Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

which of all other I do most dearly reverence, it would as foon (confidering the perfections of body and mind have fet all men's eyes by the height of your eftate) have come to the poffibility of my imagination, if one should have told me on the contrary fide, that the greatest princefs of the world fhould envy the ftate of fome poor deformed pilgrim. What is there, either within you or without you, that can poffibly fall into the danger of contempt, to whom fortunes are tied by fo long defcent of your royal ancestors? But our minds rejoice with the experience of your inward virtues, and our eyes are delighted with the fight of you. But because your own eyes cannot fee yourself, neither can there be in the world any example fit to blaze you by, I beseech you vouchfafe to weigh the grounds thereof. The natural caufes are, length of government, and uncertainty of fucceffion: the effects, as you term them, appear by cherishing fome abominable fpeeches, which fome hellith minds have uttered. The longer a prince reigneth, it is certain the more he is efteemed; there is no manever was weary of well-being. And good increased to good, maketh the fame good both greater and ftronger; for it ufeth men. to know no other cares, when either men are born in the time, and fo never faw other; or have spent much of their flourifhing time, and fo have no joy to feek other; in evil Princes, abufe growing upon abufe, according to the nature of evil, with the increase of time, ruins itfelf. But in fo rare a government, where neighbours fires give us light to fee our quietnefs, where nothing wants that true administration of justice brings forth; certainly the length of time rather breeds a mind to think there, is no other life but in it, than that there is any tedioufnefs in fo fruitful a government. Examples of good Princes do ever confirm this, who the longer they lived, the deeper they funk into their subjects hearts. Neither will I trouble you with examples, being fo many and manifeft. Look into your own eftate, how willingly they grant, and how dutifully they pay fuch fubfidies, as you demand of them how they are no lefs troublesome to your Majefty in certain requests, than they were m the beginning of your reign; and your

:

Majefty fhall find you have a people more than ever devoted to you.

As for the uncertainty of fucceffion, although for mine own part I have caft the utmost anchor of my hope; yet for England's fake I would not fay any thing against fuch determination; but that uncertain good should bring a contempt to a certain good, I think it is beyond all reach of reafon; nay because if there were no other caufe (as there are infinite) common reafon and profit would teach us to hold that jewel dear, the loss of which would bring us to we know not what; which likewife is to be faid of your Majefty's fpeech of the rifing fun; a fpeech firft ufed by Sylla to Pompey, in Rome, as then a popular city, where indeed men were to rife and fall according to the flourish and breath of a many-headed confufion. But in fo lineal a monarchy, wherever the infants fuck the love of their rightful Prince, who would leave the beams of fo fair a fun, for the dreadful expectation of a divided company of flors? Virtue and juftice are the only bonds of people's love; and as for that point, many Princes have loft their crowns, whofe own children were manifeit fucceffors; and forme that had their own children ufed as inftruments of their ruin: not that I deny the blifs of children, but only to fhew religion and equity to be of themfelves fufficient ftays. Neither is the love born in the Queen your filter's days, any contradiction hereunto; for fhe was the oppreffor of that religion which lived in many men's hearts, and whereof you were known to be the favourer; by her lofs was the most excellent Prince in the world to fucceed; by your lofs, all blindness light upon him that fees not our mifery. Laftly, and moft properly for this purpofe, he had made an odious marriage with a ftranger (which is now in question whether your Majefty fhall do or no); fo that if your fubjects do at this time look for any afterchance, it is but as the pilot doth to the fhip boat, if his fhip fhould perish; driven by extremity to the one, but as long as he can with his life, tending the other. And this I fay, not only for the lively parts that be in you; but even for their own fakes, for they must needs fee what tempefts threaten them.

The latt proof in this contempt fhould be,

be, the venomous matter, certain men impofthumed with wickedness fhould utter against you. Certainly not to be evil fpoken of, neither Chrift's holiness, nor Cæfar's might, could ever prevent or warrant; there being for that no other rule than fo to do, as that they may not justly fay evil of you; which whether your Majefty have not done, I leave it in you, to the fincereness of your own confcience, and wifdem of your judgment in the world, to your most manifeft fruits and fame throughout Europe. Auguftus was told, that men speak of him much hurt: It is no matter, faid he, fo long as they cannot do much hurt. And laitly Charles V. to one that told him, Les Hollandois parlent mal; maiz ilz patient bien, anfwered he. I might make a fcholar-like reckoning of many fuch examples; it fufficeth that thefe great Princes knew well enough upon what way they flew, and cared little for the barking of a few curs and truly in the behalf of your fubjects, I durft with my blood arfver it, that there was never monarch held in more precious reckoning of her people; and before God how can it be otherwife? For mine own part, when I hear fome loft wretch hath defiled fuch a name with his mouth, I confider the right name of blafphemy, whofe unbridled foul doth delight to deprave that, which is accounted generally moft high and holy. No, no, most excellent lady, do not raze out the impreffion you have made in fuch a multitude of hearts; and let not the fcum of fuch vile minds bear any witness against your fubjects devotions which to proceed one point further, if it were otherwife, could little be helped, but rather nourished, and in effect began by this. The only means of avoiding contempt, are love and fear; love, as you have by divers means fent into the depth of their fals; fo if any thing can ftain fo true a form, it must be the trimming yourself, not in your own likeness, but in new coloars unto them; their fear by him cannot be increased, without the appearance of French forces, the manifeft death of your eftate; but well may it against him bear that face, which (as the tragic Seneca faith) Metus in authorem redit, as because both in will and power he is like enough to do harm. Since then it is dangerous for your ftate, as well because

by inward weakness (principally caused by divifion) it is fit to receive harm; fince to your perfon it can be no way comfortable, you not defiring marriage; and neither to perfon nor eftate he is to bring any more good than any body; but more evil he may, fince the caufes that fhould drive you to this, are either fears of that which cannot happen, or by this means cannot be prevented: I do with moft humble heart fay unto your Majefty (having affayed this dangerous help) for your standing alone, you must take it for a fingular honour God hath done you, to be indeed the only protector of his church; and yet in worldly refpects your kingdom very fufficient fo to do, if you make that religion, upon which you stand, to carry the only ftrength, and have abroad thofe that ftill maintain the fame courfe; who as long as they may be kept from utter falling, your Majefty is fure enough from your mightiest enemies. As for this man, as long as he is but Monfieur in might, and a Papist in profeflion, he neither can, nor will, greatly fhield you; and if he get once to be King, his defence will be like Ajax's fhield, which rather weighed them down, than defended thofe that bare it. Against contempt, if there be any, which I will never believe, let your excellent virtues of piety, juftice, and liberality, daily, if it be poffible, more and more fhine. Let fuch particular actions he found out (which be eafy as I think to be done) by which you may gratify all the hearts of your people: let thofe in whom you find truft, and to whom you have committed truft, in your weighty affairs, be held up in the eyes of your fubjects: laftly, doing as you do, you fhall be as you be, the example of Princes, the ornament of this age, and the most excellent fruit of your progenitors, and the perfect mirror of your pofterity. Your Majefty's faithful, humble, and obedient fubject.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

LETTER XXXVII. Robert Sidney (afterwards Earl of Leicefter) to Edmund Molineux.

Good Mr. Molineux, I PRAY you fet down in writing the reafons why her Majefty fhould erect the office I fue for. You must do it in good terms, for it is to be thewed to her Majefty. I pray you let me hear quickly from you, for the Queen will be spoken to very fhortly about it. Farewel. Court, this Sunday 1582. Yours affuredly.

LETTER XXXVIII.

his office of ordnance; and, as I learn, her Majefty yields gracious hearing unto it. My fuit is, your Lordship will favour and further it; which I truly affirm unto your Lordship, I much more defire, for the being bufied in a thing of fome ferviceable experience, than for any other commodity, which I think is but fmall, that can arise of it.

I conclude your Lordship's trouble with this, that I have no reason to be thus bold with your Lordship, but the prefuming of your honourable goodwill towards me, which I cannot deferve, but I can and will greatly esteem. I humbly take my leave, and pray for your At Court, long and profperous life. this 27th of January 1582. Lordship's most humble at command

ment.

LETTER XXXIX.

Your

Sir Philip Sidney to Sir Edward Stafford.
Sir,

THE caufe of my fending at this time

this bearer, Mr. Burnam will tell you. Only let me falute you in the kindeft manner that one near friend can do another.

I would gladly know how you and your noble lady do, and what you do in this abfence of the Kings.

We are here all folito. Methinks you fhould do well to begin betimes to demand fomething of her Majesty as might be found fit for you. And let folks chafe as well when you afk, as when you do not. Her Majefty feems affected to deal in the Low Country matters, but I think nothing will come of it. We are half perfuaded to enter into the journey of

Sir Philip Sidney to William Lord Bur- Sir Humphry Gilbert very eagerly;

I

leigh.

Right honcurable, my fingular good
Lord,

HAVE from my childhood been much bound to your Lordihip, which as the means of my fortune keeps me from ability to requite, fo gives it me daily cause to make the bond greater, by feeking and using your favour towards me.

The Queen, at my Lord of Warwick's request, hath been moved to join me in

[ocr errors]

whereunto your Mr. Hackluit hath served for a very good trumpet.

I can write no more, but that I pray for your long and happy life. And fo I commit you both to the giver of it. At Court, this 21st of July 1584. Yours affuredly.

LETTER XL.

Thomas Lord Buckhurst, to Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester, on the death of Sir Philip Sidney.

My very good Lord, WITH great grief do I write these lines unto you, being thereby forced to renew to your remembrance the decease of that noble gentleman your nephew, by whofe death not only your Lordship, and all other his friends and kinsfolks, but even her Majefty, and the whole realm befides, do fuffer no fmall lofs and detri ment, Nevertheless, it may not bring the leaft comfort unto you, that as he hath both lived and died in fame of hoHour and reputation to his name, in the worthy fervice of his Prince and country, and with as great love in his life, and with as many tears for his death, as ever any had; fo hath he alfo by his good and godly end fo greatly teftified the affurance of God's infinite mercy towards him, as there is no doubt but that he now liveth with immortality, free from the cares and calamities of mortal mifery; and in place thereof, remaineth filled with all heavenly joys and felicities, fuch as cannot be expreffed: fo as I doubt not, but that your Lordship in wifdom, after you have yielded fome while to the imperfection of man's nature, will yet in time remember how happy in truth he is, and how miserable and blind we are, that lament his bleffed change. Her Majefty feemeth refolute to call home your Lordship, and intendeth prefently to think of fome fit perfonage that may take your place and charge. And in my opinion, her Majefty had never more caufe to with you here than now; I pray God fend it fpeedily. I fhall not need to enlarge my letter with any other matters, for that this meffenger, your Lordfhip's wholly devoted, can fufficiently inform you of all. And fo wifhing all comfort and contentation unto your Lordship, I reft your Lordship's wholly for ever, to use and command as your own. From the Court, this 3d of November 1586. Your Lordship's most affared to command.

LETTER XLI.

Sir Thomas Sidney to his Lady. Sweet Heart,

BY Captain Brown, Davy, and Patrick, I have received four letters from you. I am glad to hear that you and all my children are well; and for your coming over, I defire it as much as you, and would not have let you have been fo long from me, but in refpect of your own unfitness to come over, and the hope I had to have gotten ere this into England. But herein I well perceive the practice of those which like not my company at the court; and I truft, if all things fall out well, that they fhall have done me no hurt in it. Touching your coming over, toward the middle of May I will fend Captain Goring and Captain Brown, and a couple of men of war from hence, if you do not defire rather to come over in one of the Queen's fhips; and therein your own credit is fufficient with my Lord Admiral; and for the bringing over of your children, I am ftill of my firft opinion, that I think it very unfit to bring the three bigger ones; I know your delight in them makes you not care what is beft for them; and rather than you will part with them, you will not hear of any place where to leave them behind you. Otherwife, you know well enough who hath been defirous to have them, and where they should be as well looked unto as they can be in your own house, and more to their good, and lefs to my charges: I mean for the girls with my Lady of Huntingdon and my Lady of Warwick, with whom alfo you told me you were willing to leave them. They are not fo young now, but that they may well be from their mother. Mary is almoft ten, and Kate almost eight; and though I cannot find fault hitherunto, with their bringing up, yet I know now every day more and more it will be fit for them to be out of their father's house. For here they cannot learn what they may do in other places; and yet, per- haps, take fuch humours which may be hurtful for them hereafter. But you will not want perfuaders not to let them to go from you, who think they fhall lose fome of their own intereft if they were

not about the children. But there is not any thing that makes me fpeak fo much, as the experience I have of the dangeroufness of the air here, efpecially for young children, who have been accustomed to good airs; and truly if you do bring them over, if any thing happen amifs to any of them, you fhall hereafter not have your will more in it. For the boy, I would fain have him with Sir Charles Morifon, both in refpect of himfelf, and for other reafons alfo, which when I fee you, I will tell you. For I know there fhall be care had of him there,

But

as much as I would with. And in the mean time I pray you difufe him from lying with his maid. For it is not good for him, and I will have him taken from it. I know that these things are nothing pleafing to you; but you must remember, I have part in them as well as you, and therefore must have care of them. I know alfo, that a better and more careful mother there is not, than you are; and indeed, I do not fear any thing fo much as your too much fondnefs. having fo many as now God hath fent you, you may well spare the bigger, and mind them which be younger; efpecially that being where I am, you may the better want their company. But let me hear of this prefently, and you shall receive answer before you can come over. Touching Studley, though I think he little knows what belongs to a houfekeeper's place, yet fince you are to take care of the houfe, and that you are fo earnest for him, I will refer it unto you; but an upholster were far fitter, though he had more wages, for in work, which otherwife must be paid for, the wages would be gotten up again. Francis hath been my fervant fo long, and my father's alfo, as I may not caft him off row in his old years if he have offended you, he fhall ask you forgiveness, and you fhall remit the offence unto me. A chamber allo I will have him have for himself in the houfe: but it is not my meaning he fhould keep any family there. All other things I will write to you in another let

ter.

At

And fo fweet heart farewel. Flushing, the 20th of April 1597. Your affured hutband.

LETTER XLII.

Sir Henry Hobart, Knight and Baronet, Lord Chief Juftice*, to Robert Earl of Leicefter.

I

My very good Lord,

HAVE received your Lordship's letter, wherein I find all that could be expected; for I find an entire loving fa ther in your forrow: I find a true Chrift

Sir James Hobart, Attorney General, and of the *This Sir Henry Hobart was great grandson of

Privy Council to King Henry the Seventh, who is celebrated by Camden, and other hiftorians, for his piety, charity, and public benefactions. Sir Henry was knighted by King James on his accesfion to created a Baronet on the first erection of that digthe throne, made his Attorney General, and nity anno 1611, being the ninth in order of precedency. Alfo, the fame year, was conftituted Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, in which office he died, 26th December, 1 Car. I. 1625, and was buried under a fair monument in the middle ifle on the north fide in Chrift Church,

Norwich. Since his death were published reports of several law cafes, which are yet esteemed among the profelors of the law, and bears this title, "The Reports of that reverend and learned Judge, "the right honourable Sir Henry Hobart, Knight "and Baronet, Lord Chief Juttice of his Majef"ty's Court of Common Pleas, and Chancellor to "both their Highneffes, Henry and Charles,

Princes of Wales, &c." He married on the 22d of April 1590, Dorothy, daughter to Sir Robert Bell of Beaupree-Hail, in the county of Norfolk, Kaight, by whom he had iue fixten children, the nativities whereof he recorded in 4 Bible, bought by my ingenious friend, and valuable antiquary, Ralph Thoresby, of Leeds, F. R. S. who informed me that Henry his eldeft fon was born at Norwich 28th April 1591, and that his twelfth, and youn ett fon, named alfo Henry, was born 17th November 1619. His eldeft fur

viving fon, John, was born at Norwich the 10th of April 1593, was knighted with his father, and was feated at Blickling, in the county of Norfolk, a manor his father had purchafed of the noble family of Bullens, and had buit there a stately houfe. He married the Lady Philipa, daughter of Robert Sidney, the first Earl of Leicester, and is the lady whofe death occafioned this letter of the Lord Chief Justice Hobart to her father. She was born 18th Auguft 1594, and died in the twentyfeventh year of her age, leaving a fon, who died young, and a daughter, Dorothy, married first to Sir John Hele, Knight, and fecondly to William Lord Crofts, who had no iffue by her. And the faid Sir John dying without iffue male, was fucceeded by his nephew and heir, John Hobart, fon and heir of Sir Miles Hobart, the fecond farviving fon of the Lord Chief Juftice Hobart. From which John the prefent Lord Hobart is lineally defcended, who is captain of the Band of Gentlemen Penfioners to our moft gracious fovereign King George. COLLINS.

an

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »