He was well versed in all kinds of learning. And he had also this vertue[844], that no man _knew better how to abound, and to be abased_, and either was indifferent to him. No man became grandeur better[845]; sometimes again he would live only with a lackey, and horse with a foote-cloath.
He was very generous, and liberall to deserving persons. When Abraham Cowley was but 13 yeares old, he dedicated to him a comedy[846], called _Love's Riddle_, and concludes in his epistle[847]--'The Birch that whip't him then would prove a Bay.' Sir K. was very kind to him.
When he was at Rome one time, (I thinke he was envoyé from Mary the Queen-mother to Pope <Innocent X>) he contrasted[848] with his holinesse.
Anno ... (quaere the countesse of Thanet) much against his mother's, etc., consent, he maried that celebrated beautie and courtezane, Mrs. Venetia Stanley, whom Richard earle of Dorset kept as his concubine, had children by her, and setled on her an annuity of 500 _li._ per annum; which after Sir K. D. maried was unpayd by the earle; and for which annuity Sir Kenelme sued the earle, after mariage, and recovered it. He would say that a handsome lusty man that was discreet might make a vertuose wife out of a brothell-house. This lady carried herselfe blamelessly, yet (they say) he was jealous of her[LXVI.]. She dyed suddenly, and hard-hearted woemen[849] would censure him severely.
[LXVI.] Richard earle of Dorset invited her and her husband once a yeare, when, with much desire and passion he beheld her, and only kissed her hand; Sir Kenelme being still by.
After her death, to avoyd envy and scandall, he retired in to Gresham Colledge at London, where he diverted himselfe with his chymistry, and the professors' good conversation. He wore there a long mourning cloake, a high crowned hatt, his beard unshorne, look't like a hermite, as signes of sorrowe for his beloved wife, to whose memory he erected a sumptuouse monument, now quite destroyed by the great conflagration. He stayed at the colledge[850] two or 3 yeares.
The faire howses in Holbourne, between King's street and Southampton street, (which brake-off the continuance of them) were, about 1633, built by Sir Kenelme; where he lived before the civill warres. Since the restauration of Charles II he lived in the last faire house westward in the north portico of Convent garden, where my lord Denzill Hollis lived since. He had a laboratory there. I thinke he dyed in this house--sed quaere.