error can bring forth) for the future to become more industriously watchful over his tongue and pen.

I have told you a part of his employment in Italy; where, notwithstanding the death of his favourer, the Duke Leonardo Donato, who had an undiffembled affection for him, and the malicious accufation of Scioppius, yet his interest (as though it had been an intailed love) was still found to live and increase in all the fucceeding dukes, during his employment to that ftate, which was almost twenty years; all which time he studied the difpofitions of those dukes, and the other confulters of state; well knowing that he who negociates a continued bufinefs, and neglects the ftudy of difpofitions, usually fails in his propofed ends. But in this Sir Henry Wotton did not fail; for by a fine forting of fit presents, curious and not costly entertainments, always fweetened by various and pleasant difcourfe-with which, and his choice application of ftories, and his elegant delivery of all these, even in their Italian language, he first got, and

ftill preserved, fuch interest in the state of Venice, that it was obferved (fuch was either his merit or his modefty) they never denied him any request.

:

But all this fhews but his abilities, and his fitnefs for that employment: it will therefore be needful to tell the reader, what use he made of the intereft which thefe procured him and that indeed was, rather to oblige others than to enrich himself; he ftill endeavouring that the reputation of the English might be maintained, both in the German empire and in Italy; where many gentlemen, whom travel had invited into that nation, received from him cheerful entertainments, advice for their behaviour, and by his intereft fhelter or deliverance from those accidental ftorms of adverfity which usually attend upon travel.

And because these things may appear to the reader to be but generals, I fhall acquaint him with two particular examples; one of his merciful difpofition, and one of the nobleness of his mind; which fhall follow.

There

There had been many English foldiers brought by commanders of their own country, to serve the Venetians for pay against the Turk and thofe English having by irregularities, or improvidence, brought themselves into feveral galleys and prifons, Sir Henry Wotton became a petitioner to that state for their lives and enlargement; and his request was granted: fo that thofe (which were many hundreds, and there made the fad examples of human misery, by hard imprifonment and unpitied poverty in a strange nation) were by his means released, relieved, and in a comfortable condition fent to thank God and him for their lives and liberty in their own country.

And this I have obferved as one teftimony of the compaffionate nature of him, who was, during his ftay in those parts, as a city of refuge for the diftreffed of this and other nations.

And for that which I offer as a teftimony of the nobleness of his mind, I shall make way to the reader's clearer understanding of it, by telling him, that, befide

feveral

feveral other foreign employments, Sir Henry Wotton was fent thrice ambaffador to the republic of Venice. And at his last going thither, he was employed ambaffador to feveral of the German princes, and more particularly to the Emperor Ferdinando the fecond; and that his employment to him, and those princes, was to incline them to equitable conditions for the restoration of the Queen of Bohemia, and her defcendants, to their patrimonial inheritance of the Palatinate.

This was, by his eight months' conftant endeavours and attendance upon the Emperor, his court, and council, brought to a probability of a fuccefsful conclufion, without bloodfhed. But there were at that time two opposite armies in the field; and as they were treating, there was a battle fought, in the managery whereof there were fo many miferable errors on the one fide, (fo Sir Henry Wotton expreffes it in a dispatch to the King) and so advantageous events to the Emperor, as put an end to all present hopes of a fuccessful treaty; fo that Sir Henry, seeing the face

of

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of peace altered by that victory, prepared for a removal from that Court; and at his departure from the Emperor, was fo bold as to remember him, "That the events "of every battle move on the unseen "wheels of Fortune, which are this "moment up, and down the next; and "therefore humbly advised him to use "his victory so soberly, as ftill to put on thoughts of peace." Which advice, though it seemed to be spoken with some paffion, (his dear miftrefs the Queen of Bohemia being concerned in it) was yet taken in good part by the Emperor; who replied, "That he would confider his ad"vice. And though he looked on the "King his mafter as an abettor of his "enemy, the Paulfgrave; yet for Sir "Henry himself, his behaviour had been "fuch during the manage of the treaty, "that he took him to be a person of "much honour and merit; and did there"fore defire him to accept of that jewel,

as a teftimony of his good opinion of "him" which was a jewel of diamonds of more value than a thousand pounds.