him his Princely word that he would reward him after the weight of his worth."* This Prince likely, if he had survived, to have advanced the glory rather than the happiness of his subjects, was soon after mysteriously cut off. Williams, however, reaped the reward of his pliancy and dexterity more rapidly than he himself, in his most sanguine moments, could have anticipated, although, from the growing infirmities of the Lord Chancellor, all hope of higher preferment seemed to be at an end. Ellesmere was made a Viscount; "but who did ever see that the sand in an hour-glass did run the slower because the case in which it was put was gilded? He delighted not in any talk unless his chaplain spoke to him. All his business with his great and royal master, the King, he sent by him to be delivered with trust and prudence. Upon which messages the King took great notice, that the chaplain was principled by his master to be a statesman and a pillar of the kingdom."† The impression now made on James certainly had a most favourable influence, when, four years afterwards, it was proposed that the Chancellor's chaplain should himself be Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. In the prospect of his patron's demise, Williams seemed destined to pass the remainder of his life as a parish priest, with an occasional "residence" in a Cathedral town. Yet, either from some hint thrown out to him by James, who always thought the prerogative would be strengthened by the promotion of churchmen, or from the suggestions of vanity, he looked to rise high in the state, and being offered by Egerton on his death-bed any pecuniary provision he should choose to ask in recompence of his faithful services, he said, "Sir, I kiss your hands, you have filled my cup full, I am far from want, unless it be of your Lordship's directions how to live in the world, if I survive you." "Well," said the Chancellor, "I know you are an expert workman, take these tools to work with; they are the best I have," and he gave him the four treatises written by himself as to the mode of conducting business in Parliament, in the Court of Chancery, in the Star Chamber, and at the Council Board. The originals of these Williams presented to the King; but he made copies of them CHAP. LVII. Receives Lord Elles. mere's MS. law tracts as a legacy. CHAP. Employed by Chan cellor to read for him. Is allowed to dispose of Lord Chancel lor's eccle siastical not such a scholar learn? Socrates says in Plato-of Alcibiades, that he gloried in nothing so much as that he was ward to Pericles, and brought up under him. Neither had this chaplain a more graceful ornament to show, in the eyes of the world, than that he was disciple to the Lord Egerton."* By degrees, he was employed by the Chancellor to read weighty petitions, and to assist him in extracting the material facts from voluminous depositions. At first, there was great jealousy of him among the secretaries; but in a little while they did their utmost to put him forward, and "none of his fellows had cause to repent that he rode upon the fore horse; for he was courteous and ready to mediate in any cause, and he left all fees and veils of profit to those to whom they did belong. The lookers-on did mark, that his Lord did not only use him in his most principal employments, but delighted to confer with him."† The ecclesiastical patronage of the Lord Chancellor was placed very much at his disposal. They were godly men whom he obliged, and such as had waited long in the Universities, and fit to be called forth to use their talents." patronage. Meanwhile, he by no means neglected his own interest. He obtained the fine living of Waldegrave, in Northamptonshire, in addition to Grafton, with stalls at Lincoln, Peterborough, Hereford, and St. David's. His panegyrist § defends his pluralities by the quotation, Quomodo liberalis esse potest, qui nihil plus acquireret, quam quod sibi ad victum necessarium sufficere queat? || Gains favour of King James. Patronised by Prince Henry. He likewise took his turn in preaching before the Court, pleasing James by his adhesion to the courtly doctrine now so much in vogue,-that subjects hold their liberties and their property at the will of the Sovereign, whom they are bound, in every extremity, passively to obey. - What is more to his credit than pleasing James, he is said to have given high satisfaction to the admirer of Raleigh, -Prince Henry,—who, having heard him preach at Royston, "took great notice of him as an honour to Wales, and gave Hacket, 28. † Ibid. Ibid. § Ibid. || Ibid. so. him his Princely word that he would reward him after the weight of his worth."* This Prince likely, if he had survived, to have advanced the glory rather than the happiness of his subjects, was soon after mysteriously cut off. Williams, however, reaped the reward of his pliancy and dexterity more rapidly than he himself, in his most sanguine moments, could have anticipated, although, from the growing infirmities of the Lord Chancellor, all hope of higher preferment seemed to be at an end. Ellesmere was made a Viscount; "but who did ever see that the sand in an hour-glass did run the slower because the case in which it was put was gilded? He delighted not in any talk unless his chaplain spoke to him. All his business with his great and royal master, the King, he sent by him to be delivered with trust and prudence. Upon which messages the King took great notice, that the chaplain was principled by his master to be a statesman and a pillar of the kingdom." The impression now made on James certainly had a most favourable influence, when, four years afterwards, it was proposed that the Chancellor's chaplain should himself be Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. CHAP. LVII. Lord Elles. law tracts as a legacy. In the prospect of his patron's demise, Williams seemed Receives destined to pass the remainder of his life as a parish priest, mere's MS. with an occasional "residence" in a Cathedral town. Yet, either from some hint thrown out to him by James, who always thought the prerogative would be strengthened by the promotion of churchmen, or from the suggestions of vanity, he looked to rise high in the state, and being offered by Egerton on his death-bed any pecuniary provision he should choose to ask in recompence of his faithful services, he said, "Sir, I kiss your hands, you have filled my cup full, I am far from want, unless it be of your Lordship's directions how to live in the world, if I survive you." "Well," said the Chancellor, "I know you are an expert workman, take these tools to work with; they are the best I have," and he gave him the four treatises written by himself as to the mode of conducting business in Parliament, in the Court of Chancery, in the Star Chamber, and at the Council Board. The originals of these Williams presented to the King; but he made copies of them CHAP. On death of Lord Ellesmere, declines being Chaplain to Lord Bacon. Resides at in the country. and he diligently studied them in the retirement to which he thought it for his advantage for some time to submit. When Bacon had got possession of the Great Seal, he proposed to continue Williams in his present situation of Chancellor's chaplain; but the acceptance of this offer was inconsistent with the ambitious projects which were springing up in the mind of the young Welshman. He declined it with many professions of gratitude, and, being resolved to settle himself on his living of Waldegrave, he was contented for the present with being made a Justice of Peace for the county of Northampton, and being put into the list of King's chaplains, whereby he would once a year be brought to Court. He was now stationed, as in a watch-tower, to mark passhis living ing events, and to meditate future projects. He saw that all favours passed through the hands of Buckingham; but he was shy of cultivating him; first, because he apprehended that he would probably soon be supplanted in the King's affections by some other minion; and, secondly, because Buckingham himself was notorious for casting off his subordinate agents as soon as they had served his turn.* Meanwhile he addicted himself to study, and to the exemplary discharge of his parochial and magisterial duties. He kept up a most splendid hospitality, and though he distinguished himself at his table by carving and conversation, he contrived to retain his own abstemious habits. He still occasionally visited Whitehall, when he was called upon to officiate as one of the royal chaplains, and he was surprised to find Buckingham's ascendency over the King more completely established than ever, and Lord Chancellor Bacon submissively obeying his orders. A. D. 1620. Employed to convert Lady Ca therine Manners from Popery. No longer hesitating about the right channel of preferment, he was much at a loss to contrive a favourable introduction to the dispenser of the patronage of the Crown, who cared little about sermons, however eloquently the divine right of Kings might be expounded in them, and who was better pleased with active, useful service, than gross personal flattery. While in a desponding mood, pure good luck offered him such an opening as no wisdom could have * Iacket, 34, 35, 36. LVII. planned, and no soothsayer could have foretold. Bucking- CHAP. ham, the handsomest man of his time, was still a bachelor, after having been engaged in many amours. He at last wished to marry the Lady Catherine Manners, the only child of the Earl of Rutland, -high born, beautiful, and the heiress of immense possessions. But he was much disliked by her family as an upstart, and she herself, having been educated as a Roman Catholic, had great scruples about being united to a Protestant. Williams, having a living in the neighbourhood, had frequently visited at Belvoir, and, enjoying a great reputation for sanctity, he stood high in the good graces both of the father and daughter. to marry ham. Buckingham applied to the rector of Waldegrave to Prevails become a mediator for him in this affair. He readily under- upon her took the mission, and sped so well that the old Earl con- Buckingsented to take Buckingham for his son-in-law, and the young lady, swayed by the cogent theological arguments submitted to her, and the softened accounts of the gallantries of her lover now hinted to her, renounced the errors of Popery, and agreed to be married to him according to the rites of the Church of England. So complete was the negotiator's success, that he was allowed himself to draw the marriage-settlement, and to perform the marriage ceremony. He used to say "that this negotiation was the key-stone in the arch of his preferment." * minster. He now considered himself regularly enlisted among Made Dean Buckingham's retainers; and, that he might be constantly of Westnear the spot where intrigues were to be successfully carried on, he immediately applied to his patron to be made Dean of Westminster, saying, "I am an humble suitor, first, to be acknowledged your servant, and, that I may be nearer, and better able to perform my desires, to be by your happy hand transplanted to Westminster. If your honour be not bent upon an ancienter servant, I beseech you think upon me. I am true, and so reputed by my former, and, by the grace of God, will prove no otherwise to my second, master." † The application succeeded, and Williams, taking up his |