Memoires of the lives, actions, sufferings & deaths of those noble, reverend and excellent personages that suffered by death, sequestration, decimation, or otherwise, for the Protestant religion and the great principle thereof, allegiance to their soveraigne, in our late intestine wars, from the year 1637 to the year 1660, and from thence continued to 1666 with the life and martyrdom of King Charles I / by Da. Lloyd ...

THE Life and Death OF FRANCIS Lord AUBIGNEY, Lord Almoner to Her Highness Mary, The Queen Mother of England.

TIme was when the despised Priesthood was so honora∣ble, that the same great word signified, and the same a 1.1 eminent Persons (among the Iews, the A••gyptians, the Graecians, and Romans) executed together the two excellent Functions of Priest and Prince, Rex Anius, Rex Idem hominum Phaebique sac•••••••••• ••••••rg. A••ncid. l. 3 And most of the Roman Emperors were as proud of the sacred Title of Arch-flamens, as they were of the C••••racter of Semper A••¦gusti. As to come nearer our selves, there were at one time in England, three Kings Sons, six Dukes, eight Earls, and fourteen Lords Sons in Holy Orders.

Time was, when Abbies and Monasteries were an easie out-let for the Nobility and Gentry of this Land to dispose of their younger Children; that Son who had not mettal enough to man∣age a sword, might have meekness enough to wear a Cowle. Clap a vail on the head of a younger daughter (especially if she were superannuated, not overhandsome, melancholy, &c.) and instant∣ly she was provided for in a Nunnery, without cost or care of her Parents.

One eminent instance whereof we have in Ralph Nevil, first Earl of Westmerland of that Family, whom we behold as the happiest Subject of England since the Conquest, if either we account the number of Children, or measure the heighth of honor they at∣tained to; for of nine Children he had by Margaret his first Wife, Abbess of Barking; and a second, viz. Elizabeth, was a Nun: And of a eleven by his Wife Ioan, one Iane was a Nun, all the other se∣venteen being Lords and Ladies, at that time, of the highest qua∣lity in the Kingdom. And no wonder (saith our Author) if our Earls preferred their Daughters to be Nuns, seeing no King of England since the Conquest had four Daughters living to womans estate, but he disposed one of them to be a Votary; by the same token that Bridget, the fourth Daughter of King Edward the fourth, was a Nun at Dartford in Kent, the last English Princess that entred into a Religious Order.

If former Ages, so much the piety of their Noblemen; for that the Earls of Devonshire, Courtneys; the Earls of Essex, Bouchers; the Earls of Warwick, the Dukes of Lancaster, Beausort, for having two Priests a piece of their respective Families; this Age may observe one Priest of noble Family, of the Earl of Manchester, Mr. Moun∣tague; one of the Earl of Baths, Mr. Greenvile; one of the Earl of Northamptons, Mr. Compton; one of the Earl of Kent, one of the Lord Crews, Dr. Crew; and to name no more, one of the Duke of Richmonds, the Lord Aubign••y; one of those illustrious persons that made us happy in that Age Plato wished for, When princes were Philosophers, and Philosophers Princes.

Who was born in London, 1609. and bred, when a Child, not as those, who in point of judgment are never to be of age, but only able in pleasures; but as he would say, In those Arts whereby a man might be good Company to himself; for his honorable Relations per∣ceiving in him more than ordinary natural perfections, were care∣ful to bestow on him Education in piety, and Learning suitable to his high Birth; he meeting their care with his towardliness, being apt to take fire and blaze, at the least spark of instruction put into him.

The sharpness of Winter (correcting the rankness of the earth) cause the more healthful and fruitful Summers; so the strictness of his breeding compacted his soul to the greater patience and piety; which with other virtues and abilities raised him to so much reputation in the Court and University of Paris, that he was preferred Canon of Rotterdam, 1641. Lord Abbot of in France, a place worth 1200l. a year 1643/4. and was in nomination for a Cardinals dignity, upon the inthronization of Pope Innocent the tenth, 1644/5. as appears by this passage in a Letter.

My Lord Aubigney is now made an Abbot, the Queen of France hath given him one worth 2400. Pistols per annum; there is a speech that he shall be a Cardinal. Sir K••nelme Digby goeth Ambassador to Rome to the new Pope from the Queen, &c. And this the necessity of affairs, or at least the conceived necessity will cast it (meaning the Cardinalship) upon the Lord you know (i. e. Aubigney) who hath very powerful advancers by his friends in this Court, and is much liked, and in a manner accepted of, in Italy; he himself declaring himself in so hopeful a way for it, that he had thereupon taken the Sentane, Paris Octob. 21. 1644.

Of which dignities I may, as St. Ierome doth in another case, Ha∣buit ut calcaret; only he would bless God that he had that time to think how to live well, that poorer persons were forced to imploy in thinking how to live; and that his Place gave so much counte∣nance to his Actions, that against the too prevalent customs of the world, they might have the authority of Examples; and so much power to his words, that against the fond opinions of the world they might have the force of Rules; especially since his advance∣ments brought with it abilities for that which is Gods nature (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) and therefore mans duty, viz. to do good; the

paceful comeliness of his body, at once representing and adorning the virtues and beauties of his, charmed hearts to the love of the first beauty, with as much success as ever fair Tablets did Eyes to the admirations of the fair things they represented, and com∣manded souls to duty as happily, as Edward the fourth that goodly Prince (who as Comm••nes observed, won London twice by his pre∣sence and aspect) awed and obliged his Subjects to Allegiance 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Max. Tyr. A fair soul in a fair body, is as a River that windingly creepeth with many wavy turnings, within the Enamel of a beautiful Meadow, pleasing and refreshing the world.a 1.2 Tecum vi∣dent Milites, admirantur & diligunt, sequuntur oculis, animo tenent, Deo se obsequi putant, cujus tam pulchra sorma est tam certa divinitas.

Therefore in his discourses with Ladies, he used to urge to them the advantage they had to reform a deba••ched world, with the in∣stance of the women in Ludovicus Vives, who so reclaimed a loose City, by vouchsafing none their favors but the virtuous, the beau∣ty of whose soul (since the soul wears all the beauties of the uni∣verse contracted in it, as Aaron did all the glories of the world em∣broidred upon him) answered to that of their own bodies, as Dia∣monds and Pearls do to rich Cabinets and Pearls.

And now I speak of souls, his good soul slept not in the body, affording only now and then some glimmerings of common sence and reason, but sparkled briskly, being to a stupid world, a great argument of the Deity it worshipped; Hoc nempe habuit argumen∣tum divinitatis suae quod illam divina delectaverint; nec ut alienis inte∣rest, sed ut suis. Sen.

And indeed, he used to say, that he much questioned the inte∣grity, and consequently the state of that soul, that besides the exemplariness and communion of publick devotion, did not use to retire to the intimacy of that more private, consisting chiefly in these great parts. 1. Self-examination, consideration, and medi∣tation, soliloquies; for which in every place he resided, he prepa∣red a Closet, dressed, as his breast for holy and serious thoughts, pleasantly, yet dark scituated and furnished with two things; the matters of his Devotion and of his Charity (wherein he expended the thrid part of his revenue yearly, in such a way, that it was almes to the poor souls, as well as relief to the distrested bodies) which he esteemed the life, because the effect and the expensive tryal of his devotion; and this Closet he consecrated into a pri∣vate Chappel, by his solemn entrance into it never without a pray∣er. The words of his friend, (He taking it for a certain argument, that the serious belief of a God, and of the World to come, is much wanting in his heart, who dares be nought, idle, or sinfully merry, if he can but get out of mans sight and congnizance;) which office he kept as con∣stant on his servent heart, as ever the people of God of old kept up the continual Burnt-offering upon the Altar; making as much conscience of laying out his time, as he did of expending his estate.

And the result of all these accomplishments was,

1. A moderate and tender spirit towards all sorts of Christians,

expressing himself to several Ministers of the Church of England, with such a latitude, that upon the principle•• he expressed, he might have held communion with them, and they with him; con∣cluding his discourses with this, That he approved not a nice, scrupu∣lous, and uncharitable religion.

2. A great reverence to himself, being as much afraid to con∣cern his divine soul in any mean office, asa 1.3 Paulus the Praetor in Tyberius his time, was to handle a Chamber-pot, having a Ring on his Finger graved with the Emperors Image.

3. A very great resolution, in the strength of which, in the great difference between the French King and Cardinal de Retz at Paris, he and others of the Channons of Nostredame, durst serve the Majesty of afflicted truth, before that of a glorious King, and in∣dure the Restraint of Imprisonment, that he might injoy Liberty of Conscience.

To smell to a Turf of fresh earth is wholesom for the body, no less are thoughts of mortality cordial to the soul; therefore the sight of death, when it surprized him with a choice Feavor,b 1.4 1664/5. was neither strange nor terrible to him who died daily.

Interest Posterorum novisse 1. Jacobum Richmondiae ducem qui illustris licet modeste latuit. 2. Georgium Dominum Aubigney placide Animosum Heroem 3. Johannem Dominum Stuart stupendum Iuvenem, qualis hic esset Senex! 4. F. Dominum Aubigney in quo ut olim apudc 1.5 Iudeos Regalis, & sacerdotalis arctissime consociabantur tribus ut-pote summe pio, & nobili. 5. Bernardum Comitem Lichfieldiae cui morum venustas quanta p••ncis contigit, desideratur omnibus. Fratres arctiori virtutis quam sanguinis faederati nexu, qui eosdem mores per omnes fortunae vices sibi similes finxere. Quinque it a compositos ut quod uni vix contigit unum hominum agerent quos eadem agere, & pati semper necessa∣rium fuit; quia non novere nisi optima. Firmius vel Stoica Catena vinculum ubi Perpetuam animorum cognationem inducit non eandem Parentem habuisse, sed eandem vivendi originem Rationem; & (quod vim habuit vitaliorem) ejusdem honesti affectu Imbui potius quam

eodem sanguine; eadem numerare bona & mala, chariora longe nomina quam communia pignora. Curatii & Horatii Anglicani quos pro regia causa non homines Credas sed tot concurrere gentes! quibus Addendus Esme Dux Richmondiae Jacobi Filius unicus;* 1.6 & una quicquid est amabile Patres guod optent, aut quod orbi lugeant correptus levi Febricula vita decessit Parisiis; decessere quot una spes Parentum! Eheu! delicias breves! Quicquid placet mortale non placet diu. Quicquid placet mortale, ne placeat nimis.

Notes

• a 1.1

  VII Tar∣nov. ••xreci∣tat. Bil•••••••••• ••••2••. Ed heador. V•••• 4••2. ••••••ascen••de 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Fide 〈…〉〈…〉 vid. Casa••b. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Sue••••••. Aug. 31.
• a 1.2

  Pangy••∣in Cons••ant.
• a 1.3

  Senec. de benef. l. 3. c. 36.
• b 1.4

  At Som∣merset house
• c 1.5

  Joseph Antiq. l. 4. c. 4. Philo Jud. de mon. arch. l. 2.
• * 1.6

  Domino Dr. Fl••etword Coll. Reg. Cant. Qui P••aep. & I ti∣nery, & stu∣diorum duce C. W.