Poor Robin and Merry Andrew: mathematical humour in Restoration England

Abstract

‘A well-willer to the mathematicks …’; ‘a plain and mathematical method …’. Quite a number of authors in Restoration England used these and similar phrases on their title pages. Some hoped to bolster their hyperbolic claims to authority, even in non-mathematical fields. Others used them for boisterous satire, like the spoof astronomical almanacs by ‘Poor Robin, Knight of the Burnt Island’, or they mixed humour with serious instruction. As well as providing occasionally entertaining reading, these books provide a rare window onto popular perceptions of mathematics in a period when its usefulness and even its meaning provoked learned discussion.

Notes

¹ The title pages of writings by or about them also tell us a great deal, and so in this article we have departed from usual Bulletin practice and have quoted titles in full in the footnotes.

² François Rabelais, The second book of the works of Mr. Francis Rabelais, Doctor in Physick treating of the heroick deeds and sayings of the good Pantagruel.…, London, 1653, 100.

³ Poor Robin, An almanack after a new fashion wherein the reader may see if he be not blinde many remarkable things worthy of observation: containing a two-fold kalender, viz. the Julian or English, and the round-heads or fanaticks, with their several saints daies, and observations upon every month: calculated for the meridian of Saffron-Walden, where the pole is elevated 52 degrees and 6 minutes above the horizon, London, [1664]. This seems to be the earliest surviving edition, although earlier editions may have existed: Frank Palmeri, ‘History, Nation, and the Satiric Almanac, 1660–1760’, Criticism 40 (1998), 377–408; William E Burns, ‘Winstanley, William d. 1698’, Oxford dictionary of national biography, Oxford, 2004; online edition, May 2005.

⁴ On this monopoly and its significance see Bernard Capp, English almanacs, 1500–1800: astrology and the popular press, Cornell University Press, 1979, passim.

⁵ Capp, English almanacs, 40, 268.

⁶ Anon., Topsy-turvy, hey-down derry, or, The colledge of fools display'd and their capps tost at tennis in a jovial discourse betwixt Merry Andrew and Poor Robin…, London, 1672.

⁷ Poor Robin, Poor Robin. 1677. Or, A yea-and-nay-almanack for the people called by the men of the world Quakers. Containing many needful and necessary observations, from the first day of the first month, till the last day of the twelfth month. : Being amongst the brotherhood and sisterhood the leaping-year, notwithstanding the twelfth month hath but xxviii days in it. Calculated for the meridian of the Bull and Mouth within Aldersgate, and may indifferently serve for any other meeting-house either in Wales or England. / Given forth by Poor Robin, a friend to the light.…, London, 1677.

⁸ For example, William Winstanley, Poor Robins ansvver to Mr. Thomas Danson author of the late friendly debate between Satan and Sherlocke: as also of another pamphlet since published; pretended to be a defence of that debate against Poor Robin and others. By the author of Poor Robin's Weekly Intelligence.…, London, 1677.

⁹ William Winstanley, The delectable history of Poor Robin the merry sadler of Walden Shewing many merry passages of his life, of harmless mirth, to lengthen delight, and drive away melancholy, [London], [c. 1680]; Poor Robin, Poor Robin's book of knowledge Shewing the effects of the planets, and other astronomical constellations. Excellent receipts for curing of most distempers incident to man. Useful observations in chirurgery and husbandry. With directions for ordering cattle, and medicines for the many diseases they are liable to. Short observations on each month in the year. A discourse of the natural cause of snow, hail, and rain. Of the golden number, of weights and measures used in England. With directions for making all manner of bonds, bills, releases, indentures, wills, &c. With many other pleasant and profitable rarities too long here to incert. According to those undeniable grounds and axioms delivered by the ancient philosophers, and astronomers, Pythagoras, Aristotle, Haley, Albert, Philo Judaeus, and Ptolomy. Experienced by the 21 years study and practice of Poor Robin, a well-wisher to the mathematicks, London, 1688.

¹⁰ For example, Edward Ravenscroft, The London cockolds a comedy, London, 1682, 32.

¹¹ William Shakespeare, M. William Shak-speare: his true chronicle historie of the life and death of King Lear and his three daughters With the vnfortunate life of Edgar, sonne and heire to the Earle of Gloster, and his sullen and assumed humor of Tom of Bedlam: as it was played before the Kings Maiestie at Whitehall vpon S. Stephans night in Christmas hollidayes. By his Maiesties seruants playing vsually at the Gloabe on the Bancke-side, London, 1608. The editions of 1619 and 1655 also have the reference to Tom of Bedlam.

¹² The song, ‘Tom of Bedlam: As it was sung at the Theater’; ‘For a Bass alone’, was given as no. 25 in John Playford, The second book of the Pleasant musical companion being a new collection of select catches, songs and glees: for two and three voices, London, 1686, with a text (‘Forth from the dark and dismal Cell’) which does not appear in modern editions of Lear. The tune was widely known at least as early as 1634: Anon., The cunning northerne begger, vvho all the by-standers doth earnestly pray, to bestow a penny upon him to day To the tune of Tom of Bedlam, London, [1634?].

¹³ Tom of Bedlam, News from Bedlam, or, Tom of Bedlams obervations, upon every month and feastival time in this present year, 1674 VVith his general judgment of the state thereof, and what is like to happen in several parts of the vvorld, with the grand causes thereof. Calculated chiefly for the meridian of Great Bedlam, and the cross walks in Moor-fields, where the pole is elivated many miles above sense or apprehension. By Tom of Bedlam, Knight of the Frantic Horn, and student in mathematical gimcracks, whimsies, anticks, and others rare chymera's.…, London, 1674.

¹⁴ Pasquil, Pasquils iestes mixed with Mother Bunches merriments. Whereunto is added a bakers doozen of guiles. Very prettie and pleasant, to driue away the tediousnesse of a winters evening, London, 1609, B4v–C1r; Anon., Topsie-turvy, hey-down-derry, or, The colledge of fools display'd and their capps tost at tennis in a jovial discourse, betwixt Merry Andrew and Poor Robin …, London, 1672, 10.

¹⁵ For example, Daniel Defoe, The Compleat mendicant, London, 1699, 32; Aphra Behn, Sir Patient Fancy, London, 1678, 90; John Dryden, S'too him, Bayes, Oxford, 1673, 14.

¹⁶ Merry Andrew, A prognostication for the year 1699, after a new fashion. Wherein the reader will see if he be not blind many things as wisely observed, as by other star-gazers. Being the third after bissextile or leap year. Calculated for the meridian of Scotland, and may serve, without sensible error, for any other country besides, where they understand the English tongue. / By Merry Andrew a well-wisher to the mathematicks, Edinburgh, 1699.

¹⁷ John Heydon, The ladies champion confounding the author of The wandring whore, by Eugenius Theodidactus, powder-monkey, roguy-crucian, pimp-master-general, universal mountebank, mathematician, lawyer, fortune-teller, secretary to naturals, and scribler of that infamous piece of non-sense, Advice to a daughter, against advice to a son. Approved of by Megg. Spenser Damrose Page Priss. Fetheringham Su. Leming Betty Lawrence Mother Cunny, [London], 1660. ‘Eugenius Theodidactus’ was a pseudonym Heydon had used before. Here he was attacking the series that began with ‘Peter Aretine’ [John Garfield?], Strange nevves from Bartholomew-Fair, or, the wandring-whore discovered … , London, 1661; see James Grantham Turner, Libertines and radicals in early modern London: sexuality, politics, and literary culture, 1630–1685, Cambridge University Press, 2002, 127–8; David F Foxon, ‘Libertine Literature in England, 1660–1745’, Book Collector, 12 (1963) 21–36, 59–77, and 294–307, at 26–7 and 168.

¹⁸ For example, Edmund Hickeringill, The ceremony-monger, his character… And in the conclusion, hinting at some mathematical untruths & escapes in the common-prayer-book…, London, 1693, 96.

¹⁹  Poor Robin's almanack 1664, sigs. C2r, C5v.

²⁰  Poor Robin's almanack 1664, sig. A1v.

²¹ See Paolo Mancosu, Philosophy of mathematics and mathematical practice in the seventeenth century, Oxford, 1996.

²² Euclid, The elements of geometrie….Whereunto are annexed certaine scholies, annotations, and inuentions, of the best mathematiciens, both of time past, and in this our age, London, 1570.

²³ Simon Stevin, Disme: the art of tenths…. Inuented by the excellent mathematician, Simon Steuin…, London, 1608; Martín Cortés, The arte of navigation first, written in the Spanish tongue by that excellent mariner and mathematician of these times, Martine Curtis…, London, 1615.

²⁴ Edward Waterhouse, A declaration of the state of the colony and affaires in Virginia…. And a treatise annexed, written by that learned mathematician Mr. Henry Briggs, of the Northwest passage…, London, 1622.

²⁵ Robert Norton, Of the art of great artillery… pronounced and propounded, by that rare souldier and mathematician, Thomas Digges Esquire …, London, 1624; Nathaniel Nye, The art of gunnery. By Nathanael Nye mathematician, master gunner of the city of Worcester, London, 1647, 1648, 1670; Thomas Gallen, Gallen. 1649. A new almanack for the said year…. Made by Tho: Gallen Mathemat.…, London, 1649.

²⁶ For example, James Corss, Practical geometry or A manual of mathematical recreations…. By James Corss mathematician, Edinburgh, 1666.

²⁷ John Blagrave, The mathematical ievvel… by Iohn Blagraue of Reading gentleman and well willer to the mathematickes…, London, [1585]; Christian Wurstisen, The elements of arithmeticke… translated by Thomas Hood, Doctor in Physicke, and well-willer of them which delight in the mathematicall sciences, London, 1596.

²⁸ Daniel Browne, Browne. 1619 A new almanacke and prognostication… By Daniell Browne welwiller to the mathematickes…, London, 1619.

²⁹ For example, William Hunt, Demonstration of astrology… by William Hunt, a lover of the mathematics and natural philosophy, London, 1696.

³⁰ For example, William Winstanley, The Muses cabinet…, London, 1655; The new help to discourse: or, Wit, mirth, and jollity intermixt with more serious matters…, London, 1672; The Essex champion, or, The famous history of Sir Billy of Billerecay and his Squire Ricardo…, London, 1699.

³¹ William Winstanley, The Protestant almanack… by Philoprotest, a well-willer to the mathematicks, London, 1668.

³² William Winstanley, An episcopal almanack for the year of the worlds creation 5623, mankinds redemption 1674…, London, 1674.

³³ John Phillips, The character of a popish successour…, London, 1681, A2r.