Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	duke_n	france_n	king_n	23,918	5	4.4248	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76943	The life of Sr Thomas Bodley, the honourable founder of the publique library in the Vniversity of Oxford. / VVritten by himselfe.	Bodley, Thomas, Sir, 1545-1613.	1647 (1647)	Wing B3392; Thomason E391_14; ESTC R201556	7,448	20

THE LIFE OF Sr THOMAS BODLEY THE HONOVRABLE FOVNDER OF THE PVBLIQVE LIBRARY in the VNIVERSITY of OXFORD VVritten by Himselfe ACADEMIA OXONIENSIS June 9th OXFORD Printed by HENRY HALL Printer to the UNIVERSITIE 1647. To the READER WHEN the Great Restorer of Learning our Munificent Benefactour Sir THOMAS BODLEY made the happy Exchange of the troubles of this life with the Glories of a better The Vniversity according to the greatnesse of his merits and their losse in solemne griefe and sadnesse attended at his Obsequies But lest the uncharitable censure of the world should apprehend our thankfulnesse buried in the same grave with him and cold as his dead ashes in that we pay no after tribute to so engaging a desert VVe bring to the Altar of Eternity that part of him which yet and ever must survive A Monument freed from the lawes of time and ruine Supported with the vigour of that name which hath a seminall strength within it selfe to make whole volumes live But lest the judging and severer eye viewing the nakednesse of this relation may thence despise the poorenesse of our endeavour That I may speake the worke above all scorne above all praise it was his Owne Nor durst we call that draught in question which felt the hand of so exact a Master but with awe lookt on it as on the fabrique of an ancient Temple where the ruine furthers our Devotion and gaudy ornaments doe but prophane the sad religion of the place 'T is true it savours not the language of our age that hath the Art to murther with a smile and fold a curse within a prayer but speakes the Rhetoricke of that better world where vertue was the garbe and truth the complement Those action are of low and empty worth that can shine onely when the varnish of our words doth gild them over The true Diamond sparkles in its rocke and in despight of darkenesse makes a day Here then you shall behold Actions with the same integrity set downe as they were first perform'd A History describ'd as it was liv'd A Councellour that admitted still Religion to the Cabinet and in his active aimes had a designe on Heaven A spirit of that height that happinesse as in a private fortune to out-doe the fam'd magnificence of mighty Princes whil'st his single worke clouds the proud fame of the Aegyptian Library and shames the tedious growth o' th wealthy Vatican I know how hard a taske 't will be to perswade any to copy out from this faire patterne however we cannot yet so farre despaire of ingenuity as not to expect even from th'unconcern'd disinteressed Reader a cleare esteeme and just resentment of it If we gaine but this we shall in part rest satisfied In an age so wholly lost to vice conceiving it a great degree of vertue to confesse the lustre of that good which our perverse endeavours still avoyde THE LIFE OF SIR THOMAS BODLEY I Was borne at Exeter in Devonshire the second of March 1544. descended both by Father and Mother of worshipfull parentage By my Fathers side from an antient Family of Bodley or Bodleigh of Dunscombe by Crediton and by my Mother from Robert H●ne Esquire of Otterey Saint Mary nine miles from Exeter my Father in the time of Queen Mary being noted and knowne to be an enemy to Popery was so cruelly threatned and so narrowly observed by those that maliced his Religion that for the safeguard of himselfe and my Mother who was wholly affected as my Father he knew no way so secure as to fly into Germany where after a while he found meanes to call over my Mother with all his children and family whom he setled for a time at VVesell in Cleveland for there as then were many English which had left their Country for their conscience and with quietnesse enjoyed their meetings and preachings and from thence we removed to the Towne of Franckfort where was in like sort another English Congregation Howbeit we made no long tarriance in either of those two Townes for that my Father had resolved to fixe his abode in the City of Geneva where as farre as I remember the English Church consisted of some hundred persons I was at that time of twelve yeares age but through my Fathers cost and care sufficiently instructed to become an Auditour of Chevalerius in Hebrew of Berealdus in Greeke of Calvin and Beza in Divinity and of some other Professours in that Vniversity which was newly then erected besides my domesticall teachers in the house of Philibertus Saracenus a famous Physitian in that City with whom I was boarded where Robertus Constantinus that made the Greeke Lexicon read Homer unto me Thus I remained there two yeares and more untill such time as our Nation was advertised of the death of Queene Mary succession of Elizabeth with the change of Religion which caused my Father to hasten into England where he came with my Mother and with all their family within the first of the Queene and setled their dwelling in the City of London It was not long after 〈◊〉 was sent away from thence to the Vniversity of Oxford recommended to the teaching and tuition of Doctour Humfrey who was shortly after chosen the chiefe Reader in Divinity and President of Magdalen Colledge there I followed my studies till I tooke the degree of Batchelour of Arts which was in the yeare 1563. within which yeare I was also chosen Probationer of Merton Colledge and the next yeare ensuing admitted Fellow Afterwards to wit in the yeare 1565. by speciall perswasion of some of my fellowes and for my private exercise I undertooke the publique reading of a Greeke lecture in the same Colledge Hall without requiring or expecting any stipend for it Neverthelesse it pleased the Fellowship of their owne accord to allow me soone after foure markes by the yeare and ever since to continue that Lecture to the Colledge In the yeare of our Lord 1566. I proceeded Master of Arts and read forth at yeare in the Schoole streets Naturall Philosophy after which time within lesse then three yeares space I was wonne by intreaty of my best affected friends to stand for the Proctourship to which I and my Colleague Master Bea●blocke of Exeter Colledge were quietly elected in the yeare 1569. without any competion or countersuite of any other After this for a long time I supplyed the office of the Vniversity Oratour and bestowed my time in the study of sundry faculties without any inclination to professe any one aboue the rest insomuch as at last I waxed desirous to travell beyond the Seas for attaining to the knowledge of some speciall moderne tongues and for the encrease of my experience in the managing of affaires being wholly then addicted to employ my selfe and all my cares in the publique service of the State My resolution fully taken I departed out of England Anno 1576. and continued very neare foure yeares abroad and that in sundry parts of Italy France and

Germany A good while after my returne to wit in the yeare 1585. I was employed by the Queene to Fredericke Father to the present King of Denmarke to Iulius Duke of Brunswicke to VVilliam Landgrave of Hesse and other German Princes the effect of my message was to draw them to joine their forces with hers for giving assistance to the King of Navarre now Henry the fourth King of France my next employment was to Henry the third at such time as he was forced by the Duke of Guise to fly out of Paris which I performed in such sort as I had in charge with extraordinary secrecy not being accompanied with any one servant for so much I was commanded nor with any other Letters then such as were written with the Queenes owne hand to the King and some selected persons about him the effect of that message it is fit I should conceale But it tended greatly to the advantage not onely of the King but of all the Protestants in France to the Dukes apparent overthrow which also followed soon upon it It so befell after this in the year 88. that for the better conduct of her Highnesse affaires in the Provinces united I was thought a fit person to reside in those parts and was sent thereupon to the Hague in Holland where according to the contract that had formerly past betweene her Highnesse and the States I was admitted for one of their Councell of Estate taking place in their Assemblies next to Count Maurice and yeilding my suffrage in all that was proposed During all that time what approbation was given of my painefull endeavours by the Queene Lords in England by the States of the Country there and by all the English Souldiery I referre it to be notified by some others relation sith it was not unknowne to any of any calling that then were acquainted with the State of that government For at my first comming thither the people of that Country stood in dangerous termes of discontentment partly for some courses that were held in England as they thought to their singular prejudice but most of all in respect of the insolent demeanour of some of her Highnesse Ministers which onely respected their private emolument little weighing in their dealing what the Queene had contracted with the States of the Country whereupon was conceived a mighty feare on every side that both a present dissolution of the Contract would ensue and a downright breach of amity betweene us and them Now what meanes I set a foot for redresse of those perils and by what degrees the state of things was reduced into order it would require a long treatise to report it exactly but this I may averre with modesty and truth and the Country did alwaies acknowledge it with gratitude that had I not of my selfe without any direction from my Superiours proceeded in my charge with extreame circumspection as well in all my speeches and proposalls to the States as in the tenour of my letters that I writ into England some suddaine alarme had beene given to the utter subversion and ruine of the State of those Provinces which in processe of time must needs have wrought in all probability the self-same effect in the state of this Realme Of this my diligence and care in the managing of my busines there was as I have signified very speciall notice taken by the Queene and State at home for which I received from her Majesty many comfortable Letters of her gracious acceptance as withall from that time forward I did never receive allmost any set instructions how to governe my proceedings in her Majesties occasions but the carriage in a manner of all her affaires was left to mee and my direction Through this my long absence out of England which wanted very little of five whole yeares my private estate did greatly require my speedy returne which when I had obtained by intercession of friends and a tedious suite I could enjoy but a while being shortly after enjoyned to repaire to the Hague againe Neverthelesse upon a certaine occasion to deliver unto her some secret overtures and of performing thereupon an extraordinary service I came againe home within lesse then a Twelve-moneth and I was no sooner come but her Highnesse embracing the fruit of my discoveries I was presently commanded to returne to the States with charge to pursue those affaires to performance which I had secretly proposed and according to the project which I had conceived and imparted unto her all things were concluded and brought to that issue that was instantly desired whereupon I procured my last revocation Now here I can not choose but in making report of the principall accidents that have fallen unto me in the course of my life but record among the rest that from the very first day I had no man more to friend among the Lords of the Councell then was the Lord Treasurer Burleigh for when occasion had beene offered of declaring his conceit as touching my service he would alwaies tell the Queen which I received from her selfe some other ear-witnesses that there was not any man in England so meet as my selfe to undergoe the office of the Secretary And sithence his sonne the present Lord Treasurer hath signified unto me in private conference that when his father first intended to advance him to that place his purpose was withall to make me his Colleague But the case stood thus in my behalf before such time as I returned from the Provinces united which was in the yeare 1597. and likewise after my returne the then Earle of Essex did use mee so kindly both by letters and messages and other great tokens of his inward favours to me that although I had no meaning but to settle in my mind my chiefest desire and dependance upon the Lord Burleigh as one that I reputed to be both the best able and therewithall the most willing to worke my advancement with the Queene yet I know not how the Earle who sought by all devises to divert her love and liking both from the Father and the Son but from the Sonne in speciall to withdraw my affection from the one and the other and to winne mee altogether to depend upon himselfe did so often take occasion to entertaine the Queene with some prodigall speeches of my sufficiency for a Secretary which were ever accompanied with words of disgrace against the present Lord Treasurer as neither she her selfe of whose favour before I was throughly assured tooke any great pleasure to preferre me the sooner for she hated his ambition and would give little countenance to any of his followers and both the Lord Burleigh and his Sonne waxed jealous of my courses as if under hand I had beene induced by the cunning and kindnesse of the Earle of Essex to oppose my selfe against their dealings And though in very truth they had no solid ground at all of the least alteration in my disposition towards either of them both for I did