]
In this year 1633, I became acquainted with Nicholas Fiske, licentiate
in physick, who was born in Suffolk, near Framingham[7] Castle, of very
good parentage, who educated him at country schools, until he was fit
for the university; but he went not to the academy, studying at home
both astrology and physick, which he afterwards practised in Colchester;
and there was well acquainted with Dr. Gilbert, who wrote _De Magnete_.
He came afterwards unto London, and exercised his faculty in several
places thereof. (For in his youth he would never stay long in one
house.) In 1633 he was sent for out of Suffolk by Dr. Winston of Gresham
College, to instruct the Lord Treasurer Weston's son in arithmetick,
astronomy upon the globes, and their uses. He was a person very
studious, laborious, of good apprehension, and had by his own industry
obtained both in astrology, physick, arithmetick, astronomy, geometry
and algebra, singular judgment: he would in astrology resolve horary
questions very soundly; but was ever diffident of his own abilities: he
was exquisitely skilful in the art of directions upon nativities, and
had a good genius in performing judgment thereupon, but very unhappy he
was, that he had no genius in teaching his scholars, for he never
perfected any: his own son Matthew hath often told me, that where his
father did teach any scholars in his time, they would principally learn
of him; he had Scorpio ascending, and was secretly envious to those he
thought had more parts than himself; however, I must be ingenuous, and
do affirm, that by frequent conversation with him, I came to know which
were the best authors, and much to enlarge my judgment, especially in
the art of directions: he visited me most days once after I became
acquainted with him, and would communicate his most doubtful questions
unto me, and accept of my judgment therein rather than his own: he
singularly well judged and directed Sir Robert Holborn's nativity, but
desired me to adjudge the first house, seventh and tenth thereof, which
I did, and which nativity (since Sir Robert gave it me) came to your
hands, and remains in your library; [oh learned Esquire!] he died about
the seventy-eighth year of his age, poor.
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