 He was educated at Eton, and in 1632 entered King's College, Cambridge, where he took the master's degree and a fellowship.Before this date he had travelled considerably, having visited Paris, and journeyed on foot through France, Italy, Turkey, Palestine, and Egypt.It is alleged that during his sojourn in the last country he surreptitiously gained possession of a copy of the Koran which was the property of one of the mosques, and which he appropriated and afterwards presented to his college.