The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700

Mundy's Observations
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Mundy, Peter The Travels of Peter Mundy, In Europe and Asia, 1608-1667. Vol. 3, Part 1 Lt. Col. Sir Richard Carnac Temple London Hakluyt Society 1919 Based on Bodleian Library MS Rawlinson A 315
Relation XX. Some Observations Since My Arrival Home
From India, 1634, Til My Departure
Thither Againe on Sir William
Courteenes
Shipps, Vizt.
HAVEINGEHaveinge Cleired with the Honourable East India Company, whose servant I was,[1] See vol. II. P. 338. I prepared to goe downe to my freinds in the Countrey. Rareties att John Trediscans. In the meane tyme I was invited by Mr Thomas Barlowe (whoe went into India with my Lord of Denbigh and returned with us on the Mary)[2] See vol. II. p. 323 n. to view some rarieties att John Tradescans,[3] John Tradescant the elder, traveller, naturalist and gardener, who dyied in 1637 or 1638. His son, John Tradescant the younger, was probably abroad at this time, as he is known to have been in Virginia in 1637 collecting flowers, shells, etc. For an account of both father and son, see the articles in the Dict. Nat. Biog. soe went with him and one freind more, where wee spent that whole day in peruseinge,[*]examining and that superficially, such as hee had gathered together, as beasts, fowle, fishes, serpents, wormes (reall, although dead and dryed), pretious stones and other Armes, Coines, shells, fether, etts. Of sundrey Nations, Countries, forme, Coullours; also diverse Curiosities in Carvinge, painteinge, etts., 2 as 80 faces carved on a Cherry stone, Pictures to bee seene by a Celinder which otherwise appeare like confused blotts, Medalls of Sondrey sorts, etts.[4] In a catalogue of the Tradescant collection, published in 1656, these objects are thus described: "Mechanick artificiall Works in Carvings . . . A Cherry-stone, upon on side S. George and the Dragon, perfectly cut: and on the other side 88 Emperours faces . . . Variety of Rarities. Severall sorts of Magnifying glasses: Triangular, Prismes, Cynlinders." Under "Medalls" are enumerated Gold (5), Silver (55), Copper and Lead (52). Musæum Tradescantium; or A Collection of Rarities Preserved at South Lambeth neer London. By J. T. [John Tradescant junior], London, 1656. It is doubtful whether the carved cherry-stone seen by Mundy at Lambeth was sent to Oxford with the rest of the "rarities" handed over to Elias Ashmole by Tradescant’s widow. It is not in existence now, but among the Tradescant specimens at the Ashmolean Museum are six plum or "apricock" stones carved in the same manner with minute figures. A drawing of the cherry-stone is, however, preserved. Mr D. G. Hogarth, Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, to whom I am indebted for the above information, tells me that under a pencil drawing of the stone in an Ashmole MS at the Bodleian Library (1131-183) is a note in 17th century handwriting (? Ashmole’s) as follows: "The draught of a cherry-stone whereon St George on ye one side and divers heads on the other by Capt. Burgh and given by him to Mr John Tradescant who preserved it amongst the rarities." The drawing shows the two faces of the stone enlarged some 3 diameters, with a sketch of the stone natural size beside. About 80 heads are arranged concentrically on one side. Mr Hogarth is of opinion that the note under the drawing leaves the question open as to whether the stone itself was ever in Tradescant’s hands or only Captain Burgh’s drawing of it. But, judging from Mundy's usual accuracy of statement, I feel convinced that the cherry-stone was among the "rarities" that he actually saw. The particular magnifying glass described by Mundy cannot be traced in the Ashmolean Museum. Moreover, a little garden with divers outlandish herbes and flowers,[5] The Physic Garden and Tradescant’s "Ark" (or his house containing his collection) were situated in the South Lambeth Road. The neighbourhood of the site is commemorated by Tradescant Road a street on the east side of the modern South Lambeth Road. The number and variety of plants in Tradescant’s Physic Garden are described in the list entitled Catalogus Plantarum in Horto Johannis Tradescanti nascentium. It occupies pp. 73-178 in John Tradescant’s catalogue quoted above. whereof some that I had not seen elsewhere but in India, being supplyd by Noblemen, Gentlemen, Sea Commaunders, etts.[6] Among the "Principall Benefactors" to the Tradescant collection are the names of William "Curteene" Esqr., Captain Weddell and Captain Swanley. Musæum Tradescantianum, by J. T. with such Toyes[*] curiosities as they could bringe or procure from other parts. Soe that I am almost perswaded a Man might in one daye behold 3 and collected into one place more Curiosities then he should see if hee spent all his life in Travell. Mr Job Best[7] I can find no trace of any Job Best at this date, nor does the name Job occur among the various references to the Best family in the 17th century. At the period when Mundy was in London, Thomas Best of Whitehouse Street and his son Josias were both well known inhabitants of Ratcliffe. It is possible (as Mr William Foster suggests) that Josias was familiarly called Jo, and if Mundy heard of him as Mr Jo Best, the mistake is easily explained. It is also extremely probable that the Bests of Whitehouse Street had a collection of "rarieties," since Thomas Best, who served the East India Company from 1613 to 1617, made several voyages to the East. In his will he bequeathed his "est India sword or Seimtary" to his grandson Thomas. See the article in the Dict. Nat. Biog. on Thomas Best, where however the date of his death (August 1639) has not been traced. See also Wills Proved in the P. C. C. (148 Harvey), and Memorials of Stepney Parish (Hill and Frere), addenda to p. 31. is said to bee well stored with the like, dwellinge att Rattcliffe. Alsoe att Sir Henry Moodies, lyeing in the Strand,[8]Sir Henry Moody of Garsdon, Wilts, and Baronet, succeeded his father (cr. 1622) in 1629. He emigrated to Massachusetts with his mother, Lady Deborah Moody, a nonconformist, in 1636. Their estate was sequestrated in 1646 and Sir Henry died in Virginia in 1661. See The Complete Baronetage, I. 191. I have found no other record of Sir Henry Moody's scientific tastes or his "divers conceipts." one of his gentlemen shewed mee divers conceipts[*] devices, inventions of his Masters. Amonge the rest, the roome being made quite darke, only one little hole in it with a glasse through which a light strooke to the opposite side, where was placed white paper, and thereon was represented, as in a glasse, all that was without, as Boates roweing on the Thames, men rideinge on the other side, trees, etts., but all reversed or upside downe, in their true Collours.[9]This appears to be an early mention of the Camera Obscura in England. William Molyneux's Dioptrica Nova, published in 1692, was the first work to be printed in English on the subject. Nott long after I went to the Tower of London, where I saw a Unicorns horne, about 1½ yards in length and 2 or 2½ Inches diameter att the bigger end, goeinge Taperwise and wreathed, although somewhat smoothe (I thinck by often handlinge). It was white, resemblinge the substance of an Eliphants Tooth, estimated att 18 or 20000 pounds Sterlinge. This, as all the rest are, conceived to bee rather the horne of some fish then of a beast, because such a beast now a dayes is not to bee found, although discoveries att present are in farr greater perfection then they were then.[10] Mundy's estimate of the value of this horn (probably a narwhal's tusk) is greatly in excess of that given in "A true Inventorie and Appraisement of all the Plate now being in the Lower Jewell House in the Tower ... taken 13 August 1649," where is noted "The unicornes hornes weighing 40 lb. 8 oz. valued at 600l. 0s. 0d." See Archaeologia, xv. 274. Paul Hentzner, however, writing in 1598, saw at Windsor Castle "the horn of a unicorn, of above eight spans and a half in length, valued at above 10,000 l." Travels in England, ed. 1892, pp. 72-73. This may have been the horn described by Mundy, but I have failed to trace its transfer to the Tower.