‘Whose prince must be (as their own books devise)
Lord of the scene where now his danger lies.’
On October 8, 1623, Dr. Wren’s diary records ‘we landed at Portsmouth,’ and his first and only journey out of Great Britain was over.
The sea-voyage, probably a stormy one, made an impression on his mind and he preached before the Universities on the text ‘One deep calleth to another.’ This is said to have been a remarkable sermon, and old Fuller declares that he became an excellent preacher. The one sermon of his now extant, preached at a later date, on the text ‘Fear God, honour the King,’ shows that he modelled his style greatly on that of Bishop Andrewes, though without attaining to the same excellence. The sermon is a bold and outspoken one, and has its striking passages. King James, in testimony of his approval of Dr. Wren’s conduct as his son’s chaplain, bestowed on him the valuable living of Bingham, in Nottinghamshire, to which he was inducted during the next year, resigning his fellowship of Pembroke and the living of Feversham.
AT WINCHESTER HOUSE.
Previous to this event, and soon after the Prince’s return, a singular incident occurred. Wren, who had been down to Cambridge, came up, as he says, ‘suddenly’ to London, and as it was late, lodged with his sister in Friday Street, instead of going to Winchester House, where the Bishop kept ‘three rooms near the garden’ fitted and reserved for him, and where he had lodged twice or thrice. He had, however, seen the Bishop twice, also the Bishops of Durham and S. David’s, had taken leave of them on a Saturday, and was prepared to return to Cambridge on the Monday morning following. His journey was, however, delayed by an event which shall be given in his own words:—[9]
‘On Monday morne by break of the day there was a great knocking at the door where I lay. And at last the apprentice (who lay in the shop) came up to my bedside, and told me there was a messenger from Winchester House to speak with me. The business was to let me know, that my Lord, when he came from Court last night, had given his steward charge to order it so that I might be spoken with, and be required as from him without fail to dine with him on Monday; but to be at Winchester House by ten of the clock, which I wondered the more at, his lordship not using to come from his study till near twelve. My businesse would hardly permit this, yet because of his lordship’s importunity, I got up presently, and into Holborn I went, and there used such despatch, that soon after ten of the clock, I took a boat and went to Winchester House, where I found the steward at the water gate waiting to let me in the nearest way; who told me that my lord had called twice to know if I were come. I asked where his lordship was? He answered, in his great gallery (a place where I knew his lordship scarce came once in a year), and thither I going, the door was locked, but upon my lifting a latch, my lord of St. David’s opened the door, and, letting me in, locked it again.
‘There I found but those three Lords, who causing me to sit down by them, my Lord of Durham began to me: “Doctor, your Lord here will have it so, I that am the unfittest person must be the speaker. But thus it is. After you left us yesterday at Whitehall, we entering into further discourses of those things which we foresee and conceive will ere long come to pass, resolve to again to speak to you before you went hence.
‘“We must know of you, what your thoughts are concerning your master the Prince. You have now been his servant above two years, and you were with him in Spain. We know he respects you well; and we know you are no fool, but can observe how things are like to go.” “What things, my Lord?” (quoth I). “In brief,” said he, “how the Prince’s heart stands to the Church of England, that when God brings him to the Crown we may know what to hope for.”
‘My reply was to this effect, that however I was most unfit of any opinion herein, attending but two months in the year and then at a great distance, only in the closet and at meals; yet, seeing they so pressed me, I would speak my mind freely; so I said, “I know my master’s learning is not equal to his father’s, yet I know his judgement to be very right; and as for his affection in these particulars which your Lordships have pointed at, for upholding the doctrine and discipline and right estate of the Church, I have more confidence of him than of his father, in whom they say (better than I can) is so much inconstancy in some particular cases.”