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SIR THOMAS BROWNE,
The celebrated author of the Religio Medici, was born at London, in the parish of St. Michael, in Cheapside, on the 19th of October, 1605. His father, who was a merchant of an ancient family, at Upton, in Cheshire, died during his infancy, and he was placed for his education at the school of Winchester; but the early death of his father left him exposed to the rapacity of a guardian, and his mother marrying again, he found himself deprived, as it were, of both parents, helpless and unprotected.
In the beginning of the year 1623, he was removed from Winchester, and entered a gentleman-commoner of Broadgate Hall, afterwards called Pembroke College, Oxford. After he had taken his Master of Arts degree, he turned his studies to physic, and first began, rather prematurely, as it would appear, to practise his profession in Oxfordshire. Here, however, he did not remain long settled, but went over to Ireland with his father-in-law. Sir Thomas Dutton, either for the purpose of gratifying his curiosity, or induced by the promise of some advantage to himself But that country had then little to attract the observation of a man of letters; and Browne soon quitted the sister island, and passed over into France and Italy. To complete his medical education, he prosecuted his studies at Montpellier and Padua; and after some
