[157]Henry Martin, esq., son and heir of Sir Henry Martin, knight, Judge of the Arches, was borne at <Oxford>.
Henry, the son, was of the university of <Oxford[158]>; travelled France, but never Italie. His father found out a rich wife for him, whom he married something unwillingly. He was a great lover of pretty girles, to whom he was so liberall that he spent the greatest part of his estate.
When he had found out a maried woman[159] that he liked (and he had his emissaries, male and female, to looke out) he would contrive such or such a good bargain, 20 or 30 li. per annum under rent, to have her neer him. He lived from his wife a long time. If I am not mistaken shee was sometime distempered by his unkindnesse to her.
King Charles I had complaint against him for his wenching. It happened that Henry was in Hyde-parke one time when his majestie was there, goeing to see a race. The king espied him, and sayd aloud, 'Let that ugly rascall be gonne out of the parke, that whore-master, or els I will not see the sport.' So Henry went away patiently, sed manebat alta mente repostum. That sarcasme raysed the whole countie of Berks against him[160]: he[161] was as far from a Puritane as light from darknesse. Shortly after[162], (1641) he was chosen knight of the shire of that county, nemine contradicente, and proved a deadly enemy to the king.
He was a great and faithfull lover of his countrey, and never gott a farthing by the Parliament. He was of an incomparable witt for reparte's; not at all covetous; humble, not at all arrogant, as most of them were; a great cultor of justice, and did always in the house take the part of the oppressed.
Anno 1660 he was obnoxious for having been one of the late king's judges, and he was in very great danger to have suffred as the others did (he pleaded only the king's Act or Proclamation at Breda, which he shewd in his hand), but (as he was a witt himselfe) so the lord Falkland saved his life by witt, saying, 'Gentlemen, yee talke here of makeing a sacrifice; it was the old lawe[163], all sacrifices were to be without spott or blemish; and now you are going to make an old rotten rascall a sacrifice.' This witt tooke in the house, and saved his life.
He was first a prisoner at the Tower; then at Windsore (removed from thence because he was an eie-sore to his majestie etc.); from thence to Chepstowe, where he is now (1680). During his imprisonment his wife relieved him out of her joincture, but she dyed....
His stature was but midling; his habit moderate; his face not good. Sir Edward Baynton was wont to say that his company was incomparable, but that he would be drunke too soon.
His speeches in the house were not long, but wondrous poynant, pertinent, and witty. He was exceeding happy in apt instances. He alone haz sometimes turned the whole house. Makeing an invective speech one time against old Sir Henry Vane, when he had don with him, <he> said, But for young Sir Harry Vane——and so sate him downe. Severall cryed out—'What have you to say to young Sir Harry?' He rises up: Why! if young Sir Harry lives to be old; he will be old Sir Harry! and so sate downe, and set[164] the house a laughing, as he oftentimes did.—Oliver Cromwell once in the house called him, jestingly or scoffingly, 'Sir Harry Martin.' H. M. rises and bowes, 'I thanke your majestie, I alwayes thought when you were king, that I should be knighted.'—A godly member made a motion to have all profane and unsanctified persons expelled the Houses. H. M. stood up and moved that all the fooles might be putt out likewise, and then there would be a thin house.—He was wont to sleep much in the house (at least dog-sleepe): alderman Atkins made a motion that such scandalous members as slept and minded not the businesse of the house, should be putt-out. H. M. starts up—'Mr. Speaker, a motion has been to turne out the Nodders; I desire the Noddees may also be turnd out.'—H. M. sayd that he had 'seen the Scripture fulfilld—Thou hast exalted the humble and meeke; thou hast filled the emptie with ... things, and the rich hast thou sent emptie away.'—See a pretty speech of his in print about the comeing in of the Scotts to assist and direct us.
[165]Henry Martyn made the motion in the house to call the addressers to account (viz. those that addressed to Richard Cromwell, Protector, to stand by him with their lives and fortunes), and that all the addressers that were of it (of the house) might be turnd[166] out as enemies to the commonwealth of England and betrayers of their trust to bring in government by a single person. Had not Dick Cromwell sneak't away, then it is certaine that the Rump would have cutt-off his head, as I am well assurd from a deare friend[167] of mine.