Diary of John Manningham Part 39

soe he of Queene Elizabeth.

[Sidenote: fo. 110.

23 Mar. 1602.]

I was at the Court at Richemond, to heare Dr. Parry one of hir Majesties chaplens preache, and to be a.s.sured whether the Queene were living or dead. I heard him, and was a.s.sured shee was then living. His text was out of the Psalme [cxvi. 18, 19] "Nowe will I pay my vowes unto the Lord in the middest of the congregacion," &c. It was a verry learned, eloquent, relligious, and moving sermon: his prayer, both in the beginning and conclusion, was soe fervent and effectuall for hir Majestie that he left few eyes drye.

[Sidenote: fo. 110^b.

23 Mar. 1602.]

The doctrine was concerning vowes, which were growne in contempt and hatred, because the Jews of old and the Papists of later tymes have used them, whereas the thing itselfe, in its owne nature, is reasonable and commendable. Wee owe all that wee have, that wee are, vnto G.o.d; and all that wee can doe is but our bounden duty, yet those offices may seeme to please him best, and be most gratefull, [in] which even besydes those dutyes which he requires; wee doe enter of our owne will as it were into a newe, a neere[r] bond. And he defined it to be a promise made unto G.o.d, to performe some service in such manner as we are not otherwise bound by duty to performe. It must be made to G.o.d, soe differs from other promises; it must be voluntary, and soe it differs from required dutyes; it must be deliberate, which takes away rashnes; it must be of thinges possible within our power, of things that are good, and tending to G.o.ds glory and our bettering. And they are generally either _penitentiae_, of a strict course of life, in punishing our synfull bodies by sparer dyet, &c.; _grat.i.tudinis_, for benefits received; _amicitiae_, testimonyes of our love, _dona_.

Vowes of perpetuall chast.i.ty and solitude exculed[exculcated?] because of a generall impossibility. Noe merit to be hoped by them, soe the papisticall abolished. Certaine impediments which being removed any man may walke the way without stumbling.

1. Wee cannot performe what wee are commaunded; howe can wee then add anie thing of our owne?

2. The danger of breaking them should stay us from making them.

3. They were ceremonious with the Jewes, and supersticious amongst the Papists, therefore not to be reteyned.

These were present at his sermon, the Archbishop of Canterbury [Bancroft]; the Lord Keeper [Egerton]; the Lord Treasurer [Buckhurst]; Lord Admirall [Howard]; Earl of Shrewsbury; Earl of Worster; Lord Gray; Sir William Knollys; Sir Edward Wootten, &c.

[Sidenote: fo. 111.

23 Marche.]

I dyned with Dr. Parry in the Priuy Chamber, and understood by him, the Bishop of Chichester, the Deane of Canterbury, the Deane of Windsore, &c. that hir Majestie hath bin by fitts troubled with melancholy some three or four monethes, but for this fortnight extreame oppressed with it, in soe much that shee refused to eate anie thing, to receive any phisike, or admit any rest in bedd, till within these two or three dayes. Shee hath bin in a manner speacheles for two dayes, verry pensive and silent; since Shrovetide sitting sometymes with hir eye fixed upon one obiect many howres togither, yet shee alwayes had hir perfect senses and memory, and yesterday signified by the lifting up of hir hand and eyes to heaven, a signe which Dr. Parry entreated of hir, that shee beleeved that fayth which shee hath caused to be professed, and looked faythfully to be saved by Christes merits and mercy only, and noe other meanes. She tooke great delight in hearing prayers, would often at the name of Jesus lift up hir handes and eyes to Heaven. Shee would not heare the Arch[bishop] speake of hope of hir longer lyfe, but when he prayed or spake of Heaven, and those ioyes, shee would hug his hand, &c.

It seemes shee might have lived yf she would have used meanes; but shee would not be persuaded, and princes must not be forced. Hir physicians said shee had a body of a firme and perfect const.i.tucion, likely to have liued many yeares. A royall Maiesty is noe priviledge against death.

[Sidenote: fo. 111^b.

24 Mar. 1602.]

This morning about three at clocke hir Majestic departed this lyfe, mildly like a lambe, easily like a ripe apple from the tree, _c.u.m leue quadam febre, absque gemitu_. Dr. Parry told me that he was present, and sent his prayers before hir soule; and I doubt not but shee is amongst the royall saints in Heaven in eternall joyes.

About ten at clocke the Counsel and diverse n.o.blemen having bin a while in consultacion, proclaymed James the 6, King of Scots, the King of England, Fraunce, and Irland, beginning at Whitehall gates; where Sir Robert Cecile reade the proclamacion which he carries in his hand, and after reade againe in Cheapside. Many n.o.blemen, lords spirituell and temporell, knights, five trumpets, many heraulds. The gates at Ludgate and portcullis were shutt and downe, by the Lord Maiors commaund, who was there present, with the Aldermen, &c. and untill he had a token besyde promise, the Lord Treasurers George, that they would proclayme the King of Scots King of England, he would not open.

Upon the death of a King or Queene in England the Lord Maior of London is the greatest magistrate in England. All corporacions and their governors continue, most of the other officers authority is expired with the princes breath. There was a diligent watch and ward kept at every gate and street, day and night, by housholders, to prevent garboiles: which G.o.d be thanked were more feared then perceived.

[Sidenote: fo. 112.

24 Mar. 1602.]

The proclamacion was heard with greate expectacion and silent joye, noe great shouting. I thinke the sorrowe for hir Majesties departure was soe deep in many hearts they could not soe suddenly showe anie great joy, though it could not be lesse then exceeding greate for the succession of soe worthy a king. And at night they shewed it by bonefires, and ringing. Noe tumult, noe contradicion, noe disorder in the city; every man went about his busines, as readylie, as peaceably, as securely, as though there had bin noe change, nor any newes ever heard of compet.i.tors. G.o.d be thanked, our king hath his right! _Magna veritas et prevalet._

[Sidenote: fo. 112^b.

Marche, 1602.]

Doubtles there was grave wise counsell and deliberacion in fact; _sed factum est hoc a Domino_, we must needes confessse, and I hope wee may truly say, _n.o.bis parta quies_. The people is full of expectacion, and great with hope of his worthines, of our nations future greatnes; every one promises himselfe a share in some famous action to be hereafter performed for his prince and country. They a.s.sure themselves of the continuance of our Church goverment and doctrine. Their talke is of advauncement of the n.o.bility, of the subsidies and fifteenes taxed in the Queenes tyme; howe much indebted shee died to the Commons, notwithstanding all those charges layed upon them. They halfe despayre of payment of their privey seales, sent in Sir William Ceciles tyme; they will not a.s.sure themselves of the lone. One wishes the Earl of Southampton and others were pardoned and at liberty; others could be content some men of great place might pay the Queenes debts, because they beleeve they gathered enough under hir. But all long to see our newe king.

This evening prayer at Paules the King was publikely prayed for in forme as our Queene used to be.

The Lord Hunsdon was in his coache at Paules Hill beyond Ludgate, to attend the proclamacion.

It is observed that one Lee was Maior of London at hir Majesties comming to the crowne, an[d] nowe another Lee at hir decease.[171]

[Footnote 171: Persons fond of noticing such coincidences remarked also that Thursday had been a fatal day to Henry VIII. and the succeeding Tudor sovereigns, he himself, Edward VI., Mary, and Elizabeth having all died on that day. (Stowe's Chronicle, ed.

Howes, p. 812.)]

[Sidenote: 25.]

This day the Proclamacions were published in print, with names of many n.o.blemen, and late counsellors.[172]

[Footnote 172: As printed in the Book of Proclamations (fol. Lond.

1609, p. 1.) there are thirty-seven signatures appended to it, headed, according to ancient custom upon such occasions, by Robert Lee, Maior. The others were Archbishop Whitgift, Lord Keeper Egerton, Lord Treasurer Buckhurst, and the princ.i.p.al n.o.bility, officers of state and of the household then in town. The honourable roll was closed by Sir John Popham, the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.]

[Sidenote: 26.]

The feares of wise men are the hopes of the malitious.

Mr. Francis Curle told me howe one Dr. Bullein, the Queenes kinsman, had a dog which he doted one, soe much that the Queene understanding of it requested he would graunt hir one desyre, and he should have what soever he would aske. Shee demaunded his dogge; he gave it, and "Nowe, Madame,"

quoth he, "you promised to give me my desyre." "I will," quothe she.

"Then I pray you give me my dog againe."

A foole will not loose his bable for a [_imperfect_].

[Sidenote: fo. 113.

26 Mar. 1603.]

Quod taceri vis, prior ipse taceas. Arcanum quid aut celandum maxime amico quum committis, cave ne joc.u.m admisceas, ne ille joc.u.m ut referat occultum retegat. (Ludovic. Vives; Ad Sapient. Introd. 487.)

[Sidenote: 29.]

Corrumpitur atque dissolvitur officium imperantis, si quis ad id quod facere jussus est, non obsequio debito, sed consilio non desiderato respondeat. (_Agellij._)[173]