Sermon Preached 26 May 1608, To the reader
TO THE READER.
BEcause there is mention made in this Sermon of a Ring sent vntounto that Honorable person by his most sacred Maiestie, the humble acceptance whereof is set downe with so gratefull remembrance of his dutie and deuotion to his Highnesse; and because the words otherwise imply a great deale of obseruable matter, I hauehave thought it not amisse to offer them to more publike view, as they are deliuered by his Lordship in his last will: which is as followeth.
ALso I giuegive, will and bequeath vntounto my sayd wel-beloued sonne ROBERT Lord BVCKHVRST after my decease for and during his life onelyonly, out of those Iewels of Golde, Pearle and Precious stone, which I keepe and reserue as Iewels for my selfe, the sole vse and occupation only of one Ring of Golde enameled blacke, and set round ouer all the whole Ring with Diamonds to the number of twentie, whereof fiue Diamonds being placed in the vppermost part of the said Ring do represent the fashion of a Crosse; and the other fifteene are set round and ouer all the sayd Ring. And after the decease of my said sonne BVCKHVRST, then I giuegive, will, and bequeath the like sole vse and occupation only of the said Ring vntounto my Nephew RICHARD SACKVILLE, his eldest sonne, for and during his life only. And after his decease, then vntounto the next heire male begotten of the bodie of the sayd RICHARD SACKVILLE my Nephew, for and during his life only. And so from heire male to heire male of the SACKVILLS, after the decease of eueryevery of them seuerally and successiuely for and during the life and liues only of eueryevery such heire male seuerally and successiuely: charging and earnestly requiring all and eueryevery of my said heire males before specified; euen as they regard the last request of him by whose great trauell, care and industrie (if the Diuine prouidence of God that hath vouchsafed to giuegive it, shall so please to continue it) they are like to receiue the addition and aduancement of so great honor, possessions and patrimonie, that although percase in this strict course of the common lawes of this Realme, the Entaile of goods and chattels may hardly stand vpright, that yet for the preseruation and continuance of this gift of mine intended by mee to remaine as an heire-lome to the house and familie of the SACKVILLS, so long as almightie God (according to the effects of his former goodnesse vntounto that house, by the continuance thereof during the space of so many hundred yeeres past) shall please to vpholde the same, they and eueryevery of them will forbeare in any sort to oppugne it, or to bring it in question, or to brandle and controuert the will of their so well deseruing Ancestour, and specially in a matter so honest, reasonable, fit and conuenient as this is, but rather with all willing, readie and contented mindes to suffer the same to passe as an heire-lome, from heire male to heire male, according to the true intent and meaning of this my last will and Testament in that behalfe. Which said Ring set all ouer with twentie Diamonds, as is aforesaid, I desire & charge my said sonne BVCKHVRST vponupon my blessing, and in like sort all other the heires male, whom God shall vouchsafe from age to age to raise vntounto my house and familie, and vntounto whom (if the Highest so please) my heartie desire and meaning is, the said Ring set with twenty Diamonds, as is aforesaid, may lineally and successiuely descend and come for euer, namely, that with all prouident care and heedfull circumspection they will safely keepe, retaine, and preserue the said Ring whensoeuer and as often as he shall come to their hands and possession, euen as one of the greatest gifts and iewels which (in true estimation) all circumstances considered, I hauehave to leaue vntounto them. And to the intent they may know how iust and great cause both they and I hauehave to holde the said Ring in so high esteeme, it is most requisite that I doe heere set downe the whole course and circumstance how and from whom the said Ring did come to my possession, which was thus: In the beginning of the monethmonth of Iune 1607 this Ring thus set with twentie Diamonds, as is aforesaid, was sent vntounto me from my most gracious Souereigne King Iames, by that honorable personage the Lord Hay, one of the Gentlemen of his Highnesse Bed-chamber, the Court then being at Whitehall in London, and I at that time remaining at Horsley house in Surrey, twentie miles from London, where I lay in such extremitie of sicknesse as it was a common and a constant report ouer all London, that I was dead, and the same confidently affirmed euen vntounto the Kings Highnesse himselfe. VponUpon which occasion it pleased his most excellent Maiestie, in token of his gratious goodnesse and great fauour towards me, to send the said Lord Haie with the sayd Ring, and this royall message vntounto me; namely, That his Highnesse heartily wished a speedie and perfect recouerie of my health, with all happie and good successe vntounto me; and that I might liue as long as the Diamonds of that Ring (which therewithall he deliuered vntounto me) did endure: And in token thereof required me to we are it and keepe it for his sake. This most gratious and comfortable message restored a new life vntounto me, as comming from so renowmed and benigne a Souereigne, vntounto a seruant so farre vnworthy of so great a fauour; and vponupon whom, not long before, it had pleased his Maiestie, yea in that very first day wherein we all had the happinesse to beholde him, not only to bestow the honor of a Priuie Counseller, but also without any answerable desert or merit of mine preceding, to confirme that most honourable place of High Treasurer of England vntounto me, which the late Queene ELIZABETH after foureteene yeeres seruice and ten yeeres following her Court (but not before) vouchsafed (I must needs yet say most gratiously so soon as it became void) to grant vntounto me, and likewise within a short time after to aduance both me and my succession to the high honor & degree of an Earle; which is and shall be to me, my house and posteritie, an euerliuing demonstration, aswell of his great benefit to vsus, as of our infinite bond to him thereby for euer. The which inexplicable goodnesse of his Maiestie towards me, besides many lustres of his bright shining fauours, from time to time cast vponupon me, doe giuegive me iust cause to agnize, that I am no waies able to merit, no not the least part of them, but onelyonly with the humble and infinite earnestie of my heart in desire to deserue; which I can yet no waies manifest, but by that faithfull testimonie which shall neuer faile in me, namely, by demonstration of mine incessant cares, labours and actuall indeuors for the behoofe and furtherance of his Maiesties▪ seruices, at the least thereby to shew that good will which is in me, though I cannot shew that effect which is due to him, since all that I possibly can or may doe, is but meere debt and dutie, and so in that course to spend such remaine of life as is left vntounto me, yea euen to the very last of my daies here, & when I am dead & gone, if euer occasion may or shall be offered to any of my posteritie to doe his Maiestie or any of his any acceptable seruice heereafter, then let them hold & esteeme themselues most happie, if with the expence of life, & of all the fortunes that this world shall giuegive them, they may actually approoue and witnesse with effect, that they are not onelyonly most loyall and dutifull vassals to this Imperiall Crowne, but also the most humble, faithfull, and thankfull sonnes and sequell of such a seruant, as was more bound vntounto King IAMES, his liege Master, than euer subiect was vntounto his Soueraigne, especially he being such a Soueraigne, adorned with such excellent parts of iustice, clemencie, and goodnesse, indued with so admirable gifts of memory, learning, and iudgement, and finally beautified with so many other regall graces and vertues so farre beyond all the Kings and Princes that either written storie or this present age hath to present vntounto vsus, as I know not how any greater honor and felicitie can possiblie be added to the imperiall Crowne of and in this Great Britaine, by his vndoubted right so happily vnited vntounto vsus, than we now presently possesse and enioy in the Royall person of this our so renowmed and so rare a King. Beseeching the eternall God, that he and his may euermore both rule and raigne ouer vsus, yea euen as long as the Sunne and Moone endureth: and that I and mine may for euer and euer become more and more thankfull, (at the least if it be possibly in me) for so great honors, graces, and fauors, as this most clement and renowmed King hath thus most gratiously vouchsafed vntounto me; the remembrance of which, because it may neuer die but be perpetually recorded in the mindes of those, that by the grace & goodnesse of almighty God, both now are, & hereafter shall be the lineall stirpe and succession of my house and family, to serue both him & his: I hauehave heere therefore set downe this short narration, of the true state and circumstance of the whole matter, to the intent it may remaine to my posterity heereafter, as a faithfull memorie thereof euen in this my last Will and Testament for euer.
End of the text · Archbishop George Abbot, Sermon Preached 26 May 1608 (1608)