BOOK given before. But still the good character of the man reII. mained. Of whom Tho. Newton, a poet in those times, gave this character, in a copy of verses to him, as follows: Anno 1586. 447 Davison, late secretary, his Ad ornatissimum virum, Guilielmum Davisonum, regineum Tempora læta diu vidisti, tempora dura Of the abilities and deserts of this gentleman, however now fallen under the queen's displeasure, the lord treasurer character. thus observed to her; "That he knew not a man in Eng"land furnished so universally for the place he lately had "under her majesty; neither knew he any that could come near him. And that for a servant of the queen in that "place, he thought it hard to find a like qualified person." More of him hath been told before. Minutes of at the ses sions in London. 66 I have a few passages to set down concerning some transwhat passed actions in the city of London, as I find them in a diary of sergeant Fleetwood, recorder; in which he used to set down minutes of what passed at the sessions, or otherwise: sending them customarily to the lord treasurer. I transcribe from that diary, as follows. Oxford preachers' doctrine. • Pierce, bishop of Sarum, if I mistake not. "Whitsunday, May the 23d. Upon Friday, at after"noon, I sat in the commission ecclesiastical at Lambeth, "with my lord's grace: where three Oxford preachers were 66 charged, for that they would have all temporal causes to "be decided by the seniors of the church. And that her "majesty had not to deal in causes ecclesiastical: with such "like matters. My lord almoner did bear much with "them. "Saturday was by me employed to abbreviate and explain a new commission, granted for the relief of the "Fleet and King's Bench. And that I did by the command "of my lord of Canterbury his grace. VIII. "Wednesday was spent at the gaol of Newgate, where CHAP. "we had little or nothing to do. The matters there were "slender, and of no great importance. There were none Anno 1586. "executed. "Your good lordship peradventure may marvail, why we "have had so few dealings in criminal causes at this our "late sessions. The reason is this. We have in prison The principal thieves "here in Newgate the most principal thieves of this realm. in the "We lack none but Mannering; who doth daily gather realm now "into his society lewd persons, who commit, in all parts of "the realm, most dangerous robberies. I hear that the genn, or ingen, [engine,] is in your lordship's custody. "The want whereof is a great stay of many burglaries. 66 66 66 66 66 in Newgate. The queen's at London. September 6, at evening, 1586. That at the sending away his man that Wednesday morning, all the bells of "London did ring for joy. That upon the 7th of this 448 "month, being as this day anno 28 Hen. VIII. her grace birthday was born. There was this day, but specially at supper, celebrated great feasting. That he had been bidden out to supper "that night in six or seven places." The citizens now shewing their loyalty to the queen, and their joy, upon the late discovery of a plot against her life, and the execution of the conspirators; and when such plots were carrying on, to set up the queen of Scots, and dethrone their beloved queen Elizabeth. the Arch Writ by Fr. Thinn. Francis Thinn set forth this year the Lives of the Arch-Lives of bishops of Canterbury: beginning at Augustin the monk: bishops being put upon the work by some of his friends. He con- of Cant. fessed he had taken what he had written out of Matth. Parker, [the late archbishop,] who, he said, had learnedly in Latin writ the lives of the LXX archbishops of that see. The lives contained in this book are digested into Holinshed's Chronicle under the year 1586. P. 1435. a writer. I add to this another writer, named Petrus Bizarus, an P. Bizarus, Italian, dwelling here in England; a man of learning; entertained divers years with the earl of Bedford. And expecting preferment here, failing of it, in discontent he departed, and lived abroad. Where he applied himself to II. BOOK write in Latin relations of history of wars in several kingdoms, and then publishing them to the world. The lord Anno 1586. Burghley seemed to have an esteem for him; and affecting learning himself, desired once of Bizarus to know what he had published. Which caused him to send a letter to the said lord, giving him therein an account of his books; and sending him withal his last book, viz. certain verses. It was writ from the Hague, and ran in this tenor. His books published. Illustrissime D. D. clementissime, et observantissime, &c. Post meas elucubrationes, &c. "That after his pains, pub"lished as well at Venice as Basil, viz. De bello Cyprio, et "De bello Pannonico; together with an epitome of sundry "things, and other matters; he had set forth a great and "vast work; to wit, The history and annals of the repub "lic of Genua. Wherein, besides other things, most ho"nourable mention was made by him of the most serene queen [Elizabeth;] and that very many things were in"serted de nefario ac detestabili scelere regina Scotia: namely, how by her consent her husband was slain; and "then married the parricide. And that all these things he wrote, non adulatorie, sed vere; i. e. not to flatter, but to speak the truth; and according to the genuine history, "ut veridicum historicum decebat; as became an historian "that dared to speak the truth. 66 66 "And that because in the same work mention was made "of his illustrious lordship, he had sent him a copy, by the "worthy gentleman, Mr. Rob. Beal, [the queen's agent, it "seems, now in those parts,] who he knew would faithfully "deliver it to him. "But that although, as he proceeded, the state of Genua, by reason of different religion, was barbarous, and very ingrateful towards him, it should never work him off from "his labours and watchings, since virtue itself was his true 66 wages and reward. After that time he wrote the history 449" of the Persian affairs: beginning from Cyrus, the founder "of the Persian monarchy, by a deduced series to these present times: which work was in folio, printed likewise "by Christopher Plantin at Antwerp; and was dedicated "to the most illustrious prince D. Augustus, elector of CHAP. Saxony. Whom, he added, next to the most serene 66 66 VIII. queen, was his prince for fourteen years, and honoured Anno 1586. "him with a yearly stipend; and for that work was bene"ficent and liberal towards him. 66 "Lastly, that he wrote a Latin work of the four chief empires or monarchies, very clear. Which he sent to "Frankford to be printed. Here, as he concludes, you "have, honourable sir, an account of my studies, from the "time I left the English court. Wherein, I saw, I spent "in vain my time and hope, while for so many years I "served the most illustrious earl of Bedford, of happy and "pious memory. But although now a great many years "are past, since I wrote nothing to the same illustrious “lord, that I might easily have been forgotten by him; "yet I have ever retained his memory with the chiefest "observance. And I pray the great and good God to keep "him safe and happy: as also I do for your lordship. For "whom, as I said, I do yet pray, and will pray, as long as "I shall live. I have now withal sent these my verses, "lately printed, to your lordship. And finally, beseeching "God, that his illustrious lordship, with his whole family, "and chiefly the queen's majesty, within all her majesty's "kingdoms, might perpetually flourish. In haste. From "the Hague, the 23d of November, new stile, 1586. Vestræ illustrissima dom. longe addictiss, et Petrus Bizarus. 450 Anno 1587. The miserable condition of don Antonio: represented to the lord treasurer. Sir Fran. Drake takes a rich ship of Portugal: his success at Cales. Intelligence from Scotland by a priest there. Remembrance for Portland castle, sent to the lord treasurer from sir Walter Raleigh. Orders for the lieutenancy of Hampshire. Care taken about the justices of peace. Bishop of Peterburgh, his letter concerning them in his diocese. Letters also of the same concern from the bishops of Hereford, Norwich, Winchester, Bath and Wells, and York. A letter from Dr. Knibbius to Dan. Rogers, the queen's ambassador, concerning the earl of Leicester's departure from Holland. Two military discourses; seasonable at this juncture: by Rafe Lane. The mean condition tonio. As the queen had assisted don Antonio to recover his of don An- kingdom of Portugal, according to his claimed right to it against Philip king of Spain; so his condition now grew very mean; so as he became an object of compassion for his poverty, and inability even to pay his servants. Which occasioned one Edward Prince, a person near him, to acquaint the lord treasurer with his circumstances; especially now upon the success of a late voyage, undertaken by the Camd. Eliz. queen's permission. Wherein sir Francis Drake took a very rich ship of Portugal, (called, the great Carack.] "WhereDrake takes" upon many merchants and noblemen in France, as Prince a rich ship" writ to the said treasurer, were of opinion, that the queen of Portugal. "would lend that king his master out of that rich prize p. 396. Sir Francis “200,000 crowns, to enable him to levy an army for the "voyage of Portugal: adding, that the king assured himself "not less of her majesty, if the time gave opportunity. But "that putting aside these great matters, that in loyal duty "he was bound to shew his honour, that the miserable state "of the poor king was such, that her majesty might do well "to cause some of the king's poor creditors to be paid. All "which 12 or 137. would discharge. And that by this |