Febr. 1601.
Feb. 2.
At our feast wee had a play called "Twelue Night, or What you Will," much like the Commedy of Errores, or Menechmi in Plautus, but most like and neere to that in Italian called Inganni[47]. A good practise in it to make the Steward beleeve his Lady widdowe was in love with him, by counterfeyting a letter as from his Lady in generall termes, telling him what shee liked best in him, and prescribing his gesture in smiling, his apparaile, &c., and then when he came to practise making him beleeue they tooke him to be mad.
12.
Quæ mala cum multis patimur læviora putantur.
11.
Cosen Norton was arrested in London.
fo. 13.
Febr. 1601.He put up a supplicacion to Sir Robt. Cecile presented by his wife, whome he tooke notice of the next day, which remembring [was?] with out being remembred what he had done in it. The effect of this petition was, that, whereas Copping had their goods forth of Mr. Cranmers hand (whoe had dealt but to honestly for such vnthankefull persons), and they should have a certaine summe yearely, they could neither gett payment, nor haue him account; he said twenty pounds were enough to keepe the Lunatike their mother, when Cranmer had the goodes; nowe he deductes 50l. for hir, and yett keepes hir far more basely. And therefor humbly desyre Copping might be brought to some order. Norton tels me this Copping is a notable riche practiser, &c.
Mr. Cokayne of Hertfordshire gott his brother H. Norton by a wile to his house, and their married him upon a pushe to a kinswoman of his, and made a serveingman serve the purpose insted of a preist.
Feb. 14.
Bounty is wronged, interpreted as duty.
My Cosen Garnons told me that the old Earle of Sussex[48], being in seruice in the North, was intangled by his Marshall, but extricated by the Earle of Leycester, whose overthrowe afterward he covertly practised. Quædam beneficia odimus; vitam nulli debemus libenter.
The office of the Lord Keeper better worth then 3000l. per annum, of the Admirall more, of the Secretary little lesse. (Idem.)
fo. 13b.
Febr. 1601.
My Cosen Garnons told me that the Court of Wardes will send a prohibicion to anie other Court to cease from proceeding in anie suite, whereof themselues may have colour to hold plea in that Court. Soe prædominat a Court is that nowe become.
18.
Went to my Cosen in Kent.
19.
I was at Malling with Mr. Richers.
The Bishop of London[49] is Dr. Parrys crosse frend. (Mr. Richers.) In discourse of Mr. Sedley[50], he told me, that his lady said he is gone over sea for debt, which Mr. Richers thinks was caused by his lavishe almes; for Mr. Sedley would not sticke himselfe to say, yf any gentleman spent not aboue 500l. a yeare, he gaue as muche to the poure; and as he was prodigall in giuinge, so was he indiscreet in bestowinge, appointinge vile fellowes to be the distributors of it: he is now at Padua, without anie man attendant. He went into Italy to learne discourse, he was nothing but talke before. I maruaile what he will be when he returnes, said he. Reade muche but not judicious. (Idem.) Mrs. Frauncis Richers said he was a gentle gentleman. F. is open in talke. Plotters for him.
Miller, a rich yeoman about Rotham,[51] when he came to entreate he might be abated in the assessment for subsidies, threwe in a note that he was worth but 5501. land fee simple: one of Mr. Sedley's almesmen.
This day Mr. Cartwright had bin with my cosen to knowe fo. 14.
Febr. 1601.whether he denied to hold anie land of him. My cosen acknowledged that he held divers parcells of him, but doth not certainely knowe howe it is all bounded. My cosen told me it was concealed land, and recovered by Mr. Cartwright's father against pag. prox. Mr. Catlin, of whom my cosen bought Bradborne.
Sir Robert Sydney hath bought Otford House, and sells it againe by parcells.
Mr. Cartwrightes father and Mr. Richeres mother were brother and sister, soe they first cosens.
Mr. Jo. Sedley[52] hath built a house in Aylesford which cost him aboue 4000l.; hath not belonging to it aboue 14 acres of ground. Perhaps he purposed to haue bought the Lordship, which indeede was afterward offered vnto him, but he soe delayed the matter, that particuler men haue it nowe. It is thought the Lord Buckhurst would buy the house, &c. (Cos.)
Feb. 20.
Yf a man in the Lowe Countryes come to challenge a man out of his house, and because he comes not forth throwes stones at his windowes, this [is] a crime capitall, because an assault in [on?] his house, which is his castle. (Cosen told me.)
Out of a book intituled "Quodlibets"[53] written by a secular priest called Watson, against the Jesuites, fol. 151 & 152. His special arguments for a tolleracion in relligion. 1. That yf tolleracion were induced, then there should be no collor to publishe fo. 14b.
Febr. 1601.bookes howe tyrannical the persecution of Catholikes is. 2. Then England should not be called the nursery of faction. 3. Then the Spaniard should have noe Prince to band on his side.[54] 6. The subjects would not be so fitt to be allured to rebellion. 7. The safety of hir Majesties person is mutche procured. All slight.
One Kent, my cosen's brother by his mothers side, living in Lincolneshire, bought a jewell, part of a price [prize?] that was brought in to that country. The Earle of Lyncolne[55] hearing of it, sent for Kent, and desyred him to bestowe it on him, but when Kent would not part from it for thankes, the Earle gaue him a bill of his hand for the payment of 80l. at a certaine day. At the day, came and demaunded it, the Earl would see his bill, and when he had it he put it in his pocket, and fell in talke with some gent. then present; but when Kent continued still in the roome, expectinge either his bill or his monie, the Earl gave him hard wordes and sent him away without either. (Durum.)
Feb. 19.
Mr. Cartwright demaundes some three acres of land of my cosen, which he saith one John Sutor of Bradborne gave vnto the Abby *of Towne Mallinge, by the name of Sutors Croft, lying betwixt his house and the churche. My cosen denies it.
My Cosen shee told him that Joane Bachellor vpon Thursday last had sent hir some fishe, which she sent back againe. Whereupon he said shee was of an ill nature that could not forgive. And this shee tooke in such snuffe that she could not afford him a good look all that day, but blubberd, &c.
fo. 15.
Febr. 1601.
This day there came certaine bags of pepper to New Hide to be conveyed to one Mr. Clarke of Ford, but they were seised by the Searcher of Rochester as goods not customed, &c.
Sr. Jaruis Clifton[56] beinge at a bare baytinge in Nottinghamshire: when the beare brake loose and followed his sonne vp a stayres towards a gallery where himself was, he opposed himselfe with his rapier against the fury of the beast, to saue his sonne. This same his beloued sonne not long after dyed, and his death was opened vnto him very discreetely by a gent, that fayned sorrowe as the case had bin his owne, till Sr. Jaruis gave him wordes of comfort, which after he applyed to Sr. Jaruis himselfe. (My cosen.)
One Burneham of London, whoe was the Watergate officer at Flushinge, being troubled with the stone, soe much that it was a hindraunce vnto him in the execution of his office, ventured a dangerous cure, and was cutt for it, but dyed of it. This cure by cutting is a newe invention, a kinde of practise not knowne to former ages. There is a seame * * * which the surgeons searche with a crooked instrument concaued at the one ende called a catheter, wherinto they make incision, and then grope for the stone with an other toole which they call a duckes bill: fo. 16.
Febr. 1601.yf the stone be greater then may be drawne forth at the hole made by the seame, the partie dyes for it. (My cosen.)
A certaine goldsmith in Cheape was indebted to my cosen above 100l. and after executed for clipping gold. Sir Richard Martin[57] seised the goodes for the Queen. After hir Majestie gave commaund by word of mouth, that all the debtes should be paid, but, because there was noe warraunt under hir Majesties hand, Sr. Richard refused to pay, yet he deliuered certaine of the goodes to my cosen, to be sold by him, which he made 30l. of and retained it. All the satisfaccion he could haue.
Vita cœlibis bis cœlestis, considering the crosses of marriage, and the aduise of the Apostle.