wherein the Countess of Essex, the Earl of Somerset, and Sir Thomas
Overbury's matters were questioned. He lived in Lambeth, with a very
good report of the neighbourhood, especially of the poor, unto whom he
was very charitable. He was a person that in horary questions
(especially thefts) was very judicious and fortunate; so also in
sicknesses, which indeed was his master-piece. In resolving questions
about marriage he had good success: in other questions very moderate. He
was a person of indefatigable pains. I have seen sometimes half one
sheet of paper wrote of his judgment upon one question; in writing
whereof he used much tautology, as you may see yourself, (most excellent
Esquire) if you read a great book of Dr. Flood's, which you have, who
had all that book from the manuscripts of Forman; for I have seen the
same word for word in an English manuscript formerly belonging to Doctor
Willoughby of Gloucestershire. Had Forman lived to have methodized his
own papers, I doubt not but he would have advanced the
Jatro-mathematical part thereof very completely; for he was very
observant, and kept notes of the success of his judgments, as in many of
his figures I have observed. I very well remember to have read, in one
of his manuscripts, what followeth.

'Being in bed one morning,' (says he) 'I was desirous to know whether I
should ever be a Lord, Earl, or Knight, &c. whereupon I set a figure;
and thereupon my judgment:' by which he concluded, that within two years
time he should be a Lord or great man: 'But,' says he, 'before the two
years were expired, the Doctors put me in Newgate, and nothing came.'
Not long after, he was desirous to know the same things concerning his
honour or greatship. Another figure was set, and that promised him to be
a great Lord within one year. But he sets down, that in that year he had
no preferment at all; only 'I became acquainted with a merchant's wife,
by whom I got well.' There is another figure concerning one Sir ----