I in his absence paid weekly, to his and the parish's great
satisfaction. My master was no sooner gone down, but I bought a
bass-viol, and got a master to instruct me; the intervals of time I
spent in bowling in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, with Wat the cobler, Dick the
blacksmith, and such like companions: We have sometimes been at our work
at six in the morning, and so continued till three or four in the
afternoon, many times without bread or drink all that while. Sometimes I
went to church and heard funeral sermons, of which there was then great
plenty. At other times I went early to St. Antholine's in London, where
there was every morning a sermon. The most able people of the whole city
and suburbs were out of town; if any remained, it were such as were
engaged by parish-officers to remain; no habit of a gentleman or woman
continued; the woeful calamity of that year was grievous, people dying
in the open fields and in open streets. At last, in August, the bills of
mortality so encreased, that very few people had thoughts of surviving
the contagion: the Sunday before the great bill came forth, which was of
five thousand and odd hundreds, there was appointed a sacrament at
Clement Dane's; during the destributing whereof I do very well remember
we sang thirteen parts of the one hundred and nineteenth Psalm. One
Jacob, our minister (for we had three that day, the communion was so
great) fell sick as he was giving the sacrament, went home, and was
buried of the plague the Thursday following, Mr. James, another of the
ministers, fell sick ere he had quite finished, had the plague, and was
thirteen weeks ere he recovered. Mr. Whitacre, the last of the three,
escaped not only then, but all the contagion following, without any
sickness at all; though he officiated at every funeral, and buried all
manner of people, whether they died of the plague or not. He was given
to drink, seldom could preach more than one quarter of an hour at a
time, &c. In November my master came home. My fellow-servant's and my
diet came weekly to six shillings and sixpence, sometimes to seven
shillings, so cheap was diet at that time.

In February of that year, my master married again (one who after his
death became my wife.) In the same year he settled upon me, during my
life, twenty pounds per annum, which I have enjoyed ever since, even to
the writing hereof.

May 22, 1627, my master died at the corner house in the Strand, where I
also lived so long. He died intestate; my mistress relinquishing the
administration, it came to his elder brother, who assigned the estate
over to me for payment of my master's debts; which being paid, I
faithfully returned the remaining part unto his administrator; nor had
one penny of the estate more than twenty pounds per annum, which was
allowed me by contract, to undertake the payment of my master's debts.

OF MY MARRIAGE THE FIRST TIME.

My mistress, who had been twice married to old men, was now resolved to
be couzened no more; she was of a brown ruddy complexion, corpulent, of
but mean stature, plain, no education, yet a very provident person, and
of good condition: she had many suitors, old men, whom she declined;
some gentlemen of decayed fortunes, whom she liked not, for she was
covetous and sparing: by my fellow-servant she was observed frequently
to say, she cared not if she married a man that would love her, so that
he had never a penny; and would ordinarily talk of me when she was in
bed: this servant gave me encouragement to give the onset: I was much
perplexed hereat, for should I attempt her, and be slighted, she would
never care for me afterwards; but again, I considered that if I should
attempt and fail, she would never speak of it; or would any believe I
durst be so audacious as to propound such a question, the disproportion
of years and fortune being so great betwixt us: however, all her talk
was of husbands, and in my presence saying one day after dinner, she
respected not wealth, but desired an honest man; I made answer, I
thought I could fit her with such a husband; she asked me, where? I made
no more ado, but presently saluted her, and told her myself was the man:
she replied, I was too young; I said nay; what I had not in wealth, I
would supply in love; and saluted her frequently, which she accepted
lovingly; and next day at dinner made me sit down at dinner with my hat
on my head, and said, she intended to make me her husband; for which I
gave her many salutes, &c.

I was very careful to keep all things secret, for I well knew, if she
should take counsel of any friend, my hopes would be frustrated,
therefore I suddenly procured her consent to marry, unto which she
assented; so that upon the eighth day of September, 1627, at St.
George's church in Southwark, I was married unto her, and for two whole
years we kept it secret. When it was divulged, and some people blamed
her for it, she constantly replied, that she had no kindred; if I proved
kind, and a good husband, she would make me a man; if I proved
otherwise, she only undid herself. In the third and fourth years after
our marriage, we had strong suits of law with her first husband's
kindred, but overthrew them in the end. During all the time of her life,
which was until October, 1633, we lived very lovingly, I frequenting no
company at all; my exercises were sometimes angling, in which I ever
delighted: my companions, two aged men. I then frequented lectures, two
or three in a week; I heard Mr. Sute in Lombard-Street, Mr. Gouge of
Black-Fryars, Dr. Micklethwait of the Temple, Dr. Oldsworth, with
others, the most learned men of these times, and leaned in judgment to
Puritanism. In October, 1627, I was made free of the Salters' company in
London.

HOW I CAME TO STUDY ASTROLOGY.

It happened on one Sunday, 1632, as myself and a Justice of Peace's
clerk were, before service, discoursing of many things, he chanced to
say, that such a person was a great scholar, nay, so learned, that his
could make an Almanack, which to me then was strange: one speech begot
another, till, at last, he said, he could bring me acquainted with one
Evans in Gunpowder-Alley, who had formerly lived in Staffordshire, that
was an excellent wise man, and studied the Black Art. The same week
after we went to see Mr. Evans. When we came to his house, he, having
been drunk the night before, was upon his bed, if it be lawful to call
that a bed whereon he then lay; he roused up himself, and, after some
compliments, he was content to instruct me in astrology; I attended his
best opportunities for seven or eight weeks, in which time I could set a
figure perfectly: books he had not any, except _Haly de judiciis
Astrorum_, and _Orriganus's Ephemerides_; so that as often as I entered
his house, I thought I was in the wilderness. Now something of the man:
he was by birth a Welshman, a Master of Arts, and in sacred orders; he
had formerly had a cure of souls in Staffordshire, but now was come to
try his fortunes at London, being in a manner enforced to fly for some
offences very scandalous, committed by him in these parts, where he had
lately lived; for he gave judgment upon things lost, the only shame of
astrology: he was the most saturnine person my eyes ever beheld, either
before I practised or since; of a middle stature; broad forehead,
beetle-browed, thick shoulders, flat nosed, full lips, down-looked,
black curling stiff hair, splay-footed; to give him his right, he had
the most piercing judgment naturally upon a figure of theft, and many
other questions, that I ever met withal; yet for money he would
willingly give contrary judgments, was much addicted to debauchery, and
then very abusive and quarrelsome, seldom without a black eye, or one
mischief of other: this is the same Evans who made so many antimornal
cups, upon the sale whereof he principally subsisted; he understood
Latin very well, the Greek tongue not at all: he had some arts above,
and beyond astrology, for he was well versed in the nature of spirits,
and had many times used the circular way of invocating, as in the time
of our familiarity he told me. Two of his actions I will relate, as to
me delivered. There was in Staffordshire a young gentlewoman that had,
for her preferment, married an aged rich person, who was desirous to
purchase some lands for his wife's maintenance; but this young
gentlewoman, his wife, was desired to buy the land in the name of a
gentleman, her very dear friend, but for her use: after the aged man was
dead, the widow could by no means procure the deed of purchase from her
friend; whereupon she applies herself to Evans, who, for a sum of money,
promises to have her deed safely delivered into her own hands; the sum
was forty pounds. Evans applies himself to the invocation of the angel
Salmon, of the nature of Mars, reads his Litany in the
_Common-Prayer-Book_ every day, at select hours, wears his surplice,
lives orderly all that time; at the fortnight's end Salmon appeared, and
having received his commands what to do, in a small time returns with
the very deed desired, lays it down gently upon a table where a white
cloth was spread, and then, being dismissed, vanished. The deed was, by
the gentleman who formerly kept it, placed among many other of his
evidences in a large wooden chest, and in a chamber at one end of the
house; but upon Salmon's; removing and bringing away the deed, all that
bay of building was quite blown down, and all his own proper evidences
torn all to pieces. The second story followeth.

Some time before I became acquainted with him, he then living in the
Minories, was desired by the Lord Bothwell and Sir Kenelm Digby to show
them a spirit. He promised so to do: the time came, and they were all in
the body of the circle, when lo, upon a sudden, after some time of
invocation, Evans was taken from out the room, and carried into the
field near Battersea Causeway, close to the Thames. Next morning a
countryman going by to his labour, and espying a man in black cloaths,
came unto him and awaked him, and asked him how he came there? Evans by
this understood his condition, enquired where he was, how far from
London, and in what parish he was; which when he understood, he told the
labourer he had been late at Battersea the night before, and by chance
was left there by his friends. Sir Kenelm Digby and the Lord Bothwell
went home without any harm, and came next day to hear what was become of
him; just as they, in the afternoon, came into the house, a messenger
came from Evans to his wife, to come to him at Battersea. I enquired
upon what account the spirit carried him away: who said, he had not, at
the time of invocation, made any suffumigation, at which the spirits
were vexed. It happened, that after I discerned what astrology was, I
went weekly into Little Britain, and bought many books of astrology, not
acquainting Evans therewith. Mr. A. Bedwell, Minister of
Tottenham-High-Cross near London, who had been many years chaplain to
Sir Henry Wotton, whilst he was Ambassador at Venice, and assisted
Pietro Soave Polano, in composing and writing the Council of Trent, was
lately dead; and his library being sold into Little Britain, I bought
amongst them my choicest books of astrology. The occasion of our falling
out was thus: a woman demanded the resolution of a question, which when
he had done, she went her way; I standing by all the while, and
observing the figure, asked him why he gave the judgment he did, since
the signification shewed quite the contrary, and gave him my reasons;
which when he had pondered, he called me boy, and must he be
contradicted by such a novice! But when his heat was over, he said, had
he not so judged to please the woman, she would have given him nothing,
and he had a wife and family to provide for; upon this we never came
together after. Being now very meanly introduced, I applied myself to
study those books I had obtained, many times twelve, or fifteen, or
eighteen hours day and night; I was curious to discover, whether there
was any verity in the art or not. Astrology in this time, viz. in 1633,
was very rare in London, few professing it that understood any thing
thereof. Let it not repent you (O noble Esquire) if now I make a short
digression of such persons as then professed astrology, that posterity
may understand in what condition I found it, and in whose hands that
little that remained was lodged.

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