fo. 76 b . 12 Dec. 1602. At the Black Friars.
Mr. Egerton, a little church or chappell up stayres, but a great congregacion, specially of women. After "God be mercifull," reade after the second lesson; having sat a good tyme before in the pulpit, willed them to sing to the glorie of God and theire owne edifying, the 66 Psal. 2 part; after he made a good prayer, then turnd the glas, and to his text, Acts vii. 23, &c. Here he made a recapitulacion of that he had deliuered the last Sabboth, and soe he came to deliuer doctrines out of this text. When he had said what he thought good of it, he went to catachise; it seemes an order which he hath but newely begun, for he was but in his exordium questions; then he prayed, sung a plasme [psalm], gave the blessing, and soe an end.
He remembred out of his former text these notes, v. 17: That God performes his promises not in our tyme, but in his tyme, which is best, because he is wisest. 2. The pollicy of man folishnes with God. They may maliciously oppose themselves therein, but cannot alter his decree. 3. God makes our enimies become our frends, and causeth them to doe good vnwittingly. 4. Parents ought to giue their children educacion, as well as foode and rayment, and rather bring them up in learning and trades, then proud inheritances with wronge. 5. Moses a good orator and a good warrior, mighty in wordes and in deedes, yet modest in all.
Then in his text: Not dispaire of calling, for Moses was 40 yeares old before he thought of this busines. 2. God put the motion in his heart. 3. Lawefull to protect the wronged and reproue them that doe ill, though a man be hated for his labour. 4. The good rejoyce and are glad to see the magistrate, and euery good Cristian and true subiect glad to see the principall magistrat with a gard about, as well to reward and protect the good, as to reuenge the wronged, glad like132 one that in a fo. 77.
12 Dec. 1602.hott sunshine sees a fayre leauy tree, which promiseth a shaddowe yf he be sunburnt; such is the prince to the good subject.
Those which come to sermons and goe away vnreformed are like those which looke in a glas, spie the spott in their face, but will not take the pains to wipe it off.
He defined catechising to be a breife and familiar kinde of teaching the principles of relligion, in a plaine manner by way of question and aunswere, either publiquely by the minister, or privately by the maister or mistres of the family. Herein noted the difference betwixt preaching and catechising, that that is a large continued course of speache, and may be performed onely by the minister.
It is the custome (not the lawe) in Fraunce and Italy, that yf anie notorious professed strumpet will begg for a husband a man which is going to execution, he shal be reprieved, and she may obteine a pardon, and marry him, that both their ill lives may be bettered by soe holie an action. Hence grewe a jeast, when a scoffing gentlewoman told a gentleman shee heard that he was in some danger to haue bin hangd for some villanie, he answered, "Truely, madame, I was a feard of nothing soe much as you would have begd me." * * *
In England it hath bin vsed that yf a woman will beg a condemned person for hir husband, shee must come in hir smocke onely, and a white rod in hir hand: as Sterrill said he had seen.
fo. 77b.
12 Dec. 1602.
Montagne tells of a Piccard that was going to execution, and when he sawe a limping wenche coming to begg him, "Oh, shee limps! she limps!" sayd hee, "dispatch me quickly," preferring death before a limping wife.
J. Cooper demaunded of Nic. Girlington, whoe is lately returned from Fraunce, what thing he tooke most delight in, in all his travail. He told him to see a masse in their churches, it was performed with such magnificent pomp and ceremonie, in soe goodly a place, as would make a man admire it. The Hugonots are coupt up in barnes, as it were, in regard of the Papists churches.
I heard that Geneva is beseiged by the Duke of Savoy.
Mr. Hadsor told me that the Earl of Ormonds daughter is come 16.to our Court, and that shee shall be married to yong Ormond, cosen german to the old Earle, which yong man was in prison here in Engl[and,] but is nowe to be released.
Mr. Girlington told me there was on Blackewell brought ouer as 17.apprehended and sent over by Sir Thomas Parry, Embassador in Fraunce, because he had confessed under his hand that he came from the Spanyard to murder hir Majestie or burne the Navy.
18.Heard that certaine in ragged apparrell, offring their seruice in the Navy, were apprehended as suspected, and found worthy suspicion.
fo. 78.
16 Dec. 1602.I brought in a moote with Jo. Bramstone.
18.I was with Stowe the antiquary. He told me that a modell of his picture was found in the Recorder Fleetewoods study, with this inscription or circumscription, Johannes Stowe, Antiquarius Angliæ, which nowe is cutt in brasse and prefixed in print to his Survey of London.133 He sayth of it, as Pilat sayd, "What I have written, I have written," and thinkes himselfe worthie of that title for his paynes, for he hath noe gaines by his trauaile. He gaue me this good reason why in his Survey he omittes manie newe monuments: because those men have bin the defacers of the monuments of others, and soe thinks them worthy to be depriued of that memory whereof they have injuriously robbed others. He told me that the Cheife Citizens of London in auncient tymes were called Barons, and soe divers kinges wrote unto them "Portegrevio et Baronibus suis London.," and the auncient seale had this circumscription, "Sigillum Baronum Londoniarum."
fo. 78b.
18 Dec. 1602.I heard that Dr. Smith, Master of Clare Hall,134 is Vice Chauncellor of Cambridge this yeare. It was told me by one of St. Johns Colledge that Dr. Playfare135 hath bin halfe frantike againe, and strangely doted for one Mrs. Hammond, a gentlewoman in Kent, is nowe well reclaimed, and hath reade some lectures since. A mad reader for divinity! proh pudor, et dolor!
Mr. Perkins was buried verry neere with as great sollemnity as Dr. Whitaker.136
The Lord Mountjoy in Ireland will never discourse at table; eates in silence. Sir Robert Gardner mislikes him for it, as an unsosiable quality (Hadsor); but great wisdome in soe captious a presence, especially being such a man as desyres to speake wisely.
Mr. Bramstone told howe he sold his bed in Cambridge. Mr. Pym137 sayd he did wisely, for he knewe those that kept their beds longe seldome prove riche.
One Merredeth, a notable coward, when he was in field, and 21.demaunded why he did not fight and strive to kill his enemies? He, good man, told them, he could not finde in his heart to kill them whom he never sawe before, nor had ever any quarrell with them.