Brief Lives, Vol. 1
Brief Lives is the name given to the biographical notes that John Aubrey, antiquary and gossip, set down between 1669 and 1696 for his friend Anthony Wood and never published. This first volume of Andrew Clark's 1898 Oxford edition, the first to print the manuscripts in full, contains the lives from A to H: Francis Bacon, the mathematician Thomas Allen, Robert Boyle, William Butler the physician, Thomas Hobbes, Aubrey's friend, whose life is the longest, the poet Sir John Denham, John Dee, the actor Edward Alleyn, William Harvey, who discovered the circulation of the blood, George Herbert and others. Aubrey records what people looked like, said and how they died, and his pages are the liveliest source for seventeenth-century England. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the first chapter is free.
Start reading right away, without signing up. The complete text is included in Vinteuil Reading, or yours forever with a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked questions about Brief Lives, Vol. 1
Brief Lives, Vol. 1 by John Aubrey can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read Brief Lives, Vol. 1 online?
Yes. Brief Lives, Vol. 1 opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is Brief Lives, Vol. 1 free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of Brief Lives, Vol. 1 is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is Brief Lives, Vol. 1 in the public domain?
Yes. Brief Lives, Vol. 1 by John Aubrey is a public-domain work. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read Brief Lives, Vol. 1?
About 9 h 46 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is Brief Lives, Vol. 1?
Brief Lives, Vol. 1 by John Aubrey is filed under "History" in the Vinteuil library.
