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
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
you at this time I will defer that till I come to the Hague I am lodged here at one Mounsieur De la Cluze not far from the Exchange to make an Introduction into the French because I beleeve I shall steer my cours hence next to the Countrey where that Language is spoken but I think I shall sojourn here about two moneths longer therefore I pray direct your Letterâ—… accordingly or any other you have for me One of the prime comforts of a Traveller is to receive Letters from his friends they beget new spirits in him and present joyfull objects to his fancy when his mind is clouded sometimes with Fogs of melancholy therefore I pray make me happy as often as your conveniency will serve with yours You may send or deliver them to Captain Bacon at the Glasse house who will see them safely sent So my dear brother I pray God blesse us both and send us after this large distance a joyfull meeting Your loving brother J. H. Amsterdam April 1. 1617. VI. To Dan. Caldwall Esq. from Amsterdam My dear Dan. I Have made your friendship so necessary unto me for the contentment of my life that happinesse it self would be but a kind of infelicity without it It is as needfull to me as Fire and Water as the very Air I take in and breath out it is to me not onely neoessitudo but necessitas Therefore I pray let me injoy it in that fair proportion that I desire to return unto you by way of correspondencee and retaliation Our first ligue of love you know was contracted among the Muses in Oxford for no sooner was I matriculated to her but I was adopted to you I became her son and your friend at one time You know I followed you then to London where our love received confirmation in the Temple and else-where We are now far asunder for no lesse then a Sea severs us and that no narrow one but the German Ocean Distance sometimes endear's friendship and absence sweetneth it it much 〈◊〉 the value of it and makes it more precious Let this be verified in us Let that love which formerly used to be nourished by personall communication and the Lips be now fed by Letters let the Pen supply the Office of the Toung Letters have a strong operation they have a kind of art like embraces to mingle souls and make them meet though millions of paces asunder by them we may converse and know how it fares with each other as it were by entercours of spirits Therefore amongst your civill speculations I pray let your thoughts sometimes reflect off me your absent self and wrap those thoughts in Paper and so send them me over I promise you they shall be very welcome I shall embrace and hug them with my best affections Commend me to Tom Bowyer and enjoyn him the like I pray be no niggard in distributing my love plentifully amongst our friends at the Innes of Court Let Iack Toldervy have my kind commends with this caveat That the Pot which goes often to the water comes home crack'd at last therefore I hope he will be carefull how he makes the Fleece in Cornhill his thorowfare too often So may my dear Daniel live happy and love his J. H. From Amsterdam April the 10. 1619. VII To my Father from Amsterdam SIR I Am lately arrived in Holland in a good plight of health and continue yet in this Town of Amsterdam a Town I beleeve that there are few her fellows being from a mean Fishing Dorp come in a short revolution of time by a monstrous encrease of Comerce and Navigation to be one of the greatest Marts of Europ T is admirable to see what various sorts of Buildings and new Fabrics are now here erecting every where not in houses onely but in whole Streets and Suburbs so that t is thought she will in a short time double her proportion in bigness I am lodg'd in a French-mans house who is one of the Deacons of our English Brownists Church here 't is not far from the Synagog of Iews who have free and open exercise of their Religion here I beleeve in this Street where I lodg ther be well near as many Religions as there be houses for one Neighbour knows not nor cares not much what Religion the other is of so that the number of Conventicles exceeds the number of Churches here And let this Countrey call it self as long as it will the united Provinces one way I am perswaded in this point there 's no place so Disunited The Dog and Rag Market is hard by where every Sunday morning there is a kind of public Mart for those commodities notwithstanding their precise observance of the Sabbath Upon Saturday last I hapned to be in a Gentlemans company who shew'd me as I walk'd along in the Streets along Bearded old Iew of the Tribe of Aaron when the other Iews met him they fell down and kiss'd his Foot This was that Rabbi with whom our Countrey-man Broughton had such a dispute This City notwithstanding her huge Trade is far inferiour to London for populousnes and this I infer out of their weekly Bills of Mortalitie which come not at most but to fifty or thereabout whereas in London the ordinary number is twixt two and three hundred one week with another Nor are there such Wealthy-men in this Town as in London for by reason of the generality of Commerce the Banks Adventures the Common shares and stocks which most have in the Indian and other Companies the Wealth doth'diffuse it self here in a strange kind of equality not one of the Bourgers being exceeding rich or exceeding poor Insomuch that I beleeve our four and twenty Aldermen may buy a hundred of the richest men in Amsterdam It is a rare thing to meet with a Begger here as rare as to see a Horse they say upon the Streets of Venice this is held to be one of their best peeces of Government for besides the strictnes of their Laws against Mendicants they have Hospitals of all sorts for young and'old both for the relief of the one and the employment of the other so that there is no object here to exercise any act of charity upon They are here very neat though not so magnificent in their Buildings specially in their Frontispices and first Rooms and for cleanlines they may serve for a pattern to all People They will presently dresse half a dozen Dishes of Meat without any noise or shew at all for if one goes to the Kitchin ther will he scarce apparance of any thing but a few covered Pots upon a Turf-fire which is their prime fuell after dinner they fall a scowring of those Pots so that the outside will be as bright 〈◊〉 the inside and the Kitchin suddenly so clean as if no meat had bin dress'd there a month before They have neither Well or Fountain or any Spring of Fresh-water in or about all this City but their
in regard it is comâ—…only so with all Republic and Hans Towns wherof this smels â—…ery rank nor indeed hath any Englishman much cause to love 〈◊〉 Town in regard in Ages pass'd she played the most trecherous part with England of any other place of France For the Story tells us That this Town having by a perfidious stratageâ—… by forging a counterfeit Commission from England induc'd the English Governour to make a general Muster of all his Forces ouâ—… of the Town this being one day done they shut their Gateâ—… against him and made him go shake his ears and to shift for his lodging and so rendred themselves to the French King who senâ—… them a blank to write their own conditions I think they have the strongest Ramparts by Sea of any place of Christendom noâ—… have I seen the like in any Town of Holland whose safety depends upon Water I am bound to morrow for Bourdeaux then through Gascogny to Tholouse so through Languedoc ore the Hillâ—… to Spain I go in the best season of the yeer for I make an Autumnall journey of it I pray let your Prayers accompany me all along they are the best Offices of Love and Fruits of Friendship So God prosper you at home as me abroad and send us in good time a joyfull conjuncture Rochell 8. of October 1620. Yours J. H. XXII To Mr. Tho. Porter after Cap. Porter from Barcelone MY dear Tom I had no sooner set foot upon this Soyl and breath'd Spanish ayr but my thoughts presently reflected upon you Of all my frends in England you were the first I met here you were the prime object of my speculation me thought the very Winds in gentle whispers did breath out your name and blow it on me you seem'd to reverberat upon me with the Beams of the Sun which you know hath such a powerfull influence and indeed too great a stroke in this Countrey And all this you must ascribe to the operations of Love which hath such a strong virtuall force that when it fastneth upon a pleasing subject it sets the imagination in a strange fit of working it imployes all the faculties of the Soul so that not one Cell in the Brain is idle it busieth the whole inward man it affects the heart amuseth the understanding it quickneth the fancy and leads the will as it were by a silken thred to cooperat with them all I have felt these motions often in me specially at this time that my memory fixed upon you But the reason that I fell first upon you in Spain was that I remembred I had heard you often discoursing how you had received part of your education here which brought you to speak the Language so exactly well I think often of the Relations I have heard you make of this Countrey and the good instructions you pleas'd to give me I am now in Barcelona but the next week I intend to go on through your Town of Valencia to Alicant and thence you shall be sure to hear from me further for I make account to Winter there The Duke of Ossuna pass'd by here lately and having got leave of Grace to release some slaves he went aboard the Cape-Gallie and passing through the Churmâ—… of slaves He ask'd divers of them what their offences were evry one excus'd himself one saying That he was put in out of malice another by bribery of the Judge but all of them injustly amongst the rest ther was one sturdy little black man and the Duke asking him what he he was in for Sir said he I cannot deny but I am justly put in here for I wanted money and so took a Purse hard by Tarragona to keep me from starving The Duke with a litte staff he had in his hand gave him two or three blows upon the shoulders saying You Rogue what do you do amongst so many honest innocent men get you gone out of their company so he was freed and the rest remain'd still in statu quo prius to tugg at the Oar. I pray commend me to Signor Camillo and Mazalao with the rest of the Venetians with you and wher you go aboard the Ship behind the Exchange think upon Barcelona 10. of November 1620. Your J. H. XXIII To Sir James Crofts SIR I Am now a good way within the Body of Spain at Barcelona a proud wealthy Citie situated upon the Mediterranean and is the Metropolis of the Kingdom of Catalunia call'd of old Hispania â—…raconensis I had much ado to reach hither for besides the monstrous abrupâ—…es of the way these parts of the Pyreneys that border upon the Mediterranean are never without Theeves by Land call'd Baâ—…doleros and Pyrats on the Sea side which liâ—… sculking in the Hollows of the Rocks and often surprize Passengers unawares and carry them slaves to Barbary on the other side The safest way to passe is to take a Bordon in the habit of a Pilgrim wherof ther are abundance that perform their vows this way to the Lady of Monserrat one of the prime places of pilgrimage in Christendom It is a stupendous Monastery built on the top of a huge Land Rock whither it is impossible to go up or come down by a direct way but a path is cut out full of windings and turnings and on the Crown of this Craggy-hill ther is a flâ—… upon which the Monastery and Pilgrimage place is founded wher ther is a Picture of the Virgin Mary Sunburnt and Tann'd it seems when she went to Egypt and to this Picture a marvallous confluence of people from all parts of Europe resort As I pass'd between soâ—… of the Pyrency Hills I observ'd the poor Labradors som of the Countrey people live no better then bruit Animals in point of food for their ordinary commons is Grasse and Water onely they have alwayes within their Houses a Bottle of Vinegar and another of Oyl and when Dinner or Supper time comes they go abroad and gather their Herbs and so cast Vinegar and Oyl upon them and will passe thus two or three dayes without Bread or Wine yet are they strong lusty men and will stand stiffly under a Musket Ther is a Tradition that ther were divers Mynes of Gold in Ages pass'd amongst those Mountains And the Shepherds that kept Goats then having made a small fire of Rosemary stubs with other combustible stuff to warm themselves this fire graz'd along and grew so outragious that it consum'd the very Entrails of the Earth and melted those Mynes which growing fluid by liquefaction ran down into the small Rivelets that were in the Valleys and so carried all into the Sea that monstrous Gulph which swalloweth all but seldom disgorgeth any thing and in these Brooks to this day som small Grains of Gold are found The Viceroy of this Countrey hath taken much pains to clear these Hills of Robbers and ther hath bin a notable havock made of them this yeer for in divers Woods as I pass'd I might spie som Trees
subject to starving to diseases to the inclemency of the weather and to be far longer liv'd I then spyed a great stone and sitting a while upon 't I fell to weigh in my thoughts that that stone was in a happier condition in som respects than either those sensitive creatures or vegetables I saw before in regard that that stone which propagates by assimilation as the Philosophers say needed neither grass nor hay or any aliment for restauration of nature nor water to refresh its roots or the heat of the Sun to attract the moisture upwards to encrease growth as the other did As I directed my pace homeward I spyed a Kite soaâ—…ing high in the ayr and gently gliding up and down the clear Region so far above my head I fell to envy the Bird extremely and â—…epine at his happines that hee should have a privilege to make a nearer approach to heaven than I. Excuse me that I trouble you thus with these rambling meditations they are to correspond with you in som part for those accurat fancies of yours you lately sent me So I rest Holborn 17 Mar. 1639. Your entire and true Servitor J. H LII To master Sergeant D. at Lincolns Inn. SIR I Understand with a deep sense of sorrow of the indisposition of your son I fear he hath too much mind for his body and that he superabounds with fancy which brings him to these fits of distemper proceeding from the black humor of Melancholy Moreover I have observed that hee is too much given to his study and self-society specially to convers with dead men I mean Books you know any thing in excess is naught Now Sir wer I worthy to give you advice I could wish he wer well married and it may wean him from that bookish and thoughtfull humor women wer created for the comfort of men and I have known that to som they have prov'd the best Heleborum against Melancholy As this course may beget new spirits in him so it must needs ad also to your comfort I am thus bold with you because I love the Gentleman dearly well and honor you as being West 13 Iune 1632. Your humble obliged servant J. H. LIII To my noble Lady the Lady M. A. Madame THer is not any thing wherin I take more pleasure than in the accomplishment of your commands nor had ever any Queen more power o're her Vassalls than you have o're my intellectualls I find by my inclinations that it is as naturall for me to do your will as it is for fire to fly upward or any body els to rend to his center but touching the last command your Ladiship was pleased to lay upon me which is the following Hymne if I answer not the fulness of your expectation it must be imputed to the suddennes of the command and the shortnes of time A Hymne to the Blessed Trinity To the First Person To thee dread Soveraign and dear Lord Which out of nought didst me afford Essence and life who mad'st me man And oh much more a Christian Lo from the centre of my heart All laud and glory I impart Hallelujah To the Second To thee blessed Saviour who didst free My soul from Satans tyrannie And mad'st her capable to be An Angel of thy Hierarchy From the same centre I do raise All honor and immortall praise Hallelujah To the Third To thee sweet Spirit I return That love wherwith my heart doth burn And these bless'd notions of my brain I now breath up to thee again O let them redescend and still My soul with holy raptures fill Hallelujah They are of the same measure cadence and ayr as was that angelicall Hymne your Ladiship pleased to touch upon your instrument which as it so enchanted me then that my soul was ready to com out at my ears so your voice took such impressions in mee that me thinks the sound still remains fresh with Westm. 1 Apr. 1637. Your Ladiships most devoted Servitor J. H. XLIV To Master P. W. at Westminster SIR THe fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom and the Love of God is the end of the Law the former saying was spoke by no meaner man than Solomon but the latter hath no meaner Author than our Savior himself Touching this beginning and this end ther is a near relation between them so near that the one begets the tother a harsh mother may bring forth somtimes a mild daughter so fear begets love but it begets knowledg first for Ignâ—…ti nulla cupido we cannot love God unless we know him before both fear and love are necessary to bring us to heaven the one is the fruit of the Law the other of the Gospell when the clouds of fear are vanish'd the beams of love then begin to glance upon the heart and of all the members of the body which are in a maner numberless this is that which God desires because 't is the centre of Love the source of our affections and the cistern that holds the most illustrious bloud and in a sweet and well devoted harmonious soul cor is no other than Camera Omnipotentis Regis 't is one of Gods closets and indeed nothing can fill the heart of man whose desires are infinite but God who is infinity itself Love therfore must be a necessary attendant to bring us to him but besides Love ther must be two other guides that are requir'd in this journey which are Faith and Hope now that fear which the Law enjoyns us turns to faith in the Gospell and knowledg is the scope and subject of both yet these last two bring us onely towards the haven but love goes along with us to heaven and so remains an inseparable sempiternall companion of of the soul Love therfore is the most acceptable Sacrifice which we can offer our Creator and he who doth not study the Theory of it heer is never like to com to the Practise of it heerafter It was a high hyper physicall expression of St. Austustine when he fell into this rapture that if hee wer King of Heaven and God Almighty Bishop of Hippo he would exchange places with him because he lov'd him so well This Vote did so take me that I have turn'd it to a paraphrasticall Hymn which I send you for your Violl having observed often that you have a harmonious soul within you The Vote Oh God who can those passions tell Wherwith my heart to thee doth swell I cannot better them declare Than by the wish made by that rare Auâ—…elian Bishop who of old Thy Oracâ—…es in Hippo told If I were Thou and thou wert I I would resign the Deity Thou shouldst be God I would be man Is 't possible that love more can Oh pardon that my soul hath tane So high a flight and grows prophane For my self my dear Phil because I love you so dearly well I will display my very intrinsecalls to you in this point when I exmine the motions of my heart I find that I
preserve them from the injury of time than such a slender board they deserve to be engraven in such durable dainty stuff that may be fit to hang up in the Temple of Apollo your Eccho deserves to dwell in som marble or porphyry grot cut about Parnassus Mount neer the source of Helicon rather than upon such a slight suprfiecies I much thank you for your visits and other fair respects you shew me specially that you have enlarg'd my quarters 'mong these melancholy Walls by sending me a whole Isle to walk in I mean that delicate purple Island I receiv'd from you wher I meet with Apollo himself and all his daughters with other excellent society I stumble also ther often upon my self and grow better acquainted with what I have within me and without mee Insomuch that you could not make choice of a fitter ground for a Prisoner 〈◊〉 I am to pass over than of that purple Isle that Isle of man you seeâ—… me which as the ingenious Author hath made it is a far more dainty soil than that Scarlet Island which lys near the Baltic sea I remain still wind-bound in this Fleet when the weather mendâ—… and the wind sifts that I may launch forth I will repay you your visits and be ready to correspond with you in the reciprocation of any other offices of frendship for I am Sir Your affectionat Servitor J. H. Fleet 25 Aug. 1645. LXVII To my Honourable La the La A. Smith Madame VVHeras you wer pleas'd lately to ask leave you may now take authority to command me And did I know any of the faculties of my mind or lims of my body that wer not willing to serve you I would utterly renounce them they should be no more mine at least I should not like them neer so well but I shall not be put to that for I sensibly find that by a naturall propensity they are all most ready to obey you and to stir at the least beck of your commands as Iron moves towords the load-stone Therfore Madame if you bid me go I will run If you bid me run I le fly if I can upon your arrand But I must stay till I can get my heels at liberty from among these Walls till when I am as perfectly as man can be Madame Your most obedient humble Servitor J. H. Fleet 5 May. 1645. LXVIII To Master G. Stone SIR I Heartily rejoyce with the rest of your frends that you are safely return'd from your Travells specially that you have made so good returns of the time of your Travell being as I understand come home fraighted with observations and languages your Father tells me tha the finds you are so wedded to the Italian French that you utterly neglect the Latine Tongue That 's not well though you have learnt to play at Baggammon you must not forget Irish which is a more serious and solid game but I know you are so discreet in the course and method of your studies that you will make the daughters to wait upon their mother love stil your old frend To truck the Latine for any other vulgar Language is but an ill baâ—…ter it is as bad as that which Glaucus made with Diomedes when he parted with his golden Armes for brazen ones the procede of this exchange wil come far short of any Gentlemans expectations though haply it may prove advantagious to a Merchant to whom common Languages are more usefull I am big with desire to meet you and to mingle a days discours with you if noâ—… two how you escap'd the claws of the Inquisition wherunto I understand you wer like to fall and of other Traverses of your Peâ—…egrination Farewell my precious Stone and beleeve it the least grain of those high respects you please to professe unto me 〈◊〉 not lost but answer'd with so many Caraâ—…ts So I rest 〈◊〉 30 Novem. 163â—… Your most affectionate Servitor J. H. XLIX To Mr. J. J. Esq. SIR I Received those sparkes of piety you pleas'd to send me in a manuscript and wheras you favour me with a desire of my opinion concerning the publishing of them Sir I must confess that I found among them many most fervent and flexanimous strains of devotion I found som prayers so piercing and powerfull that they are able to invade Heaven and take it by violence if the heart doth i'ts office as well as the toung But Sir you must give me leave and for this leave you shall have authority to deal with me in such a case to tell you that wheras they consist only of requests being all supplicatory prayers you should do well to intersperse among them som eucharisticall ejaculations and doxologies som oblationâ—… of thankfulnes we should not be allwayes whining in a puling petitionary way which is the tone of the time now in fashion before the gates of Heaven with our fingers in our eyes but we should lay our hands upon our hearts and break into raptures of joy and praise a soul thus elevated is the most pleasing sacrifice that can be offer'd to God Almighty it is the best sort of inâ—…ense Prayer causeth the first showr of rain but praise brings down the second the one fructifieth the earth the other makes the Hills to skip all prayers aim at our own ends and interest but praise proceeds from the pure motions of love and gratitude having no other object but the glory of God that soul which rightly dischargeth this part of devotion may be said to do the duty of an Angell upon earth Among other attributes oâ—… God praescience or fore-knowledge is one for he knowes ouâ—… thoughts our desires our wants long before we propound them And this is not only one of his attributes but prerogative royall therfore to use so many iterations inculcatings and tautologieâ—… as it is no good manners in morall Philosophy no more is it iâ—… divinity it argues a pusillanimouâ—… and mistrustfull soul of the two I had rather be overlong in praise than prayer yet I wouâ—… be carefull it should be free from any Pharisaicall babling prayer compar'd with praise is but a fuliginous smoak issuing froâ—… the sense of sin and human infirmities prayses are the true cleer sparks of pietie and sooner fly upwards Thus have I been free with you in delivering my opinion touching that piece of devotion you sent me wherunto I ad my humble thanks to you for the perusall of it so I am Fleet 8 Sept. 1645. Yours most ready to be commanded J. H. LXX To Captain William Bridges in Amsterdam My noble Captain I Had yours of the tenth current and besides your avisos I must thank you for those rich flourishes wherwith your letter was embrodered evry where The news under this clyme is that they have mutinied lately in divers places about the Excise a bird that was first hatch'd there first amongst you heer in London the tumult came to that height that they burnt down to the grownd the Excise
LXXVI To Sir R. Gr. Knight and Bar. Noble Sir I Had yours upon Maunday Thursday late and the reason that I suspended my answer till now was that the season engaged me to sequester my thoughts from my wonted negotiations to contemplat the great work of mans Redemption so great that wer it cast in counterballance with his creation it would out-poyze it far I summond all my intellectuals to meditat upon those passions upon those pangs upon that despicable and most dolorous death upon that cross wheron my Saviour suffer'd which was the first Christian altar that ever was and I doubt that he will never have benefit of the sacrifice who hates the harmeles resemblance of the altar wheron it was offer'd I applied my memory to fasten upon 't my understanding to comprehend it my will to embrace it from these three faculties me thought I found by the mediation of the fancy som beames of love gently gliding down from the head to the heart and inflaming all my affections If the human soul had far more powers than the Philosophers afford her if she had as many faculties within the head as ther be hairs without the speculation of this mystery would find work enough for them all Truly the more I scrue up my spirits to reach it the more I am swallowed in a gulf of admiration and of a thousand imperfect notions which makes me ever and anon to quarrell my soul that she cannot lay hold on her Saviour much more my heart that my purest affections cannot hug him as much as I would They have a custom beyond the Seas and I could wish it wer the worst custom they had that during the passion week divers of their greatest Princes and Ladies will betake themselves to som covent or reclus'd house to wean themselves from all worldly encombrances and convers only with heaven with performance of som kind of penances all the week long A worthy Gentleman that came lately from Italy told me that the Count of Byren now Marshall of France having bin long persecuted by Cardinall Richelieu put himself so into a Monastery and the next day news was brought him of the Cardinalls death which I believe made him spend the rest of the week with the more devotion in that way France braggs that our Saviour had his face turnd towards her when he was upon the Cross ther is more cause to think that it was towards this Island in regard the rays of Christianity first reverberated upon her her King being Christian 400 yeers before him of France as all Historians concur notwithstanding that he arrogates to himself the title of the first Son of the Church Let this serve for part of my Apologie The day following my Saviour being in the grave I had no list to look much abroad but continued my retirednes ther was another reason also why because I intended to take the holy Sacrament the Sunday ensuing which is an act of the greatest consolation and consequence that possibly a Christian can be capable of it imports him so much that he is made or marr'd by it it tends to his damnation or salvation to help him up to heaven or tumble him down headlong to hell Therfore it behoves a man to prepare and recollect himself to winnow his thoughts from the chaff and tares of the world beforehand This then took up a good part of that day to provide my self a wedding garment that I might be a fit guest at so precious a banquet so precious that manna and angels food are but cours viands in comparison of it I hope that this excuse will be of such validity that it may procure my pardon for not corresponding with you this last week I am now as freely as formerly Fleet 30. Aprill 1647. Your most ready and humble Servitor J. H. LXXVII To Mr. R. Howard SIR THer is a saying that carrieth with it a great deal of caution from him whom I trust God defend me for from him whom I trust not I will defend my self Ther be sundry sorts of musts but that of a secret is one of the greatest I trusted T. P. with a weighty one conjuring him that it should not take air and go abroad which was not don according to the rules and religion of frendship but it went out of him the very next day Though the inconvenience may be mine yet the reproach is his nor would I exchange my dammage for his disgrace I would wish you take heed of him for he is such as the Comic Poet speaks of plenus rimarum he is full of Chinks he can hold nothing you know a secret is too much for one too little for three and enough for two but Tom must be none of those two unless ther wer a trick to sodder up his mouth If he had committed a secret to me and injoynd me silence and I had promis'd it though I had bin shut up in Perillus brasen Bull I should not have bellowed it out I find it now true that he who discovers his secrets to another sells him his Liberty and becoms his slave well I shall be warier heerafter and learn more wit In the interim the best satisfaction I can give my self is to expunge him quite ex albâ—… amicorum to raze him out of the catalogue of my frends though I cannot of my acquaintance wher your name is inserted in great golden Characters I will endeavour to lose the memory of him and that my thoughts may never run more upon the fashion of his face which you know he hath no cause to brag of I hate such blatâ—…roons Odi illos seu claustra Erebi I thought good to give you this little mot of advice because the times are ticklish of committing secrets to any though not to From the Fleet 14. Febr. 1647. Your most affectionat frend to serve you J. H. LXVIII To my Hon. frend Mr. E. P. at Paris SIR LEt me never sally hence from among these disconâ—…olat Walls if the literall correspondence you please to hold so punctually with me be not one of the greatest solaces I have had in this sad condition for I find so much salt such indearments and flourishes such a gallantry and neaâ—…nes in your lines that you may give the law of lettering to all the world I had this week a twin of yours of the 10 and 15 current I am sorry to hear of your achaques and so often indisposition there it may be very well as you say that the air of that dirty Town doth not agree with you because you speak Spanish which language you know is us'd to be breath'd out under a clearer clyme I am sure it agrees not with the sweet breezes of peace for 't is you there that would keep poor Christendom in perpetuall whirle-winds of war but I fear that while France sets all wheels a going and stirres all the Cacodaemons of hell to pull down the house of Austria shee may chance at last to
Fancy drew on another towards the Evening as followeth As to the Pole the Lilly bends In a Sea-compas and still tends By a Magnetic Mystery Unto the Artic point in sky Wherby the wandring Piloteer His cours in gloomy nights doth steer So the small Needle of my heart Mov's to her Maker who doth dart Atomes of love and so attracks All my Affections which like Sparks Fly up and guid my soul by this To the tru centre of her bliss As one Taper lightneth another so were my spirits enlightned and heated by your late Meditations in this kind and well faâ—…e your soul with all her faculties for them I find you have a great care of her and of the main chance Prae quo quisquiliae caetera You shall hear further from me within a few days in the interim be pleas'd to reserve still in your thoughts som little room for Your most entirely affectionat Servitor J. H. From the Fleet 10 of Decemb 1647. V. To Mr. T. W. at P. Castle My precious Tom HEE is the happy man who can square his mind to his means and fit his fancy to his â—…ortune He who hath a competency 〈◊〉 live in the port of a gentleman and as he is free from being a 〈◊〉 Constable so he cares not for being a Justice of Peace or 〈◊〉 He who is before hand with the world and when he â—…oms to London can whet his knife at the Counter gate and needs â—…ot trudg either to a Lawyers stâ—…dy or Scriveners shop to pay fee 〈◊〉 squeez was 'T is conceit chiefly that gives contentment and 〈◊〉 is happy who thinks himself so in any condition though he have 〈◊〉 enough to keep the Wolf from the door Opinion is that great â—…ady which sways the world and according to the impressions 〈◊〉 makes in the mind renders one contented or discontented Now touching opinion so various are the intellectualls of human â—…reatures that one can hardly find out two who jump pat in â—…ne Witnes that Monster in Scotland in Iames the 4ths reign â—…ith two heads one opposit to the other and having but one bulk 〈◊〉 body throughout these two heads would often fall into alterâ—…ations pro con one with the other and seldom were they of one opinion but they would knock one against the other in eager disputes which shews that the judgement is seated in the animall parts not in the vitall which are lodg'd in the heart We are still in a turbulent sea of distractions nor as far as I see is ther yet any sight of shore M. T. M. hath had a great loss at sea lately which I fear will light heavily upon him when I consider his case I may say that as the Philosopher made a question whether the Marineâ—… be to be ranked among the number of the living or dead being but four inches distant from drowning only the thicknes of a plank so 't is a doubt whether the Merchant Adventurer be to be numbred twixt the rich or the poor his estate being in the mercy of that devouring element the Sea which hath so good a stomack that he seldom casts up what he hath once swallowed This City hath bred of late yeers men of monstrous strange opinions that as all other rich places besides she may be compar'd to a fat cheese which is most subject to engender 〈◊〉 gots God amend all and me first who am Fleet this St. Tho. day Yours most faithfully to serve you J. H. VI. To Mr. W Blois My worthy esteemed Nephew I Received thâ—…se rich nuptial favours you appointed me foâ—… hands and hat which I wear with very much contentment anâ—… respect most heartily wishing that this late double condition mâ—… multiply new blessings upon you that it may usher in fair and goâ—…den daies according to the colour and substance of your bridaâ—… riband that those daies may be perfum'd with delight and pleâ—…sure as the rich sented gloves I wear for your sake May sucâ—… benedictions attend you both as the Epithalamiums of Stellâ—… iâ—… Statius and Iulia in Catullus speak of I hope also to be marrieâ—… shortly to a lady whom I have wooed above these five years but â—… have found her â—…oy and dainty hitherto yet I am now like 〈◊〉 get her good will in part I mean the lady liberty When you see my N. Brownrigg I pray tell him that I did not think Suffolk waters had such a lethaean quality in them as to cause such an amnestia in him of his frends heer upon the Thames among whom for reality and seriousnes I may march among the foremost but I impute it to som new task that his Muse might haply impose upon him which hath ingross'd all his speculations I pray present my cordiall kind respects unto him So praying that a thousand blisses may attend this confarreation I rest my dear Nephew From the Fleet this 20 of March 1647. Yours most affectionately to love and serve you J. H. VII To Henry Hopkins Esq â—…IR TO usher in again old Ianus I send you a parcell of Indian perfume which the Spaniard calls the Holy â—…erb in regard â—… the various virtues it hath but we call it Tobacco I will not â—…y it grew under the King of Spains window but I am told it â—…as gather'd neer his Gold-mines of Potosi where they report â—…hat in som places ther is more of that oar than earth therfore it â—…ust needs be precious stuff If moderately and seasonably taâ—…en as I find you alwaies do 't is good for many things it helps digeâ—…ion taken a while after meat it makes one void â—…heum break â—…ind it keeps the body open A leaf or two being steept ore-nighâ—…â—…n a little white wine is a vomit that never fails in its operation â—…t is a good companion to one that converseth with dead â—…en for â—…f one hath bin poring long upon a book or is toild with the pen â—…nd stupified with study it quickneth him and dispels those clouds that usually oreset the brain The smoak of it is one of the wholesomest sents that is against all contagious airâ—… for it oremasters all other smells as King Iames they say found true when being once a hunting a showr of rain drave him into a pigstie for shelter wher he caus'd a pipe full to be taken of purpose It cannot endure a Spider or a flea with such like vermin and if your Hawk be troubled with any such being blown into his feathers it frees him It is good to fortifie and preserve the fight the smoak being let in round about the balls of the eyes once a week and frees them from all â—…heums driving them back by way of repercussion being taken backward t is excellent good against the cholique and taken into the stomack 't will heac and cleanse it for I could instance in a great Lord my Lord of Sunderland President of York who told me that he taking it downward into his stomack it made him cast up an