Diary of John Manningham Part 8

Febr. 1601.]

My Cosen Garnons told me that the Court of Wardes will send a prohibicion to anie other Court to cease from proceeding in anie suite, whereof themselues may have colour to hold plea in that Court. Soe praedominat a Court is that nowe become.

[Sidenote: 18.]

Went to my Cosen in Kent.

[Sidenote: 19.]

I was at Malling with Mr. Richers.

The Bishop of London[49] is Dr. Parrys crosse frend. (_Mr. Richers._)

[Footnote 49: Bishop, afterwards Archbishop, Bancroft.]

In discourse of Mr. Sedley[50], he told me, that his lady said he is gone over sea for debt, which Mr. Richers thinks was caused by his lavishe almes; for Mr. Sedley would not sticke himselfe to say, yf any gentleman spent not aboue 500_l._ a yeare, he gaue as muche to the poure; and as he was prodigall in giuinge, so was he indiscreet in bestowinge, appointinge vile fellowes to be the distributors of it: he is now at Padua, without anie man attendant. He went into Italy to learne discourse, he was nothing but talke before. I maruaile what he will be when he returnes, said he. Reade muche but not judicious.

(_Idem._) Mrs. Frauncis Richers said he was a gentle gentleman. F. is open in talke. Plotters for him.

[Footnote 50: Probably Mr. William Sedley of the Friars in Aylesford, afterwards the first Baronet of this family. His lady, here alluded to, was Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Stephen Darell of Spelmonden, and widow of Henry Lord Abergavenny, ob. 1587.

Hasted, ii. 170, ed. 1782.]

Miller, a rich yeoman about Rotham,[51] when he came to entreate he might be abated in the a.s.sessment for subsidies, threwe in a note that he was worth but 550_1._ land fee simple: one of Mr. Sedley's almesmen.

[Footnote 51: Wrotham?]

[Sidenote: fo. 14.

Febr. 1601.]

[Sidenote: pag. prox.]

This day Mr. Cartwright had bin with my cosen to knowe whether he denied to hold anie land of him. My cosen acknowledged that he held divers parcells of him, but doth not certainely knowe howe it is all bounded.

My cosen told me it was concealed land, and recovered by Mr.

Cartwright's father against Mr. Catlin, of whom my cosen bought Bradborne.

Sir Robert Sydney hath bought Otford House, and sells it againe by parcells.

Mr. Cartwrightes father and Mr. Richeres mother were brother and sister, soe they first cosens.

Mr. Jo. Sedley[52] hath built a house in Aylesford which cost him aboue 4000_l._; hath not belonging to it aboue 14 acres of ground. Perhaps he purposed to haue bought the Lordship, which indeede was afterward offered vnto him, but he soe delayed the matter, that particuler men haue it nowe. It is thought the Lord Buckhurst would buy the house, &c.

(_Cos._)

[Footnote 52: Qu. John afterwards the second Baronet?]

[Sidenote: Feb. 20.]

Yf a man in the Lowe Countryes come to challenge a man out of his house, and because he comes not forth throwes stones at his windowes, this [is]

a crime capitall, because an a.s.sault in [on?] his house, which is his castle. (_Cosen told me._)

[Sidenote: fo. 14^b.

Febr. 1601.]

Out of a book int.i.tuled "Quodlibets"[53] written by a secular priest called Watson, against the Jesuites, fol. 151 & 152. His special arguments for a tolleracion in relligion. 1. That yf tolleracion were induced, then there should be no collor to publishe bookes howe tyrannical the persecution of Catholikes is. 2. Then England should not be called the nursery of faction. 3. Then the Spaniard should have noe Prince to band on his side.[54] 6. The subjects would not be so fitt to be allured to rebellion. 7. The safety of hir Majesties person is mutche procured. All slight.

[Footnote 53: "A Decacordon of Ten Quodlibeticall Questions concerning Religion and State: wherein the author, framing himself a Quilibet to every Quodlibet, decides an hundred crosse Interrogatorie doubts, about the generall contentions betwixt the Seminarie priests and Jesuites at this present," 4to. n. p. 1602.]

[Footnote 54: There are in Watson's book other arguments numbered 4 and 5, but probably the Diarist did not think them worthy of note.

Watson's remarks are not so much arguments in favour of toleration abstractedly considered, as reasons why it would not answer the purpose of Father Parsons and the Jesuits to support its introduction into England.]

One Kent, my cosen's brother by his mothers side, living in Lincolneshire, bought a jewell, part of a price [prize?] that was brought in to that country. The Earle of Lyncolne[55] hearing of it, sent for Kent, and desyred him to bestowe it on him, but when Kent would not part from it for thankes, the Earle gaue him a bill of his hand for the payment of 80_l._ at a certaine day. At the day, came and demaunded it, the Earl would see his bill, and when he had it he put it in his pocket, and fell in talke with some gent. then present; but when Kent continued still in the roome, expectinge either his bill or his monie, the Earl gave him hard wordes and sent him away without either.

(_Durum._)

[Footnote 55: Henry Clinton, the second Earl of Lincoln of that family, succeeded to the t.i.tle in 1585, as heir to his father the Lord High Admiral, and held it till his death in 1616.]

[Sidenote: Feb. 19.]

[Sidenote: *]

Mr. Cartwright demaundes some three acres of land of my cosen, which he saith one John Sutor of Bradborne gave vnto the Abby of Towne Mallinge, by the name of Sutors Croft, lying betwixt his house and the churche. My cosen denies it.

My Cosen shee told him that Joane Bach.e.l.lor vpon Thursday last had sent hir some fishe, which she sent back againe. Whereupon he said shee was of an ill nature that could not forgive. And this shee tooke in such snuffe that she could not afford him a good look all that day, but blubberd, &c.

[Sidenote: fo. 15.

Febr. 1601.]

This day there came certaine bags of pepper to New Hide to be conveyed to one Mr. Clarke of Ford, but they were seised by the Searcher of Rochester as goods not customed, &c.

S^r. Jaruis Clifton[56] beinge at a bare baytinge in Nottinghamshire: when the beare brake loose and followed his sonne vp a stayres towards a gallery where himself was, he opposed himselfe with his rapier against the fury of the beast, to saue his sonne. This same his beloued sonne not long after dyed, and his death was opened vnto him very discreetely by a gent, that fayned sorrowe as the case had bin his owne, till S^r.

Jaruis gave him wordes of comfort, which after he applyed to S^r. Jaruis himselfe. (_My cosen._)