John Beale, philosophical gardener of Herefordshire

Summary

This paper outlines the pre-1663 biography and intellectual development of the Herefordshire minister and horticulturalist who played an active role in the Hartlib Circle in the late 1650s. Central to Beale's enduring Baconianism, and possibly to his mechanical and Hermetic philosophy, was his close association at Eton with Sir Henry Wotton. He became a major contributor to Hartlib's compilation of Baconian histories through his treatises on horticulture, natural history, astronomy, optics, mechanics, prophecy, and mnemonics. A pragmatic visionary, Beale's kinship with the Hartlib Circle—both in scientific and in religious matters—stemmed from a blend of idealism and utilitarianism.