Sir Tobie Matthew's that this great change hath wrought in me no other change towards your lordship than this, that I may safely be that to you now, which I was truly before. And so craving no other pardon, than for troubling you with my letter, I do not now begin to be, but continue to be 1603. Your Lordship's humble and much devoted LXXII. To Mr. TOBIE MATTHEW". Collection Signifying the wise proceedings of King James at his first entrance into England. of Letters, P. 18. meet the Sir, I WAS heartily glad to hear that you have passed so *Viz. Into great a part of your * journey in so good health. My Scotland to aim was right in my address of letters to those persons in king. See the court of Scotland, who are likeliest to be used for No. LXIV. the affairs of England; but the pace they held was too swift, for the men were come away before my letters p. 274. 3 Mr. Matthew was son to Dr. Toby Matthew, bishop of Durham, afterwards archbishop of York; an eminent divine, considered either in the schools, the pulpit, or the episcopal chair. He was born in Oxford in 1578, whilst his father was dean of Christ'schurch; but was, to the great grief of his parents, a few years after the King's accession, reconciled to the church of Rome, through the means, as is said, of Parsons the Jesuit: and became so industrious an agent for her, that his refusal of the oath of allegiance established by act of parliament, together with some imprudent carriage, gave the King such offence, that he was in a manner exiled the kingdom in the year 1607. He continued roving from one country and prince's court to another till 1617, when applying himself with much earnestness to the earl of Buckingham, he obtained a permission to come into England, which he did in July that year, presenting himself in the first place to Sir Francis Bacon then lord keeper of the great seal. But the King being afterwards displeased with him, did, notwith standing his moving and pressing letters, command him again to depart in October, 1618. Yet in 1622, he was recalled to assist in the business of the Spanish match then in agitation, and knighted the year following. He is represented as a man of very good parts and literature, but of an active and restless temper. What opinion Sir Francis Bacon had of him when young, appears before in his letter to Sir Thomas Chaloner; and what esteem he had for Sir Francis may be seen in the preface to his collection of letters at the beginning of which is printed his character of the lady Carlisle, whom I have mentioned No. LXX. He died at Gaunt in Flanders in 1655. Stephens. could reach them. With the first I have renewed acquaintance, and it was like a bill of revivor, by way of cross-suits; for he was as ready to have begun with me. The second did this day arrive, and took acquaintance with me instantly in the council-chamber, and was willing to entertain me with farther demonstrations of confidence, than I was willing at that time to admit. But I have had no serious speech with him, nor do I yet know whether any of the doubles of my letter have been delivered to the king. It may perhaps have proved your luck to be the first. Things are here in good quiet. The king acts excellently well; for he puts in clauses of reservation to every proviso. He saith, he would be sorry to have just cause to remove any. He saith, he will displace none who hath served the queen and state sincerely, etc. The truth is, here be two extremes; some few would have no change, no not reformation: some many would have much change even with perturbation. God, I hope, will direct this wise king to hold a mean between reputation enough and no terrors. In my particular I have many comforts and assurances; but in my own opinion the chief is, that the canvassing world is gone, and the deserving world is come. And withal I find myself as one awaked out of sleep; which I have not been this long time, nor could, I think, have been now without • Upon this occasion it may not be amiss to remember what cardinal d'Ossat writ from Rome to M. de Villeroy upon the accession of king James to the crown of England, part of which I wish no prince would ever forget. "C'est l'ordinaire des hommes de regarder plus au soleil orient "qu'à l'occident, & des Princes bien avisez qui sont appellez à "un nouvel estat, d'y entrer doucement, sans irriter ni mécon"tenter personne ni dedans ni dehors. Si ce Prince continüe "guidé par la vertu & accompagné de bonheur, comme jusques "icy, il sera très-grand, & fera bon l'avoir pour amy; & nous, qui depuis quelques années en ça n'avions eu l'œil quasi qu'en "un lieu, faudra que l'ayons cy-après en deux; comme fau"dra bien aussi que fassent encore d'autres. Et en fin de "compte, Celui de tous qui regnera le mieux & le plus justement "à l'honneur & gloire de Dieu, & au soulagement, profit & felicité "de ses sujets; sera le plus asseuré, le plus fort, & le plus aimé, loué " & beni de Dieu & des hommes; en quoy consiste la vraye & per"durable grandeur & puissance des Roys, & l'asseurance de leur "posterité." Stephens. such a great noise as this, which yet is in aura leni. I have written this to you in haste, my end being no more than to write, and thereby to make you know that I will ever continue the same, and still be sure to wish you as heartily well as to myself. 1603. Rawley's LXXIII. To the Earl of NORTHUMBERLAND. Resuscita tio. It may please your good Lordship, I WOULD not have lost this journey, and yet I have not that I went for; for I have had no private conference to purpose with the king; no more hath almost any other English: for the speech his majesty admitteth with some noblemen, is rather matter of grace, than matter of business. With the attorney he spake, urged by the treasurer of Scotland, but no more than needs must. After I had received his majesty's first welcome, and was promised private access; yet not knowing what matter of service your lordship's letter carried, for I saw it not, and well knowing that primeness in advertisement is much; I chose rather to deliver it to Sir Thomas Erskine, than to cool it in my own hands, upon expectation of access. Your lordship shall find a prince the farthest from vain-glory that may be; and rather like a prince of the ancient form, than of the latter time. His speech is swift and cursory, and in the full dialect of his country; and in speech of business, short; in speech of discourse, large. He affecteth popularity by gracing such as he hath heard to be popular, and not by any fashions of his own: he is thought somewhat general in his favours; and his virtue of access is rather, because he is much abroad, and in press, than that he giveth easy audi He hasteneth to a mixture of both kingdoms and occasions, faster perhaps than policy will well bear. I told your lordship once before, that, methought, his majesty rather asked counsel of the time past, than of the time to come: but it is yet early to ground any settled opinion. For the particulars, I refer to conference, having in these generals gone farther in so tender an argument than I would have done, were not the bearer hereof so assured. So I continue, etc. 1603. LXXIV. A Letter to Mr. MURRAY,' of the king's bed-chamber. Mr. Murray, It is very true, that his majesty, most graciously at my humble request, knighted the last Sunday my brother-in-law, a towardly young gentleman; for which favour I think myself more bound to his majesty, than for the benefit of ten knights: and to tell you truly, my meaning was not, that the suit of this other gentleman Mr. Temple should have been moved in my name. For I should have been unwilling to have moved his majesty for more than one at once, though many times in his majesty's courts of justice, if we move once for our friends, we are allowed to move again for our fee. But indeed my purpose was, that you might have been pleased to have moved it as for myself. Nevertheless, since it is so far gone, and that the gentleman's friends are in some expectation of success, I leave it to your kind regard what is farther to be done, as willing to give satisfaction to those which have put me in trust, and loth on the other side to press above good manners. And so with my loving commendations I remain 1603. Yours, etc. LXXV. To Mr. PIERCE, Secretary to the lord Rawley's deputy of Ireland. Mr. Pierce, I AM glad to hear of you, as I do; and for my part, you shall find me ready to take any occasion to John Murray, Esq. To this Sir John Constable, Sir Francis Bacon dedicated the second edition of his Essays, published at London in 1613, in octavo. 7 Probably Mr. William Temple, who had been educated in King's College, Cambridge, then master of the free-school at Lincoln, next successively secretary to Sir Philip Sidney, secretary Davison, and the earl of Essex, made provost of Dublin College in 1609, and at last knighted, and appointed one of the masters in chancery in Ireland. He died about 1626, at the age of 72. Resuscita tio. Resuscita further your credit and preferment. And I dare assure commendations, I remain. Rawley's LXXVI. To the Earl of NORTHAMPTON, desiring him to present the Advancement of Learning to the king. tio. It may please your good Lordship, HAVING finished a work touching the advancement of learning, and dedicated the same to his sacred majesty, whom I dare avouch, if the records of time err not, to be the learnedest king that hath reigned; I was desirous, in a kind of congruity, to present it by the $ The earl of Northampton was the second son, and bore the name of that accomplished gentleman Henry Howard, earl of Surry, son and heir to the duke of Norfolk, who suffered under the severity of king Henry VIII's latter days; the one by death, the other by imprisonment. During great part of the reign of queen Elizabeth, while his family lay under the cloud, he apply'd himself to learning; and to what a degree he arrived, appears by a book he published in 1583, against the poison of supposed prophecies, dedicated to Sir Francis Walsingham; and from the eulogy that was generally given him, that he was the most learned among the noble, and the most noble among the learned. But in the king's reign his advancement was speedy both in honours and riches. The services he performed as a commissioner in making the peace between England and Spain, gave birth to a saying in those times, but with what truth I know not, that his house in the Strand, now called Northumberland house, was built by Spanish gold. He died in 1614, leaving behind him the memory of some real good works, and of some supposed ill ones; being suspected of concealing his religion for many years, and of being privy to the untimely death of Sir Thomas Overbury. Stephens. |