Diary of John Manningham Part 12

Some great ones, Theophilus. Some ladyes, in the Acts. Some customers, and some from the beggars, as Lazarus. And yet, that rich men might not contemne it for the baseness, he compares it to a riche jewell, a precious stone, &c.

2. The place of the preacher is a calling of great paynes and trauaile.

He selected and spake of the Archbishop of Canterbury as the sunne amongst the ministers, and the old Deane of Paules[64] compared to the moone. And Dr. Overall, the newe deane, to the newe moone, gravity and learning and life; the ministers to starrs.

[Footnote 64: Dr. Alexander Nowell, died 13th Feb. 1601-2; Dr. John Overall was elected 29th May 1602. (Hardy's Le Neve, ii. 315.)]

[Sidenote: Junij 9, 1602.

fo. 26.]

MARTI, lib. 10, Epig. 47.[65]

I take noe care to gett, my wealth was left me, I reape the harvest of what'ere I sowe, I stur not muche abroade, home best befits me, I ne're received wronge, nor none I owe.

I travaile not in publique busines, Nor ought's within my charge but myne owne soule, My body's healthfull, fitt for exercise, Myselfe enioys myselfe without controule.

I have a harmeles thought, an aequal friend, My clothes are easy, and my face wants art, I greive not when I rest, nor doe I spend More tyme in sleepe then nature can impart.

I cast the worlde behinde, Heauen is my guide, I would be what I am, and nought beside; But above all, [and] which is all and summe, I neither wishe nor feare the day to come.

TH. SM.

[Footnote 65: This epigram was a great favourite with our forefathers, and consequently there are many translations of it.

Mr. Collier, in his Bibliographical Account of Early English Literature (i. 223), gives two examples, one by D. T. an author whose name is not yet discovered, and the other by Ben Jonson, printed from his own MS. at Dulwich. We have not been able to identify TH. SM. with any certainty.]

[Sidenote: June, 1602.

fo. 26^b.]

_Arbella Stuarta: tu rara es et bella.

Henricus Burbonius: rex bonus...o...b..._

[Sidenote: 12.]

Common preachers worse then common swearers, for these doe abuse but G.o.ds name, but they abuse G.o.ds worde. (_Curle._)

[Sidenote: 15.]

Upon a tyme when the late Lord Treasurer, Sir William Cecile, came before Justice Dyer[66] in the Common Place with his rapier by his side, the Justice told him that he must lay aside his long penknife yf he would come into that Court; this speache was free, and the sharper, because Sir William was then Secretary. (_Bradman._)

[Footnote 66: Sir James Dyer, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1559 to 1582. He was of the Middle Temple, the Inn of Court to which our Diarist belonged. (Foss's Judges, v. 480.)]

There is nowe a table placed for the barresters crosse over the hall by the cuppord, which one called St. Albanes, because he said it was in the waye to Duns-table.

[Sidenote: 16.]

"Roome! Roome!" said one, "Here comes a woman with a cupbord on hir head;" of one that had sold hir cupboard to buy a taffaty hat.

(_Franklin._)

[Sidenote: 16 June, 1602.

fo. 27.]

Kentish tayles are nowe turned to such spectacles, soe that yf a man put them on his nose he shall haue all the land he can see. (_Idem._)

[Sidenote: 22.]

Sergeant Heale, since he became the Queens Sergeant, came to the Lord Keeper,[67] desyring that he would heareafter give him more gratious hearinge; otherwise, his clients already beginning to fall from him, he would nowe betake himself to his ease in the country, and leave this troublesome kinde of lyfe. The Lord Keeper made him noe other answere but said, yf that were his resolucion he doubted[68] not but the blessing of Issakar would light upon him. (_Mr. Bennet narr._) _Vide_ Gen. xlix. 14: "Issachar shall be a stronge a.s.se couching downe betweene two burdens; and he shall see that rest is good; and that the land is pleasaunt, and he shall bowe his shoulders to beare, and he shalbe subiect unto tribute."

[Footnote 67: Egerton, Lord Keeper from 1594 to 1603. Sergeant Hele was one of the legal b.u.t.ts of the time. (See Foss's Judges, vi. 141; Egerton Papers, pp. 315, 391, 399.)]

[Footnote 68: doubt it, MS.]

[Sidenote: June 20, 1602.

fo. 27^b.]

AT PAULES, ONE OF BALIOL COLLEDGE IN OXFORD.

His text iii. Jonah, 4 et 5. "Yet forty dayes and Niniuy shall be destroyed. 5. So the people of Nineueh beleeued G.o.d," &c. He diuided his text into Jonahs sermon to the people of Nineueh, and the peoples repentaunce at the sermon; the former consists of mercy, "yett fourty dayes," and justice, "and Nineueh shall be destroyed;" G.o.ds patience and his iudgment. He might have sayd, as the prophet David sayd, "My song shall be of mercy and iudgment."

Four things in the effect of the Sermon; fayth in beleuing G.o.d, and that was not fruitles. 2. fasting, and that was not frivolous. 3. their attyre, that was not costly, but sack cloth. 4. their number, that was not small, from the greatest to the lowest. As Noah's doue came from the floud with an oliue braunch in the mouth, soe this heauenly dove (for soe Jonah signifieth) came from the waters of the sea with a sermon of mercy in his cry, "Yett fourty dayes."

G.o.d is pitifull; it was Christ's commaundement to his Apostles that they should say "Peace be vnto you" when they entred into anie house.

[Sidenote: 20 June, 1602.

fo. 28.]

Noted by Jonahs crying in the middest of such a city, that the preachers must not be timerous to tell anie of their faults, nor feare the person of anie man. Yet he reprehended those which are to sharpe reprehenders without circ.u.mstaunce. Such as Bernard calleth _non correptores, sed corrosores_, such may be termed _bilis et salsugo_, like the people of India which are said to barke instead of speakinge; _canis et tuba vitiorum._ But, as he misliked those sharpe biters, soe must he needes speake against such preachers as flatter greate men, and sowe cus.h.i.+ons under their elbowes. They are like Heliotropium, which turnes the flower with the sunne, though a cloud be interposed, soe they follow greatnes though clouded with synn; like the riuer Jordan, turnes and windes euery way; speake nothing but silken wordes; at last the[y] become _serui mult.i.tudinis_; say anie thing to please the people.

Nineveh, as St. Augustine in his booke _De Civitate Dei_, signifieth not the citie but the synns of the people; and soe the prophecy verryfied, for that synn was destroyed by their repentaunce within 40 dayes. But he rather inclined to expound it by way of an implyed condicion, that they should be overthrowen vnles they repented; soe was that prophecy of Isah understoode to Hezekiah, Isaiah x.x.xviii. "Thou shalt dy and not live."

G.o.d is slowe in punis.h.i.+ng, yet _tarditas poenae gravitate pensatur_.

Gratious and righteous is the Lord in sparing and punis.h.i.+ng.

The synne of Nineveh was Idolatry.

[Sidenote: 20 June, 1601.[69]

fo. 28^b.]