when we fet foot in this fuit (for another of the Prebendaries joyned with me) we knew not wherein to infift, nor where to ground a complaint, only we knew that a Goodly Patrimony was by facrilegious conveyance detained from the Church. But in the pursuit of it fuch marvelous light opened it felf inexpectedly to us, in revealing of a counterfeit feal, found in the afhes of that burned houfe of a falfe Register; in the manifeftation of rafures, and interpolations, and mifdates of unjustifiable evidences, that after many years fuit, the wife and honourable Lord Chancellor Ellesmere upon a full hearing, adjudged thefe two fued for Prebends, clearly to be return'd to the Church, untill by common law, they could (if poffibly) be revicted; Our great adverfary Sr. Walter Levefon, finding it but lofs and trouble to ftruggle for litigious fheaves, came off to a peaceable compofition with me of 40 per annum for my part, whereof ten should be to the dif charge of my ftall in that Church, till the fuit fhould by courfe of Common law be determined ; we agreed upon fair VVars. The caufe was heard at the Kings Bench Barr; where a fpeciall verdict was given for us; Upon the death of my partner in the fuit, (in whofe name it had now been brought) it was renewed; a Jury empannelled in the County; the Foreman (who had vowed he would carry it for Sr. VValter Le

vefon howfoever) was before the day, ftricken -mad, and fo continued; we proceeded with the fame fuccefs we formerly had; whiles we were thus ftriving, a word fell from my adverfary, that gave me intimation, that a third dog would perhaps come in, and take the bone from us both; which I finding to drive at a fuppofed concealment, happily prevented, for I prefently addreffed my self to his Majefty, with a Petition for the renewing the charter of that Church; and the full establishment of the Lands, Rights, Liberties, thereto belonging; which I eafily obtained from those Gracious hands; Now Sr. Walter Levefon, feeing the patrimony of the Church so fast and safely fetled and misdoubting what iffue those his crafie evidences would find at the Common law, began to incline to offers of peace, and at last drew him fo farr, as that he yielded to those two many condicions, not particularly for my felf, but for the whole body of all thofe Frebends which pertained to the Church; First that he would be content to caft up that Feefarm, which he had of all the Patrimony of that Church, and difclaming it, receive that which he held of the faid Church by leafe, from us the feverall Prebendaries, for term, whether of years, or (which he rather defired) of Lives. Secondly that he would raise the maintenance, of every Prebend, (whereof fome were but forty fhillings,

others;

others three, pounds, others four, &c.) to the yearly value of thirty pounds to each man, during the faid terme of his Leafe, only for a monument of my labour and fuccefs herein, I required that my Prebend might have the addition of ten pounds per annum, above the fellowes VVe were bufily treating of this happy match for that poor Church; Sr. Walter Leveson was not only willing but forward; The then Dean ·Mr. Antonius de Dominis, Archbishop of Spalata, gave both way and furtherance to the dispatch, all had been moft happily ended, had not the fcrupuloufness, of one or two of the Number, differed fo advantageous a conclufion; In the mean while Sr. VValter Levefon dyes, leaves his young Orphan Ward to the King, all our hopes were now blown up; An office was found of all thofe Lands, the very wonted payments were denyed, and I call'd into the Court of VVards, in fair likelyhood, to forgoe my former hold, and yielded poffeflion: but there, it was juftly awarded by the Lord Treasurer, then Mafter of the VVards, that the Orphan could have no more, no other right then the Father: I was therefore left in my former ftate, only upon publick complaint, of the hard condicion wherein the Orphan was left, I fuffered my felf to be over-intreated, to abate fomewhat of that evicted compofition: which work having once

firmely fetled, in a juft pitty of the mean pro vifion, if not the Deftitution of fo many thoufand fouls, and a defire, and care, to have them comfortably provided for in the future, I refigned up the faid Prebend to a worthy Preacher, Mr. Lee, who fhould conftantly refide there, and painfully Inftruct, that great and long neglected people; which he hath hitherto performed, with great mutual contentment and happy fuccefs: Now during this 22 years which I spent at VValtham; thrice was I commanded and employed abroad by his Majefty in publick service.

Firft in the attendance of the Right Honoura ble Earl of Carlile, (then Lord Viscount Doncafter) who was fent upon a Noble Embaffy, with a gallant retinue into France; whofe enterment there, the Annalls of that Nation will tell to pofterity, In the midft of that fervice was I fur. prized with a miferable Diftemper of body; which ended in a Diarrhea Biliofa, not without fome beginnings and further threats of a Dysentery; wherewith I was brought fo low, that there feem.. ed fmall hope of my recovery, Mr. Peter Mou-.. lin (to whom I was beholden for his frequent vifitations) being fent by my Lord Embaffador, to inform him of my eftate, brought him fo fad Newes thereof, as that he was much afflicted therewith, well fuppofing his welcom to VValtham, could not but wont much of the heart with

Gut

out me: Now the time of his returne drew on, Dr. Moulin, kindly offered to remove me, upon his Lordships departure, to his own house, promifing me all carefull tendance; I thankt him, but refolv'd, if I could but creep homewards to put my self upon the Journey. A Litter was provided, but of fo little cafe; that Simeons penitentiall lodging; or a malefactors ftocks, had been lefs penall: I crawled down from my close Chamber into that carriage, In qua videbaris mihi efferri, tanquam in fandapila, as Mr. Moulin wrote to me afterward; that Mifery had I endured in all the long paflage, from Paris to Deep, being left alone to the furly Muleters, had not the providence of my good God brought me to St. Germans, upon the very minute of the fetting out of thofe Coaches, which had stay'd there upon that mornings entertainment of my Lord Ambaffador; How glad was I that I might change my feat, and my company; in the way, beyond all ex. pectation, I began to gather fome ftrength, whether the fresh Air, or the defires of my home revived me, fo much, and fo fudden reparation enfued, as was fenfible to my felf; and feemed ftrange to others; Being fhipped at Deep the Sea ufed us hardly, and after a Night, and a great part of the Day following, fent us back well wind-beaten, to that bleak haven whence we fet forth, forcing us to a more pleafing land-passage,

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