Diary of John Manningham Part 30

22 Dec. 1602.]

When Dr. Colpeper, warden of New Colledge in Oxford,[138] expelled one Payne of that house for some slight offence, this Payne recited that verse alluding to their name.

[Footnote 138: Dr. Martin Culpeper, warden 1573 to 1599. (Hardy's Le Neve, iii. 555.)]

_Paena potest demi, Culpa perennis erit._ (_Rous._)

[Sidenote: 24.]

I tooke my journey and came to Bradborne.

John Kent told me of a pretty cosenning connycatching trick of late used in London. On that was in execution for debt at the suit of a gent. that dwelt in a far country, procured one of his acquaintaunce to surmise that his creditor was deade, dyed intestate, and he the next of kin, and thereupon to procure letters of administracion, by coulour whereof he might have good opportunity to discharge the party, which was effected accordingly.

My cosen told me that the county of Kent hath compounded, by the mediacion of the justices of peace, with the Greene clothe to be discharged of the purueyors for the Queenes house for all victualls, &c.

except timber and carriage, with the price of wheate raised to 20_d._ the bush.e.l.l, which before was but 10_d._, and for this to pay 2100_l._ per annum, for which the parishes rated, and East Malling at 5_l._

[Sidenote: 27.]

We have good cardes to shew for it, said a lawyer to the old Recorder Fleetewood: "Well," said he, "I am sure wee have kings and queenes for us, and then you can have but a company of knaues on your syde."

[Sidenote: fo. 82.

29 Dec. 1602.]

I tooke my journey about my cosens busines, to have a sight of certaine bondes in Mrs. Aldriche handes, as executrix to hir husband, wherein my cosen G. Mannyngham, deceased, and his executors, &c. with William Sumner, stoode bound; which bonds, by the meanes of my cosen Mr. Watts, I had a sight of, and finde that eache of them is in 500_l._ The condicion of one of them is to pay to Mr. Aldriche during his lyfe 100_l._ yearely at severall feasts. And yf William Sumner fayle in payment, or not put in nue suretyes upon the death of anie, then to stand in force. Nowe Sumner sayth he did not pay allwayes at the day, and it is apparent that noe sureties are put in since the death of my cosen, nor since the death of one Savil an other obligor. The condicion of the other was, whereas Mr. Aldriche had deputed William Sumner to exercise his office, that he should not comitt any thing which might amount to a forfayture of the letters patents whereby Mr. Aldriche held his office, and alsoe that William Sumner should performe all covenants conteyned in a payre of Indentures bearing the same date with the obligacion, all dated the 20 of June _A^o Reginae 37, A^o Dni. 1595_.

These I was to have a sight of, that yf the legataries sue my cosen, as executor in the right of his wife, he might pleade these obligacions in barr.

[Sidenote: fo. 82^b.

29 Dec. 1602.]

I lay at my cosen Chapmans at G.o.dmerrsham.

I dined at my cosen Cranmers at Canterbury, and by him understoode howe Mr. Sumner had submitted himselfe to the arbitrement of Mr. Rauens and another, but the arbitrators, not regarding their authority, shuffled it vp vpon a sudden betweene Mrs. Aldriche and Sumner, whereas the submission and obligacion was betweene one of Mr. Aldriches sonnes and Sumner; and soe, by their negligent mistaking, all was voyd. The cause of controversy was, Mr. Aldriche dyed some 2 or 3 dayes before the day of payment, his widdowe executrix desyred the whole, Sumner denied all, yet, in regard that Mrs. Aldriche should cancell his bondes and make him a generall acquittaunce, he offred 20 markes, and the arbitrators gaue but 20_l._, which Sumner refuseth to pay, and therefore the widdowe threatenes either to sue the bondes or bring an accion of accompt against Sumner for all the monies he receiued as deputy; but Sumner told me he hath generall acquittances for all accompts, except the last quarter.

This night I lay at my Cosen Watts, by Sandwich, and he rode with me the next morning to Canterbury.

[Sidenote: fo. 83.

30 Dec. 1602.]

Sir Wa. Rawley made this rime upon the name of a gallant, one Mr. Noel,

The word of deniall, and the letter of fifty, Makes the gent. name that will never be thrifty. (_Noe. L._)

and Noels answere,

The foe to the stommacke, and the word of disgrace, Shewes the gent. name with the bold face. (_Raw. Ly._)

My cosen Watts told me that the Bishop of Yorke, Dr. Hutton,[139] was esteemed by Campion the onely man of all our divines for the fathers.

[Footnote 139: Dr. Matthew Hutton, Archbishop of York, 1595-1606.

(Hardy's Le Neve, iii. 115.)]

That opinion which some hold that Paule did not publishe his writings till he and they were confirmed by Peter, as the head of the Apostles, is plainely everted by the 1 and 2 chapters to the Ga[lla]thians, where it is apparant that Paule withstoode and contradicted Peter, &c.

[Sidenote: 31.]

[Sidenote: fo. 83^b.

Dec. 1602.]

[Sidenote: fo. 84.

Dec. 1602.]

Dyned with my cosen Watts, at my cosen Cranmers in Canterbury. In discourse howe obstinate some are, that they will not confesse a fact, wherefore they were justly condemned, my cosen Cranmer remembred this story. Not long since one Keyt a Kentishe man had made [his] will, whereby he bequeathed a great legacy to one Harris, but after, being displeased, he gave out that he would revoke his will, and Harris should have nothing, whereupon Harris, thinking to prevent his purpose, hired a thrasher to murther him. This poore knave having effected this villany began to grow resty, could not endure to worke any more, but would be maynteyned by Harris for this feate, otherwise most desperatly he threatened to reveall the matter. Thus the fellowe fedd soe long, and spent soe lavishly upon himselfe and his queanes, out of Harris's purse, that Harris, growing weary of the charge, began to thinke howe he might conceale the first by practising a second murther; which he plotted in this manner, he would invite the knave to a dynner at Maidstone, and procure some to murther him as he should come through the woodes. But the fellowe, fearing the worst (because they had bin at some hott words before) imparted his feare to his wh.o.r.e whome he kept, told hir that yf he were murthered shee should accuse the Harrisses, and wisht hir to looke in the bottome of his deske, and there shee should finde that would be sufficient to hang them. As he feared it happened, for he was murthered; the queane brought all to light, and those papers in his deske shewed the whole manner of the former murther of Keyt, whereupon the Harrises were indited, found gilty, and adjudged to be hanged. The former tooke it upon his death that he was guiltles of the latter murder, but the other confest it as he was tumbling from the ladder.

When certaine schollers returning from Italy were at the Bishops of Canterbury, amongst other they came about my cosen Cranmer with their new fashioned salutacions belowe the knee. He, like a good plaine honest man, stoode still, and told them he had not learned to dissemble soe deepely.

Hee told mee what dissembling hyppocrites these Puritanes be, and howe slightly they regard an oath: Rauens having a booke brought unto him by a puritane to have his opinion of it, the booke being written by B.

Bilson, Rauens as he had reade it would needes be shewing his foolishe witt in the margent, in scoffing at the booke. When the fellowe that had but borrowed it was to carry it home again, he swore it neuer went out of his hands. After, when it was shewed him what had bin written in it when himselfe could not write, he confessed that Ravens had it; then Rauens forswore his owne hand.

[Sidenote: fo. 84^b.

7 Jan, 1602.]

I came from Canterbury to G.o.dmersham.

Cosen Jo. Chapman takes the upper hand and place of his elder brother Drue.

Mr. Jo. Cutts, Sir John Cutts sonne and heire, was married some two yeares since to Mr. Kemp of Wye his daughter; keepes foure horses, foure men, his wife a gentleman and a mayde, and hath but 200_l._ per annum in present; mary his meate and drinke and horse meate is frank with Mr.