[899]Mr. <Fabian> Philips also[900] tells me that ... Robson was the first that brought into England the art of making Venice glasses, but Sir Edward Zouche (a courtier and drolling favourite of King James) oppressed this poor man Robson, and forc't it from him, by these 4 verses to King James, which made his majestie laugh so that he was ready to bes— his briggs. The verses are these:—
Severn, Humber, Trent, and Thames,
And thy great Ocean and her streames
Must putt downe Robson and his fires
Or downe goes Zouche and his desires.
The king granted this ingeniose manufacture to Zouch, being tickled as aforesayd with these rythmes; and so poor Robson was oppressed and utterly undon, and came to that low degree of poverty that Mr. Philips told me that he swept the yard at Whitehall and that he himselfe sawe him doe it.
Sir Robert Mansell had the glasse-worke afterwards, and employed Mr. James Howell (author of The Vocall Forest) at Venice as a factor to furnish him with materialls for his worke.
Henry Rolle (1589-1656).
[901]I remember, about 1646 (or 1647) that Mr. John Maynard (now Sir John, and serjeant), came into Middle Temple hall, from Westminster-hall, weary with business, and hungry, when we had newly dined. He sate downe by Mr. Bennet Hoskyns (the only son of serjeant Hoskyns the poet), since baronet, and some others; who having made an end of their commons, fell unto various discourse, and what was the meaning of the text (Rom. 5. 7) 'For a just man one would dare to die; but for a good man one would willingly die.' They askt Mr. Maynard what was the difference between a just man and a good man. He was beginning to eate, and cryd:—'Hoh! you have eaten your dinners, and now have leasure to discourse; I have not.' He had eate but a bitt or two when he reply'd:—'I'le tell you the difference presently: serjeant Rolle is a just man, and Matthew Hale is a good man'; and so fell to make an end of his dinner. And there could not be a better[902] interpretation of this text. For serjeant Rolle was just, but by nature penurious; and his wife made him worse: Matthew Hale was not only just, but wonderfully charitable and open handed, and did not sound a trumpet neither, as the hypocrites doe.
Laurence Rooke (1623-1662).
[903]Laurence Rooke, borne at ... in Kent, was of <King's> Colledge in Cambridge, a good mathematician and a very good man, an intimate friend of Dr. Seth Ward (now lord bishop of Sarum).