Epistolae Ho-Elianae FAMILIAR LETTERS Domestic and Forren Divided into sundry SECTIONS Partly Historicall Politicall Philosophicall Vpon Emergent Occasions By Iames Howell Esq One of the Clerks of His late Maties most honble Privy Councell The second Edition enlarged with divers supplements and the Dates annexed which were wanting in the first With an Addition of a third volume of new Letters Ut clavis portam sic pandit Epistola pectus London Printed by W. H. for Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold at his Shop at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1650. These ensuing Letters contain for their principal subject a faithfull relation of the privatest passages that happen'd at Court a good part of King Jame's reign and that of His late Majesty As also of such forren affairs which had reference to these Kingdoms Viz. Of THe Wars of Germany and the transactions of the Treaties about restoring the Palanat with the House of Austria and Sweden The Treaty and traverses of the Match with Spain The Treaty of the Match with France An exact survey of the Netherlands Another of Spain Italy France and of most Countreys in Europe with their chief Cities and Governments Of the Hans Towns and the famous quarrell twixt Queen Elizabeth and them Divers Letters of the extent of Christianity and of other Religions upon Earth Divers Letters of the languages up and down the Earth Accounts of sundry Embassies from England to other States Som pieces of Poetry wherwith the Prose goes interlarded Divers new opinions in Philosophy descanted upon Passages of former Parlements and of this present c. Among these Letters ther goes along a Legend of the Authors life and of his severall employments with an account of his Forren Travells and Negotiations wherin he had occasion to make his address to these Personages and Persons underwritten Letters to Noblemen TO His late Majesty To the Duke of Buckingham To the Erl of Cumberland To the Erl of Dorset To the Erl of Rutland To the Erl of Leicester To the Erl of Sunderland To the Erl of Bristol To the Erl Rivers To the Erl of Strafford To the Erl of Carberry To the L. Vicount Conway Secr. To the L. Vic. Savage To the L. Herbert of Cherberry To the L. Cottington To the L. Mohun To the L. Digby To the Lady Marchioness of Winchester To the La. Scroope To the Countess of Sunderland To the La. Cornwallis To the La. Digby To Bishop V sher Lord Primat of Ireland To B. Field To B. Duppa To the B. of London To B. Howell To Knights Doctors Esquires Gentlemen and Merchants TO Sir Robert Mansell To Sir Iames Crofts To Sir Iohn North To Sir Edward Spencer To Sir Kenelme Digby So Sir Peter Wichts To Sir Sackvill Trever To Sir Sackvill Crow To Sir Arthur Ingram To Sir Thomas Lake To Sir Eubule Theloall To Sir Alex. Ratcliff To Sir Edward Savage To Sir Iohn Smith To Sir Will Saint-Geon To Sir Thomas Savage To Sir Fran. Cottington To Sir Robert Napier To Sir Philip Manwayring To Sir Bevis Theloall To Doctor Mansell To Dr. Howell To Dr. Prichard To Dr. Wicham To Dr. I. Day To Mr. Alderman Clethero To Mr. Alder. Moulson To the Town of Richmond To Mr. R. Altham To Mr. D. Calawall To Cap. Fran. Bacon To Mr. Ben. Iohnson To Mr. End and Cap. Tho. Porter To Mr. Simon Digby To Mr. Walsingham Gresley To Mr. Thomas Gwyn To Mr. Iohn Wroth To Mr. William Blois To Mr Robert Baron To Mr. Thomas More To Mr. Iohn Savage To Mr. Hugh Penry To Mr. Christoph. 〈◊〉 To Mr. R. Brown To Mr. William Martin To Cap. Nicholas Leat To Mr. R. Brownrigg To Mr. Iohn Batty To Mr. Will. Saint-Geon To Mr. Iames Howard To Mr. Ed. Noy To Mr. William Austin To Mr. Rowland Gwyn To Mr. Will. Vaughan To Mr. Arthur Hopâ—…on To Mr. Thomas Iones To Mr. I. Price To Captain Ol. Saint-Geon With divers others To His Majesty SIR THese Letters address'd most of them to Your best degrees of Subjects do as so many lines drawn from the Circumference to the Centre all meet in Your Majesty who as the Law stiles You the Fountain of honour and grace so You should be the Centre of our happines If Your Majesty vouchsafe them a Gracious Aspect they may all prove Letters of credit if not credentiall Letters which Soverain Princes use only to Authorize They venture to go abroad into the vast Ocean of the World as Letters of Mart to try their Fortunes and Your Majesty being the greatest Lord of Sea under Heaven is fittest to protect them and then they will not fear any human power Moreover as this Royall Protection secures them from all danger so it will infinitely conduce to the prosperity of their voyage and bring them to safe Port with rich returns Nor would these Letters be so familiar as to presume upon so high a Patronage were not many of them Records of Your Own Royall Actions And 't is well known that Letters can tresure up and transmit matters of State to posterity with as much Faith and be as authentic Registers and safe repoâ—…itories of Truth as any Story whatsoever This brings them to ly all prostrat at Your Feet with their Author who is Sir Your Majesties most Loyall Subject and Servant HOWELL To the knowing READER OF Familiar Letters LOve is the life of Frendship Letters are The life of Love the Load-stones that by rare Attraction make souls meet and melt and mix As when by fire exalted gold we fix They are those wing'd Pestillions that can fly From the Anartic to the Artic sky The Heralds and swift Harbengers that move From East to West on Embassies of Love They can the Tropics cut and cross the Line And swim from Ganges to the Rhone or Rhine From Thames to Tagus thâ—…nce to Tyber run And terminat their journy with the Sun They can the Cabinets of Kings unscrue And hardest intriâ—…acies of State unclue They can the the Tartar tell what the Mogor Or the great Turk doth on the Asian shore The Knez of them may know what Prester John Doth with his Camells in the torrid Zone Which made the Indian Inca think they wer Spirits who in white sheets the Aâ—…r did tear The luckie Goose sav'd Joves beleagred Hill Once by her noyse but oftner by her Quill It twice prevented Rome was not o re-run By the tough Vandal and the rough hewn Hun. Letters can Plots though moâ—…lded under ground Disclose and their fell complices confound Witnes that fiery Pile which would have blown Up to the Clouds Prince Peeple Peers and Town Tribunalls Church and Chappell and had dride The Thames though swelling in her highest pridâ—… And parboyl'd the poor Fish which from her Sandâ—… Had been toss'd up to the adjoyning Lands Lawyers as Vultures had soar'd up and down Prelats like Magpiâ—…s in the Ayr had flown Had not the Eagles Letter brought to light That Subterranean horrid
protractions and puttings off you need not wonder that private negotiations as mine is should be subject to the same inconveniences Ther shall be no means left unattempted that my best industry can find out to put a period to it and when his Highnesse is gon I hope to find my Lord of Bristoll more at leasure to continue his favour and furtherance which hath been much already So I rest Madrid Aug. 19. 1623. Yours ready to servâ—… you J. H. XXIV To Sir James Crofts SIR THe Prince is now upon his jorney to the Sea side where my Lord of Rutland attends for him with a royall fleet Ther are many here shrink in their shoulders and are very sensible of his departure and the Lady Infanta resents it more than any she hath caus'd a Mass to be sung every day ever since for his good Voyage The Spaniards themselves confess ther was never Princes so bravely wooed The King and his two Brothers accompanied his Highnes to the Escurial some twenty miles off and would have brought him to the Sea side but that the Queen is big and hath not many days to go when the King and he parted there past wonderfull great endearments and embraces in divers postures between them a long time and in that place there is a Pillar to be erected as a Monument to Posterity Ther are some Grandes and Count Gondamar with a great train besides gone with him to the Marine to the Sea side which will be many days journey and must needs put the King of Spain to a mighty expence besides his seven months entertainment here we hear that when he past through Valladolid the Duke of Lerma was retired thence for the time by speciall command from the King left he might have discours with the Prince whom he extremely desir'd to see This sunk deep into the old Duke insomuch that he said that of all the acts of malice which Olivares had ever done him he resented this more than any He bears up yet very well under his Cardinalls habit which hatâ—… kept him from many a foul storm that might have faln upon him els from the temporall power The Duke of Uzeda his son finding himself to decline in favor at Court had retir'd to the Countrey and dyed soon after of discontentment During his sickness the Cardinall writ this short weighty Letter unto him Dizen me que Mareys de necio por mi mas temo mis anos qué mis Eâ—…igos Lerma I shall not need to English it to you who is so great a Master of the Language Since I began this Letter wee understand the Prince is safely embarqu'd but not without som danger of being cast away had not Sir Sackvill Trever taken him up I pray God send him a good voyage and us no ill news from England My most humble service at Tower-hill so I am Madrid Aug. 21. 1623. Your humble Servitor J. H. XXV To my Brother Doctor Howell My Brother SInce our Prince his departure hence the Lady Infanta studieth English apace and one Mr. Wadsworth and Father Boniface two Englishmen are appointed her teachers and have access to her every day We account her as it were our Princess now and as we give so she takes that Title Our Ambassadors my Lord of Bristoll and Sir Walter Astâ—…n will not stand now covered before her when they have audience because they hold her to be their Princess she is preparing divers suits of rich Cloaths for his Highness of persum'd Amber leather some embroder'd with Pearl some with Gold some with Silver her Family is a setling apace and most of her Ladies and Officers are known already we want nothing now but one dispatch more from Rome and then the marriage will be solemnizd and all things consummated yet there is one Mr. Clerk with the lame arm that came hither from the Sea side as soon as the Prince was gon hee is one of the Duke of Buckinghams creatures yet he lies at the Earl of Bristols house which we wonder at considering the darknes that hapned twixt the Duke and the Earl we fear that this Clerk hath brought somthing that may puzzle the busines Besides having occasion to make my address lately to the Venetian Ambassador who is interressed in som part of that great busines for which I am here he told me confidently it would be no match nor did he think it was ever intended But I want faith to believe him yet for I know Saint Mark is no friend to it nor France or any other Prince or State besides the King of Denmarck whose Grandmother was of the house of Austria being sister to Charles the Emperor Touching the busines of the Palatinate our Ambassadors were lately assur'd by Olivares and all the Counsellors here that in this Kings name that he would procure his Majestie of great Britain entire satisfaction herein and Olivares giving them the joy intreated them to assure their King upon their honor and upon their lives of the reality hereof for the Infanta her self said he hath stird in it and makes it now her own busines for it was a firm peace and amity which he confest could never be without the accommodation of things in Germany as much as an alliance which his Catholic Majesty aimd at But wee shall know shortly now what to trust to we shall walk no more in mists though som give out yet that our prince shall embrace a cloud for Iuno at last I pray present my service to Sir Iohn Franklin and Sir Iohn Smith with all at the Hill and Dale and when you send to Wales I pray convey the inclos'd to my Father So my dear brother I pray God bless us both and bring us again joyfully together Madrid Aug. 12. 1623. Your very loving Brother J. H. XXVI To my noble friend Sir John North Knight SIR I Receiv'd lately one of yours but it was of a very old date we have our eyes here now all fixd upon Rome greedily expecting the Ratification and lately a strong rumor ran it was com in so much Mr Clerk who was sent hither from the Prince being a shipboard and now lies sick at my Lord of Bristolls house of a Calenture hearing of it he desired to speak with him for he had somthing to deliver him from the Prince my Lord Ambassador being com to him Mr Clerk delivered a letter from the Prince the contents wherof were that wheras he had left certain Proxies in his hand to be deliverd to the King of Spain after the Ratification was com he desir'd and requir'd him not to do it till he should receive further order from England my Lord of Bristoll hereupon went to Sir Walter Aston who was in joynt Commission with him for concluding the match and shewing him the Letter what my Lord Aston said I know not but my Lord of Bristoll told him that they had a Commission Royall under the broad Seal of England to conclude the match he
Your dutifull Son J. H. London Decem. 11. 1625. VIII To Dr. Prichard SIR SInce I was beholden to you for your many favours in Oxford I have not heard from you ne gry quidem I pray let the wonted correspondence be now reviv'd and receive new vigor between us My Lord Chancellor Bacon is lately dead of a long languishing weaknes he died so poor so that he scarce left money to bury him which though he had a great Wit did argue no great Wisdom it being one of the essentiall properties of a Wiseman to provide for the main chance I have read that it hath bin the fortunes of all Poets commonly to die Beggars but for an Orator a Lawyer and Philosopher as he was to die so 'c is rare It seems the same fate befell him that attended Demosthenes Seneca and Cicero all great men of whom the two first fell by corruption the falrest Diamond may have a flaw in it but I beleeve he died poor out of a contempt of the pelf of Fortune as also out of an exeess of generosity which appear'd as in divers other passages so once when the King had sent him a Stag he sent up for the Underkeeper and having drunk the Kings health unto him in a great Silver Guilt-Bowl he gave it him for his fee. He writ a pittifull Letter to King Iames not long before his death and concludes Help me dear Soverain Lord and Master and pity me so far that I who have bin born to a Bag be not now in my age forc'd in effect to bear a Wallet nor I that desire to live to study may be driven to study to live Which words in my opinion argued a little abjection of spirit as his former Letter to the Prince did of prophanes wherin be hoped that as the Father was his Creater the Son will be his Redeemer I write not this to derogat from the noble worth of the Lord Viscount Verulam who was a rare man a man Reconditae scientiae ad salutem literarum natus and I think the eloquentst that was born in this Isle They say he shall be the last Lord Chancelor as Sir Edward Coke was the last Lord Chief Iustice of England for ever since they have bin term'd Lord Chief Iustices of the Kings Bench so hereafter ther shall be onely Ketpers of the Great Seal which for Title and Office are deposable but they say the Lord Chancelors Title is indelible I was lately at Grayes-Inne with Sir Eubule and he desir'd me to remember him unto you as I do also salute Meum Prichardum ex imis praecordiis Vale 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 London Ian. 6. 1625 Yours most affectionately while I. H. IX To my welbeloved Consin Mr. T. V. Cousin YOu have a great work in hand for you write unto me that you are upon a treaty of mariage a great work indeed and a work of such consequence that it may make you or marr you it may make the whole remainder of your life uncouth or comfortable to you for of all civill actions that are incident to man ther 's not any that tends more to his infelicity or happines therfore it concerns you not to be over-hasty herein not to take the Ball before the Bound you must be cautious how you thrust your neck into such a yoke whence you will never have power to withdraw it again for the toung useth to tie so hard a knot that the teeth can never untie no not Alexanders Sword can cut asunder among us Christians If you are resolv'd to marry Choose wher you love and resolve to love your choice let love rather than lucre be your guide in this election though a concurrence of both be good yet for my part I had rather the latter should be wanting than the first the one is the Pilot the other but the Ballast of the Ship which should carry us to the Harbour of a happy life If you are bent to wed I wish you another gets wife then Socrates had who when she had scoulded him out of doors as he was going through the Portall threw a Chamber pot of stale Urine upon his head wherat the Philosopher having bin silent all the while smilingly said I thought ofter so much Thunder we should have Rain And as I wish you may not light upon such a Xantippe as the wisest men have had ill luck in this kind as I could instance in two of our most eminent Lawyers C. B. so I pray that God may deliver you from a Wife of such a generation that Strowd our Cook here at Westminster said his Wife was of who when out of a mislike of the Preacher he had on a Sunday in the Afternoon gon out of the Church to a Tavern and returning towards the Evening pretty well heated with Canary to look to his Roast and his Wife falling to read him a lowd lesson in so furious a manner as if she would have basted him insteed of the Mutton and amongst other revilings telling him often Thut the devill the devill would fetch him at last he broke out of a long silence and told her I prethee good Wife hold thy self content for I know the devill will do me no hurt for I have married his Kinswoman If you light upon such a Wife a Wife that hath more bene then flesh I wish you may have the same measure of patience that Socrates and Strowd had to suffer the Gray-Mare somtimes to be the better Horse I remember a French Proverb La Maison est miserable Meschante Où la Poule plus haut que le Coc chante That House doth every day more wretched grow Wher the Hen lowder than the Cock doth crow Yet we have another English Proverb almost counter to this That it is better to marry a Shrew then a Sheep for though silence be the dumb Orator of beuty and the best ornament of a Woman yet a Phlegmatic dull wife is fulsom and fastidious Excuse me Cousin that I Jest with you in so serious a busines I know you need no counsell of mine herein you are discreet enough of your self nor I presume do you want advice of Parents which by all means must go along with you So wishing you all conjugall joy and a happy confarreation I rest London Feb. 5. 1625. Your affectionat Cousin J. H. X. To my Noble Lord the Lord Clifford from London My Lord THe Duke of Buckingham is lately return'd from Holland having renewed the peace with the States and Articled with them for a continuation of som Navall forces for an expedition against Spain as also having taken up som moneys upon privat jewells not any of the Crowns and lastly having comforted the Lady Elizabeth for the decease of his late Majesty her Father and of Prince Frederic her eldest Son whole disasterous manner of death amongst the rest of her sad afflictions is not the least For passing over Haerlam Mere a huge Inland Lough in company of his
1500 that very week and two out of White-Hall it self Ther is high clashing again 'twixt my Lord Duke and the Earl of Bristoll they recriminat one another of divers things the Earl accuseth him amongst other matters of certain Letters from Rome of putting His Majesty upon that hazardous jorney of Spain and of som miscarriages at his being in that Court Ther be Articles also against the Lord Conway which I send your Lordship here inclosed I am for Oxford the next week and thence for Wales to fetch my good old Fathers blessing at my return if it shall please God to reprieve me in these dangerous times of Contagion I shall continue my wonted service to your Lordship if it may be done with safety So I rest Lond. 15 of Mar. 1626. Your Lordships most humble Servitor J. H. XXI To the honble the Lord Viscount C. My Lord SIr Iohn North delivered me one lately from your Lordship and I send my humble thanks for the Venison you intend me I acquainted your Lordship as opportunity serv'd with the nimble pace the French Match went on by the successfull negotiation of the Earls of Carlile and Holland who outwent the Monsieurs themselves in Courtship how in less than nine Moons this great busines was propos'd pursued and perfected wheras the Sun had leasure enough to finish his annuall progres from one end of the Zodiac to the other so many years before that of Spain could com to any shape of perfection This may serve to shew the difference 'twixt the two Nations the Leaden-heeld pace of the one and the Quick-silver'd motions of the other It shews also how the French is more generous in his proceedings and not so full of scruples reservations and jealousies as the Spaniard but deales more frankly and with a greater confidence and gallantry The Lord Duke of Buckingham is now in Paris accompanied with the Earl of Montgomerie and hee went in a very splendid equipage The Venetian and Hollander with other States that are no friends to Spain did som good offices to advance this Alliance and the new Pope propounded much towards it But Richelieu the new Favorit of France was the Cardinall instrument in it This Pope Urban grows very active not onely in things present but ripping up of old matters for which ther is a select Committee appointed to examin accounts and errors pass'd not only in the time of his immediat Predecessor but others And one told me of a merry Pasquill lately in Rome that wheras ther are two great Statues one of Peter the other of Paul opposit one to the other upon a Bridge one had clapt a pair of Spurs upon Saint Peters Heels and Saint Paul asking him whither hee was bound he answered I apprehend som danger to staie now in Rome because of this new Commission for I fear they will question me for denying my Master Truly brother Peter I shall not staie long after you for I have as much cause to doubt that they will question me for persecuting the Christians before I was converted So I take my leave and rest London 3 May. 1626. Your Lordships most humble Servitor J. H. XXII To my Brother Master Hugh Penry SIR I Thank you for your late Letter and the severall good tydings you sent me from Wales In requitall I can send you gallant news for we have now a most Noble new Queen of England who in true beuty is beyond the Long-Woo'd Infanta for she was of a fading Flaxen-Hair Big Lipp'd and somwhat heavy Ey'd but this Daughter of France this youngest Branch of Bourbon being but in her cradle when the great Henry her Father was put out of the World is of a more lovely and lasting complexion a dark brown shee hath eyes that sparkle like Stars and for her Physiognomy she may be said to be a mirror of perfection She had a rough passage in her transfretation to Dover Castle and in Canterbury the King Bedded first with her ther were a goodly train of choice Ladies attended her coming upon the Bowling-green on Barram-Down upon the way who divided themselves into two rows and they appear'd like so many Constellations but me thought that the Countrey Ladies out-shin'd the Courtiers She brought over with her two hundred thousand Crowns in Gold and Silver as halt her portion and the other Moitie is to be payed at the yeers end Her first suit of servants by Article are to be French and as they die English are to succeed shee is also allowed twenty eight Ecclesiastics of any Order except Iesuits a Bishop for her Almoner and to have privat exercise of her Religion for her and her servants I pray convey the inclosed to my Father by the next conveniency and present my dear love to my Sister I hope to see you at Dyvinnock about Michaâ—…mas for I intend to wait upon my Father and will take my Mother in the way I mean Oxford in the interim I rest London 16 May 1626. Your most affectionat Brother J H. XXIII To my Unkle Sir Sackvill Trever from Oxford SIR â—… Am sorry I must write unto you the sad tydings of the dissolution of the Parliament here which was don suddenly Sir Iohn Eâ—…liot was in the heat of a high speech against the Duke of Buchingâ—…m when the Usher of the Black-Rod knock'd at the door and signified the Kings pleasure which strook a kind of consternation in all the House My Lord Keeper Williams hath parted with the Broad-Seal because as som say he went about to cut down the Scale by which he rose for som it seems did ill offices 'twixt the Duke and him Sir Thomas Coventry hath it now I pray God he be tender of the Kings conscience wherof he is Keeper rather than of the Seal I am bound to morrow upon a journey towards the Mountains to see som Friends in Wales and to bring back my Fathers blessing for better assurance of Lodging wher I pass in regard of the Plague I have a Post Warrant as far as Saint Davids which is far enough you 'l say for the King hath no ground further on this Island If the sicknes rage in such extremity at London the Term will be held at Reding All your friends here are well but many look blank because of this sudden rupture of the Parliament God Almighty turn all to the best and stay the fury of this contagion and preserve us from â—…urther judgements so I rest Oxford 6 Aug. 1626. Your most affectionate Nephew J. H. XXIV To my Father from London SIR I Was now the fourth time at a dead stand in the cours of my fortunes for though I was recommended to the Duke and receiv'd many Noble respects from him yet I was told by som who are neerest him that som body hath don me ill offices by whispering in his ear that I was two much Digbified and so they told me positively that I must never expect any imployment about him of any
wise Som kind of frowns becom black eies As pointed Diamonds being set Cast greater lustre out of Iet Those peeces we esteem most rare Which in night shadows postur'd are Darknes in Churches congregats the sight Devotion straies in glaring light Black eyes in your dark Orbs by changes dweil My bane or bliss my Paradise or Hell Touching her Mask I will not be long about it Upon Clorinda's Mask SO have I seen the Sun in his full pride Orecast with sullen clouds and lose his light So have I seen the brightest stars denied To shew their lustre in som gloomy night So Angels pictures have I seen vaild ore That more deuoutly men should them adore So with a Mask saw I Clorinda hide Her face more bright than was the Lemnian Bride Whether I have hit upon your fancy or fitted your Mistresse I know noâ—… I pray let me hear what success they have So wishing you your hearts desire and if you have her a happy conferreation I rest in Verse and Prose Westmin 29. of Mar. 1629. Yours J. H. XXIV To the Right honble my La Scroop Countess of Sunderland at Langar Madam I Am newly return'd from Hunsdon from giving the Rites of buriall to my Lords Mother She made my Lord sole Executor of all I have all her Plate and houshold stuff in my custody and unles I had gon as I did much had been embezeld I have sent herewith the coppy of a Letter the King writ to my Lord upon the â—…esignation of his place which is fitting to be preserv'd for posterity amongst the Records of Bolton Castle His Majesty expresseth â—…herin that he was never better serv'd nor with more exactnes of fidelity and Justice by any therfore he intâ—…nds to set a speciall mark of his 〈◊〉 upon him â—…hen his health will â—…erve him to coâ—… to Court my Lord Carletâ—…n deliver'd it me and told me he never remembred that the King writ a more gracious Letter I have lately bought in fee Farm Wanless Park of the Kings Commissioners for my Lord I got it for six hundred pound doubling the old rent and the next day I was offer'd five hundred pound for the bargain ther were divers that put in for'â—… and my Lord of Anglesey thought himself sure of it but I found means to frustrat them all I also compounded with her Majesties Commissioners for respit of homage for Rabbi Castle ther was 120 pound demanded but I cam off for 40 shillings My Lord Wentworth is made Lord Deputy of Ireland and carries a mighty stroak at Court ther have been som clashings 'twixt him and my Lord of Peâ—…brock lately with others at Court and divers in the North and som as Sir David Fowler with others have been crush'd He pleas'd to give me the disposing of the next Attorneys place in York and Iohn Lister being lately dead I went to make use of the favor and was offer'd three hundred pound for it but som got 'twixt me and home so that I was forc'd to go away contented with one hundred pecces Mr. Ratcliff deliver'd me in his Chamber at Grays Inn and so to part with the legall instrument I had which I did rather than contest The Dutchess your Necce is well I did what your La commanded me at York House So I rest Westminster this first of Iuly 1629. Madame Your Lapps ready and faithfull Servitor J. H. XXV To D. C. Esqr. at his House in Essex My D. D. I Thank you for your last Society in London but I am sorry to have found Iack T. in that pickle and that hee had so faâ—… transgresâ—…'d the Fannian Law which allows a chirping cup to satiat not to surâ—…t to â—…irth not to madnes and upon som extraordinary occasion of som rencounters to give Nature a 〈◊〉 but not a knock as Iack did I am afraid he hath taine such a habit of it that nothing but death will mend him and I find that he is posting thither apace by this cours I have read of a King of Navarr Charles le mauvais who perishd in strong waters and of a Duke of Clarence that was drownd in a but of Malmesey but Iack T. I fear will die in a butt of Caâ—…ary Howsoever comend me unto him and desire him to have a care of the main chance So I rest York 5 Iul. 1629. Yours J. H. XXVI To Sir Thomas Lake Knight SIR I Have shewd Sir Kenelme Digby both our translations of Martialls Vitam quae faciâ—…nt beatiorem c. and to tell you true he adjudg'd yours the better so I shall pay the wager in the place appointed and try whether I can recover my self at giocod ' amore which the Italian sayth is a play to cosen the devill If your pulse beats accordingly I will wayt upon you on the River towards the evening for a floundring fit to get som fish for our supper so I rest 3 Iuly 1629. Your true Servitor I. H. XVII To Mr. Ben. Johnson FAther Ben you desir'd me lately to procure you Dr. Davies Welsh Grammer to add to those many you have I have lighted upon one at last and I am glad I have it in so seasonable a time that it may serve for a New-years gift in which quality I send it you and because 't was not you but your Muse that desir'd it of me â—…or your letter runs on feet I thought it a good correspondence with you to accompagne it with what follows Vpon Dr. Davies Brittish Grammer T' was a tough task beleeve it thus to frame A wild and wealthy language and to frame Grammatic toiles to curb her so that shee Now speaks by rules and sings by prosodie Such is the strength of Art rough things to shape ' And of rude Comons rich inclosures make Doubtles much oil and labour went to couch Into methodic rules the rugged Dutch The Rabbies pass my reach but judg I can Somthing of Clenard and Quintilian And for those modern Dames I find they three Are only lopps cut from the Latian tree And easie tâ—…as to square them into parts The Tree it self so blossoming with Arts. I have bin shewn for Irish and Bascuence Imperfect rules couchd in an Accidence But I find none of these can take the start Of Davies or that prove more men of art Whâ—… in exacter method and short way The Idioms of a language do display This is the toung the Bards sung in of old And Druids their dark knowledg did unfold Merlin in this his prophesies did vent Which through the world of fame bear such extent This spoak that son of Mars that Britain bold Who first mongst Christian worthies is inrolld This Brennus who to his desire and glut The Mistress of the world did prostitut This Arviragus and brave Catarac Sole free when all the world was â—…n Romes rack This Lucius who on angells wings did soâ—…r To Rome and would wear diadem no more And thousand Heroes more which should I tell
viz. that his Excellency should not think it strange that he had so few French Gentlemen to attend in this service to accompany him to the Court in regard ther were so many killd at the Isle of â—…hee The Marquis of Chasteau neuf is here from France and it was an odd speech also from him reflecting upon Mr. Controuler that the King of great Britain us'd to send for his Ambassadors from abroad to pluck Capons at home Mr. Buâ—…lemach is to go shortly to Paris to recover the other moity of her Majesties portion wherof they say my Lord of Holland is to have a good share The Lord Treasurer Weston is he who hath the greatest vogue now at Court but many great ones have clash'd with him He is so potent that I hear his eldest Son is to marry one of the bloud Royall of Scotland the Duke of Lenox Sister and that with his Majesties consent Bishop Laâ—…d of London is also powerfull in his way for hee sits at the helm of the Church and doth more than any of the two Arch bishops or all the rest of his two and twenty brethren besides In your next I should be glad your Lordship would do me the favor as to write how the grand Signor is like to speed before Bagdaâ—… in this his Persian expedition No more now but that I always rest Westmin 1 Ian. 1629. Your Lordships ready and most faithfull Servitor J. H. XXXIV To my Father SIR SIr Tho. Wentworth hath been a good while Lord President of York and since is sworn Privy Counsellor and made Baron and Vicount the Duke of Buckingham himself flew not so high in so short a revolution of time Hee was made Vicount with a great deale of high ceremony upon a Sunday in the afternoon at VVhite-Hall My Lord Powis who affects him not much being told that the Heralds had fetch'd his Pedigree from the bloud Royall viz. from Iohn of Gaunt said Dammy if ever he com to be King of England I will turn Rebell When I went first to give him joy he pleas'd to give me the disposing of the next Attorney's place that falls void in York which is valued at three hundred pounds I have no reason to leave my Lord of Sunderland for I hope hee will bee noble unto me the perquisits of my place taking the Kings see away caâ—… far short of what he promis'd me at my first comming to him in regard of his non-residence at York therfore I hope he will consider it som other way This languishing sicknes still hangs on him and I fear will make an end of him Ther 's none can tell what to make of it but he voided lately a strange Worm at VVickham but I fear ther 's an impostume growing in him for he told me a passage how many years ago my Lord VVilloughby and he with so many of their servants de gayete de câ—…ur played a match at foot-ball against such a number of Countrey men where my Lord of Sunderland being busie about the ball got a bruise in the brest which put him in a swond for the present but did not trouble him till three months after when being at Bever Castle his brother-in-laws house a quaume took him on a sudden which made him retire to his bed-chamber my Lord of Rutland following him put a Pipe full of Tobacco in his mouth and he being not accustomed to Tobacco taking the smoak downwards fell a casting and vomiting up divers little impostumated bladders of congeal'd bloud which sav'd his life then and brought him to have a better conceit of Tobacco ever after and I fear ther is som of that clodded bloud still in his body Because Mr. Hawes of Cheâ—…p-side is lately dead I have remov'd my brother Griffith to the Hen and Chickens in Pater Noster Row â—…o Mr. Taylors as gentile a shop as any in the City but I gave a peece of Plate of twenty Nobles price to his Wife I wish the Yorkshire horse may be fit for your turn he was accounted the best saddle Gelding about York when I bought him of Captain Phillips the Mustar-master and when he carried me first to London there was twenty pounds offered for him by my Lady Carlile No more now but desiring a continuance of your blessing and prayers I rest Lond. 3 Decem. 1630. Your dutifull Son J. H. XXXV To the Lord Cottington Ambassador Extraordinary for his Majesty of great Britain in the Court of Spaine My Lord I Receiv'd your Lordships lately by Harry Davies the Correo Santo and I return my humble thanks that you were pleas'd to be mindfull amongst so many high negotiations of the old busines touching the Viceroy of Sardinia I have acquainted my Lord of Bristoll accordingly Our eyes here look very greedily after your Lordship and the success of your Embassie and we are glad to hear the busines is brought to so good a pass and that the capitulations are so honorable the high effects of your wisdom For News The Sweds do notable featâ—… Germany and we hope they cutting the Emperour and Bavarian so much work to do and the good offices we are to expect from Spain upon this redintegration of Peace will be an advantage to the Prince Palatin and facilitat matters for restoring him to his Country Ther is little news at our Court but that ther fell an ill-favoured quarrell 'twixt Sir Kenelm Digby and Mr. Goring Mr. Iermin and others at St. Iames lately about Mrs Baker the Maid of honor and Duells were like to grow of it but that the busines was taken up by the Lord Treasurer my Lord of Dorset and others appointed by the King My Lord of Sunderland is still ill dispos'd he will'd me to remember his hearty service to your Lordship and so did Sir Arthur Ingram and my Lady they all wish you a happy and honorable return as doth Lond. 1 March 1630. Your Lopps most humble and ready Servitor J. H. XXXVI To my Lo Vicount Rocksavage My Lord SOm say the Italian loves no favor but what 's future though I have convers'd much with that Nation yet I am nothing infected with their humor in this point for I love favors pass'd as well the remembrance of them joyes my very heart and makes it melt within me when my thoughts reflect upon your Lordship I have many of these fits of joy within me by the pleasing speculation of so many most noble favors and respects which I shall daily study to improve and merit My Lord Your Lopps most humble and ready Servitor J. H. Westmin 22 Mar. 1630. XXXVII To the Earl of Bristol My Lord I Doubt not but your â—…ordship hath had intelligence from time time what firm invasions the King of Sweds hath made into Germany and by what degrees he hath mounted to this height having but six thousand foot and five hundred horse when he entred first to Meclenburg and taken that Town while Commissioners stood treating on both sides
Ambassage may be an advantage to the Company I will solicit my Lord that he may do you all the favor that may stand with his honor so I shall expect your instructions accordingly and rest Westmin 1 Iune 1632. Yours ready to serve you J. H. XLII To Mr. Alderman Clethero Governor of the Eastland Company SIR I Am inform'd of som complaints that your Company hath against the King of Denmarks Officers in the Sound The Earl of Leicester is nominated by his Majesty to go Ambassador extraordinary to that King and other Princes of Germany If this Embassy may be advantagious unto you you may send me your directions and I will attend my Lord accordingly to do you any favor that may stand with his honor and conduce to your benefit and redress of grievances so I take my leave and rest Westmin 1 of Iune 1632. Yours ready to do you service J. H. XLIII To the Right honble the Earl of Leicester at Pettworth Mr Lord SIR Iohn Pennington is appointed to carry your Lordship and your company to Germany and he intends to take you up at Margets I have bin with Mr Bourlamach and receiv'd a bill of exchange from him for ten thousand dollars payable in Hamburgh I have also receiv'd two thousand pounds of Sir Paul Pinder for your Lordships use and he did me the favor to pay it me all in old gold your allowance hath begun since the twenty five of Iuly last at eight pound per diem and is to continue so till your Lordship return to his Majesty I understand by som Merchants to day upon the Exchange that the King of Denmark is at Luckstadt and staies there all this somer if it be so 't will save half the voyage of going to Copenhagen for in lieu of the Sound we need go no further then the River of Elve so I rest Westmin 13 Aug. 1632. Your Lopp s most humble and faithfull Servitor J. H. XLIIII To the Right honble the Lord Mohun My Lord THough any comand from your Lordship be welcom to me at all times yet that which you lately injoynd me in yours of the twelfth of August that I should inform your Lordship of what I know touching the Inquisition is now a little unseasonable because I have much to do to prepare my selfe for this employment to Germany therfore I cannot satisfie you in that fulnes as I could do otherwise The very name of the Inquisition is terrible all Christendom over and the King of Spaint himself with the chiefest of his Grandes tremble at it It was sounded first by the Catholic King Ferdinand our Henry the eighths Father-in-law for he having got Granada and subdued all the Moors who had had firm sooting in that Kingdom about 700. years yet he suffer'd them to live peaceably a while in point of conscience but afterwards he sent a solemn Mandamus to the Jacobin Fryars to endeavour the conversion of them by preaching and all other meanes They finding that their paines did little good and that those whom they had converted turn'd Apostats obtain'd power to make a research which afterwards was call'd Inquisition and it was ratified by Pope Sâ—…xtus that if they would not conform themselves by faiâ—…e mâ—…anes they should be forc'd to it The Jacobins being sound too severe herein and for other abuses besides this Inquisition was taken from them and put into the hands of the most sufficient Ecclesiasticks So a Counsell was established and Officers appointed accordingly Whosoever was found pendulous and branling in his Religion was brought by a Serjeant call'd Familiar before the said Counsell of Inquisition His accuser or delator stands behind a peece of Tapistry to see whether he be the party and if he be then they put divers subtill and entrapping interrogatories unto him and whether he confess any thing or no he is sent to prison When the said Familiar goes to any house though it be in the dead of night and that 's the time commonly they use to com or in the dawn of the day all doors and trunks and chests fly open to him and the first thing he doth he seizeth the parties breeches searcheth his pockets and take his keyes and so rummageth all his closets and trunks and a public Notary whom he carrieth with him takes an Inventory of every thing which is sequestred and despositated in the hands of som of his next neighbours The party being hurried away in a close Coach and clapâ—… in prison he is there eight daies before he makes his appearance and then they present unto him the Cross and the Missall book to swear upon if he refuseth to swear he convinceth himself and though he sweare yet he is remanded to prison This Oath commonly is presented before any accusation be produc'd His Goaler is strictly comanded to pry into his actions his deportment words and countenance and to ser spies upon him and whosoever of his fellow prisoners or others can produce any thing against him he hath a reward for it At last after divers apparances examinations and scrutinies the Information against him is read but the witnesses names are conceal'd then is he appointed a Proctor and an Advocat but he must not confer or advise with them privatly but in the face of the Court The Kings Attorney is a party in 't and the accusers commonly the solé witnesses Being to name his own Lawyers oftentimes others are discovered and fall into trouble while he is thus in prison he is so abhor'd and abandoned of all the world that none will atleast none dare visit him Though one cleer himself yet he cannot be freed till an Act of â—…aith pass which is don seldom but very solemnly Ther are few who having fallen into the gripes of the Inquisition do scape the rack or the Sambenito which is a streight yellow coat without sleeves having the pourtrait of the Devill painted up and down in black and upon their heads they carry a Miâ—…er of paper with a man frying in the flames of hell upon 't they gag their mouths and tie a great cord about their necks The Iudges meet in som uncouth dark dungeon and the Executioner stands by clad in a close dark garment his head and face cover'd with a Chaperon out of which ther are but two holes to look through and a huge Link burning in his hand When the Ecclesiastic Inquisitors have pronounced the Anathema against him they transmit him to the secular Iudges to receave the sentence of death for Church-men must not have their hands imbru'd in bloud the King can mitigat any punishment under death nor iâ—… a Noble-man subject to the rack I pray be pleas'd to pardon this rambling imperfect relation and take in good part my Conformity to your Commands for I am Westmin 30 Aug. 1632. Your Lopps most ready and faithfull Servitor J. H. Familiar Letters SECTION VI. I. To P. W. Esq at the Signet Office from the English House in Hamburgh WE
are safely com to Germany Sir Iohn Penington took us aboard in one of His Majesties Ships at Margets and the Wind stood so fair that wee were at the mouth of the Elve upon Munday following It pleas'd my Lord I should Land first with two Footmen to make haste to Glukstad to learn wher the King of Denmark was and he was at Rensburgh som two daies journey off at a Richsdagh an Assembly that corresponds our Parliament My Lord the next day Landed at Glukstad wher I had provided an accommodation for him though he intended to have gon for Hamburgh but I was bold to tell him that in regard ther were som ombrages and not only so but open and actuall differences 'twixt the King and that Town it might be ill taken if he went thither first before he had attended the King So I left my Lord at Glukstad and being com hither to take up 8000 rich Dollars upon Mr. Burlamacâ—… Bils and fercht Mr. Avery our Agent here I return to morrow to attend 〈◊〉 Lord again I find that matters are much off the Hinges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King of Denmark and this Town The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sweden is advancing apace to find out Wallestein and Wallestein 〈◊〉 and in all apparance they will be shortly engag'd No more now for I am interpell'd by many businesses when you write deliver your Letters to Mr. Railton who will see them safely convey'd for a little before my departure I brought him acquainted with my Lord that he might negotiat som things at Court So with my service and love to all at Westminster I rest Hamburgh Octo. 23. 1632. Your faithfull servitor J. H. II. To my Lord Viscount S. from Hamburgh My Lord SInce I was last in Town my Lord of Leicester hath attended the King of Denmarke at Rensburg in Holsteinland he was brought thither from Glukstad in indifferent good equipage both for Coaches and Waggons but he stayed som dayes at Rensburg for Audience we made a comly gallant shew in that kind when we went to Court for wee were neer upon a hundred all of one peece in mourning It pleas'd my Lord to make me the Orator and so I made a long Latin Speech alta voce to the King in Latin of the occasion of this Ambassie and tending to the praise of the deceased Queen and I had better luck then Secretary Nanton had som thirty yeers since with Roger Earl of Rutland for at the beginning of his Speech when he had pronounc'd Serenissime Rex he was dash'd out of countenance and so gravell'd that he could go no further I made another to Christian the fifth his eldest Son King elect of Denmark for though that Crown be purely electif yet for these three last Kings they wrought so with the people that they got their eldest Sons chosen and declar'd before their death and to assume the Title of Kings elect At the same Audience I made another Speech to Prince Frederic Archbishop of Bâ—…eme the Kings third Son and he hath but one more besides his naturall Issue which is Prince Ulriâ—… now in the Warrs with the Duke of Sax and they say ther is an alliance contracted already 'twixt Christian the fifth and the Duke of Sax his Daughter This ceremony being perform'd my Lord desir'd â—…o find his own diet and then he fell to divers businesses which is â—…ot fitting for me to forestall or impart unto your Lordship now 〈◊〉 wee staied there neer upon a moneth The King feasted my Lord once and it lasted from eleven of the clock till towards the Evening during which time the King began thirty five healths the first to the Emperour the second to his Nephew of England and so went over all the Kings and Queens of Christendom but he never remembred the Prince Palsgraves health or his Neece's all the while The King was taken away at last in his Chair but my Lord of Leicester bore up stoutly all the while so that when ther came two of the Kings Guard to take him by the Arms as he was going down the stairs my Lord shook them off and went alone The next morning I went to Court for som dispatches but the King was gon a hunting at break of day but going to som other of his Officers their servants told me without any apparance of shame That their Masters were drunk over night and so it would be late before they would rise A few daies after we went to Gothorp Castle in Sâ—…eswickland to the Duke of Holsteins Court where at my Lords first audience I made another Latin Speech to the Duke touching his Gran-Mothers death our entertainment there was brave though a little fulsom my Lord was log'd in the Dukes Castle and parted with Presents which is more then the King of Denmark did thence we went to Husem in Ditzmarsh to the Dutchess of Holsteins Court our Queen Anns youngest Sister wher we had also very ful entertainment I made a speech to her also about her Mothers death and when I nam'd the Lady Sophia the tears came down her cheeks Thence we came back to Rhensburg and so to this Town of Hamburgh where my Lord intends to repose som daies after an abrupt odd journey wee had through Holsteinland but I beleeve it will not be long in regard Sir Iohn Pennington stayes for him upon the River We expect Sir Robert Anstruther to com from Viâ—… hither to take the advantage of the Kings Ship We understand that the Imperiall and Swedish Army have made neer approaches one to the other and that som skirmishes and blows have bin already twixt them which are the forerunners of a battle So my good Lord I rest Hamburgh 9 Octo. 1632. Your most humble and faithfull Sâ—…vitor J. H. III. To the Right honble the Earl R. from Hamburgh My Lord THough your Lordship must needs think that in the imployment I am in which requires a whole man my spirits must be distracted by multiplicity of businesses yet because I would not recede from my old method and first principles of travell when I came to any great City to couch in writing what 's most observable I sequestred my self from other Affairs to send your Lordship what followeth touching this great Hans-Town The Hans or Hansiatic lâ—…gue is very ancient som would derive the word from hand because they of the society plight their faith by that action Others derive it from Hansa which in the Gothic toung is Counsell Others would have it com from Han der see which signifies neer or upon the Sea and this passeth for the best Etymology because their Towns are all seated so or upon som navigable River neer the sea The extent of the old Hans was from the Nerve in Livonia to the Rhin and contain'd 62 great Mercantil Towns which were divided to four Precincts The chiefest of the first Prâ—…cinct was Lubâ—…ck wher the Archiss of their ancient Records and their prime Chancery is still and this Town is within that
to and wherwith she hath flourish'd ever since But one thing is observable that as that Imperiall or Comitial Bat pronounc'd in the Diet at Ratisbon against our Merchants and Manufactures of Wooll incited them more to industry So our Proclamation upon Alderman Cockeins project of transporting no white Cloths but Died and in their full manufacture did cause both Dutch and German to turn necessity to a vertue and made them far more ingenious to find ways not only to Die but to make Cloth which hath much impair'd our Markers ever since for ther hath not been the third part of our Cloth sold since either here or in Holland My Lord I pray be pleas'd to dispense with the prolixity of this Discours for I could not wind it up closer nor on a lesser bottom I shall be carefull to bring with me those Furrs I had instructions for So I rest Hamburgh 20 Octob. 1632. Your Lordships most humble Servitor J. H. IV. To Cap. J. Smith at the Hague Captain HAving so wishfull an opportunity as this Noble Gentleman Mr. Iames Crofts who coms with a Packet for the Lady Elizabeth from my Lord of Leicester I could not but send you this frendly salute We are like to make a speedier return than we expected from this Ambassie for we found the King of Denmark in Heâ—…stein which shortned our voyage from going to the Sound The King was in an advantagious posture to give audience for ther was a Parlement then at Rhensburg wher all the Younkers met Amongst other things I put myself to mark the carriage of the Holstein Gentlemen as they were going in and out at the Parlement House and observing well their Physiognomies their Complexions and Gate I thought verily I was in England for they resemble the English more than either Welsh or Scot though cohabiting upon the same Island or any other peeple that ever I saw yet which makes me verily believe that the English Nation came first from this lower circuit of Saxony and ther is one thing that strengthneth me in this belief that ther is an ancient Town hard by call'd Lunden and an Island call'd Angles whence it may well be that our Country came from Britannia to be Anglia This Town of Hamburgh from a Society of Brewers is com to be a huge wealthy place and her new Town is almost as big as the old Ther is a shrewd jar 'twixt her and her Protector the King of Denmark My Lord of Leicester hath don som good Offices to accommode matters She chomps extremely that ther should be such a Bit put lately in her mouth as the Fort at Luckstadit which commands her River of Elve and makes her pay what Toll he please The King begins to fill his Chests apace which were so emptied in his late marches to Germany He hath set a new Toll upon all Ships that pass to this Town and in the Sound also ther be som extraordinary duties impos'd wherat all Nations begin to murmure specially the Hollanders who say that the old Primitive Toll of the Sound was but a Rose-noble for evry Ship but by a new Sophistry it is now interpreted for evry Sail that should pass thorow insomuch that the Hollander though he be a Low-Countrey man begins to speak high-Dutch in this point a rough language you know which made the Italian tell a German Gentleman once That when God Almighty thrust Adam out of Paradise he spake Dutch but the German retorted wittily Then Sir if God spake Dutch when Adam was ejected Eve spake Italian when Adam was seduced I could be larger but for a sudden auvocation to busines so I most affectionatly send my kind respects unto you desiring when I am rendred to London I may hear from you So I am Hamburg 22 Octob. 1632. Your faithfull Frend to serve you J. H. V. To the Right honble the Earl of Br. My Lord I Am newly return'd from Germany whence ther came lately two Ambassadors extraordinary in one of the Ships Royall the Earl of Leicester and Sir Robert Anstruther the latter came from Vienna and I know little of his negotiations but for my Lord of Leicester I beleeve ther was never so much busines dispatch'd in so short a compas of time by any Ambassador as your Lordship who is best able to judg will find by this short relation When my Lord was com to the King of Denmarks Court which was then at Rhensberg a good way within Holstein The first thing he did was to condole the late Queen Dowagers death our Kings Gran-Mother which was don in such an equipage that the Danes confess'd ther was never Queen of Denmark so mourn'd for This ceremony being pass'd my Lord fell to busines and the first thing which he propounded was That for preventing of further effusion of Christian blood in Germany and for the facilitating a way to restore peace to all Christendom His Majesty of Denmark would joyn with his Nephew of great Britain to send a solemn Ambassie to the Emperour and the King of Sweden the ends of whose proceedings were doubtfull to mediat an accommodation and to appear for him who will be found most conformable to reason To this that King answer'd in writing for that was the way of proceeding that the Emperour and the Swede were com to that height and heat of war and to such a violence that it is no time yet to speak to them of peace but when the fury is a little pass'd and the times more proper he would take it for an Honour to joyn with his Nephew and contribut the best means he could to bring about so good a Work Then ther was computation made what was due to the King of great Britain and the Lady Elizabeth out of their Gran-Mothers Estate which was valued at neer upon two Millions of Dollars and your Lordship must think it was a hard task to liquidat such an account This being don my Lord desird that part which was due to his Majesty our King and the Lady his Sister which appear'd to amount unto eightscore thousand pounds sterling That King answer'd That he confess'd ther was so much money due but his Mothers Estate was yet in the hands of Commissioners and neither he nor any of his Sisters had receiv'd their portions yet and that his Nephew of England and his Neere of Holland should receive theirs with the first but he did intimat besides that ther were som considerable accounts 'twixt him and the Crown of England for ready moneys he had lent his Brother King Iames and for the thirty thousand pounds a moneth that was by Covenant promis'd him for the support of his late Army in Germany Then my Lord propounded That His Majesty of Great Britains Subjects were not well us'd by his Officers in the Sound for though that was but a Transitory passage into the Baltic Sea and that they neither bought nor sould any thing upon the place yet they were forc'd to stay
pray that for want of a better thing to comply with the Season this may pass for a New-years gift which I wish may carry with it as many good Omens as it doth Orizons that a thousand benedictions may fall upon you and your Noble Family this New yeer and all the yeers of your life which I pray may be many many many because I have long since resolv'd to live and die My Lord Your most humble and obedient faithfull Servit r JAMES HOVVEL Calendis Ian. 1650. Additionall Letters Of a fresher Date I. To the R. H. Ed. Earl of Dorset Lo. Chamberlain of His Majesties Household c. at Knowles My Lord HAving so advantagious a hand as Doctor S. Turner I am bold to send your Lordship a new Tract of French Philosophy call'd L'usage de Passions which is cryed up to be a choice peece It is a Morall Discours of the right use of Passions the Conduct wherof as it is the principall Employment of Virtu so the Conquest of them is the difficultst part of Vaâ—…or To know one's self is much but to conquer one's self is more We need not pick quarrells and seek enemies without doors we have too many Inmates at home to exercise our Prowess upon and ther is no man let him have his humors never so well ballanc'd and in subjection unto him but like Muscovia wives they will oftentimes insult unless they be check'd yet wee should make them our Servants not our Slaves Touching the occurrences of the times since the King was snatch'd away from the Parlement the Army they say use him with more civility and freedom but for the main work of restoring him he is yet as one may say but Tantaliz'd being brought often within the sight of London and so off again ther are hopes that somthing will be don to his advantage speedily because the Gregarian Soldiers and gross of the Army is well-affected to him though som of the chiefest Commanders be still averss For forren News they say St. Mark bears up stoutly against Mahomet both by land and sea In Dalmatia he hath of late shaken him by the Turban ill-favoredly I could heartily wish that our Army heer were there to help the Republic and combat the Common enemy for then one might be sure to dye in the bed of Honor. The Commotions in Sicily are quash'd but those of Naples increase and 't is like to be a more raging and voracious â—…ire than Vesuvius or any of the sulphurious Mountains about her did ever belch out The Catalan and Portuguez bait the Spaniard on both sides but the first hath shrewder teeth than the other and the French and Hollander find him work in Flanders And now my Lord to take all Nations in a lump I think God Almighty hath a quarrell lately with all Man kind and given the reines to the ill Spirit to compass the whole earth for within these twelve yeers ther have the strangest revolutions and horridst things happen'd not only in Europe but all the world over that have befallen man-kind I dare boldly say since Adam fell in so short a revolution of time Ther is a kind of popular Planet reigns every where I will begin with the hottest parts with Afric where the Emperor of Ethiopia with two of his Sons was encountred and kild in open field by the Groom of his Camells and Dromedaries who had leavied an Army our of the dreggs of the peeple against him and is like to hold that ancient Empire in Asia The Tartar broke o're the four hundred mil'd wall and rush'd into the heart of China as far as Quinzay and beleagerd the very Palace of the Emperor who rather than to becom Captif to the base Tartar burnt his Castle and did away himself his thirty wives and children The great Turk hath been lately strangled in the Seraglio his own house The Emperor of Moscovia going in a solemn Procession upon the Sabbath day the rabble broke in knock'd down and cut in peeces divers of his chiefest Counsellors Favorits and Officers before his face and dragging their bodies to the Market-place their heads were chopp'd oft thrown into Vessells of hot water and so set upon Poles to burn more bright before the Court gate In Naples a common fruteâ—…er hath raised such an Insurrection that they say above 60M have bin slain already upon the streets of that City alone Catalonia and Portingall have quite revolted from Spain Your Lordship knows what knocks have been 'twixt the Pope and Parma The Pole and the Cosacks are hard at it Venice wrastleth with the Turk and is like to lose her Maiden head unto him unless other Christian Princes look to it in time and touching these three Kingdoms ther 's none more capable than your Lordship to judge what monstrous things have happend so that it seems the whol earth is off the hinges and which is the more wonderful all these prodigious passages have fallen out in less than the compas of 12 yeers But now that all the world is together by the eares the States of Holl would be quiet for advice is com that the peace is concluded and interchangably ratified 'twixt them and Spain but they defer the publishing of it yet till they have collected all the Contribution money for the Army The Spaniard hopes that one day this Peace may tend to his advantage more than all his Wars have don these fourscore yeers relying upon the old Prophecie Marte triumphabis Batavia Pace peribis The King of Denmark hath buried lately his eldest Son Christian so that he hath now but one living viz. Frederic who is Arch-Bishop of Breme and is shortly to be King Elect. My Lord this Letter runs upon Universalls because I know your Lordship hath a public great soul and a spacious understanding which comprehends the whole world so in a due posture of humility I kiss your hands being My Lord Your most obedient and most faithfull Servitor J. H. From the Fleet this 20 of Ian. 1646. II. To Mr. En. P. at Paris SIR SInce we are both agred to truck Intelligence and that you are contented to barter French for English I shall bee carefull to send you hence from time to time the currentest and most staple stuff I can find with weight and good measure to boot I know in that more subtill air of yours tinsell somtimes passes for Veniceâ—…eads â—…eads for Perl and Demicastors for Bevers But I know you have so discerning a judgment that you will not suffer your self to be so cheated they must rise betimes that can put tricks upon you and make you take semblances for realities probabilities for certainties or spurious for tru things To hold this litterall correspondence I desire but the parings of your time that you may have somthing to do when you have nothing els to do while I make a busines of it to be punctuall in my answers to you let our Letters be as Eccho's let them bound back and make
Work of night Credentiall Letters States and Kingdoms tie And Monarchs knit in ligues of Amitie They are those golden Links that do enchaiâ—… Whole Nations though discinded by the Main They are the soul of Trade they make Commerce Expand it self throughout the Univers Letters may more than History inclose 〈◊〉 choicest learning both for Vers and Prose â—…ey knowledg can unto our souls display â—… amore gentle and familiar way â—…e highest points of State and Policy â—…e most severe parts of Philosophy â—…ay be their subject and their Themes eâ—…rich â—… well as privat businesses in which â—…nds use to correspond and Kindred greet â—…rchants negotiat the whole World meet â—…n Seneca's rich Letters is inshrin'd 〈◊〉 ere the Ancient Sages left behind â—…y makes his the secret symptomes tell â—… those distempers which proud Rome befell 〈◊〉 in her highest flourish she would make 〈◊〉 Tyber from the Ocean homage take â—…at Antonin the Emperor did gain â—…re glory by his Letters than his raign 〈◊〉 Pen out-lasts his Pike each golden linâ—… â—…is Epistles do his name inshrine 〈◊〉 clius by his Letters did the same 〈◊〉 they in chief immortallize his fame â—…ords vanish soon and vapour into Ayr â—…e Letters on Record stand fresh and fair 〈◊〉 tell our Nephews who to us wer dear 〈◊〉 our choice frends who our familiars were â—…he bashfull Lover when his flammering lips â—…er and fear som unadvised slips 〈◊〉 boldly court his Mistris with the Quill 〈◊〉 his hot passions to her Brest â—…still Pen can furrow a fond Femals heart pierce it more than Cupide feigned dart Letters a kind of Magic vertu have And like strong Philtres human souls inslave Speech is the Index Letters Ideas are Of the informing soul they can declare And shew the inward man as we behold A face reflecting in a Chrystall mould They serve the dead and living they becom Attorneys and Administers In somm Letters as Ligaments the World do tie Else all commence and love 'twixt men would die J. H. An Extract of the Heads of the choicest matters that goe interwoven 'mongst the Letters of the first Volume The first Section OF Abusers of Familiar Letters Page 1 Of Somersets fall and Buckinghams rise 4 â—…listris Turner executed in yellow starch at Tyburn and Sir Gervas Elwayes on Tower-hill his memorable caution against swearing and the Lo. Wil. of Pembrâ—…ks noble act to his Lady and children 4 Sir Walter Rawleigh's sorry return from Guiana Count Gondamars violent prosecution of him and a facetious Tale of Alphonso King of Naples c. 7 Of the study of our Common Law and what Genius is aptest for it 16 â—…he tru manner of the surrendry of the cautionary towns Flishing and Brill 18 The force of Letters 20 A Letter of love 26 Som choice Observations of Amsterdam 9. 13 14 Of the University of Leyden and a clash 'twixt Arminius and Baudius 14 Of Grave Maurice Prince of Orenge and of his regulâ—… cours of life 1â—… Of Antwerp and her Cittadell 2â—… Of France of Normandy and thâ—… City of Rouen 2â—… Of Paris and an odd mischance that befell a Secretaâ—… of State there 2â—… Of Luines the the Favorite 2â—… An exact Relation from an eye-witnes of the assassâ—… nat committed on the person of Henry the Greaâ—… 3â—… His rare Perfections and divers wittie Speeches 〈◊〉 his 3â—… An exact Relation of that Monstrous death of the Maâ—… quis of Ancre by an eye-witnes 3â—… Of St. Malos and the Province of Britany the viciniâ—… of their Language with the Welsh 3â—… Of Rochell and the humors of the peeple 3â—… The strong operations of love and a facetious Tale 〈◊〉 the Duke of Ossunas 37 Of the Pyreney Hills 38 Of the noble City of Valentia and various effects 〈◊〉 the Sun 4â—… Of Alicant and the Grapes thereof 4â—… Of Carthagena 4â—… Of Scylla and Charybdis Mount Aetna and the vulgaâ—… Greek c. 4â—… Of the admirable City of Venice her Glass Furnaces with a speculation rays'd theron her renowned Arsenall and Tresury her age and constitution her famous Bucentoro with a Philosophical notion arising thence c. from 45 to 6â—… Of the vertu of Letters 52 A Letter of gratitude 53 Some witty sayings of Spaniards 60 Some witty Observations of Rome the manner of creating Cardinals 61 Of forren Travell 67 Of the gentle City of Naples 65 A saying of King Iames. 68 A resemblance 'twixt the old Lombards and the Welsh 68 A witty saying of Lewis the 11. 70 Of Florence Genoa Luca c. 70 Of Milan and the Duke of Savoy 73 Of the Italian Toung 74 Of the humor of the Italian 85 Of the hideous mountains the Alps and of Lion in France 77 Of Geneva and a strange thing that happend at Lion 79 The six famous Verses made of Venice 59 A notable magnanimous Speech of a Turk 56 The second Section MY Lord Bacons opinion of Monsieur Cadenet the French Ambassador about little men 2 Two Letters of Endearments 3 A notable saying of the La. Elizabeth 4 Of Sir Robert Mansels return from Algier 11 Queen Anns death and the last Comet 7 M. of Buckingham made Lord Admirall c. 13 The beginning of the Bohemian Wars 4 The Palsgraves undertaking that Crown 4 Prague lost 5 Spinola's going to the Palatinat the manner of taking Oppenheim and the unworthines of the Marq. of Ansbuck the German Generall 9 The strange wonder in Holland of a Lady that brought forth as many Children as days in the yeer c. 14 Of the sailing Waggon 1â—… An elaborat survey of the seventeen Provinces the ground of their quarrell with the Spaniard the difference of Government and humors of peeple from 15 to 26 The difference 'twixt the Flemin Walloon and Hollander 26 The last French Kings piety to his Mother 29 Phlebotomy much used in France 33 A congratulatory Letter for Marriage 27 A Satyrical Play in Antwerp about the Prince Palsgraves proceedings 28 Wars 'twixt the French King and the Protestants 31 A famous Speech of St. Lewis 33 Of the French Favorite Luines and his two brothers Cadenet and Brand. 47 The strange story of the Maid of Orleans and how the English wer reveng'd of her 36 A facetious passage of the Duke of Espernon 38 The opinion of a French Doctor of English Ale 34 The French Polette 37 The third Section GOndamars first audience about the Spanish Match and the ill Augury that befell 49 Sir Henry Montague made Lord Tresurer a facetious question ask'd him 41 Cautions for travelling Italy 43 K. Iames his sharp answer to the Parlement from Newmarket about the Spanish Match c. His facetious Speech of my Lady Hatton 44 Of the Synod of Dort 54 Archb. Abbots disaster to kill a Keeper c. 49 The French Kings proceedings against the Protestants and the death of Luines 56 Of the Infanta of Spain and her two brothers 51 The bold manner of Petitioning the King of Spain 52 Som comendable qualities of
be had from Italy and the chief Materials from Spain France and other Forren Countries there is need â—…f an Agent abroad for this use and better then I have offered their service in this kind so that I believe I shall have Employment in all these Countreys before I return Had I continued still Steward of the Glasse-house in Broadstreet where Captain Francis Bacon hath succeeded me I should in a short time have melted away to nothing amongst those hot Venetians finding my self too green for such a Charge therefore it hath pleased God to dispose of me now to a Condition more sutable to my yeers and that will I hope prove more advantagious to my future Fortunes In this my Peregrination if I happen by some accident to be disappointed of that allowance I am to subsist by I must make my addresse to you for I have no other Rendevous to flee unto but it shall not be unlesse in case of great indigence Touching the News of the Time Sir George Villiers the new Favorit tapers up apace and grows strong at Court His Predecessor the Earl of Somerset hath got a Lease of ninety years for his life and so hath his articulate Lady called so for articling against the frigidity and impotence of her former Lord. She was afraid that Coke the Lord chief Justice who had used extraordinary an and industry in discovering all the circumstances of the poisoning of Overbury would have made white Broth of them but that the Prerogative kept them from the Pot Yet the subservient instruments the lesser flyes could not break thorow but lay entangled in the Cobweb amongst others Mistris Turner the first Inventress of yellow-Starch was executed in a Cobweb Lawn Ruff of that color at Tyburn and with her I believe that yellow-Starch which so much disfigured our-Nation and rendered them so ridiculous anâ—… fantastic will receive its Funerall Sir Gervas Elwayes Lieutenanâ—… of the Tower was made a notable Example of Justice and Terrâ—… to all Officers of Trust for being accessory and that in a passiâ—… way only to the murder yet he was hanged on Tower-hill anâ—… the Caveat is very remarkable which he gave upon the Gallowâ—… That people should be very cautious how they make Vows 〈◊〉 heaven for the breach of them seldome passe without a Judgement whereof he was a most ruthfull Example for being in thâ—… Low-Countreys and much given to Gaming he once made a solemn Vow which he brake afterwards that if he played abovâ—… such a sum he might be hanged My Lord William of Pembrook diâ—… a most noble Act like himself for the King having given hiâ—… all Sir Gervas Elway's estate which came to above 1000 pound 〈◊〉 he freely bestowed it on the widow and her children The later end of this week I am to go a Ship-board and first 〈◊〉 the Low-Countreys I humbly pray your Blessing may accompany me in these my Travels by Land and Sea with a conâ—…uance of your prayers which will be as so many good Gales to â—…ow me to safe Port for I have been taught That the Parents Beâ—…udictions contribute very much and have a kind of prophetic vertue â—…o make the childe prosperous In this opinion I shall ever rest Broad-street in London this 1. of March 1618. Your dutifull Son J. H. III. To Dr. Francis Mansell since Principall of Jesus Colledge in Oxford SIR BEing to take leave of England and to lanch out into the world abroad to Breath forren air a while I thought it very â—…andsom and an act well becoming me to take my leave also of â—…ou and of my dearly honoured Mother Oxford Otherwise both â—…f you might have just grounds to exhibite a Bill of Complaint or rather a Protest against me and cry me up you for a forgetfull friend she for an ingratefull Son if not some spurious Issue To â—…revent this I salute you both together you with the best of my â—…ost candid affections her with my most dutifull observance â—…nd thankfulnesse for the milk she pleased to give me in that Exuberance had I taken it in that measure she offered it me while â—… slept in her lap yet that little I have sucked I carry with me â—…ow abroad and hope that this cours of life will help to concoct 〈◊〉 to a greater advantage having opportunity by the nature of â—…y employment to study men as well as Books The small time I â—…upervis'd the Glasse-house I got amongst those Venetians some â—…atterings of the Italian Toung which besides the little I have â—…ou know of School-languages is all the Preparatives I have made â—…or travell I am to go this week down to Gravesend and so â—…mbarque for Holland I have got a Warrant from the Lords of â—…he Councell to travell for three years any where Rome and S. Omer excepted I pray let me retain some room though never so little in your thoughts during the time of this our separation and let our souls meet sometimes by intercours of letters I promise you that yours shall receive the best entertainment I can make them for I love you dearly dearly well and value your friendship at a very high raâ—…e So with apprecation of as much happiness to you at home as I shall desire to accompany me abroad I rest ever Your friend to serve you J. H. London this 〈◊〉 of March 1618. IV. To Sir James Crofts Knight at S. Osith SIR I Could not shake hands with England without kissing your hands also and because in regard of your distance now from London I cannot do it in person I send this paper for my deputy The News that keeps greatest noise here now is the return of Sir Walter Raleigh from his myne of Gold in Guiana the South parts of America which at first was like to be such a hopeful boon Voyage but it seems that that golden myne is proved a meer Chymerâ—… an imaginary aiâ—…y myne and indeed his Majestie had never any other conceipt of it But what will not one in Captivity as Sir Walter was promise to regain his Freedom who would not promise not onely mynes but mountains of Gold for Liberty t is pity such a knowing well-weigh'd Knight had not had a better Fortune for the Destiny I mean that brave Ship which he built himself of that name that carried him thither is like to prove a fatall Destiny to him and to some of the rest of those gallant Adventurers which contributed for the setting forth of thirteen Ships more who were most of them his kinsmen and younger brothers being led into the said Expedition by a generall conceipt the world had of the wisedom of Sir Walter Raleigh and many of these are like to make Shipwrack of their estates by this Voyage Sir Walter landed at Plymouth whence he thought to make an escape and some say he hath tampered with his body by Phisick to make him look sickly that he may be the more pitied and permitted to lie in his own
England I am well assur'd I bear still the same mind and therein I verifâ—… the old vers Coelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt The Ayr but not the mind they change Who in Outlandish Countreys range For what alterations soever happen in this Microcosm in this little World this small bulk and body of mine you may be confident that nothing shall alter my affections specially toward you but that I will persever still the same The very same J. H. Ven. 25. Iun. 1621. XXXII To Richard Altham Esquire Dear Sir I Was plung'd in a deep fit of melancholly Satum had cast his black influence ore all my intellectuals me thought I felt my heart as a lump of Dow and heavy as Lead within my Brest when a Letter of yours of the third of this month was brought me which presently begot new Spirits within me and made such strong impressions upon my Intellectuals that it turn'd and transform'd me into another man I have read of a Duke of Milan and others who were poyson'd by reading of a Letter but yours produc'd contrary effects in me it became an antidot or rather â—… most Soverain Cordial to me more operative then Bezar of more vertue then Potable Gold or the Elixir of Ambar for it wrought a sudden cure upon me That fluent and rare mixture of love and wit which I found up and down therein were the Ingredients of this Cordiall they were as so many choice Flowers strw'd here and ther which did cast such an Odoriferous sent that they reviv'd all my senceâ—… and dispell'd those dull fumes which had formerly ore clouded my brain Such was the operation of your most ingenuous and affectionat Letter and so sweet an entertainment it gave me If your Letter had that vertue what would your person have don and did you know all you would wish your person here a while did you know the rare beuty of this Virgin-Clty you would quickly make love to her and change your Royall Exchange for the Rialto and your Grayes-Inne Walks for Saint Marks place for a time Farewell dear child of Vertue and minion of the Muses and love still Ven. 1. Iuly 1621. Your J. H. XXIII To my much honoured frend Sir John North Kt. from Venice Noble Sir THe first office of gratitude is to receive a good turn civilly then to retain it in memory and acknowledg it thirdly to endeavour a requitall for this last office it is in vain for me to attempt it specially towards you who have laden me with such a variety of courtesies and weighty favours that my poor stock comes far short of any retaliation but for the other two reception and retention as I am not conscious to have bin wanting in the first act so I shall never fail in the second because both these are within the compasse of my power for if you could pry into my memory you should discover there a huge Magazin of your favours you have bin pleas'd to do me present and absent safeiy stor'd up and coacervated to preserve them from mouldring away in oblivion for courtesies should be no perishable commodity Should I attempt any other requitall I should extenuat your favours and derogat from the worth of them yet if to this of the memory I can contribut any other act of body or mind to enlarge my acknowledgments towards you you may be well assured that I shall be ever ready to court any occasion wherby the world may know how much I am Ven 13. Iul. 1621 Your thankfull Servitor J. H. XXXIV To Dan. Caldwall Esq from Venice My dear D. COuld Letters flie with the same Wings as Love useth to do and cut the Ayr with the like swiftnes of motion this Letter of mine should work a miracle and be with you in an instant nor should she fear interception or any other casualty in the way or cost you one penny the Post for she should passe invisibly but 't is not fitting that paper which is made but of old Ragg's wherwith Letters are swadled should have the same priviledg as Love which is a spirituall thing having somthing of Divinity in it and partakeâ—… in â—…elerity with the Imagination then which ther is not any thing more swift you know no not the motion of the upper sphere the 〈◊〉 mobile which snatcheth all the other mine after it and indeed the whole Macrocosm all the world besiâ—…es except our Earth the Center which upper sphere the Astronomers would have to move so many degrees so many thousand miles in a moment fince then Letters are denied such a velocity I allow this of â—…ine twenty dayes which is the ordinary time allow'd twixt Venice and London to com unto you and thank you a thousand 〈◊〉 over for your last of the tenth of Iune and the rich Venison Feast you made as I understand not long since to the remembrance of the at the Ship Tavern Believe it Sir you shall find that this love of yours is not ill imployed for I esteem it at the highest degree I value it more then the Treasury of Saint Mark which I lately saw wher amongst other things ther is a huge Iron Chest as tall as my self that hath no Lock but a Crevice through which they cast in the Gold that 's bequeath'd to Saint Mark in Legacies wheron ther is ingraven this proud Motto Quando questo scrimio S' Aprirá Tutto'l mundo tremera When this Chest shall open the whole World shall tremble the Duke of Ossuna late Vice-Roy of Naples did what he could to force them to open it for he brought Saint Mark to wast much of this Tresure in the late Wars which he made purposely to that end which made them have recours to us and the Hollander for Ships not long since Amongst the rest of Italy this is call'd the Maidin Citie notwithstanding her great number of Courtisans and ther is a Prophecy That she shall continue a Maid untill her Husband for sake her meaning the Sea to whom the Pope married her long fince and the Sea is observ'd not to love her so deeply as he did for he begins to shrink and grow shallower in som places about her not doth the Pope also who was the Father that gave her to the Sea affect her as much as he formerly did specially since the extermination of the Jesuits so that both Husband and Father begin to abandon her I am to be a guest to this Hospitable Maid a good while yet and if you want any commodity that she can afford and what cannot she afford for humane pleasure or delight do but write and it shall be sent you Farewell gentle soul and correspond still in pure love with Ven 29. of Iul. 1621. Your J. H. XXXV To Sir James Crofts Kt. from Venice SIR I Receiv'd one of yours the last week that came in my Lord Ambassador Wâ—…ttons Packet and being now upon point of parting with Venice I could not
I part with this famous City of Lions I will relate unto you a wonderfull strange accident that happen'd here not many yeers ago Ther is an Officer call'd Le Chevalier du Guet which is a kind of Night-guard here as well as in Paris and his Lieutenant call'd Iaquette having supp'd one night in a rich Marchants house as he was passing the round afterwards he said I wonder what I have eaten and drunk at the Marchants house for I find my self so hot that if I met with the Divels Dam to night I should not forbear using of her hereupon a little after he overtook a young Gentlewoman mask'd whom he would needs usher to her lodging but discharg'd all his Watch except two she brought him to his thinking to a little low lodging hard by the City Wall wher ther were only two Rooms and after he had enjoyed her he desir'd that according to the custom of French Gentlemen his two Camerads might partake also of the same pleasure so she admitted them one after the other And when all this was don as they sat together she told them if they knew well who she was none of them would have ventur'd upon her thereupon she whissel'd three times and all vanish'd The next morning the two souldiers that had gon with Lieutenant Jaquette were found dead under the City Wall amongst the ordure and excrements and Iaquette himself a little way off half dead who was taken up and coming to himself confess'd all this but died presently after The next week I am to go down the Loire towards Paris and thence as soon as I can for England wher amongst the rest of my frends whom I so much long to see after this Trienniall separation you are like to be one of my first objects In the mean time I wish the same happinesse may attend you at home as I desire to attend me hom-ward for I am Truly yours I. H. Lions 5. Decemb. 1621. Familiar Letters SECTION II. I. To my Father SIR IT hath pleased God after almost three yearâ—… peregrination by Land and Sea to bring me back safely to London but although I am com safely I am com sickly for when I landed in Venice after so long a Sea-voyage from Spain I was afraid the same defluxion of salt rheum which fell from my Temples into my throat in Oxford and distilling upon the uvula impeached my utterance a little to this day had found the same chanâ—…ell again which caused me to have an Issue made in my left â—…rm for the diversion of the humour I was well ever after till I came to Rouen and there I fell sick of a pain in the head which with the Issue I have carried with me to England Doctor Harvy who is my Physitian tells mee that it may turn to a Consumption therfore he hath stopped the Issue telling me there is no danger at all in it in regard I have not worn it a full twelvemonth My Brother I thank him hath been very carefull of me in this my sicknes and hath come often to visit me I thank God I have pass'd â—…he brunt of it and am recovering and picking up my crums â—…pace Ther is a flaunting French Ambassador com over lately and I believe his errand is nought else but Complement for the King of France being lately at Calais and so in sight of England â—…e sent his Ambassador Monsieur Cadenet expresly to visit our King â—…e had audience two dayes since where he with his Train of ruffling long-haird Monsieurs carried himself in such a light garb that after the audience the King askd my Lord Keeper Bacon what he thought of the French Ambassador he answer'd that he was a tall proper man I his Majesty replied but what think you oâ—… his head-peece is he a proper man for the Office of an Ambassador Sir said Bacon Tall men are like high Houses of four or five Stories wherin commonly the uppermost room is worst furnished So desiring my brothers and sisters with the rest of my 〈◊〉 and friends in the Countrey may be acquainted with my safe return to England and that you would please to let me hear from you by the next conveniency I rest Lond. 2 Febr. 1621. Your dutifull Son J. H. II. To Rich. Altham Esqr. at Norberry SAlve pars animae dimidiata meâ—…ae Hail half my soul mâ—… dear Dick c. I was no sooner returned to the sweet bosom of England and had breath'd the smoak of this Town but my memory ran suddenly on you the Idea of you hath almost ever since so fill'd up and ingroft my imagination that I can think on nothing els the Iove of you swells both in my breast and brain with such a pregnancy that nothing can deliver me of this violent high passion but the sight of you Let me despair if I lye ther was never 〈◊〉 long'd more after any thing by reason of her growing 〈◊〉 than I do for your presence Therfore I pray you make 〈◊〉 to save my longing and Tantalize me no longer t is but three hours riding for the sight of you will be more precious to me than any one Object I have seen and I have seen many rare ones in all my three yearâ—… T â—…vell and if you take this for a Complemenâ—… because I am newly com from France you are much mistâ—…ken in London 1 〈◊〉 1621. Your J. H. III. To D. Caldwall Esqr. at Battersay MY dear Dan. I am com at last to London but not without som danger and through divers difficulties for I fell sick in France and came so over to Kent And my journey from the Sea side hither was more tedious to me than from Rome to Rouen where I grew first indisposed and in good faith I cannot remember any thing to this hour how I came from Gravesend hither I was so stupified and had lost the knowledg of all things But I am com to myself indifferently well since I thank God for it and you cannot imagin how much the sight of you much more your society would revive me your presence would be a Cordiall unto me more restorative than exalted Gold more precious than the powder of Pearl wheras your absence if it continue long will prove unto me like the dust of Diamonds which is incurable poyson I pray be not accessary to my death but hasten to comfort your so long weather beaten friend Lond. Febr. 1. 1621. J. H. IV. To Sir James Crofts at the L. Darcy's in St. Osith SIR I am got again safely this side of the Sea and though I was in a very sickly case when I first arriv'd yet thanks be to God I am upon point of perfect recovery wherunto the sucking in of English air and the sight of som friends conduc'd not a little Ther is fearfull news com from Germany you 〈◊〉 how the Bohemians shook off the Emperors yoak and how the great Counsell of Prague fell to such a hurly bâ—…rly that som
of the Imperiall Counsellors were hurld out at the windows you heard also I doubt not how they offer'd the Crown to the Dâ—…ke of Saxony and he waving it they sent Ambassadors to the 〈◊〉 whom they thought might prove par negotio and to be able to go through-stitch with the work in regard of his powerfull alliance the King of great Britain being his Father in Law the King of Denmark the Prince of Oâ—…nge the Marq. of Brandenburg the Duke of Boâ—…illon his Uncles the States of Holland his Confederates the French King his friend and the Duke of Bavaria his near allye The Prince Palsgrave made some difficulty at first and most of his Counsellors opposed it others incited him to it and amongst other hortatives they told him That if he had the courage to venture upon a King of Englands sole Daughter he might very well venture upon a Soveraign Crown when it was tendered him Add hereunto that the States of Holland did mainly advance the worke and ther was good reason in policy for it for their twelve years Truce being then upon point of expiring with Spain and finding our King so wedded to Peace that nothing could divorce him from it they lighted upon this design to make him draw his Sword and engage hiâ—… against the House of Austria for the defence of his sole Daughter and his Gran-Children What his Majesty will do hereafter I will not presume to foretell but hitherto he hath given liâ—…tle countenance to the busines nay he utterly misliked it at first for wheras Doctor Hall gave the Prince Palsgrave the Title of King of Bohemia in his Pulpit Prayer he had a check for his pains for I heard his Majesty should say that ther is an implicit tie amongst Kings which obligeth them though ther be no other interest or particular engagement to stick unto and right one another upon insurrection of Subjects Therfore he had more reason to be against the Bohemians than to adhere to them in the deposition of their Soveraign Prince The King of Denmark sings the same note nor will he also allow him the appellation of King But the fearfull news I told you of at the beginning of this Letter is that ther are fresh tidings brought how the Prince Palsgrave had a well appointed Army of about 25000 horse and foot near Prague but the Duke of Bavaria came with scarce half the number and notwithstanding his long march gave them a sudden Battell and utterly routed them Insomnch that the new King of Bohemia hahaving not worn the Crown a whole twelvemonth was forced to flie with his Quâ—…n and children and after many difficulties they write that they are come to the Castle of Castrein the Duke of Brandenburghs Countrey his Uncle Tâ—…is news affects both Court and City here with much heavines I send you my humble thanks for the noble correspondence you pleased to hold with me abroad and I desire to know by the nexâ—… when you come to London that I may have the comfort of the sight of you after so long an absence Maâ—…ch the 1. 1619. Yourâ—… true Servitor J. H. V. To Dr. Fra Manâ—…ell at All Soules in Oxford I Am returned safe from my forain employment from my three years travell I did my best to make what advantage I could of the time though not so much as I should for I find that Peregrination wel us'd is a very profitable school it is a running Academy and nothing conduceth more to the building up and perfecting of a man Your honorable Uncle Sir Râ—…rt Mansell who is now in the Medâ—…erranean hath been very noble to me and I shall ever acknowledg a good part of my education from him He hath melted vast sums of money in the glass busines a busines indeed more proper for a Merchant than a Courtier I heard the King should say that he wondred Robin Mansell being a Sea-man wherby he hath got so much honour should fall from Water to tamper with Fire which are two contrary Elements My Father fears that this glass-employment will be too brittle a foundation for me to build a Fortune upon and Sir Robert being now at my comming back so far at Sea and his return uncertain my Father hath advised me to hearken after some other condition I attempted to goe Secretary to Sir Iohn Ayres to Constantinople but I came too late You have got your self a great deale of good repute by the voluntary resignation you made of the Principality of Iesus College to Sir Eubule Theloall in hope that he will be a considerable Benefactor to it I pray God he perform what he promiseth and that he be not over-partiall to North-wales men Now that I give you the first summon I pray you make me happy with your correspondence by Letters ther is no excuse or impediment at all left now for you are sure where to find me wheras I was a Landloper as the Dutch-man saith a wanderer and subject to incertain removes and short sojourns in divers places before So with apprecation of all happines to you here and hereafter I rest March 5. 1618. At your friendly dispose J. H. VI. To Sir Eubule Theloall Knight and Principall of Jesus Coll. in Oxford SIR I send you most due and humble thanks that notwithstanding I have played the Truant and been absent so long from Oxford you have been pleas'd lately to make choice of me to be Fellow of your new Foundation in Iesus College wherof I was once a Member As the quality of my Fortunes and cours of life run now I cannot make present use of this your great favour or promotion rather yet I do highly value it and humbly accept of it and intend by your permission to reserve and lay it by as a good warm garment against rough weather if any fall on me With this my expression of thankfulnes I do congratulate the great honour you have purchas'd both by your own beneficence and by your painfull endeavor besides to perfect that Nationall College which hereafter is like to be a Monument of your Fame as well as a Seminarie of Learning and will perpetuat your memory to all Posterity God Almighty prosper and perfect your undertakings and provide for you in Heaven those rewards which such publick works of Piety use to be crown'd withall it is the apprecation of Your truly devoted Servitor J. H. London idibus Mar. 1621. VII To my Father SIR according to the advice you sent me in your last while I sought after a new cours of employment a new employment hath lately sought after me My Lord Savage hath two young Gentlemen to his sonâ—…es and I am to goe travell with them Sit Iames Croftes who so much respects you was the main Agent in this busines and I am to goe shortly to Longmâ—…ford in Suffolk and â—…hence to Saint Osith in Essex to the Lord Darcy Queen Anne is lately dead of a Dropsie in Denmark house which is held to
a good while the interest of a Friend in me but you have me now in a streighter tie for I am your brother by your sate mariage which hath turnd friendship into an alliance you have in your arms one of my dearest sisters who I hope nay I know will make a good wife I heartily congratulate this mariage and pray that a blessing may descend upon it from that place where all mariages are made which is from Heaven the Fountain of all felicitie to this prayer I think it no prophaness to add the saying of the Lyric Poet Horace in whom I know you delight much and I send it you as a kind of Epithalamium and wish it may be verified in you both Foelices ter amplius Quos irrupta tenet copula nec malis Divulsus querimoniis Suprema citius solvet amor die Thus English'd That Couple's more than trebly blest Which nuptiall bonds do so combine That no distast can them untwine Till the last day send both to rest So dear brother I much rejoyce for this alliance and wish you may encrease and multiply to your hearts content May the 20 1622. Your affectionat brother J. H. XVII To my brother Doctor Howell from Brussels SIR I Had yours in Latin at Roterdam whence I corresponded with you in the same Language I heard though not from you since I came from Brussells that our sister Anne is lately maried to Mr Hugh Penry I am heartily glad of it and wish the rest of our fisters were so well bestowd for I know Mr Penry to be a Gentleman of a great deal of solid worth and integrity and one that will prove a great Husband and a good Oâ—…conomist Here is news that Mansfelâ—… hath receiv'd a foyl lately in Germany and that the Duke of Brunswick alias Bishop of Halverstadt hath lost one of his arms This maks them vapor here extremely and the last week I heard of a play the Jesuits of Antwerp made in derogation or rather derision of the proceedings of the Prince Palsgrave where amongst divers other passages they feignd a Post to com puffing upon the stage and being askd what news he answerd how the Palsgrave was like to have shortly a huge formidable Army for the King of Denmark was to send him a hundred thousand the Hollanders a hundred thousand and the King of great Britaine a hundred thousand but being asked thousands of what he replied the first would send 100000. red Herings the second 100000. Cheeses and the last 100000. Ambassadors alluding to Sir Richard Weston and Sir Edward Conway my Lord Carlile Sir Arthur Chichester and lastly the Lord Digby who have bin all imploy'd in quality of Ambassadors in lesse than two years since the beginning of these German broils touching the last having bin with the Emperor and the Duke of Bavaria and carried himself with such high wisdom in his negotiations with the one and stoutnes with the other and having preserv'd Count Mansfielâ—…s troups from disbanding by pawning his own argentry and Jewells he pass'd this way where they say the Archduke did esteem him more than any Ambassador that ever was in this Court and the report is yet very fresh of his high abilities Wee are to remove hence in coach towards Paris the next week where we intend to winter or hard by when you have opportunity to write to Wales I pray present my duty to my Father and my love to the rest I pray remember me also to all at the Hill and the Dale specially to that most vertuous Gentleman Sir Iohn Franklin So my dear brother I pray God continue and improve his blessings to us both and bring us again together with comfort Iune 10. 1622. Your brother J. H. XVIII To Dr. The Prichard at Worcester House SIR FRiendship is that great chain of human societie and intercours of letters is one of the chiefest links of that chain you know this as well as I therfore I pray let our friendship let our love that national ty of British love that vertuous ty of Academiâ—… love be still strengthned as heretofore and receive daily more and more vigor I am now in Paris and ther is weekly opportunity to receive and send and if you please to send you shall be sure to receive for I make it a kind of Religion to be punctuall in this kind of payment I am heartily glad to hear that you are becom a domestic member to that most noble Family of the Worcesters and I hold it to be a very good foundation for future preferment I wish you may be as happy in them as I know they will be happy in you Fâ—…ance is now barren of news only there was a shrewd brush lately twixt the young King and his Mother who having the Duke of Espernon and others for her Champions met him in open field about pont de Ce but she went away with the worst such was the rare dutifulnes of the King that he forgave her upon his knees and pardon'd all her complices And now ther is an universall Peace in this Countrey which t is thought will not last long for ther is a war intended against them of the reformd Religion for this King though he be slow in speech yet is he active in spirit and loves motion I am here camrade to a gallant young Gentleman my old acquaintance who is full of excellent parts which he hath acquir'd by a choice breeding the Baron his Father gave him both in the University and the Inns of Court so that for the time I envy no mans happines So with my hearty commends and 〈◊〉 â—…ndear'd love unto you I rest 〈◊〉 3. Aug. â—…622 Yours whiles Jam. Howell XIX To the honble Sir Tho. Savage after Lord Savage at his House upon Tower-Hill honble SIR THose many undeserved favors for which I stand oblig'd to your self and my noble Lady since the time I had the happines to com first under your roof and the command you pleas'd to lay upon me at my departure thence call upon me at this time to give you account how matters passe in France That which for the present affords most plenty of news is Rochell which the King threatneth to block up this Spring with an army by sea under the comand of the D. of Nevers and by a land army under his own conduct both sides prepare he to assault the Rochellers to defend The King declares that he proceeds not against them for their Religion which he is still contented to tolerat but for holding an Assembly against his Declarations They answer that their Assembly is grounded upon his Majesties royal Warrant given at the dissolution of the last Assembly at Lodun wher he solemnly gave his word to permit them to re-assemble when they would six months asâ—…er if the breaches of their liberty and grievances which they then propounded wer not redressed and they say this being unperform'd it stands not with the sacred Person of a
inserted in the answer whom he thought to be the fittest instrument for a Tyrant that ever was England should be so bold as to call the Prerogative of the Crown a great monster The Parliament after this was not long liv'd but broak up in discontent and upon the point of dissolution they made a Protest against divers particulars in the aforesaid answer of his Majesties My Lord Digby is preparing for Spain in qualitie of Ambassador Extraordinary to perfect the match twixt our Prince and the Lady Infanta in which business Gondamar hath waded already very deep and bin very active and ingratiated himself with divers persons of qualitie Ladies especially yet he could do no good upon the Lady Hatton whom he desird lately that in regard he was her next neighbor at Ely House he might have the benefit of her back gate to go abroad into the fields but she put him off with a Complement wherupon in a privat audience lately with the King amongst other passages of merriment he told him that my Lady Hatton was a strange Lady for she would not suffer her Husband Sir Edward Coke to com in at her foredore nor him to go out at her back dore and so related the whole business He was also dispatching a l'ost lately for Spain and the Post having receivd his packet and kisd his hands he calld him back and told him he had forgot one thing which was that when he came to Spain he should commend him to the Sun 〈◊〉 he had not seen him a great while and in Spain he should be sure to find him So with my most humble service to my Lord of Colchester I rest London Mar. 24. 1622. Your most humble Servitor J. H. IV To my brother Mr Hugh Penry Sir THe Welsh nag you sent me was deliverd me in a very good plight and I give you a thousand thanks for him I had occasion lately to try his mettle and his lungs and every one tells me he is right and of no mongâ—…ell race but a true Mountaneer for besides his toughness and strength of lungs up a hill he is quickly curried and content with short Commons I beleeve he hath not been long a highway traveller for wheras other horses when they pass by an Inne or Alehouse use to make towards them to give them a friendly visit this nâ—…g roundly goes on and scornes to cast as much as a glance upon any of them which I know not whether I shall impute it to his ignorance or height of spirit but conversing with the soft horses of England I beleeve he will quickly be brought to be more courteous The greatest news we have now is the return of the Lord BPP of Landass Davenant Ward and Belcanquell from the Synod of Dort where the Bishop had precedence given him according to his Epâ—…scopall dignity Arminius and Vorstius were sore baited there concerning Predestination Election and Reprobation as also touching Christs death and mans Redemption by it then concerning mans Corruption and Conversion lastly concerning the perseverance of the Saints I shall have shortly the transaction of the Synod The Jesuits have put out a geeâ—…ing libell against it and these two verses I remember in 't Dordrecti Synodus nodus chorus integer aeger Conventus ventus Sâ—…ffio stramen Amen But I will confront this Distich with another I read in France of the Iesuits in the Town of Dole towards Lorain they had a great house given them calld L'arâ—… arcum and upon the river of Lâ—… Henry the fourth gave them la fleche sagittam in â—…atin where they have two stately Convents that is Bow and Arrow wherupon one made these verses Arcum Dola dedit dedit ill is alma sagittam Francia quis chordam quam meruere dabit Faire France the Arrow Dole gave them the Bow Who shall the String which they deserve bestow No more now but that with my dear love to my Sister I rest London Aprill 16. 1622. Your most affectionate brother J. H. V. To the Lord Vicount Colchester My good Lord I receivd your Lopps of the last week and according to your command I send here inclos'd the Venetian gazet for forren aviso's they write that Mansfelt hath bin beaten out of Germany and is come to Sedan and 't is thought the Duke of Bouillon will set him up again with a new Army Marquis Spinola hath newly sat down before Berghen op zoom your Lopp knows well what consequence that Town is of therfore it is likely this will be a hot Summer in the Netherlands The French King is in open war against them of the Religion he hath already cleard the Loire by taking Ier seau and Saumur where Monâ—…r du Plessis sent him the keys which are promisd to be deliverd him again but I think ad Graecas Calendaâ—… He hath bin also before Saint Iohn d' angeli where the young Cardinall of Guyse died being struck down by the puffe of a Canon bullet which put him in a burning â—…eaver and made an end of him the last Town that 's taken was Clerac which was put to 50000. Crowns ransom many were put to the sword and divers Gentlemen drownd as they thought to scape this is the fifteenth cautionary Town the King hath taken and now they say he marcheth towards Montauban and so to Montpelliâ—…r and Nismâ—… and then have at Rochell My Lord Hayes is by this time 't is thought with the Army for Sir Edward Harbert is return'd having had som clashings and counterbuffs with the Favorite Luynes wherin he comported himself gallantly ther is a fresh report blown over that Luynes is lately dead in the Army of the Plague som say of the Purples the next cousen german to it which the Protestants give out to be the just judgement of Heaven â—…aln upon him because he incited his Master to these wars against them If he be not dead let him dy when he will he will leave a fame behind him to have bin the greatest Favorit for the time that ever was in France having from a simple Faulkner com to be high Constable and made himself and his younger brother Brand Dukes and Peers and his second brother Cadenet Marshall and all three maried to Princely Families No more now but that I most humbly kiss your Lopps hands and shall be alwaies most ready and chearfull to receive your commandments because I am London 12 Aug. 1623. Your Lordships obliged Servitor I. H. VI. To my Father from London SIR I was at a dead stand in the cours of my Fortunes when it pleas'd God to provide me lately an employment to Spain whence I hope there may arise both repute and profit Som of the Capâ—… Merchants of the Turky Company amongst whom the chiefest were Sir Robert Napper and Captain Leat propos'd unto me that they had a great business in the Court of Spain in agitation many yeers nor was it now their busines but the Kings in whose name it is followed
put by the gallanter man of the two I was told of a witty saying of his when the Duke of Lerma had the vogue in this Court for going one morning to speak with the Duke and having danc'd attendance a long time hee peep'd through a slit in the hanging and spied Don Rodrigo Calderon a great man who was lately beheaded here for poisning the late Queen Dowager delivering the Duke a Paper upon his knees wherat the Marquis smil'd and said Voto a tal aquâ—…l hombre sube mas a las rodillas que yo no hago a los pics I swear that man climbs higher upon his knees than I can upon my feet Indeed I have read it to be a true Court rule that descendendo ascendendum est in Aula descending is the way to ascend at Court Ther is a kind of humility and compliance that is far from any servile baseness or fordid flattery and may be term'd discretion rather than adulation I intend God willing to go for Sardinia this Spring I hope to have better luck than Master Walsingham Gresley had who some few years since in his passage thither upon the same business that I have in agitation met with some Turksmen of war and so was carried slave to Algier So with my true respects to you I rest Madrid 12 Mar. 1622. Your faithfull Servant J. H. XIV To Sir Francis Cottington Secretary to his Highnesse the Prince of Wales at Saint James SIR I Believe it will not be unpleasing unto you to hear of the procedure and successe of that business wherin your self hath been so long vers'd in I mean the great sute against the quondam Vice-roy of Sardinia the Conde del Real Count Gondamars comming was a great advantage unto me who hath don me many favors besides a confirmation of the two sentences of view and review and of the execution against the Vice-roy I have procur'd a Royall cedule which I caus'd to be printed and wherof I send you here inclos'd a Coppy by which Cedule I have power to arrest his very person and my Lawyers tell me ther was never such a cedule granted before I have also by vertue of it priority of all other his Creditors He hath made an imperfect overture of a composition and shewd me som triviall old fashion'd jewells but nothing equivalent to the debt And now that I speak of jewells the late surprisall of Ormus by the assistance of our ships sinks deep in their stomacks here and we were afraid it would have spoild all proceedings but my Lord Digby now Earl of Bristoll for Count Gondamar brought him ore his Patent hath calmd all things at his last audience Ther were luminaries of joy lately here for the victory that Don Gonzalez de Cordova got over Count Mansfelt in the Netherlands with that Army which the Duke of Bouillon had levied for him but some say they have not much reason to rejoyce for though the Infantery suffer'd yet Mansfelt got clear with all his horse by a notable retreat and they say here it was the greatest peece of service and Art he ever did it being a Maxim that ther is nothing so difficult in the Art of War as an honourable retreat Besides the report of his comming to Breda caus'd Marquis Spinola to raise the siege before Berghen to burn his tents and to pack away suddenly for which he is much censur'd here Captain Leat and others have written to me of the favourable report you pleas'd to make of my endeavors here for which I return you humble thanks and though you have left behind you multitude of servants in this Court yet if occasion were offerd none should be more forward to go on your errand then Madrid 15 Mar. 1622. Your humble and faithfull Servitor J. H. XV. To the honble Sir Tho Savage Knight and Baronet honble SIR THe great busines of the match was tending to a period the Articles reflecting both upon Church and State being capitulated and interchangeably accorded on both sides and ther wanted nothing to consummate all things when to the wonderment of the world the Prince and the Marquis of Buckingham arriv'd at this Court a friday last upon the close of the evening they lighted at my Lord of Bristols house and the Marquis Mr Thomas Smith came in first with a Portmantle under his arm then Mr Iohn Smith the Prince was sent for who staid a while the to'ther side of the street in the dark my Lord of Bristoll in a kind of astonishment brought him up to his bed chamber where he presently calld for pen and ink and dispacht a Post that night to England to acquaint his Majesty how in lesse then sixteen daies he was come safely to the Court of Spain that Post went lightly laden for he carried but three letters the next day came Sir Francis Cotington and Mr Porter and darke rumors ran in every corner how som great man was com from England and som would not stick to say amongst the vulgar it was the King but towards the evening on saturday the marquis went in a close coach to Court where he had privat audience of this King who sent Olivares to accompany him back to the Prince where he kneeld and kisd his hands and hugd his thighs and deliverd how unmeasurably glad his Catholic Majesty was of his coming with other high complements which Mr Porter did interpret About ten a clock that night the King himself came in a close coach with intent to visit the Prince who hearing of it met him halfway and after salutations and divers embraces which past in the first interview they parred late I forgot to tell you that Count Gondamar being sworn Counseller of State that morning having bin before but one of the Counsell of War he came in great hast to visit the Prince saying he had strange news to tell him which was that an Englishman was sworn privy Counseller of Spain meaning himself who he said was an Englishman in his heart On Sunday following the King in the afternoon came abroad to take the air with the Queen his two brothers and the Infanta who were all in one coach but the Infanta sat in the boot with a blew riband about her arm of purpose that the Prince might distinguish her ther were above twenty coaches besides of Grandes Noble men and Ladies that attended them And now iâ—… was publicly known amongst the vulgar that it was the Prince of Wales who was com and the confluence of people before my Lord of Bristolls house was so great and greedy to see the Prince that to clear the way Sir Lewis Divâ—…s went out and took coach and all the crowd of people went after him so the Prince himself a little after took coach wherin there were the Earl of Bristoll Sir Walter Ashton and Count Gondamar and so went to the Prado a place hard by of purpose to take the air where they stayed till the King past by as soon as
did rise betimes and went thither taking your brother with him they were let into the house and into the garden but the Infanta was in the orchard and there being a high partition wall between and the door doubly bolted the Prince got on the top of the wall and sprung down a great hight and so made towards her but she spying him first of all the rest gave a shâ—…eck and ran back the old Marquis that was then her gardien came towards the Prince and fell on his knees conjuring his Highnesse to retire in regard he hazarded his head if he admitted any to her company so the door was open'd and he came out under that wall over which he had got in I have seen him watch a long hour together in a close Coach in the open street to see her as she went abroad I cannot say that the Prince did ever talk with her privatly yet publickly often my Lord of Bristoll being Interpreter but the King always sat hard by to over-hear all Our cosen Archy hath more privilege than any for he often goes with his fools coat where the Infanta is with her Meninas and Ladies of honor and keeps a blowing and blustering amongst them and fluâ—…ts out what he list One day they were discoursing what a marvellous thing it was that the Duke of Bavaria with lesse then 15000 men after a long toylsom March should dare to encounter the Palsgraves army consisting of above 2500â—… and to give them an utter discomfiture and take Prague presently after Wherunto Archy answered that he would tell them a stranger thing than that was it not a strange thing quoth he that in the year 88 ther should com a Fleet of one hundred and forty sails from Spain to invade England and that ten of these could not go back to tell what became of the rest By the next opportunity I will send you the Cordovan pockets and gloves you writ for of Francisco Morenos persuming So may my dear Captain live long and love his Madrid Iuly 10. 1623. J. H. XIX To my Cosen Tho. Guin Esqr. at his house Trecastle Cosen I Received lately one of yours which I cannot compare more properly than to a posie of curious flowers ther was therin such variety of sweet strains and dainty expressions of love And though it bore an old date for it was forty days before it came to safe hand yet the flowers were still fresh and not a whit faded but did cast as strong and as fragrant a sent as when your hands bound them up first together only ther was one flower that did not savor so well which was the undeserved Character you please to give of my smal abilities which in regard you look upon me through the prospective of affection appear greater unto you than they are of themselvs yet as smal as they are I would be glad to employ them all to serve you upon any occasion Wheras you desire to know how matters pass here you shall understand that we are rather in assurance than hopes that the match will take effect when one dispatch more is brought from Rome which we greedily expect The Spaniards generally desire it they are much taken with our Prince with the bravery of his journey and his discreet comportment since and they confess ther was never Princess courted with more gallantry The wits of the Court here have made divers Encomiums of him of his affection to the L Infanta Amongst others I send you a Latin Poem of one Marnieriâ—…s a Valenciano to which I add this ensuing Hexastic which in regard of the difficulty of the Verse consisting of all Ternaries which is the hardest way of versifying and of the exactness of the translation I believe will give you content Fax grata est gratum est vulnus mihi grata catena est Me quibus astringit laedit urit Amor Sed flammam extingui sanari vulnera solvi Vincla etiam ut possem non ego posse velim Mirum equidem genus hoc morbi est incendia ictus Vinclaque vinctus adbuc laesus ustus amo Gratefull's to me the fire the wound the chain By which love burns love binds and giveth pain But for to quench this fire these bonds to loose These wounds to heal I would not could I choose Strange sickness where the wounds the bonds the fire That burns that bind that hurt I must desire In your next I pray send me your opinion of these verses for I know you are a Critic in Poetry Mr Vaugham of the Golden-grove and I were Camerades and bedfellows here many moneths together his father Sir Iohn Vaughan the Prince his Controuler is lately com to attend his Master My Lord of Carlile my Lord of Holland my Lord of Rochfort my Lord of Denbigh and divers others are here so that we have a very flourishing Court and I could wish you were here to make one of the number So my dear cosen I wish you all happiness and our noble Prince a safe and successfull return to England Madrid 13 Aug. 1623. Your most affectionate Cosen J. H. XX. To my noble friend Sir John North. SIR THe long look'd-for Dispensation is come from Rome but I hear it is clogg'd with new clauses and one is that the Pope who allegeth that the only aim of the Apostolicall See in granting this Dispensation was the advantage and case of the Catholics in the King of great Britaines Dominions therfore he desir'd a valuable caution for the performance of those Articles which were stipulated in their favor this hath much puzled the busines and Sir Francis Cotington comes now over about it Besides ther is som distast taken at the Duke of Buckingham here and I heard this King should say he will treat no more with him but with the Ambassadors who he saith have a more plenary Commission and understand the busines better As ther is som darknes hapned twixt the two Favorits so matters stand not â—…ight twixt he Duke and the Earl of Bristoll but God forbid that a busines of so high a consequence as this which is likely to tend so much to the universall good of Christendom to the restitution of the Palatinat and the composing those broils in Germany should be ranversd by differences twixt a few privat subjects though now public Ministers Mr Washington the Prince his Page is lately dead of a Calenture and I was at his buriall under a Figtree behind my Lord of Bristols house A little before his death one Ballard and English Priest went to tamper with him and Sir Edmund Varney meeting him coming down the stairs out of Washingtons chamber they fell from words to blows but they were parted The busines was like to gather very ill bloud and com to a great height had not Count Gondamar quasht it which I beleeve he could not have done unles the times had bin favorable for such is the reverence they bear to
the Church here and so holy a conceit they have of all Ecclesiastics that the greatest Don in Spain will tremble to offer the mean'st of them any outrage or affront Count Gondamar hath also helpt to free som English that were in the Inquisition in Toledo and Sevill and I could allege many instances how ready and chearfull he is to assist any Englishman whatsoever notwithstanding the base affronts he hath often receivd of the London buys as he calls them At his last return hither I heard of a merry saying of his to the Queen who discoursing with him about the greatnesse of London and whether it was as populous as Madrid yes Madame and more populous when I came away though I beleeve ther 's scarce a man left there now but all women and children for all the mem both in Court and City were ready booted and spurd to go away And I am sorry to hear how other Nations do much tax the English of their incivility to public Ministers of State and what ballads and pasquils and fopperies and plays were made against Gondamar for doing his Masters busines My Lord of Bristoll coming from Germany to Brussells notwithstanding that at his arrivall thither the news was fresh that he had reliev'd Frankindale as he past yet was he not a whit the less welcom but valued the more both by the Archdutchess her self and Spinoâ—… with all the rest as also that they knew well that the said Earl had bin the sole adviser of keeping Sir Robert Mansell abroad with that Fleet upon the coast of Spain till the Palsgrave should be restord I pray Sir when you go to London wall and Tower hill be pleas'd to remember my humble service where you know it is due So I am Madrid Aug. 15. 1623. Your most faithfull Servitor J. H. V. To the right honble the Lord Vicount Colchester My very good Lord I Receiv'd the letter and commands your Lopp pleas'd to send me by Mr Walsingham Gresley and touching the Constitutions and Orders of the Contratation House of the West Indies in Sevill I cannot procure it for love or money upon any terms though I have done all possible diligence therin And som tell me it is dangerous and no less then Treason in him that gives the copy of them to any in regard 't is counted the greatest Mystery of all the Spanish government That difficulty which hapned in the busines of the match of giving caution to the Pope is now overcome for wheras our King answer'd that he could give no other caution than his Royall word and his sons exemplified under the great Seal of England and confirm'd by his Counsell of State it being impossible to have it done by Parliament in regard of the aversnes the common people have to the alliance And wheras this gave no satisfaction to Rome the King of Spain now offers himself for caution for putting in execution what is stipulated in behalf of the Roman Catholics throughout his Majestie of great Britain's Dominions but he desires to consult his ghostly fathers to know whether he may do iâ—… without wronging his conscience hereupon there hath bin a Iâ—…ta form'd of Bishops and Iesuits who have bin already a good while about it and the Bishop of Segovia who is as it were Lord Threasurer having written a Treatise lately against the match was outed of his Office banisht the Court and confin'd to his Diocess The Duke of Buckingham hath bin ill dispos'd a good while and lies sick at Court where the Prince hath no public exercise of devotion but only bedchamber prayers and some thinâ—… that his lodging in the Kings house is like to prove a disadvantagâ—… to the main business for wheras most sorts of people here hardly hold us to be Christians if the Prince had had a Palace of his own and bin permitted to have us'd a room for an open Chappell to exercise the Liturgy of the Church of England it would have brought them to have a better opinion of us And to this end ther were som of our best Church plate and vestments brought hither but never us'd The slow place of this Iunta troubles us a little and to the Divines ther are som Civilians admitted lately and the quaere is this whether the King of Spain may bind himself by oath in the behalf of the King of England to perform such and such Articles that are agreed on in favour of the Roman Catholics by vertue of this match whether the King may doe this salva conscientia Ther was a great show lately here of baiting of bulls with men for the entertainment of the Prince it is the chiefest of all Spanish sports commonly ther are men killd at it therfore ther are Priests appointed to be there ready to confess them It hath hapned oftentimes that a Bull hath taken up two men upon his horns with their guts dangling about them the horsemen run with lances and swords the foot with goads As I am told the Pope hath sent divers Bulls against this sport of bulling yet it will not be left the Nation hath taken such an habituall delight in it Ther was an ill favord accident like to have hapned lately at the Kings house in that part wher my Lord of Carlile and my Lord Denbigh were lodg'd for my Lord Denbigh late at night taking a pipe of Tobacco in a Balcone which hung over the Kings garden he blew down the ashes which falling upon som parchd combustible matter began to flame and spread but Master Davis my Lord of Carliles Barber leapt down a great height and quencht it So with continuance of my most humble service I rest ever ready Madrid Aug. 16. 1623. At your Lopps commands J. H. XXI To Sir James Crofts from Madrid SIR THe Court of Spain affords now little news for ther is a Remora sticks to the busines of the match till the Iunta of Divines give up their opinion But from Turky ther came a Letter this week wherin ther is the strangest and most tragicall news that in my small reading no Sory can parallell or shew with more pregnancie the instability and tottering estate of human greatnes and the sandy foundation wheron the vast Ottoman Empire is reard upon For Sultan Osman the grand Turk a man according to the humor of that Nation warlike and fleshd in bloud and a violent hater of Christians was in the flower of his yeers in the heat and height of his courage knockt in the head by one of his own slaves and one of the meanest of them with a battle axe and the murtherer never after proceeded against or questioned The ground of this Tragedy was the late ill success he had against the Pole wherin he lost about 100000. horse for want of forrage and 80000. men for want of fighting which he imputed to the cowardize of his Ianizaries who rather than bear the brunt of the battell were more willing to return home to their
in every corner for this Asiatic voyage and what ill consquences might ensue from it therfore it might well stand with his great wisdom to stay it but if it held he desir'd him to leave a charge with the Chimacham his Deputy that the English Nation in the Port should be free from outrages wherunto the Grand Visier answer'd Trouble not your self about that for I will not remove so far from Constantinople but I wil leave one of my legs behind to serve you which prov'd too true for he was murther'd afterwards and one of his legs was hung up in the Hippodrome This fresh Tragedy makes me to give over wondring at any thing that ever I heard or read to shew the lubricity of mundan greatnes as also the fury of the vulgar which like an impetuous Torrent gathereth strength by degrees as it meets with divers Dams and being come to the hight cannot stop it self for when this rage of the soldiers began first there was no design at all to violat or hurt the Emperor but to take from him his ill Counsellors but being once a foot it grew by insensible degrees to the utmost of outrages The bringing out of Mustapha from the Dungeon where he was prisoner to be Emperor of the Musulmans puts me in mind of what I read in Mr. Camden of our late Queen Elizabeth how she was brought from the Scaffold to the English Throne They who profess to be Criticks in policy here hope that this murthering of Osman may in time breed good bloud and prove advantageous to Christendom for though this be the first Emperor of the Turks that was dispatcht so he is not like to be the last now that the soldiers have this precedent others think that if that design in Asia had taken it had been very probable the Constantinopolitans had hoisd up another King and so the Empire had been dismembred and by this division had lost strength as the Roman Empire did when it was broken into East and West Excuse me that this my Letter is become such a Monster I mean that it hath past the sise and ordinary proportion of a Letter for the matter it treats of is monstrous besides it is a rule that Historicall Letters have more liberty to be long than others In my next you shall hear how matters pass here in the mean time and always I rest Madrid Aug. 17. 1623. Your Lordships most devoted Servitor J. H. XXII To the Right honble Sir Tho. Savage Knight and Baronet honble SIR THe procedure of things in relation to the grand busines the match was at kind of a stand when the long winded Iunta deliver'd their opinions and fell at last upon this result that his Catholic Majesty for the satisfaction of St. Peter might oblige himself in the behalf of England for the performance of those capitulations which reflected upon the Roman Catholics in that Kingdom and in case of non-performance then to right himself by war since that the matrimoniall Articles were solemnly sworne unto by the King of Spain and his Highness the two Favorits our two Ambassadors the Duke of Infantado and other Counsellors of State being present hereupon the eighth of the next September is appointed to be the day of Desposorios the day of affiance or the betrothing day ther was much gladnes exprest here and luminaries of joy were in every great street throughout the City but there is an unlucky accident hath interven'd for the King gave the Prince a solemn visit since and told him Pope Gregory was dead who was so great a friend to the match but in regard the busines was not yet com to perfection he could not proceed further in it till the former Dispensation were ratified by the new Pope Vrban which to procure he would make it his own task and that all possible expedition should be us'd in 't and therfore desir'd his patience in the interim The Prince answer'd and prest the necessity of his speedy return with divers reasons he said ther was a generall kind of murmuring in England for his so long abseuce that the King his Father was old and sickly that the Fleet of shipe were already he thought at Sea to fetch him the winter drew on and withall that the Articles of the match were sign'd in England with this proviso that if he be not com back by such a month they should be of no validity The King replyed that since his Highness was resolv'd upon so suddain a departure he would please to leave a Proxy behind to â—…ish the marriage and he would take it for a favor if he would depute Him to personat him and ten days after the ratification shal come from Rome the busines should be don and afterwards he might send for his wife when he pleas'd The Prince rejoyn'd that amongst those multitudes of royall favors which he had receiv'd from his Majesty this transcended all the rest therfore hee would most willingly leave a Proxy for his Majesty and another for Don Carlos to this effect so they parted for that time without the least ombrage of discontent nor do I hear of any engendred since The last month 't is true the Iunta of Divines dwelt so long upon the busines that ther were whisperings that the Prince intended to go away disguis'd as he came and the question being ask'd by a person of quality ther was a brave answer made that iâ—… love brought him thither it is not fear shall drive him away There are preparations already a foot for his return and the two Prexies are drawn and left in my Lord of Bristolls hands Notwithstanding this ill favord stop yet we are here all confident the busines will take effect In which hopes I rest Madrid 18 Aug. 1623. Your most humble and ready Servitor J. H. XXIII To Captain Nich Leat at his house in London SIR THis Letter comes to you by Mr. Richard Altham of whose sudden departure hence I am very sorry it being the late death of his brother Sir Iames Altham I have been at a stand in the busines a gond while for his Highness comming hither was no advantage to me in the earth He hath done the Spaniards divers courtesies but he hath been very sparing in doing the English any It may be perhaps because it may be a diminution of honor to be beholden to any forraign Prince to do his own Subjects favors but my busines requires no favor all I desire is justice which I have not obtain'd yet in reality The Prince is preparing for his jorney I shall to 〈◊〉 again closely when he is gone and make a shaft or a bolt of it The Popes death hath retarded the proceedings of the match but we are so far from despairing of it that one may have wagers thirty to one it will take effect still He that deals with this Nation must have a great deal of phlegme and if this grand busines of State the match suffer such
you lately did to a kinsman of mine Mr. Vaughan and for divers other which I defer till I return to that Court and that I hope will not be long Touching the procedure of matters here you shall understand that my Lord Aston had speciall audience lately of the King of Spain and afterwards presented a Memorial wherin ther was a high complaint against the miscarriage of the two Spanish Ambassadors now in England the Marquis of Inopifa and Don Carlos Coloma the substance of it was that the said Ambassadors in a privat audience his Majesty of great Britain had given them informd him of a pernicions plot against his Person and royall authority which was that at the beginning of your now Parliament the Duke of Buckingham with others his complices often met and consulted in a clandestin way how to break the treatie both of Match and Palatinat and in case his Majesty was unwilling therunto he should have a Countrey house or two to retire unto for his recreation and health in regard the Prince is now of years judgment fit to govern His Majesty so resented this that the next day he sent them many thanks for the care they had of him and desird them to perfect the work and now that they had detected the treason to discover also the traitors but they were shy in that point the King sent again desiring them to send him the names of the Conspirators in a paper seald up by one of their own confidents which he would receive with his own hands and no soul should see it els advising them withall that they should not prefer this discovery before their own honors to be accounted false Accusers they replied that they had don enough already by instancing in the Duke of Buckingham and it might easily be guest who were his Confidents and Creatures Hereupon his Majesty put those whom he had any grounds to suspect to their oaths And afterward sent my Lord Conway and Sir Francis Cotington to tell the Ambassadors that he had left no means unassaid to discover the Conspiration that he had sound upon oath such a clearness of ingenuity in the Duke of Buckingham thâ—… satisfied him of his innocency Therfore he had just cause to conceive that this information of theirs proceeded rather from malice and som politicall ends then from truth and in regard they would not produce the Authors of so dangerous a Treason they made themselves to be justly thought the Authors of it And therfore though he might by his own royall justice and the law of nations punish this excesse and insolence of theirs and high wrong they had done to his best servants yea to the Prince his Son for through the sides of the Duke they wounded him in regard it was impossible that such a design should be attempted without his privity yet he would not be his own Judge herein but would refer them to the King their Master whom he conceiv'd to be so just that hee doubted not but he would see him satisfied and therfore hee would send an express unto him hereabouts to demand Justice and reparation this busines is now in agitation but we know not what will become of it We are all here in a sad disconsolat condition and the Merchants shake their heads up and down out of an apprehension of som fearfull war to follow so I most affectionatly kiss your hands and rest Madrid Aug. 26 1623. Your very humble and ready Servitor J. H. XXIX To Sir Kenelme Digby Knight SIR YOu have had knowledge none better of the progression and growings of the Spanish match from time to time I must acquaint you now with the rupture and utter dissolution of it which was not long a doing for it was done in one audience that my Lord of Bristoll had lately at Court whence it may be inferr'd that 't is far more easie to pull down than reare up for that structure which was so many years a rearing was dasht as it were in a trice Dissolution goeth a faster pace than Composition And it may be said that the civill actions of men specially great affairs of Monarchs as this was have much Analogie in degrees of progression with the naturall production of man To make man there are many acts must procede first a meeting and copulation of the Sexes then Conception which requires a well-disposed womb to retain the prolificall seed by the constriction and occlusion of the orifice of the Matrix which seed being first bloud and afterwards cream is by a gentle ebullition coagulated and turnd to a crudded lump which the womb by vertue of its naturall heat prepares to be capable to receive form and to be organiz'd wherupon Nature falls a working to delineat all the members beginning with those that are most noble as the Heart the Brain the Liver wherof Galen would have the Liver which is the shop and source of the bloud and Aristotle the Heart to be the first fram'd in regard 't is primùm vivens ultimùm moriens Nature continues in this labor untill a perfect shape be introduc'd and this is call'd Formation which is the third act and is a production of an organicall body out of the spermatic substance caus'd by the plastic vertue of the vitall spirits and somtimes this act is finisht thirty days after the Conception somtimes fifty but most commonly in forty two or forty five and is sooner don in the male This being done the Embryon is animated with three souls the first with that of Plants call'd the vegetable soul then with a sensitive which all brute Animals have and lastly the Rationall soul is infus'd and these three in man are like Trigonus in Tetragono the two first are generated ex Traduce from the seed of the Parents but the last is by immediat infusion from God and 't is controverted 'twixt Philosophers and Divines when this infusion is made This is the fourth act that goeth to make man and is called Animation and as the Naturalists allow Animation double the time that Formation had from the Conception so they allow to the ripening of the Embryo in the womb and to the birth therof treble the time that Animation had which hapneth somtimes in nine somtimes in ten months This Grand busines of the Spanish match may be said to have had such degrees of progression first there was a meeting and coupling on both sides for a Iunta in in Spain and som select Counsellors of State were appointed in England After this Conjunction the busines was conceiv'd then it receiv'd form then life though the quickning was slow but having had nere upon ten years in lieu of ten months to be perfected it was infortunately strangled when it was ripe and ready for birth and I would they had never been born that did it for it is like to be out of my way 30 ol And as the Embryo in the womb is wrapt in three membranes or tunicles so this
any They have another saying a French-woman in a dance a Dutch-woman in the kitchin an Italian in a window an English-woman at board and the Spanish a bed When they are maried they have a privilege to wear high shooes and to paint which is generally practised here and the Queen useth it her self They are coy enough but not so froward as our English for if a Lady go along the street and all women going here vaild and their habit so generally like one can hardly distinguish a Countess from a Coblers wife if one should cast out an odd ill sounding word and ask her a favour she will not take it ill but put it off and answer you with some wittie retort After 30 they are commonly past child-â—…earing and I have seen women in England look as youthfull at 50 as some here at 25. Money will do miracles here in purchasing the favor of Ladies or any thing els though this be the Countrey of money for it furnisheth well-near all the world besides yea their very enemies as the Turk and Hollander insomuch that one may say the Coyn of Spain is as Catholic as her King Yet though he be the greatest King of gold and silver Mines in the world I think yet the common currant Coin here is Copper and herein I beleeve the Hollander hath done him more mischief by counterfeiting his Copper Coins than by their armes bringing it in by strange surreptitious waies as in hollow Sows of Tin and Lead hollow Masts in pitcht Buckets under water and other waies But I fear to be injurious to this great King to speak of him in so narrow a compass a great King indeed though the French in a slighting way compare his Monarchy to a Beggars Cloak made up of patches they are patches indeed but such as he hath not the like The East Indies is a patch embroyder'd with Pearl Rubies and Diamonds Peru is a patch embroider'd with massie gold Mexico with silver Naples and Milain are patches of cloth of Tissue and if these patches were in one peece what would become of his cloak embroyderd with flower deluces So desiring your Lopp to pardon this poor imperfect paper considering the high quality of the subject I rest Madrid 1 Feb. 1623. Your Lordships most humble Servitor J. H. XXXI To Mr Walsingham Gresly from Madrid Don Balchasar I Thank you for your Letter in my Lords last packet wherin among other passages you write unto me the circumstances of Marques Spinola's raising his Leaguer by flatting and firing his works before Berghen He is much tax'd here to have attempted it and to have buried so much of the Kings tresure before that town in such costly Trenches A Gentleman came hither lately who was at the siege all the while and he told me one strange passage how Sir Ferdinando Cary a huge corpulent Knight was shot through his body the bullet entring at the Navell and comming out at his back kill'd his man behind him yet he lives still and is like to recover With this miraculous accident he told me also a merry one how a Captain that had a Woodden Leg Booted over had it shatterd to peeces by a Cannon Bullet his Soldiers crying out a Surgeon a Surgeon for the Captain no no said he a Carpenter a Carpenter will serve the tuâ—…n To this pleasant tale I 'le add another that happen'd lately in Alcala hard by of a Dominican Fryer who in a solemn Procession which was held there upon Ascension day last had his stones dangling under his habit cut off insteed of his pocket by a cut-purse Before you return hither which I understand will be speedily I pray bestow a visit on our friends in Bishopsgate-street So I am â—… Feb. 1623. Your faithfull Servitor J. H. XXXIII To Sir Robert Napier Knight at his house in Bishops-gate-street from Madrid SIR THe late breach of the Match hatch broke the neck of all businesses here and mine suffers as much as any I had access lately to Olivares once or twice I had audience also of the King to whom I presented a memoriall that intimated Letters of Mart unless satisfaction were had from his Vice-roy the Conde del Real the King gave me a gracious answer but Olivares a churlish one viz. That when the Spaniards had justice in England we should have justice here So that notwithstanding I have brought it to the highest point and pitch of perfection in Law that could be and procur'd som dispatches the like wherof were never granted in this Court before yet I am in dispair now to do any good I hope to be shortly in England by God grace to give you and the rest of the proprietaries a punctuall account of all things And you may easily conceive how sorry I am that matters succeeded not according to your expectation and my endeavours but I hope you are none of those that measure things by the event The Earl of Bristoll Count Gondamar and my Lord Ambassador Aston did not only do courtesies but they did cooperate with me in it and contributed their utmost endeavours So I rest Madrid 19. Feb. 1623. Yours to serve you J. H. XXXIV To Mr. A. S. in Alicant MUch endeared Sir Fire you know is the common emblem of love But without any disparagement to so noble a passion me thinks it might be also compar'd to tinder and Letters are the proper'st matter wherof to make this tinder Letters again are fittest to kindle and re-accend this tinder they may serve both for flint steel and match This Letter of mine comes therfore of set purpose to strike som sparkles into yours that it may glow and burn and receive ignition and not lie dead as it hath don a great while I make my pen to serve for an instrument to stir the cinders wherewith your old love to me hath bincover'd a long time therfore I pray let no covurez-fâ—…u Bell have power hereafter to rake up and choak with the ashes of oblivion that cleer slame wherwith our affections did use to sparkle so long by correspondence of Letters and other offices of love I think I shall sojourn yet in this Court these three moneths for I will not give over this great busines while ther is the least breath of hope remaining I know you have choice matter of intelligence somtimes from thence therfore I pray impait som unto us and you shall not fail to know how matters pass here weekly So with my bâ—…sa manos to Francisco Imperiall I rest Madrid 3 Mar. 1623. Yours most affectionately to serve you J. H. XXXV To the Honble Sir T. S. at Tower-Hill SIR I Was yesterday at the Escuriall to see the Monastery of Saint Laurence the eight wonder of the World and truly considering the site of the place the state of the thing and the symmetry of the structure with divers other raritles it may be call'd so for what I have seen in Italy and other places are but bables to
ever was taken on salt-water Add hereunto that while we were thus Masters of those Seas a Fleet of fifty sail of Brasil men got safe into Lisbon with four of the richest Caraâ—…ks that ever came from the East-Indies I hear my Lord of Saint Davids is to be remov'd to Bath and Wells and it were worth your Lordships comming up to endeavor the succeeding of him So I humbly rest Lond. 20 Novem. 1626. Your Lordships most ready Servitor J. H. XVIII To my Lord Duke of Buckinghams Grace at New-Market MAy it please your Grace to peruse and pardon these few Advertisements which I would not dare to present had I not hopes that the goodnes which is concomitant with your greatnes would make them veniall My Lord a Parliament is at hand the last was boisterous God grant that this may prove more calm A rumor runs that ther are Clouds already ingendred which will break out into a storm in the lower Regionâ—… and most of the drops are like to fall upon your Grace This though it be but vulgar Astrology is not altogether to bee contemn'd though I believe that His Majesties countenance reflecting so strongly upon your Grace with the brightnes of your own innocency may be able to dispell and scatter them to nothing My Lord you are a great Prince and all eyes are upon your actions this makes you more subject to envy which like the Sun beams beats alwayes upon rising grounds I know your Grace hath many sage and solid heads about you yet I trust it â—… will prove no offence if out of the late relation I have to your Grace by the recommendation of such Noble personages I put in also my Mite My Lord under favor it were not amiss if your Grace would be pleased to part with som of those places you hold which have least relation to the Court and it would take away the mutterings that run of multiplicity of Offices and in my shallow apprehension your Grace might stand more firm without an Anchor The Office of High Admirall in these times of action requires one whole man to execute it your Grace hath another Sea of businesses to wade through and the voluntary resigning of this Office would fill all men yea even your enemies with admiration and affection and make you more a Prince than detract from your greatnes If any ill successes happen at Sea as that of the Lord Wimbledons lately or if ther be any murmur for pay your Grace will be free from all imputations besides it will afford your Grace more leasure to look into your own affairs which lie confus'd and unsetled Lastly which is not the least thing this act will be so plausible that it may much advantage His Majesty in point of Subsidy Secondly it were expedient under correction that your Grace would be pleas'd to allot som set hours for audience and access of Suters and it would be less cumber to your Self and your Servants and give more content to the World which often mutters for difficulty of access Lastly it were not amiss that your Grace would settle a standing Mansion-house and Family that Suters may know whither to repair constantly and that your Servants evry one in his place might know what belongs to his place and attend accordingly for though confusion in a great Family carry a kind of state with it yet order and regularity gains a greater opinion of vertue and wisdom I know your Grace doth not nor needs not affect popularity It is true that the peoples love is the strongest Cittadell of a Soveraign Prince but to a great subject it hath often prov'd fatall for he who pulleth off his Hat to the People giveth his Head to the Prince and it is remarkable what was said of a late infortunat Earl who a little before Queen Elizabeths death had drawn the Ax upon his own Neck That he was grown so popular that he was too dangerous for the times and the times for him My Lord now that your Grace is threatned to be heav'd at it should behove evry one that oweth you duty and good will to reach out his hand som way or other to serve you Amonst these I am one that presumes to doe it in this poor impertinent Paper for which I implore pardon because I am Lond. 13 Febr. 1626. My Lord Your Grace's most humble and faithfull Servant J. H. XIX To Sir J. S. Knight SIR THer is a saying which carrieth no little weight with it that Parvus amor loquitur ingens stapet Small love speaks while great love stands astonish'd with silence The one keeps a tatling while the other is struck dumb with amazement like deep Rivers which to the eye of the beholder seem to stand still while small shallow Rivulets keep a noise or like empty Casks that make an obstreperous hollow sound which they would not do were they replenish'd and full of Substance T is the condition of my love to you which is so great and of that profoundnes that it hath been silent all this while being stupified with the contemplation of those high Favours and sundry sorts of Civilities wherwith I may say you have overwhelm'd me This deep Foard of my affection and gratitude to you I intend to cut out hereafter into small currents I mean into Letters that the cours of it may be heard though it make but a small bubling noise as also that the clearnes of it may appear more visible I desire my Service be presented to my noble Lady whose fair hands I humbly kiss and if shee want any thing that London can afford she need but command her and Lond. 11. of Febr 1626. Your most faithfull and ready Servitor J. H. XX. To the Right honble the Earl R. My Lord ACcording to promise and that portion of obedience I ow to your commands I send your Lordship these few Avisos som wherof I doubt not but you have received before and that by â—…bler pens than mine yet your Lordship may happily find herein somthing which was omitted by others or the former news made clearer by circumstance I hear Count Mansfelt is in Paris having now receiv'd three routings in Germany 't is thought the French King will peece him up again with new recruits I was told that as he was seeing the two Queens one day at Dinner the Queen-Mother said they say Count Mansfelt is here amongst this Croud I do not believe it quoth the young Queen For whensoever he seeth a Spaniard he runs away Matters go untowardly on our side in Germanie but the King of Denmark will be shortly in the field in person and Bethlem Gabor hath been long expected to do somthing but som think he will prove but a Bugbear Sir Charls Morgan is to go to Germanie with 6â—…00 Anxiliaries to joyn with the Danish Army The Parliament is adjourn'd to Oxford by reason of the sicknes which increaseth exceedingly and before the King went out of Town ther dyed
trust while I was in this suspence Mr. Secretary Câ—…way sent for me and propos'd unto me that the King had occasion to send a Gentleman to Italy in nature of a moving Agent and though he might have choice of persons of good quality that would willingly undertake this employment yet understanding of my breeding he made the first proffer to me and that I should go as the Kings Servant and have allowance accordingly I humbly thank'd him for the good opinion he pleas'd to conceive of me being a stranger to him and desir'd som time to consider of the proposition and of the nature of the imployment so he granted me four daies to think upon 't and two of them are pass'd already If I may have a support accordingly I intend by Gods grace desiring your consent and blessing to go along to apply my self to this cours but before I part with England I intend to send you further notice The sicknes is miraculously decreas'd in this City and Suburbs for from two and fiftie hundred which was the greatest number that died in one week and that was som fourty daies since they are now fallen to three hundred It was the violent'st â—…t of contagion that ever was for the time in this Island and such as no story can parallell but the Ebb of it was more swift than the Tide My brother is well and so are all your friends here for I do not know any of your acquaintance that 's dead of this furious infection Sir Iohn Walter ask'd me lately how you did and wish'd me to remember him to you So with my love to all my Brothers and Sisters and the rest of my friends which made so much of me lately in the Countrey I rest London 7 Aug. 1626. Your dutifull Son J. H. XXV To the right honble the Lord Conway Principall Secretary of State to his Majesty at Hampton Court Right honble SInce I last attended your Lopp here I summond my thoughts to Counsell and canvas'd to and fro within my self the busines you pleas'd to impart unto me for going upon the Kings Service to Italy I considered therin many particulars First the weight of the imployment what maturity of judgement discretion and parts are requir'd in him that will personat such a man next the difficulties of it for one must send somtimes light out of darknes and like the Bee suck Honey out of bad as out of good Flowers thirdly the danger which the undertaker must convers withall and which may fall upon him by interception of Letters or other cross casualties lastly the great expence it will require being not to remain Sedentary in one place as other Agents but to be often in itinerary motion Touching the first I refer my self to your Honours favourable opinion and the Character which my Lord S. and others shall give of me for the second I hope to overcom it for the third I weigh it not so that I may merit of my King and Countrey for the last I crave leave to deal plainly with your Lopp that I am a Cadet and have no other patrimony or support but my breeding therfore I must breath by the imployment And my Lord I shall not be able to perform what shall be expected at my hands under one hundred pounds a quarter and to have bills of credit accordingly Upon these terms my Lord I shall apply my self to this Service and by Gods blessing hope to answer all expectations So referring the premisses to your Noble consideration I rest London Sept. 8. 1626. My Lord Your very humble and ready Servitor J. H XXVI To my Brother after Dr. Howell now Bishop of Bristoll My brother NExt to my Father 't is fitting you should have cognisance of my affairs and fortunes You heard how I was in agitation for an employment in Italy but my Lord Conway demurr'd upon the salary I propounded I have now wav'd this cours yet I came off fairly with my Lord for I have a stable home emploiment proffer'd me by my Lord Scroop Lord President of the North who sent for me lately to Worcester House though I never saw him before and there the bargain was quickly made that I should go down with him to York for Secretary and his Lordship hath promis'd me fairly I will see you at your House in Horsley before I go and leave the particular circumstances of this busines till then The French that came over with Her Majesty for their petulancy and som misdemeanors and imposing som odd penancy's upon the Queen are all casheer'd this week about a matter of sixscore wherof the Bishop of Mende was one who had stood to be Steward of Her Majesties Courts which Office my Lord of Holland hath It was a thing suddenly don for about one of the clock as they were at dinner my Lord Conway and Sir Thomas Edmonds came with an Order from the King that they must instantly away to Somerset House for there were Barges and Coaches staying for them and there they should have all their Wages paied them to a peny and so they must be content to quit the Kingdom This sudden undream'd of Order struck an astonishment into them all both men and women and running to complain to the Queen His Majesty had taken her before into his Bed-chamber and lock'd the doors upon them untill he had told her how matters stood the Queen fell into a violent passion broke the Glass-Windows and tore her Hair but she was calm'd afterwards Just such a destiny happen'd in France som years since to the Queens Spanish Servants there who were all dismiss'd in like manner for som miscarriages the like was don in Spain to the French therfore 't is no new thing They are all now on their way to Dover but I fear this will breed ill bloud 'twixt us and France and may break out into an ill-favour'd quarrell Master Mountague is preparing to go to Paris as a Messenger of Honour to prepossess the King and Counsell there with the truth of things So with my very kind respects to my Sister I rest Lond. 15 Mar. 1626. Your loving brother J. H. XXVII To the Right honble the Lord S. My Lord I Am bound shortly for York wher I am hopefull of a profitable imployment Ther is fearfull news com from Germany that since Sir Charls Morgan went thither with 6â—…00 men for the assistance of the King of Denmark the King hath receiv'd an utter overthrow by Tilly he had receiv'd a fall off a Horse from a Wall five yards high a little before yet it did him little hurt Tilly pursueth his Victory strongly and is got ore the Elve to Holsteinland insomuch that they write from Hamburgh that Denmark is in danger to be utterly lost The Danes and Germanes seem to lay som fault upon our King the King upon the Parliament that would not supply him with Subsidies to assist his Uncle and the Prince Palsgrave both which was promis'd upon the
from the Isle of Ree or as soâ—… call it the I le of Rue for the bitter success wee had there for we had but a â—…t entertainment in that salâ—… Island Our first invasion was magnanimous brave wherat neer upon 200 French Gentlemen perished and divers Barons of quality My Lord Newport had ill luck to disorder our Cavalry with an unruly Horse he had His brother Sir Charls Rich was slain and divers more upon the retreat amongst others great Golonell Gray fell into Salt-pit and being ready to be drownd he cryed out Cens mill escus pour ma rançon a hundred thousand Crowns for my ransom the French-men hearing that preserv'd him though he was not worth a hundred thousand pence Another merry passage a Captain told me that when they were rifling the dead bodies of the French Gentlemen after the first invasion they found that many of them had their Mistresses favors tyed about their genitories The French do much glory to have repell'd us thus and they have reason for the truth is they comported themselves gallantly yet they confess our landing was a notable piece of courage and if our Retreat had been answerable to the Invasion we had lost no honor at all A great number of gallant Gentlemen fell on our side as Sir Iohn Heyden Sir Io. Burrowes Sir George Blundell Sir Alex. Brett with divers Veteran Commanders who came from the Netherlands to this service God send us better success the next time for ther is another Fleet preparing to be sent under the Command of the Lord Denbigh so I kiss your hands and am Lond. 24 of Sept 1627. Your humble Servitor J. H. VI. To the Right Honble the Lord Scroop Earl of Sunderland Lord President of the North. My Lord MY Lord Dâ—…nbigh is returned from attempting to relieve Rochell which is reduc'd to extreme exigent And now the Duke is preparing to go again with as great power as was yet rais'd notwithstanding that the Parliament hath flown higher at him than ever which makes the people here hardly wish any good success to the Expedition because he is Generall The Spaniard stands at a gaze all this while hoping that we may do the work otherwise I think he would find som way to relieve that Town for ther is nothing conduceth more to the uniting and strengthning of the French Monarchy than the reduction of Rochell The King hath been there long in person with his Cardinall and the stupendious works they have rais'd by Sea and Land are beyond belief as they say The Sea-works and booms were traced out by Marquis Spinola as he was passing that way for Spain from Flanders The Parliament is prorogued till Michaelmas term ther weâ—… five Subsidies granted the greatest gift that ever Subjects gave their King at once and it was in requitall that his Majesty pass'd the Petition of Right wherby the liberty of the free-born subject is so strongly and clearly vindicated So that ther is a fair correspondence like to be 'twixt his Majesty and the two Houses The Duke made a notable Speech at the Counsell Table in joy hereof amongst other passages one was that hereafter his Majestie would please to make the Parliament his Favorit and he to have the honor to remain still his servant No more now but that I continue Lond. 25. Sept. 1628. Your Lordships most dutifull Servant J. H. VII To the Right Honble the La Scroope Countess of Sunderland from Stamford Madam I Lay yesternight at the Post House at Stilton and this morning betimes the Post-master came to my beds head and told me the Duke of Buckingham was slain my faith was not then strong enough to believe it till an hour ago I met in the way with my Lord of Rutland your Brother riding Post towards London it pleas'd him to alight and shew me a Letter wherin ther was an exact relation of all the circumstances of this sad Tragaedy Upon Saturday last which was but next before yesterday being Bartholmew yeeve the Duke did rise up in a well disposed humor out of his bed and cutt a Caper or two and being ready and having been under the Barbers hands wher the Murtherer had thought to have don the deed for hee was leaning upon the Window all the while hee went to breakfast attended by a great Company of Commanders where Monsieur Soubize came unto him and whispered him in the ear that Rochell was relieved the Duke seem'd to slight the news which made som think that Soubize went away discontented After Breakfast the Duke going out Colonell Fryer stepped before him and stopping him upon som busines one Lieutenant Felton being behind made a thrust with a common tenpeny knife over Fryers arm at the Duke which lighted so fatally that hee slit his heart in two leaving the knife sticking in the body The Duke took out the knife and threw it away and laying his hand on his Sword and drawn it half out said the Villain hath killd me meaning as som think Colonell Fryer for ther had been som difference 'twixt them so reeling against a Chimney hee fell down dead The Dutchess being with child hearing the noise below cam in her night geers from her Bed Chamber which was in an upper room to a kind of Rayl and thence beheld him weltering in his own bloud Felton had lost his Hat in the croud wherin ther was a Paper sowed wherin he declared that the reason which mov'd him to this act was no grudg of his own though hee had been far behind for his pay and had bin put by his Captains place twice but in regard he thought the Duke an enemy to the State because he was branded in Parliament therfore what he did was for the public good of his Countrey Yet he got clearly down and so might have gon to his horse which was tied to a hedg hard by but he was so amazed that he missd his way and so struck into the pastry where though the cry went that som Frenchman had don 't he thinking the word was Felton he boldly confessed t was he that had don the deed and so he was in their hands Iack Stamford would have run at him but he was kept off by Mr. Nicholas so being carried up to a Tower Captain Minâ—…e toare off his spurrs and asking how he durst attempt such an act making him beleeve the Duke was not dead he answerd boldly that he knew he was dispatchd for â—…was not he but the hand of heaven that gave the stroak and though his whole body had bin coverd over with armour of proof he could not have avoyded it Captain Charles Price went Post presently to the King four miles off who being at prayers on his knees when it was told him yet he never stirrd nor was he disturbd a whit till all divine service was don This was the relation as far as my memory could bear in my Lord of Rutlands Letter who willd me to remember him
unto your Ladyship and tell you that he was going to comfort your neece the Dutches as fast as he could and so I have sent the truth of this sad story to your Ladyship as fast as I could by this post because I cannot make that speed myself in regard of som busines I have to dispatch for my Lord in the way So I humbly take my leave and rest Stamford Aug. 5. 1628. Your Lapp s most dutifull Servant J. H. IX To the right Honble Sir Peter Wichts his Majesties Ambassador at Constantinople My Lord YOurs of the 2. of Iuly came to safe hand and I did all those particular recaudos you enjoyned me to do to som of your â—…ends here The Town of Rochell hath bin fatall and infortunat to England for this is the third time that we have attempted to releeve her but our fleets and forces returnd without doing any thing My Lord of Linsey went thither with the same Fleet the Duke intended to go on but he is returnd without doing any good he made som shots at the great Boom and other baricadoes at sea but at such a distance that they conld do no hurt Insomuch that the Town is now given for lost and to be passd cure and they cry out we have betrayd them At the return of this Fleet two of the Whelps were cast away and three ships more and som five ships who had som of those great stones that were brought to build Pauls for ballast and for other uses within them which could promise no good success for I never heard of any thing that prospered which being once designed for the honor of God was alienated from that use The Queen interposeth for the releasement of my Lord of Newport and others who are prisoners of War I hear that all the colours they took from us are hung up in the great Church Nostredame as tropkeys in Paris Since I began this letter ther is news brought that Rochell hath yeelded and that the King hath dismantled the Town and razd all the fortifications landward but leaves those standing which are toward the Sea It is a mighty exploit the French King hath don for Rochell was the cheifest propugnacle of the Protestants there and now questionles all the rest of their cautionary Towns which they kept for their own defence will yeeld so that they must depend hereafter upon the Kings meer mercy I hear of an overture of Peace twixt us and Spain and that my Lord Cottington is to go thither and Don Carlos Coloma to com to us God grant it for you know the saying in Spanish Nunca vi tan mala paz que no fuera mejor que la mejor guerra It was a bold thing in England to fall out with the two greatest Monarchs of Christendom and to have them both her enemies at one time aâ—…d as glorious a thing it was to bear up against them God turn all to the best and dispose of things to his glory So I rest London 1 Sept. 1628. Your Lordships ready Servitor J. H. X. To my Cosen Mr. Stgeon at Christ-Church College in Oxford COsen though you want no incitements to go on in that fair road of vertu wher you are now running your cours yet being lately in your noble Fathers company he did intimat unto me that any thing which cam from me would take with you very much I hear so well of your proceedings that I should rather commend than encourage you I know you wer remov'd to Oxford in full maturity you wer a good Orator a good Poet and a good Linguist for your time I would not have that fate light upon you which useth to befall som who from golden Students becom silver Bachelors and Leaden Masters I am far from entertaining any such thought of you that Logic with her quiddities and Quae la vel Hipps can any way unpolish your human studies As Logic is clubfisted and crabbed so she is terrible at first sight she is like a Gorgons head to a young student but after a twelve months constancy and patience this Gorgons head will prove a meer buggbear When you have devour'd the Organon you will find Philosophie far more delightfull and pleasing to your palat In feeding the soul with knowledge the understanding requireth the same consecutif acts which nature useth in nourishing the body To the nutrition of the body ther are two Essentiall conditions requir'd assumption and retention then ther follows two more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concoction and agglutination or adhaesion So in feeding your soule with Science you must first assume and sucâ—… in the matter into your apprehension then must the memory retain and keep it in afterwards by disputation discours and meditation it must be well concocted then must it be agglutinateâ—… and converted to nutriment All this may be reduc'd to these 〈◊〉 heads tencre fideliter uti faeliciter which are two of the happiest properties in a student ther is an other act requir'd to gooâ—… concoction call'd the act of Expulsion which puts off all that is unfound and noxious so in study ther must be an expulsive vertâ—… to shun all that is erroneous and ther is no science but is full 〈◊〉 such stuff which by direction of Tutor and choice of good Book must be excernd Do not confound your self with multiplicity of Authors two is enough upon any Science provided they be plenary and orthodox Philosphy should be your substantiall food Poetry your banqueting stuff Philosophy hath more of reality in it than any knowledge the Philosopher can fadom the deep measure Mountaines reach the Starrs with a staff and bless Heaven with a girdle But amongst these studies you must not forget the unicum necessarium on Sundaies and Holy-dayes let Divinity be the sole object of your speculation in comparison wherof all other knowledg is but cobweb learning prae qua quisquiliae coetera When you can make truce with study I should be glad you would employ som superfluous hour or other to write unto me for I much covet your good because I am London 25 Octob. 1627. Your affectionat Cosen J. H. XI To Sir Sackvill Trevor Knight Noble Onkle I Send you my humble thanks for the curious Sea-chest of glasses you pleas'd to bestow on me which I shal be very chary to keep as a Monument of your love I congratulat also the great honor you have got lately by taking away the Spirit of France I mean by taking the third great Vessell of her Sea-Trinity Her Holy Spirit which had bin built in the mouth of the Texell for the service of her King without complementing with you it was one of the best exploits that was perform'd since these warrs began and besides the renown you have purchas'd I hope your reward will be accordingly from his Majesty whom I remember you so happily preserv'd from drowning in all probability at St. Anderas road in Spain Though Princes
at one blow fell to pull out the hair one by one And touching this particular humor from which I disswade you it hath rag'd in me too often by contingent fits but I thank God for it I find it much abated and purg'd Now the only Physic I us'd was a precedent fast and recours to the holy Sacrament the next day of purpose to implore pardon for what was pass'd and power for the future to quell those exorbitant motions those ravings and feavourish fits of the soul in regard ther are no infirmities more dangerous for at the same instant they have being they becom impieties And the greatest symptom of amendment I find in mee is because whensoever I hear the holy name of God blasphem'd by any other it makes my heart to tremble within my brest Now it is a penitentiall Rule that if sins present do not please thee sins pass'd will never hurt thee All other sins have for their object either pleasure or profit or some ayme and satisfaction to body or mind but this hath none at all therfore fie upon 't my dear Captain tâ—…e whether you can make a conquest of your self in subduing this execrable custom Alexander subdued the World Caesar his Enemies Hercules Monsters but he that oâ—…ecomes himself is the true valiant Captain I have herewith sent you a Hymn consonant to this subject because I know you are Musicall and a good Poet. A gradual Hymn of a double cadence tending to the Honor of the Holy Name of GOD. 1. LEt the vast universe And therein ev'ry thing The mighty acts rehearse Of their immortall King His Name extoll what to Nadir from Zenith stir Twixt Pole and Pole 2. Yee Elements that move And alter every hower Yet herein constant prove And symbolize all sower His praise to tell mix all in one for aire and tone To sound this peale 3. Earth which the center art And only standest still Yet move and bear thy part Resound with ecchos shrill Thy Mines of gold with precious stones and unions His fame uphold 4. Let all thy fragrant flowers Grow sweeter by this 〈◊〉 Thy tallest trees and bowers Bud forth and blossom sair Beasts wild and tame whom lodgings yield House dens or field Collaud his Name 5. Yet Seas with Earth that make One globe flow high and swell Exalt your Makers name In deep his wonders tell Leviathan and what doth swim neer bank or brim His glory fcan 6. Yet airy Regions all Ioyn in a sweet concent Blow such a Madrigall May reach the Firmament Winds hail Ice snow and perly drops that hang on crops His wonders show 7. Pure element of fire With holy sparks inflame This sublunary quire That all one Consort frame Their spirits raise to trumpet forth their Makers worth And sound his praise 8. Yee glorious Lamps that roulâ—… In your celestiall Sphears All under his controule Who you on poles up bears Him magnifie yet Planets bright and fixed lights That deck the skie 9. O Heaven Chrystalline which by thy watry but Do'st temper and refine the rest in azurd blue His glory sound thou first Mobile which makst all wâ—â—â—el In circle round 10. Yee glorious souls who raign In sempiternall joy Free from those cares and pain which here did you annoy And him behold in whom all bliss concentred is His laud unfold 11. Blest maid which dost surmount all Saints and Seraphins And raignst as Paramount And chief of Cherubins Chant out his praise who in thy womb nine months took room Though crownd with rayes 12. Oh let my soul and heart my mind and memory Bear in this Hymn a part and joyn with earth and sky Let every wight the whole world ore là ud and adore The Lord of light All your friends heer are well Tom Young excepted who I fear hath not long to live amongst us so I rest York the 1 of Aug. 1628. Your true friend J. H. XIII To Will Austin Esqr. SIR I Have many thanks to give you for that excellent Poem you sent me upon the Passion of Christ surely you wer possess'd with a very strong spirit when you penn'd it you wer becom a true Enthusiasist for Iet me despair if I lye unto you all the while I was perusing it it committed holy rapes upon my soul me â—…ought I felt my heart melting within my brest and my thoughts transported to a true Elysium all the while ther were such flexanimous strong ravishing strains throughout it To deal plainly with you it wer an injury to the public good not to expose to open light such divine raptures for they have an edifying power in them and may be tearm'd the very quintessence of devotion you discover in them what a rich talent you have which should not be buried within the walls of a privat study or pass through a few particular hands but appear in public view and to the sight of the world to the enriching of others as they did me in reading them Therfore I shall long to see them pass from the Bankside to Pauls Churchyard with other precious peeces of yours which you have pleas'd to impart unto me Oxford 20 Augâ—… 1628. Your most affectionate Servitoâ—… J. H. XIV To Sir I. S. Knight SIR YOu writ to me lately for a Footman and I think this bearer will fit you I know he can run well for he hath run away twice from me but he knew the way back again yet though he hath a running head as well as running heels and who will expect a footman to be a stayed man I would not part with him were I not to go â—…ost to the North. Ther be som things in him that answer for his waggeries he will com when you call him go when you bid him and shut the door after him he is faithfull and stout and a lover of his Master He is a great enemy to all doggs if they bark at him in his running for I have seen him confront a huge mastif and knock him down When you go a Countrey journey or have him run with you a hunting you must spirit him with liquor you must allow him also somthing extraordinary for socks els you must not have him to wait at your table for when his grease melts in running hard t is subject to fall into his toes I send him you but for tryall if he be not for your turn turn him over to me again when I com back The best news I can send you at this time is that we are like to have peace both with France and Spain so that Harwich men your Neighbours shall not hereafter need to fear the name of Spinola who struck such an apprehension into them lately that I understand they begin to fortifie I pray present my most humble service to my good Lady and at my return from the North I will be hold to kiss her hands and yours so I am London 25 of May. 1628. Your much obliged Servitoâ—… J. H. XV. To my Father SIR
OUr two younger brothers which you sent hither are disposed of my brother Doctor hath placed the elder of the two with Mr. Hawes a Mercer in Cheapside and he took much paines in 't and I had plac'd my brother Ned with Mr. Barrington a Silk man in the same street but afterwards for som inconveniences I remov'd him to one Mr. Smith at the Flower-de-Luce in Lumbard-street a Mercer also Their Masters are both of them very wel to pass and of good repute I think it will prove som advantage to them hereafter to be both of one trade because when they are out of their time they may joyn sâ—…ocks together So that I hope sir they are wel plac'd as any two youths in London but you must not use to send them such large tokens in money for that may corrupt them When I went to bind my brother Ned apprentice in Drapers Hall casting my eyes upon the Chimney peece of the great room I might spy a picture of an ancient Gentleman and underneath Thomas Howell I asked the Clerk about him and he told me that he had bin a Spanish Merchant in Henry the eighths time and coming home rich and dying a Bachelor he gave that Hall to the Company of Drapers with other things so that he is accounted one of their chiefest Benefactors I told the Clerk that one of the sons of Thomas Howell came now thither to be bound he answered that if he be a right Howell he may have when he is free three hundred pounds to help to set up and pay no interest for five yeers It may be hereafter wee may make use of this He told me also that any Maid that can prove her Father to be a true Howell may com and demand fifty pounds towards her portion of the said Hall I am to goe post towards Yorke to morrow to my charge but hope God willing to be here againe the next Terme So with my love to my brother Howell and my sister his wife I rest London 30 Sept. 1629. Your dutifull Son I. H. XVI To my brother Dr. Howell at Iesus College in Oxon. BRother I have sent you here inclosed Warrants for four brace of Bucks and a Stag the last Sir Arthur Manwaring procur'd of the King for you towards the keeping of your Act I have sent you also a Warrant for a brace of Bucks out of Waddon Chace besides you shall receive by this Carrier a great Wicker Hamper with two Geoules of Sturgeon six barrells of pickled Oysters three barrells of Bologna Olives with som other Spanish comodities My Lord President of the North hath lately made me Patron of a living hard by Henley call'd Hambledon it is worth five hundred pounds a year communibus onnis and the now Incumbent Dr. Pilkington is very aged valetudinary and corpulent My Lord by legall instrument hath transmitted the next Advouson to me for satisfaction of som arrerages Dr. Dommlaw and two or three more have bin with me about it but I alwayes intended to make the first proffer to you therfore I pray think of it a sum of money must be had but you shall be at no trouble for that if you only will secure it and desire one more who I know will do it for you and it shall appear unto you that you have it upon far better tâ—…rms than any other It is as finely situated as any Rectory can be for it is about the mid-way twixt Oxford and London it lies upon the Thames and the Glebe-land house is very large and fair and not dilapidated so that considering all things it is as good as som Bishopricks I know his Majesty is gracious unto you and you may well expect som preferment that way but such livings as these are not to be had every where I thank you for inviting me to your Act I will â—…e with you the next week God willing and hope to find my Father there So with my kind love to Dr. Mansell Mr. Watkins Mr. Madocks and Mr. Napier at Allsoules I rest London 20 Iune 1628. Your loving Brother J. H. XVII To my Father Mr. Ben Johnson FAther Ben. Nullum fit magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiâ—… ther 's no great wit without som mixture of madnes so saith the Philosopher nor was he a fool who answered nec parvum sine mixtura stultitiâ—… nor small wit without som allay of foolishnâ—… Touching the first it is verified in you for I find that you have bin oftentimes mad you were mad when you writ your Fox and madder when you writ your Alchymist you were mad when you writ Catilin and stark mad when you writ Sejâ—…us but when you writ your Epigrammes and the Magnetic Lady you were not so mad Insomuch that I perceive ther be degrees of madnes in you Excuse me that I am so free with you The madnes I mean is that divine fury that heating and heighning Spirit which Ovid speaks of Est Deus in nobis agitante calescimus illo that true enthusiasm which transports and elevates the souls of Poets above the middle Region of vulgar conceptions and makes them soar up to Heaven to touch the starrs with their laurelld heads to walk in the Zodiac with Apollo himself and command Mercury upon their errand I cannot yet light upon Doctor Davies his Welsh Grammer before Christmas I am promiss'd one So desiring you to look better hereafter to your charcole fire and chimney which I am glad to be one that preserv'd from burning this being the second time that Vulcaâ—… hath threatned you it may be because you have spoken ill of his wise and bin too busy with his hornes I rest Westminster 27 Iune 1629. Your Son and contiguous Neighbour J. H. XVIII To Sir Arthur Ingram at his House in York SIR I Have sent you herewith a hamper of Melons the best I could find in any of Tothillfield gardens and with them my very humble service and thanks for all favors and lately for inviting me to your new noble House at Temple Newsam when I return to Yorkshire To this I may answer you as my Lord Coke was answerd by a Nâ—…folk Countryman who had a sute depending in the Kings-Bench against som neighbours touching a River that us'd to annoy him and Sir Edward Coke asking how he call'd the River he answerd my Lord I need not call her for she is forward enough to com of her self So I may say that you need not call me to any house of yours for I am forward enough to com without calling My Lord President is still indispos'd at Dr. Nappiers yet he writ to me lately that he hopes to be at the next sitting in York So with a tender of my most humble service to my noble good Lady I rest London 25 Iul. 1629. Your much obliged servant J. H. XIX To R. S. Esq. SIR I Am one of them who value not a curtesie that hangs long betwixt the fingers I love not those viscosa
beneficia those birdlâ—…m'd kindnesses which Pliny speaks of Nor would I receive money in a durty clowt if possibly I could be without it Therfore I return you the courtesie by the same hand that brought it it might have pleasur'd me at first but the expectation of it hatâ—… prejudic'd me and now perhaps you may have more need of it than Westminster 3 Aug. 1629. Your humble Servitor J. H. XX. To the Countess of Sunderland at York Madame MY Lord continues still in cours of Physic at Dr. Nappiers I writ to him lately that his Lordship would please to com to his own house here in St. Martins lane wher ther is a greater accommodation for the recovery of his health Dr. Maâ—…ern being on the one side and the Kings Apothecary on the other but I fear ther be som Mountebanks that carry him away and I hear he intends to remove to Wickham to one Atkinson a meer Quacksalver that was once Dr. Lopez his man The little Knight that useth to draw up his breeches with a shooinghorn I mean Sir Posthumus Hobby slew high at him this Parlement and would have incerted his name in the scrowl of Recusants that 's shortly to be presented to the King but I produc'd a Certificat from Linford under the Ministers hand that he received the Communion at Easter last and so got his name out Besides the Deputy-Lieutenants of Buckinghamshire would have charg'd Biggin Farme with a light horse but Sir Will. Allford and others joyn'd with me to get it off Sir Thomas Wentworth and Mr. Wansford are grown great Courtiers lately and com from Weâ—…stminster-Hall to White-Hall Sir Iohn Savill their Countrey-man having shown them the way with his white staff The Lord Weston tamperd with the one and my Lord Cottington took paines with the other to bring them about from their violence against the Prerogative And I am told the first of them is promis'd my Lords place at York in case his sicknes continues We are like to have peace with Spain and France and for Germany they say the Swedes are like to strike in to her to try whether they may have better fortune than the Danes My Lady Scroope my Lords Mother hath layn sick a good while and is very weak So I rest Westminst 5 Aug. 1629. Madame Your humble and dutifull Servitor J. H. XXI To Dr. H. W. SIR IT is a rule in friendship When distrust enters in at the foregate love goes out at the Postern It is as true a rule that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dubitation is the beginning of all knowledge I confess this is true in the first election and co-optation of a friend to com to the knowlege of him by quaeres and doubts but when ther is a perfect contract made confirm'd by experience and a long tract of time distrust then is meer poison to friendship Therfore if it be as I am told I am unfit to be your friend but Westmin 20 Oct. 1629. Your servant J. H. XXII To Dr. H. W. SIR THey say in Italy that deeds are men and words are but women I have had your word often to give me a visit I pray turn your semal promises to masculin performances els I shall think you have lost your being for you know 't is a rule in law Idâ—…m â—…st non esse non apparere Westmin 25 Sept. 1629. Your faithfull Servitor J. H. To Mr. B. Chaworth On my Valentine Mrs Francis Metcalf now Lady Robinson at York A Sonnet COuld I charm the Queen of Loves To lend a quill of her white Doves Or one of Cupids pointed wings Dipt in the fair Castalian springs Then would I write the all-divine Perfections of my Valentine As 'mongst all flowrs the Rose excells As Amber 'mongst the fragrantst smells As 'mongst all mineralls the gold As Marble 'mongst the finest mold As Diamonds 'mongst jewells bright As Cynthia 'mongst the lesser lights So 'mongst the Northern beauties shine So far excells my Valentine In Rome and Naples I did view Faces of Celestiall hue Venetian Dames I have seen many I only saw them touch'd not any Of Spanish beauties Dutch and French I have beheld the quintessence Yet saw I none that could out-shine Or parallell my Valentine Th' Italians they are coy and quaint But they grosly daube and paint The Spanish kind and apt to please But sav'ring of the same disease Of Dutch and French som few are comly The French are light the Dutch are homely Let Tagus Po the Loire and Rhine Then vaile unto my Valentine Heer may be seen pure white and red Not by feign'd Art but Nature wed No simpring smiles no mimic face Affected gesture or forc'd grace A fair smooth front free from least wrinkle Her eyes oy me like stars do twinkle Thus all perfections do combine To beautifie my Valentine XXIII To Mr. Tho. M. NOble Tom You desir'd me lately to compose som lines upon your Mistresses black eyes her becomming frowns and upon her Mask Though the least request of yours be a command unto mee the execution of it a contentment yet I was hardly drawn to such a task at this time in regard that many businesses puzzle my pericranium aliena negotia centum per caput circa saliunt latus Yet lest your Clorinda might expect such a thing and that you might incur the hazard of her smiles for you say her frowns are favors and that she may take off her Mask unto you the next time you go to court her I send you the inclosed Verses Sonet-wise which happly may please her better in regard I hear she hath som skill in Music. Vpon black Eyes and becomming Frowns A Sonnet BLack eyes in your dark Orbs dothly My ill or happy destiny If with cleer looks you me behold You give me Mines and Mounts of Gold If you dart forth disdainfull rayes To your own dy you turn my dayes Black eyes in your dark Orbs by changes dwell My bane or bliss my Paradise or Hell That Lamp which all the stars doth blind Yeelds to your lustre in som kind Though you do wear to make you bright No other dress but that of night He glitters only in the day You in the dark your beams display Black eyes in your two Orbs by changes dwell My bane or bliss my Paradise or Hell The cunning thief that lurks for prize At som dark corner watching lies So that heart-robbing God doth stand In your black lobbies shaft in band To rifle me of what I hold More precious far than Indian Gold Black eyes in your dark Orbs by changes dwell My bane or bliss my Paradise or Hell O powerfull Negromantic eies Who in your circles strictly pries Will find that Cupid with his dart In you doth practise the black art And by th' enchantment I 'me possest Tries his conclusions in by brest Black eyes in your dark Orbs by changes dwell My bane or bliss my Paradise or Hell Look on me though in frowning
as the Estates will have him His Mother was the Emperors sister therfore sure he will not offeâ—… to mary his Cousin German but t is no news for the House 〈◊〉 Austria to do so to strengthen their race And if the Bavarian hath Male-Issue of this young Lady the Son is to succeed him in the Electorship which may conduce much to strengthen the continuance of the Empire in the Austrian Family So with a constant perseverance of my hearty desires to serve your Lordship I rest My Lord Your most humble Servitor J. H. Westmin 7 Sep. XXIV To my Cousin Mr. Will. Saint Geon at St. Omer Cousin I Was lately in your Fathers Company and I found him much discontented at the cours you take which he not only protests against but he vows never to give you his blessing if you perseveâ—… in 't I would wish you to descend into your self and seriously ponder what a weight a Fathers blessing or curse carries with it for ther is nothing conduceth more to the happines or infelicity of the child Amongst the ten Commandements in the Decalog that which enjoyns obedience from Children to Parents hath only a benediction of Longaevity added to it Ther be Clouds of examples for this but one I will instance in When I was in Valentia in Spain a Gentleman told me of a miracle which happen'd in that Town which was That a proper young man under twenty was executed there for a crime and before he was taken down from off the Tree ther wer many gray and white Hairs had budded forth of his Chin as if he had been a man of sixty It struck amazement in all men but this interpretation was made of it That â—…he said young man might have liv'd to such an age if hee had been dutifull to his Parents unto whom he had been barbarously disobedient all his life-time Ther coms herwith a large Letter to you from your Father let me advise you to conform your courses to his Counsell otherwise it is an easie matter to bee a Prophet what misfortunes â—…il inevitably befall you which by a timely obedience you may Prevent and I wish you may have grace to do it accordingly So I rest Your loving well-wishing Cousin J. H. Lond. 1 of May. 1634. XXV To the Lord Deputy of Ireland My Lord THe Earl of Arundell is lately return'd from Germany and his gallant comportment in that Ambassie deserv'd to have had better success He found the Emperor conformable but the old Bavarian froward who will not part with any thing till he have moneys reimbours'd which he spent in these wars and for which he hath the upper Palatinat in deposito insomuch that in all probability all hopes are cut off of ever recovering that Countrey but by the same means that it was taken away which was by the Sword Therfore they write from Holland of a new Army which the Prince Palatin is like to have shortly to go up to Germany and push oâ—… his fortunes with the Swedes The French King hath taken Nancy and almost all Lorain lately but he was forc'd to put a Fox-tail to the Lions-skin which his Cardinall help'd him to before he could do the work The quarrell is that the Duke should marry his sister to Monsieur contrary to promise that he sided with the Imperialists against his confederanâ—… in Germany that hee neglected to do homage for the Dutchy oâ—… Bar. My Lord Vicount Savage is lately dead who is very much liâ—… mented by all that knew him I could have wish'd had it pleas'd God that his Father in law who is riper for the other worlâ—… had gon before him So I rest Westmin 6 Apr. Your Lopps most humble and ready Servitor J. H. XXVI To his honoured Friend M is C. at her House in Essex THer was no sorrow sunk deeper into me a great while than that which I conceiv'd upon the death of my dear friend your Husband The last Office I could do him was to put him in his grave and I am sorry to have met others there who had better means to come in a Coach with six horses than I in so mean equipage to perform the last act of respect to so worthy a Frend. I have sent you herewith an Elegy which my melancholy muse hath breath'd out upon his Herse I shall be very carefull about the Tomb you intend him and will think upon an Epiraph I pray present my respects to Mris Anne Mayne So wishing you all comfort and contentment I rest Lond. 5 Mar. Yours most ready to be commanded J. H. XXVII To Mr. Iames Howard upon his Banish'd Virgin translated out of Italian SIR I Received the Manuscript you sent me and being a little curious to compare it with the Originall I find the version to be very exact and faithfull So according to your Frendly request I have sent you this Decastic Som hold translations not unlike to be The wrong-side of a Turky Tapistry Or Wine drawn off the Lees which fill'd in Flask Loose somwhat of the strength they had in Cask T is true each language hath an Idiome Which in another couch'd comes not so home Yet I ne're saw a peece from Venice come Had fewer thrums set on our Countrey Loome This Wine is still one-eard and brisk thought put Out of Italian Cask in English Butt Upon your Eromena Fair Eromena in her Toscan tyre I view'd and lik'd the fashion wondrous well But in this English habit I admire That still in her the same good grace should dwell So I have seen trans Alpin Cions grow And bear rare fruit remov'd to Thames from Po. Lond. 6 Octo. 1632. Your true Servitor and Compatriot J. H. XXVIII To Edward Noy Esq at Paris SIR I Receiv'd one of yours lately and I am glad to find the delight that Travell begins to instill into you My Lord Ambassadour Aston reckons upon you that you will be one of his train at his first Audience in Madrid and to my knowledg he hath put by som Gentlemen of quality Therfore I pray let not that durty Town of Paris detain you too long from your intended journey to Spain for I make account my Lord Aston will be there a matter of two months hence So I rest London 5 May. 1633 Your most affectionat Servitor J. H. XXIX To the right honble Sir Peter Wicks Lo Ambassador at Constantinople My Lord IT seems ther is som angry Star that hath hung over the busines of the Palatinat from the beginning of these German Wars to this very day which will too evidently appear if one should mark and deduce matters from their first rise You may remember how poorly Prague was lost The Bishop of Halverstat and Count Mansfelt shuffled up and down a good while and did great matters but all came to nothing at last You may remember how one of the Ships-Royall was cast away in carrying over the last and the 12000 men he had hence perish'd many of
them very miserably and he himself as they write died in a poor Hostrey with one Laquay as he was going to Venice to a bank of money he had stor'd up there for a dead lift Your Lordship knows what success the King of Denmark had and our 6000 men under Sir Charles Morgan for while he thought to make new acquests he was in hazard to lose all that he had had not he had favorable Propositions tendred him Ther were never poor Christians perished more lamentably than those 6000 we sent under M. Hamilton for the assistance of the King of Sweden who did much but you know what became of him at last How disastrously the Prince Palatin himself fell and in what an ill conjuncture of time being upon the very point of being restor'd to his Country But now we have as bad news as any we had yet for the young Prince Palatin and his Brother Prince Rupert having got a jolly considerable Army in Holland to try their fortunes in Germany with the Swedes they had advanc'd as far as Munsterland and Westphalia and having lain before Lengua they were forc'd to raise the siege and one Generall Haâ—…zfield pursuing them ther was a fore battell fought wherin Prince Rupert my Lord Craven and others were taken prisoners The Prince Palatin himself with Major King thinking to get over the Weser in a Coach the Water being deep and not sordable he sav'd himself by the help of a Willow and so went a foot all the way to Minden the Coach and the Coach-man being drown'd in the River Ther wer neer upon 2000 slain on the Palsgraves side and scarce the twentieth part so many on Haâ—…zfields Major Gaeuts one of the chiefe Commanders was kil'd I am sorry I must write unto you this sad story yet to countervail â—…t somthing Saxen Weymar thrives well and is like to get Bâ—…isac by help of the French forces All your frends here are well and remember your Lordship often but none more oft than Lond. 5 Iun. 1635. Your most humble and ready Servitor J. H. XXX To Sir Sackvill C. Knight SIR I Was as glad that you have lighted upon so excellent a Lady as if an Astronomer by his Optics had found out a new Star and if a wiâ—…e be the best or worst fortune of a man certaiâ—… you are one of the fortunat'st men in this Island The greatest news I can write unto you is of a bloody Banquet that was lately at Liege wher a great faction was a somenting 'twixt the Imperialists and those that were devoted to France amongst whom one Ruelle a popular Bourgue-master was chief The Count of Warfuzée a vassall of the King of Spains having fled thither from Flanders for som offence to ingratiat himself again into the King of Spains favour invited the said Ruelle to a Feast and after brought him into a privat Chamber wher he had provided a ghostly-father to confess him and so som of the Souldiers whom he had provided before to guard the House dispatch'd the Bourgue-master The Town hearing this broke â—…nto the House cut to peeces the said Count with som of his Souldiers and dragg'd his body up and down the Streets You know such a fate befell Walstein in Germany of late yeers who having got all the Emperours Forces into his hands was found to have intelligence with the Swede therfore the Imperiall Ban was not onely pronounc'd against him but a reward promis'd to any that should dispatch him som of the Emperours Souldiers at a great Wedding in Egra of which Band of Souldiers Colonell Buttler an Irishman was chief broke into his lodging when ho was at dinner kill'd him with three Commanders more that were at Table with him and threw his body out at a Window into the streets I hear Buttler is made since Count of the Empire So humbly kissing your noble Ladies hand I rest Lond. 5 Iun. 1634. Your faithfull servitor J. H. XXXI To Dr. Duppa L. B. of Chichester his Highnes Tutor at St. Iames. My Lord IT is a welbecoming and very worthy work you are about not 〈◊〉 suffer Mr. Ben. Iohnson to go so silently to his grave or rot so suâ—…ly Being newly com to Town and understanding that your Iohnsonus Virbius was in the Presse upon the solicitation of Sir Thomas Hawkins I suddenly fell upon the ensuing Decastic which if your Lordship please may have room amongst the rest Upon my honoured Frend and F. Mr. Ben. Iohnson ANd is thy Glass run out is that Oyl spent Which light to such strong Sinewy labours lent Well Ben I now perceive that all the nine Though they their utmost forces should combine Cannot prevail 'gainst Nights three Daughters but One still must spin one wind the other cut Yet in despight of distaff clue and knife Thou in thy strenuous lines hast got a life Which like thy Bays shall flourish ev'ry age While â—…oc or buâ—…kin shall ascend the Stage Sic vaticinatur Hoellus So I rest with many devoted respects to your Lordship as being Lond. 1 of May 1636. Your very humble Servitor J. H. XXXII To Sir Ed. B. Knight SIR I Receiv'd yours this Maunday-Thursday and wheras amongst other passages and high endearments of love you desire to know what method I observe in the exercise of my devotlons I thank you for your request which I have reason to believe doth proceed from an extraordinary respect unto me and I will deal with you herein as one should do with his Confessor T is true though ther be rules and rubrics in our Liturgy sufficient to guide evry one in the performance of all holy duties yet I beleeve evry one hath som mode and modell or formulary of his own specially for his privat cubicular devotions I will begin with the last day of the week and with the latter end of that day I mean Saturday evening on which I have fasted ever since I was a youth in Venice for being delivered from a very great danger This yeer I use som extraordinary acts of devotion to usher in the ensuing Sunday in Hymns and various prayers of my own penning before I go to bed On Sunday Morning I rise earlier than upon other dayes to prepare my self for the Sanctifying of it nor do I use Barber Tailor Shoo-maker or any other Mechanick that morning and whatsoever diversions or lets may hinder me the week before I never miss but in case of sicknes to repair to Gods holy House that day wher I com before prayers begin to make my self fitter for the work by some praevious Meditations and to take the whole Service along with me nor do I love to mingle speech with any in the interim about news or worldly negotiations In Gods holy House I prostrat my self in the humblest and decent'st way of genuflection I can imagin nor do I beleeve ther can be any excess of exterior humility in that place therfore I do not like those squatting unseemly bold postures
thus engendring and in solutis principiis in their liquid formes and not consolidated into hard bodies for then they have not that vertue they impart heat to the neighbouring Waters So then it may be concluded that this soyl about the Bath is a minerall vein of earth and the fermenting gentle temper of generative heat that goes to the production of the said Mineralls do impart and actually communicat this balneal vertue and medicinall heat to these Waters This subject of Minerall Waters would afford an Ocean of matter wer one to compile a solid discours of it And I pray excuse me that I have presum'd in so narrow a compas as a Letter to comprehend so much which is nothing I think in comparison of what you know already of this matter So I take my leave and humbly kiss your hands being allwayes From the Bath â—…3 Iuly 1638. Your most faithfull and ready Servitor J. H. XXXVI From Dublin to Sir Ed Savage Knight at Tower-Hill SIR I Am com safely to Dublin over an angry boysterous Sea whether 't was my voyage on Salt-water or change of Ayr being now under another clime which was the cause of it I know not but I am suddenly freed of the pain in my Arm when neither Bath nor Plasters and other remedies could do me good I deliver'd your Letter to Mr. Iames Dillon but nothing can be don in that busines till your brother Pain coms to Town I meet heer with divers of my Northern frends whom I knew at York Heer is a most splendid Court kept at the Castle and except that of the Vice-roy of Naples I have not seen the like in Christendom and in one point of Grandeza the Lord Deputy heer goes beyond him sor he can confer honours and dub Knights which that Vice-roy cannot or any other I know of Trafic encreaseth heer wonderfully with all kind of bravery and buildings I made an humble motion to my Lord that in regard businesses of all sorts did multiply here daily and that ther was but one Clerk of the Counsell Sir Paul Davis who was able to dispatch busines Sir Will. Usher his Collegue being very aged and bed-rid his Lordship would please to think of me My Lord gave me an answer full of good respects to succeed Sir William after his death No more now but with my most affectionat respects unto you I rest Dublin 3 May 1639. Your faithfull Servitor J. H. XXXVII To Dr. Vsher Lo Primat of Ireland MAy it please your Grace to accept of my most humble Acknowledments for those Noble favours I receiv'd at Droghedah and that you pleas'd to communicat unto me those rare Manuscripts in so many Languages and divers choice Authors in your Library Your learned Work De primordiis Ecclesiarum Britannicarum which you pleas'd to send me I have sent to England and so it shall be conveyd to Iesus College in Oxford as a gift from your Grace I hear that Cardinal Barberino one of the Popes Nephews is setting forth the works of Fastidius a British Bishop call'd De vita Christiana It was written 300 yeers after our Saviour and Holstenius hath the care of the Impression I was lately looking for a word in Sâ—…idas and I lighted upon a strange passage in the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That in the Reign of Iustinian the Emperour one Theodosius a Jew a man of great Authority liv'd in Ierusalem with whom a rich Goldsmith who was a Christian was in much favour and very familiar The Goldsmith in privat discours told him one day that be wondred â—…e being a man of such a great understanding did not turn Christian considering how he found all the Prophecies of the Law so evidently accomplish'd in our Saviour and our Saviours Prophecies accomplish'd since Theodosius answered That it did not stand with his security and continuance in Authority to turn Christian but he had a long time a good opinion of that Religion and he would discover a secret unto him which was not yet com to the knowledg of any Christian It was That when the Temple was founded in Ierusalem ther wer 22 Priests according to the number of the Hebrew letters to officiat in the Temple and when any was chosen his name with his fathers and mothers wer us'd to be registred in a fair Book In the time of Christ a Priest died and he was chosen in his place but when his name was to be entred his father Ioseph being dead his mother was sent for who being ask'd who was his father she answered that she never knew man but that she conceiv'd by an Anâ—… So his name was registred in these words IESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD AND OF THE VIRGIN MARY This Record at the destruction of the Temple was preserved and is to be seen in Tyberias to this day I humbly desire your Graces opinion heerof in your next They write to me from England of rare news in France which is that the Queen is delivered of a Daulphin the wonderfull'st thing of this kind that any Story can parallel for this is the three and twentieth yeer since she was married and hath continued childles all this while so that now Monsieurs cake is dough and I beleeve he will be more quiet heerafter So I rest Dublin 1 March 1639. Your Graces most devoted Servitor J. H. XXXVIII To my Lord Clifford from Edenburgh My Lord I Have seen now all the King of Great Britain's Dominions he is a good Traveller that hath seen all his Dominions I was born in Wales I have bin in all the four corners of England I have traveâ—…sed the Diameter of France more than once and now I am com thorow Ireland into this Kingdom of Scotland This Town of Edinburgh is one of the fairest streets that ever I saw exepting that of Palermo in Sicily it is about a mile long coming sloping down from the Castle call'd of old the Castle of Virgins and by Pliny Castrum alatum to Holy-Rood-House now the Royall Palace and these two begin and terminat the town I am com hither in a very convenient time for heer 's a Nationall Assembly and a Parlement my Lord Traquair being His Majesties Commissioner The Bishops are all gon to wâ—…ack and they have had but a sorry Funerall the very name is grown so contemptible that a black Dog if he have any white marks about him is call'd Bishop Our Lord of Canterbury is grown heer so odious that they call him commonly in the Pulpit The Priest of Baal and the son of Belial I 'll tell your Lordship of a passage which happened lately in my lodging which is a Tavern I had sent for a Shoo-maker to make me a pair of Boots and my Landlord who is a peâ—…t smart man brought up a chopin of Whitewine and for this particular ther are betteâ—… French-wines heer than in England and cheaper for they are but at a Groat a quart and it is a crime of a high
Commands before I go So I am Lond. 2 May 1640. Your most humble Servitor J. H. XLIV To my Lord Herbert of Cherbery from Paris My Lord I Send herewith Dodonas Grove couch'd in French and in in the newest French for though the main version be mine yet I got one of the Academie des beaux Esprits heer to run it over to correct and refine the language and reduce it to the most modern Dialect It took so heer that the new Academy of wits have given a public and far higher Elogium of it than it deserves I was brought to the Cardinall at Ruelle wher I was a good while with him in his privat Garden and it were a vanity in me to insert here what Propositions he made me Ther be som sycophants heer that idolize him and I blush to read what profane Hyperboles are Printed up and down of him I will instance in a few Cedite Richelio mortales cedite Divi Ille homines vincit vincit ille Deos. Then Et si nous faisons des ghirlandes C'est pour en couronner un Dieu Qui soubs le nom de Richelieu Resoit nos â—…oeus nos offrandes Then Richelii adventu Rupellae porta patescit Christo Infernales ut patuere fores Certainly he is a rare man and of a transcendent reach and they are rather miracles than exploits that he hath don though those miracles be of a sanguin Dy the colour of his habit steep'd in bloud which makes the Spaniard call him the gran Caga-fuego of Christendom Divers of the scientific all'st and most famous win here have spoken of your Lordship with admiration and of your great work De veritate and wer those excellent notions and theoricall precepts actually applyed to any particular Science it would be an infinit advantage to the Common-wealth of learning all the World over So I humbly kiss your hands and rest Paris April 1. 1641. Your Lordships most faithfull Servitor J. H. XLV To the Right honble M â— Elizabeth Altham now Lady Digby Madam THer be many sad hearts for the loss of my Lord Robert Digby but the greatest weight of sorrow falls upon your Ladiship Amongst other excellent vertues which the world admires you for I know your Ladiship to have that measure of high discretion that will check your passions I know also that your patience hath been often exercis'd and put to triall in this kind For besides the Baron your Father and Sir Iames you lost your Brother Master Richard Altham in the verdant'st time of his age a Gentleman of rare hopes and I beleeve this sunk deep into your heart you lost Sir Francis Astlâ—…y since a worthy vertuous Gentleman And now you have lost a noble Lord. We all owe nature a debt which is payable som time or other whensoever she demands it nor doth Dame Nature use to seal Indentures or pass over either Lease or Patent for a set term of yeers to any For my part I have seen so much of the world that if she offer'd me a lease I would give her but a small fine for 't specially now that the times are grown so naught that peeple are becom more than half mad But Madam as long as ther are men ther must be malignant humors ther must be vices and vicissitudes of things as long as the world wheels round ther must be tossings and tumblings distractions and troubles and bad times must be recempenc'd with better So I humbly kiss your Ladiships hands and rest Madam Your constant Servant J. H. York 1 of Aug. 1642. XLVI To the Honorable Sir P. M. in Dublin SIR I Am newly return'd from France and now that Sir Edw. Nicholas is made Secretary of State I am put in fair hopes or rather assurances to suceed him in the Clerkship of the Counsell The Duke de la Valette is lately fled hither for sanctuary having had ill luck in Fonta-rabia they say his Proces was made and that he was executed in Effigie in Paris T is true he could never square well with his Eminency the Cardinall for this is a peculiar Title he got long since from Rome to distinguish him from all othér nor his father neither the little old Duke of Espernon the ancient'st Soldier in the world for hee wants but one yeer of a hundred When I was last in Paris I heard of a facetiâ—…us passage ' 〈◊〉 him and the Archbishop of Bourdeaux who in effect is Lord High Admirall of France and 't was thus The Archbishop was to go Generall of a great Fleet and the Duke came to his House in Bourdeaux one morning to visit him the Archbishop sent som of his Gentlemen to desire him to have a little patience for hee was dispatching away som Sea-Commanders and that he would wait on him presently The little Duke took a pett at it and went away to his house at Cadâ—…llac som fifteen miles off The next morning the Archbishop came to pay him the visit and to apologize for himself being com in and the Duke told of it he sent his Chaplain to tell him that he was newly fallen upon a Chapter of Saint Austins de civitate Dei and when he had read that Chapter hee would com to him Som yeers before I was told he was at Paris and Richelieu came to visit him he having notice of it Richelieu found him in a Cardinals Cap kneeling at a Table Altar-wise with his Book and Beads in his hand and Candles burning before him I hear the Earl of Leicester is to com shortly over and so over to Ireland to be your Deputy No more now but that I am Lond. Sept. 7. 1641. Your most faithfull Servitor J. H. XLVII To the Earl of B. from the Fleet. My Lord I Was lately com to London upon som occasions of mine own and I had bin divers times in Westminster-Hall wher I convers'd with many Parlement men of my acquaintance but one morning betimes ther rush'd into my Chamber five armed men with Swords Pistolls and Bills and told me they had a Warrant from the Parlement for me I desir'd to see their Warrant they denyed it I desired to see the date of it they denied it I desired to see my name in the Warrant they denied all at last one of them pull'd out a greasie Paper out of his Pocket and shew'd me only three or four names subscrib'd and no more so they rush'd presently into my Closet and seiz'd on all my Papers and Letters and any thing that was Manuscript and many Printed Books they took also and hurl'd all into a great Hair Trunk which they carried away with them I had taken a little Physic that morning and with very much ado they suffer'd me to stay in my Chamber with two Guards upon me till the Evening at which time they brought me before the Committee for Examination wher I confess I found good respects and being brought up to the close Committee I was order'd to be
by the next shipping besides she entreats you to send her a pot of the best mithridate and so much of treacle All your frends here are well and joviall T. T. drank your health yesternight and wish'd you could send him a handsome Venetiaâ—… Courâ—…isan inclos'd in a letter he would willingly be at the charge of the postage which he thinks would not be much for such a light commodity Farewell my dear Tom have a care of your courses and continue to love him who is Westmin 15 Ian. 1635. Yours to the altar J. H. XVIII To Mr. T. Jackson at Madrid SIR THough a great sea severs â—…s now yet 't is not all the water of the Ocean can drowne the remembrance of you in me but that it floats and flows daily in my brain I must confess for 't is impossible the mind of man should fix it self alwaies upon one object it hath somtimes its ebbs in me but 't is to rise up again with greater force At the writing heerof 't was floud 't was spring-tide which sweld so high that the thoughts of you overwhelm'd all others within me they ingross'd all my intellectualls for the time You write to me fearfull news â—…ouching the revolt of the Catalan from Castillia of the tragicall murthering of the Viceroy and the burning of his House Those mountaneers are mad Lads I fear the sparkles of this fire will fly further either to Portugall or to Sicilia and Italy all which Countries I observ'd the Spaniard holds as one would do a Woolf by the â—…ar fearing they should run aâ—…ay ever and anon from him The newes here is that Lambeth House beares all the sway at White-Hall and the Lord Deputy Kings it notably in Ireland som that love them best could wish them a little more moderation I pray buy Suarez works for me of the last edition Mr. William Pawley to whom I desire my most hearty commends may be presented will see it safely sent by way of Bilâ—…ao your frends here are all well as is thanks be to God Holborn 3 Mar. 1638. Your true friend to serve you J. H. XXIX To Sir Edward Sa. Knight Sir Edward I Had a shrewd disease hung lately upon mâ—… proceeding as the Physicians told me from this long reclused life and close restraint which had much wasted my spirits and brought me low when the Crisis was past I began to grow doubtfull that I had but a short time to breath in this elementary world my feaver still encreasing and finding my soule weary of this muddy mansion and me thought more weary of this prison of flesh than this flesh was of this prison of the Fleet. Therfore after som gentle slumbers and unusuall dreames about the dawnings of the day I had a lucid intervall and so I fell a thinking how to put my little house in order and to make my last will Heerupon my thoughts ran upon Grunnius sophista's last Testament who having nothing else to dispose of but his body he bequeathed all the parts therof in Legacies as his skin to the Tanners his bones to the Dice makers his guts to the Musitians his fingers to the Scriveners his toung to his fellow sophisters which were the Lawyers of those times and so forth as he thus dissected his body so I thought to divide my mind into legacies having as you know little of the outward pelf and gifts of fortune to dispose of for never any was less beholden to that blind baggage In the highest degree of Theoricall contemplation I made an entire sacrifice of my soul to her maker who by infusing created her and by creating infused her to actuate this small bulk of flâ—…sh with an unshakeâ—… confidence of the redemption of both in my Saviour and consequently of the salvation of the one and resurrection of the other my thoughts then reflected upon divers of my noble frends and I â—…ell to proportion unto them what Legacies I held most proper I thought to bequeath unto my Lord of Cherbery and Sir K. Digâ—…y that little Philosophy and knowledg I have in the Mathematicks My historicall observations and criticall researches I made into antiquity I thought to bequeath unto Dr. Vsher Lord Primate of Ireland My observations abroad and inspection into forrein States I thought to leave to my Lord G. D. My poetry such as it is to Mistress A. K. who I know is a great minion of the Muses School languages I thought to bequeath unto my dear mother the Vniversity of Oxford My Spanish to Sir Lewis Dives and Master Endimion Porter for though they are great masters of that language yet it may stead them somthing when they read la picara Iustina My Italian to the worthy company of Turky and Levantine Merchants from divers of whom I have received many noble favours My French to my most honoured lady the Lady Cor and it may help her somthing to understand Rablais The little smattering I have in the Dutch British and my English I did not esteem worth the bequeathing My love I had bequeathed to be dufâ—…'d among all my dear frends specially those that have stuck unto me this my long affliction My best naturall â—…ffections betwixt the Lord B of Br. my brother Howell my three dear Sisters to be transferr'd by them to my cousins their children This little sackfull of bones I thought to bequeath to Westminster Abbey to be interred in the cloyster within the Southside of the Garden close to the wall wher I would have desired Sir H. F. my dear Frend to have inlayed a small peece of black marble and caus'd this motto to have bin insculp'd upon it Huc usque peregrinus heic domi or this which I would have left to his choice Huc usque Erraticus beie fixus and instead of strewing my grave with flowers I would have desired him to have grafted theron som little Tree of what sort he pleas'd that might have taken root downward to my dust because I have bin alwaies naturally affected to woods and groves and those kind of vegetables insomuch that if ther wer any such thing as a Pythagorean Metempsuchosis I think my soul would transmigrat into som Tree when she bids this body farewell By these extravagancies and od Chimera's of my brain you may well perceive that I was notwell but distemper'd specially in my intellectualls according to the Spanish proverb siempre desvarios 〈◊〉 la calentura fevers have alwaies their fits of dotage Among those to whom I had bequeath'd my dearest love you wer one to whom I had intended a large proportion and that love which I would have left you then in legacy I send you now in this letter for it hath pleased God to reprieve me for a longer time to creep upon this earth and to see better daies I hope when this black dismall cloud is dispell'd but com foul or fair weather I shall be as formerly Fleet 26 Mar. 1643. Your most constant faithfull Servitor J.
to pass all the degrees and effects of fire as distillation sublimation mortification calcination solution descension dealbation rubification and fixation for I have bin fastned to the walls of this prison any time these fifty five moneths I have bin heer long enough if I wer matter capable therof to be made the Philosophers stone to be converted from water to powder which is the whole Magistery I have been besides so long upon the anvill that me thinks I am grown malleable and hammer proof I am so habituated to hardship But indeed you that are made of a choicer mold are fitter to be turned into the Elixer than I who have so much dross and corruption in me that it will require more paines and much more expence to be purg'd and defecated God send us both patience to bear the brunt of this fiery tryall and grace to turn these decoctions into aquam vitae to make soveraign treacle of this viper The Trojan Prince was forced to pass over Phlegeton and pay Charon his freight before he could get into the Elyzian fields you know the morall that we must pass through hell to heaven and why not as well through a prison to Paradise such may the Towre prove to you and the Fleet to me who am From the prison of the Fleet 23 Feb. 1645. Your humble and hearty Servitor J. H. XLIV To the right honble the Lord R. My Lord SUre ther is som angry planet hath lowred long upon the Catholic King and though one of his titles to Pagan Princes be that he wears the sun for his helmet because it never sets upon all his dominions in regard som part of them he on the to'ther side of the Hemisphere among the Antipodes yet me thinks that neither that great star or any of the rest are now propitious unto him they cast it seems more benign influxes upon the flower de luâ—… which thrives wonderfully but how long these favourable aspects will last I will not presume to judge This among divers others of late hath bin a fatall yeer to the said King for Westward he hath lost Dunkirk Dunkirk which was the terror of this part of the world the scourge of the occidentall seas whose name was grown to be a bugbear for so many yeers hath now changed her master and thrown away the ragged staffe doubtles a great exploit it was to take this town But whether this be advantagious to Holland as I am sure it is not to England time will shew It is more than probable that it may make him careless at sea and in the building and arming of his ships having no enemy now near him besides I believe it cannot much benefit Hans to have the French 〈◊〉 contiguous to him the old saying was Ayezle Francois pour ton 〈◊〉 non pas pour ton Voison Have the Frenchman for thy frend not 〈◊〉 â—…hy neighbour Touching England I believe these distractions of ours have biâ—… one of the greatest advantages that could befall France and they happened in the most favourable conjuncture of time that mighâ—… be els I beleeve he would never have as much as attempted Dunkirk for England in true reason of State had reason to prevent nothing more in regard no one place could have added more to the navall power of France this will make his sâ—…iles swell bigger and I â—…car make him claim in time as much regality in these narrow seaâ—… as England her self In Italy the Spaniard hath also had ill successes at Piombino and Porto longone Besides they write that he hath lost I l prete il medico the Priest and the Physician to wit the Pope and the Duke of Florence the House of Medici who appear rather for the French than for him Ad to all these disasters that he hath lost within the revolution of the same yeer the Prince of Spain his unic Son in the very flower of his age being but seventeen yeers old These with the falling off of Catalonia and Portugall with the death of his Queen not above forty are heavy losses to the Catholick King and must needs much enfeeble the great bulk of his Monarchy falling out in so short a compas of time one upon the neck of another and we are not to enter into the secret Counsells of God Almighty for a reason I have read 't was the sensuality of the flesh that drave the Kings out of Rome the French out of Sicily and brought the Moores into Spain where they kept firm footing above seven hundred yeers I could tell you how not long before her death the late Queen of Spain took off one of her chapines and clowted Olivares about the noddle with it because he had accompanied the King to a Lady of pleasure telling him that he should know she was Sister to a King of France as well as wife to a King of Spain For my part France and Spain is all one to me in point of affection I am one of those indifferent men that would have the scales of power in Europe kept even I am also a Philerenus a lover of peace and I could wish the French were more inclinable to it now that the common enemy hath invaded the territories of Saint Marâ—… Nor can I but admire that at the same time the French should assaile Italy at one side when the Turke was doing it on the other But had that great navall power of Christians which wer this summer upon the coasts of Toscany gon against the Mahometan Fleet which was the same time setting upon Candie they might in all likelihood have achieved a glorious exploit and driven the Turke into the Hellespont Nor is poor Christendom torn thus in peeces by the German Spaniard French and Sweds but our three Kingdoms have also most pittifully scratch'd her face wasted her spirits and let out som of her illustrious bloud by our late horrid distractions Wherby it may be infer'd that the Musti and the Pope seem to thrive in their devotion one way a chief part of the prayers of the one being that discord should still continue 'twixt Christian Princes of the other that division should still increase between the Protestants This poor Island is a wofull example thâ—…of I hear the peace 'twixt Spain and Holland is absolutely concluded by the plenipotentiary Ministers at Munster who have beat their heads so many yeers about it but they write that the French and Swed do mainly endeavour and set all the wheels of policy a going to puzzle and prevent it If it take effect as I do not see how the Hollander in common honesty can evade it I hope it will conduce much to an universall peace which God grant for Waâ—… is a fire struck in the Devills tinder box No more now but that I am My Lord Your most humble Servitor J. H. Fleet 1 Decem. 1643. XLV To Mr. E. O. Counsellour at Grayes Inne SIR THe sad tidings of my dear frend Doctor Prichards death sunk
three parts of the habitable earth wer rather a madness than a presumption it being a thing of impossibility and not only above the capacity but beyond the search of the activ'st and knowingst man upon earth Let it therfore suffice while I behold those Nations that read and write from right to left from the Liver to the heart I mean the Africanes and Asians that I take a short view of the Arabic in the one and the Hebrew or Syriac in the other for touching the Turkish language 't is but a dialect of the Tartarian though it have received a late mixture of the Armenian the Persian and Greek tongues but specially of the Arabic which was the mother tongue of their Prophet and is now the sole language of their Alchoran it being strictly inhibited and held to be a prophaness to translate it to any other which they say preserves them from the encroachment of Schismes Now the Arabic is a tongue of vast expansion for besides the three Arabia's it is becom the vulgar speech of Syria Mesoptoamia Palestine and Egypt from whence she stretcheth her self to the streight of Gibraltar through all that vast tract of earth which lieth 'twixt the Mountain Atlas and the Mediterranean Sea which is now call'd Barbary where Christianity and the Latine tongue with divers famous Bishops once flourished She is spoken likewise in all the Northern parts of the Turkish Empire as also in petty Tartary and she above all other hath a reason to learn Arabic for she is in hope one day to have the Crescent and the whole Ottoman Empire it being entail'd upon her in case the present race should fail which is now in more danger than ever in 〈◊〉 whersoever the Mahometan Religion is profes'd the Arabic is either spoken or taught My last view shall be of the first language of the earth the ancient language of Paradice the language wherin God Almighty himself pleas'd to pronounce and publish the Tables of the Law the language that had a benediction promis'd her because she would not consent to the building of the Babylonish Tower yet this holy tongue hath had also her Eclypses and is now degenerated to many dialects nor is she spoken purely by any Nation upon the earth a fate also which is befallen the Greek and Latine The most spacious dialect of the Hebrew is the Syriac which had her begining in the time of the captivity of the Jews at Babylon while they cohabited and wer mingled with the Chaldeans in which tract of seventy yeeres time the vulgar sort of Jewes neglecting their own maternâ—…ll tongue the Hebrew began to speak the Chaldee but not having the right accent of it and fashioning that new learn'd language to their own innotation of points affixes and conjugations out of that intermixture of Hebrew and Chaldee resulted a third language call'd to this day the Syriâ—…c which also after the time of our Saviour began to be more adulterated by admission of Greek Roman and Arabic in this language is the Talmud and Targum couch'd and all their Rabbins as Rabby Ionathan and Rabby Oakelos with others have written in it Insomuch that as I said before the ancient Hebrew had the same fortune that the Greek and Latine tongues had to fall from being naturally spoken any where to lose their generall communicableness and vulgarity to becom only School book languages Thus we see that as all other sublunary things are subject to corruption and decay as the poten'st Monarchies the proudest Republiques the opulentest Cities have their growth declinings and periods As all other elementary bodies likewise by reason of the frailty of their principles com by in sensible degrees to alter and perish and cannot continue long at a stand of perfection so the learnedst and more eloquent languages are not free from this common fatality but they are liable to those alterations and resolutions to those fits of inconstancy and other destructive contingencies which are unavoidably incident to all earthly things Thus my noble Lord have I evertuated my self and strech'd all my sinnews I have put all my small knowledge observations and reading upon the tenter to satisfy your Lordships desires touching this subject If it afford you any contentment I have hit the white I aimed at and hold myself abundantly rewarded for my oyl and labour so I am My Lord Your most humble and ever obedient Servitor J. H. VVestm 1 Iul. 1630. XLIII To the Hon. Master Car. Ra. SIR YOurs of the 7th current was brought me wherby I find that you did put your self to the penance of perusing som Epistles that go imprinted lately in my name I am bound to you for your pains and patience for you write you read them all thorough much more for your candid opinion of them being right glad that they should give entertainment to such a choice and judicious Geetleman as your self But wheras you seem to except against somthing in one Letter that reflects upon Sir VValter Raleigh's voyage to Guyana because I tearm the gold Mine he went to discover an ayrie and supposititious Mine so infer that it toucheth his honour Truly sir I will deal clearly with you in that point that I never harbour'd in my brain the least thought to expose to the world any thing that might prejudice much less traduce in the least degree that could be that rare and renowned Knight whose fame shall contend in longaevity with this Island it self yea with that great VVorld which he Historiseth so gallantly I was a youth about the Town when he undertook that expedition and I remember most men suspected that Mine then to be but an imaginary politic thing but at his return and missing of the enterprise these suspitions turn'd in most to reall beliefs that 't was no other And king Iames it that Declaration which he commanded to be printed and published afterwards touching the circumstances of this action upon which my Letter is grounded and which I have still by me tearms it no less And if we may not give faith to such publick regall instruments what shall we credit besides ther goes another pâ—…inted kind of Remonstrance annex'd to that Declaration which intimates as much And ther is a worthy Captain in this Town who was a coadventurer in that expedition who upon the storming of St. Thoma heard young Mr. Rawleigh encouraging his men in these whods com on my noble hearts this iâ—… the Mine we com for and they who think ther is any other are foâ—…lt Add heerunto that Sir Richard Baker in his last Historicall collections intimates so much therfore 't was far from being any opinion broach'd by my self or bottom'd upon weak grounds for I was carefull of nothing more than that those Letters being to breath open air should relate nothing but what should be derived from good fountains And truly sir touching that Apologie of Sir Walter Rawleighs you write of I never saw it and I am very
sorry I did not for it had let in more light upon me of the cariage of that great action and then you might have bin well assur'd that I would have don that noble Knight all the right that could be But sir the severall arguments that you urge in your Letters are of that strength I confess that they are able to rectifie any indifferent man in this point and induce him to believe that it was no Chymera but a reall Mine for you write of divers pieces of gold brought thence by Sir Walter himself and Captain Kemys and of som Ingotts that wer found in the Governours Closet at St. Thoma with divers crusibles and other refining instruments yet under favour that might be and the benefit not countervail the charge for the richest Mines that the King of Spain hath upon the whole Continent of America which are the Mines of Potosâ—… yeeld him but six in the hundred all expences defrayed You write how King Iames sent privately to sir VValter being yet in the Tower to intreat and command him that he would impart his whole designe unto him under his hand promising upon the word of a King to keep it secret which being don accordingly by Sir VValter Rawleigh that very originall paper was found in the said Spanish Governours closet at St. Thoma wherat as you have just cause to wonder and admire the activeness of the Spanish Agents about our Court at that time so I wonder no less at the miscariage of som of His late Majesties Ministers who notwithstanding that he had pass'd his royall word to the contrary yet they did help Count Gondamar to that paper so that the reproach lieth more upon the English than the Spanish Ministers in this particular Wheras you allege that the dangerous sicknes of Sir VVatler being arrived neer the place and the death of that rare sparke of courage your brother upon the first landing with other circumstances discourag'd Captain Kemys from discovering the Mine but to reserve it for another time I am content to give as much credit to this as any man can as also that Sir VValter if the rest of the Fleet according to his earnest motion had gon with him to revictuall in Virginia a Country wher he had reason to be welcom unto being of his own discovery he had a purpose to return to Guyana the Spring following to pursue his first designe I am also very willing to believe that it cost Sir VValter Rawleigh much more to put himself in equipage for that long intended voyage than would have payed for his liberty if he had gon about to purchase it for reward of money at home though I am not ignorant that many of the co-adventurers made large contributions and the fortunes of som of them suffer for it at this very day But although Gondamar as my Letter mentions calls Sir Walter Pyrat I for my part am far from thinking so because as you give an unanswerable reason the plundering of St. Thoma was an act done beyond the Equator wher the Articles of Peace 'twixt the two Kings do not extend yet under favor though he broke not the Peace he was said to break his Patent by exceeding the bounds of his Commission as the foresaid Declaration relates for King Iames had made strong promises to Count Gondamar that this Fleet should commit no outrages upon the King of Spain's Subjects by Land unless they began first and I beleeve that was the main cause of his death though I think if they had proceeded that way against him in a legall course of triall he might have defended himself well enough Wheras you alledg that if that action had succeeded and afterwards been well prosecuted it might have brought Gondamar's great Catholic Master to have been begg'd for at the Church dores by Fryars as he was once brought in the latter end of Queen Elizabeths days I believe it had much damnified him and interrupted him in the possession of his West Indies but not brought him under favor to so low an ebb I have observed that it is an ordinary thing in your Popish Countreys for Princes to borrow from the Altar when they are reduc'd to any straights for they say the â—…iches of the Church are to serve as anchors in time of a storm divers of our Kings have don worse by pawning their Plate and Jewels Wheras my Letter makes mention that Sir Walter Rawleigh mainly laboured for his Pardon before he went but could not compas it this is also a passage in the foresaid printed Relation but I could have wish'd with all my heart he had obtaind it for I beleeve that neither the transgression of his Commission nor any thing that he did beyond the Line could have shortned the line of his life otherwise but in all probability wee might have been happy in him to this very day having such an Heroic heart as he had and other rare helps by his great knowledg for the preservation of health I beleeve without any scruple what you write that Sir William St. geon made an overture unto him of procuring his pardon for 1500 l. but whether he could have effected it I doubt a little when he had com to negotiat it really But I extremely wonder how that old sentence which had lain dormant above sixteen yeers against Sir Walter Rawleigh could have been made use of to take off his head afterwards considering that the Lord Chancellor Verulam as you write told him positively as Sir Walter was acquainting him with that proffer of Sir William St. geons for a pecuniaâ—…y pardon in these words Sir the knee timber of your voiage is money spare 〈◊〉 purse in this particular for upon my life you have a sufficient parâ—… for all that is passed already the King having under his broad Seal made you Admirall of your Fleet and given you power of the Martiall Law over your Officers and Soldiers One would think that by this Royall Patent which gave him power of life and death over the Kings liege peeple Sir Walter Rawleigh should becom Rectus in â—…ia and free from all old convictions but Sir to tell you the plain truth Count Gondamar at that time had a great stroak in our Court because ther was more than a meer â—…verture of a match with Spain which makes me apt to believe that that great wise Knight being such an Anti-Spaniard was made a Sacrifice to advance the Matrimoniall Treaty But I must needs wonder as you justly do that one and the same man should be condemned for being a frend to the Spaniard which was the ground of his first condemnation should afterwards lose his head for being their enemy by the same sentence Touching his return I must consess I was utterly ignorant that those two noble Earls Thomas of Arundell and William of Pembâ—…oke wer ingaged for him in this particular nor doth the prinâ—…ed Relation make any mention of them at all therfore I must say
the first fell a eating of bread as hard as he could drive at last breaking out of a brown study he eryed out conclusum est contra Manichaeos The other fell a gazing upon the Queen and the King asking him how he lik'd her he answered on Sir if an earthly Queen be so beautifull what shall we think of the Queen of Heaven The later was the better Courtier of the two Hence we may infer that your meer bookmen your deep Clerks whom we call the only learned men are not alwaies the civillest or the best morall men nor is too great a number of them convenient for any state leading a soft sedentary life specially those who feed their own fancies only upon the publike â—…ocke Therfore it wer to be wishd that ther raignd not among the peeple of this land such a generall itching after book-learning and I beleeve so many â—…rce Schools do rather hurt than good Nor did the Art of Printing much avail the Christian Common wealth â—…t may be said to be well near as fatall as gunpowder which came up in the same age For under correction to this may be partâ—…y ascribd that spirituall pride that variety of Dogmatists which 〈◊〉 among us Add heerunto that the excessive number of those which convers only with Books and whose profession consists in them is such that one cannot live for another according to the dignity of the calling A Physitian cannot live for the Physitians a Lawyer civill and common cannot live for Lawyers nor a Divine for Divines Morcover the multitudes that profess these three best vocations specially the last make them of far less esteem Ther is an odd opinion among us that he who is a contemplative man a man who wedds himself to his study and swallowes many books must needs be a prosound Scholler and a great learned man though in reality he be such a dolt that he hath neither a retentive faculty to keep what he hath read nor wit to make any usefull application of it in common discours what he drawes in lieth upon dead lees and never grows â—…it to be broachd Besides he may want judgement in the choice of his Authors and knows not how to turn his hand either in weighing or winnowing the soundest opinions Ther are divers who are cryed up for great Clerks who want discretion Others though they wade deep into the causes and knowledg of things yet they are subject to scrue up their wits and soar so high that they lose themselves in their own speculations for thinking to transcend the ordinary pitch of reason they com to involve the common principles of Philosophy in a mist instead of illustrating things they render them more obscure instead of a plainer and shorter way to the palace of knowledg they lead us through bryery odd uncouth paths and â—…o fall into the fallacy call'd notum per ignotius Som have the â—…ap to be tearmed learned men though they have gatherd up but the scraps of knowledg heer and there though they be but smatterers and meer sciolists scarce knowing the Hoties of things yet like empty casks if they can make a sound and have a gift to vent with confidence what they have suckd in they are accounted great Schollers Amongst all book-learned men except the Divine to whom all learned men should be laquays The Philosopher who hath waded through all the Mathematiques who hath div'd into the secrets of the elementary world and converseth also with celestiall bodies may be term'd a learned man The criticall Historian and Antiquary may be call'd also a learned man who hath convers'd with our fore fathers and observ'd the carriage and contingencies of matters pass'd whence he drawes instances and cautions for the benefit of the Times he lives in The Civiliaâ—… may be call'd likewise a learned man if the revolving of huge volums may entitle one so but touching the Authors of the Common Law which is peculiar only to this Meridian they may be all carried in a wheelbarrow as my Countreyman Doctor Gwin told Judge Finch The Physitian must needs be a learned man for he knows himself inward and outward being well vers'd in Autology in that lesson Nosce Teipsum and as Adrian the sixt said he is very necessary to a populous Countrey for were it not for the Physitian men would live so long and grow so thick that one could not live for the other and he makes the earth cover all his faults But what Doctor Guyn said of the common law-books and Pope Adrian of the Physitian was spoken I conceive in meriment for my part I honour those two worthy professions in a high degree Lastly a polygot or good linguist may be also term'd a usefull learned man specially it vers'd in School languages My Lord I know none of this age more capable to sit in the Chair and censure what is true learning and what not then your self therfore in speaking of this subject to your Lordship I fear to have committed the same error as Phormio did in discoursing of War before Hanniball No more now but that I am My Lord Your most humble and obedient Servant J. H. To Doctor J. D. IX SIR I Have many sorts of Civilities to thank you for but among the rest I thank you a thousand times twice told for that delightfull fit of Society and conference of Notes we had lately in this little Fleet-Cabin of mine upon divers Problems and upon som which are exploded and that by those who seem to sway most in the common-wealth of Learning for Paradoxes meerly by an implicit faith without diving at all into the reasons of the Assertors And wheras you promised a further expression of your self by way of a Discoursive Letter what you thought of Copernicus opinion touching the movement of the earth which hath so stirr'd all our modern wits And wherof Sir I. Browne pleased to oblige himself to do the like touching the Philosophers stone the powder of Projection and potable gold provided that I would do the same concerning a peepled Countrey and a species of moving creatures in the concave of the Moon which I willingly undertook upon those conditions To acquit my self of this obligation and to draw on your performances the sooner I have adventured to send you this following Discourse such as it is touching the â—…nary World I believe 't is a Principle which no man will offer to controvert that as Antiquity cannot priviledg an Error so Novelty cannot prejudice Truth Now Truth hath her degrees of growing and expanding her self as all other things have and as Time begets her so hee doth the obstetritious office of a Midwise to bring her sorth Many truths are but Embryos or Problemes nay som of them seem to bee meer Paradoxes at first The opinion that ther were Antipodes was exploded when it was first broach'd it was held absurd and ridiculous and the thing it self to be as impossible as it was for men to go upon
is dead who was the chiefest Oracle of that Country yet though the light of the Gospell chas'd away those great Owls ther be som Bats and little night birds that fly still abroad I mean petty spirits that by secret pactions which are made alwaies without witnes enable men and women to do evill In such compacts beyond the seas the party must first renounce Christ and the extended woman meaning the blessed Virgin he must contemn the Sacraments tread on the cross spit at the host c. Ther is a famous story of such a paction which Fryer Louis made som half a hundred yeers ago with the Devill in Marseilles who appear'd to him in shape of a Goat and promis'd him the enjoyment of any woman whom he fancied with other pleasures for 41. yeers but the Devill being too cunning for him put the figure of I before and made it 14 yeers in the contract which is to be seen to this day with the Devills claw to it at which time the Fryer was detected for Witchcraft and burnt and all those children whom he had christned during that term of 14 yeers were rebaptized and the Gentlewomen whom he had abus'd put themselves into a Nunnery by themselves Heerunto may be added the great rich Widdow that was burn'd in Lions because 't was prov'd the Devill had lain with her as also the history of Lieutenant Iaquette which stands upon record with the former but if I should insert them heer at large it would make this letter swell too much But we need not cross the sea for examples of this kind we have too too many God wot at home King Iames a great while was loth to beleeve ther were Witches but that which happend to my Lord Francis of Rutlands children convinc'd him who were bewitch'd by an old woman that was servant at Belvoir Castle but being displeas'd she contracted with the Devill who convers'd with her in form of a cat whom she call'd Rutterken to make away those children out of meer malignity and thirst of revenge But since the beginning of these unnaturall Wars ther may be a clowd of witnesses produc'd for the proof of this black tenet for within the compas of two yeers neer upon three hundred Witches were arraign'd and the major part executed in Essex and Suffolk only Scotland swarmes with them now more than ever and persons of good quality executed daily Thus sir have I huddled together a few arguments touching this subject because in my last communication with you me thought I found you somwhat unsatisfied and staggering in your opinion touching the affirmative part of this thesis the discussing wherof is far fitter for an elaborat large treatise than a loose letter Touching the new Common-wealth you intend to establish now that you have assign'd me my part among so many choice legislators somthing I shall do to comply with your desires which shall be alwaies to me as comands and your comands as lawes because I love and honoâ—…r you in a very high degree for those gallant free-born thoughts and sundry parts of virtu which I have dis cern'd in you which makes me entitle my self Fleet this 20 of Febr. 1647. Your most humble and affectionat faithfull Servant J. H. XXIV To Sir William Boswell at the Hague SIR THat black tragedy which was lately acted heer as it hath fill'd most hearts among us with consternation and horror so 〈◊〉 believe it hath bin no less resented abroad For my own particular the more I ruminat upon it the more it astonisheth my imagination and shaketh all the cells of my brain so that somtimes I struggle with my faith and have much adoe to believe it yet I shal give over wondring at thing any heerafter nothing shall seem strange unto me only I will attend with patience how England will thrive now that she is let bloud in the basilicall veine and cur'd as they say of the Kings Evill I had one of yours by Mr. Iacob Bâ—…eue and I much thank you for the account you please to give me of what I sent you by his conveyance Holland may now be proud for ther is a younger Common-wealth in Christendom than her self No more now but that I alwaies rest Sir Your most humble Servitor J. H. Fleet 20 of Mar. 1648. XXV To Mr. W. B. at Grundsburgh SIR NEver credit me if Liberty it self be as dear to me as your Letters they com so full of choice and learned applications with such free unforc'd strains of ingenuity insomuch that when I peruse them me thinks they cast such a kind of fragrancy that I cannot more aptly compare them than to the flowers which are now in their prime season viz. to Roses in Iune I had two of them lately which me thought were like quivers full of barb'd arrowes pointed with gold that penetrated my breast Tali quis nollet ab ictu Ridendo tremulas mortis non ire sub umbras Your expressions were like those Mucrones and Melliti globuli which you so ingenuously apply mine unto but these arrowes of yours though they have hit me they have not hurt me they had no killing quality but they were rather as so many cordialls for you know gold is restorative I am suddenly surpriz'd by an inexpected occasion therfore I must abruply break off with you for this time I will only add my most dear Nephew that I rest Iune the 3. 1648. Yours entirely to love and serve you J. H. XXVI To R. K. Esquire at St. Giles SIR DIfference in opinion no more than a differing complexion can be cause enough for me to hate any A differing fancy is no more to me than a diffring face If another hath a fair countenance though mine be black or if I have a fair opinion though another have a hard favourd one yet it shall not break that common league of humanity which should be betwixt rational creatures provided he corresponds with me in the generall offices of morality and civill uprightnes this may admit him to my acquaintance and conversation though I never concur with him in opinion He beares the Image of Adam and the Image of the Allmighty as well as I He had God for his Father though he hath not the same Church for his Mother The omniscient Câ—…cator as He is only Kardiognostic so He is the sole Lord of the whole inward man It is he who reignes ore the faculties of the soul and the affections of the heart 'T is He who regulates the will and rectifies all obliquities in the understanding by speciall illuminations and oftentimes reconciles men as opposit in opinion as Meridians and Parallells are in point of extension wherof the one drawes from East to West the other from North to South Som of the Pagan Philosophers specially Themistius who was Praetor of Byzantium maintain'd an opinion that as the pulchritud and preservation of the world consisted in varieties and dissimilitudes as also in Eccentric and contrary