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

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James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh (04 Jan 1581 - 21 Mar 1656)

Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland between 1625 and 1656, famous for his life-long project of working out a biblical chronology of the world events Dictionary of National Biography entry: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/28034 Other biography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ussher Relevant locations: Title (royalty or holy order) Armagh, County Armagh
References in Documents:
Thoresby, Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1713)

There are none of the Adder-beads to be met with in Ireland, that Country having no Snakes; but here is an Amulet from thence every whit as efficacious; it is near an Inch long, and of the Colour of Amber. To these may be added an Ancient Ring, which I suppose belonged to the famous Richard Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, having his Device upon his Signet, viz. a Bear with a ragged Staff; for which see his Monument in Sir W. Dugdale's Hist. of that County: The Motto is anang apta, an agreeable Fate or Destiny, which may perhaps relate to his Martial Disposition and Victories in France: It is composed of Links of Iron or Steel very odly twisted with the Brass, on each Side of the Signet (which is of a third Metal, viz. Copper gilded) is a glassy Ruby. The Samothracians, who were noted of old for these Practices had Stars of Iron in their Rings of Gold. On one Side of the said Inscription is the old Character for Jesus; and on the other, Christ, with a Cross by each. There was a vast Variety of Rings or Amulets, which in the dark Days of Popery were eagerly sought after by poor deluded People, with different Saints upon them; but the Name of Jesus was a standing Charm, not only upon them, but even amongst the Turks, as appears by Dr. Smith's Letter, Registered in the Phil. Trans. N° 155. A Silver Talisman from the Lord Fairfax's Curiosities, on one Side is an unintelligible Character, upon the other in modern Letters L H with ☿ and . Another with a Globe and Cross upon one Side, and an Anchor of Hope on the other, with crooked Lines and Figures round; the former is engraved, this stamped as Money, both have a Hole punched to hang about the Neck. A third (sent me by Robert Plompton, of Plompton, Esq;) hath the Area fill'd with Planetary Characters, and this Inscription round, In Deo confido, revertentur Inimici mei retrorsum: Upon the other Side are Jupiter and Venus embracing each other, inscribed, A pavore inimici Custodi vitam meam oh tu Jehova, with ♃ and ♀ in Conjunction in ♓. The Effects formerly attributed to these Figures were altogether miraculous; the Spark, for whom this was erected, expected, by Virtue thereof, to obtain both Honour and Beauty; that with Mercury was for Success in Merchandizing and Gaming. These are engraved upon Silver; those used of old for the Preservation of Cities were Statuary Telesms made under a certain Configuration of the Heavens, the most propitious that could be for the Time and Place. The Blind and the Lame hated by David's Soul, 2 Sam. 5. 8. are by some Learned Interpreters taken for these Images. And the brazen-Serpent, which Moses (the Talisman, as those who write in Defence of the Practice, affect to call him) made in the Wilderness is said to be the first Occasion, not given, but taken, of all these Telesmatical Practices, (Gregory's Notes upon the Scripture, p. 41.) I shall conclude this Matter with a Charm, sent me by Capt. Furness, who saw it taken out of the Pocket of an Irish Soldier, who was slain in a Skirmish, notwithstanding the Protection he promis'd himself from this Billet of the three Kings of Cologn, which is thus inscribed, Sancti tres Reges, Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar Orate pro nobis nunc & in hora mortis nostræ. ""Ces Billets ont touch‚ "aux trois testes des Saints Rois a Colonge ils sont pour les Voyageurs "contre les malheurs des chemins, maux de Teste mal caduque, fievres, sorcellerie toute sorte de malefice & morte subite." To this Charm may be added another Sort of a Cheat, one Walter Freazer pretending that his Tongue was cut off by the Turks, had imposed upon most Parts of England, during his four Years Vagrancy, begging with the Account of his miserable Case writ upon his Breast, many Justices and Physicians had attempted the Discovery of the Imposture, but in Vain till Mr. John Morris of Leedes, by his assimiliating Temper (which he inherited from his Grand-Father Colonel Morris, who surprized Pontfract Castle for K. Charles I.) discovered the Cheat; and that the said Youth had learnt beyond Sea the Trick of drawing his Tongue so far into his Throat, that it appeared like a Stump only: Hereupon the said Freazer was sent first to the House of Correction, and the begging Billet deposited here by the said Mr. Morris, who was also famous for Pantomimian or Antick-Dancing, which Archbishop Usher tells us was first used at Rome, An. I P. 4579.

Thoresby, Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1713)

The new Edition of the Bible in 4to. to which is added the Bishop of Worcester's learned Collection of Parallel Scriptures*, So I am informed by the R. R. Bishop of Peterborough. an Epitomy of Archbishop Usher's Chronology, An Index to the holy Bible, or an Account of the most remarkable Passages in the Old and New Testament, pointing to the Time wherein they happened, and the Places of Scripture wherein they are recorded. And Tables of Scripture-Measures, Weights and Coins; with an Appendix containing the Method of calculating its Measures of Surface, hitherto wanting in Treatises of this Subject, by the R. R. Richard Lord Bishop of Peterborough. Memorandum, That though Measures of Length and Capacity had been learnedly treated upon before, yet this of the Measures of Surfaces is a new Discovery, for which the World is obliged to the said learned Bishop Cumberland.

Thoresby, Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1713)

13. Scala Mundi. Auctores ex quibus extrahitur, funt, 1. Brutus de gestis Britonum. 2. Venerabilis Beda de gestis Anglorum. 3. Willielmus Malmsburiensis de gestis Anglorum. 4. Will Pictavensis Cancellarius Parisiensis. 5. Frater Martinus Pænitentiarius Papæ. 6. Johannes de Porta. 7. Gildas. That this is a Book of great Value appears by the Character given it by a Right Reverend Author, who all will allow to be a most competent Judge, and who is pleased to mention it, with others of great Value referr'd to by Archbishop Usher, Mr. Selden, &c. (b)(b) Bishop of Carl, Hist. libr. I Vol. pag. 199.. Note, Tho' it ends many Years before the Reformation (viz. 12 H. 6.) yet in the Catalogue of Popes is inserted Johannes Papissa, with the same Hand as the rest of the Book.

Thoresby, Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1713)

45. Miscellanies. Q Elizabeth's Speech to her last Parliament. Letters of the Earl of Essex, Lord-Keeper Egerton, Duke of Lenox, with later Transactions in the Reigns of K. James and K. Charles, 1st and 2d of both Names; as also during the Interregnum; the Ministers Reasons against the Engagement: Committees Proceedings against Mr. Case. Proposals for propagating the Gospel in India. Colonel Venable's Instructions from Oliver for subduing the West-Indies.Lady Tirrel's Letter concerning her Father Archbishop Usher's Predictions. Justices of Peace for the West-Riding of the County of Yorke, who were put in and left out by several Revolutions.

Thoresby, Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1713) 212. His Sermon upon Easter Day. Extracts from Bishop Usher's Stat. & Success. Ecclesiarum Christianorum. From Selden, Perrot, Slater, and Carlton, of Tythes. Gataker of Lots. Fenton of Usury. Annotationes in Iliados Homeri. De Atheniensium & Romanorum Magistratibus. Ex Paulo Jovio in descriptione Britanniæ. Ex Geo. Lillii Chronico Anglo, Saxonum, &c. ad an. 1547. Of the several Orders of Knighthood; Degrees of the Nobility, Precedency, &c. from Segar Norroy.
Thoresby, Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1713) and four Parchments containing the Subscriptions of Archbishop Parker, (of which his Mem. p. 62.) and most of the first Sett of Qu. Elizabeth's Bishops, when they took the Oath of Supremacy. These, and their Successors, are digested Alphabetically; Abbot, Atterbury; Barckley, Barlow, Bentham, Best, Beveridge, Boyle, Bramhall, Brideoake, Bridgeman, Bullingham, Burnet; Compton, Cosins, Cox, Cumberland; Davyes, Dolben, Doping; Fell, Fleetwood, Fowler; Gardiner, Geste, Goodman, Grindall, Guning; Hacket, Hall, Harsnet, Hartstong, Hooper, Hopkins, Hough, Humfreys, Huntington, Hutton; Jewel, Jones, Juxon; Ken, Kidder, King; Lake, Lamplugh, Laud, Leighton, Lloyd, Loftus; Margetson, Marsh, Matthewes, Merrick, Mewe, More, Morley, Morton, Montague; Neile, Nicolson; Palliser, Parker, Parkurst, Patrick, Pearson, Pilkington; Rainbow, Ravis, Reynolds, Robinson; Sandys, Scory, Sharp, Sheldon, Smalridge, Sprat, Stern, Stillingfleet, Stratford; Taylor, Tenison, Thornbrough, Tillotson, Turner; Usher; Wake, Walker, Walton, Watson, Wettenhall, White, Whitgift, Wickham, Wilkins, Williams, Wilson, Worth; Young.