year in France, and most of that in Geneva, where he became acquainted with Theodore Beza (then very aged) and with Isaac Casaubon, in whose house (if I be rightly informed) Sir Henry Wotton was lodged, and there contracted a most worthy friendship with that man of rare learning and ingenuity.

Three of the remaining eight years were spent in Germany, the other five in Italy (the stage on which God appointed he should act a great part of his life); where both in Rome, Venice, and Florence, he became acquainted with the most eminent men for learning and all manner of arts; as picture, sculpture, chymistry, architecture, and other manual arts, even arts of inferior nature; of all of which he was a most dear lover and a most excellent judge.

He returned out of Italy into England about the thirtieth year of his age, being then noted by many both for his person and comportment.: For indeed he was of a choice shape, tall of stature, and of a most persuasive behaviour; which was so mixed with sweet discourse and civilities, as gained him much love from all persons with whom he entered into an acquaintance.

And whereas he was noted in his youth to have a sharp wit, and apt to jest; that, by time, travel, and conversation, was so polished, and made so useful, that his company seemed to be one of the

delights of mankind; insomuch as Robert, Earl of Essex (then one of the darlings of Fortune, and in greatest favor with queen Elizabeth), invited him first into a friendship, and, after a knowledge of his great abilities, to be one of his secretaries, the other being Mr. Henry Cuffe, sometime of Merton College in Oxford (and there also the acquaintance of Sir Henry Wotton in his youth); Mr. Cuffe being then a man of no common note in the university for his learning, nor, after his removal from that place, for the great abilities of his mind, nor indeed for the fatalness of his end.

Sir Henry Wotton, being now taken into a serviceable friendship with the Earl of Essex, did personally attend his councils and employments in two voyages at sea against the Spaniards, and also in that (which was the Earl's last) into Ireland; that voyage wherein he then did so much provoke the queen to anger, and worse at his return into England; upon whose immovable favor the Earl had built such sandy hopes, as encouraged him to those undertakings, which, with the help of a contrary faction, suddenly caused his commitment to the Tower.

Sir Henry Wotton observing this, though he was not of that faction (for the Earl's followers were also divided into their several interests) which encouraged the Earl to those undertakings

which proved so fatal to him and divers of his confederation; yet knowing treason to be so comprehensive, as to take in even circumstances, and out of them to make such positive conclusions as subtle statesmen shall project, either for their revenge or safety; considering this, he thought prevention by absence out of England, a better security than to stay in it, and there plead his innocency in a prison. Therefore did he, so soon as the Earl was apprehended, very quickly, and as privately, glide through Kent to Dover, without so much as looking toward his native and beloved Bocton; and was, by the help of favorable winds and liberal payment of the mariners, within sixteen hours after his departure from London, set upon the French shore; where he heard shortly after, that the Earl was arraigned, condemned, and beheaded; and that his friend Mr. Cuffe was hanged, and divers other persons of eminent quality executed.

The times did not look so favorable upon Sir Henry Wotton, as to invite his return into England. Having therefore procured of Sir Edward Wotton, his elder brother, an assurance that his annuity should be paid him in Italy, thither he went; happily renewing his intermitted friendship and interest, and indeed his great content in a new conversation with his old acquaintance in that nation, and more particularly in Florence

(which city is not more eminent for the Great Duke's Court, than for the great recourse of men of choicest note for learning and arts), in which number he there met with his old friend Signior Vietta, a gentleman of Venice, and then taken to be secretary to the Great Duke of Tuscany.

After some stay in Florence, he went, the fourth time, to visit Rome; where in the English college he had very many friends (their humanity made them really so, though they knew him to be a dissenter from many of their principles of religion), and having enjoyed their company, and satisfied himself concerning some curiosities that did partly occasion his journey thither, he returned back to Florence, where a most notable accident befell him; an accident that did not only find new employment for his choice abilities, but did introduce him to a knowledge and an interest with our king James, then king of Scotland; which I shall proceed to relate.

But first, I am to tell the reader, that though queen Elizabeth (or she and her council) were never willing to declare her successor; yet James, then king of the Scots, was confidently believed by most to be the man upon whom the sweet trouble of kingly government would be imposed. And the queen declining very fast, both by age and visible infirmities, those that were of the Romish persuasion in point of religion (even

Rome itself and those of this nation), knowing that the death of the queen and the establishing of her successor, were taken to be critical days for destroying or establishing the Protestant re ligion in this nation, did therefore improve all opportunities for preventing a Protestant prince to succeed her. And as the Pope's excommunication of queen Elizabeth had, both by the judg ment and practice of the Jesuited Papist, exposed her to be warrantably destroyed; so (if we may believe an angry adversary, "a Secular Priest against a. Jesuit,") you may believe, that about that time there were many endeavours, first to excommunicate, and then to shorten the life of king James.

Immediately after Sir Henry Wotton's return from Rome to Florence (which was about a year before the death of queen Elizabeth), Ferdinand, the Great Duke of Florence, had intercepted certain letters that discovered a design to take away the life of James, the then king of Scots. The Duke abhorring the fact, and resolving to endeavour a prevention of it, advised with his secretary, Vietta, by what means a caution might be best given to that king; and after consideration, it was resolved to be done by Sir Henry Wotton, whom Vietta first commended to the Duke, and the Duke had noted and approved of above all the English that frequented his court. Sir Henry was gladly called by his friend. Viet