Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

besought the Queen aloud; That now this good time when prisoners were delivered, four prisoners amongst the rest mought likewise have their liberty, who were like enough to be kept still in hold. The Queen asked; Who they were? And he said; Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, who had long been imprisoned in the Latin tongue; and now he desired they mought go abroad among the people in English. The Queen answered, with a grave countenance; It were good (Rainsford) they were spoken with themselves, to know of them whether they would be set at liberty?1

5. (29.) The Lo. Keeper, Sir Nicholas Bacon, was asked his opinion by Queen Elizabeth of one of these Monopoly Licences. And he answered; Will you have me speak truth, Madam? Licentiâ omnes deteriores sumus: We are all the worse for a

licence.2

4

6. (206.) Pace, the bitter Fool, was not suffered to come at the Queen3, because of his bitter humour. Yet at one time some persuaded the Queen that he should come to her; undertaking for him that he should keep compass. So he was brought to her, and the Queen said: Come on, Pace; now we shall hear of our faults. Saith Pace; I do not use to talk of that that all the town talks of.

7. (30.) My Lɔ. of Essex, at the succour of Rhoan, made twenty-four knights, which at that time was a great matter.5 Divers of those gentlemen were of weak and small means; which when Queen Elizabeth heard, she said, My Lo. mought have done well to have built his alms-house before he made his knights.

18. A great officer in France was in danger to have lost his place; but his wife, by her suit and means making, made his peace; whereupon a pleasant fellow said, That he had been crushed, but that he saved himself upon his horns.

9. (2.) Queen Anne Bullen, at the time when she was led to

1 Queen Elizabeth, the morrow of her coronation; (it being the custom to release prisoners at the inauguration of a prince;) went to the Chapel; and in the Great Chamber, one of her courtiers who was well known to her, either out of his own motion, or by the instigation of a wiser man, presented her with a petition; and before a great number of courtiers besought her with a loud voice; That now this good time there might be four or five principal prisoners more released; those were the four Evangelists and the Apostle Saint Paul, who had been long shut up in an unknown tongue, as it were in prison; so as they could not converse with the common people. The Queen answered very gravely; That it was best first to enquire of them, whether they would be released or no. R.

[blocks in formation]

be beheaded in the Tower, called one of the King's privy chamber to her, and said to him; Commend me to the King, and tell him he is1 constant in his course of advancing me. From a private gentlewoman he made me a marquisse2; and from a marquisse a queen; and now he had left no higher degree of earthly honour, he hath made me a martyr.*

10. (207.) Bishop Latimer said, in a sermon at court; That he heard great speech that the King was poor and many ways were propounded to make him rich: For his part he had thought of one way, which was, that they should help the King to some good office, for all his officers were rich.

5

11. (122.) Cæsar Borgia, after long division between him and the Lords of Romagna, fell to accord with them. In this accord there was an article, that he should not call them at any time all together in person: The meaning was, that knowing his dangerous nature, if he meant them treason, some one mnought be free to revenge the rest. Nevertheless he did with such art and fair usage win their confidence, that he brought them all together to counsel at Sinigalia; where he murthered them all. This act, when it was related unto Pope Alexander his father by a Cardinal, as a thing happy, but very perfidious, the Pope said; It was they that had broke their covenant first, in coming all together.

12. (54.) Pope Julius the third, when he was made Pope, gave his hat unto a youth, a favourite of his, with great scandal. Whereupon at one time a Cardinal, that mought be free with him, said modestly to him: What did your Holiness see in that young man, to make him Cardinal? Julius answered, What did you see in me, to make me Pope?

13. (55.) The same Julius, upon like occasion of speech, why he should bear so great affection to the same young man, would say; That he had found by astrology that it was the youth's destiny to be a great prelate; which was impossible, except himself were Pope; And therefore that he did raise him, as the driver on of his own fortune.

1 hath been ever.

R.

now that he hath left.

R.

2 marchioness. R.

4 he intends to crown my innocency with the glory of martyrdom. R.

5 he mought [q mought not?] have opportunity to oppress them altogether at

once.

R.

6 he used such fine art and fair carriage that he won their confidence to meet altogether in counsel at Cinigalia. R.

1

14. (56.) Sir Thomas Moore had only daughters at the first; and his wife did ever pray for a boy. At last he had a boy; which after, at man's years, proved simple. Sir Thomas said to his wife; Thou prayedst so long for a boy, that he will be a boy as long as he lives.

15. (58.) Sir Thomas Moore, the day 2 he was beheaded, had a barber sent to him, because his hair was long, which was thought would make him more commiserable3 with the people. The barber came to him and asked him, Whether he would be pleased to be trimmed? In good faith, honest fellow, (said Sir Thomas,) the King and I have a suit for my head, and till the title be cleared I will do no cost upon it.

16. (59.) Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, a great champion of the Papists, was wont to say of the Protestants, who ground upon the Scripture, That they were like posts, that bring truth in their letters, and lies in their mouths.

17. (125.) The Lacedæmonians were besieged by the Athenians in the Fort" of Peile; which was won, and some slain and some taken. There was one said to one of them that was taken, by way of scorn, Were not they brave men that lost their lives at the Fort1 of Peile? He answered, Certainly a Persian arrow is much to be set by, if it can choose out a brave man.

arms.

18. (208.) After the defeat of Cyrus the younger, Falinus was sent by the King to the Grecians, (who had for their part rather victory than otherwise,) to command them to yield their Which when it was denied, Falinus said to Clearchus; Well then, the King lets you know, that if you remove from the place where you are are now encamped, it is war: if you stay, it is truce. What shall I say you will do? Clearchus answered, It pleaseth us as it pleaseth the King. How is that? saith Falinus. Saith Clearchus, If we remove, war: if we stay, truce. And so would not disclose his purpose.

19. (126.) Clodius was acquit by a corrupt jury, that had palpably taken shares of money. Before they gave up their verdict, they prayed of the Senate a guard, that they might do their consciences freely; for Clodius was a very seditious young nobleman. Whereupon all the world gave him for condemned. But acquitted he was. Catulus, the next day, seeing

1 but simple. R.

4 the Popish religion. R.

2 on the day that.

R.

commiserated. R.

5 Port. R. Phyle? or Pylus ?

some of them that had acquitted him together, said to them; What made you to ask of us a guard? Were you afraid your money should have been taken from you ?

20. (127.) At the same judgment, Cicero gave in evidence upon oath: and the jury (which consisted of fifty-seven) passed against his evidence. One day in the Senate, Cicero and Clodius being in altercation, Clodius upbraided him and said: The jury gave you no credit. Cicero answered, Five-and-twenty gave me credit: but there were two-and-thirty that gave you no credit, for they had their money aforehand.

21. (80.) Many men, especially such as affect gravity, have a manner after other men's speech to shake their heads. Sir Lionel Cranfield would say ', That it was as men shake a bottle, to see if there were any wit in their head or no.

†22. Sir Thomas Moore (who was a man in all his lifetime that had an excellent vein in jesting) at the very instant of his death, having a pretty long beard, after his head was upon the block, lift it up again, and gently drew his beard aside, and said, This hath not offended the King.

23. (60.) Sir Thomas Moore had sent him by a suitor in the chancery two silver flagons. When they were presented by the gentleman's servant, he said to one of his men; Have him to the cellar, and let him have of my best wine. And turning to the servant, said, Tell thy master, friend, if he like it, let him not spare it.

24. (129.) Diogenes, having seen that the kingdom of Macedon, which before was contemptible and low, began to come aloft, when he died, was asked; How he would be buried? He answered, With my face downward; for within a while the world will be turned upside down, and then I shall lie right.

25. (130.) Cato the elder was wont to say, That the Romans were like sheep: A man were better drive a flock of them, than one of them.

26. (201.) Themistocles in his lower fortune was in love with a young gentleman who scorned him. When he grew to his greatness, which was soon after, he sought to him: but Themistocles said; We are both grown wise, but too late.

27. Demonax the philosopher, when he died, was asked touching his burial. He answered, Never take care for burying me, for stink will bury me. He that asked him, said again:

A great officer of this land would say. R.

Why, would you have your body left to dogs and ravens to feed upon? Demonax answered, Why, what great hurt is it, if having sought to do good, when I lived, to men, my body do some good to beasts, when I am dead.

28. Jack Roberts was desired by his tailor, when the reckoning grew somewhat high, to have a bill of his hand. Roberts said; I am content, but you must let no man know it. When the tailor brought him the bill, he tore it, as in choler, and said to him; You use me not well; you promised me nobody should know it, and here you have put in, Be it known unto all men by these presents.

29. (131.) When Lycurgus was to reform and alter the state of Sparta, in the consultation one advised that it should be reduced to an absolute popular equality. But Lycurgus said to him: Sir, begin it in your own house.

†30. Phocion the Athenian, (a man of great severity, and no ways flexible to the will of the people,) one day when he spake to the people, in one part of his speech was applauded: Whereupon he turned to one of his friends, and asked; What have I said amiss?

†31. Sir Walter Ralegh was wont to say of the ladies of Queen Elizabeth's privy-chamber and bed-chamber; That they were like witches; they could do hurt, but they could do no good.

32. (122.) Bion, that was an atheist, was shewed in a portcity, in a temple of Neptune, many tables or pictures of such as had in tempests made their vows to Neptune, and were saved from shipwrack: and was asked; How say you now, do you not acknowledge the power of the Gods? But he said; Yes, but where are they painted that have been drowned after their

vows?

33. (202.) Bias1 was sailing, and there fell out a great tempest, and the mariners, that were wicked and dissolute fellows, called upon the Gods; But Bias said to them; Peace, let them not know ye are here.

1

† 34. Bion was wont to say; That Socrates, of all the lovers of Alcibiades, only held him by the ears.

† 35. There was a minister deprived for inconformity, who said to some of his friends; That if they deprived him, it should cost an hundred men's lives. The party understood it as if, being a turbulent fellow, he would have moved sedition, and

[blocks in formation]
« ForrigeFortsæt »