Christi College, Oxford, and president of that college from 1607 to
1614. Wood states (Ath. Oxon. ii. 145) that he was "a noted preacher
and a chaplain to King James I." It was to him that upon Hooker's
death his MSS. were delivered over for completion of the
Ecclesiastical Polity. The sermon of which Manningham took such
copious notes was printed in 1615, after Dr. Spenser's death, under
the editorship of Hamlet Marshall, his curate. The author of the
Christian Year speaks of it as "full of eloquence and striking
thoughts; the theological matter almost entirely, and sometimes the
very wordes, being taken from those parts of Hooker in which he
treats of the visible church." (Hooker's Works, ed. Keble, i.
xxiii.)]
We are soe blind and peruerse by nature, that wee are soe farre from the
sence of our owne imperfections and the terror of our synn, that either
not seing or not acknowledging our owne weaknesses, wee runne headlong
into all wickednes, and hate soe much to be reformed, that God is fayne
to deale pollitikely with vs, propounding our state vnto vs in parables,
as it were an others case, that thereby drawing man from conceit of
himselfe, which would make him partiall, he might draw an uncorrupt
iudgment of him self from him selfe. Soe dealt the Lord with David by
the parable of the poore mans sheepe, and soe here he taketh up a
comparison of the vine, to shewe Israell their ingratitude.
Parables are proportionable resemblances of things not well understoode;
they be vayles indeed, which couer things, but being remoued give a
kinde of light to them which before was insensible, and makes them seeme
as though they were sensible.
The things considerable in the text are, first, The churche, resembled
by the vine. 2. Gods benefits towards the Churche expressed in the
manner of his dressing the vine. 3. The fruit expected, grapes, iudgment
and righteousnes. 4. The fayling and ingratitude, by bringing forth
sower and wylde grapes; oppression and crying. 5. God's judgment, vers.
6.
[Sidenote: fo. 40^b.]
In the Church he considered, what it is, and where it is.
The Churche is compared most aptly to the vyne, for neither of them
spring naturally. _Non sumus de carne, nec voluntate hominis, sed
bene-placito Dei._ 2. Both spring, and growe, first in weakenes, yet
then they claspe their little hands and take hold on of an other, and
soe going on _crescunt sine modo_, the increase without measure, as
Pliny sayth. 3. Noe plant more flourishing in the summer, none more
poore and bare[95] in winter. All followe the Church in prosperitie, and
the rich, the mighty, the wise, in persequution fall away like leaves.
4. Bring forth fruit in clusters, which cheres the hart. God and men and
angels reioyce when the Church aboundes in workes of righteousnes and
true holines. 5. Both have but one roote, though manie branches; Christ
is the true foundacion, other then this can no man lay. 6. The branches
are ingrafted, and as in planting all are tyed alike with the outward
bond, yet all proue not alike, soe all haue the same profession and
outward meanes, yet all growe not nor fructifie alike: but it is the
inward grace that maketh the true branche; as he is a Jewe that is one
within. Rom. ii. 28, 29.
[Footnote 95: "here Naked" in interlined in the MS. as another
reading.]
[Sidenote: fo. 41.]
2. The Lord's vineyard is not to be knowne by the fruit (for we reade
here that it bringeth forth wyld grapes), but where the roote is
planted, where Christ is professed, there the Church is; it is nowe
universall, not yed to anie place; we reade of 7 Churches in the
Reuelacions, though all not alike pure, yet all churches: Israell is his
eldest sonne, though a prodigall: as betwixt man and woman after a
publique contract celebrated, though the woman play the harlot and bring
forth children of fornicacion unto hir husband, yet continues shee his
wife whose name shee beares vntill a publique divorce be sued. Some
churches are soare, some sicke, some soe leprous that noe communion
ought to [be] continued with them, yet churches still. Yf anie aske, as
manie papists use to doe, where our church was before Martin Luther was
borne, we aunswer that it is the same churche that was from the
beginninge, and noe newe on as they terme it, for the weeding of a
vyneyard is noe destroyinge, nor the pruning any planting; for we have
remoued but idolatrie and a privat masse of ceremonies, which with the
burying the author[?] of life in a hidden and unknowne language had
almost put the heavenly light out of our candlesticke; and when the
trashe of humaine inventions had raysed themselues to soe high esteeme,
it was tyme to say, "Yf Ephraim play the harlot, yet lett not Israell
synn."
[Sidenote: fo. 41^b.]
Jerusalem litterally is the mother Churche of all.
The Churche, like the vine that hath many branches but one roote, may
haue severall members, but all knit together with the vnity of three
bonds--one Lord, one fayth, one baptisme. But nowe Rome, usurping over
his fellowes, speakes like Babilon in the 18 Reuel. "I cannot erre," and
have encroched an article vpon the Creede, that must be beeleeved upon
payne of damnation, that there is one visible heade of the Churche
(which must be the Pope). And yet in an oecumenical Counsell of 330
Catholike Bishops it was decreed that Constantinople should have equall
authority with Rome; which plainely confuted their usurped universall
supremacy. Yet the Popes, by the assistaunce of the Emperours, haue,
like ivy, risen higher then the oke by which it climed: soe much that
our countriman Stapleton doubts not to call his Holines _Supremum in
terris numen_.
3. The benefites and manner of dressing the vine: Genesis is but the
nurse of it; Exodus, the removing; Leviticus, the ordering and manner of
keeping it; Josua, the weeding, &c. God soe loued it that he gave his
onely Sonne to redeeme it, and when he gave him, what gave he not with
him?
Might not the Church use the wordes of the leeper in the Ghospell:
"Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me cleane;" and why then
complaynest thou?
[Sidenote: fo. 42.]
True it is, yf we consider his power: for he that is able to rayse vp
children to Abraham of stones, to make the iron sweate, &c. can purifie
our corruptions yf wee regard his power, and that without our meanes;
but God hath tyed himself to ordinary meanes, by his eternall decree:
and he that will not heare Moses and the prophets neither will he
beleeve though one should rise from the dead. Many were foule with the
leprosie in Nathans [Elishas?] tyme, yet none cured but Naman.
4. The fruit. All things, euen the meanest, imitate the Creator in doing
something in their kind for the common good, not themselves alone; the
olive doth not anoint itself with its owne oyle; the trees and plants
which spend themselues in bringing forth some fruit or berry holds it
noe longer then till it be ripe, and then letts it fall at his masters
feete; the grape is not made drunke with its owne iuyce.
"He that receiveth a benefit hath lost his liberty," saith Seneca; and,
since we have received such benefits of God as we can not, we would not
renounce, lett us glorifie him in our bodies whose we are, not our owne.
Aeternitie cometh before we worke, therefore our workes merit not
eternall life: and infants incorporat into the mysticall vyne are saued
though they dy before they are able to bring forth anie good worke.
Our good workes growe as it were in a cold region; the best of them,
even our prayers, scarce come to perfection throughe the imperfection of
our nature.
[Sidenote: fo. 42^b.]
Good workes to be performed for mutuall helpe, and though we holde
ourselves sufficient, yet they are to be done, even as every thing
bringeth forth something yf for noe other purpose yet to continue in its
owne state; like the spring, which, because it yeildeth water, is
therefore continually fed with water.
_Bona opera sunt via regni, non causa regnandi. (Bernard.)_
The fruits brought forth; wyld grapes: an heavy sight to a carefull
husbandman, to haue noe better reward of his paynes.
I pray God the Church of England may not justifie the synns of Sodome
and Judas. Couetousnes, the roote of all wickednes, maketh men desyre to
be greate rather then good, and this desyre causes them to sucke even
the lyfe from one another. There is a synn amongst us which hath not bin
heard of amongst the Gentiles, that wee should robb God, and that is in
tithing. Howe manie desyrous that the labouring man, the minister, might
be put out, that themselues might haue the inheritaunce. It is the
corruption of the ministery that all the dores of entraunce are shut up
but the dore of symony, soe that the most and best places are for the
most possessed by the worst; and, yf anie of the better be forced to
come in, they are constrayned to make shipwracke of a good conscience.
[Sidenote: fo. 43.]
If it be true which is published in the names of the popish faction, the
Pope hath sent a dispensation that the popish patrons may sell their
presentations, soe be it the money come to the maintenance of the
Jesuites. And will Peters successor thinke it lawefull to sell the
guifts of the Holie Ghost? Will Simon Peter become Simon Magus? But he
will nowe become a fisher for men; because he findes in their mouthes
greater peices then twenty pence. The ministers are like the hart and
liver, from whence are derived lyfe and nourishment by sound doctrine
and good example into the members of the Church, and yf these be corrupt
it is much to be feared the whole body is like to languishe in a
dangerous consumption.
In defrauding the ministery, we pull downe the pillers of the house wee
dwell in.
[Sidenote: fo. 43^b.
11 October, 1602.]
The Lord Zouche, Lord President of the Marches of Wales, begins to knowe
and use his authoritie soe muche that his iurisdiction is allready
brought in question in the Common place, and the Cheif Justice of that
bench[96] thinkes that Glostershire, Herefordshire, &c., are not within
his circuit.
[Footnote 96: Sir Edmund Anderson; 1582-1605.]
When he came to sitt on the benche at Ludlowe, there were, as it was
wont, two cushions layd, one for the Cheife Justice Leukenour, another
for the President, but he tooke the on, and casting it downe said, one
was enough for that place. (_Tho: Overbury._)
Sir Walter Rhaleighs sollicitor, on Sheborough, was verry malapert and
saucy in speache to Justice Walmesley[97] at the bench in the Common
place; soe far that, after words past hotly betwixt them, he said he
thought it fitt to commit him for his contemptuous behauiour, but the
other iudges were mum. _Quantus ille!_ His wordes, "Before God, you do
not well to lay their practises vpon us. You knowe me well enough. If
you list, &c."
[Footnote 97: Mr. Justice Thomas Walmesley, puisne Judge of the
Common Pleas 1589-1611. (Foss's Judges, vi. 191.)]
* * * * *
[Sidenote: fo. 44.
10 October, 1602.]
I heard that Sir Robert Cecile is fallen in dislike with one of his
Secretaries of greatest confidence (Mr.[98] [Transcriber's Note: Blank
space was in original text and is maintained here] ,) and hath
discarded him, which moues manie coniectures and much discourse in the
Court. This Secretary was a sutour to be on of the clerkes of the
signet, as a place of more ease and lesse attendaunce then a clarke of
the counsell, which it is though[t] he might haue.
[Footnote 98: Blank in MS.]
The Irish Earle of Clanrichard[99] is well esteemed of by hir Maiestie,
and in speciall grace at this tyme; hath spent lavishly since he came
ouer, yet payes honestly. (_Mr. Hadsor._)
[Footnote 99: Richard of Kinsale, the fourth Earl, 1601-1635.]
The Earl of Ormond[100] is purposed, and hath licence, to marry his
daughter to one of his cosens, not to the Lord Mountioy as was thought.
(_Idem._)
[Footnote 100: Thomas, the tenth Earl, 1546-1614. The young lady
here mentioned, who was the Earl's only child, was ultimately
married, through the influence of King James I. to Sir Richard
Preston, subsequently created Earl of Desmond.]
Evill companie cuttes to the bone before the fleshe smart. It is like a
fray in the night, when a man knowes not howe to ward. (_Ch. Dauers
booke._)
The libertines from the rose of _Sola fides_, sucke the poyson of
security. (_Idem._)
A souldier being challenged for flying from the camp said, _Homo fugiens
denuo pugnabit_.
Booth being indited of felony for forgery the second time, desyred a day
to aunswere till Easter terme; "Oh!" said the Attorny, "you would haue a
spring; you shall, but in a halter," (_Ch. Da._)
* * * * *
[Sidenote: 25.]
I heard that Sir Richard Basset is much seduced, indeed gulled, by one
Nic. Hill, a great profest philosopher, and nowe abuseth this yong
knight by imagined alchymie.[101] (_Jo. Chap._)
[Footnote 101: Antony Wood tells several strange tales about
Nicholas Hill, who was one of the astrologers and alchemists whom
the Earl of Northumberland gathered round him during his long
imprisonment in the Tower. Ben Jonson laughed at
"those _atomi_ ridiculous
Whereof old Democrite and Hill Nicholas,
One said, the other swore, the world consists;"
and the world at large seems to have entertained a very mean opinion
of the modern upholder of those doctrines. His end, according to a
hearsay commemorated by Wood, was very unhappy, and was connected
with the other person mentioned in our text. It is said that he fell
into a conspiracy with "one Hill of Umberley in Devonshire,
descended from Arthur Plantagenet, Viscount Lisle, a natural son of
King Edward IV., who pretended some right to the crown." Being
forced to fly into Holland, Hill practised physic at Rotterdam, in
conjunction with his son Laurence, on whose death he went into an
apothecary's shop, swallowed poison, and died on the spot. (Ath.
Oxon. ii. 86.)]
[Sidenote: fo. 44^b.
12 October, 1602.]
The Earle of Sussex keepes Mrs. Syluester Morgan (sometyme his ladies
gentlewoman) at Dr. Daylies house as his mistress, calls hir his
Countesse, hyres Captain Whitlocke,[102] with monie and cast suites, to
braue his Countes, with telling of hir howe he buyes his wench a wascote
of 10_l._, and puts hir in hir veluet gowne, &c.: thus, not content to
abuse hir by keeping a common wench, he striues to invent meanes of more
greife to his lady, whoe is of a verry goodly and comely personage, of
an excellent presence, and a rare witt. Shee hath brought the Earle to
allowe hir 1700_l._ a yeare for the maintenaunce of hir selfe and hir
children while she lives apart. It is coniectured that Captain
Whitlocke, like a base pander, hath incited the Earl to followe this
sensuall humour, * * * as he did the Earl of Rutland. (_J.
Bramstone nar._) The Countesse is daughter to the Lady Morrison in
Hartfordshire,[103] with whom it is like she purposeth to liue. * *
* A practise to bring the nobilitie into contempt and beggery, by
nourishing such as may prouoke them to spend all vpon lechery and such
base pleasures.
[Footnote 102: Capt. Edmund Whitelocke, a brother of Sir James
Whitelocke, father of Bulstrode Whitelocke. The Captain was one of
the gayest and wildest of men, a great traveller, "well seen in the
tongues," "extreme prodigal," a fellow of infinite merriment, and
suspected of being concerned in half the plots and duels of his day.
He was in trouble with the Earl of Essex, and again about the Powder
Plot, and probably knew familiarly all the prisons in the
metropolis. He died about six years after the time with which our
Diarist is dealing, at Newhall, in Essex, the seat of his friend the
Earl of Sussex. The Earl attended his funeral, and laid him
honourably in the chapel of the Ratcliffes. See _Liber Famelicus of
Sir James Whitelocke, (Camden Society,)_ pp. iv. 10. The Earl of
Sussex hero alluded to was Robert the fifth Earl of the family of
the Radcliffes, 1593-1629.]
[Footnote 103: Bridget, daughter of Sir Charles Morison of
Cashiobury, Herts. She was aunt to the wife of the celebrated Lord
Falkland.]
When there came one which presented a supplicacion for his master to the
Counsell, that vpon sufficient bond he might be released out of Wisbishe
Castle, where he lay for recusancy, that he might looke to his busines
in haruest, the Lord Admirall[104] thought the petition reasonable, but
the old Lord Treasurour, Sir W. Cecil, said he would not assent, "for,"
said he, "I knowe howe such men would vse vs yf they had vs at the like
aduantage, and therefore while we haue the staffe in our handes lett us
hold it, and when they gett it lett them vse it." (_Mr. Hadsor nar._)
[Footnote 104: Lord Charles Howard, Earl of Nottingham.]
[Sidenote: fo. 45.
October, 1602.]
_Out of a Poeme called "It is merry when Gossips meete"_ S. R.[105]
[Footnote 105: These initials, inserted by a later hand, indicate
"Samuel Rowlands," the author of this very popular little volume.
The first edition bears a date in 1602, and had probably just been
published when it attracted the attention of our diarist.]
Such a one is clarret proofe, _i. e._ a good wine-bibber.
There's many deale vpon the score for wyne,
When they should pay forgett the Vintner's syne.
* * * * *
A man whose beard seemes scard with sprites to have bin,
And hath noe difference twixt his nose and chin,
But all his hayres have got the falling sicknes,
Whose forefront lookes like jack an apes behind.
A gossips round, thats every on a cup.
[Sidenote: fo. 45^b.
October 12, 1602.]
Mr. Steuen Beckingham of Hartfordshire was brought into the Kings benche
at the suit of two poore ioyners whom he hath undone; they seeled his
house, which came to a matter of some 80_l._ and they could hardly
obtain anie thing by suit. A man of a hott collerick disposicion, a
creaking loud voyce, a greasy whitish head, a reddish beard, of long
staring _mouchetons_; wore an outworne muff with two old gold laces, a
playne falling band, his cuffs wrought with coloured silk and gold, a
sattin doublet, a wrought wastcote, &c. _vt facile quis cognoscat haud
facile si cum alijs convenire posset, qui voce, facie, vestitu ita secum
dissidet_. One of his witnesses would not aunswere any thing for him
vntill he were payd his charges in the face of the court. Soe little
confidence had he in his credit, whoe had dealt soe hardly with his
ioyners.
On Fossar, an old ioyner dwelling [in] Paules Churchyard, a common and a
good measurer of ioyners work.
Mr. Prideaux, a great practiser in the Eschequer, and one that usurpes
vpon a place certaine at the barr, left his man one day to keepe his
place for him, but Lancaster of Grayes In comming in the meane tyme,
would needes haue the place, though the man would haue kept it. "For,"
said L. "knowes thou not that I beeleue nothing but the reall presence?"
meaning that he was a Papist; and besydes, "could not thinke it to be
_corpus meum_ except Mr. Prideux himselfe were there." (_Mr. Hackwell
nar._)
[Sidenote: fo. 46.
16 October, 1602.]
When Mr. Dodridge,[106] in his argument of Mr.
Darsies patentes, and soe of the prerogatiue in generall, he began his
speache from Gods gouernment. "It is done like a good archer," quoth Fr.
Bacon, "he shootes a fayre compasse."
[Footnote 106: This anecdote derives some little _vraisemblance_
from the circumstance that Sir John Doderidge, who was a justice of
the King's Bench from 1612 to 1628, was looked upon as a man of a
philosophical character of mind, and of very large acquirements.
Fuller remarks that it was hard to say whether "he was better
artist, divine, civil or common lawyer" (Worthies, i. 282), and
Croke, that he was "a man of great knowledge as well in common law
as in other human sciences and divinity." (Reports, Car. 127, cited
in Foss's Judges, vi. 309.)]
There was an action brought to trie the title of one Rooke an infant for
a house and certaine land. "All this controversye," said the attorny,
"is but for a little rookes nest."
_An Epitaphe upon a bellowes maker._
Here lyes Jo. Potterell, a maker of bellowes,
Maister of his trade, and king of good fellowes;
Yet for all this, att the houre of his death,
He that made bellowes could not make breath. (_B. J._)[107]
[Footnote 107: These initials are by a more recent hand. The
lines do not appear in the published works of Ben Jonson.]
[Sidenote: 24.]
Mr. Bodly, the author, promoter, [and] the perfecter, of a goodly
library in Oxford, wan a riche widdowe by this meanes. Comming to the
place where the widdowe was with one whoe is reported to haue bin sure
of hir, as occasion happened the widdowe was absent; while he was in
game, he, finding this opportunity, entreated the surmised assured gent.
to hold his cardes till he returned. In which tyme he found the widdowe
in a garden, courted, and obteined his desyre; soe he played his game,
while an other held his cardes.[108] He was at first but the sonne of a
merchant, vntill he gave some intelligence of moment to the counsell,
whereupon he was thought worthie employment, whereby he rose. (_Mr.
Curle._)
[Footnote 108: The lady alluded to was Anne Carew, daughter of a
merchant of Bristol and widow of a person named Ball. She had a
considerable fortune.]
[Sidenote: fo. 46^b.
24 October.]
_Mr. Dr. King,[109] preacher at St. Andrews in Holborn, at Paules
Crosse, this daye._
[Footnote 109: Dr. John King, styled by King James the King of
Preachers. Queen Elizabeth presented him in 1597 to the rectory of
St. Andrew's in Holborn, and to a prebend in St. Paul's in 1599. He
was Bishop of London from 1611 to 1621. (Newcourt's Repert, i. 211,
275; Hardy's Le Neve, ii. 303.)]
His text 2 Peter ii. v. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The length of his text might
make some tedious semblance of a long discourse, but the matter shortly
cutt itself into two parts, example and rule; one particular, the other
generall; the one experiment, the other science; the one of more force
to proue, the other to instruct. The argument is not _a posse ad esse_,
but _ab esse ad posse_; it hath bin, and therefore may be; nay by this
place it shalbe, for _lege mortali quod vnquam fuit, et hodie fieri
potest_; but _lege æterna_, that which hath bin shalbe agayne. Here is
an acted performaunce, a demonstracion, [Greek: to hoti], which are most
forceable to persuade, being of all thinges sauing the thinges
themselves neerest our apprehension, leading from the sense to the
vnderstanding, which is our certaynest meane of acquiring knowledge,
since philosophie teacheth _quod nihil est intellectu, quod non prius
fuit in sensu; sicut audiuimus, et fecerunt patres nostri_. Hystory and
example the strongest motives to imitation. Rules are but sleeping and
seeming admonitions. Thomas would not beleeue vnles he thrust his
fingers into Christes sydes, and felt the print of his nayles; and we
are so obstinat, wee will hardly beeleue except Godes judgments thrust
fingers and nayles into our sydes.
[Sidenote: fo. 47.
Oct. 1602.]
[Sidenote: fo. 47^b.
Oct. 1602.]