▁ 1 8 ▁May ▁ 1 6 9 2 ) ▁was ▁an ▁English ▁anti qu ary , ▁politician , ▁officer ▁of ▁arms , ▁ast ro lo ger ▁and ▁student ▁of ▁al ch emy . ▁Ash m ole ▁supported ▁the ▁royal ist ▁side ▁during ▁the ▁English ▁Civil ▁War , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁rest oration ▁of ▁Charles ▁II ▁he ▁was ▁reward ed ▁with ▁several ▁luc r ative ▁offices . ▁ ▁Ash m ole ▁was ▁an ▁anti qu ary ▁with ▁a ▁strong ▁Ba con ian ▁lean ing ▁towards ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁nature . ▁His ▁library ▁reflected ▁his ▁intellectual ▁out look , ▁including ▁works ▁on ▁English ▁history , ▁law , ▁num ism at ics , ▁ch or ography , ▁al ch emy , ▁ast ro log y , ▁astronom y , ▁and ▁bot any . ▁Although ▁he ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁found ing ▁F ell ows ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society , ▁a ▁key ▁institution ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁experimental ▁science , ▁his ▁interests ▁were ▁anti qu arian ▁and ▁myst ical ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁scientific . ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁early ▁fre em ason , ▁although ▁the ▁extent ▁of ▁his ▁invol vement ▁and ▁commit ment ▁is ▁unclear . ▁Through out ▁his ▁life ▁he ▁was ▁an ▁av id ▁collect or ▁of ▁curios ities ▁and ▁other ▁arte fact s . ▁Many ▁of ▁these ▁he ▁acquired ▁from ▁the ▁trav eller , ▁botan ist , ▁and ▁collect or ▁John ▁Tr ades c ant ▁the ▁Young er . ▁Ash m ole ▁don ated ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁collection , ▁his ▁anti qu arian ▁library ▁and