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CAN any one look at this portrait without desiring to know something of him whom it represents? The serene thoughtfulness of the whole attitude, the decidedly intellectual expression of the countenance, the quiet penetration of the eye, the compressed and playful lips, denoting at once firmness and playfulness, all say, This is no common man: who is he? And when the reply is given,-Sir Henry Wotton; the question instantly follows, And who is Sir Henry Wotton? That he was no ordinary man will appear from a circumstance connected with his departure from life. His biographer, the celebrated Izaak Walton, says, that in his will he appointed "that his executors should lay over his grave a marble stone, plain, and not costly; and considering that time moulders even marble to dust, therefore did he think fit rather to preserve his name by a useful apothegm, than by a large enumeration of his descent or merits, (of both which he might justly have boasted,) but he was content to forget them, and did chuse only this prudent, pious sentence to discover his disposition, and preserve his memory. "Twas directed by him to be thus inscribed:

Hic jacet hujus sententiæ primus author:
DISPUTANDI PRURITUS ECCLESIE SCABIUS.
Nomen aliàs quære.

VOL. VII. Second Series. N

Which may be Englished thus:

Here lies the first author of this sentence :

THE ITCH OF DISPUTATION WILL PROVE THE SCAB
OF THE CHURCH."

Whether the sentence was entirely original, or the thought had been suggested to him in the course of his reading, is not necessary to be determined: of its truth, serious reflection and ecclesiastical history will unite in furnishing evidence; and no one can doubt but that he who, at all events, gave the sentiment its particular form, and attached such importance to it, was no ordinary man. Who, then, was Sir Henry Wotton?

He was an eminent statesmen in the reign of King James I.; and statesmen then were not exactly like statesmen now. Since that time knowledge has wonderfully increased; and a youth now leaves school, knowing much more, if he have but paid even a moderate attention to the instructions which he has received, than Sir Henry Wotton was able to acquire by the study of his whole life. And then, in modern times, great care is taken that all who are designed for public life should acquire great fluency of speech; the power of ready debate, and especially of saying striking things in debate; together with polished manners, and self-possession, and some degree-sometimes a very considerable degree—of self-complacency. But, after all, if our older statesmen knew less, they thought more. If their minds went not on such extensive excursions, there was greater power of inward application. Their stores from without might not be so large, but there was a greater condensation of mental power upon what they had actually acquired. They did not cultivate so many acres, but they were diligent in spade husbandry, and their smaller estate was scarcely less productive. Besides (and here they had an immeasurable advantage) they read their Bibles carefully, and were accustomed to enter deeply into theological researches. The superficialness of the religious knowledge of even clever public men of our time, would have astonished them. The leading poets of that, and a somewhat earlier day (the greater refinement of Charles I. was not

connected with proportionate invigoration of thought) had read their Bibles well; and the abundance of scriptural references in their compositions show how thoroughly their minds were imbued with scriptural sentiments and language.

"His

Sir Henry Wotton "was born at Bocton-Hall, in the parish of Bocton-Malherb, in the fruitful county of Kent," of an ancient and honourable family, in 1568. He was greatly indebted to his mother for the care she took of that most important part of all education,-his early education. By the mercy and grace of God, the moral effects of neglect in this momentous period may be hindered or removed, but it is seldom that the intellectual consequences are obviated. mother undertook to be tutoress unto him during much of his childhood; for whose care and pains he paid her each day with such visible prospect of future perfection in learning, as turned her employment into a pleasing trouble, which she was content to continue till his father took him into his own particular care, and disposed of him to a tutor in his own house at Bocton." Subsequently, that he might have the advantage of a public education, he was sent to Winchester school; thence, at the proper time, to New College, Oxford; and, about the eighteenth year of his age, he was removed to Queen's College, in the same University; in all which places he diligently, and with great success, engaged in the usual studies.

He continued at Oxford till he was two-and-twenty years of age, whence, having two or three years before lost his father, he at length departed, to add to his knowledge of letters the knowledge of men, by travelling on the Continent, spending nearly nine years abroad; a considerable portion of the time at Geneva, where he became acquainted with the venerable (and then very aged) Theodore Beza, and also with the learned Isaac Casaubon; and the remainder in Italy, where he visited Florence, Venice, Rome, and other places of note.

Returning to England, he became one of the secretaries to the celebrated Earl of Essex, whom, during the time spent in his service, he accompanied in two voyages against the Spaniards, and in his last visit to Ireland, where the Earl

incurred the displeasure of the Queen, which, on his return to London, proved fatal to him. Sir Henry, when his patron was arrested, immediately saw what might be the consequences to himself, and therefore instantly left London, and by diligence and liberality, was, at the end of sixteen hours, landed in France. He remained not there, however, but proceeded once more to Italy.

While at Florence, a circumstance occurred which materially affected his future prospects and life. The Grand Duke had become acquainted with a plot to poison the Protestant expectant of the English throne, James of Scotland, and, wishing to warn him of his danger, he resolved to do so by means of Sir Henry. He, taking the name of an Italian, Octavio Baldi, travelled to Norway, and thence crossed over to Scotland, where, being introduced as an Italian to the King, he privately communicated both his real name and message, and soon after returned to Italy, his secret remaining undivulged.

Continuing abroad till the death of Elizabeth, he was sent for by James, as soon as he was settled on the throne, and on his arrival was very honourably received by the King, who told him that since he had proof of his "ability to manage an ambassage," he should take care to employ him "in that kind.” At the same time, he conferred on him the honour of knighthood. He was soon after sent as Ambassador to Venice, and took with him, as his Chaplain, Mr. William (afterwards Bishop) Bedell. While he was at Venice, the contests between that state and the Pope arose, in which the celebrated Father Paul Sarpi took such an active part. At the same time the latter wrote his "History of the Council of Trent;" which, as fast as it was written, was copied by Sir Henry and his Chaplain, and sent to England, and there first published.

In this diplomatic employment, as it would now be termed, he spent a large part of his life, as he only finally returned to England the year before the death of King James. Whatever knowledge he had acquired by his long residence abroad, his estate was rather worse than better; and he applied to the King for some recompence for his services, from whom he

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