Guarini (whom learned Italy accounts one of her ornaments) thought it neither an uncomely nor an unprofitable employment for his age. But I pass to what will be thought more se rious. About the twentieth year of his age he proceeded master of arts, and at that time read in Latin three lectures de oculo; wherein he having described the form, the motion, the curious composure of the eye; and demonstrated how of those very many, every humour and nerve performs his distinct office, so as the God of order hath appointed, without mixture or confusion; and all this to the advantage of man, to whom the eye is given, not only as the body's guide, but whereas all other of his senses require time to inform the soul, this in an instant apprehends and warns him of danger, teaching him in the very eyes of others to discover wit, folly, love, and hatred. After he had made these observations he fell to dispute this optique question, "Whether we see by the emission of the beams from within, or reception of the species from without?" and after that, and many other like learned disquisitions, he in the conclusion of his lectures took a fair occasion to beautify his discourse with a commendation of the blessing and benefit of seeing; by which we do not only discover nature's secrets; but with a continued content (for the eye is never weary of seeing) behold the great light of the world, and by it discover the fabric of the heavens, and both the order and motion of the celestial orbs; nay, that if the eye look but downward, it may rejoice to behold the bosom of the earth, our common mother, embroidered and adorned with numberless and various flowers, which man sees daily grow up to perfection, and then silently moralize his own condition, who in a short time (like those very flowers) decays and withers, and quickly returns again to that earth from which both had their first being. These were so exactly debated, and so rhetorically heightened as, among other admirers, caused that learned Italian, Albericus Gentilis (then professor of the civil law in Oxford) to call him Henrice, mi ocelle; which dear expression of his was also used by divers of sir Henry's dearest friends, and by many other persons of note, during his stay in the University. But his stay there was not long; at least, not so long as his friends once intended; for the year after sir Henry proceeded master of arts, his father (whom sir Henry did never mention without this or some like reverential expression, as That good man my father, or my father the best of men:) about that time this good man changed this for a better life, leaving to sir Henry, as to his other younger sons, a rent-charge of an hundred marks a year, to be paid for ever out of some one of his manors of a much greater value. And here, though this good man be dead, yet I wish a circumstance or two that concern him may not be buried without a relation; which I shall undertake to do, for that I suppose they may so much concern the reader to know that I may promise myself a pardon for a short digression. In the year of our redemption 1553 Nicholas Wotton, dean of Canterbury, (whom I formerly mentioned) being then ambassador in France, dreamed that his nephew, this Thomas Wotton, was inclined to be a party in such a project as, if he were not suddenly prevented, would turn both to the loss of his life and ruin of his family. Doubtless Doubtless the good dean did well know that common dreams are but a senseless paraphrase on our waking thoughts, or of the business of the day past, or are the result of our over-engaged affections when we betake ourselves to rest; and knew that the observation of them may turn to silly superstitions, as they too often do but though he might know all this, and might also believe that prophecies are ceased, yet doubtless he could not but consider, that all dreams are not to be neglected or cast away without all consideration, and did therefore rather lay this dream aside than intend totally to lose it; and dreaming the same again the night following, when it became a double dream, like that of Pharaoh, (of which double dreams the learned have made many observations) and considering that it had no dependence on his waking thoughts, much less on the desires of his heart, then he did more seriously consider it, and remembered that Almighty God was pleased in a dream to reveal and to assure Monica, the mother of St. Austin, that he, her son, for whom she wept so bitterly and prayed so much, should at last become a Christian. This I believe the good dean considered; and considering also that Almighty God (though the causes of dreams be often unknown) hath even in these latter times also, by a certain illumination of the soul in sleep, discovered many things that human wisdom could not foresee. * Upon these considerations he resolved to use so prudent a remedy, by way of prevention, as might introduce no great inconvenience either to himself or to his nephew. And to that end he wrote to the queen (it was queen Mary) and besought her, "That she would cause his nephew Thomas St. Austin's Confession. Wotton, Wotton, to be sent for out of Kent; and that the lords of her council might interrogate him in some such feigned questions as might give a colour for his commitment into a favourable prison; declaring that he would acquaint her majesty with the true reason of his request when he should next become so happy as to see and speak to her majesty." It was done as the dean desired; and in prison I must leave Mr. Wotton till I have told the reader what followed. At this time a marriage was concluded betwixt our queen Mary and Philip king of Spain; and though this was concluded with the advice, if not by the persuasion of her privy council, as having many probabilities of advantage to this nation, yet divers persons of a contrary persuasion did not only declare against it, but also raised forces to oppose it; believing (as they said) it would be a means to bring England to be under a subjection to Spain, and make those of this nation slaves to strangers. And of this number sir Thomas Wyat, of Boxley Abbey, in Kent, (betwixt whose family and the family of the Wottons there had been an ancient and entire friendship) was the principal actor; who having persuaded many of the nobility and gentry (especially in Kent) to side with him, and he being defeated and taken prisoner, was legally arraigned and condemned, and lost his life: so did the duke of Suffolk, and divers others, especially many of the gentry of Kent, who were there in several places executed as Wyat's assistants. And of this number, in all probability, had Mr. Wotton been if he had not been confined; for though he could not be ignorant that another man's treason makes it mine by concealing it, yet he durst confess to his uncle, when he returned into England, England, and then came to visit him in prison, that he had more than an intimation of Wyat's intentions, and thought he had not continued actually innocent if his uncle had not so happily dreamed him into a prison; out of which place when he was delivered by the same hand that caused his commitment, they both considered the dream more seriously, and then both joined in praising God for it; that God who ties himself to no rules, either in preventing of evil, or in shewing of mercy to those whom of good pleasure he hath chosen to love. And this dream was the more considerable, because that God who in the days of old did use to speak to his people in visions, did seem to speak to many of this family in dreams; of which I will also give the reader one short particular of this Thomas Wotton, whose dreams did usually prove true, both in foretelling things to come and discovering things past and the particular is this; this Thomas, a little before his death, dreamed that the University treasury was robbed by townsmen and poor scholars; and that the number was five: and being that day to write to his son Henry at Oxford, he thought it worth so much pains as by a postscript in his letter to make a slight enquiry of it. The letter (which was writ out of Kent, and dated three days before,) came to his son's hands the very morning after the night in which the robbery was committed; and when, the city and university were both in a perplexed inquest of the thieves, then did sir Henry Wotton shew his father's letter, and by it such light was given of this work of darkness, that the five guilty persons were presently discovered and apprehended, without putting the University to so much trouble as the casting of a figure, And |