Diary of John Manningham Part 28

[Sidenote: fo. 75^b.

Dec. 1602.]

Dunne[130] is undonne; he was lately secretary to the Lord Keeper, and cast of because he would match him selfe to a gentlewoman against his Lords pleasure.

[Footnote 130: Donne the poet. His marriage to the Lord Keeper's wife's niece, the daughter of Sir George More, is a well-known circ.u.mstance in his history.]

On Munday last the Queene dyned at Sir Robert Secils [_sic_] newe house in the Stran. Shee was verry royally entertained, richely presented, and marvelous well contented, but at hir departure shee strayned hir foote.

His hall was well furnished with choise weapons, which hir Majestie tooke speciall notice of. Sundry deuises; at hir entraunce, three women, a maid, a widdowe, and a wife, eache commending their owne states, but the Virgin preferred;[131] an other, on attired in habit of a Turke desyrous to see hir Majestie, but as a straunger without hope of such grace, in regard of the retired manner of hir Lord, complained; answere made, howe gracious hir Majestie in admitting to presence, and howe able to discourse in anie language; which the Turke admired, and, admitted, presents hir with a riche mantle, &c.

[Footnote 131: The mention of this "device" enables us to correct a little mistake of the otherwise most careful and accurate editor of Chamberlain's Letters, temp. Elizabeth, (Camden Soc.) p. 169. The "device" was not the composition of John Davies of Hereford, but of John Davies, the future Sir John, author of the poem on the Immortality of the Soul]

[Sidenote: fo. 76.

12 Dec. 1602.]

AT ST. CLEMENTS.

A plaine plodding fellowe, sometimes of Queenes Colledge in Cambridge, his text Heb. cap. xi. v. 8. He noted the fayth of Abraham, and the fruit thereof, his obedience; he shewed the kindes of fayth, and sayd this fayth of Abraham was not hystoricall, not miraculous, not a momentary fayth; such lasts noe longer then prosperitee, &c. but it was the true justifieng fayth, which was a firme beleife of Christs comminge, with the application of his merits. He named fayth to be the gift of G.o.d, because Abraham is said to be called. G.o.d performeth his promises in his due tyme, or in a better kind. He promiseth long lyfe to the G.o.dly: yet oftentymes he takes them away in the floure of their age, but he gives them a better lyfe for it.

Abraham went into a straunge country; therefore trauailing lawefull, soe it be either specially warranted by G.o.ds call, or to profitt the country, not to see and bring home ill fas.h.i.+ons, and worse consciences.

He was called, therefore euery one must [take] upon him some calling and profession, and this calling must be allowed of G.o.d; therefore the trade of stageplayers vnlawefull.

The land of promise given to Abraham for the syn of the people; lett vs leave synning least our land be given into the hand of a strange people againe, as it was sometyme to the Romans, and lastly to the Normans, for a conquest.

[Sidenote: fo. 76^b.

12 Dec. 1602.]

AT THE BLACK FRIARS.

MR. EGERTON, a little church or chappell up stayres, but a great congregacion, specially of women. After "G.o.d be mercifull," reade after the second lesson; having sat a good tyme before in the pulpit, willed them to sing to the glorie of G.o.d and theire owne edifying, the 66 Psal.

2 part; after he made a good prayer, then turnd the glas, and to his text, Acts vii. 23, &c. Here he made a recapitulacion of that he had deliuered the last Sabboth, and soe he came to deliuer doctrines out of this text. When he had said what he thought good of it, he went to catachise; it seemes an order which he hath but newely begun, for he was but in his exordium questions; then he prayed, sung a plasme [psalm], gave the blessing, and soe an end.

He remembred out of his former text these notes, v. 17: That G.o.d performes his promises not in our tyme, but in his tyme, which is best, because he is wisest. 2. The pollicy of man folishnes with G.o.d. They may maliciously oppose themselves therein, but cannot alter his decree. 3.

G.o.d makes our enimies become our frends, and causeth them to doe good vnwittingly. 4. Parents ought to giue their children educacion, as well as foode and rayment, and rather bring them up in learning and trades, then proud inheritances with wronge. 5. Moses a good orator and a good warrior, mighty in wordes and in deedes, yet modest in all.

[Sidenote: fo. 77.

12 Dec. 1602.]

Then in his text: Not dispaire of calling, for Moses was 40 yeares old before he thought of this busines. 2. G.o.d put the motion in his heart.

3. Lawefull to protect the wronged and reproue them that doe ill, though a man be hated for his labour. 4. The good rejoyce and are glad to see the magistrate, and euery good Cristian and true subiect glad to see the princ.i.p.all magistrat with a gard about, as well to reward and protect the good, as to reuenge the wronged, glad like[132] one that in a hott suns.h.i.+ne sees a fayre leauy tree, which promiseth a shaddowe yf he be sunburnt; such is the prince to the good subject.

[Footnote 132: There is here a superfluous repet.i.tion of "glad like a glad as" in the MS.]

Those which come to sermons and goe away vnreformed are like those which looke in a glas, spie the spott in their face, but will not take the pains to wipe it off.

He defined catechising to be a breife and familiar kinde of teaching the principles of relligion, in a plaine manner by way of question and aunswere, either publiquely by the minister, or privately by the maister or mistres of the family. Herein noted the difference betwixt preaching and catechising, that that is a large continued course of speache, and may be performed onely by the minister.

It is the custome (not the lawe) in Fraunce and Italy, that yf anie notorious professed strumpet will begg for a husband a man which is going to execution, he shal be reprieved, and she may obteine a pardon, and marry him, that both their ill lives may be bettered by soe holie an action. Hence grewe a jeast, when a scoffing gentlewoman told a gentleman shee heard that he was in some danger to haue bin hangd for some villanie, he answered, "Truely, madame, I was a feard of nothing soe much as you would have begd me." * * *

In England it hath bin vsed that yf a woman will beg a condemned person for hir husband, shee must come in hir smocke onely, and a white rod in hir hand: as Sterrill said he had seen.

[Sidenote: fo. 77^b.

12 Dec. 1602.]

Montagne tells of a Piccard that was going to execution, and when he sawe a limping wenche coming to begg him, "Oh, shee limps! she limps!"

sayd hee, "dispatch me quickly," preferring death before a limping wife.

J. Cooper demaunded of Nic. Girlington, whoe is lately returned from Fraunce, what thing he tooke most delight in, in all his travail. He told him to see a ma.s.se in their churches, it was performed with such magnificent pomp and ceremonie, in soe goodly a place, as would make a man admire it. The Hugonots are coupt up in barnes, as it were, in regard of the Papists churches.

I heard that Geneva is beseiged by the Duke of Savoy.

[Sidenote: 16.]

Mr. Hadsor told me that the Earl of Ormonds daughter is come to our Court, and that shee shall be married to yong Ormond, cosen german to the old Earle, which yong man was in prison here in Engl[and,] but is nowe to be released.

[Sidenote: 17.]

Mr. Girlington told me there was on Blackewell brought ouer as apprehended and sent over by Sir Thomas Parry, Emba.s.sador in Fraunce, because he had confessed under his hand that he came from the Spanyard to murder hir Majestie or burne the Navy.

[Sidenote: 18.]

Heard that certaine in ragged apparrell, offring their seruice in the Navy, were apprehended as suspected, and found worthy suspicion.

[Sidenote: fo. 78.

16 Dec. 1602.]

I brought in a moote with Jo. Bramstone.

[Sidenote: 18.]