Dudley Digges

, [•] elder Brother to Leonard Digges mention’d under the year 1635. was born in Kent, particularly, if I mistake not, in the parish of Berham, wherein Digges Court is situated; was entred a Gentleman Commoner of Vniversity coll. in 1598. aged 15, where making great improvement in Academical learning under the tuition of the Master thereof, Dr. George Abbot, (afterwards Archb. of Canterbury) took the degree of Bach. of Arts; which being compleated by Determination, he went to the Inns of Court, and afterwards to travel, and about that time received the honour of Knighthood. As for the rest of his actions for some years after, I cannot justly relate. However the chief story of his life, which was honourable and good, may be the rule of ours. His understanding few could equal, his vertues, fewer would. He was a pious man, a careful Father, a loving husband, a fatherly brother, a courteous neighbour, a merciful landlord, a liberal master, a noble friend. After much experience gained by travel, and an exact survey of the Laws and people of forreign Kingdoms, he did enable himself thereby for the service of his Country, but observing too many to justle for place, and cross the publick interest, (if not joyned with their publick gain) hindring the motion of the great body of the Commonwealth, desisted, and was satisfied with the conscience of merit, knowing good men only can deserve honours, tho the worse might attain them. His noble soul could not stoop to ambition, or be beholding to that (tho the most generous) vice, for an occasion to exercise his vertues. So that out of such apprehensions, his moderate desires confin’d his thoughts to the innocence of a retired life. But the most knowing of Princes K. James 1. who ever made choice of the most able ministers, judging none more equal to employments, than those that would not unworthily court them, sent him Embassadour to the Emperour of Russia, and in the year 1620. (whether before, or after his Embssie, I know not) he with Sir Maurice Abbot were (a)(a) Camden ut super in Annal; Reg. Jac. 1. MS. sub. an. 1620. sent into Holland in the month of Nov. to obtain the intercepted Goods of some English men, taken in their coming back from East India. After his return from the said employments, and some years conscionably spent in the service of the State, being unbiassed by popular applause, or Courthopes, he was made Master of the Rolls in the place of Sir Julius Caesar, who dying 12 Apr. Sir Dudley was sworn to that office on the 20. of the said month, an. 1636. This did crown his former actions, and tho it would not increase his integrity, yet it made him more perspicuous, and whom his acquaintance before, now the Kingdom, honoured. If the example of his justice had powerful influence on all magistrates, the people who are governed, would be happy on earth, and the Rulers in heaven with him, who counted it an unworthy thing to be tempted to vice, by the reward of vertue. The things that he wrot and collected were many, but whether he left them perfect at his death, I know not. Those books that go under his name, are these following, all, except the first, published after his death.

A defence of trade: in a letter to Sir Tho. Smith Knight, Governour of the East India Company. London 1615. qu.

Discourse concerning the rights and priviledges of the Subject, in a conference desired by the Lords, and had by a Committee of both houses, 3 Apr. 1628. Lond. 1642. qu.

The compleat Embassador; or, two treatises of the intended marriage of Q. Elizabeth, comprised in Letters of negotiation, &c. Lond. 1655. fol. Which book, tho it had nothing forged or suppositious therein, yet it was never intended for the Press by the collector thereof.

Several speeches and discourses in Parliament.—See in Jo. Rushworths Collections, part 1. where you’ll find much of him, and his imprisonment, in the year 1626. His death, which the wisest men did reckon among the publick calamities of those times, hapned on the 18. March, in sixteen hundred thirty and eight.1638 [•] 9. Soon after his body (which had for some days laid in State) was remitted to the peaceful shades below, in Chilham Church in Kent, in which Town he enjoyed fair inheritances by his marriage with Mary the youngest Daughter and Coheire of Sir Tho. Kemp Knight. There is a fair Monument over his Grave, the inscription of which, is partly remitted into the foregoing discourse, and therefore not necessary of repeating it here, neither of a large inscription in Latin, containing his genealogy from K. Hen. the third, to his time, which he, some years before his death, set up in the said Church.