Volume 2

Athenae Oxonienses. An exact history of all the writers and bishops who have had their education in the University of Oxford. To which are added the Fasti, or annals of the said university / By Anthony à Wood.

  • Anthony Wood
Date:
1813-1820
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Athenae Oxonienses. An exact history of all the writers and bishops who have had their education in the University of Oxford. To which are added the Fasti, or annals of the said university / By Anthony à Wood. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    625/732 page 158
    314 Robert D’Evereaux earl of Essex, now a young noble¬ man of Mert. coll.—See more in the year 1636. Will. Herbert earl of Pembroke, the very picture and viva effigies of nobility, a person truly generous, a singular lover of learning and the professors thereof, and therefore by the academians elected their chancellor some years after this.—His person was rather majestic than elegant, and his presence, whether quiet or in motion, was full of stately gravity. His mind was purely hei'oic, often stout, but never disloyal, and so vehement an opponent of the Spa¬ niard, that when that match fell under consideration in the latter end of the reign of K. Jam. I. he would sometimes rouse to the trepidation 8 of that king, yet kept in favour still; for his majesty knew plain dealing (as a jewel in all men) so was in a privy counsellor an ornamental duty; and the same true-heartedness commended him to K. Ch. I. Philip Herbert, his younger brother, now earl of Montgomery.—He was quite different in nature from the aforesaid William, being a person esteemed a very frequent swearer, 9 and one so intolerably choleric, quarelsome, and offensive while he was lord chamberlain to K. Ch. 1. that he did not refrain to break many wiser heads than his own. Mr. Thomas May the translator of Lucan, and afterwards historian to the long parliament, felt the weight of his staff; which, had not his office, and the place (being the banquetting house) protected, it might have been a question, whether ever he would have struck again.1 See more of 8 Ham. L’estrange in his Hist, of the Reign of K. Ch. I. under the year 9 [In the Bodleian, is a curious tract which formerly belonged to Hearne. The last Will and Testament of Philip Herbert, Burgesse for Barkshire, vulgarly called Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery. Who dyed of Foole-Age, Jan. 23, 1650. With his Life and Death, and severall legacies to the Parliament and Councell of State. Also, his Elegy, taken verbatim, in time of his Sicknesse, and published to prevent false Copies by Michael Oldisworth. Nodnol, Printed in the Fall of Tyrranny, and Resurrection of Loyalty, 1650, 4to. containing one sheet. This tract notices the earl’s constant practice of swearing, and records his usual oaths, which I shall not repeat. Towards the end of the volume is a supposed rhapsody of the earl’s, written much in the manner of the rambling notes in some of the Harleian books, (see Osborne’s Harleian Catalogue, vol. iii. page 29,) and at the end — An Elegie on the sometimes honourable Philip Herbert, Burgesse for Bark-shire, and a member of the new Common-wealth: who departed this Life Jan. 23, 1649, just a Year wanting 7 dayescfter he had seen his King murthered before his oune Gate. Here lyes swearing Pembroke, to dye. he was loath, Yet when he departed waschoak’d with an oath. No honest men grieve when rebells doe fall, God dam him, he dy’d—and so they must all: In hunting and hacking was his chiefe delight, Would bowle, drink, and drab too, rather then fight. When he was advanc’d by his king very high,. Turn’d tray tor, and help’d pull downe monarchic. A foole he liv’d long, yet dyed a knave, A wonder indeed if God should him save. His life was ne’re good, his deeds were all evil!, He’s now gone to hell to outsweare the devil}. Much miserie to England this traytor did bring. To ruine the people, and murther the king. He had been advanced to a high degree, Had not death, like a cheater, cozened the tree : But now he is dead, full low he must fall, Though by his death Will. Low hath lost all. All you that will mourne his death at the grave, Draw neere, and make water upon an old knave. No more of his vertues I need to commend. What he was all his life, he was at his end. Finis.] 1 [‘ On monday after Candlemas-day, the gentlemen of the inns ot court performed their masque at court; they were sixteen in number, who rode through the streets in four chariots, and two others to carry their pages ana him in Will. Herbert among the writers, under the year 1630. 2 William Cecill viscount Cranbourne, son of Robert earl of Salisbury.—He was, after the death of his father, earl of Salisbury and knight of the Garter, and lived to 1668. John Bridges bishop of Oxon, sometimes of Pembroke hall in Cambridge,3 and lately dean of Salisbury, upon the promotion of Dr. John Piers to the see of Rochester, was then also created.—He was now famous for the several books that he had published, the titles of some of which you may see in Bodley’s or Oxford Catalogue. He died on the 26 Mar. 1618, and was buried in the church of Marsh-Bal- den, or Balden in the Marsh, near to, and in the county of Oxford, as I have 4 elsewhere told you. He was doct. of div. and therefore, I presume, the registrary of the univer¬ sity should have put him among such that were incor¬ porated this year, and not among the creations of mast, of arts. Theophilus Howard baron of Walden, son and heir of Tho. earl of Suffolk.—He was afterwards earl of Suffolk and knight of the honourable order of the Garter. He died 3 June 1640, and was buried in the church at Walden before-mention’d. Charles Howard baron of Effingham, son of Charles earl of Nottingham. — He was afterwards earl of Not¬ tingham. Thomas West lord La Ware, commonly called lord de la Ware. Grey Brugges or Bridges, lord Chandois.—He was commonly called king of Cotsicould, because of his numerous attendants when he went to court. He died at the Spaw in Italy 1621. Will. Compton, lord Compton.—He was afterwards the first earl of Northampton of his name, and dying 14 Jun. 1630, was buried by his ancestors in the church at Compton in the hole in Warwickshire. Edward Bruce master of the rolls, and baron of Kinloss in Scotland.—He died 14 Jan. 1610, aged 62 years, and was buried in the chappel of the Rolls in Chancery-lane, Lon¬ don. He was father to Thomas earl of Elgin in Scotland, and baron of Whorlton in Yorkshire; as I shall tell you elsewhere. musicians, attended by an hundred gentlemen on great horses, as well clad as ever I saw any, they far exceeded in bravery any masque that'had for¬ merly been presented by those societies, and performed the dancing part with much applause. In their company there was one Mr. Read of Gray’s- Inn, whom all the women and some men cried up for as handsome a man as the duke of Buckingham. They were well used at court by the king and queen, no disgust given them, only this one accident fell, Mr. May of Gray’s- Inn, a fine poet, lie who translated Lucan, came a thwart my lord chamber- lain in the banquetting house, and he broke his staff over his shoulders, not knowing who he was, the king present, who knew him, for he calls him his poet, and told the chamberlain of it, who sent for him the next morning, and fairly excused himself to him, and gave him fifty pounds in pieces. I believe he was the more indulgent for his names sake. This riding shew took so well, that both king and queen desired to see it again. The mayor of Lon¬ don, tho’a sick man, gave them an entertainment beyond any in Scotland, or in the way thither; and the grave aldermen would have presented a purse with two thousand pounds in gold to the queen, but my lord chamberlain with a little sharpness decryed the gift, as not a fitting present from such a body; so it was not given, but within two days they sent to the queen a diamond which cost them four thousand pounds, which was well accepted.’ .Extract of a letter from G. Garrard to Thomas earl of Strafford, dated Feb. 27, 1633. Strafforde Letters, 1739, vol. i. page 207.] 2 [Vol. ii, 483; and refer to Brydges’s Hist, of the Peers of England, i, 161.] 3 [Jo. Bridges, Londinensis A. B. electus socius aulas Pembr. an. 1556 ;— Mr. Bridges art. mag. 1560; S.T, P. Cant. an. 1575. Regr. Baker.] 4 In Hist, dj Atttiq. Unix. Oxon. lib. 2. p. 291.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3