Thomas Coryat, an eccentric English traveller, who called himself the "Odcombian leg-stretcher," born at Odcombe, Somersetshire, in 1577, died at Surat, India, in December, 1617. He was the son of the rector of his native town, and received an excellent university education. In his first journey, which occupied five months in 1608, he travelled nearly 2,000 miles in Europe, about one half of which distance he walked. On his second journey, 1612 to 1617, he explored the Levant, resided for a time in Constantinople, examined the vestiges of Troy, visited as many of the sites of the seven churches of Asia Minor as he could discover, and proceeded through Persia to India, where he died of dysentery. He published in 1611 some of his travelling experiences in a curious book entitled "Coryat's Crudities," etc, to which quizzical verses in various ancient and modern languages, written by Ben Jonson, Donne, and other authors, are appended. The latter were afterward published separately under the title of "Odcombian Banquet," with an advertisement reflecting satirically upon Coryat, who was a butt of the wits with whom he associated in London. In a second volume, however, entitled "Cramb, or Colwort twice Sodden," published the same year, he protested that the verses were appended to the former without his consent.