Diary of John Manningham Part 22

"At that day," sayth the Prophet, "the moone shall shine as the sunne, and the sunne shall be seven times as bright;" the unconstant condicion of man is compared to the moone, and Christ is the sunn of righteousnes, &c.

[Sidenote: fo. 56^b.

Nov. 1602.]

Christ carried them into a mountayne apart, for commonly the mult.i.tude is like a banquet whether every one brings his part of wickednes and vice, and soe by contagion infect one an other.

It was a wonder howe the glorious diuinity could dwell in flesh, and not showe his brightnes; but it was the pleasure of the Almightie to eclipse the splendor with the vayle of our body, but here like the sunne out [of] a cloud he breaketh forth, and his glory appeareth.

[Sidenote: fo. 57.

4 Nov.]

Barker told certaine gent. in the b.u.t.try that one of the benchers had sometime come downe for a lesse noyse: "Soe he may nowe too, I think,"

said Whitlocke, "for I thinke he may finde a lesse noyse anie where in the house then here is."

[Sidenote: 5.]

Mrs. Gibbes seing a straunger's horse in their yard, asked a thrasher, "Whose horse?" He told hir. "Wherefore comes he?" "Wherefore should he come," said he, "but to buy witt?" (_viz._ a clyent to the counsellor.) (_Mr. Gibbes._)

[Sidenote: 5.]

Mr. Curle told me he heard of certaine that Mr. Cartwright[113] comming to a certaine goodfellowe that was chosen to be Maior of [a] towne, told him soe plainely, and with such a spirit, of his dissolute and drunken life, howe vnfit for the office to governe others when he could not rule himselfe, &c. that the man fell presently into a swound, and within thre dayes dyed. Whether Cartwrightes vehemency, the manes conceit, or both wrought in him, it was verry straunge. Happened in Warwickshire.

[Footnote 113: _Qu._ Thomas Cartwright, the leader of the Puritans.

He was at this time master of a hospital at Warwick, where he died in 1603.]

[Sidenote: fo. 57^b.

4 Nov. 1602.]

Mr. Hadsor[114] told Mr. Curle and me that he heard lately forth of Irland, that whereas on Burke, whoe followes the Lord Deputy, had obteyned the graunt of a country in Irland in consideracion of his good seruice, and this by meanes of Sir Robert Cecile, vpon Sir Robert Gardneres certificat vnder his hand, and all this after pa.s.sed and perfected according to the course in the courts in Irland. Nowe of late an other Burke, one of greate commaund and a dangerous person yf he should breake out, hearing of this graunt, envyed, grudged, and vpbrayded his owne deserts, intimating as much as yf others of meaner worth were soe well regarded and himselfe neglected, he ment perhaps to give the slip and try his fortune on the other party. The Lord Deputy having intelligence hereof, and foreseeing the perilous consequence yf he should breake out, sent for the otheres patent, as desyrous to peruse the forme of the graunt, but when he had it he kept it; and, upon aduise with the Counsaile, cancelled both the patent and the whole record, to preuent the rebellion like to ensue upon the graunt. A strange president.

[Footnote 114: Richard Hadsor, of the Middle Temple, occurs frequently among the State Papers of James I. and Charles I. as a person in communication with the government on Irish affairs. We shall find further particulars respecting him hereafter.]

Sir Robert commends none but will be sure to haue the same under the hand of some other, on whome, yf it fall out otherwise. then was suggested or expected, the blame may be translated. (_Idem._)

He told further that Mr. Plowden[115] had such a checke as he neuer chancd [?] of, for saying to a circ.u.muenting justice of peace, upon demand made what were to be done in such a case, that by the lawe neither a justice nor the counsell could committ anie to prison without a cause, vpon their pleasure.

[Footnote 115: Probably Edmund Plowden, the author of the Reports, whose connection with the Middle Temple is commemorated by a range of buildings which bears his name.]

[Sidenote: fo. 58.

3 Nov. 1602.]

Mr. Gardner of Furnivales Inne told howe that Mr. King, preacher at St.

Androes in Holborne, beinge earnestly intreated to make a sermon at the funerals of [a] gent, of their house, because the gent. desyred he should be requested, made noe better nor other aunswer, but told them plainely he was not beholding to that house nor anie of the Innes of Chauncery, and therefore would not. He is greived it seemes because the gents. of the Innes come and take up roomes in his churche, and pay not as other his parishioners doe. He is soe highly esteemed of his auditors, that when he went to Oxeford[116] they made a purse for his charges, and at his return rode forth to meete him, and brought him into towne with ringing, etc.

[Footnote 116: He was of Christ Church. The occasion alluded to was perhaps on his proceeding D.D., which he did in this year, 1602.

Wood says that he had so excellent a volubility of speech that Sir Edward c.o.ke would often say of him that he was the best speaker in the Star Chamber in his time. (Ath. Oxon. ii. 295.)]

[Sidenote: 6.]

6. I heard that the Earl of Northumberland liues apart againe from his lady nowe shee hath brought him an heire, which he sayd was the soder of their reconcilement; he liues at Sion house with the child, and plays with it, being otherwise of a verry melancholy spirit.[117]

[Footnote 117: Henry, the ninth Earl of Northumberland, known as the Wizard Earl, and remembered for his fifteen years' imprisonment in the Tower. His wife was Dorothy, daughter of Walter Devereux, the first Earl of Ess.e.x of that family, and widow of Sir Thomas Perrott.

The child here alluded to must have been Algernon, the tenth Earl, who is stated by Collins to have been baptised on the 13th Oct.

1602. (Peerage, ed. Brydges, ii. 346.)]

A gentlewoman which had bin to see a child that was sayd to be possessed with the diuel, told howe she had lost hir purse while they were at prayer. "Oh," said a gent. "not vnlikely, for you forgott halfe your lesson; Christ bad you watch and pray, and you prayed onely; but, had you watched as you prayed, you might have kept your purse still." (_W.

Scott nar._)

[Sidenote: 5.]

"I was muzeled in my pleading," said Mr. Martin, when he was out, and could not well open.

"He will clogg a man with a jeast, he will neuer leaue you till he hath told it." (_Of Mr. L._)

[Sidenote: fo. 58^b.

November 6.]

Mr. Overbury, telling howe a knave had stolne his cloke out of his chamber, said the villeine had gotten a cloke for his knavery.

One said of a foule face, it needes noe maske, it is a maske it selfe.

"Nay," said another, "it hath neede of a maske to hide the deformitie."

I heard that Dr. Redman, Bishop of Norwiche,[118] Dr. Juel, professor at ... . .[119] in the Low c.u.n.tryes, and Mr. Perkins of Cambridge,[120]

all men of note, are dead of late.

[Footnote 118: Dr. William Redman, Bishop from 1594 until his death on 25th Sept. 1602. (Hardy's Le Neve, ii. 470.)]

[Footnote 119: Blank in MS.]