Page images
PDF
EPUB

sion to make him exercife himfelf both for your own glory, and for

at Tennis, he ordered fome battle doors to be bought for him at that city. On examining the parchment of thefe, he imagined that he faw upon the greater part of them the Latin titles of the eighth, tenth, and eleventh Decades of Livy, which made him ardently defirous of examining this matter to the bottom.

Having immediately gone to the

their inftruction.

I am, &c.

CHAPELAIN.

Paris,
12 Sept. 1668.

Form of the Anathemas denounced
against Robbers in the middle Ages.

LL ftates are, at different

fhop-keeper from whom the battle-A times, infefted with robbers,

doors had been bought, he was told, that the apothecary of the abbey of Fontevraud having found, in the corner of a chamber in that abbey, a large pile of parchment MSS. and having read upon feveral of them, that they were the hiftory of Livy, he begged them of the abbefs, telling her, that as the book was already in print, they were of no value; but that the parchments might be of fome fervice to him. The abbefs readily granted his request; and he fold them to the fhop-keeper, who ordered a great number of battledoors to be made of them, whereof he fhewed the gentleman upwards of twelve dozens, befides thofe which he had already difpofed of, and fent to other places. The remaining ones bore, fome in one place, and fome in another, the Tame titles and Latin words, which confirmed the fufpicions raised by the firft; namely, that they were the loft Decades of Livy's hiftory. I take pleasure, Sir, in confirming to you, by this detail, what I told you in general, upon this fubject; that you may not be accused of having, without reafon, named me as your authority; meanwhile, continue your labours, and oblige the public by your valuable productions,

but they abound most under a feeble
form of government, incapable of
framing or executing falutary laws
for fuppreffing them. It appears
from a letter of Lupus, abbot of
Ferrieres, in the ninth century, that
the highways were fo much infefted
with banditti, that it became ne-
ceffary for travellers to form them-
felves into companies or caravans,
The nu-
that they might be fafe from the
affaults of robbers.
merous regulations published by
Charles the Bald, in the fame
century, difcover the frequency of
thefe diforders; and fuch acts of
violence were become fo common,
that by many they were hardly
as criminal; and for
confidered
this reafon the inferior judges,
called Centenarii, were required<
to take an oath, that they would
neither commit any robbery them-
The hifto-
felves, nor protect fuch as were
guilty of that crime.
rians of the ninth and tenth cen-
turies give pathetic defcriptions of
their outrages. They became fo
frequent and audacious, that the
authority of the civil magistrate
was unable to reprefs them. The
ecclefiaftical jurifdiction was called
Councils were held
in to aid it.
with great folemnity, the bodies of
L 2

the

the faints were brought thither, and, in prefence of their facred reliques, anathemas were denounced against robbers, and other violators of the public peace. One of thefe forms of excommunication, iffued in the year 988, is ftill preferved, and is fo fingular, and compofed with eloquence of fuch a peculiar kind, that it will not perhaps appear unworthy of a place here. After the ufual introduction, and mentioning the outrage which gave occafion to the anathema, it runs thus:

• Obtenebrefcant oculi vestri, qui concupiverunt; arefcant ma

betrayed our Lord, in the land of death and darknefs; till your hearts are converted to make full fatisfaction.-May thefe curfes, taking vengeance of your wickedness, never ceafe their effect on you, fo long as you remain in the fin of robbery. Amen. So be it, Se be it."

Report of a Journey into the North of Ireland, written to Juftice Cary, by Sir John Harington, 1599.

nus, quæ rapuerunt; debilitentur HAVING expected shipping

omnia membra, quæ adjuverunt. Semper laboretis, nec requiem inveniatis, fructuque veftri laboris privemini. Formidetis, & paveatis, a facie perfequentis, & non perfequentis hoftis, ut tabefcendo deficiatis. Sit portio veftra cum Juda traditore Domini, in terra mortis ac tenebrarum; donec corda veftra ad fatisfactionem plenam convertantur. Ne cellent a vobis hæ maledictiones fcelerum veftrorum perfecutrices, quamdiu permanebitis in peccato pervafionis. Amen. Fiat, Fiat.'- Bouquet. Recueil des hift. tom. x. p. 517.

Englished.

"May your eyes, that have coveted, be darkened; may the hands be withered up, that have robbed; may all the limbs be infeebled, that have helped. May ye always labour, yet never find reft; and may ye be deprived of the fruit of your labour. May ye be in fear and dread from the face of the enemy, whether he purfues or does not purfue you, that, by wafting away, you may at length be confumed. May 'your portion be with Judas, who

till the eighth of this month, and meeting with none convenient, in refpect that all were taken up with fick foldiers, or with my Lord Lieutenant's horfes, I was defirous

to make fome ufe of the time that I fhould ftay here, and therefore was cafily perfuaded to go with Sir William Warren, my kind friend, with whom I had been formerly acquainted in England, and to fee fome part of the realm northward, and the arch-rebel himself, with whom Sir William was to treat.

But ftaying at Dundalk till the 15th of this month, and no news certain of the earl's coming, I went to fee the Newry, and from thence to Darlingford, by the narrow wa ter, and was hindered by waters that I could not come back to Sir William Warren before his first meeting with the earl Tyrone, which was on the 17th day; what time, how far they proceeded I know not, but it appeared that the earl was left in good difpofition, becaufe he kept his hour fo well, the next morning. And, as I found after, Sir William had told him of me, and given fuch report of me above my defert, that next day,

when

when I came, the earl ufed far greater refpect to me, than I expected; and began debafing his own manner of hard life, comparing himself to wolves, that fill their bellies fometime, and faft as long for it; then excufed himself to me that he could no better call to mind myself, and fome of my friends that had done him fome courtefy in England; and been oft in his company at my lord of Ormond's; faying, thefe troubles had made him forget almoft all his friends.

After this he fell to private communication with Sir William, to the effecting of the matters begun the day before: to which I thought it not fit to intrude myself, but took occafion the while to entertain his two fons, by pofing them in their learning, and their tutors, which were one Friar Nangle, a Francifcan, and a younger fcholar, whofe name I know not; and finding the two children of good towardly fpirit, their ages between thirteen and fifteen, in English cloths, like a nobleman's fons; with velvet gerkins and gold lace; of a good chearful afpect, freckled faced, not tall of ftature, but strong and well-fet, both of them their English tongue.

I gave them, not without the ad vice of Sir William Warren, my English translation of Ariofto, which I got at Dublin: which their teachers took very thankfully, and foon after fhewed it the earl, who called to fee it openly, and would needs hear fome part of it read; I turned, as it had been by chance, to the beginning of the 45th canto, and fome other paffages of the book, which he feeined to like fo well, that he folemnly fwore his boys fhould read all the book over to him.

Then they fell to communication again, and calling me to him, he faid, that I fhould witnefs, and tell my lord lieutenant, how, against all his confederates wills, Sir Wiliam had drawn him to a longer ceffation, which he would never have agreed to, but in confidence of my lord's honourable dealing with him; for, faith he, now is my harveft time, now have my men their fix weeks pay afore-hand, that they have nothing to do but fight; and if I omit this opportunity, and then you fhall prepare to invade me the mean time, I may be condemned for a fool.

Alfo one pretty thing I noted, that the paper being drawn for him to fign, and his figning it with O'Neal, Sir William (though with very great difficulty) made him to new write it, and fubfcribe Hugh Tyrone. Then we broke our fafts with him, and at his meat he was very merry, and it was my hạp to thwart one of his priests in an argument, to which he gave reafon able good ear, and fome approba tion. He drank to my lord's health, and bade me tell him he loved him, and acknowledged this ceffation had been very honourably kept. He made likewife a folemn proteftation, that he was not abitious, but fought only fafety of his life, and freedom of his confcience, without which he would not live though the que n would give him Ireland.

Then he afked of Sir Henry Harington, and faid he heard he had much wrong, to have an imputation of want of courage, for the laft defeat at Arkloo: protefting that himself had known Sir Henry ferve as valiantly as ever any man did, naming the time, place, and perfons, all known to Sir William L 3 Warren.

4

as

Warren. Other pleafant and idle tales were needlefs and impertinent, or to defcribe his fern table, fern forms fpread under the ftately canopy of heaven. His guard, for the most part, were beardlefs boys without thirts; who, in the froft, wade as familiarly through rivers water spaniels. With what charm fuch a mafter makes them love him I know not; but, if he bid come, they come, if go, they do go; if he fay do this, they do it. He makes apparent fhow to be inclinable to peace; and fome of his nearest followers have it buzzed amongst them, that fome league of England with Spain or Scotland, or I know not where, may endanger them. But himself, no doubt, waits only to hear what my lord lieutenant intends, and according to that will bend his

courfe.

Fryar Nangle wears all oaths, that he will do all the good he can, and that he is guiltless of the heinous crimes he is indited of; for, if he had his pardon, perhaps there might be made good ufe of him. This is all I remember any way worthy the writing to you, not doubting but Sir William Warren, that had the fole charge of this bufinefs, will give you much better account of the weightier affairs, than I that only went to fee their manner of parting.

I remain in much duty,
JOHN HARRINGTON.

[blocks in formation]

captains and our foldiers, in fummer heats and winter colds, in hunger and thirft, for our backs and our bellies. That is to fay, every captain of an hundred footmen doth receive weekly, upon every Saturday, his full entertainment of twenty-eight fhillings. In like cafe, every lieutenant fourteen fhillings; an enfign feven fhillings; our ferjeant, furgeon, drum, and fife, five fhillings pay by way of impreft; and every common foldier three fhillings delivered to all by the pole weekly. To the four laft lower officers two fhillings weekly, and for every common foldier twenty pence weekly is to be answered to the full value thereof, in good apparel of different kinds, part for winter, and part for fummer, which is ordered of good quality and ftuff for the prices; patterns whereof muft be fent to the lord-deputy_to be compared and prepared as followeth.

Apparel for an officer in winter.

A caflock of broad cloth with bays, and trimmed with filk lace, twenty-feven fhillings feven-pence.

A doublet of canvafs with filk buttons, and lined with white linnen, fourteen fhillings five-pence.

Two fhirts and two bands, nine fhillings and fix-pence.

Three pair of kerfy ftockings, at two fhillings and four-pence a pair, feven fhillings.

Three pair of fhoes neats leather, at two fhillings and four-pence per pair, feven fhillings.

One pair of Venetians of broad Kentish cloth, with filver lace, fifteen fhillings four-pence.

[blocks in formation]

H

Two pair of fhoes, four fhillings eight-pence.

One pair of ftockings, two fhillings eight-pence.

A felt hat and band, five fhillings five-pence.

Apparel for a common foldier in winter.

A caflock of Kentifh broad cloth fined with cotton, and trimmed with buttons and loops, feventeen fhillings fix-pence.

A doublet of canvafs, with white linnen lining, twelve shillings fixpence.

A hat cap coloured, feven fhillings.

Two fhirts of Ofanbridge holland and bands, eight fhillings.

Three pair neats leather fhoes, two fhillings four-pence each, feven fhillings.

Three pair of kerfey ftockings, eight fhillings.

One pair Venetians of Kentifh broad cloth, with buttons, loops, and lining of linnen, thirteen fhillings four-pence.

In Summer.

Two fhirts of Ofanbridge and two falling Holland bands, feven fhillings.

Two pair of neats leather shoes, four fhillings eight-pence.

One pair of stockings, two fhillings eight-pence.

A hat cap coloured, three fhillings.

Thus, friend Thomas, her ma. jefty, with wonted grace, hath graced our bodies, and may heaven's grace cloath her in everlafting robes of righteoufnefs, and on earth

peace to her who always fheweth good will toward all men.

So refteth thy loving mafter,

JOHN HARINGETON.

A Letter from King James the Firft, to Sir John Haringeton, in the original spelling.

To our trusty and Well-belovede Sir Johne Haringeton, Knight.

RYGHTE truftic and welbelovite frinde, we greete yow heartily weill. We have raiffavit your lanterne, with the poefie yow fende us be owr fervande Williame Hunter, gevinge yow hairtie thankes; as lykewayfe for yowr lafte letter, quhawin we perfaife the continuance of yowr loyall affectione to us and yowr fervyce; we shall not be unmyndefule to extende owr princelie favoure heirafter to yow and yowr perticulers, at all guid occafions. mitte yow to God.

From our cowrte at Hallyruid-howse, April the thyrde, 1603.

We com

JAMES R.

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »