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ments for diversion of enterprises, counsel, and resolution; and, that we may see, as in a little map, how docible this little man was, I will present a taste of his abilities.

My Lord of Devonshire, upon certainty that the Spaniards would invade Ireland with a strong army, had written very earnestly to the queen, and to the council, for such supplies to be timely sent over, that might enable him both to march up to the Spaniard, if he did land, and follow on his prosecution without diverting his intentions against the rebels. Sir Robert Cecill, besides the general dispatch of the council (as he often did) writ thus in private, for these two then began to love dearly:

'My Lord, out of the abundance of my affection, and the care I have of your well-doing, I must in private put you out of doubt, or fear, for I know you cannot be sensible, otherwise than in the way of honour, that the Spaniards will not come unto you this year; for I have it from my own, what his preparations are in all his parts, and what he can do; for, be confident, he beareth up a reputation, by seeming to embrace more than he can gripe; but, the next year, be assured, he will cast over to you some forlorn troops, which, how they may be reinforced beyond his present ability, and his first intention, I cannot, as yet, make any certain judgment; but I believe, out of my intelligence, that you may expect the landing in Munster, and, the more to distract you, in several places, as Kinsale, Beerhaven, and Baltimore; where, you may be sure, coming from sea, they will first fortify, and learn the strength of the rebels, before they dare take the field. Howsoever, as I know you will not lessen your care, neither your defences, whatsoever lies in my power to do you and the publick service, rest thereof assured.'

And to this I could add much more, but it may (as it is) suffice to present much of his abilities in the pen, that he was his craftsmaster in foreign intelligence, and for domestick affairs. As he was one of those that sat at the helm to the last of the queen, so was he none of the least in skill, and in the true use of the compass; and so I shall only vindicate the scandal of his death, and conclude him; for he departed at St. Margaret's, near Marlborough, at his return from Bath, as my lord vice-chamberlain, my Lord Clifford, and myself, his son, and sonin-law, and many more can witness: but that, the day before, he swooned on the way, and was taken out of his litter, and laid into his coach, was a truth, out of which that falshood, concerning the manner of his death, had its derivation, though nothing to the purpose, or to the prejudice of his worth.

VERE.

SIR FRANCIS VERE was of that ancient, and of the most noble extract of the Earls of Oxford; and it may be a question whether the

nobility of his house, or the honour of his atchievements, might most commend him, but that we have an authentick rule:

Nam genus et proavos et quæ nos non fecimus ipsi,

Vix ea nostra voco.

For, though he was an honourable slip of that ancient tree of nobility, which was no disadvantage to his virtue, yet he brought more glory to the name of Vere, than he took of blood from the family.

He was, amongst all the queen's swordsmen, inferior to none, but superior to many; of whom it may be said, to speak much of him were the way to leave out somewhat that might add to his praise, and to forget more than would make to his honour.

I find not that he came much to the court, for he lived almost perpetually in the camp; but, when he died, no man had more of the queen's favour, and none less envied, for he seldom troubled it with the noise and alarms of supplications; his way was another sort of undermining.

They report that the queen, as she loved martial men, would court this gentleman, as soon as he appeared in her presence: and surely he was a soldier of great worth and command, thirty years in the service of the states, and twenty years over the English in chief, as the queen's general: and he, that had seen the battle of Newport, might there best have taken him and his noble brother *, the Lord of Tilbury, to the life.

WORCESTER

MY Lord of Worcester I have here put last, but not least in the queen's favour; he was of the ancient and noble blood of the Beauforts, and of her † grandfather's kin, by the mother, which the queen could never forget, especially where there was an incurrence of old blood, with fidelity, a mixture which ever sorted with the queen's nature; and tho' there might hap somewhat in this house, which might invert her grace, though not to speak of my lord himself, but in due reverence and honour, I mean contrariety or suspicion in religion; yet the queen ever respected his house, and principally his noble blood, whom she first made master of her horse, and then admitted him of her council of state.

In his youth, part whereof he spent before he came to reside at court, he was a very fine gentleman, and the best horseman and tilter of the times, which were then the manlike and noble recreations of the court, and such as took up the applause of men, as well as the praise and commendation of ladies; and when years had abated those exercises of honour, he grew then to be a faithful and profound counsellor; and as

⚫ Horatio. + Elizabeth's.

I have placed him last, so was he the last liver of all her servants of her favour, and had the honour to see his renowned mistress, and all of them, laid in the places of their rests; and for himself, after a life of very noble and remarkable reputation, and in a peaceable old age, a fate that I make the last, and none of my slightest observations, which befel not many of the rest, for they expired like unto a light blown out with the snuff stinking, not commendably extinguished, and with an offence to the standers-by. And thus I have delivered up my poor essay or little draught of this great princess and her times with the servants of her state and favour: I cannot say I have finished it, for I know how defective and imperfect it is, as limbed only in the original nature, not without the active blessings, and so left it as a task fitter for remoter times, and the sallies of some bolder pencil to correct that which is amiss, and draw the rest up to life, than for me to have endeavoured it. I took it in consideration, how I might have dashed into it much of the stain of pollution, and thereby have defaced that little which is done; for I profess I have taken care to master my pen, that I might not err animo, or of set purpose discolour each or any of the parts thereof, otherwise than in concealment. Haply there are some who will not approve of this modesty, but will censure it for pusillanimity, and with the cunning artist attempt to draw their line further out at length, and upon this of mine, which way (with somewhat more ease) it may be effected; for that the frame is ready made to their hands, and then haply I could draw one in the midst of theirs, but that modesty in me forbids the defacements in men departed, their posterity yet remaining, enjoying the merit of their virtues, and do still live in their honour. And I had rather incur the censure of abruption, than to be conscious and taken in the manner, sinning by eruption, or trampling on the graves of persons at rest, which living we durst not look in the face, nor make our addresses unto them, otherwise than with due regard to their honours, and reverence to their virtues.

• Willingly,

ST. HILARY'S TEARS.

Shed upon all Professions, from the Judge to the Pettifogger.

From the spruce Dames of the Exchange, to the dirty walking Fish

mongers.

FROM THE COVENT-GARDEN LADY OF INIQUITY,

ΤΟ

THE TURNBAL-STREET TRULL,

And indeed, from the Tower-Stairs, to Westminster-Ferry. FOR WANT OF A STIRRING MIDSUMMER TERM,

This Year of Disasters, 1642,

Written by one of his Secretaries that had nothing else to do. London, printed Auno. Dom. 1642. Quarto, containing six pages.

WHAT

HAT? Midsummer! how comes it then, the sun and moon, of gold and silver, which had wont to disperse their radiant lustre with greater brightness and consolation than those that shine in the Zodiack, have now withdrawn their splendor, and left us in this Cimmerian night of small takings? A term so like a vacation? You would take them to be the Gemini, which constellation never appears but out of darkness; there is no plague to fright away the termers, unless it be that plague of plagues, want of trading, which their money would easily cure.

At Westminster-hall, where in pristine ages you might without offence shoulder a lord to get through the press, now you may walk in the same posture a justice of peace doth in his own great hall at the examination of a delinquent, play with your band-strings, and twist your beard with the same gravity, and not an elbow-rub to disturb you; the benches are better half empty, and those few judges left have time enough to get a nap, and no noise to awake them; the bars, that had wont to swell with a five-fold row of listed gowns, where the favourites in the front imbursed more fees than would supply an army, and the rest (by lady) had good doings, a motion or a short cause to open, are

157

How so empty that boys may peep over them; the surly tipstaff and messenger, whom your best oratory, and money to boot, would hardly. persuade to admit you within the bench-room, stands looking over the door as it were through a pillory, to ask you, sir, shall I open; and for the teaster you give him kisses his hand and scrapes you a leg, as fawningly, as a hungry spaniel takes a bone from his master, the lawyers, instead of perusing the breviates, and reducing the matter in question to cases, now buying up all the pamphlets, and dispersing themselves into corners to read them, thereby to keep their tongues in use, lest the faculties of brawling should be dried up with unwilling

silence.

The prime court, the chancery (wherein the clerks had wont to dash their clients out of countenance with long dashes; the examiners to take the depositions in hyperboles, and round about Robinhood circumstances, with saids and aforesaids, to inlarge the number of sheets; the registers, to whom you used to come, in the same equipage as if you had a suit to the council-board, and had this ready answer, well you must wait till the latter end of the term) now as silent as a puritan conventicle when the lights are out; no waiting, no hyperboles, no dashes, nor any employment, towards maintenance of taffata, sack, wenches, and other the usual prodigalities, and luxuries, whereunto the gentlemen that practise there are addicted. That court, that hath been known to decree pro, review, and decree con, hath the bar now empty of pro's, and con's, no wrangling, no noise, but the lamentation of my lord's escape.

The court of requests, to whom so many thousand of loyal, faithful, and obedient subjects have come humbly complaining, and shewing, can shew you at this present no subject, but its own humble complaint; you that knew it, when the necessity of over great employment caused it to double the number of its clerks, and they to treble theirs, when it was sollicited by petitions as numberless as hops, or ants, which all her Welch kindred had brought two-hundred and twelve and twenty miles, to get admitted in Forma pauperis, and thereby enabled to do more mischief than the best pursed clients in England, would wonder how it should tumble from such a throng, to such a vacation of employment; that that court, that hath made two-hundred orders in one cause, should be in danger not to have one cause to order; it is methinks a lamentable change.

The ministers of the court of wards do all wear mourning liveries in their faces, as if fate had granted out writs in the nature of a Diem clausit extremum, after the death of Feoda multa, to find their offices for Vacua plurima; and of all courts else the Chequers must needs come within the limitation of this calamity, because they stand so much for the King, and in that predicament is the King's-Bench; marry, if any thrive, it must needs be the Common-pleas, for, as the times go, nothing stands stiff, but what pertains to the commons, and yet they meet with revolts too, as well as the rest.

On both sides of the hall they complain: At heaven they say there is not a lawyer nor a clerk comes near them; and at hell, where they were wont to flock like swallows to a reed-bush, they come dropping

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