Henry Marten

commonly called Harry Marten, son of Sir Hen. Mart. mention’d among these writers under the year 1641 p. 4. was born within the City of Oxford, particularly, as I conceive, in the parish of S. John Bapt, in an house opposite to Mert. Coll. Church, then lately built by Hen. Sherburne Gent. and possess’d at the time of Harry’s birth by Sir Henry his father. After he had been instructed in Grammar learning in Oxon, he became a Gent. Com. of University Coll. in the beginning of 1617 aged 15 years; where, and in public, giving a manifestation of his pregnant parts, had the degree of Bach. of Arts confer’d upon him in the latter end of 1619. Afterwards he went to one of the Inns of Court, travelled into France, and at his return his father found out a rich wife for him, whom he married somthing unwillingly, and therefore afterwards living a part from her, and following other creatures, she was for sometime distemper’d. In the beginning of the year 1640 he was elected one of the Knights of Berks, to serve in that Parliament that began at Westm. 13. Apr; and again (tho not legally) in Oct. to serve in that unhappy Parliament that began at the same place on the 3. of Novemb. following. In which last Parliament he shew’d himself, out of some little pique, the most bitter enemy against the K. in all the House, as well in action as speech; for which being first reprimanded while the Presbyterians swayed therein, was afterwards for the incontinence of his tongue committed Prisoner to the Tower of London, but soon after released. He was an enemy also to the Kingly Office, and all belonging thereunto, especially the Regalia, which he caused to be sold: for being authorized by the said Parliament about 1642, he forced open a great iron Chest within the College of Westminster, and thence took out the Crown, Robes, Sword and Scepter belonging antiently to K. Edw. the Confessor, and used by all our Kings at their inaugurations; and with a scorn greater than his lusts and the rest of his vices, he openly declared that there should be no further use of those toyes and trifles, &c. And in the jollity of that humour he invested George Wither (an old puritan Satyrist) in the royal habiliments: who being crown’d and royally arrayed (as well right became him) did first march about the room with a stately garb, and afterwards with a thousand apish and rediculous actions exposed those sacred ornaments to contempt and laughter. Had the abuse been ((a))((a)) P. Heylyn in his Hist. of the Presbyterians, printed 1672. p 452. stript and whip’d, as it should have been, the foolish fellow possibly might have passed for a Prophet, tho he could not be reckoned for a Poet. The said H. Marten was a taker of all Oaths, whether that of Allegiance, Covenant, Engagement, &c. The last of which being by him taken, he would by all means, as the Independent Gang did, make the Covenant an old Almanack out of date, to the end that he and they might be rid of that tie of preserving his Majesties person and authority, &c. as the Presbyterians would with regret frequently say. He was also an eager enemy against Lords, Gentry, Lawyers and Clergy, and a protestor for a Community of wealth, as well as of women. He was also a grand prodigal in not only spending 3000 l. per an. which his father and other relations left him (mostly lying in Berks) but several thousand pounds, and a 1000 l. per an. given to him and his heirs for ever out of the Duke of Buckinghams estate, by Parliament, in consideration of his losses (not of his members) for the holy and blessed cause. This viper, which had been fostered in the bosome of Parliament, was against the Parliament it self, and against all Magistrates, like a second Wat Tyler, all pen and Inkhorn men must down. This his levelling doctrine is contained in a Pamphlet called Englands troubles troubled, wherein all rich men whatsoever are declared enemies to the mean men of England, and (in effect) warr denounced against them. Besides all this, he being a Colonel, plundered so much where ever he came. that he was commonly called the plunder-master general, and all whatsoever he got that way, he spent to satisfie his filthy lusts. In 1648 he forbad the people to stand bare at a Sessions in Barkshire and do homage and fealty to the Lords; but in this he gull’d them, (tho they were not sensible of it) because he gave that which was not their due. Yet notwithstanding he rob’d them of that which was their due, as of their horses, goods, money, &c. which he plundered from them, under pretence forsooth, for service of the State, and did beat those that defended their own. So that while he flatter’d them to be the supreme authority and Lords Paramount, and the Parliament to be their servants, he used them like slaves conquer’d by the Parliament. On the 8. of Dec. the same year, being the day after the Parliament house was purged of the Presbyterians, in came Ol. Cromwell out of the Country, bringing in under his protection our sanctified Member Harry Marten, who had spent much time in plundering the Country, had often bas [•] ed the House and disobeyed many of their orders, sufficient to have made an honest man liable to sequestration: But great was the privilege of the Saints; for there was nothing done in it, because it fortun’d that day that the case of the secured Members was reported to the House: which Harry interrupting, desired them to take into consideration the deserts of the Lieu. General, (Cromwell) which, with all slavish diligence, was presently done. So Harry by this device escaped free, who in the beginning of the next month, was, (with Hugh Peters) a zealous sollicitor in Parliament to have the Statute of banishment against the Jewes repealed, according to their Petition for the same purpose then put up to the House. About the same time Cromwell finding him a man fit for his purpose, put him into the roll for one to sit as Judg upon the life of his Sovereign; in which Tragedy he acted his part so unconcernedly that he valued the life of his Prince no more than that of a dog; yet afterwards as the report ((b))((b)) See in the S [•] cond part of The Hist. of Independency p. 149. §. 134. goes, he, in a speech in the House, upon the debate whether a King or no King? He made answer that if they must have a King, he had rather have had the last than any Gentleman in England, for he found no fault in his person, but office. On the 14. of Feb. following, which was about a fortnight after the King was beheaded, he was appointed one of the thirty to be of the Council of State, and in the beginning of July 1649, he brought into the House an accompt of his arrears, which came to 25000 l. whereupon it was ordered that 1000 l. in Land should be setled upon him and his heirs: About which time the Welsh Counties were set on work to desire H. Marten for their Commander in chief. Afterwards Harry perceiving Oliver to aim at high things, he left him, fided with the Levellers, and would have done them good service, had not the Parl. given him 3000 l. more to put him upon the holy Sisters. In Nov. 1651 he was appointed again one of the Council of State, and had in a manner what he desired; but after Oliver had made him (as many a wiser person) his shooing horn, merely to serve his turn, he turn’d him off, and publickly called him a noted Whoormaster (as he did Th. Chaloner a Drunkard and a vitious Liver) at the dissolution of the reliques of the Long Parliament. To conclude, he was a man of good natural parts, was a boon familiar, witty, and quick with repartees, was exceeding happy in apt instances, pertinent and very biting; so that his company being esteemed incomparable by many, would have been acceptable to the greatest persons, only he would be drunk too soon, and so put an end to all the mirth for the present. At length after all his rogueries acted for near 20 years together were past, was at length called to an account for that grand villany of having a considerable hand in murthering his Prince: of which being easily found guilty, was not to suffer the loss of his life as others did, (for it was then commonly reported that if they hung him, his body would not hold together because of its rottenness) but the loss of his estate and perpetual imprisonment, for that he came in upon the Proclamation of surrender. So that after one or two removes from Prison to Prison, he was at length sent to Chepstow Castle in Monmouthshire, where he continued another twenty years not in wantonness, riotousness and villany, but in confinement, and repentance if he had pleased. Under his name go these things following.

Several Speeches as (1) Speech at the Common Hall 28. Jul. 1643 concerning Sir Will. Waller and what course now is to be taken. Lond. 1643 qu. (2) Speech in Parl. &c.

The independency of England endeavoured to be maintained against the claim of the Scottish Commissioners, in their late answer upon the bills and propositions sent to the King in the Isle of Wight. Lond. 1648 in 3 sh. and an half in qu.

The Parliaments proceedings justified, in declining a personal treaty with the King, &c. Lond. 1648 in 3 sh. in qu.

Familiar Letters to his Lady of delight. Oxon. 1663. Lond. 1685. qu.

Politick and Oeconomical Letters—Printed with the first, and I think with the sec. Edit. of the said Familiar Letters. In the beginning of the said Letters, is that in justification of the murther of K. Ch. 1: See more in Edm. Gayton, under the year 1666. p. 271. Our author Marten was also the principal cause of publishing the letters of the King and Queen called the Cabinet, besides other things which have not yet come to my sight. I have seen also under his name A Speech in the H. of Com. before his departure thence, 8. June 1648. Printed in one sh. in qu. but tis a piece of roguery fathered upon him. This person, who lived very poor and in a shabbed condition in his confinement, and would be glad to take a pot of ale from any one that would give it to him, died with meat in his mouth, that is suddenly, in Chepstow Castle before mention’d,1680. in Sept. in sixteen hundred and eighty, and was on the ninth day of the same month buried in the Church of Chepstow. Some time before he died he made this Epitaph by way of Acrostick on himself, which runs thus.

Another Epitaph was made by his daughter who usually attended him, which for brevity sake I now omit.