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you herewith a couple of red deer pies, the one Sir Arthur Ingram gave me, the other my Lord Prefident's cook; I could not tell where to bestow them better. In your next let me know which is the best feafoned; I pray let the Sydonian merchant J. Buckhurst be at the eating of them, and then I know they will be well foaked. If you please to fend me a barrel or two of oysters which we want here, I promise you they fhall be well eaten with a cup of the beft claret, and the belt fherry (to which wine this town is altogether addicted) shall not be wanting.

I understand the Lord' Wefton is Lord Treasurer; we may fay now, that we have treafurers of all tenfes, for there are four living, to wit, the Lords Manchester, Middlefex, Marlborough, and the newly chofen. I hear alfo that the good old man (the laft) hath retired to his lodgings in Lincoln's-Inn, and fo reduced himself to his first principles; which makes me think that he cannot bear up long, now that the staff is taken from him. pray in your next send me the Venetian Gazetta. So with my kind refpects to your father, I reft yours.

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LETTER XXXII.

From James Howell, Efq; to the WorShipful Mr. Alderman of the Town of Richmond, and the rest of the worthy Members of that ancient Corporation.

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RECEIVED a public inftrument from you lately, fubfcribed by yourself and divers others, wherein I find that you have made choice of me to be one of your burgeffes for this now approaching parliament; I could have wifhed that you had not put by Mafter Wandesford, and other worthy gentlemen that flood fo earneftly for it, who, being your neighbours, had better means and more abilities to ferve you. Yet fince you have caft thefe high refpects upon me, I will endeavour to acquit myfelf of the truft, and to anfwer your expectation accordingly and as I account this election an honour to me, so I esteem it a greater advantage, that fo worthy and well-experienced a Knight as Sir Talbot Bows, is to be my colleague and fellow-burgefs; I fhall

fteer by his compafs, and follow his directions in any thing that may concern the welfare of your town, and the precincts thereof, either for redress of any griev ance, or by propofing fome new thing that may conduce to the further benent and advantage thereof; and this I take to be the true duty of a parliamentary burgefs, without roving at random to generals. I hope to learn of Sir Talbot what's fitting to be done, and I fhall apply myfelf accordingly to join with him to ferve you with my beft abilities. So I reft your moft affured and ready friend to do you fervice.

LETTER XXXIII.

From the fame to the Right Honourable the Lady Scroop, Countess of Sunderland; from Stamford.

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Madam,

Stamford, 5th Aug. 1628.

LAY yefternight at the post-house at Stilton, and this morning betimes the Pott-maller came to my bed's-head and told me the Duke of Buckingham was flain: my faith was not then ftrong enough to believe it, till an hour ago I met in the way with my Lord of Rutland (your brother) riding poft towards London; it pleafed him to alight, and fhew me a let ter, wherein there was an exact relation of all the circumstances of this fad tragedy.

Upon Saturday laft, which was but next before yesterday, being Bartholomew eve, the Duke did rife up in a well-difpofed humour out of his bed, and cut a caper or two, and being ready, and having beer under the barber's hand (where the mur derer had thought to have done the deed, for he was leaning upon the window a the while) he went to breakfast, attended by a great company of commanders, where Monfieur Soubize came to him, and whispered him in the ear that Rochel was relieved; the Duke feemed to light the news, which made fome think that Soubize went away difcontented. After breakfast, the Duke going out, Colo Fryer ftept before him, and ftopped him upon fome bufinefs, and Lieutenant Felton, being behind, made a thruft with a common tenpenny knife over Fryer's arm 2 the Duke, which lighted fo fatally, this he flit his heart in two, leaving the knite ficking in the body. The Dake took

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LETTER XXXIV.

From the fame to his Goufin Mr. St. John,
at Chrift Church College in Oxford.

Coufin,
THOUGH you want no incitements to

London, 25th O&. 1627.

put the knife, and threw it away; and humbly take my leave, and rest your laying his hand on his fword, and drawing Ladyfhip's most dutiful fervant. it half out, faid, The villain hath killed me," (meaning, as fome think, Colonel Fryer) for there had been fome difference betwixt them; fo reeling against a chimnay, he fell down dead. The Dutchels being with child, hearing the noife below, came in her night-geers from her bedchamber, which was in an upper room, to a kind of rail, and thence beheld him weltering in his own blood. Felton had et his hat in the crowd, wherein there was a paper fewed, wherein he declared, that the reafon which moved him to this act, was no grudge of his own, though he had been far behind for his pay, and had been put by his Captain's place twice, but in regard he thought the Duke an enemy to the ftate, because he was branded in parliament; therefore what he did was for the public good of his country. Yet he got clearly down, and fo might have gone to his horfe, which was tied to a hedge hard by; but he was fo amazed that he miffed his way, and fo truck into the pastry, where, although the cry went that fome Frenchman had done it, he, thinking the word was Fel ton, boldly confeffed, it was he that had done the deed, and fo he was in their hands. Jack Stamford would have run at him, but he was kept off by Mr. Nicholas; fo being carried up to a tower, Captain Mince tore off his fpurs, and aking how he durft attempt fuch an act, making him believe the Duke was not dead, he answered boldly, that he knew he was difpatched, for it was not he, but the hand of heaven, that gave the ftroke; and though his whole body had been covered over with armour of proof, he could not have avoided it. Captain Charles Price went poft prefently to the King four miles off, who being at prayers on his knees when it was told him, yet never ftirred, nor was he disturbed a-whit till all divine fervice was done. This was the relation, as far as my memory could bear, in my Lord of Rutland's letter, who willed me to remember him to your Ladyhip, and tell you that he was going to comfort your niece (the Dutchefs) as fast as he could. And fo I have fent the truth of this fad ftory to your Ladyflip, as faft as I could by this pot, because I cannot make that fpeed myfelf, in regard of fome bufinefs I have to difpatch for my Lord in the way: fo I

go on in that fair road of virtue where you are now running your courfe, yet being lately in your noble father's company, he did intimate to me, that any thing which came from me would take with you very much. I hear fo well of your proceedings, that I fhould rather commend than encourage you. I know you were removed to Oxford in full maturity, you were a good orator, a good poet, and a good linguift for your time; I would not have that fate light upon you, which ufeth to befal fome, who from golden ftudents, become filver batchelors, and leaden mafters: I am far from entertaining fuch thought of you, that logic with her quiddities, and que, la, vel hipps, can any way unpolish your humane ftudies. As logic is clubfifted and crabbed, fo fhe is terrible at firft fight; fhe is like a gorgon's head to a young ftudent, but after a twelvemonth's conftancy and patience, this gorgon's head will prove a mere bugbear; when you have devoured the organon, you will find philofophy far more delightful and pleafing to your palate. In feeding the foul with knowledge, the understanding requireth the fame confecutive acts which nature ufeth in nourishing the body. To the nutrition of the body, there are two effential conditions required, affumption and reten tion; then there follows two more, is and eura, concoction and agglutina tion, or adhesion: fo in feeding your foul with fcience, you must first affume and fuck in the matter into your apprehenfion, then muft the memory retain and keep it in; afterwards by difputation, difcourfe, and meditation, it must be well concocted; then muft it be agglutinated, and converted to nutriment. All this may be reduced to these two heads, teneri fideliter, uti fæliciter, which are two of the happieft properties in a ftudent. There is another act required to good concoction, called the act of expultion, which puts off all that is unfound and

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novious;

noxious; fo in ftudy there must be an expulfive virtue to fhun all that is erroneous; and there is no fcience but is full of fuch stuff, which by direction of tutor, and choice of good books, must be excerned. Do not confound yourfelf with multiplicity of authors, two is enough upon any fcience, provided they be plenary and orthodox; philofophy thould be your fubitantial food, poetry your banqueting-uff; philofophy hath more of reality in it than any knowledge; the philofopher can fathom the deep, meature mountains, reach the flars with a staff, and blefs heaven with a girdle.

Saint Efprit, their Holy Spirit, fo there is news that the Hollanders have taken from Spain all her faints; I mean Tedes los Santos, which is one of the chiefert ftaples of fugar in Brazil. No more, but that I wish you all health, honour, and heart's defire. Your much obliged nephew and fervitor.

LETTER XXXVI.

From the fame to Captain Tho. B. from Vark.

Noble Captain,

it Auguft 1638.

But among thefe ftudies, you must not forget the unicum neceffarium; on Sun-YOURS of the aft of March was dedays and holidays, let divinity be the fole object of your ipeculation, in comparifon whereof all other knowledge is but cobweb learning; præ quá quifquitiæ ce

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LETTER XXXV.

livered me by Sir Rich. Scot, and I held it no profanation of this Sunday evening, confidering the quality of my fubject, and having (I thank God for it) performed all church duties, to employ Lome hours to meditate on you, and fend you this friendly falute, though I confefs in an unusual monitory way. Captain, I love you perfectly well, I love both your perfon and parts, which are not vulgar; I am in love with your dif pofition, which is generous, and I verily think you were never guilty of any pufillanimous act in your life: nor is this

My dear

From James Howell, Efq; to Sir Sackvil love of mine conferred upon you gratis,

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Trevor, Knight.

Noble Uncle, Lond. 26th Octob. 1625. SEND you my humble thanks for the curious fea-cheft of glaffes you pleafed to beltow on me, which I fhall be very chary to keep as a monument of your love. I congratulate alfo the great honour you have got lately by taking away the fpirit of France, I mean by taking the third great vefiel of her featrinity, her Holy Spirit, which had been built in the mouth of the Texel for the fervice of her King. Without complimenting with you, it was one of the best exploits that was performed fince thefe wars begin; and befides the renown you have purchased, I hope your reward will be accordingly from his Majefty, whom I remember you fo happily preferved from drowning, in all probability, at St. Andreas road in Spain. Though Princes guerdons come flow, yet they come fure: and it is oftentimes the method of God Almighty himself, to be long both in his rewards and punishments.

As you have bereft the French of their

but you may challenge it as your due, and by way of correfpondence, in regard of those thousand convincing evidences you have given me of yours to me, which afcertain me that you take me for a true friend. Now I am of the number of thofe that had rather commend the virtue of an enemy, than footh the vices of 3 friend; for your own particular, if your parts of virtue and your infirmities were caft into a balance, I know the firit would much out-poife the other: yet give me leave to tell you, that there is one frailty, or rather ill-favoured cuftom, that reigns in you, which weighs much; it is a hu mour of fwearing in all difcourfes; and they are not flight, but deep, farfetched oaths that you are wont to rap out, which you use as flowers of rhetoric to enforce a faith upon the hearers, who believe you never the more : and you we this in cold blood when you are not provoked, which makes the humour far more dangerous. I know many (and I cannot say I myself am free from it, God forgive me) that being tranfported with choler, and as it were made drunk with

your

paffion

paffion by fome fudden provoking accident, or extreme ill fortune at play, will let fall oaths and deep proteftations: but to belch out, and fend forth, as it were, whole vollies of oaths and curfes in a calm humour, to verify every trivial difcourfe, is a thing of horror. I knew a King, that being croffed in his game, would, among his oaths, fall on the ground, and bite the very earth in the rough of his paffion; I heard of another King (Henry IV. of France) that in his higheft diftemper would fwear by ventre de St. Gris, by the belly of St. Gris: I heard of an Italian, that having been much accustomed to blafpheme, was weaned from it by a pretty wile; for having been one night at play, and loft all his money, after many execrable oaths, and having offered money to another to go out to face heaven, and defy God, he threw himfelf upon a bed hard by, and there fell asleep the other gamefters played on ftill, and finding that he was fast alleep, they put out the candles, and made femblance to play on fill; they fell a wrangling, and spoke fo loud that he awakened he hearing them play on still, fell a rubbing his eyes, and his confcience prefently prompted him that he was truck blind, and that God's judgment had defervedly fallen down upon him for his blafphemies; and fo he fell to figh and weep pitifully: a ghoftly father was fent for, who undertook to do fome acts of penance for him, if he would make a vow never to play again, or blafpheme; which he did, and fo the candles were lighted again, which he thought were burning all the while fo he became 2 perfect convert. I could with this letter might produce the fame effect in you. There is a strong text, that the curfe of heaven hangs always over the dwelling of the fwearer; and you have more fearful examples of miraculous judgments in this particular, than of any other fin,

:

There is a little town in Languedoc in France, that hath a multitude of the pictures of the Virgin Mary up and down; but she is made to carry Chrift in her right arm, contrary to the ordinary custom; and the reason they told me was this, that two gamefters being at play, and one having loft all his money, and bolted out many blafphemies, he gave a deep oath, that that whore upon the wall, meaning the picture of the Bleffed Vir

gin, was the caufe of his ill luck; hereupon the child removed imperceptibly from the left arm to the right, and the man fell ftark dumb ever after thus went the tradition there. This makes me think of the Lady Southwell's news from Utopia, that he who sweareth when he playeth at dice, may challenge his damnation by way of purchase. This infandous cuftom of fwearing, I observe, reigns in England lately more than any where elfe; though a German in highest puff of paffions Iwears a hundred thoufand facraments, the Italian by the whore of God, the French by his death, the Spaniard by his flesh, the Welshman by his fweat, the Irishman by his five wounds, though the Scot commonly bids the devil hale his foul; yet for variety of oaths the English roarers put down all. Confider well what a dangerous thing it is to tear in pieces that dreadful name which makes the vaft fabric of the world to tremble, that holy name wherein the whole hierarchy of heaven doth triumph, that blifsful name, wherein confifts the fulness of all felicity. I know this cuftom in you yet is but a light difpofition, it is no habit I hope; let me therefore conjure you, by that power of friendfhip, by that holy league of love which is between us, that you would fupprefs it before it come to that; for I must tell you, that thofe who could find in their hearts to love you for many other things, do difrefpe&t you for this; they hate your company, and give no credit to whatever you fay, it being one of the punishments. of a fwearer, as well as of a liar, not to be believed when he speaks truth.

Excufe me that I am fo free with you; what I write proceeds from the clear current of a pure affection; and I fhall heartily thank you, and take it for an argument of love, if you tell me of my weakneffes, which are (God wot) too too many; for my body is but a cargazon of corrupt humours, and being not able to overcome them all at once, I do endeavour to do it by degrees like Sertorius's foldier, who when he could not cut off the horse-tail with his fword at one blow, fell to pull out the hairs one by one. And touching this particular humour from which I diffuade you, it hath raged in me too often by contingent fits; but I thank God for it, I find it much abated and purged. Now the only phyfic X 2

I ufed

I ufed was a precedent faft, and recourfe to the holy facrament the next day, of purpofe to implore pardon for what had paffed, and power for the future to quell thofe exorbitant motions, thofe ravings and feverish fits of the foul, in regard there are no infirmities more dangerous; for at the fame inftant they have being, they become impieties. And the greatelt fymptom of amendment I find in me is, because whenever I hear the holy name of God blafphemed by any other, it makes my heart to tremble within my breaft. Now it is a penitential rule, "That if fins prefent do not please thee, "fins paft will not hurt thee." All other fins have their object, either pleasure or profit, or fome aim and fatisfaction to body or mind; but this hath none at all: therefore fye upon it, my dear Captain, try whether you can make a conquest of yourfelf, in fubduing this execrable cuftom. Alexander fubdued the world, Cæfar his enemies, Hercules monsters; but he that overcomes himfelf is the true valiant Captain.

All your friends here are well, Tom Young excepted, who I fear hath not long to live among us. So I rest your

true friend.

LETTER XXXVII.

have him to wait at your table; when his greafe melts in running hard, it is fubject to fall into his toes. I fend him you but for a trial; if he be not for your turn, turn him over to me again when I come back.

The best news I can fend you at this time is, that we are like to have peace both with France and Spain; fo that Harwich men, your neighbours, fhall not hereafter need to fear the name of Spinola, who ftruck fuch an apprehenfion into them lately, that I understand they began to fortify.

pray prefent my moft humble fervice to my good Lady, and at my return from the North, I will be bold to kifs her hands and yours. So I am your much obliged fervitor.

LETTER XXXVIII. From the fame to his Father. Sir,

London, 30th Sept. 1619.

OUR two younger brothers, which you

fent hither, are difpofed of; my brother Doctor hath placed the elder of the two with Mr. Hawes, a mercer in Cheapfide, and he took much pains in it; and I had placed my brother Ned with Mr. Barrington, a filk-man in the fame street; but afterwards for fome inconveniencies

From James Howel, Efto Sir J. S. Knight. I removed him to one Mr. Smith at the

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YOU writ to me lately for a footman, and I think this bearer will fit you: I know he can run well, for he hath run away twice from me, but he knew the way back again. Yet though he hath a running head as well as running heels, (and who will expect a footman to be a stayed man ) I would not part with him were I not to go polt to the North. There be fome things in him that anfwer for his waggeries; he will come when you call him, go when you bid him, and hut the door after him; he is faithful and fout, and a lover of his mafter he is a great enemy to all dogs, if they bark at him in his running, for I have feen him confront a huge maltiff, and knock him down; when you go a country journey, or have him run with you a hunting, you must fpirit him with liquor; you must allow him alfo fomething extraordinary for focks, elfe you must not

my

Flower-de-luce in Lombard-ftreet, a mercer alfo. Their maiters both of them are very well to pafs, and of good repute; I think it will prove fome advan tage to them hereafter, to be both of one trade; because when they are out of their time, they may join ftocks together: fa that I hope, Sir, they are as well placed as any two youths in London, but you muft not ufe to fend them fuch large tokens in money, for that may corrupt them. When I went to bind brother Ned apprentice in Drapers' Hall, calting my eyes upon the chimney-piece of the great room, I fpied a picture of an ancient gentleman, and underneath, Thomas Howell: I asked the clerk about him; and he told me, that he had been a Spanish merchant in Henry VIII's time, and coming home rich, and dying a batchelor, he gave that hall to the company of drapers, with other things, 10 that he is accounted one of the chiefelt benefactors. I told the clerk, that ong

of

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