The History of the Worthies of England, Part 1 · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV. Some General Exceptions against the Style and Matter of the AUTHOR prevented.
Exception. 1. You usurp the Style of Princes, speaking often in the plural; come we now, passe we now, proceed we now, &c. Which is false Grammar, from a Single, ill Ethicks from a private person.
Answer▪ First, I appeal to any exercised in reading of Books, whether the same be not used in other Authors.
Secondly, We, in such cases includeth the Writer and Reader, it being presumed that the Eye of the one goeth along with the pen of the other.
Thirdly, It also compriseth all other Writers, out of whom any thing is transcribed, and their Names quoted in the Margin.
Let me add to Gods Glory, my Friends credit, and my own comfort, that our We, is comprehensive of all my worthy Friends, who by their pains or purses, have been contributive to my weak Endevours.
Exception 2. The Worthies of England being your Subject, you have mingled many Unworthies among them, rather Notorious then Notable, except in the same sense wherein Barrabas is termed *Math. 21. 16.Notable in the Gospel.
Answer. Such persons are so few, their Number is not considerable; Secondly, they are so Eminent in their Generations, that their Omission would make a maim in History; Thirdly, how bad soever their Morals, their Naturals and Artificials were transcendent, and the Oracle like Wisdome of wicked Achitophel, found praise from the *2 Sam. 16. 23.Pen of the Holy Spirit; Lastly, the worst of such men have a black line (serving pro Nigro carbone) prefixed to their Name for distinction sake.
Exception 3. You might better have omitted the mention of some Modern persons, reputed *Reader, this being written in the Midnight of our …, I could not command my hand to expunge it.Malignants by the present power, and blasted by these times in their estates.
Answer. All Persons unhappy, must not presently be accounted unworthy, especially in distracted Times. Have you not heard of that humerous Waterman on the Thames, who would carry none in his Boat, save such who would go along with the Tide, till by feeding his humour he had almost starved himself, for want of Employment? I should be as peevish as partial, should I admit those only into my Catalogue of Worthyes, who of late years did swim in plenty, seeing many have been great Sufferers, deservedly commendable by the testimony of their Adversaries.
Exception 4. You only report the Vertues, but conceal the Faults of many persons within our own memories.
Answer. I conceive my self bound so to do, by the Rules of Charity. When an Orator was to praise a person deceased, generally and justly hated for his Viciousnesse, it was suspected that he would for his Fee, force his Conscience by flattery to commend him, whose expectations he thus defeated, This dead person (saith he) must in one respect be spoken well of by all, because God made him; and in another respect, should not be spoken ill of by any because he is dead; & de mortuis nil nisi bonum. How much more, when men have many good Virtues, with some Faults, ought the later to be buryed in their Graves with forgetfulnesse.
Exception 5. You make many uncivil and unsatisfactory References of your Reader, to those Books which you have formerly printed, remiting them to be there further Informed, as if when you had invited Guests, you consigned them over (coming to dine with you) to fetch a Dinner at an house they do not know; It being probable that many may read this your Book, who never had your former Works.
Answer. Such Refferences are very sparing, only to avoyd Repetition in those Lifes, which I have formerly written at large, as, St. Dunstans, Cardinal Woolsey, Thomas Lord Cromwell, Sir John Cheek, Arch-bishop Whitgift, Mr. Perkins, &c. And I appeal to all Writers of many Books (of which fault I my self am guilty) whether such Refferences be not usual in the like Cases. I will not add that I have passed my promise (and that is an honest mans bond) to my former Stationer, that I will write nothing for the future, which was in my former Books, so considerable, as may make them Inter-fere one with another to his Prejudice.
Exception 7. You often apply the Word create to men, as to create a Cardinal, an Earl, &c. VVhereas consciencious people, allow that word appropriable to God alone, as importing the making of something out of Nothing.
Answer. I hope our Common Lawyers will plead for me in this Case, having the phrase so frequent in their Mouths, to create right, to create a Title. Besides, I observe, that such who scruple the useing the Simple Verb, boggle no whit at the compound to recreate and Recreations. Now seeing to Recreate is to Create twice, I understand not how the useing this word once should be a Sin, whilst it is no Sin in the Repetition or Reaction thereof. In a word, in words of this Nature, I conceive one may conform himself to the Custome of Common Language.
Exception 8. You out of Flattery, conceal the mean Extraction of many (especially Modern) men, who have attained to great preferment, pointing at the place of their Birth, but suppressing their Parentage.
Answer. I conceive my self to have done well in so doing. If enquiry be made into all mens descents, it would be found true what the Poet doth observe.
Majorum primus quisquis fuit ille tuorum
Aut Pastor fuit, aut illud quod dicere nolo.
The first of all thine Ancestors of Yore,
Was but a Shepheard, or, I say no more.
Besides, it plainly proveth the Properness of their parts, and Tallnesse of their Industry, who thereby, and by Gods blessing thereon, reached so high preferment, though disadvantaged by standing on so low ground of their extraction.
Exception 9. Hast makes Wast, you have hudled your Book too soon to the Presse, for a Subject of such a Nature. You should have sent to the Gentry of several Counties, to have furnished you with Memorables out of their own Pedegrees, and should have taken a longer time to compose them.
—Nonum que prematur in annum.
Eight years digest what you have rudely hinted,
And in the Ninth year let the same be printed.
Answer. That Ninth year might happen Eight years after my Death, being sensible of the Impression of Age upon me, and a Stranger to my method, would hardly rally my scattered and posthumed Notes. By the difficulty to get some few, I conclude the impossibility to procure all the observeables out of Gentlemens Records, and therefore leave the Task to the Industry of others in their Respective Counties.
Exception. 10. Some Instructions have lately been sent you, concerning some persons which appear not in this your VVork.
Answer. Lately indeed, though neither many nor considerable, since such Shires were put under the Press. In Holland, VVagons go to, and return from their Stages at set hours, though carrying but one Passenger, and sometimes altogether empty. Such the Condition of the Press it stays for no man, nor will attend the Leisure (not to say Lagging) of any, but proceedeth on with what it hath in present, be it never so little.
Exception 11. In your, Protestant Writers, you promiscuously mingle some very zealous for Episcopacy, others as active for Presbytery, these ought to have been sorted severally by themselves, seeing the great distance of Judgement betwixt them.
Answer. I hope such conjoyning of them, may happily presage a comfortable Expedient betwixt them, who differ not in Fundamentals of Religion. 2. I had rather privately bemoan, then publickly proclaim, the difference betwixt them when alive, charitably believing that being dead;
Jam bene conveniunt, & in unâ sede morantur
Now they are agreed well,
And in bliss together dwell.
However it is not without Precedents in the best Authors, to conjoine those in History, who dissent in opinion; VVitnesse Thuanus when concluding every year, with the Funerals of eminent persons, though fervent in opposite perswasions.
Exception 12. There is great disproportion, betwixt your Catalogue of Statesmen, beginning the Lord Treasurers, under King Henry the Seventh; the Lord Chancelours, under King Henry the Eighth; other Statesmen at other Epoches: whereas had you observed the same Aera in all of them, it had added much to the Uniformity of your VVork; And as all start not from the same place, they run not to the same mark, some being continued to this day, some concluded seven years since, such imparity making the List seem lame, like the Legs of a Badger.
Answer. I hope, that a more charitable fancy, with as good a judgement, will compare it to the Pipes of an Organ; which though of an uneven length, contribute to the better melody. A reason is rendred, in the respective places, where these general Topicks are premised, why such several Catalogues begin and end at such times. And I do believe, that they will prove Satisfactory to such ingenuous Readers, that come with no cavilling premeditation.
Exception 13. In your Catalogue of Learned Writers, you have omitted many, as may appear by Pitseus his Appendix Illustrium Angliae Scriptorum. For, of the four hundred by him mentioned, not fifty appear in your List of them.
Answer. Pitseus himself shall plead for me, who, in his Preface to his Appendix, ingenuously confesseth, Eos adhuc efficere non valeo dignos, qui inter illustres Scriptores locum obtineant. So that one may call them Obscuros illustres, little being known of the books which they wrote, less of the times when they lived, nothing of the places where they were born. However, seeing some persons of eminence have stragled amongst them, I have selected such with my best care, and presented them in my Catalogue.
Exception 14 Of some men you have little save their Name, Life, and Death, and yet you tearm such eminent persons.
Answer. Surely they were so in themselves, and deserve more should be then is left written of them, through the injury of time. All that I will plead in my own Defence is this; There is an Officer in the Exchequer, called Clericus nihilorum, or the Clerk of the Nichils, who maketh a Roll of all such sums as are nichill'd by the Sheriff upon their Estreats of the Green wax, when such sums are set on persons, either not found, or not found solvible. This Roll, he delivereth into the Treasurers Remembrancers office, to have execution done upon it for the King; and thus the Clerk hath done his duty, leaving it to them to see, if they can make any thing of his Return.
I conceive in like manner I have performed my utmost, in that I return such persons to have nothing more to be said of them, findable by all my endevours. However I consign them over to more able Historians, whose pains I will neither prejudice nor discourage; but if they be pleased to begin where I ended, I wish them more happy success in their discoveries.
Exception 15. Your Book is surcharged with Scripture observations, and reflections in Divinity, even when no necessity leadeth you thereunto.
Answer. The Reader hath Con…itentem, but I will never acknowledge Reum, pleading Custome and Conscience in my just excuse. Custome being habited by my profession therein. The Learned observe of St. Luke, that being a Physician by his function, and describing the great difference between Paul and Barnabas, he made use of an expression in his own faculty,*Acts 15. 39. and there was betwixt them a Dissention [in Greek foreign] that is, the height and heat of a burning Feaver. So that the Spirit of God guiding his Pen, permitted him to make use of the Language proper to his Vocation. And I presume the same favour will be indulged to me by all ingenuous persons, to have (I will not say a partiality) but an affection to the expressions of, and excursions into my own Calling. Secondly, I plead Conscience, that, seeing some may Cavil this Work to be a Deviation from my function (and I my self perchance sensible of some truth therein) I will watch and catch all opportunity to make a fair Regresse to my profession.
Exception 15. You lay down certain Rules for the better regulating your work, and directing the Reader, promising to confine your self to the observation thereof, and break them often your self. For instance, you restrain the Topick of Lawyers to Capital Judges and Writers of the Law, yet under that head insert Judge Paston, and others, who were only puny Iudges in their respective Courts; You limit Statesmen to Lord Chancelours, Treasurers, English Secretaries of State, &c. and put in Sir Edward Waterhouse▪ who was Secretary but in Ireland. In a word, few heads are preserved pure according to their constitution, without the mixture of improper persons amongst them. Why did you break such Rules, when knowing you made them? why did you make such Rules, when minding to break them? And this is an Exception of Exceptions against you.
Answer. I never intended to tye my self up so close, without reserving lawful Liberty to my self upon just occasion. Indeed we read of St. *Ranulph Ce…. in ejus vita Math. West. Anno 712. Florent. Wigor. An. 708.Egwin the third, Bishop of Worcester, that he made for himself a pair of Iron Shakels, and locking them close unto his Leggs, cast the Key thereof into the Severn, desiring never to be loosed till he had made satisfaction for his Sins; Returning from Rome, a Fish leaped into the Ship, in whose Belly was found the Key, and so Egwin was miraculously restored to his Liberty.
Had I in like manner fettered my self to the Topicks propounded, on presumption of so strange a release, none would have pitied my restraint, wilfully contracted on my self. But the best is, I resolved to keep the Key in my own hands, to enlarge my self when I apprehended a just cause thereof. However I have not made use of this Key, to recede from my first Limitations, save where I crave leave of, and render a reason to the Reader; such anomalous persons being men of high merit, under those heads where they are inserted.
Exception 16. You have omitted many Memorable persons still surviving, as meriting as any you have inserted.
Answer. The return of *I. 8. Epig. 69.Martial in a case not much unlike, may much befriend me herein,
Mi…aris Veteres, Vacerra, solos,
Nec laudas nisi mortuos poet as,
Ignos…as petim…s Vacerra, tanti
Non est, ut placeam tibi, perire.
Deceased Authors thou admir'st alo…e,
And only praisest Poets dead and gone.
Vacerra pardon me: I will not buy
Thy praise so dear, as for the same to dye.
All men being like-minded with Martial herein, none surviving will distaste their omission in a work, for reasons afore-alledged (save in some cases) confined to the memories of the departed.
Exception 17. Speaking of the Commodities of several Counties, you say the Wool of Hereford shire is best, and yet Gloucester-Shire is best, the VVheat of Hereford-shire is best, and yet Middlesex best, the Lead of Darby-shire best, and yet Somerset-shire best, the Iron of Sussex best, and Stafford-shire best. The same may be observed in your praising of persons, making several men at the same time the best Poets, Divines, Schoolmen, &c. and this must be both falshood and flattery together.
Answer. Impute it (I pray) to my peaceable disposition, unwilling to occasion discord betwixt Eminencies, the rather because things of the same kind may severally be the best in sundry Qualities. Some Wool best for Cloath, other for Hats, some Wheat best for yeilding of most, other finest flower, some Lead best for Bullets, other for Sheeting Houses, some Iron best for Ordnance, other for Nails, Keys, and smaler U…ensils.
Neither is it without precedent in Scripture to Character several men best in the same Profession, both *2 K…ng. 18. 5.*2 Kin. 23. 25.… and Josiah being commended to have had none like unto them neither before nor after them.
Exception 18. During the later years of King Charles of blessed Memory, you have for the most part omitted the Sheriffs in your Catalogue.
Answer. There was then, (as I may say) a Schisme in that Office, betwixt the Sheriffes and Anti Sheriffes. As for the former, made by the Kings Designation, and beheld as the only Legal Ones, I durst not Name them, as the times then stood, when I collected that Catalogue, for fear lest thereby I might betray some of them (till that time concealed) to a Sequestration. I therefore preferred to leave a void space in my List, and wish it were the worst Breach or Desolation made by our late Civil Wars.
Exception 19. But since the happy turn of the times, you might have inserted them, not only without any Danger, but with great Honour unto them.
Answer. When the Danger was removed, the Difficulty did deter me. For in those Tumultuary times; the Royal Sheriffes did not Regularly, (according to ancient Custome) pass their Accounts in the Exchequer at London, so that I was at a losse to recover Certainty herein. Wherefore according to my General Motto, [a Blank is better then a Blot] I left a Vacuity for them. For which Bald Place, the Reader (if so pleased) may provide a Perewake, and with his pen insert such Sheriffes as come to his Cognizance.
Exception 20. It was expected, that you should have presented the Maps of all Shires, which would have added much Light and Lustre to your Work, (which now is as an House without Windows, very Dark and uncomfortable) as also that you should have Cut the Arms of all Gentlemen, in Copper (at the least in VVood) which would have been more satisfactory to them, and Ornamental to your Book.
Answer. … are …, as I have found by dear Experience▪ Besides, when they are done, they are not done, the working them off at the Rowling Presse being as expensive as the Graving them; both which will mount our Book to an unreasonable price; Secondly, it would be disgraceful to Cut those Maps worse, and difficult (if not impossible) to do them better then they are done already. Thirdly, such Gentlemen (not formerly furnished therewith) may procure them at a cheaper rate then I could afford them. Lastly, such new Re-Graving them would be injurious to the Owners of the Old Maps, and I will not bottome my Profit on another mans prejudice.
Exception 21. You betray unworthy partiality in omitting and inserting of Persons. For John of Gaunt, though son to a King, and worthy VVarrier, can get no room in your Book, whilst Simon de Gaunt a Bishop of Salisbury (both of them by their Sirnames equally appearing Forreigners) hath a place found for him therein. It seems a Prelate finds more favour from you then a Prince.
Answer. Is there not a cause, and that a Satisfactory one? I prefer not a Prelate before a Prince, but Truth before both, and the methodical regulation of my book, according to the rules premised, without which all will fall to confusion. It is as notoriously known, that John of Gaunt was born at Gaunt in Flanders (and so an Alien from our Subject) as plainly it appeareth, that Simon de Gaunt (though his Father was a Fleming) was born in London, Magister Simon de Gaunt (saith Matt…ew of VVestminster) Editus Londini, vir in arte Theologiae peritus.
Exception 22. You discover much negligence in dateing of particular persons, instancing the time only when they flourished, without observing when they were born or dye…; and this mindeth me of a passage in *Tully in Verrem. Orat.Tully, charging Verres the Deputy of Sicily with notorious Lazinesse, quod nunquam solem nec orientem, nec occidentem viderat, that he never saw the sun rising, being in bed after, nor setting being in bed before it: Thus your Pen is altogether a Sluggard, only taking notice of them when shining in the Vertical Height, without either beholding them Rising out of their Cradle, or setting in their Coffin.
Answer. Let Tully tell out his Story, and it will befriend and furnish me with a just defence. Sicily (saith he) enjoyeth so clear a Skie, that the Sun is seen there every day in the year rising or setting. Intolerable therefore the Sloth of Verres (noble at nothing but oppression) that he never saw the Sun either to rise or set, as Roosted after or before; Were it so that either the rising or setting of eminent persons (their Birth and Death) were (with the Sicilian Sun) ever visible, as always recorded by Authors, I would confess my self justly taxed with unexcusable Lazinesse: But seeing sometimes a Pannick silence herein, not meeting either with the Midwife, or Sexton, who delivered or buryed such people, we conceive our selves have satisfied, if instanceing only the time wherein such persons flourished.
Exception 23. It had been more proper and more Satisfactory for you to have placed your Exceptions and Answers, rather at the end then beginning of your Book, when the Reader had wholly perused it, only Premising you will be responsible to such Objections as would be made against your Endevours herein.
Answer. I am of his opinion, who said, Premising, is better then Promising. Sure it is a safer way to prevent a disease then to remove it. Besides I hope, that, clearing these obstructions in the Front of my Book, I shall smooth the Readers way, and invite him the rather to peruse it. However these Answers (whereever placed) are placed aright, if meeting (which I desire) a Candid acceptance thereof.
Exception 24. It is easie for one to cast down a Pillar of his own erection, but let another set it up, and then let him trye his Strength thereat. None will pinch themselves so as to fetch blood, though others may do it. Your Exceptions are all of your own making to your own advantage.
Answer. I have endevoured to propound them without any Partiality. However if my labours meet with greater and more exception from others against them, I hope they shall also meet with the general Courtesie and Candor of Course, which Custome hath in some sort made due to Authors, to forgive their smaller faults, on which comfortable confidence I proceed.