judged to hold proportion with many who had made that study the employment of their whole life Sir Francis being dead and that happy family dissolved Mr. Donne took for himself an house in Micham near to Croydon in Surrey a place noted for good air and choice company there his wife and children remained and for himself he took lodgings in London near to White-Hall whither his friends and occasions drew him very often and where he was as often visited by many of the Nobility and others of this Nation who used him in their Counsels of greatest consideration Nor did our own Nobility onely value and favour him but his acquaintance and friendship was sought for by most Ambassadours of forraign Nations and by many other strangers whose learning or business occasioned their stay in this Nation He was much importuned by many friends to make his constant residence in London but he still denyed it having setled his dear wife and children at Micham and near some friends that were bountiful to them and him for they God knows needed it and that you may the better now judge of the then present Condition of his minde and fortune I shall present you with an extract collected out of some few of his many Letters And the reason why I did not send an answer to your last weeks letter was because it found me under too great a sadness and at present 't is thus with me There is not one person but my self well of my family I have already lost half a Child and with that mischance of hers my wife is fallen into such a discomposure as would afflict her too extremely but that the sickness of all her children stupifies her of one of which in good faith I have not much hope and these meet with a fortune so ill provided for Physick and such relief that if God should ease us with burtals I know not how to perfome even that but I flatter my self with this hope that I am dying too for I cannot waste faster then by such griefs As for Aug. 10. From my hospital at Micham JOHN DONNE Thus he did bemoan himself And thus in other letters For we hardly discover a sin when it is but an omission of some good and no accusing act with this or the former I have often suspected my self to be overtaken which is with an over earnest desire of the next life and though I know it is not mearly a weariness of this because I had the same desire when I went with the tide and injoyed fairer hopes then I now doe yet I doubt worldly troubles have increased it 't is now Spring and all the pleasures of it displease me every other tree blossoms and I wither I grow older and not better my strength deminisheth and my lode grows heavier and yet I would fain be or do something but that I cannot tell what is no wonder in this time of my sadness for to chuse is to do but to be no part of my body is as to be nothing and so I am and shall so judge my self unless I could be so incorporated into a part of the world as by business to contribute some sustentation to the whole This I made account I began early when I understood the study of our Laws but was diverted by leaving that and imbracing the worst voluptuousness an hydroptique immoderate desire of humane learning and languages Beautiful ornaments indeed to men of great fortunes but mine was grown so low as to need an occupation which I thought I entered well into it when I subjected my self to such a service as I thought might exercise my poor abilities and there I stumbled and fell too and now I am become so little or such a nothing that I am not a subject good enough for one of my own letters I fear my present discontent does not proceed from a good root that I am so well content to be nothing that is dead But Sir though my fortune hath made me such as that I am rather a Sickness or a Disease of the world than any part of it and therefore neither love it nor life yet I would gladly live to become some such thing as you should not repent loving me Sir your own Soul cannot be more zealous of your good then I am and God who loves that zeal in me will not suffer you to doubt it you would pity me now if you saw me write for my pain hath drawn my head so much awry and holds it so that my eye cannot follow my pen. I therefore receive you into my Prayers with mine own weary soul and Commend my self to yours I doubt not but next week will bring you good news for I have either mending or dying on my side but If I do continue longer thus I shall have Comfort in this That my blessed Saviour in exercising his Justice upon my two worldly parts my Fortune and my Body reserves all his Mercy for that which most needs it my Soul that is I doubt too like a Porter which is very often near the gate and yet goes not out Sir I profess to you truly that my lothness to give over writing now seems to my self a sign that I shall write no more Sept. 7. Your poor friend and Gods poor patient JOHN DONNE By this you have seen a part of the picture of his narrow fortune and the perplexities of his generous minde and thus it continued with him for about two years all which time his family remained constantly at Micham and to which place he often retir'd himself and destined some dayes to a constant study of some points of Controversy betwixt the English and Roman Church and especially those of Supremacy and Allegiance and to that place and such studies he could willingly have wedded himself during his life but the earnest perswasion of friends became at last to be so powerful as to cause the removal of himself and family to London where Sir Robert Drewry a Gentleman of very noble estate and a more liberal mind assigned him a very choice and useful house rent-free next to his own in Drewry-lane and was also a cherisher of his studies and such a friend as sympathized with him and his in all their joy and sorrows Many of the Nobility were watchful and solicitous to the King for some secular preferment for him His Majesty had formerly both known and put a value upon his company and had also given him some hopes of a State-employment being alwayes much pleased when Mr. Donne attended him especially at his meals where there were usually many deep discourses of general learning and very often friendly debates or disputes of Religion betwixt his Majesty and those Divines whose places required their attendance on him at those times particularly the Dean of the Chappel who then was Bishop Montague the publisher of the learned and eloquent Works of his Majesty and the most reverend Doctor Andrews the late learned Bishop of
to foretell his death for which he seemed to those many friends that observed him to be well prepared and still free from all fear and chearful as several Letters writ in his bed and but a few dayes before his death may testifie And in the beginning of December following he fell again into a Quartan Fever land in the tenth fiâ— his better part that part of Sir Henry Wotton which could not dye put off Mortality with as much content and chearfulness as humane frailty is capable of he being in perfect peace with God and man And thus the Circle of his Life that Circle which began at Bocton and in the Circumference thereof did first touch at Winchester-School then at Oxford and after upon so many remarkable parts and passages in Christendom That Circle of his Life was by Death thus closed up and compleated in the seventy and second year of his Age at Eaton Colledge where according to his Will he now lies buried dying worthy of his Name and Family worthy of the love and favour of so many Princes and Persons of eminent Wisdom and Learning worthy of the trust committed unto him for the Service of his Prince and Country And all Readers are requested to believe that he was worthy of a more worthy Pen to have preserved his Memory and commended his Merits to the imitation of Posterity AN ELEGIE ON Sir HENRY WOTTON WRIT By Mr ABRAM COWLEY WHat shall we say since silent now is he Who when he spoke all things woul'd silent be Who had so many languages in store That only fame shall speak of him in more Whom England now no more return'd must see He 's gone to Heaven on his fourth Embassie On Earth he travail'd often not to say H 'ad been abroad to pass loose time away For in what ever land he chanc'd to come He read the men and manners bringing home Their Wisdom Learning and their Pietie As if he went to Conquer not to see So well he understood the most and best Of Tongues that Babel sent into the West Spoke them so truly that he had you 'd swear Not only liv'd but been born every where Justly each Nations speech to him was known Who for the World was made not us alone Nor ought the Language of that man be less Who in his brest had all things to express We say that Learning 's endless and blame Fate For not alowing life a longer date He did the utmost bounds of Knowledg finde And found them not so large as was his minde But like the brave Pellean youth did mone Because that Art had no more Worlds then one And when he saw that he through all had past He dy'd least he should Idle grow at last A. Cowley FINIS M r RICHARD HOOKER Author of those Learned Bookes of Ecclesiasticall pollitie The LIFE OF Mr. RICH. HOOKER THE AUTHOR of those Learned Books OF THE Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity Psal. 145. 4. One generation shall praise thy works to another Prov. 2. 15. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge rightly LONDON Printed by Tho Newcomb for Rich Marriot sold by most Booksellers M.DC.LXX To his very Worthy Friend Mr. Isaac Walton upon his Writing and Publishing the Life of the Venerable and Judicious Mr. Richard Hooker I. HAyle Sacred Mother British Church all hayle From whose fruitful Loyns have sprung Of Pious Sons so great a throng That Heav'nt oppose their force of strength did fail And let the mighty Conquerors o're Almighty arms prevail How art thou chang'd from what thou wert a late When destitute and quite forlorn And scarce a Child of thousands with thee left to mourn Thy veil all rent and all thy garments torn With tears thou didst bewail thine own and childrens fate Too much alas thou didst resemble then Sion thy pattern Sion in ashes laid Despis'd Forsaken and betray'd Sion thou dost resemble once agen And rais'd like her the glory of the World art made Threnes only to thee could that time belong Bâ—t now thou art the lofty Subject of my Song II. Begin my Verse and where the doleful Mother sate As it in Vision was to Esdras shown Lamenting with the rest her dearest Son Blest CHARLES who his Forefathers has outgon And to the Royal join'd the Martyrs brighter Crown Let a new City rise with beautious state And beautious let its Temple be and beautiful the Gate Lo how the Sacred Fabrick up does rise The Architects so skilful All So grave so humble and so wise The Axes and the Hammers noise Is drown'd in silence or in numbers Musicall 'T is up and at the Altar stand The Reverend Fathers as of Old With Harps and Incense in their hand Nor let the pious service grow or stiff or cold Th' inferiour Priests the while To Praise continually imploy'd or Pray Need not the weary hours beguile Enough 's the single Duty of each day Thou thy self Woodford on thy humbler Pipe must play And tho but lately entred there So gracious those thou honour'st all appear So ready and attent to hear An easie part proportion'd to thy skill may'st bear III. But where alas where wilt thou fix thy choice The Subjects are so noble all So great their beauties and thy art so small They 'll judge I fear themselves disparag'd by thy voyce Yet try and since thou canst not take A nameâ— so despicably low But 't will exceed what thou canst do Tho thy whole Mite thou away at once shouldst throw Thy Poverty a vertue make And that thou may'st Immortal live Since Immortality thou canst not give From one who has enough to spare be ambitious to receive Of Reverend and Judicious Hooker sing Hooker does to th' Church belong The Church and Hooker claim thy Song And inexhausted Riches to thy Verse will bring So far beyond it self will make it grow That life his gift to thee thou shalt again on him bestow IV. How great blest Soul must needs thy Glories be Thy Joyes how perfect and thy Crown how fair Who mad'st the Church thy chiefest care This Church which owes so much to thee That all Her Sons are studious of thy memory 'T was a bold work the Captiv'd to redeem And not so only but th'Oppress'd to raise Our aged Mother to that due Esteem She had and merited in her younger dayes When Primitive Zeal and Piety Were all her Laws and Policy And decent Worship kept the mean It 's too wide stretch't Extreams between The rudely scrupulous and extravagantly vain This was the work of Hookers Pen With Judgement Candor and such Learning writ Matter and Words so exactly fit That were it to be done agen Expected 't would be as its Answer hitherto has been RITORNATA To Chelsea Song there tell Thy Patrons Friend The Church is Hookers Debtor Hooker His And strange 't would be if he should Glory miss For whom two such most powerfully contend Bid him chear up the Day 's his own And he shall never die Who
denied them for Richard was call'd to rock the Cradle and the rest of their welcome was so like this that they staid but till next morning which was time enough to discover and pity their Tutors condition and having in that time remembred and paraphrased on many of the innocent recreations of their younger dayes and other like diversions given him as much present comfort as they were able they were forced to leave him to the company of his wife Joan and seek themselves a quieter Lodging But at their parting from him Mr. Cranmer said Good Tutor I am sorry your lot is fall'n in no better ground as to your Parsonage and more sorry that your Wife proves not a more comfortable Companion after you have wearied your self in your restless studies To whom the good man replied My dear George If Saints have usually a double share in the miseries of this life I that am none ought not to repine at what my wise Creator hath appointed for me but labour as indeed I do daily to submit mine to his Will and possess my soul in patience and peace At their return to London Edwin Sandys acquaints his fatherâ— who was then Bishop of London and after Archbishop of York with his Tutors sad condition and sollicits for his removal to some Benefice that might give him a more comfortable subsistence which his father did most willingly grant him when it should next fall into his power And not long after this time which was in the year 1585 Mr. Alvie Master of the Temple dyed who was a man of a strict Life of great Learning and of so venerable Behaviour as to gain so high a degree of love and reverence from all men that he was generally known by the name of Father Alvie At the Temple-Reading next after the death of this Father Alvie he the said Archbishop of York being then at Dinner with the Judges the Reader and Benchers of that Society met with a Condolement for the death of Father Alvie an high commendation of his Saint-like life and of his great merit both to God and man and as they bewail'd his death so they wish't for a like pattern of Virtue and Learning to succeed him And here came in a fair occasion for the Bishop to commend Mr. Hooker to Father Alvies place which he did with so effectual an earnestness and that seconded with so many other Testimonies of his worth that Mr. Hooker was sent for from Draiton Beauchamp to London and there the Mastership of the Temple proposed unto him by the Bishop as a greater freedom from his Countrey cares and the advantage of a better Society and a more liberal Pension than his Countrey Parsonage did afford him But these Reasons were not powerful enough to incline him to a willing acceptance of it his wish was rather to gain a better Countrey living where he might see Gods blessings spring out of the Earth and be free from Noise so he exprest the desire of his heart and eat that bread which he might more properly call his own in privacy and quietness But notwithstanding this aversness he was at last perswaded to accept of the Bishops proposal and was by Patent for Life made Master of the Temple the 17 th of March 1585. he being then in the 34 th year of his age And here I shall make a stop and that the Reader may the better judge of what follows give him a character of the Times and Temper of the people of this Nation when Mr. Hooker had his admission into this place a place which he accepted rather than desired and yet here he promised himself a virtuous quietness that blessed Tranquillity which he alwayes prayed and labour'd for that so he might in peace bring forth the fruits of peace and glorifie God by uninterrupted prayers and praises for this he alwayes thirsted and yet this was denied him For his admission into this place was the very beginning of those oppositions and anxieties which till then this good man was a stranger to and of which the Reader may guess by what follows In this character of the Times I shall by the Readers favour and for his information look so far back as to the beginning of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth a time in which the many pretended Titles to the Crown the frequent Treasons the Doubts of her Successor the late Civil War and the sharp Persecution that raged to the effusion of so much blood in the Reign of Queen Mary were fresh in the memory of all men and begot fears in the most pious and wisest of this Nation lest the like dayes should return again to them or their present posterity And the apprehension of these dangers begot a hearty desire of a settlement in the Church and State believing there was no other probable way left to make them sit quietly under their own Vines and Fig-trees and enjoy the desired fruit of their Labours But Time and Peace and Plenty begot Self-ends and these begot Animosities Envy Opposition and Unthankfulness for those very blessings for which they lately thirsted being then the very utmost of their desires and even beyond their hopes This was the temper of the Times in the beginning of her Reign and thus it continued too long for those very people that had enjoyed the desires of their hearts in a Reformation from Rome became at last so like the grave as never to be satisfied but were still thirsting for more and more neglecting to pay that Obedience and perform those Vows which they made in their dayes of adversities and fear so that in short time there appeared three several Interests each of them fearless and restless in the prosecution of their designs they may for distinction be called The active Romanists The restless Non-conformists of which there were many sorts and The passive peaceable Protestant The Counsels of the first considered and resolved on in Rome the second in Scotland in Geneva and in divers selected secret dangerous Conventicles both there and within the bosom of our own Nation the third pleaded and defended their Cause by establisht Laws both Ecclesiastical and Civil and if they were active it was to prevent the other two from destroying what was by those known Laws happily establisht to them and their Posterity I shall forbear to mention the very many and dangerous Plots of the Romanists against the Church and State because what is principally intended in this digression is an account of the Opinions and Activity of the Non-conformists against whose judgement and practice Mr. Hooker became at last but most unwillingly to be ingaged in a Book-war a War which he maintained not as against an Enemy but with the spirit of meekness and reason In which number of Non-conformists though some might be sincere well-meaning men whose indiscreet Zeal might be so like Charity as thereby to cover a multitude of their Errours yet of this party there were many that were
l. 24. r. do it 32. l. 2. r. fortune 63. l. 121. r. Dort In Sir H. Wotton 29. l. 10. r. samed 35. l. 9. as well 37. l. 22. dele Mr. Bedell 38. l. 17. dele mis 41. l. 8. r. delivery 45. l. 5. r. mont 47. l. 19. r. Syfiphâ— 53. l. 7. r. against 56. l. 24. r. Elegy 75. l. 19. r. those In Mr. Hoooker 25. l. 4. r. assiduous still 42. l. 7. r. God and so These must be thus corrected or that Paragraph will not be senceâ— 42 l. 11. r. and in wicked 42. l. 15. dele it 56. l. 20. r. answers In George Herbert 14. l. 4. r. his 24. dele of 32. l. 22. â—r Parish Church 33. l. 26. r. she 34. l. 4. dele at 49. l. 10. r. wants it 63. l. 24. dele too 65. l. 24. r. spirits and 72. l. 3. r. for the 80. l. 1. r. to their The Copy of a Letter writ to Mr. Isaac Walton by Doctor King Lord Bishop of Chichester Honest Isaac THough a Familiarity of more then Forty years continuance and the constant experience of your Love even in the worst times be sufficient to indear our Friendship yet I must confess my Affection much improved not onely by Evidences of private Respect to many that know and love you but by your new Demonstration of a publick Spirit testified in a diligent true and useful Collection of so many Material Passages as you have now afforded me in the Life of Venerable Mr. Hooker of which since desired by such a Friend as your self I shall not deny to give the Testimony of what I know concerning him and his learned Books but shall first here take a fair occasion to tell you that you have been happy in choosing to write the Lives of three such Persons as Posterity hath just cause to honour which they will do the more for the true Relation of them by your happy Pen of all which I shall give you my unfeigned Censure I shall begin with my most dear and incomparable Friend Dr. Donne late Dean of St. Pauls Church who not onely trusted me as his Executor but three days before his death delivered into my hands those excellent Sermons of his now made publick professing before Dr. Winniff Dr. Monford and I think your self then present at his bed side that it was by my restless importunity that he had prepared them for the Press together with which as his best Legacy he gave me all his Sermon-Notes and his other Papers containing an Extract of near Fifteen hundred Authours How these were got out of my hands you who were the Messenger for them and how lost both to me and your self is not now seasonable to complain but since they did miscarry I am glad that the general Demonstration of his Worth was so fairly preserved and represented to the World by your Pen in the History of his Life indeed so well that beside others the best Critick of our later time Mr. John Hales of Eaton Colledge affirm'd to me He had not seen a Life written with more advantage to the Subject or more reputation to the Writer then that of Dr. Donnes After the performance of this task for Dr. Donne you undertook the like office for our Friend Sir Henry Wotton betwixt which two there was a Friendship begun in Oxford continued in their various Travels and more confirmed in the religious Friendship of Age and doubtless this excellent Person had writ the Life of Dr. Donne if Death had not prevented him by which means his and your Pre-collections for that Work fell to the happy Menage of your Pen a Work which you would have declined if imperious Persuasions had not been stronger then your modest Resolutions against it And I am thus far glad that the first Life was so imposed upon you because it gave an unavoidable Cause of Writing the second if not 't is too probable we had wanted both which had been a prejudice to all Lovers of Honour and ingenious Learning And let me not leave my Friend Sir Henry without this Testimony added to yours That he was a Man of as Florid a Wit and as Elegant a Pen as any former or ours which in that kind is a most excellent Age hath ever produced And now having made this voluntary Observation of our two deceased Friends I proceed to satisfie your desire concerning what I know and believe of the ever-memorable Mr. Hooker who was Schismaticorum Mallcus so great a Champion for the Church of Englands Rights against the Factious Torrent of Separatists that then ran high against Church-Discipline and in his unanswerable Books continues to be so against the unquiet Disciples of their Schism which now under other Names still carry on their Design and who as the proper Heirs of Irrational Zeal would again take into the scarce closed Wounds of a newly bleeding State and Church And first though I dare not say that I knew Mr. Hooker yet as our Ecclesiastical History reports to the honour of S. Ignatius that he lived in the time of St. John and had seen him in his Childhood so I also joy that in my Minority I have often seen Mr. Hooker with my Father who was then Bishop of London from whom and others at that time I have heard most of the material passages which you relate in the History of his Life and from my Father received such a Character of his Learning Humility and other Virtues that like Jewels of unvaluable price they still cast such a lustre as Envy or the Rust of Time shall never darken From my Father I have also heard all the Circumstances of the Plot to defame him and how Sir Edwin Sandys outwitted his Accusers and gained their Confession and I could give an account of each particular of that Plot but that I judge it fitter to be forgotten and rot in the same grave with the malicious Authors I may not omit to declare that my Fathers Knowledge of Mr. Hooker was occasioned by the Learned Dr. John Spencer who after the Death of Mr. Hooker was so careful to preserve his unvaluable Sixth Seventh and Eighth Books of ECCLESIASTICAL POLITY and his other Writings that he procured Henry Jackson then of Corpus Christi Colledge to transcribe for him all Mr. Hookers remaining written Papers many of which were imperfect for his Study had been rifled or worse used by Mr Chark and another of Principles too like his but these Papers were endeavored to be compleated by his dear friend Dr. Spencer who bequeathed them as a precious Legacy to my Father after whose Death they rested in my hand till Dr. Abbot then Archbishop of Canterbury commanded them out of my custody by authorizing Dr. John Barkcham to require and bring them to him to his Palace in Lambeth at which time I have heard they were put into the Bishops Library and that they remained there till the Martyrdom of Archbishop Laud and were then by the Brethren of
Sir George Moor then Chancellor of the Garter and Lieutenant of the Tower Sir George had some intimation of it and knowing prevention to be a great part of wisdom did therefore remove her with much haste from that to his own house at Lothesley in the County of Surry but too late by reason of some faithful promises which were so interchangeably passed as never to be violated by either party These promises were onely known to themseves and the friends of both parties used much diligence and many arguments to kill oâ— cool their affections to each other but in vainâ— for love is a flattering mischief that hath denyed aged and wise men a foresight of those evils that too often prove to be the children of that blind father a passion that carries uâ— to commit Errors with as much ease as whirlwinds remove feathers and begets in us aâ—â—unwearied industry to the attainment of whaâ— we desire And such an Industry did notwithstanding much watchfulness against it bring them secretly together I forbear to tell howâ— and to a marriage too without the allowancâ— of those friends whose approbation alwayâ— was and ever will be necessary to make evenâ— vertuous love become lawful And that the knowledge of their marriagâ— might not fall like an unexpected tempest oâ— those that were unwilling to have it so buâ— that preapprehensions might make it the lesâ— enormous it was purposely whispered into thâ— ears of many that it was so yet by none thaâ— could attest it But to put a period to thâ— jealousies of Sir George Doubt often begetting more restless thoughts then the certain knowledge of what we fear the news was iâ— favour to Mr. Donne and with his allowance made known to Sir Georgeâ— by his honorable friend and neighbour Henry Earl of Northumberland but it was to Sir George so immeasurably unwelcome and so transported him that as though his passion of anger and inconsideration might exceed theirs of love and errour he presently engaged his Sister the Lady Elsemore to joyn with him to procure her Lord to discharge Mr. Donne of the place he held under his Lordship This request was followed with violence and though Sir George were remembred that Errors might be overpunished and desired therefore to forbear till second considerations might clear some scruples yet he became restless until his suit was granted and the punishment executed And though the Lord Chancellor did not at Mr. Donnes dismission give him such a Commendation as the great Emperour Charles the fifth did of his Secretary Eraso when he presented him to his Son and Successor Philip the Second saying That in his Eraso he gave to him a greater gift then all his Estate and all the Kingdomes which he then resigned to him yet he said He parted with a Friend and such a Secretary as was fitter to serve a King then a subject And yet this Physick of Mr. Donnes dismission was not strong enough to purge out all Sir George's choler for he was not satisfied till Mr. Donne and his sometime Compupil in Cambridge that married him namely Samuel Brook who was after Doctor in Divinity and Master of Trinity Colledge and his brother Mr. Christopher Brook sometime Mr. Donnes Chamber-fellow in Lincolns Inn who gave Mr. Donne his Wife and witnessed the marriage were all committed and to three several prisons Mr. Donne was first enlarged who neither gave rest to his body or brain nor to any friend in whom he might hope to have an interest untill he had procured an enlargement for his two imprisoned friends He was now at liberty but his dayes were still cloudy and being past these troubles others did still multiply upon him for his wife was to her extreme sorrow detained from him and though with Jacob he endured not an hard service for her yet he lost a good one and was forced to make good his title to her and to get possession of her by a long and restless suit in Law which proved troublesom and chargeable to him whose youth and travel and needless bounty had brought his estate into a narrow compass It is observed and most truly that silence and submission are charming qualities and work most upon passionate men and it proved so with Sir George for these and a general report of Mr. Donnes merits together with his winning behaviour which when it would intice had a strange kind of elegant irresistible art these and time had so dispassionated Sir George that as the world had approved his Daughters choice so he also could not but see a more then ordinary merit in his new son and this at last melted him into so much remorse for Love and Anger are so like Agues as to have hot and cold fits and love in Parents though it may be quenched yet is easily rekindled and expires not till death denies mankind a natural heat that he labored his Sons restauration to his place using to that end both his own and his Sisters power to her Lord but with no success for his Answer was That though he was unfeignedly sorry for what he had done yet it was inconsistent with his place and credit to discharge and readmit servants at the request of passionate petitioners Sir Georges endeavour for Mr. Donnes re-admission was by all means to be kept secret for men do more naturally reluct for errours then submit to put on those blemishes that attend their visible acknowledgment But however it was not long before Sir George appeared to be so far reconciled as to wish their happiness and not to deny them his paternal blessing but yet refused to contribute any means that might conduce to their livelihood Mr Donnes estate was the greatest part spent in many and chargeable Travels Books and dear-bought Experience he out of all employment that might yield a support for himself and wife who had been curiously and plentifully educated both their natures generous and accustomed to conferr and not to receive Courtesies These and other considerations but chiefly that his wife was to bear a part in his sufferings surrounded him with many sad thoughts and some apparent apprehensions of want But his sorrows were lessened and his wants prevented by the seasonable courtesie of their noble kinsman Sir Francis Wolly of Pirford in Surrie who intreated them to a cohabitation with him where they remained with much freedom to themselves and equal content to him for many years and as their charge encreased she had yearly a child so did his love and bounty It hath been observed by wise and considering men that Wealth hath seldom been the Portion and never the Mark to discover good People but that Almighty God who disposeth all things wisely hath of his abundant goodness denied it he onely knows why to many whose minds he hath enriched with the greater Blessings of Knowledge and Vertue as â—he fairer Testimonies of his love to Mankind â—â—â— this was the present condition of this man â—â—â—â—â—â— excellent Erudition
many of high parts and piety have undertaken to clear the Controversie yet for the most part they have rather satisfied themselves than convinced the dissenting party And doubtless many middle-witted men which yet may mean well many Scholars that are not in the highest Form for Learning which yet may preach well men that shall never know till they come to Heaven where the questions stick betwixt Arminius and the Church of England will yet in this world be tampering with and thereby perplexing the Controversie and do therefore justly fall under the reproof of St. Jude for being Busie-bodies and for medling with things they understand not And here it offers it self I think not unfitly to tell the Reader that a friend of Sir Henry Woltons being designed for the imployment of an Ambassador came to Eaton and requested from him some experimental Rules for his prudent and safe carriage in his Negotiations to whom he smilingly gave this for an infallible Aphorism That to be in safety himself and serviceable to his Countrey he should alwayes and upon all occasions speak the truth it seems a State-Paradox for sayes Sir Henry Wotton you shall never be believed and by this means your truth will secure your self if you shall ever be called to any account and 't will also put your Adversaries who will still hunt counter to a loss in all their disquisitions and undertakings Many more of this nature might be observed but they must be laid aside for I shall here make a little stop and invite the Reader to look back with me whil'st according to my promise I shall say a little of Sir Albertus Morton and Mr. William Bedel whom I formerly mentioned I have told you that are the Readers that at Sir Henry Wottons first going Ambassador into Italy his Cosin Sir Albert Morton went his Secretary and am next to tell you that Sir Albertus dyed Secretary of State to our late King but cannot am not able to express the sorrow that possest Sir Henry Wotton at his first hearing the news that Sir Albertus was by death lost to him and this world and yet the Reader may partly guess by these following expressions The first in a Letter to his Nicholas Pey of which this that followeth is a part And My dear Nick When I had been here almost a fortnight in the midst of my great contentment I received notice of Sir Albertus Morton his departure out of this World who was dearer to me than mine own being in it what a wound it is to my heart you that knew him and knew me will easily believe but our Creators Will must be done and unrepiningly received by his own Creatures who is the Lord of all Nature and of all Fortune when he taketh to himself now one and then another till that expected day wherein it shall please him to dissolve the whole and wrap up even the Heaven it self as a Scrole of parchment This is the last Philosophy that we must study upon Earth let us therefore that yet remain here as our dayes and friends waste reinforce our love to each other which of all vertues both spiritual and moral hath the highest priviledge because death it self cannot end it And my good Nick c. This is a part of his sorrow thus exprest to his Nick Pey the other part is in this following Elogy of which the Reader may safely conclude 't was too hearty to be dissembled Tears wept at the Grave of Sir Albertus Morton by Henry Wotton SIlence in truth would speak my sorrow best For deepest wounds can least their feelings tell Yet let me borrow from mine own unrest A time to bid him whom I lov'd farewell Oh my unhappy Lines you that before Have serv'd my youth to vent some wanton cryes And now congeal'd with grief can scarce implore Strength to accent Here my Albertus lies This is that Sable stone this is the Cave And womb of earth that doth his Corps embrace While others sing his praise let me ingrave These bleeding numbers to adorn the place Here will I paint the Characters of woe Here will I pay my tribute to the dead And here my faithful tears in showres shall flow To humanize the flints on which I tread Where though I mourn my matchless loss alone And none between my weakness judge and me Yet even these pensive walls allow my moan Whose doleful Echoes to my plaints agree But is he gone and live I riming here As if some Muse would listen to my lay When all dis-tun'd sit waiting for their dear And bathe the Banks where he was wont to play Dwell then in endless bliss with happy souls Discharg'd from natures and from fortunes trust Whil'st on this fluid Globe my Hour-glass rowls And runs the rest of my remaining dust H. Wotton This concerning his Sir Albertus Morton And for what I shall say concerning Mr. William Bedel I must prepare the Reader by telling him That when King James sent Sir Henry Wotton Ambassador to the State of Venice he sent also an Ambassador to the King of France and another to the King of Spain with the Ambassador of France went Joseph Hall late Bishop of Norwich whose many and useful works speak his great merit with the Ambassador of Spain went Ja. Wadsworth and with Sir Henry Wotton went William Bedel These three Chaplains to these three Ambassadors were all bred in one University all of one Colledge all Benefic'd in one Diocess and all most dear and intâ—â—e Friends But in Spain Mr. Wadsworth met with temptations or reasons such as were so powerful as to perswade him who of the three was formerly observ'd to be the most averse to that Religion that calls itself Catholick to disclaim himself a Member of the Church of England and declare himself for the Church of Rome discharging himself of his attendance on the Ambassador and betaking himself to a Monasterial life in which he lived very regularly and so dyed When Dr. Hall the late Bishop of Norwich came into England he wrote to Mr. Wadsworth 't is the first Epistle in his printed Decads to perswade his return or the reason of his Apostasie the Letter seemed to have in it many sweet expressions of love and yet there was something in it that was so unpleasant to Mr. Wadsworth that he chose rather to acquaint his old friend Mr. Bedel with his motives by which means there past betwixt Mr. Bedel and Mr. Wadsworth very many Letters which be extant in Print and did well deserve it for in them there seems to be a controversie not of Religion on only but who should answer each other with most love and meekness which I mention the rather because it seldom falls out so in a Book-War There is yet a little more to be said of Mr. Bedel for the greatest part of which the Reader is referred to this following Letter of Sir Henry Wottons writ to our late King Charles May it please Your
Master of the Temple this Walter Travers was Lecturer there for the Evening Sermons which he preach'd with great approbation especially of the younger Gentlemen of that Society and for the most part approved by Mr. Hooker himself in the midst of their oppositions For he continued Lecturer a part of his time Mr. Travers being indeed a man of a Competent Learning of a winning Behaviour and of a blameless Life But he had taken Orders by the Presbytery in Antwerp and with them some opinions that could never be eradicated and if in any thing he was transported it was in an extreme desire to set up that Government in this Nation For the promoting of which he had a correspondence with Theodore Beza at Geneva and others in Scotland and wâ—s one of the chiefest assistants to Mr. Cartwright in that Design Mr. Travers had also a particular hope to set up this Government in the Temple and to that end used his endeavours to be Master of it and his being disappointed by Mr. Hookers admittance proved some occasion of opposition betwixt them in their Sermons Many of which were concerning the Doctrine and Ceremonies of this Church Insomuch that as Saint Paul withstood Saint Peter to his face So did they for as one hath pleasantly exprest it The Forenoon Sermon upake Canterbury and the Afternoons Geneva In these Sermons there was little of bitterness but each party brought all the Reasons he was able to prove his Adversaries Opinion erroneous And thus it continued a long time till the Oppositions became so visible and the Consequences so dangerous especially in that place that the prudent Archbishop put a stop to Mr. Travers his Preaching by a positive Prohibition Against which Mr. Travers Appeal'd and Petition'd Her Majesties Privy Council to have it recalled and where he met with many assisting Friends but they were not able to prevail with or against the Arch-bishop whom the Queen had intrusted with all Church-power and he had received so fair a Testimony of Mr. Hookers Principles and of his Learning and Moderation that he withstood all Sollicitations But the denying this Petition of Mr. Travers was unpleasant to divers of his Party and the Reasonableness of it became at last to be so magnified by them and many others of that party as never to be answered so that intending the Bishops and Mr. Hookers disgrace they procured it to be privately printed and scattered abroad and then Mr. Hooker was forced to appear publickly which he did and Dedicated it to the Archbishop and it proved so full an Answer an answer that had in it so much of clear Reason and writ with so much Meekness and Majesty of Style that the Bishop began to wonder at the Man to rejoyce that he had appeared in his Cause and disdained not earnestly to beg his Friendship even a familiar Friendship with a man of so much quiet Learning and Humility To enumerate the many particular points in which Mr. Hooker and Mr. Travers dissented all or most of which I have seen written would prove at least tedious and therefore I shall impose upon my Reader no more then two which shall immediately follow and by which he may judge of the rest Mr. Travers excepted against Mr. Hooker for that in one of his Sermons he declared That the assurance of what we believe by the Word of God is not to us so certain as that which we perceive by sense And Mr. Hooker confesseth he said so and endeavours to justifie it by the Reasons following First I taught That the things which God promises in his Word are surer than what we touch handle or see but are we so sure and certain of them if we be why doth God so often prove his Promises to us as he doth by Arguments drawn from our sensible Experience For we must be surer of the Proof than of the things Proved otherwise it is no Proof For Example How is it that many men looking on the Moon at the same time every one knoweth it to be the Moon as certainly as the other doth but many believing one and the same Promise have not all one and the same Fulness of Perswasion For how falleth it out that men being assured of any thing by Sense can be no surer of it than they are when as the strongest in Faith that liveth upon the Earth hath alwayes need to labour strive and pray that his Assurance concerning Heavenly and Spiritual things may grow increase and be augmented The Sermon that gave him the cause of this his Justification makes the Case more plain by declaring that there is besides this Certainty of Evidence a Certainty of Adherence in which having most excellently demonstrated what the Certainty of Adherence is he makes this comfortable use of it Comfortable he sayes as to weak Believers who suppose themselves to be faithless not to believe when notwithstanding they have their Adherence the Holy Spirit hath his private operations and worketh secretly in them and effectually too though they want the inward Testimony of it Tell this to a man that hath a mind too much dejected by a sad sense of his sin to one that by a too severe judging of himself concludes that he wants Faith because he wants the comfortable Assurance of it and his Answer will be Do not perswade me against my knowledge against what I finde and feel in my self I do not I know I do not believe Mr. Hookers own words follow Well then to favour such men a little in their weakness Let that be granted which they do imagine be it that they adhere not to Gods Promises but are faithless and without belief but are they not grieved for their unbelief they confess they are do they not wish it might and also strive that it may be otherwayes we know they do whence cometh this but from a secret Love and Liking that they have of those things believed For no man can love those things which in his own opinion are not and if they think those things to be which they shew they love when they desire to believe them then must it be that by desiring to believe they prove themselves true believers For without Faith no man thinketh that things believed are which argument all the Subtilties of â—â—â—ernal powers will never be able to dissolve This is an abridgement of part of the Reasons he gives for his Justification of this his Opinion for which he was excepted against by Mr. Travers Mr. Hooker was also accused by Mr. Traversâ— for that he in one of his Sermons had declared that he doubted not but that God was merciful to many of our fore-fathers living in Popish Superstition for as much as they Sinned ignorantly and Mr. Hooker in his answer professeth it to be his Judgment and declares his Reasons for this Charitable opinion to be as followeth But first he states the question about Justification and Works and how the Foundation of Faith is