CENTRE for REFORMATION and RENAISSANCE STUDIES VICTORIA UNIVERSITY T O R O N T O HOWELL'S FAMILIAR LETTIRS. The Familiar Lêtters of James Howell Historiorat]cr Royal to Charles II. EDITED BY JOSEPH JACOBS CORRESPOI'qDING IIEIIBER OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF HISTORY, IIADRID LONDON : PUBLISHED BY DA VID NUTT IN THE STRAND MDCCCXC To Mr. (nou, Dr.) JAMES GOIY, at tVotti.ghan 7" is some years ago, you may remember, that you asked me to procure you a Howell, " I chanced upon another cop9. Here then at la.t you ha,e him, tricked out in I.raver «tpparel than he ever yet bas knou'n, and prooided u'ith such aids fo the l.etter understanding and ejo9iug poor skill could det, ise. Fou u,ere probably attracted to Hot«ell, as I t«as, out Thackeray's pe-rh«ps too enthusiastic p'aise ; but, once the ceremon 9 of introduction is or, er, he wi»s us to him- se" by his ou,n nerits. His wide range of experience and of interest, his vicissitudes of trat, el a»d of jbrtune, the many cities he visited, the many men he kneu,, his J)tnd of gossip «md anecdote, his qu«tint yet earnest reflections on le, all combine to make his Letters a more .aried literarff repast than ahnost any other collection of the kind in our lit«rature ; and with it all there goes his unabashed se2 satiaction in his own clet,erness which gives an added piquanc9 to all he sa9s. bt short, he is rst in point  rime  the order of men to ohich Pepys, Bosu,ell, and lValpole .belong. I ara hoping that he will take his place by their side as one  the perennial sources, instructive at once and amus- ing, of English " Culturgeschichte." Amid all his z,anity and supe«iality, there is one note of sentimenl vl sentiment u,hich rings true. He could make friends and keep them. I bave tlterefore thought it hot inappropriate to connect this attempt to win for him a secure place in English Letters with the naine of one of ny oldest and truest friends. I ara, m/dear Gow, Yours ve,7t sincerely, JOSEPH JACOBS. PREFACE.  T is strange that no new edition { [Ç:b/ of Howdrs Lellers has appeared   for the last i3o years. In the , 15 century after their first appear-  no less than a dozen edi- ance, 'e _..' tions testified to their continued vitality, and stray allusions prove that they have never passed beyond the ken of the true loyers of books. A work which Thackeray has praised so highly, and Scott, Browning, and Kingsley bave used for some of their most popular effects, cannot be said to have ever lost its chances of revival. Perhaps the supply of the second-hand copies of twelve editions has hitherto been sufficient to satisfy the demand. But the avidity of out American cousins is fast causing this source to rail, and the i time viii time seems opportune for Howell to make a fresh bid for the popularity he deserves. In order hot to diminish his chances, I have selected for this reprint the so-called tenth edition of I737, which is regarded as the best "in the trade," or, in other words, has found most favour among readers hitherto. This is sufficiently archaic to give the old-world air which seems congenial to the book, and yet sufficiently free from the eccentri- cities of seventeenth century spelling, which repel so many readers. There is a special reason why we may more boldly depart from the spelling of the original copies in Howell's case than in that of most others. In his way, Howell was a spelling reformer, and attempted to carry out his reforms in his own books. But, then as now, authors had to reckon with compositors, and what with Howell's reforms and his printer's customs of the trade, a more confounded confusion could not well be ima- gined than the cacography of the early editions. And the punctuation--if punctuation it can be called mis in even a still worse state. It did hot seem worth while to reproduce this. The history of English spelling is doubtless an instructive and exhilarating study, but the interests of English literature are paramount. In the Supplement, how- ever, I have reproduced the previously inedited Letters of Howell with diplomatic accuracy, from which the reader will be able to judge what he has lost PREFACE. iX lost, or gained, by my adoption of a middle course between entire modernisation and retention of the original spelling. In one point it seemed worth while reverting to Howell's original spelling. The proper names, personal and geographical, had suffered somewhat severely at the hands of successive reprinters. I bave therefore restored these, I believe in every case, to the form in which they appeared in the first editions of the several parts. While doing this, I bave corrected the few misprints, and here and there have restored the original spelling, either because it was more quaint or more modern than the orthography of I737. JOSEPH JACOBS. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGe: DEDICATION V PREFACE . vil TESTIMONIA xi HOWELLS LETTERS The Vote, or a Poem-Royal 5 Poetic Epistle on Familiar Zetters 13 Book I. 17 Book II. 375 Book III.. 5   Book IV.. 555 SUPPLEMENT OF LETTERS AND ]ï)OCUMENTS OF AND ABOUT HOWELL, MAINLY FROM UNPUBLISHED SOURCES 649 TES T I I l O N I.t. NOT to know the Author of these Poems, were an ignorance beyond t?arbarism . . . He may be called the prodigie of his Age, for the variety of his Volumes ; for from his AvpoAoT&t or larlf of 're«s [I64O], to his 0,1»o,ko,f« or _l°arly of«a«t« [x66o] (not inferior to the other), there bath pass'd the Prcss above forty of his Works on various subjects ; useful not only to the present times, but to ail posterity. And 'tis observed that in all his Writings there is something still New, eithcr in the tter, lethod or tancy, and in an untrodden Tract. Moreover, one may dis- cover a kinde of Vein of toesie to run through the body of his trose, in the Continuity and succinctness thereof all along. He teacheth a new way of Epistolizing; and that Familiar Zetters may not only consist of Words and a bombast of Compliments, but that they are capable of the highest Speculations and solidest kind of Knowledge. I°ETER 'ISHER, Preface to M't. ttowel's t'oems, 1664. H. had a singular command of his pen whether in verse or in prose, and was well read in modern Histories, especially in those of the Countries wherein he had travelled, had a parabolical and allusive fancy, according to his motto Senesco no» segnesco. But the Reader is to know that his writings, having been only to gain a livelihood, and by their dedications to flatter great and noble persons, are very trite and empty, stolen from other authors with- out acknowledgment, and fitted only to please the humours of novices .... Many of the said Letters were never written before the Author of them was in the Fleet, as he pretends they were, only xii TESTIiOI I. only feigned (no time being kept with their dates) and purposely published to gain money to relieve his necessities, yet give a tolerable history of these rimes. ANa:ViOler A WooI), Athen« Oxon (I69I), iii. 744 (ed. 1817). HE vas master of more modern languages and author of more books than any other Englishman of his rime. J. GRANGER, ]iogr. Z-Zist. of Enoel. ( 769). I BELIEVE the second published correspondence of this kind and in our own language, at least of any importance after Hall, will be found to be EPISTOL/E HOELIAN/E, or the letters of James Howell, a great traveller, an intimate friend of Jonson, and the first who bore the office of historiographer, which dis- cover a variety of literature, and abound with much entertaining and useful information. T. ]VARTON, f-ffi$t. 0 ¢ English _Poelry ( 178 I), § lxiv. ad fln. HOWELL, the author of t;amiliar Letlers, &c., wrote the chief part of them, and almost all his other works, during his long con- finement in the Fleet Prison ; some say for debts which his irregular living had occasioned, and others for political reasons. This is certain, that he used his pen for subsistence in that im- prisonment, and there produced one of the most agreeable works in the English language. I. D'IsRAELI, Cur[osities of Literature. A WORK containing numberless anecdotes and historical narratives, and forming one of the most amusing and instructive volumes of the seventeenth century. SIR EGERTON BRYDGES, Censura Ziteraria (i8o8), vi. 232. THE Eist. Z-fo-Elianoe is one of the most amusing volumes extant. And I purpose, God willing, at some future rime to give a new and corrected impression of this excellent book, with notes and an appendix, for which work I have for a long rime past been making the necessary collections. PH. BLISS, notes on At/ten. Oxon. (I817) , iii. 747- HOWELL TESTIMONIA. xiii HOWELL has no wit, but he has abundance of conceits, fiat and commonplace enough. With all this he was a man of some sense and observation. His letters are entertaining. H. HALLAM, Literature of Europe (1839), iii. 393 (ed. t 87 z). I.VHAT old English work, it might be asked, is there which gives so vivid a picture of the period to which it relates, in so amusing a style, and which so pleasantly varies its subjects, passing "from grave to gay, from lively to severe," as Howell's Zetters? If Anthony Wood's statement is true that many of the letters were composed in prison for the press, and were never actually sent to the correspondents whose names are prefixed to them, the volume is entitled to a still higher place in a critical review of the literature of the time. None but a "toaster of the craft" could have given to a series prepared for such a purpose, so much of "the form and pressure" of the ordinary letters which pass in the social intercourse of lire, without a view to any ulterior destination, between man and man. J. CROSSLE¥', Diary of f/'orthingt,,n (i874), p. 349. IONTAIGNE and " Howel's Letlers" are my bedside books. If I wake at night, I have one or other of them to prattle me to sleep again. They talk about themselves for ever and don't weary me. I like to hear them tell their old stories over and over again. I read them in the dozy hours and only hall remember them. I am informed that both of them tell coarse stories. I don't heed them. It was the custom of their rime, as it is of Highlanders and Hottentots, to dispense with a part of dress which we all wear in cities .... I love. I say, and scarcely ever tire of hearing, the artless prattle of those two dear old friends, the Perigourdin gentleman and the priggish litfle Clerk of King Charles's Council. W. M. THACKERAY, I¢ounda3out ta2#ers : On Z'wo Children in Black. A THOROUGH Welshman, Howell became a celebrated English author in his day. He was past forty years of age belote his first book was published. Then for the remaining twenty odd years xiv TESTIIIONIA. years of his life, with an incessant and unwearying industry, he wrote, compiled, or translated book after book, each varying greatly in subject. Lastly, he is one of the earliest instances of a literary man successfully maintaining himself with the fruits of his pen. E. ARBER, Pref. to Howell's [nstructions (t869). To the list of writers whom it is impossible to use with con- fidence must, I am afraid, be added that agreeable letter-writer Howell. But there can be no doubt that many of his letters are mere products of the bookmaker's skill, drawn up from memory long afterwards lE.g.I, il. i2]. On the other hand, some of the letters bave ail the look of being what they purport to be, actually written at the rime, but even then, the dates at the end are fre- quently incorrectly given. S. 1ç[. GARDINER. HOWELL had something of the versatile activity of Defoe; like Defoe, he travelled on the Continent for commercial purposes, and like Defoe, he was often employed on political missions. Only Howell had less power than the later adventurer, and was less intensely political, observing men good-humouredly, and recording his observations with sparkling liveliness. W. MINTO, Engl. trose Zit. (t872), p. 351. HE may be called the Father of Epistolary Literature, the first writer, that is to say, of writers which, addressed to individuals, were intended for publication. A style animated, racy, and picturesque ; keen powers of observation ; great literary skill ; an eager, restless, curious spirit ; some humour and much wit, and a catholicity of sympathy very unusual with the writers of his age --are his chief claims to distinction. W. B. SCOONES, English Zetlers (i88o), p. 7i. Mv BOOKS. For the row that I prize is yonder, Away on the unglazed shelves, The bulged and the bruised octavos, The dear and the dumpy twelves. Montaigne TESTIMONIA. XV Montaigne with his sheepskin blistered, And Howell the worse for wear, And the worm-drilled Jesuits' Horace, And the little old cropped Molière, And the Burton I bought for a florin, And the Rabelais foxed and flea'd. For the others I never have opened, For those are the books I read. AUSTIN DOBSON, Al the Sign oJtke Zyre (1885), p. 82. HE wrote all manner of things, but has chiefly survived as the author of a large collection of ffamiliar Zetters, which bave been great favourites with some excellent judges. They have some- thing of the agreeable garrulousness of Walton. But Howell was not only much more of a gossip than Izaak ; he was also a good deal of a coxcomb, while Walton was destitute of even a trace of coxcombry. In one, however, as in the other, the attraction of matter completely outdoes the purely literary attraction. The reader is glad to hear at first hand what men thought of Raleigh's execution ; how Ben Jonson behaved in his cups ; how foreign parts looked to a genuine English traveller early in the seventeenth century, and so forth. Moreover, the book was long a very popular one, and an unusual number of anecdotes and scraps passed from it into the general literary stock of English writers. But Howell's manner of telling his stories is hOt extraordinarily attractive, and has something self-conscious and aitificial about it which detracts from its interest. G. SAINTSBUR¥, Elizabetkan Literature (I887) , p. 441. istolce /-]o-E'a nce ." FAMILIAR LETTERS DOMESTICK and FOREIGN, Divided into Four BOOKS: Partly { HISTORICAL, POLITICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL " Upon Emergent Occasions. By zq21IES ttOIUELL, Esq.; One of the Clerks of his late Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council. Ut clavis portam, sic pandit Epistola pectus. £ 01VDOIV: 1I DCC XXXVII TO HIS MAJESTY. SIR, Ahzjcsty ; who as the Law styles j,ou the Fountain of Honour and Grace, so you should be the Centre of out Happiness. If your Iaj«sly voucsafe t«»z  gr«cious A@ect, tley ay all prove Letters of if hot Ceeltial Letters, wçc; Sovere«z Pri«ces ¢tse od), to a¢ttkorize: Thcy vel&tre to go aroa itto the vast Ocean of the lVorM as Letters of M art, reatest Lord ofSea «tnder Haven, is flltest to ro#ct lke»z ; atd tho thoE will not fear aoE humaz ower. Zoreover, as lhis ç'al rotection secures a# danger, so # will Dzitcly cod¢tce lo tke ros- erity (their Voyage, and bri«g them # sale gor wit; ricfi Rcturns. Nor 4 THE E PISTLE DEDICATORY. iVor would these Letters e sa Familiar, as lo 2kre- suze on so hh a Patroza2e, were zot mauy  the»z Records your own ç,al Actions : zd 'tis wcll kuowu, thal Letters can treasure up, and trans- mit Matters of State to Posterity, with as much Faitb, and be as authentick Registers, and safe Repositories of Truth, as any Story whatsoever, This britgs [he»z la [le ros[ra# al four Weet, wi[h lheir tthor, who SIR, Your Majesty's most Loyal Subject and Servant, :. HO ITELL. T]ie POEMA. HE World's bright Eye, Time's measurer, begun Through wat'ry Ça2#rrortl his Course to run ; Oldjranus hasten'd on, his Temples bound With Ivy, his grey Hairs with Holly crown'd : When in a serious quest my Thoughts did muse What Gift, as best beconaing, I should chuse To Brtain's Monarch (my dread Sov'reign) bring, Which might supply a 2Vew-Years Offering. I rummag'd all my Stores, and search'd my Cells, Where nought appear'd, God-wot, but agatels: No far-fetch'd Zndian Gem cut out of Rock, Or fish'd in Shells, were trusted under Lock ; No Piece which Angdo's strong Fancy hit, Or Titian's Pencil or rare Zillyards Wit ; No Ermines, or black Sableq no such Skins, As the grim 2artar hunts or takes in Gins ; No 6 A POEM-ROYAL, No Medals, or rich Stuff of 2),ria, Dye ; No costly 13owls of frosted Argentry ; No curious Landskip, or some Marble Piece Digg'd up in Dehos, or elsewhere in Greece, No loman Perfumes, 13uffs, or Cordovans, Made drunk with Amber by 2loreno's Hands ; No Arras or rich Carpets freighted o'er The surging Seas, from Asia's doubtful Shore ; No Lion's Cub, or 13east of strange Aspect, Which in 2Vumidia's fiery Womb had slept ; No old 2oledo 131ades, or Damaskins ; No Pistols, or some rare-spring Carabines ; No S2a.,dsk Gennet, or choice Stallion sent From raples, or hot Afrids Continent : In fine, I nothing found, I could descry Worthy the Hands of Ccesar, or his Eye. My Wits were at a stand, when, I% my Muse (None of the Choir, but such as they do use For Laundresses or Handmaids of mean Rank, I knew sometimes on _Po and Zsis 13ank) Did softly buz, MUSE. --.Then let me something bring, May handsel the ./V«ze» 1Caf to CZtARZES my King, May usher in bifrontedJ'amts PO.ET. Thou fond fool-hardy Aluse, thou silly Thing, Which 'mongst the Shrubs and Reeds do'st use to sing ; Dar'st thou perk up, and the tall Cedar climb, And venture on a King with gingling Rhyme ? Tho' all thy Words were Pearls, thy Letters Gold, And eut in Rubies, or cast in a Mould Of PRESENTED BY -[IS ]AJESTY. 7 Of Diamonds ; yet still thy Lines would be Too mean a Gift for such a Majesty. 2li USE. l'Il try and hope to pass without Disdain, In 2Vêw-Year-Gifæs, the Mind stands for the /àin. The Sophy, finding 'twas well meant, did deign Few Drops of running Water from a Swain : Then sure 'twill please my Liege, if I him bring Some gentle Drops from the CaslalianSpring ; Tho' Rarities I want of such Account, Yet have I something on the forked 'Tis hot the first, or third Access I ruade To Coesar's Feet, and thence departed glad. For as the Sun with his Male Heat doth tender Wile's muddy $1ime fruitful, and apt t' engender, And daily to produce new kind of Creatures, Of various Shapes, and thousand differing Features ; $o is my Fancy quicken'd by the Glance Of his benign Aspect and Countenance ; It makes me pregnant and to superfete ; Such is the Vigor of lais Beams and Heat. Once in a Vocal _orcst I did sing, And ruade the Oak to stand for Cf-Z,41dZES my King : The best of Trees, whereof (it is no vaunt) The greatest Schools of uro2e sing and chant. There you also shall find Dame  ,41df-ZtTINt, Great I-fenry's Daughter, and Greal tr#ain's Queen, lier Naine engraved in a Laurel-Tree, And so transmitted to Eternity. For now I hear that Groz,e speaks, besides naine, The language of the £oire, the _Po and 2Whte ; « Id est l/ïrtuous, Anagram of Henrietta. And 8 A POEM-RoYAL, And to my Prince (my sweet black 2rincc) of late, I did a youthful Subject dedicate. Nor do I doubt but that in time my 2rrecs Will yield me Fruit to pay Aollo's Fees ; To offer up whole Hecatornbs of Praise To Ccesar, if on them he casts his Rays : And if my Lamp bave Oil, I may compile The [oderit tnnals of Great Albiot's Isle ; To vindic}tte the Truth of CI-ZAI?ZES's Reign, From scribling Pamphleteers, who Story stain With loose imperfect passages, and thrust Lame things upon the World, ta'en up in trust. I bave had Audience (in another Strain) Of ur@e's greatest Kings ; when German lïain, And the Cantabrian Vaves I cross'd, I drank Of 2àgus, Seine, and sat at 2yber's Bank : Thro' SO,11a and Charybdis I have steer'd, Where restless tl¢¢a's belching Flames appear'd. By Greece, once tallas ' Garden, then I pass'd, Now all spread o'er with ignorance and waste ; Nor hath fait t?uroe, her vast Bounds throughout, An Academy of Note I round not out. But now I hope, in a successful 2rore, The Fates have fix'd me on sweet E«glanans Shore And by these various Wandrings true I found, Earth is our common lIother, ev'ry Ground May be one's Country : For by Birth each lIan Is in this World a Cosm@alila, A free-born 13urgess, and receives thereby Itis Denization from Nativity: Nor is this lower World but a huge Inn, And lIen the rambling Passengers, wherein Some do warm Lodgings find, and that as soon As out of Nature's Closets they sec Noon, And I°RESENTED B¥ HIs I[AJESTV. 9 And find the Table ready laid ; but some Must for their Commons trot, and trudge, for Room : With easy Pace some climb t'ro#atiaz's Hill, Some in the Dale, do what they can, stick still ; Some through false Glasses, Fortune smiling spy, Who still keeps off, tho' she appears hard by  Some like the Ostrich with their Wings do flutter, But cannot fly or soar above the Gutter : Some quickly fetch, and double Good-tfoîke's Cadre; Some ne'er can do't, tho' the saine course they shape. So that poor Mortals are so many ]3alls Toss'd some o'er Line, some under Fortune's Walls. And it is Heav'n's high Pleasure, Man should lie Obnoxious to his Partiality, That by industrious ways he should contend Nature's short pittance to improve and mend : Now, Industry ne'er fail'd at last t' advance Her patient Sons above the reach of Chance. POET. But whither for'st thou thus- ? Well ; since I see thou art so strongly bent, And of a gracious Look so confident, Go and throw do'n thyself at Ccesa?s Feet, And in thy best Attire thy Sov'reign greet. Go, an auspicious and most blissful Year Wish him, as e'er shin'd o'er this Hemisphere. Good may the Entrance, better the Middle be, And the Conclusion best of all the Three : Of Joy ungrudg'd may each Day be a Debtor, And ev'ry Morn still usher in a better : May the soif gliding 2rozes, and ev'ry Ide, With all the Calents still some good betide; May Cynlhia with kind Looks, and 2lmebus ' Rays, One clear his Nights, the other gild his Days ; Free IO A P OEII- t.OYAL, Free Limbs, unphysick'd Health, due Appetite, Which no Sauce else but 2eo«g«r may excite : Sound Sleeps, green Dreams be his, which represent Symptoms of Health, and the next day's content; Chearful and vacant Thoughts, not always bound To Counsel, or in deep Ideas drown'd, (Tho' such late Traverses, and Tumults might Turn to a Zum2 of Care, the airest Wight) And since while fragile Flesh doth us array, The Humours still are combating for sway, (Which were they free from this reluctancy, And counterpois'd, blan would immortal be) May Sazguine o'er the rest predominate In him, and their malignant Flux abate. llay his great Queen, in whose imperious Eye Reigns such a world of winning Majesty, Like the rich Olive or Falernian Vine, Swell with more Geins of C.yons masculine : And as her Fruit sprung from the Rose and Luce, (The best of Stems Earth yet did e'er produce) Is tied already by a sanguine Lace, To all the Kings of Euro2be's high-born Race; So may they shoot their youthful Branches o'er The surging Seas, and graff with every shore. lIay Honae-commerce and Trade increase from far, Till both the ]«dies meet within his bar, And bring in lIounts of Coin his Mint to feed, And 2?anquers (7"rafflc's chier storters) breed, Which may enrich his Kingdom, Court, and Town, And ballast still the Coffers of the Crown ; For Kingdoms are as Ships, the Prince his Chests The Ballast, which if empty, when distress'd With Storms, their Holds are lightly trimm'd, the Keel Can run no steedy Course, but toss and reel : May PRESENTED TO His !IAJEST¥. I I May his hnperial Chamber always ply To his Desires her Wealth to multiply, That she may praise his Royal Favour more, Than all the Wares fetch'd from the Great 3fogor. May the Grand Senate,  with the Subjects Right, Put in the counter-scale the Regal Might, The Flow'rs o' th' Crown, that they may prop each other, And like the Grecians Twin, live, love together. For the chier Glory of a People is, The Power of their King, as theirs is his : May he be still within himself at Home, That no just Passion make the Reason roam ; Yet Passions bave their turns to rouse the Soul, And stir ber slumb'ring Spirits, hot controul : For as the Ocean, besides Ebb and Flood, (Which î Nature's greatest Clerk ne'er understood) Is not for Sail, if an impregning Wind Fill hot the flagging Canvas ; so a Mind Too calm is not for Action, if Desire Heats not itself at Passion's quick'ning Fire : For Nature is allow'd sometimes to muster Her Passions, so they only blow, not bluster. May Justice still in her true Scales appear, And Honour fix'd in no unworthy Sphere ; Unto whose Palace all Access should bave Through ITrtuds Temple, hot through _Pluto's Cave. May his true Subjects' Hearts be his chier Fort, Their Purse his Treasure, and their Love his Port, Their Prayers as sweet Incense, to draw down Myriads of Blessings on his Queen and Crown. And now that his glad Presence did asswage That fearful Tempest in the _]Vorll did rage,  The arliamenL  ttippocrates. May I2 A POEM-ROYAL, PRESENTED TO HIS I{AJESTY. May those Frog Vapours in the Jrish Sky 13e scatter'd by the 13eams of Majesty ; That the l-Iybernian Lyre give such a Sound, May on our Coasts with joyful Echoes bound. And when this fatal Planet leaves to lour, Which too too long on Monarchies doth pour His direful Influence, may Peace once more Descend from Heav'n upon out tottering Shore, And ride in Triumph both in Land and Main, And with her Milk-white Steeds draw Charles his lI'ain ; That so, for those Satz«rnian Times of old, An Age of Pearl may corne in lieu of Gold. Virtue still guide his Curse ; and if there be A Thing as Fortune, him accompany. May no ill Genius haunt him, but by's side The best protecting Angel ever bide. May he go on to Vindicate the Right Of holy Things, and make the Temple bright, To keep that Faith, that sacred Truth entire, Which he receiv'd from Sdomon  lais Sire. _And since we all must hence, by th' Iron Decree Stamp'd in the black Records of Destiny, Late may his Lire, his Glory ne'er wear out, Till the great Year of _Plato wheel about. So prayeth, Y'he worst of 2oets, la Y'he best of 2ri»ces, yet Y'he most Zo9'al of l/otaries and Kassals, JaMS HOWELL. « King .]'ames. To To l]ze luozvilzg leadcr toztchil« Familiar Letters. OVE is the Lire of Friendship, Zctlers are The Lire of Love, the Loadstones that by rare Attraction make Souls meet, and melt, and mix, As when by Fire exalted Gold we fix. They are those wing'd toslilions that tan fly From the Antarctick to the Arctic Sky, The Heralds and swift Harbingers that move From East to West, on Embassies of Love ; They can the 2"r@ics eut, and cross the Zinc, And swim from Ga,tges to the Rhone or R]tine, From 2"ha»zes to 2"agus, thence to Tyber run, And terminate their Journey Mth the Sun. They can the Cabinets of Kings unscrue, And hardest Intricacies of Stale unclue ; They can the 2"arlar tell, what the [ogor, Or the Great ttrk doth on the Asian Shore : The _Z_Szez of them may know what tresterrohn Doth with his Camels in the torrid Zone Which ruade the Z,dian Inca think they were Spirits, who in white Sheets the Air did tear. The lucky Goose sav'droz'e's beleagred Z-]ill, Once by ber 2Voise, but oftner by her Quill: It twice prevented, Rome was hot o'er-run By the tough landal, and the rongh-hewn Z.ellers can 191ots, tho' moulder'd under Ground, Disclose, and tbeir fell Co»lices confound Witness 4 To TtIE KNOWING READER Witness that fiery 39ile, which would bave blown Up to the Clouds, Prince, People, Peers and Town, Tribunals, Church, and Chapel ; and had dry'd The 27raines, tho' swelling in ber highest Pride, And parboil'd the poor Fish, which from her Sands Had been toss'd up to the adjoining Lands. Lawyers, as Vull,«res, had soar'd up and down ; Prelates, like 2ragpies, in the Air had flown, Had hot the Eagle's Leller brought to Light That subterranean horrid Work of Night. Credential Zellers, States and Kingdoms fie, And Monarchs knit in Leagues of Amity ; They are those golden Links that do enchain Whole Nations, tho' discinded by the Main ; They are the Soul of Trade, they make Commerce Expand itself throughout the Universe. Zellers may more than ]-Zislory inclose The choicest Learning both for Verse and Prose : They Knowledge can unto out Souls display, By a more gentle, and familiar way ; The highest Points of State and Policy, The most severe Parts of Philosophy May be their Subject, and their Themes enrich, As well as private Businesses, in which Friends use to correspond, and Kindred greet, Merchants negotiat, and the whole World meet. In Æoleca's rich Letters is enshrin'd Whate'er the ancient Sages left behind : 2Vully makes his the secret Symptoms tell Of those Distempers which proud Ro»,e befel ; When in ber highest Flourish she would make Her Tyber from the Ocean Homage take. Great Aalo,d,¢e the Emperor did gain More Glory by his Zelters than his 2geig,¢ : His TOUCHING I'AMILIAR LETTERS. 1 5 His _Pen out-lasts his _PiP, e, each golden Line In his Epistles doth his Naine enshrine. Aurdius by his Zetters did the saine, And they in chier immortalise his Faine. Words vanish soon, and Vapour into Air, While Zeters on Record stand fresh and fait ; And tell out Nephews who to us were dear, Who out choice Friends, who out Familiars were. The bashful Loyer, when his stammering Lips Falter, and fear some unadvised Slips, May boldly court his Mistress with the Quill, And his hot Passions to her Breast instil : The _Pen can furrow a fond Female's Heart, And pierce it more than C¢#id's feigned Dart : Zelers a kind of 3[agic Virtue have, And like strong _P]dltres human Souls enslave. ç2eec is the Index, Zetters Ideas are Of the informing Soul ; they can declare, And shew the inward Man, as we behold A Face reflecting in a Crystal Mould ; They serve the Dead and Living, they become Attorneys and Administers in some. Zetters, like Gordian Knots, do Nations fie, Else all Commerce, and Love, 'twixt Men would die. Epistoloe Ho-Elianoe. .ffamitiar ILcttcr. BOOK I.SECTION I. To Sir J. s. at Leeds-Castle. T was a quaint Difference the Anclents did put 'twixt a Letter and an Ora- tion; that the one should be attired like a \Voman, the other like a Man : the latter of the two is allowed large side Robes, as long Periods, Paren- theses, Similes, Eamples, and other Parts of Rhetorieai Flourishes: But a Letter or Epistle should be short-coated, and eloselv eouehed; a Hungerlin becomes a Lettcr more hand'- somely than a Gown: Indeed we should write as we speak ; and that's a true familiar Letter which expresseth one's Mind, as if he were diseoursing with the Partv to whom he vrites, in succinct and short Terres. The Tongue, and the Pe**, are both of them Interpreters of the Mind ; but I ho]d the Pen to be the more faithful of the two: The To»gue in udo posita, being seated in a lnoist slippery Place, may fail and faulter in her sudden extemporal Epressions;  but 18 FAMILIAR LETTERS. 00 f. but the Pen having a greater advantage of Premeditation, is hot so subject to error, and leaves things behind it upma tïrm and authentic record. Now, Letlers, tho' they be capable of any Sub]ect , vet commonlv they are either Narralory, Ojualory, Consolato»?l, Jllonitory, or Con- gratMator. The first eonsists of Relations, the second of Reprehensions, the third of Confort, the two last of Counsel and Jo!l: There are some, who in lieu of Letters, vrite Homilles; they preaeh, when thev should epistolize: There are others that turn them to tedious Tractals: This is to make Letters degenerate from their true _Nature. Some modern Authors there are vho have exposed their Letters to the \Vor]d, but most of them, I lnean among your Latin Epistolizers, go freighted with mere Bartholomcw \Vare, with trite and trivial Phrases only, listed with pedantie Shreds of Sehool-bov Verses. Others there are among our next transmarine Neighbours Eastvard, vho write in their mvn Language, but their Style is soft and ea%v, that their Letters may be said to be like Bodies of loose Flesh without Sinews, they bave neither Joints of Art nor _drteries in them ; they bave a kind of sitnpering and lank hectic Expresslons ruade up of a Bombast of XVords, and finical affected Com- pliments only: I eannot well awav with such sleazy Stuff, with such Cobweb-compositions, where there is no Strength of Matter, nothing for the Reader to carrv awav with him, that may enlarge the Notions of his Soul. One shall hardlv fïnd an Apothegm, Example, Simile, or anything of Philo- sophy, History, or solid Knowledge, or as much as one new created Phrase, in a hundred of them: and to draw anv Observations out of them, were as if one went about to distill Cream out of Froth: insomnch, that it may be said of them, what was said of the Echo, That she is a rne,'e So»nd and nothing else. I retnrn vou vour Balzae by this Bearer: and when I round those Letters, vherein he is so familiar with his King, so fiat; and those to B}chlieu, so puffed with pro- phane Hyperboles, and larded up and down with such gross Flatteries, Sect. . FAtlLIAR LETTERS. 19 Flatteries, with others, besides, xvhich he sends as Urinals up and down the \Vorld to look into his \Vater for discoverv of the crazy Condition of hls Body, I forbore him further. So I am--Your most most affectionate Scrvitor, J.H. IYeslmin., 2 5 .uly I625. II. To my Father upon myJirst going beyond Sea. I SHOULD be much vanting to myself, and to that Obli- gation of Duty, the Law of God, and his tlandmaid Nature, bath imposed upon me, if I should hot aquaiut vou with the Course and Quality of my Aflirs and Forttmes, especially at this time, that I ara upon point of crossing the Seas to eat my bread abroad. Nor is it the common Relation of a Sou that nnlv induced me hereunto, but that most indulgent and costly Care vou have been pleased (in so extraordinary a manner) to have had of my Breeding (tho' but one Child offifteen) by placing me in a choice methodi- cal School (so far distant from vour Dwelling) under a learned (tho' lashing) Master; and by transplanting me thence to O«ford, to be graduated; and so holding me still up bv the Chin uutil I could swim without Bladders. This Patrimony of liberal Education vou have been pleased to endow me withal, I now carrv along with me abroad, as a sure inseparabte Treasure; nor do I feel it any Burden or Incumbrance unto me at all : And what Danger soeveç my Person, or other things I have about me, do incur, vet I do hot fear the losiug of this, either by Shipwreck, or Pirates at Sea, nor by Robbers, or Fire, or anv other Casualty on shore: and at mv Return to England, I hope at least-wise I shall do mv eudeavour, that vou may find this Patrimonv improved somewhat to your Comfort. The main of my Eployment is from that gallant Knight Sir Robert Maasell, who, with my Lord of Pembroke, and divers others of the prime Lords of the Court, have got the sole Patent of making all sorts of Glass with Pit-coal, only 20 FAMILIAR LETTERS. 2OOk L only to save those huge Proportions of \Vood which were consumed formerly in the G]ass Furnaces : And this Business being of that nature, that the \Vorkmen are to be had from Ital, and the chier Materials from Spain, France, and other foreign Countries ; there is need of an Agent abroad for this Use; (and better than I have offered their service in this kind) so that I believe I shall bave employment in ail these Countries belote I return. Had I continued still Steward of the Glass-house in Broad-street, where Captain Francis Bacon bath succeeded me, I should in a short tlme bave melted awav to nothing amongst those hot Ienetians, finding my self too green for such a Charge; therefore it hath p]eased God to dispose of me now to a condition more suitable to mv Years, and that wil], [ hope, prove more advantageous to my future Fortunes. In this my Peregrination, if I happen, by some accident, to be disappolnted of that allowance I ara to subsist by, I must make my address to you, for l bave no other Rendez- vous to flee unto ; but it shall hot be, unless in case of great indigence. Touching the News of the Time: Sir George Villiers, the new Favourite, tapers up apace, and groxvs strong at Court: His Predecessor the Earl of Somerset bath got a Lease of 9 ° years for his Lire, and so bath his Mrticulate Lady, called so, for articling against the frigidity and impotence of ber former Lord. She was afraid that Coke the Lord Chief Justice (who had used such extraordinary art and industry in discovering ail the circumstances of the poisoning of Overbur!/) would bave ruade xvhite Broth of them, but that the Prerogative kept them from the Pot : yet the subservient Instruments, the lesser Files could hot break thorow, but ]av entangled in the Cobweb; amonst others Mistress Tut»er, the first inventress of yellow Stah, was exeeuted in a Cobweb Lawn Ruff of that colour at Tbu»n; and with her I believe that yellot« Starch, whieh so mueh disfigured our Nation, and rendered them so ridieu- lous £'t. I. FAMILIAR LETTERS. 2I lous and fantastic, will receive its Funeral. Sir Gervas Elu,ays, Lieut. of the Tou,er, was ruade a notable Example of Justice and Terror to all Officers of Trust: for being accessory, and that in a passive way only, to the murder, yet he was hang'd on Tou'er-hill: and the Caveat is very remarkahle which he gave upon the Gallows, That People should be very cautious how they make Vows to Heaven, for the breach of them seldom passes without a Judgment, whereof he was a n,ost ruthful Example; for being in the Low Countries, and much given to Gaming, he once ruade a solenm Vow, (which he brake afterwards) that if he played above such a Sure, he might be hang«d. My Lord (llïlliam) of Peml'roke did a most noble Act, like t,in,self; for the King haviug given him ail Sir Gervas Ehvas's Estate, which came to above a thousand pound per In., he freely bestowed it on the \Vidow and her Children. The latter end of this \Veek I ara to go a Ship-board, and first for the Lov Countries. I humblv pray vour Blessing may accompany me in these my Travels bv Land and Sea, with a continuance of your Prayers, which will be as so many good Gales to blow me to sale Port; for I have been taught, That the Parents' Benedictions contril'tde ver nmch, and have a kind of Prophetic lïrtue to make the Child prosperotts. In this opinion I shall ever rest--Your dutiful Son, J.H. 2?road Street, London,  «lIarch x 61 S. III. To Dr. Francis Mansell, since Principal ofJesus College in Oxford. SIR, EING to take leave of Englc, nd, and to launch out into the \Vorld abroad, to breathe foreign Air a while, I thought it verv handsome, and an Act well becoming me, to take mv leave also of you, and of mv dearlv honoured Mother Orford: Otherwise both of you might bave just grounds 22 FAMILIAR LETTERS. BO0, Z grounds to exhibit a Bill of Complaint, or rather a Protest against me, and cry me up; You for a forgetful Frieud; She for an ungrateful Son, if hOt some spurious Issue. To prevent this, I salure you both together: You with the best of my.most candid affections; Her with my most dutiful observance, and thankfulness for the Milk she pleased to give me in that Exuberance, had I taken it in that measure she offcred it me while I slept in ber lap: yet that little I have sucked, I carry with me now abroad, and hope that this course of Life will help to concoct it to a greater advantage, haviug opportunity, by the nature of my employ- ment, to studv ]lien as well as Books. The small tilne I supervis'd the Glass-house, I got amoug those Uenetians solne slnatteriugs of the ltalian Tongtle» which besides the little I bave, you knov¢, of School-laguage, is all the Preparatives I bave ruade for travel. I anl to go this week down to Gravesend, and so embark for Holland. I have got a warrant from the Lords of the Council to travel for three years anv where, Rome and St. Omets excepte& I pray let me retain some room, tho' never so little, in your thoughts, during the time of this our separation ; and let out Souls meet sometimes bv intercourse of Letters: I promise you that yours shall receive the best entertainment I tan make them, for I love you dearly, dearly wel], and value your Friendship at a very high rate. So with appre- ciation of as much happiness to you at home, as I shall desire to accompany me abroad, I rest ever--Your friend to serve you, J.H. Zondon, 20 3/hrck 68. IV. To Sir James Croffs, Knight, at St. Osith. SIR, I COULD hot shake hands with England, wlthout kiss- ing your hands also; and becaus% in regard of vour distance now from London, I cannot do it in person, I send this Paper for my Deputy. The Sec/'. i. FAMILIAR LETTERS. 2.3 The ncws that keeps greatest noise here nov, is the return of Sir ll"alter Raleigh from his Mine of Gold in Guiana, the South parts of America, vhich at first was like tobe such a hopeful boon Voyage, but it seems that that Golden Mine is proved a mere Chimera, an imaginary airv Mine; and indeed his Majesty had never any other conceit of it: But what will hot one in Captivity (as Sir Halter was) promise, to regain his Freedom ? who would hot promise, hot only Mines, but Mountains of Gold, for Libertv? and 'tis pity such a knowing weli-weigh'd Knight had hot had a better Fortune ; for the Destin (I mean that brave Ship which he built himself of that naine, that carrv'd him thither) is like to prove a Fatal Destiny to him, and to some of the rest of those gallant Adventurers which con- tributed for the setting forth of thirteen Ships more, who were most of them his Kinsmen and younger ]3rothers, being led into the said Expedition by a general conceit the \Vorld had of the \Visdom of Sir IYalter Iialeigh ; and many of these are |ike to make Shipu'rack of their Estates by this Voyage. Sir ll"alter landed at Plmouth, whence he thought to lnake an escape; and some say he hath tampered with his Body by Physick, to make him look sickly, that he mav be the more pitied, and pcrmitted to lie in his own House. Count Gondamar the Spanish Ambassador speaks high language; and sending lately to desire _Audience of his Majesty, he said he had but one word to tell him: his Majesty wondring what might be delivered in one word, when he came before him, he said only, Pirates, Pirates, Pirates, and so departed. 'Tis true that he protested against this Voyage before, and that it could hot be but for some predatory design: _And that if it be as I hear, I fear it will go very ill with Sir lI'alter, and that Gondamar will never give him over, till he bath his head off his shoulders; which may quickly be done, without anv new Arraignment, bv virtue of the old Sentence that lies still dormant against him, xvhich he could never get off by Pardon, notwithstanding that he mainlv 24- FAIIILIAR LETTERS. .00/ ./. maiuly laboured in it before he went: but his Majesty could never be brought to it, for he said he would keep this as a Curb to hold him within the bounds of his Com- mission, and the good behaviour. Go»damar cries out, that he bath broke the sacred Peace 'twixt the two Kingdoms ; That he hath fired and phmdered Sa»fo Thoma, a Colonv the Spa»iards had planted with so much blood, near under the Lb, e, which ruade it prove stch hot service unto him, and where, besides others, he lost his eldest Son in the Action: And could they bave preserv'd the Magazine of Tol, acco only, besides other things in that Town, something might have been had to countcrvail the charge of the Voyage. Gondamar alledgeth farther, That the enterprize of the Mine failing, he pro- pounded to the test of his Fleet to go and iutercept some of the Plate Galeons, with other Designs which would bave drawn after them apparent _A_cts of Hostilitv; and so demands Justice: besides other Disasters which fell out upon the dashing of the first design, Captain Rernish, who was the main instrmnent for discovery of the mine, pistoled himself in a desperate mood of discontent in his Cabin, in the Converline. This Return of Sir lYalter Raleigk from Guiaa, puts me in mind ot  a facetious talc I read latelv in Italian (for I bave a little of that language already) how lpkonso King of Naples sent a Moor, who had been his Captive a long rime, to Barbare, with a considerable sure of money to buv Horses, and return bv such a time. Now there was about the King a kind ot  Bffoo, or Jester, who had a Table-book or Journal, wherein he was used to register anv absurdity, or impertinence, or merry passage that happened upon the Court. That dav the Moor was dispatched for Barl.ar, the said Jester waiting upon the King at Supper, the King call'd for his Journal, and ask'd what he had observ'd that day; thereupon he produc'd his Table-book, and among other things, he read how .dlphonso King of Naples had sent Beltram the 21Ioor, who had been a long rime his Prisoner S«cl. . FALAR LETTERS. 2 5 Prisoner, to 3lorocco (his own Country) with so manv thousand Crowns, to buy Horses. The King asked him why he inserted that; Because, said he, I think he will never corne back to be a Prisoner again, and so vou bave lost both Man and Monev. But if he do corne, then your Jest is marr'd, quoth the King: No, Sir ; for ifhe return I u,ill l, lot out your Naine, and put him in for a Fool. The Application is easv and obvious: But the XVorld vonders extrcrnely, that so great a wise Man as Sir ll'alter Ilaleigh would return to cast himse|f upon so inevitable a Rock, as I fear he wi|l; and much more, that such choice Men, and so great a power of Ships, shou|d ail corne home and do nothing. The Letter vou sent to mv Father, I convey'd safe]v the last xveek to IUales. I ara this week, by God's help, for the Netherhmds, aud then I think fl»r France. If in this mv foreign employment I mav be anv way serviceable unto y'ou, you know what power you bave to dispose of me, for I honour vou in a verv high degree, and will lire and die Your humble and ready Servant, J.H. Zondon, 28 2rarch 68. To my Brother, af ter Dr. Howel, and nou' Bishop of Bristol ; from Amsterdam. tROTHER I AM newly landed at Amsterdam, and it is the first foreign Earth I bave ever set foot upon. I was pitifully sick ail the Voyage, for the "Weather xvas rough, and the Wind untowards; and at the mouth of the Texel we vere surpriz'd by a furious Tempest, so that the Ship was like to split upon some of those old stumps of trees wherewith that River is full; for in Ages past, as the Skipper told me, there grew a fair Forest in that Channei where the Texel makes now her Bed. Having been so rock'd and shaken at Sea, when I came a-shore, I began to incline 26 FAMILIAR LETTERS. ]00/. incline to Copernicus his Opinion, which hath got such a swav lately in the ,Vorld, viz. That the Earth, as well as the rest of her Fellow-Elements, is in perpetual Motion, for she seemed so to me a good while after I had landed. He that observes the Site and Position of this Country, will never hereafter doubt the Trutb of that Philosophical Problem whieh keeps so great a noise in the Sehools, viz. That the Sea is higher than the Earth, because, as I sailed along these Coasts, I visibly found it true; for tbe Ground here, whieh is all 'twixt Marsh and Moorish, lies hot onlv level but to the apparent Sight of the Ee far lover than the Sea; whieh ruade the Duke of .lh, a say, That the lnhabitants of this Country were the nearest Neighbours to Hell (the greatest Abyss) of anv People upon Erth, beeause they dwell lowest: Most of that ground they tread, is plucked, as it vere, out of the very Jaws of N«ptune, who is afterwards penn'd ont by high Dikes, whieh are preserved with ineredible Charge; insomueh that tbe ehief Dike- Grave here, is one of the greatest Offieers of Trust in all the Province, it being in his power to turn the whole Country into a Salt-lough when he list, and so to put Hans to swim for his Life; which makes it to be one of the chiefest Parts of his Litany, From the Sea, the Spaniard, and the Devil, the Lord deliver ne. I need hot tell you who preserves him from the last, but, from the Spaniards, his best Friend is the Sea itself, notwithstanding that he fears him as an Eemv another way : for the Sea stretehing himself here into divers Arms, and meeting wlth some of tbose fresh Rivers that descend from Germa»g to disgorge themselves into him through these Provinces, most of their Towns are thereby incornpassed with X, Vater, which bv Sluices they tan COla- tract or dilate as they list. This makes their Tovns inaccessible, and out of the reach of Cannon; so that lVater mav be said to be one of their best Fences; other- wise I believe they had not been able to have borne up so Jong against the gigantic Power of Spain. This City of hnsterdam, though she be a great Staple of Ne w s Sect. I. FAILIAR LETTERS. 2 7 News, yet I can impart none unto you at this time, I will defer that till [ corne to the Hague. [ ara lodged here atone Mons. de la Çluze, hot far from the Eehange, to make an introduction into the French : beeause [ believe I shall steer my course henee next to the Country where that Language is spoken; but I think I shal[ sojouru here about two Months longer, therefore I pray direct your Letters aceordingly, or any other you have for me. Onê 1" the prime Co»brts of a Travellêr, is to reeêive Letters from his Friends ; theR l.egêt new Spirits in him, and prêsent jojful Ol!feets fo his Fanc, tvhen his Mind is cloudêd sometimês u,ith Fogs of 2lIelanchohj : therefore I pray make me as happy as often as vour Convenieney will serve with yours: vou may send or dcliver them to Captain Baeon at the Glass-House, who will see them safely sent. So, mv dear Brother, I pray God bless us both, and send us after this large Distance, a joyful Meeting.--Your loving Brother, J.H. Amst«r&t»t,  Airil  6  7. To Dan. Caldwell, Esq. ; from Amsterdam. M¥ DEAR DAN, I HAVE ruade your Friendshlp so necessary unto me for the contentment of my Life, that Happi,ess itself would be but a kind of lnfelicity without it: It is as need- fui to me, as Fire and \Vater, as the verv Air I take in, and breathe out ; it is to lne hOt onlv necessiludo, but neeessitas: Therefore I pray let me enjoy it iu that fair proportion, that I desire to return unto you, bv wav of correspondence and retaliation. Out tïrst Ligue of Love, you know, was contracted among the Muses in O.rford; for no sooner was I ntat,'iculated to her, but [ was adopted to you ; I became her Son, and your F'iend, at one time : You know I follow'd you then to Londo», where out Love receiv'd confrmation in the Temple, and elsewhere. \Ve are now far 28 FAMILIAR LETTERS. ]?00,'/. far asunder, for no less than a Sea severs us, and that no narrow one, but the German Ocean: Distance sometimes endears Friendship, and .,4l'sence su.eetneth it ; it ,mch enhanceth the value of it, and makes it nore precious. Let this be verify'd in us; let that Love which formerlv us'd to he nourish'd by personal communication and the Lips, be now fed by Letters; let the l'en supply tbe office of the Tongue: Letters have a strong operation, they bave a kind of Art like Embraees to mingle Souls, and make them meet, tbo' millions of Paees asunder ; hy them we may con- verse, and know how it fares with eaeh other as it were by intercourse of Spirits. Therefore among your civil Specu- lations, I pray let your Tboughts sometimes refleet on me (your absent self) and wrap those Thoughts in Paper, and so send them me over; I promise vou they shall be very weleome, I shall embraee and hug them with my best Affections. Commend me to 7bru Bou,.qe,, and enjoin him the iike: I pray be no Niggard in distributing mv Love plentifully among our Friends at the Inns of Court: Let ,Jack Tol- derv have mv kind Commends, with this Caveat, 77rot the Pot which goes often to the IVater, cornes home crack'd at last: therefi»re I hope he will be eareful how he lnakes the Fleece in Cor»hill his Thorow-fare too often. So may my dear Daniel live happy and love lais J.H. Amslerdam, o Aril 6 9. VII. 7b »y Father, from Amsterdam. SR, I AM lately arriv'd in Holla»d in a good plight of Health, and continue yet in this Town of -dmsterdam, a Town I believe, that there are few her Fellows, being from a mean Fishing-Dorp, corne in a short revolution of time, by a lnonstrous increase of Commerce and Navigation, to be one of the greatest Marts of Europe : 'Tis admirable to see what various sorts of Buildings, and new Fabricks are now here erecting SecL I. FAMILIAR LETTERS, 29 erecting everyxvhere; hot in Houses only, but in whole Streets and Suburbs; so that 'tis thought she will in a short time double her proportion in bigness. I ara lodg'd.in a kS'enchman's House, who is one of the Deacons of our English Brou,nists Church here; 'tis non far from the Synagogtte of clou's, who have free and open exercise of their Religion here: I believe in this Street where I iodge, there be well near as many Religions as there be Houses ; for one Neighbour knows hOt, nor tares non much what Religion the other is of, so that the number of Conventicles exceed the number of Churches here. And let this country call itself as long as in wili, the United Provinces one way, I ara persuaded iii this point, there's no Place so Disttnited. The Dog and Rag-Market is hard by, where every Sunday Morning there is a kiud of publick Mart for those Commodities, notwithstanding their precise observance of the Sabbath. Upon Saturdav last I happen'd to be in a Gentleman's Company, who shev'd me as I walk'd along in the Streets, a long-bearded oid Jeu, of the Tribe of Aaro» : when the other Jews met him, thev fell down, and kiss'd lais Foot: This was that Rabbi, with whçm our Countrvman Brough- ton had such a Dispute. This City, notwithstanding her huge Trade, is far inferior no London for popuiousness; and this I infer out of their weekly Bills of Mortality, which corne non an most but to fifty or thereabout; whereas in London, the ordinary number is betwixt two or three hundred, one \Veek with another: Nor are there such wealthy Men in thls Towrt as in London ; for bv reason of the generality of Commerce, the Banks, Adventures, the common Shares and Stocks which most bave in the Indian and other Companies» the Wealth doth diffuse itself here in a strange kind of Equality, hot one of the Burghers being exceeding rich, or exceeding poor : Insomuch, that I believe our four and twentv sklder- men may buy a hundred of the richest Men in Amsterdam. It 30 FAMILIAR LETTERS. A]OOA r. It is a rare thing to meet with a Beggar here, as rare as to sec a Horse, they say, upon the Streets of Yetice ; and this is held to be one of their best pieces of Government: for besides the strictness of their Laws agaiust blendicants, they bave Hospitals of ail sorts for young and old, both for the relief of the one, and the employment of the other; so that there is no Object here to exercise any _A_et of Charitv upon. They are here very neat, tho' not so magnificent in their Buildings, especially in their Frontispieces and first Rooms ; and for Cleanliness, they mav serve for a Pattern to all People. They witl presently dress hall a dozen Dishes of Meat, without anv noise or shew at ail : for if one goes to the Kitchen, there witl be scarce appearance of anything but a few cover'd Pots upon a Turf Fire, which is their prime Fuel ; after Dinner thev fatl a scouring of those Pots, so that the outside will be as bright as the inside, and the Kitchen snddenlv so clean, as if no Meat had been dress'd there a Month before. Thev have neither Wcl] or Fountaiu, or anv Spring of fresh \Vater, in or about ail this City, but their fresh \Vater is brought to them bv Boats; besides, thev have Cisterns to receive the Rain-water, which they much use: so that my Landress bringiug my Linen to me one day, and I commending the whiteness of them, she answer'd, That thev mnst needs be white and fait, for they were washed in lqt«a Coelestis, lneaning Sky-xvater. 'Twere cheap living here, were it hot for the monstrous Excises which are impos'd upon ail sorts of Commodities, both for Belly and Back ; for the Retailer pays the 8tates almost the one Moiety as much as he paid for the Com- modity at first : nor doth any murmur at it, because it goes hot to any Favourite or private Purse, but to preserve them from the Spaniard, their common Enemy, as they terre him ; so that the Saying is truly verify'd here, Dfend a»d spcnd 9,e. Vqth this Excise principally, they maintain all their Armies by Sea and Land, with their Garisons at home and abroad, both here and in the Izdies ; and deffav ail other publick Charges besides. Scgt. I. FAMILIAR LETTERS. 3I I shall hence shortly for France, and in my way take most of the prime Towns of Holland and Zealand, espeeiaily Leden (the University) where I shali sojourn some days. So humblv eraving a eontinuanee of your Biessing"and Prayers, I rest--¥our dutiful Son, J.H. i /zy I6t9. VIII. To Dr. Tho. 1Mchard, af Jesus College bt Oxford ; from Levden. SIR, 'l" is the Royal Prerogative of Love, hot to be confin'd to that sma]] local compass which circumscribes the Bod.v, but to make lais Sallies and Progresses abroad, to find out and enjoy his desir'd Object, under what Region soever: Nor is it the vast Gulph of Neptmte, or anv distance of Place, or differénce of Clime, can bar him of this l'rivilege. I never round the Eperiment hereof so sensibly, nor feit the Comfort of it so much, as since I shook hands with England: For tho' vou be in O.qord, and I at Leffden ; aibeit you be upon an Island, and I now upon the Conti- nent, (tho' the lowest part of Europe) vet those swift Postilions, mv Thoughts, find vou out daily, and bring you unto me: I behold vou often in mv Chamber, and in mv Bed; you eat, you drink, you sit down, and walk xvith me; and mv Fantasv enjoys you often in mv Sleep, when all mv Senses are lock'd up, and my Soui wanders up and down the World, sometimes thro' pleasant Fields and Gardens, sometimes thro' odd uncouth Places, over Mountains and broken confls'd Buildings. As mv love to vou doth thus exercise his power, so I desire vours to me mav not be idle, but rouz'd up sometimes to find me out, and summon me to attend vou in esus College. I ara now here in LeÇden, the onlv Academy besides Frawker of all the Uaited Provinces: Here are Nations of ail sorts, but the Germans swarm more than any. To com- pare " FAIIILIAR LETTERS. .00/ L pare their Unitersitff to yours, were to cast New-Inn in eounterseale with Christ-Chur«h College, or the Alms- houses on Tower-hill to Sutton's Hospital. Here are no Colleges at all, God-wot, (but one for the Duteh) nor searee the face of an University, only there are general Schools where the Sciences are read by several Professors, but ail the Students are Oppida»es: A small Time and less Learning wiil suffiee to make one a Graduate; nor are those For- malities of Habits, and other Deeeneies here, as with you, mueh less those Exhibitions and Supports for Scholars, with other Eneouragements; insomueh, that the Oxonia«s and CantabrigiansBona si sua norint, were thev sensible of their ovn Felicity, are the happiest Academians on Earth: yet Apollo hath a strong influence here; and as Cicero said of them of ltl«ets, Atbenis pi»gue eoelum, tenuia ingenia, The Athenians had a thick AiG and rhin lYits ; so I may say of these Lugdunensians, The bave a gross Mir, but rhin sul.tle IV#s, (some of them) witness also Iteinsius, Grotius, Arminius, and Baudius. Of the tvo last I was told a Tale, that Mrmi»ius meeting Baudius one Dav disguis'd with Drink (wherewith he would be often) he toid him, Tu Baudi dedecoras nostram Academiam ; & tu 4rmini nostram Religionem: Thou Bartdius disgraeest our University, and thou Arminius out Religion. The Heaven here has always some Cloud in his Countenanee, and from this grossness and spissitude of Air proeeeds the slow nature of the Inhabi- tants ; yet this s]owness is reeompens'd with another Benefit, it makes them patient and constant, as in ail other Actions, so in their Studies and Speculations, tho' thev use --.Crassos ¢ransire 29ies, lucemqt«e 2balustrem. I pray impart my Love liberally amongst my Friends in OaJbrd, and when )'ou can make Truce with vour more serious Meditations, bestow a Thought drawn into a few Lines uponYours, J.H. 0 'c[en, 3 s][ag,  6 t 9. IX. Sect. I. FAIILAR LETTERS. 33 IX. 7"0 Mr. Richard Altham, at his Chamber in Grays-Inn. DtAR SIR, HO' you be now a good way out of my Reach, yet vou are hot out of mv Remembrance; you are still within the Horizon of mv Love. Now the Horizon of Love is large and spacious, itis as boundless as that of the Imagination ; and xhere the Imagination rangeth, the Memorv is still busy to usher in, and prcsent the desired Object it fixes upon: [t is Love that sers them both on vork, and mav be said to be the highest Sphere whence thev receive thçir motion. Thus you appear to me often it these forcign Travels; ad that vou mav believe me the better, I send vou these Lines as mv _Ambassadors (and _Ambassadors nmst hot lye) to inform you accordingly, and to salute vou. I desire to know how yot like Plou,den : I heard it often said, that there's no Studv requires Patience and Constancv more than the Common Law; for it is a ood while belote one cornes to any known Perfection in it, and consequently to any gainful Practice. This (I thiuk) ruade Jack Chau,dler throw awav his Littleton, ]ike hin that, when he cotdd not catch the Hare, said, A pox upon he G she is l',t drg tou.gh Meat ; let hcr go : It is hOt so with you, for I knov vou are of that disposition, that when you mid a thing, nothlng can frighten vou in making constant pursuit after it, till you have obtain'd it: For if the 21lathemat[cs, with their crabbedness and intricacy, eould hot deter you, but that you waded thro' the very midst of them, and arriv'd to so excellent a Perfection ; I believe it is hot in the pover of Ploa:den to dastardize or cow vour Spirits, until vou bave overcome him, at leastwise have so much of" him as will serve your turn. I know vou were alwavs a quick and pressing Disputant in Logic and Philosophg; vhich makes me think your Genius is fit for La,v, (as the Baron your cxcellent Father was) for a good Logicia makes always a c good 34 FAIILIAR LETTERS. /OOk 2 v. good Lat«yer: And hereby one mav give a strong con- jecture of the aptness or inaptitude o( one's capacity to that Study and Profession; and you know as we]l as I, that Logicfa»s, who went under the naine of So2lzisters, were the first La««yers that ever were. I sha]l be upon uncertain removes hence, unti] I corne to Rot, ett in Frattce, and there I mean to cast Anchor a good while; I shali expect vour Letters there wlth im- patience. I pray present mv Service to Sir dames Altlmm, and to mv good Lady your Mother, with the test to whom it is due in Bisltopsgute-street, and elsewhere: So I Yours in the best degree of friendship, J.H. Z-Za'-ue, 3 ° _/]fay I6 9. To Sir James Crofts, from the Hague. SIR, HE saine observance that a Father may challenge of his Child, the like you mav claire of me, in regard of the extraordinary care you have been pleas'd to have always, since I had the happiness to know you, of the course of mv Fortunes. I ana now newly corne to the Hague, the Court of the six (and almost seven) Cmfederated Provinces; the Council of State, with the Prince of Orattgc, makes his firm Re- sidence here, unless he be upon a Match, and in motion 'or some design abroad. This Prince (3Iat«rice) was cast in a Mould suitable to the temper of this Peop]e: He is s]ow and full of wariness, and hot without a mixture of Fear ; I do hot mean a pusil]animous but po]itick Fear: he is the most constant in the quotidian course and carriage of his Lire, of any that I bave ever heard or read of; for whosoever knows the customs of the Prince of Orattge, mav tell what he is doing here every hour of the day, tho' he be in Constattinople. In the Morning he awakes about six in Summer, and seven in \Vinter; the irst thing he does, he sends one of Iris Grooms or Pages to see how the \Vind sits, Scct. . FAMLAR LETTERS. 35 sits, and he wears or leaves off lais Vastecoat accordingly ; then he is about an hour dressing himself, and about a quarter of an hour in bis Closet: Then cornes in the Secretary, and if he bath any private or public Letters to writc, or any other Dispatches to make, he does it before ho stirs from his Chamber; thën cornes he abroad, and goes to his Stables, if it be no Sërmon-day, to see some of lais Gentlemen or Pages (of whose Breeding he is very care- fui) ride the great Horse: I-te is very accessible to anv that bath Business with him, and sheweth a winning kind of Familiarity, for he viil shake Hands with the lneanest Boor of the Country, and he seldom hears any Commander or Gentleman with his Hat on: He dines punctually about twelve, and his Table is free for all Comers, but none under the degree of a Captain uses to sit down at it : After Dinner he stays in the Room a good while, and then any one may accost him, and tell his Tale; then he retires to hls Chamber, where he answers all Petitions that were deliver'd him in the Morning; and towards the Èvening, if he goes hot to Council, which is seidom, he goes either to make some Visits, or to take the _Air abroad. _And according to this constant Method he passes his Life. There are great stirs like to arise 'twixt the Bohemians and the elected King the Elnperor; and they are corne aiready to that height, that they consult of deposing him, and to chuse some Protestant Prince tobe their King. Some talk of the Duke of Saxony, others of the Palsgrave ; I believe the States here vould rather be for the latter, in regard of conformity of Religion, the other being a Lutheran. I could hOt find in Amsterdam a large Ortelius in Frech to send you ; but from Antu'erp I will hot rail to serve you. So wishing you all happiness and health, and that the Sun may make many progresses thro' the Zodiac, before those eomely gray Hairs of yours go to the Grave, I rest Your very humble Servant, J.H. 3 June 69. XI. 3 6 FAMILIAR LETTERS. oo k XI. To Captain Francis Bacon, at the Glass-House in Broad-street. SR, M Y last to you was from #lmsterdam, sinee which time I bave travers'd the prime parts of the United Provinces; and I ara now in Zealand, being newlv eome to this Town of ]lIiddleborough, whieh is much crestfallen sinee the Staple of English Cloth was remov'd henee, as is Flishing also, her next Neighbour, sinee the departure of the English Garison. A good intelligent Gentleman told me the manner how Flishi»g and the Brill, our two eau- tionarv Tovns here, vere redeemed, which were thus: The nine hundred and odd Sohliers at Flishing, and the Rarn- nakins hard by, being manv \Veeks without their Pay, thev borrow'd divers Sums of Monev of the States of this Town, who finding no Hopes of Supplies from England, Advice was sent to the States-General at the Hague; thev eonsuhing with Sir Ralph llïnwood, our Ambassador (who was a favourable Instrument to them in this Business, as also in the Match with the Palsgrave) sent Instructions to the Lord Caroon, to aequaint the Earl of Su.ff'olk (then Lord Treasurer) herevith; and in case they could find no Satis- faction there, to make lais Address to the King himself, which Caroon did. His Majesty being much incens'd that his Subjects and Soldiers should starve for want of their Pay in a foreign Country, sent for the Lord Treasurer, who drawing his Majesty aside, and telling how empty his Exchequer was, his Majesty told the Ambassador, that if his Masters the States would pay the Monev they ov'd him upon those Towns, he would deliver them up. The Ambassador returning the next day, to knov whether his Majesty persisted in the saine Resolution, in regard that at his former Audience he pereeiv'd him to be a little transported  his Majesty answer'd, that he knew the States of Hollattd to be his good Friends and Confederates, both in ,._çcc I. FAMILIAR LETTERS. 37 in point of Religion and Policy ; therefl»re he apprehended hot the least fear of any difference that should fall out between them, in contemplation whereof, if thev desired to bave their Towns again, he would williugly surrender them. Hereupon the Slales ruade up the Sure presently, which came in convenient time, for it serv'd to defrav the expenceful Progress he made to Scotland the Summer fol- lowing. When that Money was lent by Ctueen Elizabeth, it was articled, that Interest should be paid upon Interest ; and besides, that for every Gentleman who should lose his Life in the States Service, they should make good rive Pounds to the Crown of Englaml: _Ail this his Majestv remitted, and onlv took the Principal ; and this was donc in requital of that Princely Èntertainment, and great Presents, which my Lady Elizal, eth had receiv'd in divers of their Towns as she pass'd to Heidelberg. The Bearer hereof is Sig. Antonio Miotti, who was Master of a Crvstal-Glass Furnace here a long rime; and as I have it by good Intelligence, he is one of the ablest and most knowing Men for the guidance of a Glass-\Vork in Christendom: therefore, according to mv Iustructious, I send hin over, aud hope to bave done Sir Rol, ert good Service therebv. So with my kind Respects unto you» and mv most humble Service where you know it is due, I rest-- Your affectionate Servant, J. Il. 6ffune 6 9. XII. To Sir .lames Crofts, from Antwerp. S1R I PRESUME that mv last to you from the Hagu.e carne safe to hand: I ara now corne to a more chearful Country, and amongst a People somewhat more vigorous and metal'd, being not so heavy as the Hollander, or homelv as they of Zealand. This goodly ancient City methinks looks like a disconsolate XVidow, or rather some super- almuated Virgin, that hath lost her Loyer, being almost quite 38 FANILIAR LETTERS. 00 quite bereft of that flourishing Commerce wherewith before the falling off the rest of the Provinces from Spain she abounded, to the envv of ait other Cities and Marts of Europe. There are few Places this side the _,,tlps better built and so weli streeted as this; and none at ail so well girt with Bastions and Ramparts, which in some places are so spaeious, that they usually take the_Air in Coaehes upon the very ,Valls, which are beautified with divers rows of Trees and pleasant Valks. The Citadel here, tho' it be an addition to the stateliness and strength of the Town, yet it serres as a shrewd Curb unto her; which makes her chomp upon the Bit, and foam sometimes with anger, but she cannot help it. The Tmnults in Bohemia now grmv hotter and hotter; they write how the great Council at Praçue fell to such a hurliburly, that some of those Senators who adher'd to the Emperor were thrown out at the .Vin- dows, where some were maire'd, some broke their Necks. I ana shortlv to bid farewell to the Netlterlamls, and to bend my course for France, where I shall be most readv to entertain any Commands of vours. So mav ail Health and Happiness attend you, according to the "Vishes of-- Your obliged Servant, J.H. 5f«elv I6 9. XIII. To Dr. Tho. t'richard, af Oxford, from Rouen. I HAVE nov taken firm footing in France, and tho' Fr«nce be one of the chiefest Climates of Compliment, ver I tan use none towards you, but tell you in plain dmvn- right Language, That in the List of those Friends I left behind me in England, you are one of the prime Rank, one vhose Naine I have mark'd with the vhitest Stone: If vou have gain'd such a place amongst the choicest Friends of mine, I hope you vill put me somewhere amongst yours, tho' I but fetch up the rear, being contented to be the infirma species, the lowest in the Predicament of your Friends. I Sgcl. i. FAIIILIAR LETTERS. 39 I shall sojourn a good while in this City of Rouen ; there- fore I pray make me happy with the eomfort of your Letters, which [ shall expect with a longing impatience : I pray send me ample advertisement of your welfare, and of the test of vour Friends, as well upon the Banks of Isis as amongst the British Mountains. I aih but a Fresh-man yet in France, therefore I can send you no News but that all is here quiet, and 'Tis no ordinar 9 Ne«'s that the French should be cluiet: But some think this Cahn wil] not last long; for the Queen-Mother (late R,ent) is discontented, being restrain'd from coming to the Court, or to the Citv of Paris; and the tragical death of her Favourite (and Foster-Brother), the late Marquis of lncre, lieth vet in her Stonach undigested: She hath the Duke of Espernon, and divers other potent Princes, that would be strongly at her devotion (as 'ris thought) if she would stir. I pray present my Service to Sir Eul, ule Theloal, and send me word with what pace J«sus-College new \Valls go up. I vill borrow lny Conclusion to you at this time of my Countryman Oit'Cil : Uto not ossum quaztum te diligo z, crsu l?icere, si salis est Z)istichon, ecce duos. f cattot iz Ote Verse my Zoz,e dec[are; ]f Two will «erre the turn, lo here they are. \Vhereunto I will add this Sirname MnagramYours lt,ho[e» J. I{OWEL. 6 MUg. I6I 9. XIV. To Dan. Caldwall, Esc 1. ; ri'oto Rouen. M Ydear Dan, when I came first to this Towu, amongst other Objects of Contentment which I round here, whereof there are variety, a Letter of yottrs was brought to me, and 'txvas a Sh.e-Letter, for two more were enwomb'd in her Body: she had an easv and quick deliverance of" that Twiu ; but, besicles them, she was big and pregnant of divers sweet Pledges, and livelv Evidences of your own Love towards 4o F'AMILAR LETTERS. .00 ./. towards me, whereof I ara as fond as anv Mother can be of her Child. I shall endeavour to eherish and foster this dear Love of yours with all the tenderness that ean be, and warm it at the fiel of mv best Arfeetions, to make it grow everv dav stronger and stronger, until it cornes to the state of Perfection; beeause I know it is a true and real, it is no spurious or adulterated Love. If I intend to be so indulgent anti eareful of yours, I hope vou will hot surfer mine to starve with vou ; mv Love to you need not mueh tending, for it is a lustv strong Love, and will hot easilv misearry. I pray, when you write next, to send me a dozen pair of the best white Kid-skin Gloves the Royal-Excha»ge ean afford ; as also two pair of the purest wbite worsted Stoek- in you ean get of \Vomen's size, together with half a dozen of pair of Knives. I pray send your Man with them to l;acandary, the French Post upon Tou,er-hill, who wili bring them me safelv. XVhen I go to Paris, I shall send vou some euriosities equivalent to these. I have here inelos'd return'd an answer to those two that came in vours; I pray see them safelv dellver'd. My kind Respeets to vour Brother Seteant at Court, to all at Battersay or anvwhere else, where vou tbink mv Commendations mav be plaeed. :No more at this time, but that I reeommend vou to the never-faifing Providence of God, desiring you to go on in nourishing still between us that Love, whieh, for my part, 2Vo 2)'az'erses of Chance, fTime, or Fate, Shall der extbzguish till out Ziz,es hst date: tTut, as the Vine ber lovely Elm dont wire, Gras bol]t out tfearls, andJame wit]t fresh desire. Yours, J.H. 13.4u9. 69. XV. To raff Father, from louen. OURS of the third of M,tgust came sale to hand in an inclos'd from my 13rother; you mav make easy con- jecture how welcome it was unto me, and to what a height of Scct. I. FAIILIAP, LETTERS. 41 of comfort it rals'd mv Spirits, in regard it was the ]rst I receiv'd from vou since I crossed the Seas: I humblv thank vou for the Biessing you sent along with it. I ana now upon the fait Continent of France, one of Nature's choicest Master-pieces ; one of Ce'es' chiefest ]3arns for Corn ; one of Bacchus's prime \Vine-Cellars, and of Nep- tune's best Salt-pits; a compleat self-suflïcient Country, where there is rather a Superfluity than Defect of anything, either for Necessitv or Pleasure, did the Polic of the Countr!l cor- respond u.itl the Bount!l of Nature, in the equal distril'ation of the llYalth amongst the Inhal'itants ; for I think there is hot tpon the Earth a richer Country, and poorer People. 'Tis true, England hath a good repute abroad for ber Fer- tility, )'et be our Harvests never so kindly, and out Crops never so p]entifu], we bave every year commonlv some Grain from thence, or from Dantzick, and other Places imported bv the Merchant: Besicles, there be many more Heaths, Commons, bleak barren Hills, and waste Grounds in England, bv many degrees, than I find here; and I ara sorrv otr Country of IYales shou]d give more Instances hereof than anv other Part. This Province of Normandj, once an ,,tppendix of the Crown of E»gland, tho' it want IYine, yet it vields the King as much Demesnes as anv one of the test ; the Lower Normatt bath C.der for lais cotnmon Drink ; and I visiblv, observ'd that they are more plump and replete in their lodies, and of a clearer Complexion, than those that drink altogethcr ll'ine. In this great Citv of Rouen there be manv Monuments of the English Nation yet extant. In the outside of the highest Steeple of the great Church, there is the \Vord GOD engrav'd in huge golden Characters, every one ahnost as long as myself, to make them the more visible. In this Steeple hangs also the greatest Bell of Christendom, called d'Amboise, for it veighs near upon fortv thousand pound veight. There is also here St. Oen, the greatest Sanctuary of the City, founded bv one of out Compatriots, as the Naine imports: This Province is also subject to lI-ardships, ail d 42 FAMILIAR LETTERS. 00 L and no other part of France besides ; but whether the Con- queror translated that Law to Englattd from hence, or whether he sent it over from England hither, I cannot resolve vou. There is a marvellons quick Trade driven in this Town, because of the great navigable River, Sequena (the Seine) that runs hence to Pari«, whereon there stands a strange Bridge that ebbs and flows, that rises and falls with the River, it being ruade of Boats, whereon Coach and Carts may pass over as well as Men: Besides, this is the nearest Mercantile City that stands betwixt Pariç and the Sea. Mv last to vou was from the Loto Cuntries, where I was in motion to and fro above four Months ; but I fear it mis- carry'd, in regard you make no mention of it in vours. I begin more aud more to bave a sense of the sweetness and advantage of foreign Travel: I pray when you corne to London, to find a rime to visit Sir Robert, and acknow- iedge his great Favours to me, and desire a continuance thereof, accordiug as I shail eudeavour to deserve them. So with ny due and dailv Pravers for your Heahh, and a speedy successflfl issue of ail your Law-businesses, I humbly crave your Blessing, and restYour dutiful Son, J.H. 7 çe/St. 6i 9. XVI. To Capt. Francis Bacon, from Paris. SIR, l RECEIV'D tvo of )'ours in Rouen, with the Bills of Exchange there inc]os'd; and according to vour direc- tions I sent vou those things which vou wrote for. I ara now newlv corne to Paris, this huge Magazine of Men, the Epitome of this large populous Kingdom, and Rendezvous of ail Foreigners. The Structures here are in- differently fait, tho' the Streets general]y foui ail the four Seasons of the vear ; which [ impute first to the Position of the City, being built upon an lsle, (the Isle of Franc G ruade so bv the branching and serpentine course of the River of Seine) and having some of ber Suburbs seated high, the • .'cl. I. FAMILIAR LETTERS. 43 the Filth runs down the Channel, and settles in manv places within the bodv of the City, whieh lies upon a Fiat; as also for a world of Coaehes, Carts, and Horses of all sorts that go to and fro perpetually, so that sometimes one shall meet vith a stop half a toile long of those Coaehes, Carts, and Horses, that ean more neither forward nor baekvard, by reason of some sudden Eneounter of others eoming a eross-way; so that often-times it will be an hour or two before thev ean disintangle. In sueh a stop the Great Henr!l was so fatallv slain bv Ravillac. Henee cornes it to pass, that this Town (for Paris is a Tou,n, a Cilj, and an U»iversity) is alwavs dirty, and 'tis sueh a Dirt, that by perpetual Motion is beaten into sneh black unctuous Oii, that vhere it stieks no _Art ean vash it off of some Colours ; insomueh, that it may be no improper Comparison to say, That an iii Naine is like the Crot (the Dirt) of Paris, whieh is indelible; besicles, the Stain this Dirt leaves, it gives also so strong a seent, that it mav be smelt manv mlles off, if the Wind be in one's Face as he cornes from the fresh _Air of the Country: this may be one cause whv the Plague is alvavs in solne corner or other of this vast City, whieh mav be call'd, as once Scjthia was, Uagina populorum, or (as Mankind was call'd hy a great Philosopher) a great Mole- hill of Ants: yet [ believe this City is hot so populous as she seems to be, for her Form being round (as the whole Kingdoln is) the Passengers wheel about, and meet oftener than thev used to do in the long continued Streets of London, whieh makes London appear less populous than she is indeed; so that Lo»don for length (tho' not for latitude)including IKestminster, exeeeds Paris, and hath in Michaelmas Term more souls moving within her in all places. 'Tis under one hundred vears that Paris is become so sumptuous and strong in Bt, ildings; for her Houses were mean, until a Mine of white Stone vas diseover'd hard by, vhieh runs in a eontinued Vein of Earth, and is dig'd out with ease, belng soft, and is betveen a vhite Clay and Chalk at first ; but being pulley'd up with the open _Air, it reeeives a erusty kind 44 FalIILIaR LETTERS. J]ook f. kind of hardness, and so becomes perfect Freestone; and before it is sent up from the Pit, thev eau reduce it to any form: Of this Stone, the Louvre, the King's Palace, is built, which is a vast Fabrick, for the Gallerv wants not much of an Italian Mlle in lengtb, and will easilv lodge 3000 Men ; which, some told me, was the end for vhich the last King ruade it so big, that lying at the Fag-end of this great mutinons City, if she perchance should fise, the King might pour ont of the Loaw'e so mauv thousand Men unawares into the heart of her. I ara lodg'd here hard by the Bastile, because it is furthest off from those Places where the English resort ; for I xvould go on to next, I affords ; Servant, .P«ris, get a little Language as soon as I could. |n mv shall impart unto vou what State-news France in the interim, and ahvays, I am--Your humble J.H. 3 ° 3Iarch 62o. XVII. To Richard Altham, Esq. ; from Paris. DEAR SIR, V/£ is the Marrow of Friendship, and Letters are the Elixir of Love  thev are the best Fuel of Affection, and east a sweeter Odour than anv raincense ean do ; uch an Odour, such an lroma¢ic Perfume your late Leller brought with it, proeeeding from the fragraney of those dainty Flowers of Eloquenee, whieh I found blossoming as it were in every Line ; I mean those sweet txpressions of Love and \Vit, which in every Period were intermingled with so mueh Art, that they seeln'd to eontend for liastery whieh was the strongest, I must eonfess, that you put me to hard shifts to correspond with yon in sueh exquisite Strains and Raptures of Love, whieh were so lively that I must needsjudge them to proceed from the Motions, from the Dias¢ole and S]is¢ole of a Heart truly affeeted  certainly your Heart did dietate everv Syllable you writ, and guided wmr Hand ail along, Sir, give me leave to tell you, that hOt Sgct. i. FAIILIAR LETTERS. 45 hOt a drain, nor a dose, nor a scruple of this precious Love of vours is ]ost, but is safe]v treasur'd up in mv Breast, and answer'd in like proportion to the full: naine to you is as cordial, it is passionate and perfeet, as Love ean be. I thank you for the desire you have to knov hoxv it fares with me abroad: I thank God I ana perfeetly well, and well eontented xvith this xvandering course of life a while: I never enjoy'd mv health better, but I was like to endanger it two Nights ago; for being in some jovial Company abroad, and eoming late to our Lodging, we were suddenlv surprized bv a Crev of Filous of Night-Rogues, who drew upon us; and as xve had exehang'd some Blows, it pleas'd God the Chevalier du Guet, an Offieer who goes up and down the Streets ail Night a-Horseback to prevent Dis- orders, pass'd by, and so reseu'd us; but Jack lI'hite was hurt, and I had two Thrusts lu mv C]oak. There's never a Night passes but some Robbing or Murder is eommitted in this Town; so that it is hOt safe to go late anywhere, speeially about the Pont-Neuf, the New-bridge, tho' Henr!l the Great himself lies Centinel there in Arms, upon a huge Florentine Horse, and sits bare to everv one that passeth; an improper posture methinks to a King on Horsebaek. Not long sinee, one of the Seeretaries of State, (whereof there are alwavs four) having been invited to the Suburbs of St. Germains to Supper, left order with one of his Laequeys to bring him lais horse about nine ; it so happen'd that a Misehanee befell the Horse, whieh lam'd him as he xvent a-xvatering to the Seine, insomueh that the Seeretarv was put to beat the Hoof himself, and foot it hone; but as he was passing the Pont-Nef with his Laequey earrying a Toreh before him, he might o'erhear a Noise of elashing of Swords, and fighting, and looking under the Toreb, and pereeiving they were but two, he bad his Laequey go on; they had hot ruade manv Paees, but two armed Men with their Pistols eoek'd and Swords drawn, ruade puflàng toxvards them, xvhereof one had a Paper in his Hand, whieh he said he had easually took up in the Streets, and the Differenee 4 6 FAMILIAR LETTERS. OOk Difference between them was about that Paper ; therefore they deslr'd the Secretary to read it, with a great deal of complilnent : The Seeretary took out his Spectacles and fell a reading of the said Paper, whereof the substance vas, That it should be known to all 3I«n, that whosoever did pass over that Bridge after Nine a Clock at Night in Iii'inter, and Ten in Summer, was to leave his Cloak behind him, and in case of no Cloak, his Hat. The Seeretary starting at thls, one of the Comrades told him, That he thought that Paper eoneern'd him so they unmantled him of a new Plush Cloak, and lny Seeretary was content to go home quietly, and en cuerpo. This makes me think often of the excellent noctural Government of our City of London, where one may pass and repass seeurely all hours of the Night, if he gives good words to the "Vateh. There is a gentle eahn of Peaee now throughout ail France, and the King intends to make a Progress to all the Frontier Towns of the Kingdom, to see how they are fortifv'd. The Favourite Luines strengtheneth himself more and more in his Minionship; but he is mueh murmured at, in regard the access of Suitors to hin is so diflîcult: which ruade a Lord of this Land say, That three of the hardest things in the Vorld were, To quadrate a Circle, tofi.nd out the Philo- sopher's-stone, and to speak with the Duke of Luines. I have sent you by Ya«andar!l the Post, the French Bever and Tweeses you writ for: Bever-hats are grown dearer of late, beeause the ,lesuits have got tbe Monopoly of them from the King. Farewel, dear Child of Virtue, and Minion of the Muses and continue to loveYours, J.H. ffaris,  3Iay I62O. XVIII. To Sir James Crofts, from Paris. IR, I AM to set forward this \Veek for Spain, and if I ean find no Commodity of hnbarkation at St. 31alo's, I ni tlst Z't. I. FAIIILIAR LETTERS. 47 must be forc'd to journey it ail the wav bv Land, and clamber up the huge Pr«neg-Hills; but I could uot bid Paris adieu, till I had convey'd my true and constant Re- spects to you by this Letter. I xvas vesterdav to vait upol Sir Herbert Crofts at St. Germains, where I met with a Fre»ch G.eltlenaan, who, amon«st other curiosities, which he pleas'd to shew me up and dowla Paris, brought nae tO that Place where the late Kiug was slain, and to that where the Marquis of Ancre was shot ; and so anade me a punctual Relation of all the Circumstances of those two Acts, which in regard they were rare, and I believe two of the notablest Acci- dents that ever happen'd in Fra»ce, I thought it worth the labour to anake you partaker of some part of his Discourse. France, as all Christendom besides (for there was then a Truce betwixt Spain and the Hollanders) was in a profound Peace, and had contiuued so twenty years together, vheu IIe»r 9 IV. fell upou some great martial Design, the Bottom whereof is hot known to this dav; and being rich (for he had heap'd up in the Bastile a Mount of Gold that was as high as a Lance) he levv'd a huge Armv of 40,000 Men, whence came the Song, The King of France u'ith J'ort thousand ]lien ; and upon a sudden he put this Armv in per- fect Equipage, and some say he invited our Prince Henrff to corne to hiln to be a sharer in lais Exploits. But going «ne _Afternoon to the Bastile, to see his Treasure and Ammunition, his Coach stopp'd suddenly, bv reason of some Colliers' and other Carts that werc in that narrow Street ; whereupon one Rat,illac, a Lay-Jesuit, (who had a whole twelvemonth watch'd an Opportunity to do the Act) put his Foot boldly upon one of the XVheels of the Coach, and with a long Knife stretch'd himself over their Shoulders who were in the Boot of the Coach, and reach'd the King at the end, and stabb'd him right in the left side to the Heart, and pulling out the fatal Steel, he doubled his Thrust; the King vith a ruthful Voice crv'd out, Je suis blessé (I am hurt), and suddenly the Blood issued out at his Mouth. The Regicide Villain was apprehended, and COllllllalld 4 8 FAMILIAR LETTERS. 00 ]'. Command given that no Violence should be offer'd him, that he might be reserved for the Law, aud some exquisite Torture. The Queen grew hall distracted hereupon, who had been crown'd (ueen of Fra»ce the Day belote in great Triumph; but a few davs after she had something to cotmtervail, if hot to overmatch her Sorrmv : for according to St. Leu,is's Law, she was ruade ueen-Regent of France» during the King's Minority, who was then bt about ten vears of A«e. Manv Consultations were held hmv to punish Ravillac, and there were some Italian Phvsicians that undertook to prescribe a Torment, that shou]d last a con- stant Torment for three days; but he scap'd onlv with this, ltis Bodv was tmll'd between four Horses, that one might hear his Bones crack, and after tbe Dislocatiou they xvere set again; and so he was carrv'd in a Cart standiug half- naked, with a Torch in that Hand which had committed the Murder: And in the Place xvhere the Act was donc, it xvas cut off, and a Gauntlet of hot Oil was clap'd upon the Stump, to staunch the Blood; whereat he gave a dole- fui Shrick. Then was he brought upon a Stage, where a new pair of Boots was provided for him, hall filled with boiling Oil; then his Bodv was pincer'd, and hot Oil pour'd into the Holes. In al] the extremity of this Torture, he searce shew'd anv sense of Pain ; but xx-hen the Gauntlet was clap'd upon his Arm to statmch the Flux at that time of reeking Blood, he gave a Shriek onlv. He bore up agaiust ali these Torments about three hours belote he died: Ail the Confession that could be drawn from bim, was, That he thought to have done God good Service, fo take au,a9 that Ki»g t«hich u,ould hat,e eml, roil'd all Christendom in an etdless llr. A fatal thing it was, that France should bave three of her Kings corne to such violent Deaths, in so short a revolution of time. Hc»ry II. running at Tilt with M. lbmtgo.mer, was kill'd by a Spliuter of a Lance that pierc'd his Èe: Henry III., hot long after, was kill'd by a young Friar, who, in lieu of a Lettcr which he pretended to bave for him, pull'd Se6t. I. FAMILIAR LETTERS. 49 pull'd out of his long Sleeve a Knife, and thrust him into the bottom of tbe Belly, as he was eoming from his Close- stool, and so dispateh'd bim ; but that Regicide was haek'd to pieces in the Place bv the Nobles. The salue Destinv attended the King bv Ravillac, whieh is beeome now a common Name of Reproach and lnfamv in b)'ance. Never was King so much lamented as this; there are a world not only of his Pictures, but Statues up and down France; and there's scarce a Market-Town but hath him erected in the Market-place, or o'er some Gare, hOt upon Sign-posts, as out Hemff VIII.; and bv a publick Act of Parliament, which vas confirm'd in the Consistorv at Rome, he was entitled ttemff tlte Great, and so plac'd in the Temple of Immortality. A notable Prince he was, and of an admirable Temper of Bodv and Mind; he had a graceful facetious way to gain both Love and Awe: He would be never transported bew»nd himself with Choler, but he would pass bv anything'with some Repartee, some wittv Strain, wherein he was excellent. I wili instance in a few whlch vere told me from a good Hand. One Dav he was charg'd by the Duke of Bouillon to have chang'd his Religion: He answer'd, No, Cottsin, 1 have chang'd no Religion, bat an Opinion: And the Cardinal of Perron being by, he eujoin'd him to write a Treatise for his Vindi- cation; the Cardinal was long about the Vork, and when the King ask'd from time to tlme where his Book was, he would still ansver him, That he expected some 3lanuscrlpts ri'oto Rome, belote he could.fidsh if. It happen'd, that one Day the King took the Cardinal along with him to look on his Vorkmen and New-buildings at the Louvre; and pass- ing by one Corner which had been a long time begun, but left unfinish'd, the King ask'd the chief 3lason why that Corner was not ail this while perfected ? Sir, it is because I want some choice Stones. No, no, sald the King, looking upon the Cardinal, If is because thou wantest Man-uscripts from Rome. Another time, the old Duke of 3Iain, who was used to play the Droll with him, coming softlv into his I Bedchamber, 50 FAIIILIAR LETTERS. 2oo} f. Bedchamber, and thrusting in his bald Head, and long Neck, in a Posture to make the King merry, it happen'd the King was coming fro,n doing his Ease ; and spying him, he took the round Cover of the Close-stool, and clap'd it on his bald Sconce, saying, .,4h, Cousin, you thought once fo bave taken the Crown off" of 1 Head, and wear it on .lour own; but this of raff Tail shall now serve our Another time, when at the Siege of _dmiens, he having sent for the Count of Soissons (who had oo, ooo Franks a Year Pension from the Crown) to assist him in tlmse Vars, and that the Count excus'd himseif, by reason of his Years and Poverty, having exhausted himself in the for,ner "Vars, and all that he could do now was to pray for his Majesty, which he would do heartily: This Answer being brought to the King, he reply'd, lYill l Co«sb, the Count qf Soissons, do notking else bttt pra for ne ? 7"cil kim tkat Praer without Fasti»g is hot available; therefore I will nake m Cousbt /àst also from his Pension of oo,ooo per He was once troubled vith a Fit of the Gout; and the Spanish Ambassador coming then to visit him, and saying he was sorry to sec his Majesty so lame; he answer'd, .,4s lame as I ara, if there u,ere Occasion, our 2ffaster the King of Spain skould o sooner hat,e his Foot in the Stirrup, bat he should3qnd ne on Horseback. By these few vou may guess at the Genius of this spright- ful Priuce: I could make many more Instances, but then I should exceed the bounds of a Letter. \Vhen I am in Spain, you shall hear further from me; and if you tan think on anything wherein I mav serve you, believe it, Sir, that anv Employment from )'ou shall be welcome to-- Your much obliged Servant, J.H. _Pris, I2 _(y, 162o. XIX. To nl Brother, Dr. Howell. tROTHER, B ENG to-morrow to part with Paris, and begin my Journey for Spain, I thought it hOt amiss to send 7011 Sect. I. FAILIAI LETTERS. 5I you this, in regard I knoxv not when I shall bave Oppor- tunitv to write to you again. This Kingdom, since the young King bath taken the Sceptre into his own hands, doth flourish very much with Ctuietness and Commerce; nor is there aav Motion, or the least tintamar of Trouble in any part of the Country, xvhich is rare in France. 'Tis true, the Queen-Mother is discon- tented since she left her Regency, being confin'd; and l know not what it may eome to in rime, for she bath a strong Party; and the murdering of her Marquis of Ancre will yet bleed, as solne fear. I xvas lately in Society of a Gentleman, who was a Spectator of that Tragedy ; and he was p]eas'd to relate to me the Particulars of it, which xvas thus : \Vhen Henrlj IV. xvas slain, the Queen-Dowager took the Reins of the Government into her hands during the young Kins Mi- noritv ; and amongst others xvhom she advanc'd, Signior Conchino, a Florentine, and ber Foster-Brother, xvas one: Her Countenance came to shine so strongly upon him, that he became her only Confident and Favourite, insomuch that she lnade hin Marquis of Mncre, one of the twelve Mareschals of France, Governor of Normandy; and eon- ferr'd divers other Honours and Offices of Trust upon him ; and who but he? The Princes of France could not endure the domineering of a Stranger; therefore they leagu'd together to suppress him by _A_rms: The O.ueen-Regent having Intelligence hereof, surpriz'd the Prince of Condd, and clap'd him up in the Bastile; the Duke of 3lain fled hereupon to Peronne in Picardll , and other great Men put themselves in an armed Posture to stand upon their guard. The young King being told, that the Marquis of Ancre was the ground of this Discontentment, commanded M. de Vilry, Captain of lais Guards, to arrest him, and in case of Resistance to kill him: This Business was carry'd very closelv till the next Morning, that the said Marquis xvas coming to the Louvre xvith a rufiqing Train of Gallants after him ; and passing over the Draxvbridge at the Court- Gate, 52 FAMILIAR LETTERS. 200/1 Gate, Yitj stood there with the Kilg's Guard about him; and as the Marquis enter'd, he told him, that he had a Commissioa from the King to apprehend him; therefore he demanded his Sword: The Marquis hereupon put his Hand upou his Sword, some thought to vield it up, others to make Opposition; lu the meautime Iit'j discharg'd a Pistol at him, and so dispatch'd him. The King being above in his Gallery, ask'd what Noise that was below. Oae smilingly answer'd, Nothlng, Sir, but that the Mareschal of,Attcre is slain. Who slew bim ? The Captaia of your Guard. \Vhy? Because he would bave drawn his Sword at 'our Majesty's Royal Commission: Then the King reply'd, Vitrv l, atlt do»e tt.'ell, a»d I u.ill nai»tai» tlte .Act. Presently the Queel-Mother had all ber Guard taken from ber, except six Men and sixteen Vomen, and so she was banish'd Paris, aud commanded to retire to Blois: .Acre's Body was burv'd that Night in a Churchvard bv the Court ; but the next Mornilg the Lacqueys and Pages (who are more unhappy here thaa the Apprentices in Lottdon) broke open his Grave, tore his Coffin to pieces, rip'd the \Vinding-sheet, and tied his Body to an _Ass's Tail, and so dragg'd him up and down the Gutters of Paris, wbich are aone of the sweetest ; thev then slic'd off his Ears, and nail'd them upon the Gates of the Citv ; they cut off his Genitories (and they say he was hung like an Ass) and sent them for a Present to the Duke of Jlaitt; the test of his Body thev carrv'd to the New-bridge, and hung hlm lais Heels upwards and Head downvards upon a new Gibbet, that had been set up a little belote, to punish tbem who should speak ill of the preseat Govermneat ; and it was his Chance to have the Maidenhead of it himself. His \Vile was here- upon apprehended, imprison'd, and bebeaded for a \Vitch some few davs after, upon a Surmise that sbe had enchanted the Queen to dote so upon her Husband ; aud they say the youug King's Picture was fomad in ber Closet in Virgin- wax, with one Leg melted away. _A little after, a Process was form'd against the Marquis (ber Husband)and so he SecL I. FAILIAR LETTERS. 53 was condemn'd after death. This was a right Act of a French popular Fury, which like an angry Torrent is irre- sistible ; nor ean any Banks, Boundaries, or Dikes, stop the impetuous Rage of it. How the .young King will prosper after so high and an unexampled Act of Violence, by beglnning his Relgn, and embruing the \Valls of his own Court with Blood in that manner, there are divers Censtlres. \Vhen I ara settled in Spa[n, you shall hear from me; in the interhn, I pray let your Pravers accompauy me in this long Journey ; and when you write to lIlales, I pray acquaint out Friends with my \Velfare. So I pray God bless us both, and send us a happy Interview.mYour loving Brother, J.H. _Paris, 8 ,.çept. 162o. XX. To my Cousin, \V. Vaughan, Esq. ; from St. Malo. COUSIN, I AM now in French JBritany. I went back from Paristo Rouen, and so thro' all Lot« Normandg, to a little Port call'd Granville, where I embark'd for this Town of St. 3lalo; but I did purge so violently at Sea, that it put me into a burning Fever for some few days, whereof (I thank God) I am newly recover'd; and finding no Opportunity of shipping here, I ,ust be forc'd to turn my intended Sea- Voyage to a long Land-Journey. Since I came to this Province, I ,vas curlous to converse with some of the Lower Britons, who speak no other Lan- guage but our llélsh, for their radical \Vords are no other; but 'tis no wonder, for they were a Colonv of ll-elsh at first, as the Naine of this Province doth imply; as also the Latin Naine ./lrmorica, which, tho' it pass for Latin, yet it is pure IYelsh, and signifies a Country bordering upon the Sea; as that Areh-Heretick was eall'd Pelagius, à Pdago, his Name being 3[organ. I was a little curious to peruse the 54 AMILIAR LETTERS. OO/ë Z the Anuals of this Province; and during the time that it was a Kingdom, there were four Kings of the Naine Hoell, whereof one was call'd Hoell the Great. This Town of St. Malo hath one Rarity in it ; for there is here a perpetual Garison of E»glish, but they are of E»glish Dogs, which are let out in the Night to guard the Ships, aud eat the Carrens up and down the Streets, and so they are shut up again in the Morning. It will be now a good while before I shall bave Conveni- ency to send to you, or receive from you; howsoever, let me retain still some little room in your Memory, and some- times in your Meditations, xvhile I carry you about me per- petually, hot Olfly in my Head, but in Heart, and make you travel ail a]oug with InC thus t?om Town to Country, from Hill to Dale, froln Sea to Lalld, up and down the Vorld : And you must be contented to be subject to these uncertain Removes and Perambulations, until it shall please God to fix me again in Engla»d : nor need you, while you are thus my Concomitant thro' new Places every Day, to fear anv ill Usage, as long as I fare well.Yours «, J.H. St. Afa[o, 25 t. I62O. XXI. To Sir John North, Knight ; from Rochel. SlR _A_M newly COllée to Rochel, rlor ara I sorry that I went somewhat out of my way to see this Tovn, not (to te]l vou true) out of allv extraordinary love I bear to the People; for I do not find them so gent]e and debonair to Strangers, nor so hospitable as the rest of France; but I excuse them for it, in regard it is commonly so with ail Repub]ic and Hans Towns, whereof this smel]s verv rank: nor indeed bath any E»glishman much cause to 10ve this Town, in regard, in Ages pass'd, she play'd the most trea- cherous part with E»gla»d of any other Place in France. For • .aC£Cl. I. FAMILIAR LETTERS. 55 For the Story tells us, That this Town having by a per- fidious Stratagem (by forging a Counterfeit Commission fronl E»gland) induc'd the E.glish Governor to make a general Muster of all his Forces out of the Town; this heing one Day done, they shut their Gares against him, and ruade him go shake his Ears, aud to shift for his Lodging, and so render'd themselves to the French King, who sent them a Blank to write their own Conditious. I think thev have tbe strongest Ramparts bv Sea of any Place of Christendom ; nor bave I seen the like in any Town of Holland, whose Safetv depends upon \Vater. I ara bound To-morrow for Bourdeaux, then thro' Gascogny to Tholouse, so thro' Languedoc o'er the IIills to Spain : I go in the best Season of the Year, for I make an lutt«mnal Jouruey of it. I pray let vour Prayers aeeompany me ail along; thev are the best Offices of Love, and Fruits of Friendship: So God prosper vou at home, as me abroad, aud send us in good time a joyful Conjuneture.--Yours, J.H. .Rochel, 80ctob. 62o. XXII. To Jllr. Tho. Porter, @er Capt. Porter; from Barcelona. M Y dear Tom, I had no sooner set foot upon this Soil, and breath'd Spanish Air, but my Thoughts pre- sently reflected upon you: Of all my Friends in England, you were the first I met here vou were the prime Object of my Speculation; methought the very \Vinds in gentle Whispers did breathe out vour Naine, and blow it on me; vou seem'd to reverberate upon me with the Beams of the Sun, which you know hath such a powerfid influeuce» and indeed too great a Stroke ill this Country. _And all this you must ascribe to the Operations of Love» which hath such a strong virtual Force, that when it fastneth upon a pleas- ing Subject, its sets the Imagination in a strange Fit of working, it employs all the Faculties of the Soul, so that not 5 6 FAMILIAR LETTERS. '00 not one Cell in the Brain is idle; it busieth the whole inward Man, it affeets the Heart, amuseth the Understanding; it quickneth the Fancy, and leads the Vill as it were by a silken Thread to co-operate with 'em all: I have felt these Motions often in lice, especially at this time, that my Memorv fix'd upon you. But the reason that I fell first upon you in Spain was, that I re,nember'd I had heard you often discoursing how you bave receiv'd part of vour Educa- tion here, which brougbt you to speak the Language so exacth" well. I think often of the Relations I have heard you make of this Country, and the good Instruction you pleas'd to give me. I am noxv in Barcelona, but the next Veek I intend to go on thro' your Town of IZalencia to Alicant, and thence vou shall be sure to hear frmn me farther, for I make account to winter there. The Duke of Ossuna pass'd by here lately, and having got leave of Grace to release some Slaves, he went aboard the Cape Gallies, and passiug thro' the Churma of Slaves, he ask'd divers of them what their Offences were : Everv onu excus'd himself; one saying, That be was put in out of Malice, another by Bribery of the Judge, but all of them unjustly: Amongst the test there was one little sturdy black Man, and tbe Duke asking him what he was in for, Sir, said he, Ica»not deny but I amjustly put in here,)br I u,anted Jloney, and so took a Purse hard by Tarragona, to keep te from starving. The Duke, with a little Staff he had in his hand, gave him two or three blows upon the Shoulders, saying, I%u Rogue, u'hat do ?/ou do amongst so nan honest innocent 3Ien ? Get you gone out o their Compa»!t : So he was freed, and the test remain'd still in statu quo priùs, to tug at the Oar. I pray comlnend me to Signior Camillo, and Blazalao, with the rest of the IZenetians with you; and when you go aboard the Ship behind the Exchange, think upon Yours, J.H. t?arcdona, IO-/OfJ, I62o, XXllI. Se£t. I. FMILIAR LETTERS. 57 XXII[. To Sir James Crofts. SIR, I AM now a good way withiu the Bodv of Spai, at Barcelom, a proud wealthy City, situated upon the ]lediterraea»,, and is the Metropolis of the Kingdom of Catal,ia, call'd of old Hispa,ia Tarraco,ensis. I had much ado to reacb hither ; for besides the moustrous abrupt- ness of the way, these Parts of the Pyrenees that border upon the Mediterrateat are never vithout Thieves bv Land (called Bandoleros) and Pirates on the Sea-side, which lie sculking in the hollows of the Rocks, and ofteu strprise Passengers unawares, and carry them Slaves to Barbary on the other side. The safest way to pass, is to take a l?ordoa in the Habit of a l'ilgrim, whereof there are abundance that perform their Vows this way to the Lady of lllotserrat, one of the prime Places of Pilgrimage in Christeudom -" It is a stupendous Mouastery, built on the top of a huge Land-Rock, whither it is inpossible to go up, or COlne down bv a direct way, but a Path is cut out full of Windings and Turnings ; and on the Crown of this Craggy-hill there is a Fiat, upon which the Monasterv and Pilgrimage place is founded, where there is a l'icture of the Virgin ]lIary Sun- burnt, and tann'd, it seems when she went to Egypt ; and to this Picture, a marvellous confluence of People, from all Parts of Europe, resort. As [ pass'd between some of the P9reneg-Hills, I per- ceiv'd the poor Labradors, some of the Country People, lire no better than brute Animals, in point of Food; for their ordinary Commons is Grass and çVater, only they have always within their Houses a Bottle of Vinegar, and another of Oil; and when Dinner or Supper-time cornes, they go abroad and gather their Herds, and so cast Vinegar and Oil upon them, and will pass thus two or three Days with- out Bread or Wine; yet thev are strong lusty Men, and will stand stiffly under a Musi