acquaintance in that nation, and more particularly in Florence (which city is not more eminent for the Great Duke's Court, than for the great recourfe of men of choiceft note for learning and arts), in which number he there met with his old friend, Signior Vietta, a gentleman of Venice, and then taken to be Secretary to the Great Duke of Tuscany.

After fome ftay in Florence*, he went, the fourth time, to visit Rome; where in the English college he had very many friends (their humanity made them really fo, though they knew him to be a diffenter from many of their principles of religion), and having enjoyed their company, and fatisfied himself concerning fome curiofities that did partly occafion hie journey thither, he returned back to Florence, where a most notable accident befell him: An accident that did not only find new employment for his choice abilities, but did introduce him to a knowledge and an intereft with our King James, then King of Scotland; which I fhall proceed to relate.

But firft, I am to tell the reader, that though Qucen Elizabeth (or fhe and her council) were never willing to declare her fucceffor; yet James, then King of the Scots, was confidently believed by moft to be the man upon whom the fweet trouble of kingly government would be impofed: And the Queen declining very faft, both by age and vifible infirmities, those that were of the Romish perfuafion in point of religion (even Rome itself, and thofe of this nation,) knowing that the death of the Queen, and the cftablishing

Here he compofed his great work, "The State of Chriftendom; or a most Exact and Curious Discovery of many Secret Paffages and Hidden Myfleries of the Times," 1657. folio.A fecond edition appeared in 1677, with feveral additions. The defign of the Author feems to have been to ingratiate himself with Queen Elizabeth; on the tranfactions of whofe reign he expatiates in all the language of panegyric.

That men of learning fhould fix their refidence at Florence we need not wonder, when we reflect that this city has been long celebrated for its many excellent libraries, and principally for the ducal palace, which contains the greatest and most valuable collection made by one family, and within one roof, of ancient and modern fculpture, paintings and curiosities of every kind, both natural and artificial. Yet Sir Henry Wotton has given a very unfavourable account of this place. "I live here in a Paradife inhabited by devils. Venice hath scarce "heard of thofe vices which are here practifed. My best commodity is the converfation of "certain gentlemen, and their vulgar very pure and correct. So that here we have good "means to learn to speak well and to do ill." (Letter to Lord Zouch, Florence, June 25, 1592.)

establishing of her fucceffor, were taken to be critical days for deftroying or establishing the Proteftant religion in this nation, did therefore improve all opportunities for preventing a Proteftant prince to fucceed her. And as the Pope's excommunication of Queen Elizabeth' had, both by the judgment and practice of the Jefuited Papift, exposed her to be warrantably deftroyed; fo (if we may believe an angry adverfary", " a Secular Priest against a Jefuit,") you may believe, that about that time there were many endeavours, first to excommunicate, and then to shorten the life of. King James.

Immediately after Sir Henry Wotton's return from Rome to Florence (which was about a year before the death of Queen Elizabeth), Ferdinand, Z. 2.

the

Pope Pius V. without any previous admonition or citation, had paffed a private fentence of excommunication upon Queen Elizabeth; which, in 1576, he caused to be published, and to be fixed upon the Bishop of London's palace-gate. By this exertion of his authority, he depofed her from her kingdom, and enjoined all her fubjects to throw off their allegiance to her.This Bull was completely answered by a foreign divine, Henry Bullinger, a minister of the Reformed Church at Zurich. On this Bull Bishop Jewell addreffed his congregation in animated language, telling them,―That he had read it and weighed it thoroughly, and found it to be a matter of great blafphemy againft God, and a practice to work much unquietnefs, fedition, and treafon against our bleffed and profperous government: "For it depofed the "Queen's Majesty from her royal feat, and tore the crown from her head. It discharged all "her natural fubjects from all due obedience. It armed one fide of them against another. "It emboldened them to burn, to fpoil, to rob, to kill, to cut one another's throats; like "Pandora's box fent to Epimetheus, full of hurtful and unwholesome evils." (Bishop Jewell's Works.)

m William Watfon, a fecular priest, compofed a book, written with great acrimony in the fcolaftic method ufually obferved at that time, confifting of ten quodlibets; each of which is fubdivided into as many articles. It difclofeth the character and conduct of the Jefuits; ex-. hibiting in proper colours their arts of equivocation and mental refervation. Yet this man, for acute in difcerning the errors of others, was hanged in 1603, for High Treafon, along with William Clark, a Popish priest, and George Brook, brother to Lord Cobham, in conspiring the death of James I. He had deceived his accomplices by inftructing them, "That the "King, before his coronation, was not an actual but a political king, and therefore no treafon "could be committed against him." (See the State Trials.)

the Great Duke of Florence", had intercepted certain letters that discovered a design to take away the life of James the then King of Scots. The Duke abhorring the fact, and refolving to endeavour a prevention of it, advised with his Secretary Vietta, by what means a caution might be best given to that king; and after confideration, it was refolved to be done by Sir Henry Wotton, whom Vietta first commended to the Duke, and the Duke had noted and approved of above all the English that frequented his

court.

Sir Henry was gladly called by his friend Vietta to the Duke, who, after much profeffion of trust and friendship, acquainted him with the fecret ; and being well inftructed, despatched him into Scotland with letters to the King, and, with those letters, fuch Italian antidotes against poison as the Scots till then had been strangers to.

Having parted from the Duke, he took up the name and language of an Italian; and thinking it beft to avoid the line of English intelligence and danger, he posted into Norway, and through that country towards Scotland, where he found the King at Stirling: Being there, he used means by Bernard Lindsey, one of the King's bed-chamber, to procure him

Ferdinand I. of the house of Medici, who in 1589 fucceeded his brother Francis I. was educated for the church, and advanced to the dignity of a cardinal. He refigned his hat when he was 52 years of age. A wife and excellent prince, he applied himself to domeftic affairs and governed his fubjects with great mildness. He died in 1609. His character is drawn by Sir Henry Wotton in the "Reliquiæ Wottonianæ," p. 243. He is defcribed by a foreign historian in these words: "Princeps animo excelfo, et omnibus politicis artibus in "tantum inftructus, ut in multis feculis vix æqualem habuerit."

"This Duke," fays Sir Henry Wotton, in an addrefs to Charles I. " while I was a private traveller in Florence, and went fometime by chance (fure I am without any defign) to his court, was pleased out of fome gracious conceit which he took of my fidelity (for nothing elfe could move it), to employ me into Scotland, with a casket of antidotes and prefervatives (wherein he did excel all the princes of the world), and with a despatch of high and fecret importance, which he had intercepted touching fome practice upon the fucceffion to this crown; fo as I am much obliged to his memory, though it was a painful journey, for that honour, and other favours and beneficences; and especially because I came thereby firft into the notice of the king your father of ever bleffed memory, when your Majefty was but a blooming rofe."-(Reliq. Wotton. p. 246.)

him a speedy and private conference with his Majefty; affuring him, "That "the business which he was to negociate was of fuch confequence, as had "caufed the Great Duke of Tuscany to enjoin him fuddenly to leave his "native country of Italy, to impart it to his king."

This being by Bernard Lindsey made known to the King, the King, after a little wonder (mixed with jealoufy) to hear of an Italian ambassador or meffenger, required his name (which was faid to be Octavio Baldi'), and appointed him to be heard privately at a fixed hour that evening.

When Octavio Baldi came to the presence-chamber door, he was requested to lay aside his long rapier (which Italian-like he then wore), and being entered the chamber, he found there with the King three or four Scotch lords standing distant in several corners of the chamber, at the fight of whom he made a stand; which the King observing, "bade him "be bold, and deliver his message; for he would undertake for the secrecy "of all that were present." Then did Octavio Baldi deliver his letters and his meffage to the King in Italian: which when the King had graciously received, after a little pause, Octavio Baldi steps to the table, and whispers to the King in his own language, that he was an Englishman, befeeching him for a more private conference with his Majefty, and that he might be concealed during his ftay in that nation; which was promised, and really performed by the King during all his abode there, which was about three months all which time was spent with much pleasantnefs to the King, and with as much to Octavio Baldi himself as that country could afford ; from which he departed as true an Italian as he came thither.

To the Duke at Florence he returned with a fair and grateful account of his employment; and within some few months after his return, there came

certain

In a letter to the king, dated Dec. 9, 1622, Sir Henry Wotton ftyles himself, "Your Majesty's faithful vaffal, and long devoted poor fervant Octavio Baldi." (Reliq. Wotton. p.247.) And in a letter to Henry Prince of Wales, dated from Venice, April 14, 1608, he alludes to this circumstance of his life, calling himself "a poor counterfeit Italian." He probably affumed this name out of regard to the memory of Barnardino Baldi, Abbot of Guaftalla, a great master in his favourite fcience of architecture, and quoted by him as a commentator on Ariftotle's Mechanics.

certain news to Florence, that Queen Elizabeth was dead, and James, King of the Scots, proclaimed King of England. The Duke knowing travel and bufinefs to be the best schools of wifdom, and that Sir Henry Wotton had been tutored in both, advised him to return presently to England, and there joy the King with his new and better title, and wait there upon Fortune for a better employment.

When King James came into England, he found, amongst other of the late Queen's officers, Sir Edward, who was, after Lord Wotton, Comptroller of the Houfe, of whom he demanded, "If he knew one Henry "Wotton, that had spent much time in foreign travel?" The lord replied, he knew him well, and that he was his brother: Then the King, afking where he then was, was anfwered, at Venice or Florence; but by late letters from thence he understood he would fuddenly be at Paris. "Send "for him," faid the King; " and when he fhall come into England, bid "him repair privately to me." The Lord Wotton, after a little wonder, afked the King, "If he knew him?" to which the King anfwered, "You "must rest unsatisfied of that till you bring the gentleman to me.'

Not many months after this difcourfe, the Lord Wotton brought his brother to attend the King, who took him in his arms, and bade him welcome, by the name of Octavio Baldi; faying he was the most honeft, and therefore the best diffembler that ever he met with: And faid, "Seeing I "know you neither want learning, travel, nor experience, and that I "have had fo real a teftimony of your faithfulness and abilities to manage "an ambaffage, I have fent for you to declare my purpose; which is, to "make use of you in that kind hereafter." And indeed the King did fo most of those two-and-twenty years of his reign; but before he difmiffed Octavio Baldi from his present attendance upon him, he restored him to his old name of Henry Wotton, by which he then knighted him"

Not long after this, the King having refolved, according to his motto BEATI PACIFICI" to have a friendship with his neighbour kingdoms of France

James I. was as liberal in the diftribution of honours, as his predeceffor Queen Elizabeth was sparing. In 1603 he conferred knighthood on more than five hundred perfons.

James I. heard with great pleasure the epithet of the "pacific" monarch applied to himfelf. "I know not by what fortune the dicton of pacific was added to my title at my coming into