Page images
PDF
EPUB

therefore proceeded in this fearch with all moderate hafte, and about the twentieth year of his age, did fhew the then Dean of Gloucester (whofe name my memory hath now loft) all the Cardinal's works marked with many weighty obfervations under his own hand; which works were bequeathed by him at his death as a legacy to a moft dear friend.

About a year following he refolved to travel; and the Earl of Effex going first the Cales, and after the Ifland voyages, the first anno 1596, the fecond 1597, he took the advantage of thofe opportunities, waited upon his Lordship, and was an eye-witnefs of thofe happy and unhappy employments". But he returned not back into England, till he had flaid fome years first in Italy, and then in Spain, where he made many ufeful obfervations of those countries, their laws and manner of government, and returned perfect in their languages.

The time that he spent in Spain was, at his firft going into Italy, defigned for travelling to the holy land, and for viewing Jerufalem and the Sepulchre of our Saviour. But at his being in the furtheft parts of Italy, the difappointment of company, or of a fafe convoy, or the uncertainty of returns of money into those remote parts, denied him that happinefs; which he did often occafionally mention with a deploration.

Not long after his return into England, that exemplary pattern of gravity and wisdom, the Lord Elfemore", then keeper of the great feal, and Lord Chancellor

Dr. Anthony Rudd, born in Yorkshire, and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. He died Bishop of St. David's in 1614. Of his fermon preached in 1596 before Queen Elizabeth, from Pf. xc. 12, in which by perfonally alluding to her advanced years, and plainly telling her Majefty, that "age had furrowed her face, and befprinkled her hair with its meal," he incurred her heavy displeasure." (See Fuller's Ch. Hiftory, B. X. Cent. xvii. p. 69.)

P Of this expedition in 1596, in which Cadiz was taken from the Spaniards, a narrative written by the Earl of Effex is inferted in Cambden's Annals of England, &c.

Sir Thomas Egerton, Knight, a native of Chefhire, the founder of the houfe of Egerton. In confideration of his fingular merits he had the care of the Great Seal committed to him, May 6, 1596, under the title of Lord Keeper, and by King James I. he was created Baron of Ellefmore, and conftituted Lord Chancellor of England. His literary character is pourtrayed in the following letter written by Sir Francis Bacon, when he prefented him with a copy of "The Advancement of Learning." " May.

Chancellor of England, taking notice of his learning, languages, and other abilities, and much affecting his perfon and behaviour, took him to be his chief Secretary; fuppofing and intending it to be an introduction to fome

"May it please your good Lordship,

more

"I humbly present your lordship with a work, wherein as you have much commandment "over the author, fo your Lordship hath great intereft in the argument: for, to speak with"out flattery, few have like use of learning or like judgment in learning, as I have obferved "in your Lordship. And again your Lordship hath been a great planter of learning, not only "in thofe places in the church, which have been in your own gift, but alfo in your com"mendatory vote no man hath more conftantly held "detur digniori"; and therefore both "your Lordship is beholden to learning, and learning beholden to you; which maketh me "prefume, with good affurance, that your Lordship will accept well of thefe my labours, "the rather because your Lordship in private speech hath often begun to me in expreffing "your admiration of his Majefty's learning, to whom I have dedicated this work; and whofe "virtue and perfection in that kind did chiefly move me to a work of this nature, And fo "with fignification of my most humble duty and affection to your Lordship,

1605.

"I remain."

(Bacon's Works, vol. III. p. 229.)

This excellent perfon died at the age of feventy years, March 15, 1616-17, having on the third of that month refigned the Great Seal, which on the feventh was given to Sir Francis Bacon. "It was faid of Bankes the Attorney (General) that he exceeded Bacon in eloquence, "Chancellor Ellefmore in judgment, and William Noy in law."

(Lord Strafforde's Letters, vol. I. p. 427.)

"TO THE LORD CHANCELLOR.

Whilft thy weigh'd judgments, Egerton, I hear,
"And know thee then a judge not of one year,`
"Whilft I behold thee live with pureft hands,
"That no affection in thy voice commands,
"That still thou'rt present to the better cause

"And no lefs wife than skilful in the laws,

"Whilst thou art certain to thy words once gone,

"As is thry confcience, which is always one:

"The virgin long fince fled from earth I fee

"T' our times return'd hath made her heaven in thee.

(Ben Jonson.)

Lloyd in his State Worthies, p. 756, obferves, that "Chriftendom afforded not a perfon ❝ which carried more gravity in his countenance and behaviour, than Sir Thomas Egerton, "infomuch that many have gone to the Chancery on purpose only to fee his venerable garb, (happy they who had no other business) and were highly pleased at so acceptable a picture."

more weighty employment in the State; for which, his Lordship did often proteft, he thought him very fit.

Nor did his Lordship in this time of Mafter Donne's attendance upon him, account him to be fo much his fervant, as to forget he was his friend; and to teftify it, did always ufe him with much courtefy, appointing him a place at his own table, to which he esteemed his company and difcourfe to be a great ornament.

He continued that employment for the space of five years, being daily useful, and not mercenary to his friends. During which time he (I dare not fay unhappily) fell into fuch a liking, as (with her approbation) increased into a love with a young gentlewoman that lived in that family, who was niece to the Lady Elfemore', and daughter to Sir George Moor', then Chancellor of the Garter and Lieutenant of the Tower.

Sir George had fome intimation of it, and knowing prevention to be a great part of wifdom, did therefore remove her with much hafte from that to his own house at Lothefley, in the county of Surry; but too late, by reafon of fome faithful promifes which were fo interchangeably paffed,, as never to be violated by either party..

These promises were only known to themfelves; and the friends of both parties used much diligence, and many arguments to kill or cool their affections to each other: but in vain; for love is a flattering mischief, that hath denied aged and wife men a forefight of thofe evils that too often prove to be the children of that blind father, a paffion that carries us to commit errors with as much ease as whirlwinds remove feathers, and begets in us an unwearied induftry to the attainment of what we defire. And fuch an industry did, notwithstanding much watchfulness against it, bring them fecretly together (I forbear to tell the manner how), and at laft to a marriage too, without the allowance of thofe friends, whofe approbation always

K

'Sifter to Sir George Moor of Loxly-Farm, in the county of Surry, Knight, and widow of Sir John Wooley, of Pirford in Surry, Knight, and mother of that Sir Francis Wooley, who kindly took Dr. Donne and his wife under his protection.

This gentleman was Treafurer or Receiver General of the revenues of Henry Prince of Wales in 1604. In 1610 he was made Chancellor of the Order of the Garter, and in 1615 Lieutenant of the Tower. (See Wood's A. O. vol. I. page 492.)

always was, and ever will be neceffary, to make even a virtuous love become lawful.

And that the knowledge of their marriage might not fall, like an unexpected tempeft, on thofe that were unwilling to have it fo; and that preapprehenfions might make it the lefs enormous, when it was known, it was purpofely whifpered into the ears of many that it was fo, yet by none that could affirm it. But to put a period to the jealoufies of Sir George (doubt often begetting more reftlefs thoughts then the certain knowledge of what we fear), the news was, in favour to Mr. Donne, and with his allowance, made known to Sir George, by his honourable friend and neighbour, Henry Earl of Northumberland': But it was to Sir George fo immeafurably unwelcome, and fo transported him, that as though his paffion of anger and inconfideration might exceed theirs of love and error, he prefently engaged his fifter the Lady Elfemore, to join with him to procure her Lord to difcharge Mr. Donne of the place he held under his Lordship. This requeft was followed with violence; and though Sir George were remembered, that errors might be overpunished, and desired therefore to forbear till fecond confiderations might clear fome fcruples, yet he became reftlefs until his fuit was granted, and the punishment executed. And though the Lord Chancellor did not at Mr. Donne's difmiffion give him fuch a commendation, as the great Emperor Charles the Fifth did of his Secretary Erafo", when he prefented him to his fon and fucceffor

Henry Percy, the ninth Earl of Northumberland of that name; "a learned man himself "and the generous favourer of all good learning," as he is called by Anthony Wood. This nobleman, upon the marriage of his youngest daughter Lady Lucy Percy, a lady of the most diftinguished wit and beauty, with the Lord Haye, afterward created Viscount Doncaster and Earl of Carlisle, difcovered the fame harshness of difpofition, which he probably cenfured in the father-in-law of Dr. Donne. The treatment which he received from James I. to whom he always fhewed the most faithful attachment, affords one among many inftances of the injuftice of that monarch, who fined this nobleman 30,000l. and "imprifoned him in the "Tower from 1605 to 1619 upon a mere suspicion, without the leaft proof of his having had "knowledge of the powder-plot, as Cecyll himfelf confeffed in a letter to Sir Thomas Ed"munds, dated Dec. 2. 1605." (Birch's View of the Negociations, &c. p. 245.)

"On the 16th of January 1556, his Majefty paffed the act" of the Renunciation of the "Crown of Spain and all its dominions to his fon Philip in the prefence of Francis de Eraffo

"his

66

[ocr errors]

fucceffor Philip the Second, faying, "That in his Erafo, he gave to him a greater gift than all his eftate, and all the kingdoms which he then refigned to him;" yet the Lord Chancellor faid, "He parted with a "friend and fuch a fecretary as was fitter to ferve a king than a subject." Immediately after his difmiffion from his fervice, he fent a fad letter to his wife, to acquaint her with it; and, after the fubfcription of his name, writ,

JOHN DONNE, ANNE DONNE, UN-DONE;

And God knows it proved too true: For this bitter physic of Mr. Donne's difmiffion was not ftrong enough to purge out all Sir George's choler, for he was not fatisfied till Mr. Donne and his fometime compupil in Cambridge that married him, namely, Samuel Brook* (who was after Doctor in

K 2.

"his Secretary and all the Spaniards then at Bruffels." (Stevens's Tranflation of the History of Charles V. written in Spanish by D. F. Prudencio de Sandoval, Bishop of Pamplona, &c. p. 453.) It was probably at this very time that the Emperor recommended this faithful fecretary to his fon.

Samuel Brook, defcended from a refpectable family at York, was the fon of Robert Brook, an eminent merchant, and Lord Mayor of that city in 1582 and in 1595. He was admitted of Trinity College in Cambridge in 1596; and on September 26, 1612, being then Chaplain to Prince Henry, he was chofen Divinity Profeffor in Gresham College, on the recommendation of that Prince, whofe unhappy death followed, Nov. 6th ensuing. In 1613 he was elected one of the twelve preachers of the Univerfity, and the year following he wrote a Latin pastoral, which was acted with applause before King James in Trinity College Hall, on Friday, March 10. Copies of this performance are yet extant with this title, "Melanthe, "Fabula paftoralis, acta cum Jacobus, Magne Brit. Franc. et Hiberniæ Rex, Cantabrigiam "fum nuper inviferat, ibidemq; mufarum atque animi gratiâ dies quinque commoraretur. "Egerunt Alumni Coll. San. et individuæ Trinitatis Cantabrigiæ. Excudebat Cantrellus "Legge, Mart. 27, 1615." In 1630 he is faid to have compofed an Arminian Treatife of Predeftination, with which he acquainted Bifhop Laud, who encouraged him in the work, recommending it to the revifal of Dr. Lindfey and Dr. Beale, two great Arminians, and promifing to perufe it himself, as appears by fundry letters. (Pryne's Canterbury's Doom. p. 167.) Of this tract Mr. Horfey, in the funeral oration delivered in Trinity College Chapel, thus fpeaks, "Nec illum prætereo foetum nuperrime formatum "de magno et fecreto Praftina"tionis Myfterio Difputationes." Quanti nobis effet a Tineis et Latebris redimere has pretiofas "chartas, ut typis fideliter excufe in manus omnium pervenirent." in 1615 he was created D. D. and in 1618 was promoted to the Rectory of St. Margaret's, Lothbury, in London. He refigned

« PreviousContinue »