State-worthies, or, The states-men and favourites of England since the reformation their prudence and policies, successes and miscarriages, advancements and falls, during the reigns of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, King James, King Charles I.

Observations on the Life of Sir Nicholas Throg∣morton.

SIr Nicholas Throgmorton, fourth son of Sir George Throgmorton of Coughton in Warwick∣shire, was bread beyond the Seas, where he attained to great experience. Under Queen Mary he was in Guild-hall arraigned for Treason, (in co••∣pliance with Wiat) and by his own wary pleading, and the Juries upright Verdict, hardly escaped. Queen Elizabeth employed him her Leiger a long time, first in France, then in Scotland, finding him a most able minister of state: yet got he no great wealth; and no wonder, being ever of the oppo∣site party to Burleigh Lord Treasurer: Chamberlain of the Exchequer, and Chief Butler of England, were his highest Preferments. I say, Chief But∣ler; which Office, like an empty-covered Cup, pretended to some State, but afforded no consi∣derable

profit. He died at supper with eating of sallats: not without suspicion of poyson; the ra∣ther, because it happ••ned in the house of one no mean Ar••ist in that faculty, R Earl of Leicester. His dea••h, as it was sudden, was seasonable for him and his, whose active (others will call it tur••ulent) spi••it had brought him unto such trouble as might have cost h••m, at least, the loss of his personal E∣state. He died in the 57 year of his Age, Febr. 12. 15••0. and lieth buried in the South-side of the Chance•• of St. Martin Cree-church London.

A stons and a wise man, that saw through preten∣ces, and could look beyond dangers. His skill in Herald••y appears in his grim Arguments against the Ki••g of France, in ••ight of his Q••een of Scots U∣surping of the Arms of England; and his exper••∣ence in History, in his p••••emptory D••clarations of th•• Queen of Englands a 1.1 Title in the right of her ••welve Predecessors to t••ose of France. But his policy much mo••e, b•• putting Mo••tmorency, the great Enemy of the Guizes, upon perswading his Master out of the humour of wearing those Arms, with this Argument, That it was below the Arms of F••ance to be quartered with those of England; those being comprehensive of these and all other of his Ma∣jesties Dominions. An Argument more suitable to that P••ince his ambition, than convincing to his R••ason. Wise men speak rather what is most fit, than what is most rational, not what demonstrates, but what perswades his, and takes. But being en∣dang••red in his person, affronted in his Retinue, and served with nothing at his Table but what had the Arms of England quartered with those of France, he dealt underhand wit•• the E••rl of Nor∣thumberland,

to understand the scope the Reformed propounded to themselves, their means to compass what they aimed at, and (if at any time they were assisted) upon what terms a League might be con∣cluded between the two Kingdomes. The Advices collected from all his Observations he sent to the Queen, were these:

• 1. That she should not rest in dull Counsels of what is lawful, but proceed to quick Resolutions of what is safe.
• 2. That to prevent, is the policy of all Nations, and to be powerful, of ours. England is never peaceable but in Ar••••.
• 3. That how close soever they managed their Affairs, it was a Maxime, b 1.2 That France can nei∣ther be poor, nor abstain from War three years toge∣ther.

Francis Earl of Bedford bore the state of the French Embassy, and Sir Nicholas the burden, who gave dayly Directions to Sir Thomas Challone•• in Spain, Sir Henry Killigrew in Germany, and Sir Tho∣mas Randolph and Si•• Peter Mewtas in Scotland: to the two first, to enjealous the Princes of those Countries; and to the last, to unite the Nobility of Scotland; he in the mean time suffering himself to be taken prisoner by the Protestants at the battle of Dreux, that he might with less suspition impart secret Counsels to them, and receive as secret Ad∣vices from them; until discovering their lightness and unconstancy, they secured him as a person too cunning for the whole Faction, and too skilful in raising Hurley-burleys and Commotions. When the young Queen of Scots would needs marry the young Lord Darley, he told her that was long to be

deliberated on which was to be done but once. And when that would not do, he advised, 1. That an Army should appear upon the borders: 2. That the Eccl••siast••cal Laws should be in force against Papists: 3. That Hereford should be secured: and, 4. That the Lord Dudley should be advanced. But the Queen being married to the Lord Darley, an easie and good-natured man, whom Qu••en Eli∣zabeth wished to her bed next Leicester, and affron∣ted by her subjects, Throgmorton disputes the Que••n•• Authority and non-accountableness to any against Buchanans damned c 1.3 Dialogue of the Peo∣ples power over Kings: until ••melling their designe of revolt to the French, and cruelty upon the Queen, he perswaded her to resigne her Govern∣ment, saying, That her Resignation extorted in Pri∣son, which is a just fear, was utterly void. The next news we hear of this busie man, was in his two Ad∣visoes to the Queen of Scots friends: 1. To clap up d 1.4 Cecil, whom they might then (he said) deal with: 2. To proclaim the Q••een of Sexs successi∣on; and in the Train he laid to serve Leicester in the Duke of Norfolks ruine. But he was too fami∣liar with that Politicians privacy, to live long: anno 1570, he died. A man, saith Mr. Cambden, of great experience, passing sharp wit, and singular dili••gence; an over-curious fancy, and a too nimble a∣ctivity: like your too fine Silks or Linen, and more for shew than service; never bl••ssing their Owners but when allayed with something of the heavy and the wary; nor rising, but when stayed.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Which he made out from Dr. Wottons Discourse on that sub∣ject at Cambray.
• b 1.2

  To which Queen Eli∣zabeth ad∣deth a say∣ing of Va∣lentinians. Have the French for thy Friend, not for thy Neighbor.
• c 1.3

  De jure Reg. apud Scotos.
• d 1.4

  About moneys transported beyond Sea.