A Memorial Offered to John Williams, Part of biography 2 (1 of 2)
A MEMORIAL Offer'd to the Great Deſervings OF JOHN WILLIAMS, D.D. Who ſometimes Held the Places of the LORD-KEEPER of the GREAT-SEAL of England, &c.
PART II.
CAmerarius Writing the Life of Melanchthon, Paragraph 1.the Darling of the Champions of the Reformed Religion, divided his Work into two Parts, and gave no reaſon for it, but becauſe he would make his Web of a new piece, after the Death of Luther. It is the Pattern which I ſet before me, to make a new Exordium, as he did, upon the Subject which I handle, after the Death of King James. Eſpecially ſince I muſt take his Shadow, whom my Pens draws forth, no more by a Noon-tide Light, but by an Evening declenſion. Manilias.His Proſperity, or ſhall I ſay his Honours, and Court-Favours, were now in their Tropick, Cum lucem vincere noctes incipiunt. But Vertue is not Fortune's Servant. He roſe with great Light: and he ſet with as great Brightneſs as he roſe. And as Paterculus writes of Mithridates I may refer it to him, Ali…uando fortunâ, ſemper animo maximus; He was once high in Fortune: but always ſtrong in Courage, and great in Worth. 'Tis common to ſee a Stock ingrafted with two forts of Fruits. The Almighty Planter ſhews greater differences, when he pleaſeth, in Moral, than in Natural Plantations. As he ordain'd the Noble Williams to become two contrary Parts, as well as any Man had perform'd them in five Ages before him, keeping the golden Mean in the Tryals of the Righthand, and of the Leſt, being neither corrupted with the Advancements, nor the Perſecutions of the Times: As Paul and Barnabas were neither tranſported with the Honours which the Lycaonians did intend, nor deterr'd with the Stones which they caſt at them, Acts 14. But the latter is moſt to be remarked. For if this Lord-keeper had not dreſt himſelf with Vertue, when he was clad in Honour: nor rendred a ſweet Air in every Cloſe, when the Diapaſon of Peace, Wealth, and the King's Love were all in tune, he had abus'd Fortune, which had given him his pay in hand. Nec tam meruit gloriam, quàm effugit flagitium; as Pliny hath it: But to ſtand upright, when he was diſmounted: to croſs his Croſſes with Generoſity and Patience: to paſs through a hot Furnace of Afflictions, which was heated with all kind of Malice, and no ſmell of Fire to remain upon him, Dan. 3. v. 27. this deſerves to be Canonized, and will keep green in the Memory of more Ages than one. From the Forty third Year of his Life to the full term of his Sixty eighth Year, trouble upon trouble, miſchief after miſchief had him in chaſe; and yet the Huntſmen, thoſe Salvaggi could never blow the Death of this well-breath'd Hart. Fifteen Years the purſuit came from them, that made uſe of the Frown of the King. When they were a fault (But when were they otherwiſe?) One Woe was paſt, but there came two Woes (or rather a thouſand) after it, Apoc. 9.12. foreign, the Parliament of Deſtruction, or of abſolute Reprobation, Sine praeviſo peccato, which ſpared none, ſuppreſt him, oppreſt him, and he was under that Sufferance ten Years. Was not the Ship well built? Were not the Ribs of it heart of Oak, which endured a Storm of twenty five Years? and in that long time never enjoy'd a calm Sea? He was made for ſuch a Tryal; which was ſanctified by Goſpel-Promiſes, giving unto juſt Men aſſurance of vigour to endure them. Every one pittieth himſelf: everyone covets Eaſe, and Proſperity: which is more Childiſh than Manly. And a Deſign that is commonly miſtaken. Adverſity, out of doubt, is beſt for us all, becauſe we would not carve it out to our ſelves, but God chooſeth it for us: and he chooſeth better for us, than we can for ourſelves. By his Providence ſome Mens Sorrows are greater than others: and few had a deeper Cup to drink than this Prelate. But every Man's Calamity is fitteſt for himſelf: truſt the Divine appointment for that. And if all Adverſities of ſeveral Men were laid in ſeveral heaps, a wiſe Man would take up his own, and carry them home upon his Shoulders. H…rmolaus Barbarus in an Epiſtle to Maximilian, King of the Romans, Polit. Epiſ. p. 447. diſtinguiſheth between Happineſs and Greatneſs: Secundae res felicem, Magnum faciunt adverſae. But if he, that is beſet round with diſtreſſes, bear them to the Eſtimation of good Men to appear great in them, then is he happy, as well as great. Which is to be demonſtrated in the Subject that I write of, as followeth.
2. King Charles began his Reign Mart. 27. 1625. The next day he ſent for the Lord-Keeper to his Court at St. James's: who found his Majeſty and the Lord-Duke buſied in many Cares. The King ſpake firſt of ſetling his Houſhold: among whom the Keeper commended two out of his own Family to be preſerr'd; but it was paſt over without an Anſwer: only his Domeſtick Chaplain was taken into ordinary Service, for whom he had made no ſuit. But to begin the well-ordering of the new Court, he was appointed to give the Oath to the Lords of the Privy-Council, Sir Humphrey May taken into the Number, a very wiſe States man, and no more of a new Call. Then likewiſe order was given for the Funerals of the deceaſed King, and the Keeper choſen to Preach on the occaſion: of which enough is ſaid already by a convenient Anticipation. The Coronation was ſpoken of, though the time was not determin'd. Yet the King told the Keeper he muſt provide a Sermon for that likewiſe: but he that beſpoke him was of another mind, before the Day of the Solemnization was ripe. That which was much inſiſted upon at this Conſult was a Parliament. His Majeſty being ſo forward to have it ſit, that he did both propound, and diſpute it, to have no Writs go forth to call a new one, but to continue the ſame which had met in one Seſſion in his bleſſed Father's days, and prorogued to another againſt that Spring. The Lord-Keeper ſhewed, That the old Parliament determined with his death that call'd it in his own Name, and gave it Authority to meet. Since neceſſity requir'd a new Choice, the King's Will was, That Writs ſhould be diſpatcht from the Chancery forthwith, and not a day to be loſt. The Keeper craved to be heard, and ſaid it was uſual in times before, that the King's Servants, and truſtieſt Friends did deal with the Countries, Cities and Boroughs, where they were known, to procure a Promiſe for their Elections, before the preciſe time of an inſequent Parliament was publiſht; and that the ſame Forecaſt would be good at that time: which would not ſpeed, if the Summons were divulged, before they lookt about them. The King anſwer'd, It was high time to have Subſidies granted for the maintaining of a War with the King of Spain, and the Fleet muſt go forth for that purpoſe in the Summer. The Keeper ſaid little again, leſt Fidelity ſhould endanger a Suſpicion of Malice: and he little dreamt that the Almanack of the new Year, or new Reign, was ſo ſoon calculated for the Longitude of a War, and the Latitude of vaſt Sums of Money to pay the Service. Yet he replied in a few words, but with ſo cold a conſent, that the King turned away, and gave him leave to be gone. He that was not chearful to ſay good Luck have you with that Expedition, was not thought worthy to have an Oar in the great Barque, which was launching out, and making ready for the King's Marriage with the ſweet Lady of France. Yet who but he to treat with Embaſſadors of that Nation, and on that Score, in his old Maſter's time? Among all the Cares that came into Conſideration that day in the ſulneſs of buſineſs, this had the ſtart, and was haſtned the ſame Morning with Poſts and Pacquets. Cupid's Wings could not poſſibly fly faſter. Yet his Majeſty ſpake nothing of it to this able Counſellor, although the Rumor of it in a Week was heard from Thames to Twede. And the Duke began to hold no Conference with him: neither from that day did he call for this Abiathar, and ſay, Bring hither the Ephod to ask Counſel of the Lord. Evident Tokens to make any Man ſee what would come after, that was far leſs than a Prophet. Which this wife Man paſt over, and ſeem'd to obſerve nothing that was ominous, or unfriendly. But as Lord Mornay ſays in his Anſwer about the Conference at Fountain-bleau, when Henry of France, the 4th. forbad him coming to the Louver. Specto eclipſin, & expecto intrepidus, ſecurus quid illa ſecum vehat: So the Lord-Keeper was better acquainted with Heaven, than to be troubled at an Eclipſe, which is an accident prodigious to none but to a Fool, but familiar to a Philoſopher. And he had learnt in the Morals by heart, that the way to loſe Honour is, to be too careful to keep it.