THE

LIFE

OF

SIR THOMAS BODLEY,*

The honourable founder of the Publick Library in the University of Oxford.

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.

Oxford, printed by Henry Hall, Printer to the University, 1647. Quarto, containing sixteen pages.

TO THE READER.

WHEN the great restorer of learning, our munificent benefactor, Sir Thomas Bodley, made the happy exchange of the troubles of this life, with the glories of a better: the university, according to the greatness of his merits, and their loss, in solemn grief and sadness, attended at his obsequies. But lest the uncharitable censure of the world should apprehend our thankfulness buried in the same grave with him, and cold as his dead ashes, in that we pay no after tribute to so engaging a desert: We bring to the altar of eternity that part of him which yet, and ever must survive. A monument freed from the laws of time and ruin, supported with the vigour of that name, which hath a semi. nal strength within itself, to make whole volumes live. But lest the judging and severer eye, viewing the nakedness of this relation, may thence despise the poorness of our endeavour: that I may speak the work above all scorn, above all praise, it was his own. Nor durst we call that draught in question, which felt the hand of so exact a master; but with awe looked on it, as on the fabrick of an ancient temple, where the ruin furthers our devotion, and gaudy ornaments do but prophane the sad religion of the place. It is true, it savours not the language of our age, that hath the art to murder with a smile, and folds a curse within a prayer, but speaks the rhetorick of that better world, where virtue was the garb, and truth the compliment. Those actions are of low and empty worth, that can shine only where the varnish of our words doth gild them over. The true diamond sparkles in its rock, and, in despight of darkness, makes a day. Here then, you shall behold actions with the same integrity set down, as they were first performed. A history described, as it was lived. A counsellor that admitted still religion to the cabinet, and in his active aims had a design on heaven. A spirit of that height, that

• This is the 90th number in the catalogue of pamphlets in the Harleian Library.

I

happiness, as in a private fortune to outdo the famed magnificence of mighty princes; whilst his single work clouds the proud fame of the Ægyptian Library, and shames the tedious growth of the wealthy Vatican. I know how hard a task it will be to persuade any to copy out from this fair pattern: however, we cannot so far despair of ingenuity, as not to expect, even from the unconcerned disinterested reader, a clear esteem and just resentment of it. If we gain by this, we shall in part rest satisfied, in an age so wholly lost to vice, conceiving it a great degree of virtue to confess the lustre of that good, which our perverse endeavours still avoid.

WAS born at Exeter, in Devonshire, the second of March, 1544, descended both by father and mother of worshipful parentage. By my father's side from an ancient family of Bodley, or Bodleigh of Dunscomb, by Crediton; and by my mother, from Robert Hone, Esq. of Ottery Saint Mary, nine miles from Exeter. My father, in the time of Queen Mary, being noted and known to be an enemy to popery, was so cruelly threatened, and so narrowly observed, by those that maliced his religion, that, for the safeguard of himself, and my mother, who was wholly affected as my father, he knew no way so secure, as to fly into Germany ; where, after a while, he found means to call over my mother, with all his children and family, whom he settled, for a time, at Wesell in Cleveland (for there, as then, were many English, which had left their country for their conscience, and with quietness enjoyed their meetings and preachings) and from thence we removed to the town of Franckfort, where was, in like sort, another English congregation. Howbeit, we made no long tarriance in either of those two towns, for that my father had resolved to fix his abode in the city of Geneva, where, as far as I remember, the English church consisted of some hundred persons. I was at that time of twelve years of age, but through my father's cost and care, sufficiently instructed to become an auditor of Chevalerius in Ilebrew, of Beroaldus in Greek, of Calvin and Beza in divinity, and of some other professors in that university, (which was newly then erected) besides my domestical teachers, in the house of Philibertus Saracenus, a famous physician in that city, with whom I was boarded; where Robertus Constantinus, that made the Greek Lexicon, read Homer unto me. Thus I remained there two years and more, until such time as our nation was advertised of the death of queen Mary,and succession of Elisabeth, with the change of religion, which caused my father to hasten into England; where he came with my mother, and with all their family, within the first of the queen, and settled their dwelling in the city of London. It was not long after, that I was sent away from thence to the University of Oxford, recommended to the teaching and tuition of Dr. Humfrey, who was shortly after chosen the chief reader in divinity, and president of Magdalen College. There I followed my studies, till I took the degree of batchelor of arts, which was in the year 1563; within which year I was also chosen probationer of Merton College, and the next year ensuing admitted Fellow. Afterwards, to wit, in the year 1565, by special persuasion of some of my Fellows, and for my private exercise, I undertook the publick reading of a Greek lecture, in the same college hall, without

requiring or expecting any stipend for it. Nevertheless, it pleased the fellowship, of their own accord, to allow me soon after four marks by the year, and ever since to continue that lecture to the college. In the year of our Lord 1566, I proceeded master of arts, and read, for that year, in the school-streets, natural philosophy; after which time, within less than three years space, I was won, by intreaty of my best-affected friends, to stand for the proctorship, to which I and my colleague, Master Bearblock, of Exeter College, were quietly elected in the year 1569, without any competition or countersuit of any other. After this, for a long time, I supplied the office of the University orator, and bestowed my time in the study of sundry faculties, without any inclination to profess any one above the rest; insomuch as, at last, I waxed desirous to travel beyond the seas, for attaining to the knowledge of some special modern tongues, and for the increase of my experience in the managing of affairs, being wholly then addicted to employ myself, and all my cares, in the publick service of the state. My resolution fully taken, I departed out of England, anno 1576, and continued very near four years abroad, and that in sundry parts of Italy, France, and Germany. A good while after my return, to wit, in the year 1585, I was employed by the queen to Frederick, father to the present king of Denmark; to Julius, duke of Brunswick, to William, landgrave of Hesse, and other German princes: the effect of my message was, to draw them to join their forces with her's, for giving assistance to the king of Navarre, now Henry the Fourth, king of France. My next employment was to Henry the Third, at such time as he was forced by the Duke of Guise to fly out of Paris; which I performed, in such sort as I had in charge, with extraordinary secresy; not being accompanied with any one servant (for so much I was commanded) nor with any other letters, than such as were written with the queen's own hand to the king, and some selected persons about him; the effect of that message it is fit I should conceal. But it tended greatly to the advantage not only of the King, but of all the protestants in France, and to the duke's apparent overthrow, which also followed soon upon it. It so befel after this, in the year eighty-eight, that, for the better conduct of her highness's affairs in the Provinces United, I was thought a fit person to reside in those parts, and was sent thereupon to the Hague in Holland, where, according to the contract that had formerly past, between her highness and the states, I was admitted for one of their council of estate, taking place in their assemblies next to Count Maurice, and yielding my suffrage in all that was proposed. During all that time, what approbation was given of my painful endeavours by the Queen, Lords in England, by the States of the country there, and by all the English soldiery, I refer it to be notified by some others relation; since it was not unknown to any of any calling, that then were acquainted with the state of that government. For, at my first coming thither, the people of that country stood in dangerous terms of discontentment, partly for some courses that were held in England, as they thought, to their singular prejudice, but most of all, in respect of the insolent demeanor of some of her highness's ministers, which only respected their private emolument, little weighing in their dealing what the queen had contracted with the States of the country; whereupon was conceived a

mighty fear on every side, that both a present dissolution of the contract would ensue, and a downright breach of amity between us and them. Now what means I set a foot for redress of those perils, and by what degrees the state of things was reduced into order, it would require a long treatise to report it exactly; but this I may aver with modesty and truth, and the country did always acknowledge it with gratitude, that, had I not of myself, without any direction from my superiors, proceeded in my charge, with extreme circumspection, as well in all my speeches and proposals to the States, as in the tenour of my letters, that I writ into England, some sudden alarm had been given, to the utter subversion and ruin of the state of those provinces; which, in process of time, must needs have wrought, in all probability, to the self-same effect in the state of this realm. Of this my diligence and care in the managing of my business, there was, as I have signified, very special notice taken by the queen and state at home, for which I received from her majesty many comfortable letters of her gracious acceptance, as withal, from that time forward, I did never receive almost any set instructions, how to govern my proceedings in her majesty's occasions, but the carriage, in a manner, of all her affairs was left to me, and my direction. Through this my long absence out of England, which wanted very little of five whole years, my private estate did greatly require my speedy return, which, when I had obtained by intercession of friends, and a tedious suit, I could enjoy but a while, being shortly after enjoined to repair to the Hague again. Nevertheless, upon a certain occasion to deliver unto her some secret overtures, and of performing thereupon an extraordinary service, I came again home within less than a twelvemonth; and I was no sooner come, but, her highness embracing the fruit of my discoveries, I was presently commanded to return to the States, with charge to pursue those affairs to performance, which I had secretly proposed; and according to the project, which I had conceived, and imparted unto her, all things were concluded and brought to that issue that was instantly desired, whereupon, I procured my last revocation. Now, here I cannot chuse, in making report of the principal accidents that have fallen unto me in the course of my life, but record among the rest, that, from the very first day, I had no man more to friend among the lords of the council, than was the lord treasurer Burleigh: For, when occasion had been offered of declaring his conceit as touching my service, he would always tell the queen, which I received from herself and some other ear witnesses, that there was not any man in England so meet as myself, to undergo the office of the secretary. And since his son, the present lord treasurer, hath signified unto me in private conterence, that, when his father intended to advance him to that place, his purpose was withal to make me his colleague. But the case stood thus in my behalf: Before such time as I returned from the Provinces United, which was in the year 1597, and likewise after my return, the then Earl of Essex did use me so kindly both by letters and messages, and other great tokens of his inward favours to me, that, though I had no meaning, but to settle in my mind my chiefest desire and dependence upon the Lord Burleigh, as one that I reputed to be both the best able, and therewithal the most willing to work my advancement with the queen,

yet, I knew not how, the Earl, who sought by all devices, to divert her love and liking both from the father and the son, but from the son especially, to withdraw my affection from the one and the other, and to win me altogether to depend upon himself, did so often take occasion to entertain the queen with some prodigal speeches of my sufficiency for a secretary, which were ever accompanied with words of disgrace against the present lord treasurer, as neither she herself, of whose favour before I was thoroughly assured, took any great pleasure to prefer me the sooner. For she hated his ambition, and would give little countenance to any of his followers, and both the lord Burleigh and his son waxed jealous of my courses, as if under-hand I had been induced, by the cunning and kindness of the Earl of Essex, to oppose myself against their dealings. And though, in very truth, they had no solid ground at all of the least alteration in my disposition towards either of them both, for I did greatly respect their persons and places, with a settled resolution to do them any service, as also in my heart I detested to be held of any faction whatsoever; yet the now lord treasurer, upon occasion of some talk, that I have since had with him, of the Earl and his actions, hath freely confessed of his own accord unto me, that his daily provocations were so bitter and sharp against him, and his comparisons so odious, when he put us in a balance, as he thought thereupon he had very great reason to use his best means, to put any man out of hope of raising his fortune, whom the Earl with such violence, to his extreme prejudice, had endeavoured to dignity. And this, as he affirmed, was all the motive he had to set himself against me, in whatsoever might redound to the bettering of my estate, or increasing of my credit and countenance with the queen. When I had thoroughly now bethought me, first in the Earl, of the slender hold-fast that he had in the favour of the queen, of an endless opposition of the chiefest of our statesmen like still to wait upon him, of his perilous, and feeble, and uncertain advice, as well in his own, as in all the causes of his friends: And when moreover, for myself, I had fully considered how very untowardly these two counsellors were affected unto me, upon whom before in cogitation I had framed all the fabrick of my future prosperity; how ill it did concur with my natural disposition to become, or to be counted either a stickler or partaker in any publick faction; how well I was able, by God's good blessing, to live of myself, if I could be content with a competent livelihood; how short time of further life I was then to expect by the common course of nature; when I had, I say, in this manner, represented to my thoughts my particular estate, together with the Earl's, I resolved thereupon to possess my soul in peace, all the residue of my days; to take my full farewel of state employments, to satisfy my mind with that mediocrity of worldly living, that I had of my own, and so to retire me from the court, which was the epilogue and end of all my actions and endea vours of any important note, till I came to the age of fifty-three. Now, although after this, by her majesty's direction, I was often called to the court, by the now lord treasurer, then secretary, and required by him, as also divers times since, by order from the King, to serve as ambassador in France, to go a commissioner from his highness, for concluding the truce between Spain and the provinces, and to negotiate in other