Henry Cuff

a most excellent Grecian, is said by an Historian (u)(u) Will. Sanderson in The lives of Mary Q. of Scots and K. Jam. Printed 1656. p. 238. of no great note, to be base by Birth; meaning, I presume, that his birth was mean. If so, then let it be known from the (w)(w) In the Visitation Book of Sommersetshire, made 1573. Records in the Coll. of Arms, that his birth was gentile in Sommersetshire, that his Predecessors for 4 Generations before him lived at Creech near to Taunton in the said County in good esteem, and that his Ancestor Joh. Cuff, who lived sometimes at Ilchester, and sometimes at Creech, where he had good inheritances, had a Coat of Arms granted to him and his posterity by Christop. Barker Garter King of Arms, 36. Hen. 8. and so consequently was made a Gentleman. At 26 years of age, in 1586. he the said Hen. Cuff was chosen Prob. Fellow of Merton coll. (having a little before been forced to resign his Fellowship of Trin. coll. for speaking certain matters (tho true) that redounded to the great discredit of the Founder Sir Tho. Pope,) and two years after, was not only made Master-Fellow, but also M. of A. In which time he occasionally shewed himself a rare Grecian, Philosopher, and Disputant. Afterwards he was Greek Professor, and Proctor of the University, and at length Secretary to that unfortunate Count Robert Earl of Essex. As he was a person of good parts, so was he ambitious withal, and pretended to be well seen in the rules of Policy, believed by many that he was so, (because smothered under the habit of a Scholar,) especially by his great Patron, which brought him the sooner to the block. He wrote in the year 1600,

The differences of the ages of man’s life. Lond. 1607. and 1633. in oct.

The original, causes, progress, and end of Man’s life.—Printed with the former book, and other things which he left fit for the Press, but never published. Afterwards he being found guilty of Treason for conspiring with the said Rob. E. of Essex, to seize on the Queen and change the Government, he was hang’d at Tyburn near London, 30. March in sixteen hundred and one: 1601 So that his body being afterwards buried obscurely without a Memorial or Epitaph, be pleased to take this for him, made by (x)(x) Jo. Owen. in lib. 1. Epigr. ad Hen. Principem Cambr. nu. 107. one that knew him well.

Doctus eras Graecè, felixque tibi fuit Alpha?

At fuit infelix Omega, Cuffe, tuum.

The execution of which person, and his unhappy end, is brought in by a certain author (y)(y) Fr. Osborn in his first part of Advice to a Son. chap. 4. as a very proper and sutable instance to verifie the great reasonableness of one of his advices to his Son, thus,—Mingle not your interest with a great Man’s, made desperate by debt, or Court-injuries, whose breaking out prove fatal to their wisest followers and friends: averred in the last Earl of Essex but one, where (z)(z) Gelly Merick, Son of Dr. Rowl. Merick sometimes Bish. of Bangor, which Gelly was Knighted by the said E. of Essex at the sacking of Cadiz, an. 1596. Merick his Steward, and Cuff his Secretary, tho of excellent parts, were both hanged. For such unconcocted Rebellions turn seldom to the hurt of any, but the parties that promote them; being commonly guided by the directions of their Enemies, as this was by (a)(a) Sir Rob. Cecil, afterwards Earl of Salisbury. Cecil, whose creatures persuaded Essex to this inconsiderate attempt, &c. that is, to seize the Queen and change the Government. Thus far Francis Osborn here quoted, of whom and his Works the Reader may please by the way (if not too tedious) to know these things, That he was younger Brother to Sir. Pet. Osborn, and both the Sons of Sir John Osborn of Chicksand near Shefford in Bedfordshire; which Sir John and his Father did both enjoy a quiet, happy, and plentiful Fortune under Q. Elizabeth: That he was bred mostly at home, not so much as in a Free School or University, being altogether void of such kind of Faculties that Universities afford. At ripe years he frequented the Court, became a Servant in the Pembrochian Family, and at length Master of the Horse to that most Noble Count William Earl of Pembroke. In 1641. he ran with the times, having been Puritannically educated, had publick employments then, and under Oliver, conferr’d upon him; and in his last days lived in Oxon purposely to Print certain books of his compostion that then laid by him, and to have an eye on his Son John, whom he got by the favour of the Parliamentarian Visitors, to be Fellow of Allsouls coll. 1648. Those things of his, which I have seen extant, are these, (1) A seasonable expostulation with the Netherlands, declaring their ingratitude to, and the necessity with their agreement with, the Commonwealth of England. Ox. 1652. qu. in two sh. and half. (2) Perswasive to mutual compliance under the present Government. Ox. 1652. qu. in two sh. (3) Plea for a Free State compared with Monarchy.—Printed with the former, in 4 sh. qu. (4) The private Christians non ultra; or, a plea for the Lay-man’s interpreting the Scriptures. Ox. 1656. in 3 sh. and half, in qu. There is no name to it, only strongly reported to be Fr. Osborn’s. (5) Advice to a Son, in two parts. The first was printed at Ox. in oct. an. 1656. and within 2 years after were five more impressions of it. The second part was printed at Ox. 1658. oct. but being not so well liked as the first, I cannot justly say whether it had a second impression. Both, especially the first, being greedily bought up, and admired in Oxon, especially by young Scholars, it was then noted among the Godly Ministers, that they did instill principles of Atheism into them. Whereupon a publick complaint being put up against the said books to the then Vicechanc. Dr. Jo. Conant, there was a proposal made to have them publickly burnt. But it taking no effect, it was ordered 27. July 1658. that no booksellers, or any other persons should sell the books; which afterwards made them sell the better. (6) Political reflections upon the Government of the Turks; to which are added in the same book or vol. A discourse upon Nich. Machiavell.—Observations upon the K. of Sweden’s descent into Germany.—Discourse upon Piso and Vindex, who both conspired the death of Nero.—The greatness and corruption of the Court of Rome.—Discourse upon the election of P. Leo XI.—Political occasions of the defection from the Church of Rome.—Discourse in vindication of Mart. Luther. All these were printed at Ox. in oct. at least 3 times. (7) Traditional Memoires on the Reign of Q. Eliz. Lond. 1658. oct. (8) Trad. Mem. on the Reign of K. James. Lond. 1658. oct. (9) Miscellany of sundry Essays, Paradoxes, and Problematical Discourses, Letters, and Characters. Lond. 1659. oct. (10) Deductions from the History of the Earl of Essex, who was executed for Treason under the Reign of Q. Eliz. Lond. 1659. oct. These are all that I have seen, and whether he hath any others published, I cannot say. After his death appeared in publick a book intit. A modest plea for an equal Commonwealth against Monarchy, &c. with other things added to it, as, An Apology for younger Brothers, and A lift at Tythes. All printed twice in 1659. in qu. and oct. These three Treatises, tho they were published by another person as his, yet some Scholars, more envious than prudent, did not stick to say, that the publisher found them among the papers of Fr. Osborn (with whom he had intimate acquaintance) after his death, and disguising the Language, or making some alterations in, published, them as his own. However all that knew him well and were intimate with him, (as the writer of these matters was,) knew him able to write such a book as that was. As for Fr. Osborn he died at Nether-worton near to Dedington in Oxfordshire, in the house of Will. Draper Esq (an Oliverian Colonel) whose Sister he had married, on the eleventh of Feb. 1658-9. aged 70. or thereabouts, and was buried in the Church there. Over his Grave is a Monument, with an inscription, but the contents I know not yet.