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write a pleasant definition of an ambassador, in these very

words:

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Legatus eft vir bonus peregrè mifsus ad mentiendum reipublicæ "causâ."

Which Sir Henry Wotton could have been content should have been thus Englished:

"An ambassador is an honeft man, fent to lie abroad for the good of "his country."

But the word for lie, being the hinge upon which the conceit was to turn, was not fo exprefsed in Latin, as would admit (in the hands of an enemy especially) so fair a construction as Sir Henry thought in English. Yet as it was, it flept quietly among other fentences in this Albo, almoft eight years, till by accident it fell into the hands of Jafper Scioppius, a Romanist, a man of a restless spirit and a malicious pen; who, with books against King James, prints this as a principle of that religion profefsed by the King, and his Ambassador Sir Henry Wotton, then at Venice and in Venice it was presently after written in feveral glass-windows, and spitefully declared to be Sir Henry Wotton's.

This coming to the knowledge of King James, he apprehended it to be such an overfight, such a weakness, or worse,

This passage reminds me of a junevile epigram written by Dr. Donne:

A LAME BEGGAR.

“I am unable, yonder beggar cries,

"To ftand or move; if he fay true, he lies."

* A perfon much celebrated for his intense application to fludy, the quickness of his parts, his memory, his eloquence, and the multitude of books which he compofed. His great qualities were debafed by a want of probity and moderation. He was born at Neumark, in the higher 'Palatinate, in 1576. On reading the Annals of Cardinal Baronius, he abjured the Proteftant religion in 1599, and was admitted into the community of the Church of Rome. He wrote with much afperity of language against the Jefuits, against Jofeph Scaliger, Cafaubon, and other learned men, not fparing even Cicero and the beft writers of antiquity. He attacked James I. of England. To truth he paid little regard, being more inclined to calumniate his adverfary, by the most disgraceful arts of defamation, than to refute him by juft and folid reasoning. The very titles of his books discover the acrimony of his temper. piacum five remedium contra Proteftantium hærefes ex ipforum fcriptis petitum, adverfum Jacobum Regem Britanniæ Magnæ," 1612."Collyrium regium Britanniæ Regi graviter ex oculis laboranti muneri mifsum," 1611. His writings excited fuch refentment against him, that he was alarmed for his perfonal fafety, and fled to Padua, where he died in 1649.-(Dictionnaire Historique).-In the prologue to "Igno. ramus," fpoken before James I. at Cambridge, May 6, 1615, Scioppius is cenfured with great feverity of language for his treatment of Sir Henry Wotton.

"Scor

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in Sir Henry Wotton, as caufed the King to exprefs much wrath against him; and this caufed Sir Henry Wotton to write two Apologies, one to Velferus (one of the Chiefs of Augusta) in the univerfal language, which he caufed to be printed, and given and scattered in the most remarkable places both of Germany and Italy, as an antidotem against the venomous books of Scioppius; and another Apology to King James: Which were both fo ingenious, fo clear, and fo choicely eloquent, that his Majefty (who was a pure judge of it) could not forbear, at the receipt thereof, to declare publicly, that "Sir Henry Wotton "had commuted fufficiently for a greater offence ""

And now, as broken bones, well fet, become stronger; fo Sir Henry Wotton did not only recover, but was much more confirmed in his Majefty's eftimation and favour than formerly he had been.

And as that man of great wit and ufeful fancy (his friend) Dr. Donne) gave in a will of his (a will of conceits), his reputation to his friends, and his induftry to his foes, because from thence he received both: So thofe friends, that in this time of trial laboured to excufe this facetious freedom of Sir Henry Wotton's were to him more dear, and by him more highly valued. And thofe acquaintance, that urged this as an advantage against him, caufed him by this error to grow both more wife, and (which is the best fruit error can bring forth),

1 MARK VELSER, or WELSER, was born at Augfburg, June 20, 1558, of a noble and ancient German family. He purfued his ftudies at Rome under the celebrated Muretus, and upon his return into his native city, having acquired great reputation at the bar, became one of its firft magiftrates, and was very learned himself, and a great patron of learned men. (Dictionnaire Historique, 1777.)

m In this letter, written with truly claffic elegance, Scioppius is treated with a harfhnefs, which, though probably deferved by him, does not perfectly quadrate with the character of a scholar. "Cùm famelicus, transfuga, & Romane Curiæ lutulentus circulator fcriptitat "folùm ut prandere poffit; cùm femicoctus grammaticafier, &c. &c."

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n After his firft return from Venice he remained without any employment for five years. It may be inferred from a letter to Sir Edmund Bacon, dated June 8, 1614, and printed in the "Reliquiæ Wottoniane, p. 431," that Sir Henry Wotton was at that time a member of the Houfe of Commons.

The passage to which Ifaac Walton alludes, is in a poem of Dɛ, Donne's, entitled "The Will.”

"I give my reputation to thofe

"Which were my friends; mine induftry to foes;

"To fchoolmen I bequeath my doubtfulness;

"My ficknefs to phyficians, or excefs;

"To Nature all that I in rhyme have writ,

"And to my company my wit."

for the future, to become more induftrioufly watchful over his tongue and pen P.

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 undissembled affection for him, and the malicious accufation of Scioppius; yet his intereft, as though it had been an intailed love, was ftill 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 ftudied the difpofitions of thofe Dukes, and the other confulters of ftate; well knowing that he who negociates a continued bufinefs, and neglects the ftudy of difpofitions, ufually fails in his propofed ends. But in this Sir Henry Wotton did not fail; for by a fine forting of fit prefents, curious and not coftly entertainments, always fweetened by various and pleasant difcourfe-with which, and his choice application of stories, and his elegant delivery of all thefe, even in their Italian language, he first got, and still preferved, fuch intereft in the state of Venice, that it was observed (fuch was either his merit or his modefty) they never denied him any request.

But all this fhews but his abilities and his fitness for that employment: It will therefore be needful to tell the reader, what use he made of that 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 thofe accidental ftorms of adverfity which usually attend upon travel.

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P The meaning of this obfcure passage may probably be elucidated by the following paraphrafe. "And as Sir Henry Wotton's friend, Dr. Donne, gave in a will of his (a will replete with facetiousness) his reputation to his friends, and his induftry to his foes; because from "thence (that is, from them, from his friends and foes), he received "both, namely, reputation from his friends, and induftry from his foes; "fo thofe friends, who in this time of trial laboured to excuse this in"fance of Sir Henry Wotton's facetious freedom, became more dear "to Sir Henry, and by him more highly valued, and thofe acquaintance, "who cenfured him for the fentence which he had inferted in the Album, malignantly urged that circumftance to his difadvantage, by "fuch enmity taught him wifdom, caufed him by this error or indifcre"tion to grow more wife; and, which is the beft fruit error can bring forth, for the future to become more induftriously watchful over his tongue and pen."

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Whether I am praifed or blamed, fays a Chinefe fage, I make it of ufe to my advancement in virtue. Those who commend me I conceive to point out the way I ought to go; thofe who blame me, as telling me the dangers I have run.

And because thefe 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 shall follow.

There had been many English foldiers brought by commanders of their own country to ferve the Venetians for pay against the Turks: 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 requeft was granted: fo that thofe (which were many hundreds, and there made the fad examples of human mifery, by hard imprisonment 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 thofe parts, as a city of refuge for the distressed of this and other nations.

And for that which I offer as a teftimony of the nobleness of his mind, I fhall make way to the reader's clearer understanding of it, by telling him, that befide feveral other foreign employments, Sir Henry Wotton was fent thrice Ambafsador to the Republic of Venice'. And at his last going thither he was employed Ambassador to feveral of the German Princes, and more particularly to the Emperor Ferdinando II.; and that his employment to him, and thofe 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 was at that time two oppofite 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 exprefses it in a difpatch to the King),and fo advantageous events to the Emperor, as put an end to all prefent hopes of a fuccefsful treaty. So that Sir Henry, feeing the face of a 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 61 every battle move on the unfeen wheels of Fortune, which

q In 1615 he was Ambafsador to the United Provinces.

r In 1604, 1615, and 1621.

(Reliq. Wotton. p. 428.)

s The fatal battle near Prague in November 1620, when the Prince of Anhault, General to the King of Bohemia, was, with his whole army, totally defeated.

are this moment up, and down the next; and therefore "humbly advised him to use his victory fo foberly, as ftill to "put on thoughts of peace." Which advice, though it seemed to be spoken with fome 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 "advice. And though he looked on the King his master 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 perfon of much honour "and merit, and did therefore defire him to accept that jewel, "as a teftimony of his good opinion of him:" Which was a jewel of diamonds of more value than a thousand pounds.

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 Countefs of Sabrina, an Italian lady, in whose houfe the Emperor had appointed him to be lodged and honourably entertained, acknowledged her merits, and befought her to accept of that jewel, as a teftimony of his gratitude for her civilities; presenting her with the fame that was given him by the Emperor. Which being fuddenly difcovered, and told to the Emperor, was by him taken for a high affront, and Sir Henry Wotton told fo by a messenger. To which he replied, "that though he received it with thankfulness, yet he found in "himself an indifpofition to be the better for any gift that came

The following verfes were wrote by Sir Henry Wotton" on his Miftrefs, the Queen of Bohemia :"

"You meaner beauties of the night,
"That poorly fatisfy our eyes

"More by your number than your light,

"You common people of the fkies,

"What are you when the fun fhall rife?

"You curious chanters of the wood,
"That warble forth dame Nature's lays,
Thinking your voices understood

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"By your weak accents; what's your praise,
"When Philomel her voice fall raife?

"You violets that first appear,
"By your pure purple mantles known,
"Like the proud virgins of the year,
"As if the spring were all your own,
"What are you when the rose is blown?

"So when my mistress fhall be seen,
"In form and beauty of her mind,
"By virtue firft, then choice a Queen,
"Tell me, if she were not defign'd

"The eclipse and glory of her kind.”

H. W.

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