And now I shall mention some particular passages concerning myself, without entering yet any way into the whole frame and context of my negotiation, reserving them, as I said before, to a particular treatise; I spent my time much in the visits of the Princes, Counsell of State, and great Persons of the French kingdom, who did ever punctually requite my visits: The like I did also to the chief Ambassadors there, among whom, the Venetian, Low-Country, Savoy, and the united Princes in Germany Ambassadors did bear me that respect, that they usually met in my house, to advise together concerning the great affairs of that time: For as the Spaniard then was so potent that he seemed to affect an universal monarchy, all the above mentioned Ambassadors did in one common interest strive to oppose him: All our endeavours yet could not hinder, but that he both publickly prevailed in his attempts abroad, and privately did corrupt divers of the principal Ministers of State in this kingdom. I came to discover this by many ways, but by none more effectually than by the means of an Italian, who returned over by letters of exchange the moneys the Spanish Ambassador received for his occasions in France; for I perceived that when the said Italian was to receive any extraordinary great sum for the Spanish ambassador's use, the whole face of affairs was presently changed, insomuch that neither my reasons, nor the Ambassadors above-mentioned how valid soever could prevail; though yet afterwards we found means together to reduce affairs to their former train; until some other new great sum coming to the Spanish Ambassador's hand, and from thence to the aforesaid Ministers of State, altered all. Howbeit divers visits past betwixt the Spanish Ambassador and myself, in one of which he told me that though our interests were divers, yet we might continue friendship in our particular persons; for said he, it can be no occasion of offence betwixt us, that each of us strive the best he can to serve the king his master: I disliked not his reasons, though yet I could not omit to tell him that I would maintain the dignity of the King my master the best I could; and this I said because the Spanish Ambassador had taken place of the English in the time of Henry the Fourth in this fashion, they both meeting in an anti-chamber to the Secretary of State, the Spanish Ambassador leaning to the wall in that posture that he took the hand of the English Ambassador, said publickly, I hold this place in the right of the King my master, which

small punctilio being not resented by our Ambassador at that time, gave the Spaniard occasion to bragg that he had taken the hand from our Ambassador. This made me more watchfull to regain the honor which the Spaniard pretended to have gotten herein, so that though the Ambassador in his visits often repeated the words above-mentioned, being in Spanish, Que cada uno haga lo que pudiere por su amo; let every man do the best he can for his master; I attended the occasion to right my master; it happened one day that both of us going to the French King for our several affairs, the Spanish Ambassador between Paris and Estampes, being upon his way before me in his coach, with a train of about sixteen or eighteen persons on horseback, I following him in my coach with about ten or twelve horse, found that either I must go the Spanish pace, which is slow, or if I hasted to pass him, that I must hazard the suffering of some affront like unto that our former Ambassador received; proposing hereupon to my gentlemen the whole business, I told them that I meant to redeem the honor of the King my master some way or other, demanding further whether they would assist me? which they promising, I bid the coachman drive on; the Spanish Ambassador seeing me approach, and imagining what my intention was, sent a gentleman to me, to tell me he desired to salute me, which I accepting, the gentleman returned to the Ambassador, who alighting from his coach attended me in the middle of the highway, which being perceived by me I alighted also, when some extravagant compliments having past between us, the Spanish Ambassador took his leave of me, went to a dry ditch not far off, with the intent no doubt to hold the upper hand of me while I past by in my coach, which being observed by me I left my coach, and getting upon a spare horse I had there, rode into the said dry ditch, and telling him aloud, that I knew well why he stood there, bid him afterwards get to his coach, for I must ride that way: the Spanish Ambassador who understood me well, went to his coach grumbling and discontented, though yet neither he nor his train did any more than look one upon another in a confused manner; my coach this while passing by the Ambassador on the same side I was, I shortly after left my horse and got into it: It happened this while, that one of my coach horses having lost a shoe, I thought fit to stay at a smith's forge, about a quarter

of a mile before; this shoe could not be put on so soon, but that the Spanish Ambassador overtook us, and might indeed have past us, but that he thought I would give him another affront; attending therefore the smith's leisure, he stayed in the highway to our no little admiration, untill my horse was shoed; we continued our journey to Estampes, the Spanish Ambassador following us still at a good distance.

I should scarce have mentioned this passage, but that the Spaniards do so much stand upon their pundonores; for confirming whereof I have thought fit to remember the answer a Spanish Ambassador made to Philip the Second King of Spain, who finding fault with him for neglecting a business of great importance in Italy, because he could not agree with the French Ambassador about some such pundonore as this, said to him, Como a dexado una Cosa di importancia per una ceremonia! How have you left a business of importance for a ceremony! The Ambassador boldly replied to his master, Como por una ceremonia? Vuessa Majesta misma no es sino una ceremonia: How, for a ceremony? Your Majesty's self is but a ceremony.

Howsoever the Spanish Ambassador taking no notice publickly of the advantage I had of him herein, dissembled it as I heard until he could find some fit occasion to resent this passage, which yet he never did to this day.

Among the visits I rendered to the grandees of France, one of the principal I made was to that brave General the Duke of Lesdigueres, who was now grown very old and deaf; his first words to me were, Monsieur you must do me the honor to speak high, for I am deaf; my answer to him was, You was born to command, and not to obey; it is enough if others have ears to hear you: This compliment took him much, and indeed I have a manuscript of his military precepts and observations, which I value at a great price.

I shall relate now some things concerning myself, which though they may seem scarce credible, yet before God are true: I had been now in France about a year and an half when my Taylour, Andrew Henly of Basil, who now lives in Black fryars, demanded of me half a yard of satin to make me a suit more than I was accustomed to give, of which I required a reason, saying, I was not fatter now than when I came to France; he answered, it was true, but you are

taller; whereunto when I wou'd give no credit, he brought his old measures, and made it appear that they did not reach to their just places; I told him I knew not how this happened, but howsoever he should have half a yard more, and that when I came to England I would clear the doubt, for a little before my departure thence, I remember William Earl of Pembrook and myself did measure heights together at the request of the Countess of Bedford, and he was then higher than I by about the breadth of my little finger; at my return therefore into England I measured again with the same Earl, and to both our great wonders found myself taller than he by the breadth of a little finger; which growth of mine I could attribute to no other cause but to my quartan ague formerly mentioned, which when it quitted me, left me in a more perfect health than I formerly enjoyed, and indeed disposed me to some follies which I afterwards repented, and do still repent of; but as my wife refused to come over, and my temptations were great, I hope the faults I committed are the more pardonable; howsoever I can truly say, that whether in France or England, I never used my pleasures intemperately, and much less did accompany them with that dissimulation and falsehood which is commonly found in men addicted to love women: To conclude this passage, which I unwillingly mention, I must protest again before God, that I never delighted in that or any other sin, and that if I transgressed sometimes in this kind, it was to avoid a greater ill; for certainly if I had been provided with a lawful remedy, I should have fallen into no extravagancy: I could extenuate my fault by telling circumstances which would have operated, I doubt not, upon the chastest of mankind, but I forbear, those things being not fit to be spoken of; for though the philosophers have accounted this act to be inter honesta factu, where neither injury nor violence was of fered, yet they ever reckoned it among the turpia dictu; I shall therefore only tell some other things alike strange of myself.

I weighed myself in ballances often with men lower than myself by the head, and in their bodies slenderer, and yet was found lighter than they, as Sir John Davers, Knight, and Richard Griffiths now living can witness, with both whom I have been weighed ; I had also, and have still a pulse on the crown of my head; it is well known to those that wait in my

chamber, that the shirts, waistcoats, and other garments I wear next my body are sweet, beyond what either easily can be believed, or hath been observed in any one else, which sweetness also was found to be in my breath above others, before I used to take tobacco, which towards my latter time I was forced to take against certain rheumes and catarres that trouble me, which yet did not taint my breath for any long time; I scarce ever felt cold in my life, though yet so subject to catarres, that I think no man ever was more obnoxious to it; all which I do in a familiar way mention to my posterity, though otherwise they might be thought scarce worth the writing.

The effect of my being sent into France by the King my master, being to hold all good intelligence betwixt both crowns, my employment was both noble and pleasing, and my pains not great, France having no design at that time upon England, and King James being that pacifick Prince all the world knew. And thus besides the times I spent in treaties and negotiations, I had either with the Ministers of State in France, or foreign Ambassadors residing in Paris, I had spare time not only for my book but for visits to divers grandees, for little more ends than obtaining some intelligence of the affairs of that kingdom and civil conversation, for which their free, generous, and cheerful company was no little motive; persons of all quality being so addicted to have mutual entertainment with each other, that in calme weather one might find all the noble and good company in Paris of both sexes, either in the garden of the Tuilleries or in the Park of Bois de Vincennes, they thinking it almost an incivility to refuse their presence and free discourse to any one who were capable of coming to those places, either under the recommendation of good parts, or but so much as handsome cloths and a good equipage; when foul weather was, they spent their time in visits at each others houses, where they interchanged civil discourses, or heard musick, or fell to dancing, using according to the manner of that countrey all the reasonable liberties they could with their honor; while their manner was either in the garden of the Tuilleries or elsewhere, if any one discoursing with a lady did see some other of good fashion approach to her, he would leave her and go to some other lady, he who conversed with her at that time quitting her also and going to some other, that so ad