The earle of Dorset (I thinke, Richard) mightily courted him and presented[1033] him, hoping to have been his heire; and so did severall other great persons.
[1034]Mr. William Sutton came to Ch. Ch. Oxon at eleaven. He wrote much, but printed nothing but a little 8vo against the Papists.
The Matric. Reg. does not bear out the statement as to his age: he appears there as matriculating Nov. 20, 1580, aged 18. He _may_ have previously been chorister. He was elected Student of Ch. Ch. in 1579; took B.D. in 1592; and was Aubrey's schoolmaster at Blandford St. Mary's, Dorsetshire, where he was rector from 1592 till his death.
[1035]Sir[1036] Philip Sydney, natus 29 November, 1554, 19ʰ 50´ P.M., Cantiae, polo 51° 52´; ex MSS. Eliae Ashmole[1037], armigeri.
[1038]Sir Philip Sydney[BX], knight, was the most accomplished cavalier of his time. He was the eldest son of the right honourable Sir Henry Sydney, knight of the noble order of the Garter, Lord President of Wales, and Lord Deputie of Ireland, 1570. I suppose he was borne at Penshurst in Kent (neer Tunbridge); vide.
He had the best tutors provided for him by his father that could then be had, as ... Vide my Grammar[BY] notes.
He travelled France, Italie, Germany; he was in the Poland warres, and at that time he had to his page[LXXXVIII.] (and as an excellent accomplishment) Henry Danvers (afterwards earle of Danby), then second son of Sir John Danvers of Dantesey in Wilts, who accounted himselfe happy that his son was so bestowed. He makes mention, in his Art of Poesie, of his being in Hungarie (I remember).
[LXXXVIII.] This my cosen Elizabeth Danvers, now viscountesse Purbec, his niece, has told.
He was not only of an excellent witt, but extremely beautifull; he much resembled his sister, but his haire was not red, but a little inclining, viz. a darke amber colour. If I were to find a fault in it, methinkes 'tis not masculine enough; yett he was a person of great courage. He was much at Wilton with his sister, and at Ivy-church[1039] (which adjoyns to the parke pale of Clarindon Parke), situated on a hill that overlookes all the country westwards, and north over Sarum and the plaines, and into that delicious parke (which was accounted the best of England) eastwards. It was heretofore a monastery (the cloysters remayne still); 'twas called coenobium Edrosium. My great uncle, Mr. Thomas Browne, remembred him; and sayd that he was often wont, as he was hunting on our pleasant plaines, to take his table booke out of his pocket, and write downe his notions as they came into his head, when he was writing his Arcadia, (which was never finished by him).