Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 3
1637-03-01
Pleaseth it your worthy Exelensy: your poore yet faythfull saruant togetther with my wiffe, remember our humbell scerues to your selffe, and our much deserueing Mris. your wiffe. my dewty I haue too much foregot in that I haue not written to your worship since your departuer from Groten. one cheefe causse was that I hoped that of your Clemensy, you would haue beggune to me. I if I mistake not desiered you would bene pleased to haue maede some Report of the Country to me; some other Reasons I could allege, that weeare too longe heeare to inscerte: thearefore I desier you that of your Beneggnyty you would not judg of my faythfull loyallty towardes you by my neglecct to wright to you: nor yet that I haue Demas lyke imbrased this present world because that I am constraiened to dwell in Mesheak, but yourselffe knowes that Miphibosheth his lambenes kept him from goeing with Daued, though it weere to his great greefe; through his faithlesse saruant Sibie euen so vnscertayne estate haue tyed me short, so that in bodyly presentes I can not be wheare I would desier to be; but neither the want nor increase of these thinges can clippe the wingges of my ernest and ardent affections, which are dayly liffted vp to god conscerning his Church with you theare in Jewery, and your selfe and yours in a speshall manner, whombe I know to be worthy of dubell honouer, and deutty bind me in an vnuiellabl bond both now and 355all way to commend you to the blesseing of godes grasse, and doe desier you to remember me though vnworthy that god would of his mersi be pleased to keepe me vndefilled and make me more zeluse: in these poleuted plases and declying tymes Amen. Your saruant to command
Sir I humbly desier you to wright the next Returne so as that I may vnderstand from you, whether the mannewer of Grotten doe giue any thiurdes out of the coppie hould landes. heere is a poore weddow chaleing a right to the thiurdes of the Fallken: and sheut is lyke to be commensed about it, exept it please you to exprese how it is in the premeses.
W. 4. 85; 5
Collections
, I. 237–238. Robert Goldston had been a tenant of Governor Winthrop at Groton. See Winthrop Papers, II. 181.
1637-03-01
to satisfie your expectation, and myne owne dewe respecte, (wherein I woolde be loathe to be any wayes defectyve) I praye you to vnderstande that our Allminake makers blasted some 2 yeeres synce with Jupiters Thunderbolte for beinge to curious in there predictions, have ever synce sylently lefte all presages to the event of euery season: yett have many noted sondry strange alterations this laste yeere now paste. The Springe was very hotte and drye burninge vp the grasse, the harveste very wette and dropping and so the weather followinge very variable, which bredde a sore plague bothe at london and in sondrye other places, by reason whereof mydsommer tearme was in parte cutte of and so was Mihel tearme for the moste parte cutte of. This Sommer the K
This Summer the Bishop of Norwiche2 by his deputyes made as stricte a visitation in that Diocesse, as euer was seene before: all the weekely lectures putte downe, with Sermons in the afternone on the Lords daye, many mynisters sylenced suspended and putt from there places for not comformytie, and readinge the Kjure diuino to Presbiters as well as to Bishopps and not to Bishopps only. Wherein all obiections and pretenses to the contrary are fully awnswered and the pretended Superioritie of Bishopps over mynisters and presbiters Fure diuino (now moche contended for) vtterly subverted, in a moste perspicuous manner, by a well-wysher to Gods truthe and people. In the yeere 1636. A breefe awnswere to a late treatise of the Sabbath daye digested dialogue wyse betweene 2 Dyvines A and B. A divine tragedy lately acted, or a collection of sondry memorable examples of Gods Iudgements vpon Sabbathe-breakers, and other lyke lybertynes in there vnlawefull sportes happeninge within the Reallme of Englande in the compasse only of 2 yeeres laste paste, synce the boocke was published, woorthie to be knowne, and considered of all men especially suche who are guyltie of the Synne, or arche patrons thereof anno 1636.5 In the ende of which collection is inserted the history of Mr. Prynne pursewed by Mr. Noy a greate favourer of Sabbathe recreations and pollutions, in this manner. Mr. William Noye the greate Gamaliell of the lawe the Kli to stande in 2 severall pylleryes, and there to loose bothe hys eares, his boockes to be there burned before hym, and to suffer Imprisonmente duringe hys lyfe besydes, which sentence thowghte by moste that harde the cawse to be meante only in terrorem, withowte any intention at all of execution, beinge respited for above 3 monethes space and in a manner remitted by the Queene moste gracious mediation, was yet by this Attornyes and a greate prelates Importunitie beyonde all expectation sooddenly and severelye executed, withowte any the leaste mittigation, fewe of the lords so moche as knowenge of it. The gentleman heerevpon is sett vpon the pyllory at Westminster, and thare he lost an eare: Mr. Noye lyke a ioyfull spectator lawghes at his sufferinge, and this his greate exploite he had browghte to passe, which diverse there presente observed and condemned in hym: the gentleman lyke a harmeles lambe, takes all with suche patience, that he not so moche as once opened his mowthe to lett falle any woorde of discontente. Yett the Juste God and Sovereigne lorde of heaven and earthe, who beholdeth mischeefe and spighte, to requite it with 360his hande, and avengeth the innocente bloodde of his Servants, tooke this his myrthe and mallyce so heynously that the same daye (as some abowte hym and of his owne societye reported) he who thus shedd his brothers and companions bloodde, by the Juste hande of God, fell a voydinge and pyssinge owte his owne: which so amazed hym that he vsed all the meanes he coolde, to smother it from the woorlde, charginge his lawndresse and those abowte hym not to speake of it, refucinge to acquaynte his phisitians with it: heerevpon he growes very pallide, and ill, the Phisitians wonder at it; he complaynes to them of the gravell and Stone in his kydneyes, tyll at laste he grewe so yll with this dyvine stroke, that he was forced to disclose his greefe to them, yett so as thay muste faythefully promyse to disclose it to no man, for feare the people shoolde saye it were a Juste Judgment of God on hym for sheddinge Mr. Prinnes bloodde. But God woolde not have this secrett longe concealed; his lawndresse, men, and some gentlemen of his societye discover and talke of it: he mooche vexed in mynde insteade of repentinge what he had doone, and seekinge to righte the partie wronged for his irreparable damage, lyke a harte or Beaste once mortally wownded, proceeds on in his former furye; seekes to bringe the poore distressed gentleman into freshe trooble and a further censure, bringes hym ore tenus into the Starre chamber, Reviles hym with all manner of vncivill woords, mooves to have hym close prysoner amonge the Rogues in Newgate, sells his chamber as forfeited to the howse by his expulsion, Seiseth his boocks, and when the courte woolde not grawnte his vnreasonable malicious motion, above 5 weekes after in the longe vacation, when most of the lords were gone and his Maa Proiector lately deade, wherein they bringe hym in his lawiers Robes vpon the stage and openlye dissectinge hym, fynde a 100 proclamations in his heade, a bundle of olde moathe eaten Records in his mawe, and halfe a barrell of newe white Sope in his belly which made hym to skoore so muche, and yett say thay he is styll very blacke and fowle within. And as if this voydinge of all his owne bloodde, and publicke disgrace on the Stage were not sufficiente to expiate the wronged gentlemans bloodde and infamye: hym selfe in his laste wyll, layes a Brande on his owne soonne and heire: be-queathinge all his goods and lands not therein given to others to Edwarde his eldeste Soonne, to be scattered and spent: nec de eo melius speraui: enowghe to make dutyfull childe turne vnthrifte; and a signe of a dispairinge man: which soonne of his vpon his owne challenge and rashenes hath byn synce slayne in a duell in France by Captayn Byron, who escaped scott free and had his pardon. Thus hathe God ponished Bloodd with Bloodde, thus hath he dealt with one of the cheefe occasioners of this declaration, and burner of that boocke, which learnedly manifested the vnlawfullnes of the severall sportes and pastimes cowntenanced in it, especially on the lords owne sacred daye, owte of olde and new wryters of all sortes, and specifyed dyvers Judgements of God vpon the awthers, acters and Spectators of them not vnwoorthy consideration in these sable tymes of plagues and Judgements.
There is yett one libell more, which vntyll better advyce shall sende it you, that you may the better Judge what it dyd speake of, I send you heere also the tytle, or prefixed frontispice of that treatice, entytled Newes from Ipswich discoveringe certayne late detestable practises of some domineeringe Lordly Prelats, to vndermyne the established doctrine and discipline of our Church, extirpate all Orthodoxall sincere preachers and preachinge of Gods woorde, vsher in Popery, Superstition and Idollatrye, with there late notorious purgations of the new Faste boock, contrary to his ma
Vpon the 27 of December laste came the Erie of Arondell and Surrey home from his Ambassage to the Emperor Ferdinande the 2 and to the princes of Germany, he tooke his Journy abowte the beginnynge of Aprill and was sente from our K
Sir, this supplimente I have added, but for a lytle refreshenge, vpon the which many do dyversly opyne. Heerevpon Charles Lodovike Cownte Pallatyne of the Rhene publisheth his protestation againste all the vnlawfull and violente proceedinges against hym and his brotheren. Particularlye againste the secrett and invalide dispocetions and decrees of the Emperor in the translation of the Electorall dignitie and dominions vpon the Duke of Bavaria. The vnlawfull and vayne election of a Kynge of the Romaynes, where his highnes and the Ellector of Tryers were excluded, and lastly againste the vyolente and vniuste vsurpation and possession of the Electorall dignitie, Tytle voyce and Session by the Duke of Bavaria. What this in tyme wyll effecte tys only tyme wyll relate. And so sceasinge further at this tyme remembringe my selfe moste respectyvely vnto you I leave you with all yours to the safe protection of the Allmightie, and do reste Yours allwayes in all true and synceare affection.
If these lettres come to your hands, as I hope they shall and to which ende I wrotte them I pray you advertise mee of the receipte and date thereof.
W. 2. 155; 4
Collections
, VI. 410–421.
Matthew Wren.
The Declaration of Sports, first issued by James I in 1618 and ordered by Charles I in 1633 to be republished and read in the churches.
The Reverend John Rogers of Dedham died October 8, 1636.
All the above “libels” (i.e., brief writings) have been attributed in whole or in part to William Prynne. The Lords Day, the Sabbath Day. Or, A Briefe Answer to Some Materiall Passages, in a Late Treatise of the Sabbath-Day: Digested Dialogue-Wise betweene Two Divines A. and B. has also been attributed to Richard Byfield. A Divine Tragedy Lately Acted has been attributed in whole or in part to Henry Burton.
For a detailed account of the events which followed upon the publication of William Prynne’s Histrio Mastix. The Players Scovrge, Or, Actores Tragadie (London, 1633), see the article on Prynne in
D.N.B.
There are three known editions of William Prynne’s Newes from Ipswich in 1636, one probably published in Edinburgh, the others in London.
As in his letter to Winthrop of September 10, 1636, Ryece uses a pseudonym. That Thomas Smythe was Robert Ryece is certain from a comparison of the handwriting in this letter with that of other letters to which Ryece signed his own name. The identity is further confirmed by Governor Winthrop’s endorsement on a later letter from Ryece also signed “Thomas Smythe” (see below, pages 371–375), where there is also an explanation of the “A” that appears here below the signature.