wherein he having defcribed the form, the motion, the curious compofure of the eye, and demonftrated how of those very many every humour and nerve performs its diftinct office, fo as the God of Order hath appointed, without mixture or confusion; and all this to the advantage of man, to whom the eye is given, not only as the body's guide, but whereas all other of his fenfes require time to inform the foul, this, in an instant, apprehends and warns him of danger; teaching him in the very eyes of others, to discover wit, folly, love, and hatred. After he had made these observations, he fell to dispute this optique question : "Whether we fee by the emifsion of the beams from within, "or reception of the fpecies from without ?" And after that, and many other like learned difquifitions, he, in the conclufion of his lectures, took a fair occafion to beautify his discourse with a commendation of the blefsing and benefit of "Seeing:-By which, we do not only difcover Nature's "fecrets, but with a continued content (for the eye is never "weary of seeing) behold the great light of the world, and by "it difcover the fabric of the heavens, and both the order and "motion of the cœleftial orbs; nay, that if the eye look but "downward, it may rejoice to behold the bofom of the earth, our common mother, embroidered and adorned with number"less and various flowers, which man fees daily grow up to "perfection, and then filently moralize his own condition, who "in a fhort time (like those very flowers) decays, withers, and 66 quickly returns again to that earth from which both had their "first being"." from the Records of the University that he was ever admitted to this Degree, or to that of Mafter of Arts. Now the Records of the University must have been irregularly kept. Thefe Lectures de Oculo could not have been read by Sir Henry Wotton, unless he had taken the Degree of B. A. for thefe Lectures are a Part of the Exercises to be performed for the Degree of M. A. " Singuli incepturi fex folennes Lectiones, tres "in Naturali Philofophiâ, tres in Morali, pro Formâ habere teneantur "in Scholis publicis, &c." (Statut. Oxon.) See an accurate Hiftory of the Caufes of Vifion in Dr. Smith's Optics, volume II. p. 23. The classic reader, and indeed every reader, will be highly gratified with this beautiful pafsage from Mr. Wotton's Lecture. Γαια θεα, μητις μακαρων θνητων τ ̓ ἀνθρωπων, -alma liquentes ORPHEI. HYMN. "Humorum guttas Mater cùm Terra recepit, These were fo exactly debated, and fo rhetorically heightened, as, among other admirers, caufed that learned Italian, Albericus Gentilis, then Professor of the Civil Law in Oxford, to call him Henrice mi Ocelles;" which dear exprefsion of his was alfo ufed by divers of Sir Henry's dearest friends, and by many other perfons of note during his ftay in the University. But his ftay there was not long, at least not fo long as his friends once intended; for the year after Sir Henry proceeded Mafter of Arts, his father--(whom Sir Henry did never mention without this or fome fuch like reverential exprefsion; as, “That good man my father," or "My father the belt of men.")About that time, this good man changed this for a better life, leaving to Sir Henry, as to his other younger fons, a rentcharge of an hundred marks a-year, to be paid for ever out of fome one of his manors of a much greater value. And here, though this good man be dead, yet I with a citcumftance or two that concern him may not be buried without a relation, which I shall undertake to do, for that I suppose, they may fo much concern the reader to know, that I may promife myself a pardon for a fhort digrefsion. IN the year of our redemption, 1553, Nicholas Wotton, Dean of Canterbury (whom I formerly mentioned), being then Ambafsador in France, dreamed that his nephew, this Thomas Wotton, was inclined to be a party in fuch a project, as, if he were not fuddenly prevented, would turn both to the lofs of his life, and ruin of his family. Doubtless the good Dean did well know that common dreams are but a fenfelefs paraphrafe on our waking thoughts, or of the bufinefs of the day paft, or are the refult of our over-engaged affections, when we betake ourselves to reft; and knew that the obfervation of them may turn to filly fuperftitions, as they too often do. But though he might know all this, and might alfo believe that prophecies are cealed; yet, doubtless, he could not but confider, that all dreams are not to be neglected or caft away without all confideration, and did therefore rather lay this dream afide, than intend totally to lofe it; and dreaming the fame again the night following, when it became a double dream, like that of Pharaoh (of which double dreams the learned have made many obfervations), and confidering that it had no dependence on his waking thoughts, much lefs on the defires of his heart, then he did more seriously "Quafi Solfüitialis Herba, paulifper fui : 66 PLAUT. PSEUDOL. In all languages the life of man has been compared to the flower that is foon withered, and paiseth away. s" Volo placere Phitolachi, meo ocello, meo patrono." (Plaut. Most. A. I. Sc. 3,-11. confider it; and remembered that Almighty God was pleafed in a dream to reveal and to afsure Monica the mother of St. Auftin, "That he, her fon, for whom the wept fo bitterly, and "prayed fo much, fhould at laft become a Chriftian." This, I believe, the good Dean confidered; and confidering alfo that Almighty God (though the causes of dreams be often unknown) hath even in thefe latter times alfo, by a certain illumination of the foul in fleep, difcovered many things that human wisdom could not forefee: Upon thefe confiderations he refolved to use fo prudent a remedy, by way of prevention, as might introduce no great inconvenience either to himself or to his nephew. And to that end, he wrote to the Queen (it was Queen Mary), and befought her, "That the would caufe his nephew, Thomas "Wotton, to be fent for out of Kent; and tha the Lords of "her Council might interrogate him in fome fuch feigned " queftions, as might give a colour for his commitment into a "favourable prifon; declaring that he woul acquaint her Majefty with the true reason of his requeft, when he should "next become fo happy as to fee and fpeak to aer Majefty "." It was done as the Dean defired. And in prifon I must leave Mr. Wotton, till I have told the reader vhat followed. At this time a marriage was concluded bewixt our Queen Mary, and Philip King of Spain. And though this was concluded with the advice, if not by the perfuafon, of her Privy Council, as having many probabilities of advanage to this nation; yet divers perfons of a contrary perfuafion di not only declare against it, but also raised forces to oppose it; believing (as they faid) it would be a means to bring England o be under a fubjection to Spain *, and make thofe of ths nation flaves to ftrangers. And of this number Sir Thomas Wyat, of Boxley-Abbey in Kent (betwixt whofe family, and the family of the Wottons, there 66 t This dream is related by St. Auguftin in Conessionum Lib. III. c. ii, \ "This account feems to be confirmed by Seed. Among many "diflikers of the Queen's marriage, it chanced ne for some other offence "to be committed to the Fleet, by the Councel, wo, being an inward ac"quaintance of Sir Thomas Wyatt's, was suppoed by him to have revealed "the conspiracie, whereupon he put himself inaction, before the enter→ "prize was altogether ripe." (Speed's Hist. o Great Britain. p. 1112.) -The author of the "Account of the Dean of Canterbury," has ingeniously conjectured that this dream of the god Dean was a mere political contrivance, the refult of deep deliberaion, to preserve the life of his nephew, whofe intimacy with Sir Thomas Wyat would probably have induced him to engage in the confpirac.-See alfo Biogr. Brit. in the Article WOTTON [E]. * It was generally fuppofed at this time, that, under the semblance of introducing the Romish religion into England, the fecret defign of Philip was to fecure to himself the pofsefsionof the Imperial Crown of England, and to make the English vassals to he power of Spain. (Kennet's Hist. of England, Vol. III. p. 339.) had been an ancient and entire friendship), was the principal actor; who having perfuaded many of the nobility and gentry (efpecially of Kent) to fide with him, and he being defeated, and taken prifoner, was legally arraigned and condemned, and loft his life: So did the Duke of Suffolk, and divers others; efpecially many of the gentry of Kent, who were there in several places executed as Wyt's afsiftants. And of this number, in all probability, had Mr. Wotton been, if he had not been confined. For, though he could not be ignorant that " Another man's treafon makes it mine by concealing "it," yet he durft confefs to his uncle, when he returned into England, and then came to vifit him in prifon, "That he had "more than an intimation of Wyat's intentions," and thought he had not continued actually innocent, if his uncle had not fo happily dreamed him into a prifon; out of which place, when he was delivered by the fame hand that caufed his commitment, they both confidered the dream more feriously, and both then joined in praifing God for it; "That God, who ties himself to "no rules, either in preventing of evil, or in fhowing of mercy to those whom of good pleasure he hath chosen to love " And this drean was the more confiderable, because that God, who in the days of old did ufe to fpeak to his people in vifions, did feem to fpeak to many of this family in dreams; of which I will alfo give the reader one fhort particular of this Thomas Wotton, whofe deams did usually prove true, both in foretell Of this Rebellion fee "Kennet's complete Hiftory of England," vol. II. p. 340. The following anecdote affords an example of loyalty and zeal at this time; . Ralph Rokeby, Srjeant at the Common Law, and of the antient family of Rokeby, Rokeby, near Greta-bridge, Yorkshire, was fo eminent in his profefion, that he refufed the office of Lord Chief Juftice, when offeredto him on the cefsion of Juftice Morgan. Sir "Tho. Wiatt the rebel of Kent, againfi King Philip, Q. Mary, and the Spaniards, being noitd to be coming towards London, this Ralph Rokeby went to Weminfter in his Serjeant's robes to plead, and "under them a good cart-armour, and hearing att Charing Crofs, the "near approach of the rbells, he haftened him to the Queen's Court at "White-hall, firung anafetled an Archer of the Livery Guards' bow, "that flood there unfirug, threw down the Serjeant's robes for that "time, and went to the Gate-boufe to serve there with a bow and a "fheaf of arrows, and thre tarried till the enemy yielded, and thus in "the time of need he wasready to fight with his body for his Prince againfi rebells, on whom he had jurifdiction in time of peace in the "circuit of Northampton, Warwick, Coventre, Leceifter, Derby, Not"tingham, Lincoln, and Rutland, to adjudge of their lives, lands, and "goods, for there he was uftice of Afsife and Goale Delivery." (MS. Memoirs of the Rokebys, inthe possession of Francis Smyth, Esq. of Newbuildings, Yorkshire.) z This fentiment happily llufirates the beneficence of Providence ac. complishing its gracious pupofes in a manner beft suited to its owu dif penfations, in promoting the happiness of good men. ing things to come, and discovering things paft: And the particular is this. This Thomas, a little before his death, dreamed that the University Treasury was robbed by townsmen and poor fcholars; and that the number was five; and being that day to write to his fon Henry at Oxford, he thought it worth fo much pains, as by a postscript in his letter, to make a flight inquiry of it. The letter (which was writ out of Kent, and dated three days before) came to his son's hands the very morning after the night in which the robbery was committed; and when the city and univerfity were both in a perplexed inqueft of the thieves, then did Sir Henry Wotton fhew his father's letter, and by it fuch light was given of this work of darkness, that the five guilty perfons were prefently discovered and apprehended, without putting the univerfity to fo much trouble as the cafting of a figure. And it may yet be more confiderable, that this Nicholas and Thomas Wotton fhould both (being men of holy lives, of even tempers, and much given to fafting and prayer) forefee and foretel the very days of their own death. Nicholas did fo, being then feventy years of age, and in perfect health. Thomas did the like in the fixty-fifth year of his age; who, being then in London (where he died), and foreseeing his death there, gave direction in what manner his body fhould be carried to Bocton; and, though he thought his uncle Nicholas worthy of that noble monument which he built for him in the Cathedral Church of Canterbury, yet this humble man gave direction concerning himself, to be buried privately, and especially without any pomp at his funeral. This is fome account of this family, which feemed to be beloved of God. BUT it may now feem more than time that I return to Sir Henry Wotton at Oxford, where, after his optic lecture, he was taken into fuch a bofom friendship with the learned Albericus Gentilis (whom I formerly named), that, if it had been d a Of the robbery here mentioned, no account whatever is recorded in the annals of the University. Judicial Aftrology was much in ufe long after this time. Its predictions were received with reverential awe; and men, even of the most enlightened underftandings, were inclined to believe that the conjunc tions and oppofitions of the planets had no little influence in the affairs of the world. Even the excellent Jofeph Mede difdained not to apply himself to the study of Aftrology. This is intimated in the infcription on his monument, erected in the Cathedral Church of Canterbury. "Hæc ille ante mortem et ante "morbum, quafi fatalem diem præfentiens et cygneam cantionem pro'pheticè canens, fuâ manu in Mufæo fcripta reliquit." d This noted Civilian having left Italy along with his father Matthew Gentilis, who had embraced the Reformed religion, came into England H and |