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.

About this Item

Title
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.
Author
Lloyd, David, 1635-1692.
Publication
London :: Printed by Thomas Milbourne for Samuel Speed ...,
1670.
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Subject terms
Statesmen -- England -- Early works to 1800.
Favorites, Royal -- England -- Sources.
Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603 -- Sources.
Great Britain -- Kings and rulers.
Great Britain -- Court and courtiers -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A48794.0001.001
Cite this Item
"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A48794.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed October 31, 2024.

Pages

Page 1029

Observations on the Life of Sir Henry VVotton, with some Account of his Relations.

SIr Henry Wotton first having re•••• of his Ance∣stor Sir Robert Wotton, the noble Lieutenant of Guisnes, and Comptroller of Callais, in King Edward the fourth's days, His Grand-father Sir Edward Wotton, that refused to be Chancellor of England in King Henry the Eighth's time. 2. Ha∣ving known his Father Sir Thomas Wotton, one of the most Ingenuous modesty, the most Ancient freedom, plainness, single-heartedness, and integrity in Queen Elizabeths Reign: His Brothers Sir Edward Wotton, the famous Comptroller of Queen Eliz. and K. Iames his Court, since Lord Wotton, & Baron Morley in Kent; Sir Iames Wotton (with R. Earl of Essex, Count Lodowick of Nas∣saw, Don Christophoro, son of Antonio King of Portugal, &c.) Knighted as an excellent Soldier at Cadiz: Sir Iohn Wotton the ccomplished Tra∣veller and Scholar, for whom Qeen Eliz. de∣signed a special favour: —His Uncle Nicholas Wot∣ton, Dean of Canterbury and York, nine times Em∣bassador or the Crown of England (e that was one of King Henry's Execuors, King Edward's Secretary of State, Queen Mary's right hand ad (that refused the Arch-Bishoprick of Catrbury in Queen Eliz. days.) 3. Being bred 1. In Winche∣ster,

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that eminent School for Discipline and Order. 2. In New-Colledge and Queens, those famous Colledges for the method of Living by rule, could promise no less than he did in his solidl setenti∣c••••, and discreetly humoured Play at Queens, cal∣led Tancredo, in his elegat Lecture of the nobleness, manner, and use of Seeing, at the Schools (for which the learned Albericus Gentilis called him, Henrice Mi Ocelle, and communicated to him his Mathemati•••• his Law, and his Italian learning) in his more particular converse with Doctor Donne and Sir Richard Baker in the University, and his more general conversation with Man-kind in tra∣vels for one year to France and Geneva, (where he was acquainted with Theodore Beza, and Isaac Casabon, at whose Fathers he lodged) for eight years in Germany, for five in Italy, whence return∣ing balanced with Learning and Experience, with the Arts of Rome, Venice, and Florence (Picture, Sculpture, Chimistry, Architecture) the Screts, Langages, Dispositions, Customs, and Laws of most Nations, set off with his choice shape, obliging behaviour, sweet discourse, and shap wit, he could perform no less han he did, 1. In the unhappy re∣lation he had to the Earl of Essex, first of Friend, and afterward of Secretary. 2. In his more happy Interest by his Secetary Vietta (upon his flight out of England after the Earl's apprehension) with the Duke of Tuscany, then the greatest paron of Learning and Arts in the world; who having dis∣covered a design to poyson King Iames, as the known successor of Queen Elizabeth, sent Sir Hen∣ry Wotton with notice of the plo, and preservatives against the poyson, by the way of Norway into Scot∣land,

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under the borrowed name of Octavio Baldi; where after some suspicion of the Italian message, discovering himself to the King by David Lindsey's means, he was treated with much honour, compla∣cency, and secrecy for three months. Afte hich time he returned to Florence, staying thee till King Iames enquiring concerning him of my Lod Wotton the Comptroller; the great Duke advised his return to congratulate his Majesty, as he did; the King embracing him in his arms, & calling him the best, because the honest est Dissembler that he met with: and Knighting him by his own name. Ad∣ding withal; That since he knewhe wanted nei∣ther Learning nor Experience; neither Ablities nor Faithfulness, he would employ him to o∣thers, as he was employed to him; which accor∣dingly he did to Venice, the place he chose as most suitable to his retired Genius, and narrow Estate; where, 1. Studying the dispositions of the several Dukes and Senators. 2. Soring of fit Presents, curious, and not costly Entertainments, sweetned with various and pleasant discourse, particularly his elegant application of Stories: He had such in∣terest, that he was never denyed any request; where∣by he did many services to the Protestant interest (with his Chaplain Bishop Biddle, and Padre Pau∣loe's assistance) during the Controversie between the Pope and the Venetians, especially in trans∣mitting the History of the Councel of Trent, sheet by sheet to the King and the Arch-Bishop of Can∣terbury as it was written: And in his three Embas∣sies thither, gained many Priviledges for the Eng∣lish along all those Coasts. In the second of which Embassies, calling upon the Emperour, he

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had brought Affairs to a Treaty, had not the Em∣perours success interposed; whereupon he took his leave, wishing that Prince to use his Victory so∣berly; an advice his carriage indeared to his Maje∣sty, together with his person, so far, that he gave him a Diamond worth above a thousand pounds, which he bestowed on his Hostess, saying, He would not be the better by a man that was an open Enemy to his Mistress, so the Queen of Bohemia wa plea∣sed he should call her:—Onely while abroad, and writing in the Album that friends have this sentence, Legat usest vir bonus peregre missus ad men∣tiendum reipublicae causa, whereof Scioppius made a malicious use in his Books against King Iames. He lot himself a while for using more freedom a∣broad than became his Employment, until his in∣genuous, clear, and choicely eloquent Apologies recovered him to more respect and cautiousness, until he writ Invidiae Remedium over his Lodgings at Eaton-Colledge, the Provostship whereof he ob∣tained in exchange for the reversion of the Master∣ship of the Rolls, and other places promised him; Where looking upon himself in his Surplice, as Charles 5. or Philip 2. in Cloysters, his Study was divine Meditations, History and Characters: His recreation Philosophical conclusions, and Angling; which he called his idle time not idly spent, say∣ing, he would rather live five May moneths, than forty Decembers: His Table was exquisite, where two youths attended, upon whom he made the ob∣servations that were to furnish his designed dis∣course of Education: His Histories and Observati∣ons remarkable, his Apophthegms sage and quick.

1. Being in a Popish Chappel, a merry Priest

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that knew him, sent a Paper to him, with this que∣stion; Where was your Religion before Luther? Un∣der which he writ; Where yours is not, in the written word of God.

2. Being asked, whether a Papist could be sa∣ved? He replyed; You may be saved without know∣ing that: look to your self.

3. Hearing one ail against Arminius & Popery, he answered, Sir, he that understands amiss, conclu∣deth worse:—If you had studied Popery so much as I have, and knew Arminius so well as I did; how learn∣ed, how strict, and how rare a man he was, you would not fall so foul on his person, nor think that the further you go from the Church of Rome, the nea∣rer you are to God.

4. One pitched upon for Embassador, came to Eaton, and requested from him some Experimental rule for his prudent and safe carriage in his Negoti∣ation; to whom he smilingly gave this for an infalli∣ble Aphorism: That to be in safety himself, & service∣able to his Country, he should alwayes, and upon all occasions speak the truth; For (said he) you shall ne∣ver be believed; and by this means your truth will secure your self, if you shall ever be called to any ac∣count: and it will also put your Adversaries (who will still hnt counter) to a loss in all their disquisiti∣ons and undertakings.

5. And when he made his Will two years before he died, out of policy to let the King understand his Debts and Arrears (to which end he bestowed in that Will on his Majesty, Sir Nicholas Throgmor∣ton's Papers of Negotiation in Queen Elizabeth's dayes: on the Queen, Dioscorides in Tuscany, with

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the Herbs naturally coloured: on the Prince, the Queen of Bohemia's picture: on my Lord of Can∣terbury, the picture of Divine love: to my Lord of London, high Treasurer, Heraclitus and Democri∣tus; and to Secretary Windebanke old Bastano's four Seasons) he directed that this onely should be written on his plain Marble:

Hic jacet hujus sententiae primus auctor; Disputandi Pruritus fit Ecclesiarum Scabies: Nomen alias quaere:

7. Going yearly to Bocton for the connaturalness of that Air, and to Winchester or Oxford for Recre∣ation, he would say to his friends;

How useful was that advice of a holy Monk, who perswaded his friend to perform his customary devotion in a constant place, where his former thoughts might meet him; for (said he) at my being at that School, seeing the place where I sate when I was a boy, occasioned me to remember my youthful thoughts; sweet thoughts indeed, that promised my growing years numerous pleasures, without mixture of cares, and those to be en∣joyed when time (which I thought slow-paced) changed my youth to man-hood; and now there are a succession of Boys using the same recreation, & questionless possessed with the same thoughts. Thus one generation succeeds another both in their Lives, Recreations, Hopes, Fears, and Deaths.

8. There are four things that recommend Sir Henry Wotton to posterity: 1. That King Charles took great pleasure in corresponding with him in

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Letters. 2. That my Lord Bacon took great pains in collecting his Apophthegmes. 3. That Sir Ri∣chard Baker, who submitted most of his Writings to his Censure, said of him; That the Kingdom yielded not a fitter man to match the Capriciousness of the Italian wits. And 4. That his work of Ar∣chitecture is translated into Latine, printed with Vitruvius, and this Elogy prefixed:

Henricus Wottonus Anglo-Cantianus Tho. op∣timi viri Filius Natu minimus a serenissimo Jacobo I. Magnae Britanniae, &c. Rege in Equestrem titu∣um ascitus, ejusdemque ter ad Remp. Venetam Lo∣gatus Ordinarius, semel ad Confaederatarum Provin∣ciarum Ordines in Iuliensi Negotio; bis ad Carolum Emanuelem Subaudiae ducem: Semel ad unitos supe∣rioris Germaniae Principes in Conventu Heilbronnen∣si. Postremo ad Archducem Leopoldum, Ducem Wittenbergensem, Civitates Imperiales Argenti∣nam, Vlmamque, & ipsum Romanorum Imperato∣rem Ferdinandum II. Legatus Extraordinaius Tandem hoc Dedicit.

Animas sapientiores fieri quiescendo.
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