Diary of John Manningham Part 37

[Sidenote: fo. 102^b.

Feb. 1602.]

Sir Henry Unton[164] was soe cunning a bargayner for landes that they which dealt with him were commonly greate loosers, whereupon Mr. Duns of Barks.h.i.+re said that he bought lands with witt and sold them with rhetorick. (_Chute._)

[Footnote 164: The celebrated amba.s.sador to France. See the excellent volume of Unton Inventories, edited by Mr. John Gough Nichols, for the Berks.h.i.+re Ashmolean Society, 4to. 1841.]

My taylor, Mr. Hill, a little pert fellowe, was upon a tyme brought before the Lord Chamberlaine, and accused that he had heard one Harlestone curse the Earl of Leister in his house. But Hill denying it, the Lord Chamberlain threatning him, called him rogue and raskall, that would hear n.o.blemen abused, and yet justifie to. Hill replyed that he was neither rogue nor raskall, but a poore artificer, that lived by his labour. The Lord demaund[ed], "What trade?" "A taylor," said Hill. "O then a theife by profession," said the Lord, "and yet yf thou beest a theife thou art but a prettie little one. But, sirra, you rogue, what say you to the matter of my Lord of Leister?" "O, my Lord," said he, "I heard noe such matter." "I will hang you, you raskall," said the Lord.

"You shall hang a true man, my Lord," sayd Hill. "What, and a taylor!"

said the Lord. Soe leaving Hill when he could not force him to confesse, he went to the accuser, and told him he must not come and trouble him with such trifles, which were fauls to, and yf it had bin true, yet yf he should committ every one to prison that spake evil of Leister or himselfe, he should make as many prisons in London as there be dwelling houses.

[Sidenote: fo. 103.

20 March.]

Laudo navigantem, c.u.m pervenerit ad portum. (_Ch. Da._)

Si praebendari, si vis in alta locari, Consilium praesto, de sanguine praesulis esto. (_Burdett._)

Fayth is the evidence of things not seene; as wee hold our temporall inheritance by our writinges, which we call our evidence, soe wee clayme our eternall inheritaunce in the heavens by fayth, which is our evidence. (_On King at Paules._)

_Risus potest esse causa aliqua, irrisus nulla._

_Irridere bona nefas, mala crudelitas, media stult.i.tia, probos impium, improbos saeuum, notos immanitas, ignotos dementia, denique hominem inhumanum._ (_Lodou. Vives, ad Sap: intr._ 439.)[165]

[Footnote 165: The words here quoted will be found in vol. i. p. 35, of the beautiful edition of the Works of Ludovicus Vives published at Valentia, in 8 vols. 4to. 1782-90. This particular treatise of Vives was a great favourite with our ancestors. Several editions of a translation into English, by Richard Moryson, were published by Berthelet and John Daye.]

_E bestijs, exiatiatis maxime ferarum est invidia mansuetarum a.s.sentatio._ (_Idem._)[166]

[Footnote 166: This pa.s.sage seems to have puzzled our Diarist, who was probably copying from a ma.n.u.script. It stands thus in the Spanish edition above mentioned. "_Ex bestiis, exitiabiles maxime, inter feras invidia, inter mansuetas adulatio._" (i. 42.)]

[Sidenote: fo. 103^b.

28 Feb.]

One said of Rochester that it had been an auncient towne, as though it were not more auncient by continuance. (_H. Gellibrand narr._)

Dr. Couels booke which he wrote as an appology of Mr. Hooker[167] may be sayd to be all heaven, b.u.t.t yett Mr. Hookers sentences and discourses intermixed are the stars and constellations, the speciall ornaments of it.

[Footnote 167: "A just and temperate Defence of the Five Books of Ecclesiastical Polity written by Mr. Richard Hooker, against an uncharitable Letter of certain English Protestants ... By Willam Covel, D.D." Lond. 4to. 1603, reprinted in the Works of Hooker, edited by Hanbury. Lond. 1830, ii. 449.]

One discoursing of a gentleman, Dr. Caesars wiues first husband, that had bin imployed as a Ligier in France; "I well belleeve it," sayd another, "that he hath bin a lecher in Fraunce."

Dr. Caesars wife was at first but a mayd servant in London; till advanct by hir first marriage. When hir Majesty dyned at Dr. Caesars, shee gave his wife a checke, because in hir widdowhood she refused to speake with a courtier whom hir Majesty had commended to hir.

When a minister was reading the words in marriage, "Wilt thou have this man as thy wedded husband," the bryde presently cryed, "O G.o.d, I, Sir,"

as though shee had tarried for him.

[Sidenote: fo. 104.

Nov. 1602.]

Upon one Sunday this moneth DR. HOLLAND, Professor at Oxeford,[168] made a sermon at Paules Crosse, his text, Luke xii. v. 13, 14, &c.

[Footnote 168: Dr. Thomas Holland, Fellow of Balliol College, and Regius Professor of Divinity from 1589 to 1611. (Hardy's Le Neve, iii. 509.)]

"Take heede of covetousnes, for though a man have abundaunce, his life standeth not in riches." 2 parts; a caveat. 2. the reason. The reason by a negative, 1. Mans lyfe not in abundance. 2. by a similitude. He noted a difference between the Syriack and the Greeke. The Syriac sayth Christ spake to his disciples; the Greeke to the brethren that strove for the inheritaunce.

In the caveat, considered 1. the giver, Christ; 2. the brevity; 3. the occasion, the falling out of brethren.

All that followe Christ are his disciples.

The giver is Christ, which is Amen, _verax_, omniscient, he that knowes the waye of the serpent upon the stone, of an arrowe in the ayre, and a s.h.i.+p in the sea. _Multa habent auctoritatem propter dicentem._ He can tell us _latet anguis in herba_. The two eyes of the lambe a great watchman to tell us the danger of synn, that it hath the face of a woman, but the sting of a scorpion.

[Sidenote: fo. 104^b.]

Brevitye. One word of Christ a whole sermon--the ten commaundments are called but ten words, Deut. iv. 13. The whole have but one word, Love, of G.o.d and our neighbour, [Greek: o on, o ei, o erchomenos, a] and [Greek: o]. One word of G.o.d overthrewe the whole kingdome of a.s.syria.

Adams synn was the breach but of one commaundement, yet condemned the whole world. Relligion is one, though questions be infinit, yet all must be determined _per unum verb.u.m domini scriptum_. _Verb.u.m indicabit_, all must be resolved _per primam veritatem_. Our soule can never be quiet till it be resolved by the word of G.o.d. Neither can wee have any perfection till wee have a seed of G.o.d.

Some have gone about to shewe the truth of relligion by casting out divels. David must come out with his two stones, the Old and the Newe Testament, before Goliah can be slayne.

He would not speake against the good use of riches. _Divitiae nec putentur mala, quia dantur bonis; neque bona, quia conferuntur malis._ Though the soule neede none of these goods of riches, yet the body doth, _propter victum et vest.i.tum_, and therefore we pray, _Da n.o.bis hodie panem nostrum quotidianum_. G.o.d is the author of them, and soe, being the gifts of G.o.d, they cannot be evil in their nature. Diverse virtues followe and depend upon riches; as magnificence, munificence, &c.; hence have these goodly churches beene builded, famous colledges found[ed], warrs maynteyned, &c. The use of riches is to serve our owne necessity, G.o.ds glory; to doe good to the poore, to lend to the needy, to reward the virtuous, to make frend of, &c. Yet the gift cannot merrit, for yf I give all that I have, yet yf I want charitie, &c. Yet _facta in fide Mediatoris_, they shall not want a reward. "Come ye blessed of my Father, when I was naked you clothed me," &c. The abuse of riches is covetousnes. Covetousnes is an Hydra with seven heades, the diuel is the author of it. He tempted Christ with riches, when he shewed him [Greek: doxan], the glory of the world; the diuel could make shewes, he was a cunning juggler.

[Sidenote: fo. 105.]

The second head, the name, which is an ill name, to covet house, land, &c. allways taken in the ill part; _avaritia_, in Latin, _aviditas aeris_, [Greek: philargyria]; not a good name amongst them all.

3. The daughters of covetousnes: 1. _Rapina_, robbery. 2. [Greek: philargyria]. 3. _Oppressio._ 4. _Furtum._ 5. _Homicidium._ 6.

_Proditio._ 7. _Fallacia._ 8. _Mendacia._ 9. _Obduratio._ Whereof more at this day then the Bishop of Constance burnt poore people in a barne which came for a dole. 10. _Usuria._ This rangeth abroad over the whole land. 11. Bribery. 12. _Symonia_, Lady Symonie, a shameles on. 13.

_Sacrilegium._ The end _Superbia_, which conteines all, and holds all things to base for himselfe.

Fourth head, the effects of covetousnes: 1. Hatred. 2. Misery. 3.

Contempt. 4. Forgetfulnes of G.o.d. 5. _Suffocatio_, sorrowe. 6. Danger, death of body and soule; howe many have bin slayne for riches, or dyed in them.

Fifth head, it is the roote of all evill. 1 Tim. vi. 10; it is an euill of generality. Some nations are sicke but of one vice; but he that hath this, hath all; it is hardly cured, it growes by continuance, _peccatum clamans_, it is _maxime inimic.u.m Deo_, for hee gave all by creacion to all equally, but this strives to drawe all to it selfe most unequally.

Of such a man it is sayd _abstulit a pauperibus, congregavit, et manet in aeternum ejus infamia_.