DIGBY, KENELMli, the son of Sir Everard Digby, was born in 1003, three years before his father's execution. He was educated in the Protestant faith, and sent to Oxford at the age of fifteen, having been entered at Gloucester Hall. His ability was early apparent, and when he bad left the university in 1621 with the intention of travelling, be had acquired considerable reputation. After having spent two years in France, Spain, and Italy, he returned to England iu 1023, and was knighted at Lord Montague's house, Hinchinbroke, near Huntingdon, in October in the same year. Under Charles I. he was a gentleman of the bed-chamber, a commissioner of the navy, and a governor of the Trinity House. In 1623 he obtnioed the king's permission to equip, at his own expense, a squadron, with which lie sailed first against the Algerinee, and afterwards against the Venetians, who had some dispute with the English. His conduct as a com mander was creditable to him. Upon tbe death of Dr. Allen of Gloucester Hall in 1632, Sir Kenelme Digby became possessed of a valuable collection of books and manuscripts, which were bequeathed to him by his former tutor. The religious principles that he had imbibed under this learned man could not have been deeply rooted ; for when Digby returned to France he was converted (1636) to the religion of his parents. his conversion was the subject of a long correspondence with Archbishop Laud, who had always taken an interest in Digby on account of his unusual ability and learning.
Ile returned to England in 1638. On the breaking out of the civil war he was imprisoned as a Royalist in Winchester House : during his confinement he wrote a refutation of Brown's 'Religio Medici,' which occupied him until the petitions made by the queen of France for his relief were granted, and he was allowed to retire to that country. At Paris ho was kindly treated by the court ; and he became familiar with the celebrated Descartes, and associated with the principal men of learning. When the Royalist party had broken down, and ceased to be formidable, Digby went home to England, with the intention of residing upon his estate, but the parliament hearing of his return, forbade him the kingdom under penalty of death. The cause of this severity was the zeal which his eldest eon had shown in the king's service, when, in 1648, with the Duke of Buckingham and others, he made a stand near Kingston in Surrey. Young Digby was aftewards killed by Colonel Scroop in Huntingdon shire. Sir Kenelme now again travelled in France and Italy, and was everywhere received as a man of extraordinary merit. In 1655
his personal affairs required his presence in Englnud ; and during his stay, his frequent attendance at the Protector's court was in no small degree inconsistent with his prior conduct The feelings which had led him to fight the duel in which he killed Lord Mount le Ros, because he had drank Charles's health as the "arrantest coward upon earth," were now pretty nearly obliterated. During a subsequent residence iu the south of France be read many papers on different philosophical questions before literary societies, of which he was a member. This course he afterwards followed in England, whither be returned in 1661, and passed the remainder of his life. He died of the steno in 1665. Sir Kenelme Digby married Venetia Anastasia Stanley, daughter of Sir Edward Stanley of Tongue Castle iu Shrop shire, a lady more celebrated for her beauty than her virtue. Sir Kenelme showed great anxiety to preserve her beauty : he invented cosmetios for that purpose, and made her the subject of several strange experiments. There are pictures of her by Vandyke, one of which is now in Windsor Castle. She died suddenly, leaving one son by her husband.
Sir Kenelme Digby, though he fell into the errors of philosophy and many of the wild dreams which were common in his day, was certainly possessed of no ordinary talents : for his character we must, refer our reader. to Lord Clarendon (' Life,' vol. i. p. 34), who has ably described it The following is a list of his writings :—'A Con ference with a 'Lady about the choice of a Religion,' Paris, 1638; ' Letters between Lord George Digby and Sir Kenelme Digby con cerning Religion,' Lend. 1651 ; 'Observations on Religio Medici,' Lond. 1643; 'Observations on part of Spenser's Fairy Queen,' Lond. 1644; ' Treatise on the Nature of Bodies,' Paris, 1644 ; ' A Treatise on the Soul, proving its immortality,' Paris, 1644; 'Five Books of Peripstetick Institutions,' Paris, 1651 ; 'A Treatise of adhering to God,' Lond. 1654 ; ' Of the cure of wounds by the Powder of Sympathy,' Lend. 1658; 'Discourse on Vegetation,' Lend. 1661 ; cud what is now the most valuable as well as interesting of his writings, 'Private Memoirs of Sir Kenelm Digby, &o. Written by Himself. Now first published from the original MS., with en Intro dnetory Memoir. By Sir N. Harris Nicolas,' 8vo, Loud. 1827. Sir Ka.lruo Digby'? valuable library, which had been removed to France at the out-breaking of the civil wars, became, on his death, by Droit D'Anbaine, the property of the French king.