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Page 18
Lilly's most intimate friend, however, was Elias Ashmole, Esq. Born in
1617, the name for him agreed on among his friends was Thomas; but at
the baptismal font the godfather, 'by a more than ordinary impulse of
spirit,' said Elias; and under that prophetic name the boy grew up to
manhood, and became for a time rather famous in high places. He was a
learned antiquary, and made a description of the consular and imperial
coins at Oxford, and presented it, in three folio volumes, to the
library there. He made also a catalogue and description of the king's
medals; a book on the Order of the Garter; a book entitled, _Fasciculus
Chemicus_, and another, _Theatrum Chemicum_. He published, moreover, a
book called 'The Way to Bliss;' but if he himself ever arrived at that
thing, he found the way uncomfortable, if we may judge from his diary,
half filled with record of his ailments, surfeits, and diseases, and of
the sweatings, purgings, and leechings consequent thereupon, or intended
as preventives thereof. To one kind of bliss, however, he did certainly
attain--that of high society; dining often with lords, earls, and dukes,
bishops and archbishops, foreign envoys, ambassadors, and princes; and
they, many of them, came in turn, and dined with him, who had made a
book on the Order of the Garter, and who understood the art of dining.
Continental kings sent to this man chains of gold, and his gracious
majesty, Charles II, was very gracious to him, and gave him fat offices,
mostly sinecures: and over and above all he gave a pension. This world
is a very remarkable one--especially remarkable in the upper crust of
it.
Lilly's acquaintance with Ashmole began in 1646, and continued till
death did them part in 1681. Through all these thirty-five years there
was a close intimacy, Ashmole being a frequent visitor at Lilly's house
in the country, staying there often months at a time, and Lilly in
return coming often to London, and staying weeks with his honored
friend--a kind of Damon and Pythias affair without the heroics. Ashmole,
we said, was famous in his time; but indeed he has a kind of fame now,
and cannot soon be altogether forgotten, for he founded the Ashmolean
Museum at Oxford, and in the library there the curious can probably find
all his books, and read them, if they will; but I, who have read one of
them, shall not seek for more.[3]
But indeed Lilly attracted the attention of Oliver Cromwell himself, and
once had an interview with him--a remarkably silent one. The occasion of
it was as follows: The astrologer, in his _Martinus Anglicus_
(astrological almanac) for 1650, had written that 'the Parliament should
not continue, but a new government should arise;' and the next year he
'was so bold as to aver therein that the Parliament stood upon a
tottering foundation, and that the commonalty and soldiers would join
together against it.' These things, and others, published in _Anglicus_,
offended the Presbyterians, and on motion of some one of them, it was
ordered that '_Anglicus_ should be inspected by the committee for
plundered ministers;' and the next day thereafter Lilly was brought
before the committee, which was very full that day (thirty-six in
number), for the matter was an interesting one, whispered of before in
private, and now made public by prophecy. The astrologer, by skilful
management of friends, and some lies of his own, got off without damage
to himself.
At the close of the first day's proceedings in committee, as the
sergeant-at-arms was carrying Lilly away, he was commanded to bring him
into the committee room again. 'Oliver Cromwell, lieutenant-general of
the army, having never seen me, caused me to be produced again, where he
steadfastly beheld me for a good space, and then I went with the
messenger.' This first meeting was, it appears, the only one, for Lilly
speaks of no other; but Cromwell spoke a good word for him that same
night, and was ever after rather friendly to him, or at least tolerant
of him. The lieutenant-general, looking fixedly at this man 'for a good
space,' saw nothing very bad in him; and knowing that his prophecies
favored the good cause, he, a man of strong, practical sense, was
willing to let him work as one of the influences of that time.
This was not Lilly's only appearance before Parliament; sixteen years
later we shall find him there again; but of that at its time; and we
will look first at some of his doings in the interim. With another
general our astrologer had a meeting too, but with him--General
Fairfax--there was talk, not so full of meaning to me as the silence of
Cromwell. 'There being,' says Lilly, 'in those times, some smart
difference between the army and Parliament, the headquarters of the army
were at Windsor, whither I was carried with a coach and four horses, and
John Boker (an astrologer) with me. We were welcomed thither, and
feasted in a garden where General Fairfax lodged. We were brought to the
general, who bid us kindly welcome to Windsor.' Lilly tells what Fairfax
said, and what he himself said in reply; but if these speeches were all
that was there said and done, the coach and four, and the time spent,
seem to me wasteful. The speeches ended, 'we departed, and went to visit
Mr. Peters (Hugh Peters), the minister, who lodged in the castle; whom
we found reading an idle pamphlet come from London that morning.' He
said--what gives proof, if proof be needed, that there was idle talk
current in that time, as indeed there is in all times.
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