Diary of John Manningham Part 21

The Lord Chief Baron Periam comended the Recorders speache, and recommended hir Majesties singular benefits to their thankefull consideracions, admonished that their might be some monethly strict searche be made in the Cytie for idle persons and maisterles men, whereof there were, as he said, at this tyme 30,000 in London; theise ought to be found out and well punished, for they are the very sc.u.mme of England, and the sinke of iniquitie, &c.

[Sidenote: fo. 53^b.

28 October 1602.]

The Lord Treasurer, L. Buckhurst,[112] spake sharpely and earnestly, that of his certaine knowledge there were two thinges hir Majestie is desyrous should be amended. There hath bin warning given often tymes, yet the commaundement still neglected. They are both matters of importaunce, and yf they be not better looked vnto the blame wilbe insupportable, and their answere inexcusable. The former is, nowe in this time of plenty to make prouision of corne to fill the magazines of the Citie, as well for suddein occasions as for prouision for the poore in tyme of dearth: this he aduised the maior to have speciall care of, and to amend their neglect by diligence, while their fault sleepes in the bosome of hir Majesties clemency. The other matter was the erecting and furnishing hospitals. Theise were thinges must be better regarded then they have bin: otherwise, howesoever he honour the Cytie in his priuat person, yet it is his dutie in regard of his place to call them to accompt for it.

[Footnote 112: Thomas Sackville, poet and statesman; Lord Buckhurst, 1567-1604, Earl of Dorset, 1604-1608, and Lord Treasurer, 1599-1608.]

[Sidenote: fo. 54.

27 Oct. 1602.]

Thou carest not for me, thou scornest and spurnest me, but yet, like those which play at footeball, spurne that which they runne after.

(_Hoste to his wife._)

Wee call an hippocrite a puritan, in briefe, as by an ironized terme a good fellow meanes a thiefe. (_Albions England._)

[Sidenote: 28.]

He lives by throwing a payre of dice, and breathing a horse sometyme, _i. e._ by cheatinge and robbinge. (_Towse nar._ [?]).

_In Patres Jesuitas.

Tute mares vitias, non uxor, non tibi scortum, Dic Jesuita mihi, qui potes esse pater?_

When there was a speach concerning a peace to be made with Spayne, a l.u.s.ty cauallier at an ordinary swore he would be hangd yf there were a peace with Spaine, for which words he was sent for to the Court, and chargd as a busie medler, and a seditious fellowe; he aunswered, he meant noe such matter as they imagined; but he ment plainely that because himselfe was a man of armes, yf wee should haue a peace he should want employment, and then must take a purse, and soe he was sure he should be hanged yf there were a peace with Spaine. (_Mr. Gorson._)

One said the Recorder was the mouth of the Cytie; then the City hath a black mouth, said Harwell, for he is a verry blacke man.

[Sidenote: fo. 54^b.]

OCTOBER 31. AT PAULES

Dr. Dene [?] made a Sermon against the excessiue pride and vanitie of women in apparraile, &c., which vice he said was in their husbands power to correct. This man the last tyme he was in this place taught that a man could not be divorced from his wife, though she should commit adultery.

He reprehended Mr. Egerton, and such an other popular preacher, that their auditory, being most of women, abounded in that superfluous vanity of appa[raile].

AT THE TEMPLE CHURCH

One Mr. Irland, whoe about some three yeares since was a student of the Middle Temple, preached upon this text: "Thy fayth hath saued the, goe thy waye in peace."

The Persians had a lawe, that when any n.o.bleman offended, himselfe was neuer punished, but they tooke his clothes, and when they had beaten them they gave them vnto him againe; soe when mans soule had synned, Christ took our flesh upon him, which is as it were the apparaile of the soule, and when it had been beaten he gave it us againe.

In the afternoone Mr. Marbury of the Temple, text xxi. Isay. 5 v. &c.

But I may not write what he said, for I could not heare him, he p.r.o.nunces in manner of a common discourse. Wee may streatche our eares to catch a word nowe and then, but he will not be at the paynes to strayne his voyce, that wee might gaine one sentence.

[Sidenote: fo. 55.

Octob. 1602.]

I love not to heare the sound of the sermon, except the preacher will tell me what he says. I thinke many of those which are fayne to stand without dores at the sermon of a preacher whom the mult.i.tude throng after may come with as greate a deuotion as some that are nearer, yet I beleeve the most come away as I did from this, sca.r.s.e one word the wiser.

[Sidenote: fol. 55^b.

1 Nov. 1602.]

A preacher in Cambridge said that manie in their universitie had long beards and short wittes, were of greate standing and small vnderstandinge; the world sayth _Bonum est n.o.bis esse hic_, and _Soluite asinum_, for the Lorde hath neede of him; the good schollers are kept downe in the vniuersitie, while the dunces are preferred. (_Cosen Willis narr._)

One Clapham, a preacher in London, said the diuell was like a fidler, that comes betymes in the morning to a mans windowe to call him vp before he hath any mynde to rise, and there standes sc.r.a.ping a long tyme, till the window opens, and he gets a peece of syluer, and then he turnes his backe, puts up his pipe and away; soe the diuel waites in G.o.ds presence till he hath gotten some imployment, which he lookt for, and then he goes from the face of G.o.d.

[Sidenote: 2.]

Suspicion is noe proofe, nor jealousy an equall judge.

[Sidenote: 1.]

Dr. Withers, a black man, preached in Paules this day, his text Mark ix.

2, &c.

Of the transfiguracion of Christ: whereby, first, we learne to contemne earth and the pleasure thereof, in regard of the heauenly glory wee shall receiue. 2ndly. by the hope of this glorie the paynes of this lyfe are eased. 3dly. by this transfiguracion of Christ wee are taught that he suffered the indignitie of the Crosse not by imposed necessitie, but of his owne good will and pleasure.

In that he tooke but three disciples it may be collected that all thinges are not at the first to be published to all men, but first to some fewe and after to others.

[Sidenote: fo. 56.

1 Nov. 1602.]

He tooke them vp into a mountaine, to shewe their thoughtes and hopes must be higher then the earth; lifted vp to the heauens like a cloud.

The mountaine was high and alone. Two princ.i.p.all points of regard in a fortificacion; that it be difficult of accesse, and far from an other that may annoy it. The glory of Christ's kingdome is hard to be attayned, the way is steepe and high, _facilis descensus Averni, sed revocare gradum superasque euadere ad auras, hic labor, hoc opus est_, and it can not be equalled by anie.

The lyfe of a Christian is like Moses serpent, which was terrible to looke vpon in the forepart, but take it by the tayle and it became a rodd to slay him; soe yf we consider onely the present miseries of this lyfe, which usually accompanied a true Christian, it would terrifie a man from the profession; but take it by the tayle, looke to the ende and glory that wee hope for, and it is lyfe incomparably most to be desyred.

Paule sayth our body shall rise a spirituall body, not a body that shalbe a spirit, for spirits are noe bodies: but a body glorious, nimble, incorruptible as a spirit.