Lilly

Lilly, WILLIAM, astrologer, was born at Diseworth, Leicestershire, 1st May 1602. He was educated at Ashby-de-la-Zouche, and in 1620 found his way to London, where for seven years he served an ancient citizen, married his widow, and on her death in 1633 obtained a fortune of £1000. He now turned to astrology, soon acquiring a considerable fame and large profits as a caster of nativities and a predictor of future events. In 1634 he obtained permission from the Dean of Westminster to search for hidden treasure in the cloister of Westminster Abbey, but was driven from his midnight work by a storm, which he ascribes to demons. From 1644 till his death he annually issued his Merlinus Anglicus, Junior, containing vaticinations, to which no small importance was attached by many. In the Civil War he attached himself to the parliamentary party as soon as it promised to be successful, and was rewarded with a pension, but it is highly unlikely that his own accounts of his intimacy with Lenthall, Whitelocke, Ashmole, and others are true. After the Restoration he was for some time imprisoned, on the supposition that he was acquainted with the secrets of the Republicans; but being set free, he retired to the country. He was again apprehended on suspicion of knowing something of the causes of the great fire of London in 1666. He died, 9th June 1681, at his estate at Hershamp in Surrey. Lilly wrote nearly a score of works on his favourite subject, which are of no value whatever, except to illustrate the knavery of their author and the credulity of his countrymen. Dr Nash's judgment of him as 'a time-serving rascal' may be allowed to stand—he was gibbeted by Butler under the name of Sidrophel. See his History of his Life and Times (1715).