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This jewel was received with all outward circumftances and terms of honour by Sir Henry Wotton. But the next morning, at his departing from Vienna, he, at his taking leave of the Countess of Sabrina, (an Italian lady, in whose house the Emperor had appointed him to be lodged, and honourably entertained)" acknowledged her merits, and befought her to accept of that jewel, as a 66 teftimony of his gratitude for her civi"lities;" presenting her with the fame that was given him by the Emperor: which being fuddenly discovered, and told to the Emperor, was by him taken for a high affront, and Sir Henry Wotton told fo by a meffenger. To which he replied, "That though he received it "with thankfulness, yet he found in him"felf an indifpofition to be the better for

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any gift that came from an enemy to "his royal mistress, the Queen of Bohe"mia;" for fo fhe was pleased he should always call her.

Many other of his fervices to his Prince and this nation might be infifted upon;

as,

as, namely, his procurations of privileges and courtefies with the German princes, and the republic of Venice, for the English merchants; and what he did by direction of King James with the Venetian State, concerning the Bishop of Spalato's return to the Church of Rome. But for the particulars of these, and many more that I meant to make known, I want a view of fome papers that might inform me, (his late Majefty's letter-office having now fuffered a strange alienation,) and indeed I want time too; for the printer's press stays for what is written: so that I must hafte to bring Sir Henry Wotton in an inftant from Venice to London, leaving the reader to make up what is defective in this place, by the small supplement of the infcription under his arms, which he left at all thofe houses where he refted, or lodged, when he returned from his laft embaffy into England.

"Henricus Wottonius Anglo-Cantia"nus, Thomæ optimi viri filius natu mini"mus, à fereniffimo Jacobo I. Mag. Brit. "Rege,

VOL. I.

N

Rege, in equeftrem titulum adfcitus, "ejufdemque ter ad rempublicam Vene"tam Legatus Ordinarius, femel ad con"fœderatarum Provinciarum Ordines in "Juliacenfi negotio. Bis ad Carolum "Emanuel, Sabaudiæ Ducem; femel ad "unitos fuperioris Germaniæ Principes in "Conventu Heilbrunenfi, poftremo ad "Archiducem Leopoldum, Ducem Wit❝tembergenfem, Civitates imperiales, Ar"gentinam, Ulmamque, et ipfum Roma"norum Imperatorem Ferdinandum fe"cundum, Legatus Extraordinarius, tan"dem hoc didicit,

"Animas fieri fapientiores quiefcendo."

To London he came the year before King James died; who having, for the reward of his foreign fervice, promised him the reverfion of an office, which was fit to be turned into prefent money, which he wanted, for a supply of his prefent neceffities; and also granted him the reverfion of the Mafter of the Rolls place, if he outlived charitable Sir Julius Cæfar, who then poffeffed it, and then grown fo

old,

old, that he was faid to be kept alive beyond nature's course, by the prayers of those many poor which he daily relieved.

But these were but in hope; and his condition required a present support: for in the beginning of these employments he fold to his elder brother, the Lord Wotton, the rent-charge left by his good father; and (which is worfe) was now at his return indebted to feveral perfons, whom he was not able to fatisfy, but by the King's payment of his arrears, due for his foreign employments. He had brought into England many fervants, of which fome were German and Italian artifts this was part of his condition, who had many times hardly fufficient to fupply the occafions of the day for it may by no means be faid of his providence, as himself faid of Sir Philip Sidney's wit, "That it was the very measure of congruity," he being always fo carelefs of money, as though our Saviour's words, "Care not for to-morrow," were to be literally understood.

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But it pleased the God of providence, that in this juncture of time the Provostfhip of his Majefty's College of Eton became void by the death of Mr. Thomas Murray, for which there were (as the place deserved) many earnest and powerful fuitors to the King. And Sir Henry, who had for many years (like Sifyphus) rolled the restless stone of a state-employment, knowing experimentally that the great bleffing of sweet content was not to be found in multitudes of men or bufiness, and that a college was the fittest place to nourish holy thoughts, and to afford reft both to his body and mind, which his age (being now almost threescore years) seemed to require, did therefore use his own, and the interest of all his friends, to procure that place. By which means, and quitting the King of his promised reverfionary offices, and a piece of honeft policy, (which I have not time to relate,) he got a grant of it from his Majesty.

And this was a fair fatisfaction to his mind: but money was wanting to furnish