Henry Wotton

, a person singularly accomplish’d, Son of Tho. Wotton Esq by his second Wife Elizabeth, Daughter of Sir Will. Finch of the Mote in St. Martins Parish in the County of Kent, but the Widdow of one Morton of the same County Esq was born at Bocton hall in Kent 30. March 1568. educated in Grammar learning in Wykehams School near to Winchester, and thence in the beginning of 1584, he was transplanted to New coll. where living in the condition of a Gent. Com. had his Chamber in Hart hall adjoyning, and to his Chamber-Fellow there Rich. Baker his Countryman, afterwards a Knight and a noted writer. But continuing there not long, he went to Queens coll. where, by the benefit of a good Tutor and severe discipline there practiced, he became well vers’d in Logick and Philosophy; and for a diversion now and then, he wrote a Tragedy for the private use of that house called Tancredo. On the 8. June 1588. he, as a Member of Qu. coll. did supplicate the venerable Congregation of Regents that he might be admitted to the reading of any of the books of the Logick of Aristotle, that is to be admitted to the degree of Bach. of Arts: which desire of his was granted conditionally that he should determine in the Lent following; but whether he was admitted, or did determine, or took any other degree, it doth not appear in any of the University Registers, which I have exactly searched, and the more for this reason, because the (a)(a) Isaac Walton. author of his life saith, that at 19 years of age he proceeded Master of Arts, and at that time did read three Lat. Lectures De Ocello; which being learned, caused a friendship between him and Alberic, Gentilis, who thereupon ever after called him Henrice mi Ocelle. The said author also saith, that the University Treasury was rob’d by Townsmen and poor Scholars, of which such light was given by a Letter written to Hen. Wotton from his Father in Kent, occasioned by a dream relating to that matter, that the Felons were thereupon discovered and apprehended, &c. But upon my search into the University Registers, Records, Accompts, &c. from 1584. to 1589. in which time our author Wotton was resident in Oxon, I find no such robbery committed. To pass by other mistakes in the said life, especially as to time, which are not proper to set down in this place, I shall go forward. After our author had left Oxon, he betook himself to travel into France, Germany, and Italy; and having spent about 9 years in those places, he returned into England, and became Secretary to Robert Earl of Essex, with whom continuing till towards his fall, he left England once more, and retiring to Florence, became so noted to the Great Duke of Tuscany, that he was by him privately dispatched away with letters to James 6. K. of Scots, under the name of Octavio Baldi to advise him of a design to take away his life. Which message being welcome to that K. he was by him (when made K. of England) honoured with the degree of Knighthood, sent thrice Embassador to the Reipub. of Venice, once to the States of the Vnited Provinces, twice to Charles Emanuel Duke of Savoy, once to the united Princes of Vpper Germany in the Convention at Heylbrune, also to the Archduke Leopald, to the Duke of Wittenbergh, to the Imperial Cities of Strasburgh and Vlme, as also to the Emperor Ferdinando the second. On the 15. July 1619. he returned from his Embassie at Venice with a vain (b)(b) Camd. in Annal. Jac. 1. MS. sub. an. 1619. hope of obtaining the office of Secretary of State, but missing his design, I cannot yet tell to the contrary but that he was sent to Venice again. Sure ’tis, that about 1623. he had the Provostship of Eaton coll. confer’d upon him, which he kept to his dying day, being all the reward he had for the great services he had done the Crown of England. He hath written these things following.

Epistola de Casparo Scioppio. Amberg. 1613. oct. This Scioppius was a man of a restless spirit, and a malicous pen; who, in books against K. Jam. 1. took occasion from a sentence written by Sir Hen. Wotton in a Germans Album (viz. Legatus est vir bonus, peregrè missus ad mentiendum Reipublicae causâ) to twit him in the teeth what principles in Religion were professed by him and his Embassador Wotton, then at Venice, where the said sentence was also written in several glass windows.

Epist. ad Marc. Velserum Duumvir. Augustae Vindelicae, an. 1612.

The elements of Architecture. Lond. 1624. qu. in two parts. Reprinted in Reliquiae Wottonianae, an. 1651. 54. and 1672. &c. oct. Translated into Latin and printed with the Great Vitruvius, and a great Elogy concerning Wotton put before it.—Amstel. 1649. fol.

Plausus & vota ad Regem è Scotiâ reducem. Lond. 1633. in a large qu. or rather in a little fol. Reprinted by Dr. Joh. Lamphire in a book intit. by him Monarchia Britannica. Oxon. 1681. oct. ’Tis in English also in Reliquiae Wotton.

Parallel between Rob. late Earl of Essex and George late Duke of Bucks. Lond. 1641. in four sh. in qu.

Short view of the life and death of George Duke of Bucks. Lond. 1642. in four sheets and an half in qu.

Difference and disparity between the estates and conditions of George Duke of Bucks and Robert Earl of Essex.

Characters of, and Observations on, some Kings of England.

The election of the new Duke of Venice after the death of Giovanno Bembo.

Philosophical survey of education, or moral Architecture.

Aphorisms of education.

The great action between Pompey and Caesar, extracted out of the Rom. and Greek writers.

Meditations on 22 Chap. of Gen. Christmas day.

Letters to, and characters of, certain personages.

Various Poems.—All, or most of which books or treatises are reprinted in a book intit. Reliquiae Wottonian [•] before-mentioned.—Lond. 1651. 54. 1672. and 1685. in oct. published by Is. Walton at the end of Sir H. Wottons life.

Letters to the Lord Zouch.—Printed at the latter end of Reliq. Wottom. in the edition of 1685.

The state of Christendom: or, a more exact and curious discovery of many secret passages and hidden mysteries of the times. Lond. 1657. fol.

Letters to Sir Edm. Bacon. Lond. 1661. oct. He hath also several Letters extant to George Duke of Bucks, in a book called Cabala, Mysteries of State. Lond. 1654. qu. and others in Cabala, or Scrinia Sacra. Lond. 1663. fol.

Journal of his Embassies to Venice.-MS. fairly written in the Library of Edw. Lord Conway.

Three propositions to the Count d’Angosciola in matter of duel, comprehending (as it seems) the latitude of that subject.—MS. sometimes in the Library of my most worthy Friend Ralph Sheldon Esq now among the books in the Coll. of Arms. The first proposition is, Quale sia stato, &c. The said Count was a Gentleman of Parma, from whence he was banished, and afterwards lived in the Court of Savoy, where he was esteemed a very punctual Duelist, and there managed many differences between Gentlemen. Other MSS. also of his composition do go from hand to hand, which I have not yet seen. At length after Sir H. Wotton had spent 72 years in this vain and transitory World, did conclude his last day in Eaton coll. near to Windsore, in the month of Decemb. in sixteen hundred thirty and nine, 1639 and was buried in the Chappel belonging to the said College. When he made his Will he appointed this Epitaph to be put over his grave. Hic jacet hujus sententiae primus author Disputandi pruritus, Ecclesiarum scabies. Nomen aliàs quaere. In his Provostship of Eaton coll. succeeded Rich. Steuart Doctor of the Civil Laws, and Clark of the Closet to King Ch. 1. of whom I shall make farther mention under the year 1651.