Civilians.

NICHOLAS WOTTON, Son to Sir Robert, was born at Bockton-Malherb in this County, a place so named (as it seems) from some noxious and malignant herbs, grow∣ing therein. What the natural plants there may be, I know not, sure the moral ones, are excellent, which hath produced so many of the Honourable Family of the Wottons; Of whom this Nicholas, Doctor of Civil Laws bred in Oxford, may be termed a Center of Remarkables, so many met in his person.

• 1. He was Dean of the two Metropolitan Churches of Canterbury and York.
• 2. He was the first Dean of those Cathedrals.
• 3. He was Privy Councellor to four successive Soveraigns, King Henry the eight, King Edward the sixth, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth.
• Page  784. He was employed, Thirteen several times in Embassies to forraign Princes.

Now because there are some of so diffident Natures, that they will believe no total summe, except they peruse the particulars, let them satisfie themselves with what fol∣loweth.

• Five times to Charls the fifth Emperor.
• Once to Philip his Son, King of Spain.
• Once to Francis the first, King of France.
• Once to Mary Queen of Hungary, Gover∣ness of the Netherlands.
• Twice to William Duke of Clive.
• Once to renew the peace between England, France, and Scotland, Anno Dom. 1540.
• Again to the same purpose at Cambra, 1549.
• Once sent Commissioner with others to Edinbourgh in Scotland, 1560.

We must not forget how in the first of Queen Elizabeth, the Archbishoprick of Canterbury was * proffered unto, and refused by him. He died January the twenty sixth, Anno Dom. 1566. being about seventy years of age, and was buried in Can∣terbury.

GILES FLETCHER, (brother of Richard Fletcher, Bishop of London) was born in this County, as I am credibly * informed. He was bred first in Eaton, then in Kings Col∣ledge in Cambridge; where he became Doctor of Law. A most excellent Poet, (a quality hereditary to his two Sons, Giles and Phineas) Commissioner into Scotland, Germany, and the Low-Countries for Queen Elizabeth, and her Embassador into Russia, Secre∣tary to the City of London, and Master of the Court of Requests.

His Russian Embassie to settle the English Merchandise was his master-piece, to Theodor Juanowich Duke of Muscovia. He came thither in a dangerous juncture of time, viz. in the end of the year 1588. First, some forraigners (I will not say they were the Hollanders) envying th•… free Trade of the English, had done them bad offices. Se∣condly, a false report was generally believed that the Spanish Armado had worsted the English Fleet; and the Duke of Muscovy (who measured his favour to the English, by the possibility he apprehended of their returning it) grew very sparing of his smiles, not to say free of his frowns on our Merchants residing there.

However our Doctor demeaned himself in his Embassie with such cautiousness, that he not only escaped the Dukes fury, but also procured many priviledges for our En∣glish Merchants, exemplified in Mr. Hackluit. Returning home, and being safely ar∣rived* at London, he sent for his intimate friend Mr. Wayland, Prebendary of S. Pauls, and Senior Fellow of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge (Tutor to my Father, from whose mouth I received this report) with whom he heartily exprest his thankfulnesse to God for his safe return from so-great a danger; for the Poets cannot fansie Ulrsses more glad to be come out of the Den of Polyphemus, than he was to be rid out of the power of such a barbarous Prince, who counting himself by a proud and voluntary mistake, Emperour of all Nations, cared not for the Law of all Nations; and who was so habited in blood, that had he cut off this Embassadors head, he and his friends might have sought their own amends; but the question is, where he would have found it?

He afterwards set forth a Book, called, The Russian Commonwealth, expressing the Government or Tyranny rather thereof; wherein, saith my *Author, are many things most observable. But Queen Elizabeth indulging the reputation of the Duke of Mus∣covy as a confederate Prince, permitted not the publick printing of that, which such who have private Copies, know to set the valuation thereon. I cannot attain the certain date of his death.