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undertake to do, for that I fuppofe, they may fo much concern the reader to know, that I may promife myfelf a pardon for a fhort digreffion.

IN the year of our redemption, 1553, Nicholas Wotton, Dean of Canterbury (whom I formerly mentioned), being then Ambaffador in France, dreamed that his nephew, this Thomas Wotton, was inclined to be a party in fuch a project, as, if he were not fuddenly prevented, would turn both to the lofs of his life, and ruin of his family.

Doubtlefs the good Dean did well know that common dreams are but a fenfelefs paraphrafe on our waking thoughts, or of the bufinefs of the day paft, or are the refult of our over-engaged affections, when we betake ourfelves to reft; and knew that the obfervation of them may turn to filly fuperftitions, as they too often do. But though he might know all this, and might alfo believe that prophecies are ceafed; yet, doubtlefs, he could not but confider, that all dreams are not to be neglected or caft away without all confideration, and did therefore rather lay this dream afide, than intend totally to lose it; and dreaming the fame again the night following, when it became a double dream, like that of Pharaoh (of which double dreams the learned have made many obfervations), and confidering that it had no dependence on his waking thoughts, much lefs on the defires of his heart, then he did more ferioufly confider it; and remembered that Almighty God was pleafed in a dream to reveal and to affure Monica the mother of St. Austin, "That he, her fon, for whom the wept fo bitterly, and prayed "fo much, fhould at laft become a Chriftian"." This, I believe, the good Dean confidered; and confidering alfo that Almighty God (though the caufes of dreams be often unknown) hath even in these latter times alfo, by a certain illumination of the foul in fleep, discovered many things that human wisdom could not forefee: Upon these confiderations he resolved to use so prudent a remedy, by way of prevention, as might introduce no great inconvenience either to himself or to his nephew. And to that end, he wrote to the Queen (it was Queen Mary), and besought her, "That "The

This dream is related by St. Augustin in Confeffionum, Lib. III. c. ii.

"The would caufe his nephew, Thomas Wotton, to be fent for out of Kent; "and that the Lords of her Council might interrogate him in fome fuch feigned queftions, as might give a colour for his commitment into a "favourable prifon; declaring that he would acquaint her Majesty with "the true reafon of his request, when he should next become so happy as to fee and speak to her Majefty"."

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It was done as the Dean defired. And in prifon I must leave Mr. Wotton, till I have told the reader what followed.

At this time a marriage was concluded betwixt our Queen Mary, and Philip King of Spain. And though this was concluded with the advice, if not by the perfuafion, of her Privy Council, as having many proba bilities of advantage to this nation; yet divers perfons of a contrary perfuafion did not only declare against it, but also raifed forces to oppose it; believing (as they faid) it would be a means to bring England to be under a fubjection to Spain', and make thofe of this nation flaves to strangers.

And of this number Sir Thomas Wyat, of Boxley-Abbey in Kent (betwixt whofe family, and the family of the Wottons, there had been an an cient and entire friendship), was the principal actor; who having perfuaded many of the nobility and gentry (especially of Kent) to fide with him, and he being defeated, and taken prifoner, was legally arraigned and condemned, and loft his life: So did the Duke of Suffolk, and divers others;

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This account feems to be confirmed by Speed. "Among many dislikers of the Queen's marriage, it chanced one for fome other offence to be committed to the Fleet, by the Councel, who, "being an inward acquaintance of Sir Thomas Wyatt's, was supposed by him to have revealed the confpiracie, whereupon he put himself in action, before the enterprize was altogether ripe." (Speed's Hift. of Great Britain. p. 1112.)-The author of the "Account of the Deans of Canterbury," has ingenioufly conjectured that this dream of the good Dean was a mere political contrivance, the refult of deep deliberation, to preferve the life of his nephew, whofe intimacy with Sir Thomas Wyat would probably have induced him to engage in the confpiracy.—See also Biogr. Brit. in the Article WOTTON [E].

'It was generally fuppofed at this time, that, under the femblance of introducing the Romish religion into England, the fecret defign of Philip was to fecure to himself the pof feffion of the Imperial Crown of England, and to make the English vaffals to the power of Spain. (Kennet's Hift. of England, Vol. III. p. 339.)

especially many of the gentry of Kent, who were there in several places executed as Wyat's affiftants'.

And of this number, in all probability, had Mr. Wotton been, if he had not been confined. For, though he could not be ignorant that "Another "man's treafon makes it mine by concealing it," yet he durft confefs to his uncle, when he returned into England, and then came to vifit him in prifon, "That he had more than an intimation of Wyat's intentions," and thought he had not continued actually innocent, if his uncle had not fo happily dreamed him into a prifon; out of which place, when he was delivered by the fame hand that caufed his commitment, they both confidered the dream more ferioufly, and both then joined in praising God for it; "That God, who ties himself to no rules, either in preventing of evil, or in fhewing of mercy to thofe whom of good pleasure he hath chofen "to love."

And

Of this Rebellion fee "Kennet's complete History of England," vol. II. p. 340. The following anecdote affords an example of loyalty and zeal at this time:

"Ralph Rokeby, Serjeant at the Common Law, and of the antient family of Rokeby, of "Rokeby, near Greta-bridge, Yorkshire, was fo eminent in his profeffion, that he refufed the "office of Lord Chief Justice, when offered to him on the ceffion of Justice Morgan, Sir "Tho. Wiatt the rebell of Kent, against King Philip, Q. Mary, and the Spaniards, being "noifed to be coming towards London, this Ralph Rokeby went to Westminster in his Ser"jeant's robes to plead, and under them a good coat-armour, and hearing att Charing-. "Crofs, the near approach of the rebells, he haftned him to the Queen's Court at White"hall, ftrung and fetled an Archer of the Livery Guards' bow, that ftood there unftrung, "threw down the Serjeant's robes for that time, and went to the Gate-house to serve there "with a bow and a fheaf of arrows, and there tarried till the enemy yielded, and thus in the "time of need he was ready to fight with his body for his Prince against rebells, on whom "he had jurisdiction in time of peace in the circuit of Northampton, Warwick, Coventre, "Leceister, Derby, Nottingham, Lincoln, and Rutland, to adjudge of their lives, lands, and "goods, for there he was Juftice of Aflife and Goale Delivery." (MS. Memoirs of the Rokebys, in the poffeffion of Francis Smyth, Efq. of New-buildings, Yorkshire.)

This fentiment happily illuftrates the beneficence of Providence accomplishing its gracious purposes in a manner beft fuited to its own difpenfations, in promoting the happiness of good

men.

And this dream was the more confiderable, because that God, who in the days of old did use to speak to his people in vifions, did feem to speak to many of this family in dreams; of which I will alfo give the reader one short particular of this Thomas Wotton, whofe dreams did ufually prove true, both in foretelling things to come, and discovering things paft: And the particular is this. This Thomas, a little before his death, dreamed that the University Treasury was robbed by townfmen and poor fcholars"; and that the number was five; and being that day to write to his fon Henry at Oxford, he thought it worth so much pains, as by a postscript in his letter, to make a flight inquiry of it. The letter (which was writ out of Kent, and dated three days before) came to his fon's hands the very morning after the night in which the robbery was committed; and when the city and university were both in a perplexed inqueft of the thieves, then did Sir Henry Wotton fhew his father's letter, and by it fuch light was given of this work of darkness, that the five guilty perfons were presently discovered and apprehended, without putting the univerfity to fo much trouble as the cafting of a figure.

And it may yet be more confiderable, that this Nicholas and Thomas Wotton should both (being men of holy lives, of even tempers, and much given to fasting and prayer) foresee and foretel the very days of their own death. Nicholas did fo, being then feventy years of age, and in perfect health'. Thomas did the like in the fixty-fifth year of his age; who, being then in London (where he died), and foreseeing his death there, gave diY 2 rection

Of the robbery here mentioned, no account whatever is recorded in the annals of the University.

Judicial Aftrology was much in use long after this time. Its predictions were received with reverential awe; and men, even of the most enlightened understandings, were inclined to believe that the conjunctions and oppofitions of the planets had no little influence in the affairs of the world. Even the excellent Jofeph Mede difdained not to apply himself to the ftudy of Aftrology.

▾ This is intimated in the infcription on his monument, erected in the Cathedral Church of Canterbury. "Hæc ille ante mortem et ante morbum quafi fatalem diem præfentiens et "cygneam cantionem propheticé canens fuâ manu in Mufæo fcripta reliquit."

rection in what manner his body fhould be carried to Bocton; and, though he thought his uncle Nicholas worthy of that noble monument which he built for him in the Cathedral Church of Canterbury, yet this humble man gave direction concerning himself, to be buried privately, and especially without any pomp at his funeral.

This is fome account of this family, which feemed to be beloved of God.

BUT it may now feem more than time that I return to Sir Henry Wotton at Oxford, where, after his optic lecture, he was taken into such a bofom friendship with the learned Albericus Gentilis (whom I formerly named), that, if it had been poffible, Gentilis would have breathed all his excellent knowledge, both of the mathematics and law, into the breast of his

* This noted Civilian having left Italy along with his father, Matthew Gentilis, who had embraced the reformed religion, came into England and died at London in 1608, aged 58 years. He published three books, "De Jure Belli;" which proved very useful to Grotius, in his great work, "De Jure Belli et Pacis," and alfo a tractate "De Latinitate veteris Bibliorum Verfionis," with other works. (Dictionaire Hiftorique, &c.)

The following high encomium is given of him by Mr. Thomas Savile, in a letter to Mr. Camden. "Albericum primarium olim in Italiâ Judicem, Chriftianæ Religionis ergô nunc in "Anglia exulem, Oxonii Profefforem publicum, et tuo et meo nomine dignum, Virum re"peries non unum è Tricaffinis, fed ipfam Humanitatem, merum Candorem, alterum denique "Camdenum." (Camdeni Epift. p. 8.)

Bayle mentions with much difapprobation a method obferved by Albericus Gentilis, whose eagerness in the acquifition of knowledge impelled him to seek inftruction not less from converfation than from reading. This circumftance is noticed by himself. "Quid de Oxonien"fibus meis? Vel repertoria mea teftantur fatis quantum ego capiam fructus ex eorum "virorum et juvenum colloquiis, nam in illis ego defcripfi non pauca quæ, dum minus id "ipfi cogitant, difco tamen et affervo ex fermonibus familiaribus." (Dial. III. de Juris Suterp. p. 36.)

Civil Law. In feveral parts of his writings he has frequent allufions to the processes and practices obferved in the ecclefiaftical courts. "A libel, whofe fubftance cannot be changed "after it is once given into a civil or ecclefiaftical court, may in fome fort be declared or "amended before a replication be made thereunto. A witnefs, &c." (Preface to his Supplement to the Hiftory of Christendom.)

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